Sludge suction system

After a long wait, the judges finally announced the results of the first round of the team competition. Fang Xiaobei's team won first place with 145 points, earning an additional 10 points for each member. Fang Xiaobei scored 49 points, Xia Zhi 48 points, and Bai Ruoxue 48 points. Hearing this news, Fang Xiaobei's lips curled up, her eyes filled with pride. She looked at her teammates, her eyes brimming with satisfaction. Xia Zhi jumped up excitedly, waving her hands in the air and shouting, "We did it!" Bai Ruoxue closed her eyes slightly, took a deep breath, and a relaxed smile appeared on her face.

Ye Keke's team came in second place with 142 points, with Ye Keke scoring 48, Hu Yifei 47, and Gao He 47. Ye Keke, who had been so confident, bit her lip upon hearing the result, her eyes revealing resentment. Hu Yifei sighed heavily, his face full of disappointment. Gao He clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes burning with jealousy.

Huang Yulin's team came in third place with 140 points, with Huang Yulin scoring 48, Liu Jincheng 47, and Yan Jiang 45. Huang Yulin frowned, remaining silent, clearly dissatisfied with the result. Liu Jincheng shook his head helplessly, while Yan Jiang hung his head, his face filled with disappointment.

The three eliminated amateur teams stood at the edge of the field, each with a different expression.

Team One's captain, Zhang Dashan, bit his lip tightly, his face filled with resentment, his fists clenched until they turned white, and his eyes revealed a defiant spirit. Li Erya and Wang Tieniu hung their heads, their eyes dim, some even with red eyes, clearly finding it hard to accept the result of the competition.

The members of the second team huddled together, their faces filled with disappointment. Zhao Xiaolian frowned, her eyes filled with frustration, and she sighed repeatedly. Sun Xiaoshun stared blankly, as if he hadn't yet recovered from the blow of defeat.

The members of the third team stood ramrod straight, their eyes vacant and their faces expressionless. Zhou Daqiang clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly, his heart filled with anger and resentment.

Before everyone could even catch their breath, the second round of the competition was about to begin.

The judges stood in the center of the stage, their expressions serious and their eyes sharp, and solemnly announced to all the contestants: "The second round of the individual competition has a time limit of one hour. Each contestant must independently complete one dish within this time. The competition requirements are strict. The ingredients will be provided by the organizers. Everyone must use spices as paintbrushes and ingredients as canvases to showcase their unique creativity and superb cooking skills."

After the competition, scores will be tallied based on the judges' scores. Each contestant starts with 100 points. Scores higher than the starting score will be added to the total score, while scores lower than the starting score will be deducted accordingly.

The team with the highest total score, calculated by combining points from the first round of team competition and points from the second round of individual competition, will be the winner of this competition. In this round, we hope all participants will fully utilize their individual abilities while also emphasizing teamwork, demonstrating style and skill.

Fang Xiaobei's team huddled together, their expressions serious. Fang Xiaobei said softly, "In the second round of the individual competition, we need to play to our strengths. I think we can try some new spice combinations." Xia Zhi nodded repeatedly, then added, "That's right, we also need to be more meticulous in preparing the ingredients." Bai Ruoxue pondered for a moment and then said, "Everyone, pay attention to time management and don't be too nervous."

Ye Keke stood in the center of the team, head held high, her eyes full of disdain. She crossed her arms and said arrogantly, "We'll definitely win this competition. I can easily defeat the other teams by myself." Hu Yifei frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. Gao He's face was gloomy, his lips tightly pressed together, deeply dissatisfied.

Hu Yifei whispered, "Ye Keke, we still need to work as a team. We can't underestimate our opponent." Ye Keke smiled dismissively and said, "You guys are no help at all. Just listen to me." Hu Yifei sighed helplessly and lowered his head, remaining silent. Gao He couldn't help but retort, "We have our own ideas too. We can't all listen to you." Ye Keke replied impatiently, "Just don't hold us back."

Huang Yulin's team huddled together, the atmosphere tense. Huang Yulin, with a serious expression, said, "We need to study our opponents carefully and develop strategies targeting their weaknesses." Liu Jincheng nodded and said, "We need to work on innovating our dishes." Yan Jiang also spoke up, "Everyone, stay calm and don't panic."

Soon, the organizers' staff were bustling about in the center of the venue, carrying various ingredients to the tables. They carefully arranged tender chicken, succulent pork, fresh cabbage, potatoes, and radishes. A large bamboo basket beside them overflowed with grains: golden millet, plump corn, round rice, dark brown sorghum, and ripe buckwheat grains rolled onto the table.

The servants carefully opened the wooden box containing fifteen kinds of spices, each presented in a delicate little porcelain dish. Star anise, dark brown and horn-shaped, exuded a rich, spicy aroma; its unique flavor added a mellow richness to dishes. Fennel seeds, small as granules, pale green in color, with a slightly sweet fragrance, were excellent for removing fishy smells and enhancing aroma. Pepper, plump and dark brown granules, emitted a strong spicy flavor, giving dishes a stimulating taste. Mint, with its tender green leaves unfurling, had a cool, minty aroma, adding a unique flavor to dishes with a refreshing touch. Cloves, with their small, brownish flowers, emitted a rich aroma, adding a unique charm to dishes. Nutmeg, with its rough texture, emitted a unique aroma and served to enhance fragrance and cut through greasiness in cooking. Cinnamon, with its curled, brownish-red flakes, emitted a warm, spicy aroma and was a key spice in making braised dishes. Licorice root… Slender, pale yellow strips, with a hint of sweetness, not only harmonize the flavors of other spices but also add a lingering sweetness to dishes; monk fruit, round and dark brown fruits, exudes a sweet aroma and brings a unique sweetness to stewed dishes; cardamom, deep purple granules, has a faint fragrance and adds a mysterious touch to dishes; amomum villosum, light brown granules, has a rich spicy aroma and enhances the flavor of dishes; cinnamon, thick brown slices, exudes a sweet aroma and brings a unique fragrance when baked or stewed; costus root, yellowish-brown blocks, exudes a rich aroma and adds a mellow taste to dishes; angelica dahurica, white root-like, has a refreshing fragrance and can remove fishy smells and enhance aroma in cooking; galangal, light yellow blocks, exudes a faint fragrance.

As the contestants looked at the ingredients and spices, they began to think about how to combine them cleverly to create dishes that would impress them.

Fang Xiaobei stood at the competition venue, her brows furrowed, her eyes filled with anxiety and confusion. Surrounded by a cacophony of voices, she stared at the ingredients laid out before her, her mind blank, utterly clueless. Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "Xiao Zha, come out and help me think of a solution."

Xiao Zha peeked out from Fang Xiaobei's sleeve and cautiously asked, "Host, are you having some trouble?" Fang Xiaobei said with a worried look, "I have absolutely no inspiration and have no idea what dish to make. Please help me think of something." Xiao Zha looked at the ingredients on the table, thought for a moment, and then said, "Host, we can make modern claypot rice. Using rice as a base, we can cut fresh pork and chicken into small pieces and add crisp vegetables. We can grind star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper into powder and sprinkle it into the rice so that every grain of rice is fragrant."

"Little rascal, you're a genius! I'll give you extra chicken legs when we get back. Your idea is really great!" Fang Xiaobei laughed heartily, instantly feeling motivated.

At this moment, the other contestants on the field also began to walk into the ingredient area, thinking about how to select ingredients.