Republic of China, 1928: Starting from a Wonton Shop

On the other side, Li Chunsheng had not yet made a move.

The oil in his pot was hotter than Yan Desheng's, smoldering and smoking, a sight that made one's heart race.

"What is he doing? Why isn't he cooking it?" someone exclaimed.

Sun Dehai sneered, "Is this kid stupid? At this oil temperature, he'll burn as soon as he goes in!"

Li Chunsheng turned a deaf ear; his eyes were fixed only on the pot of oil.

After advancing his skill in controlling the heat to a higher level, he became much more precise in monitoring changes in oil temperature.

The stomach fibers of free-range black pigs are coarser and firmer than those of ordinary pigs. If you use oil at a normal temperature of 80%, it is difficult to fry them thoroughly and crispy in three seconds.

Therefore, the oil temperature must be even higher! It needs to be 90% hot!

Just before the oil noodles were about to boil, Li Chunsheng came to life.

Unlike Yan Desheng, who used a strainer to deep-fry the ingredients, he poured the marinated ingredients directly into the oil!

boom!

A loud bang, like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

A flame column more than half a meter high instantly shot up from the pot!

"My goodness! Is this cooking or setting a fire?"

Amidst the raging flames, Li Chunsheng held a pot in his left hand and a spatula in his right, rapidly stirring the food in the fire!

The thick pork belly and firm chicken gizzards, enveloped in the raging fire and boiling oil, instantly contracted and expanded.

One second, two seconds.

Just as the second second ended, Li Chunsheng suddenly flipped his wrist, and all the ingredients, along with the oil, were poured out and drained.

This speed is even a second faster than Yan Desheng's!

Next, put it back in the pot, pour in the sauce, toss it in the pan, and it's ready to serve! The whole process was smooth and effortless!

The two dishes were served to the judges' table at the same time.

On the left is Yan Desheng's.

On the right is Li Chunsheng's.

"Gentlemen, please take a look," Li Chunsheng and Yan Desheng said simultaneously.

Qi Baishi was the first to pick up his chopsticks.

He first picked up a piece of tripe made by Yan Desheng and put it in his mouth to chew.

"Yes," Old Qi nodded, "Crispy, tender, and flavorful. Master Yan's decades of skill are truly impressive. The texture and taste are impeccable."

Upon hearing this, Yan Desheng revealed a smug expression.

Then, Qi Baishi picked up the plate that Li Chunsheng had made, opened his mouth, and took a small bite.

"Snap!"

The crisp sound could be clearly heard in the quiet lobby!

It's like chewing on a fresh water chestnut, or biting into a crisp cucumber.

Old Qi's eyes widened.

With each chew, an unprecedented sweet and savory meaty aroma bursts in the mouth. There is no strong soy sauce flavor, only the pure fragrance of the pork tripe itself, mixed with a light scallion oil aroma and a slight spiciness of white pepper, which goes straight to the top of your head.

"This..." Old Qi chewed faster, his Adam's apple bobbing, and he swallowed.

Mei Lanfang also took a bite, then closed his eyes, a look of ecstasy on his face: "Incredible! The thickness of this free-range pig's stomach should make it extremely difficult to cook through, yet it achieves such exquisite crispness and tenderness. The outer layer is crispy, while the inside retains its juices. Delicious, delicious!"

Feng Gengguang and Stuart also started eating, and after finishing their meal, they all praised it highly.

At this moment, Chairman Yu Deshun was holding a piece of chicken gizzard made by Yan Desheng and a piece of pig stomach made by Li Chunsheng. The difference between the two was obvious.

Yan Desheng did a great job, it was indeed very good, very proper, it was the result of decades of experience, there was no fault in it, but that was all, it was just rote learning.

But Li Chunsheng's game was alive!

The unique firmness and chewiness of the free-range pig's stomach, when it bursts open in 90% hot oil, makes it incredibly crispy. Biting into it not only produces a crisp sound but also releases a burst of rich juice in your mouth. Moreover, the sauce has a subtle hint of white pepper and sesame oil, which is the perfect finishing touch that instantly removes the offal's gamey smell and enhances its freshness and sweetness.

Chairman Yu put down his chopsticks, looked around, and then whispered something to the judges.

"Ahem." Chairman Yu cleared his throat.

He looked at Yan Desheng with a hint of regret in his eyes: "Master Yan, you are a senior in the industry, your skills are beyond question, very reliable."

Just as Yan Desheng's face showed a hint of joy, Chairman Yu changed the subject: "However! Today's stir-fried double crispy dish, whether it's the control of the heat, the handling of the ingredients, or the layers of flavor, after our discussion, Manager Li's dish is indeed superior."

"What?!" Yan Desheng's smile froze instantly.

"President Yu! I don't accept what you're saying!" Yan Desheng took a step forward, still gripping the spatula, veins bulging on his neck, pointing at the judges, his voice hoarse with emotion, "This is unfair! This is absolutely unfair!"

Sun Dehai's face was also grim. He had originally thought that with Yan Desheng's decades of skill, victory was assured, but he hadn't expected to lose. His eyes darted around, and he immediately chimed in, "Yes, Chairman Yu, gentlemen, who doesn't know that Mr. Mei and Mr. Feng have a very close personal relationship with this Li Chunsheng? Old Mr. Qi even just gifted him a calligraphy and painting! These gentlemen are not only judges but also friends of Manager Li. Their judgment must have been biased long ago!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall.

The diners and reporters watching whispered among themselves, discussing the matter animatedly.

"Manager Sun's words may be rough, but they make a lot of sense. These gentlemen do indeed have a connection with Li's shop."

"Yes, although I also think Li Ji's cooking is delicious, it's really a bit unreasonable for all the referees to be acquaintances in this kind of competition."

Upon hearing this, Mei Lanfang's expression turned slightly cold, but he was very well-mannered and did not react on the spot. He simply put down his teacup. Feng Gengguang, on the other hand, had a fiery temper and slammed his hand on the table, about to stand up and argue, but was stopped by Qi Baishi, who was standing next to him.

Old Master Qi scoffed, "Absurd! In my life of painting, I have never deceived myself! If it's delicious, it's delicious; if it's not delicious, it's not delicious! Yan Desheng, why don't you try it yourself and see?"

"I won't taste it!" Yan Desheng was now blinded by shame and anger. He shoved away the waiter who was trying to hand him chopsticks. "You've all conspired to set me up! I refuse to accept this! I, Yan Desheng, have been cooking for decades, serving countless princes and nobles. How could I possibly lose to a mere brat? This must be a setup!"

He pointed at Li Chunsheng: "Kid, don't be so smug! You beat me by climbing the social ladder, what kind of skill is that? Let's let the common people outside judge!"

The situation briefly spiraled out of control, and seeing this, Sun Dehai further fanned the flames: "That's right! Since it's a cooking competition, everyone has to be convinced! Today, all the judges are your people, so Dongxinglou doesn't accept this result!"

Chairman Yu was so angry his beard trembled: "You! You are utterly disgraceful!"

Just as the tension was high and the stalemate was at its peak, Li Chunsheng, who had been silent all along, suddenly laughed.

He slowly took off his apron, casually draped it over a rack, and then walked slowly to the center of the hall, looking directly at Yan Desheng, whose face was flushed, and Sun Dehai, who was standing by and helping him.

"Master Yan, Manager Sun, since you feel that these gentlemen are biased and that my victory as Li Chunsheng was unfair," Li Chunsheng said calmly, "then it's easy. I'll give you a chance to be convinced."

Sun Dehai's eyelids twitched: "What do you want?"

"Since we're going to compete, let's go all out! Let's do it again right here, in front of everyone!"

"But this time, let's change the rules!"

Li Chunsheng held up three fingers:

"First, all onlookers present, except for the notary, Chairman Yu, are requested to leave the hall and wait ten feet away from the door! Seal all the doors and windows tightly! Mr. Mei and the others may go up to the private room on the second floor to rest for a while."

"Secondly, Master Yan and I will each make another serving of stir-fried double crispy filling. After we finish, we won't write our names on them, but we'll just make a secret mark on the bottom of the plate, such as A or B, or one or two. As for who is one and who is two, only Chairman Yu will know!"

"Third, after we've finished cooking, no one is allowed to speak. Then we open the door and invite the neighbors and passersby in! Randomly select ten, twenty, or even a hundred people! Let them taste it! Let them judge which dish is the best!"

At this point, Li Chunsheng stared intently at Yan Desheng: "Master Yan, I don't know these passersby, and you don't know them either. They don't know which dish you made, and they don't know which dish I made. We'll judge entirely by the taste! Now you have nothing to say, right?!"