The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 106

Zhou Bing didn’t manage to get a word in at first, but everything that Jiang Tingzhou said had struck the right chord with him—it was exactly what he had wanted to say.

He followed behind, nodding along, then added, “Tingzhou, you should trust us a little more in the future. Come to me when you need something—and even when you don’t. After my dad met you last time, he kept praising you after he got home. He also said he wants to invite you to visit the Bingcheng Chao headquarters when you have time.”

He no longer called him “Boss Jiang,” but simply “Tingzhou.”

Jiang Tingzhou smiled at him.

Talking to people like Zhang Xiaocong was never enjoyable—even if he won. But with people like these by his side, life truly felt different.

Later, Du Juan, Zeng Rong, and the other organizers gathered to discuss how to solve the next problem. Zhou Bing hovered nearby, chatting nonstop. Lu Baiyu stayed quiet for now, silently watching Jiang Tingzhou.

Once the issue was handled, Lu Baiyu finally spoke. “Tingzhou, we’ll need to change the judging panel for the finals.”

He was being serious. Jiang Tingzhou understood immediately and added, “Yes. It has to be changed.”

Zhang Xiaocong had spoken so confidently earlier, which meant he must’ve made arrangements in advance. Regardless of who he had bribed, Jiang Tingzhou couldn’t take that kind of risk in the competition. The original judges had to be replaced.

The organizers were worried, but Jiang Tingzhou had already made preparations.

“I’ve already lined up some candidates. Yesterday I called my senior brother, explained the situation, and asked if he was available. He said he could make time,” Jiang said. “In addition to my senior brother, there’s also my master.”

At the mention of “senior brother,” everyone turned to look—because they knew exactly who he meant: Cheng Shifei, director of A Bite of China.

The fact that Director Cheng was coming was already a major surprise.

Zeng Rong was stunned and had to double-check. “Wait—your master? Don’t tell me you mean Master Chef Wang?”

Jiang Tingzhou nodded.

His master was Wang Tian, respectfully known in the culinary world as “Master Chef Wang.” There were many chefs who had cooked at state banquets, but Master Chef Wang stood above them all. His recipes had influenced generations of senior chefs across China.

After taking Jiang Tingzhou as his last official disciple, Master Chef Wang retired. When Jiang formally graduated, Master Chef Wang returned to his hometown to enjoy retirement. He never made public appearances again, not even for large sums of money.

“Is it really him? He’s actually coming?” Zeng Rong was almost incoherent. “Oh my god, Mr. Jiang, you’re not joking, are you?”

“I wouldn’t dare joke about that,” Jiang Tingzhou replied.

In fact, it wasn’t even Jiang Tingzhou who reached out first. Master Chef Wang had called him directly. Though he rarely used the internet, he did watch TV, and had recently become quite interested in the chef competition.

He had phoned Jiang Tingzhou, saying he wanted to visit the set in person. At that time, Jiang Tingzhou was still investigating the cheating scandal. Since the fairness of the finals would hinge on the judges, he asked if Master Chef Wang would consider joining the panel. Master Chef Wang readily agreed.

In retrospect, changing the judges might have been a blessing in disguise.

“Besides him, Master Chef Wang also reached out to a few old friends—renowned chefs in the industry. They’re all retired now, and since they’re not involved in the competition’s interests, there’s no chance of them being bribed. They’re all willing to come,” Jiang Tingzhou added. “With their experience and reputation, their presence will convince the public. I assume no one has objections?”

Zeng Rong raised his voice. “Objections? Who would dare have objections?”

With Master Chef Wang and his fellow chefs on board, the competition’s credibility would soar.

No explanation was needed. Every contestant would know at a glance: this is a competition that can’t be rigged.

There were ten judges in total.

Three were industry veterans: Master Chef Wang, Cheng Shifei, and Zhou Bing’s father—a past champion and current investor representative—who also agreed to join the panel. Zeng Rong also brought in a trusted culinary critic he knew personally.

These four individuals were true professionals. They could cook, taste with precision, and evaluate fairly.

Two more judge spots had been reserved from the beginning for public representatives. Out of over 1,000 registered applicants, two were selected by lottery. The results were announced the day before the finals. These two individuals were then escorted by the organizers to a hotel and kept in isolation to ensure no outside influence.

That left two vacant spots.

While there were many potential candidates, it wasn’t easy to find ones with both industry credibility and complete impartiality.

The organizers were still struggling when Lu Baiyu quietly spoke up. “I have a suggestion. Tingzhou, you should know him—Rolando.”

Jiang Tingzhou blinked in surprise. “He’s here now?”

“Yes, he’s currently in China and staying near Dongjiang Province,” Lu Baiyu replied. “I’ve dealt with him before on behalf of Lu Group. I knew he was interested in food competitions, so I invited him. He watched the three preliminary episodes and said he’d be happy to participate.”

Most people in the industry had heard of Rolando—or more precisely, Lorenzo. He wasn’t Chinese, but Italian.

There was an authoritative restaurant rating system called the “Red Diamond,” which published an annual guide scoring restaurants from one to three stars. This system originated abroad but now covers the globe,  but in recent years, more and more Chinese restaurants have made the list.

Lorenzo had been the head of the Red Diamond judging panel for years. Though he now ran his own restaurant, he remained a key consultant to the guide.

He was passionate about food—particularly Chinese cuisine. He had led the Red Diamond team’s first foray into China, and the country’s first three-star restaurant had been rated by him.

His involvement would elevate the competition to another level.

“Mr. Lu, this is amazing!” Zeng Rong looked ready to shake his hand. “Thank you for going through the trouble.”

But Lu Baiyu didn’t look at him. He just waved his hand, his eyes resting on Jiang Tingzhou the entire time. “The credit goes to this competition. If it weren’t so well-organized, I wouldn’t have been able to invite him. Besides, doing this… is something I should do.”

No matter how many times Jiang Tingzhou had told him, “There’s no such thing as should,” Lu Baiyu still continued to take these steps—again and again—until the person he cared about most could finally understand his intentions.

Rolando’s participation was a perfect choice. Naturally, Jiang Tingzhou had no objections. He looked over at Lu Baiyu and happened to meet his gaze.

He paused, then turned to discuss the final judge with Zeng Rong.

Lu Baiyu said nothing more.

After leaving the office, the two walked together for a while. 

Lu Baiyu wanted to drive him home, but Jiang Tingzhou’s ride had already arrived. He was headed to receive Master Chef Wang and Cheng Shifei—there was still much to do. 

During that time, his phone rang twice.

Still, as Jiang Tingzhou left, he glanced back on instinct.

Lu Baiyu was still standing there.

He had the feeling that Lu Baiyu still had something to say.

But with the finals so close, this wasn’t the time for conversations.

Only one judge spot remained.

Things had gone smoothly up to this point, but finding the last person proved difficult. None of the existing candidates felt quite right. 

By the day before the finals, the two public judges had already been selected—but the final professional judge still hadn’t been confirmed.

Zeng Rong was at his wit’s end. He even suggested that Jiang Tingzhou fill the seat himself. But Jiang Tingzhou immediately declined. His collaboration with Tao Jintian was already set; if he served as a judge, even with integrity, it would inevitably raise suspicions.

Just half an hour before the decision had to be made, Zeng Rong called Jiang Tingzhou.

His voice sounded strange—light, almost airy, as though he were floating.

“Mr. Jiang, no need to keep searching. We’ve got the last judge.”

Jiang Tingzhou asked, “Who?”

“Liu Ping.”

He froze. “You mean the Liu Ping I know?”

“Yes. Boss Liu Ping of Xiushui Group.”

Zeng Rong then explained what had just happened, as though still needing to convince himself that it was real.

He had gone to meet Liu Ping to prevent Zhang Xiaocong from pulling any more stunts. It hadn’t been easy to secure a meeting at this time. 

During the conversation, Liu Ping hadn’t said much. He had only nodded slightly and said: “I’ve heard about Xiaocong.”

He didn’t mention how he’d deal with it—nor did he show any obvious emotion.

Even with years of experience, Zeng Rong couldn’t read his thoughts. So he simply said a few polite words, thanking him for the trouble.

Then Liu Ping said something that nearly made Zeng Rong choke on his tea.

“I remember giving out the awards at this competition before… it’s been a while. I almost forgot about it. I heard Master Chef Wang is going to be there too? I haven’t seen him in ages. While my taste buds still work, I’ll go have a look. Oh—and you’re short a judge, right?”

Zeng Rong had nodded immediately. “Of course. We’d be honored.”

And just like that, Liu Ping became the final judge.

If Zhang Xiaocong hadn’t made such a mess, this outcome might never have happened.

Many things had gone off-script. But in the end, this unprecedented team of judges had come together.

When Jiang Tingzhou heard the news, he was surprised—but not as ecstatic as Zeng Rong. He quickly composed himself and said, “Then I’ll leave the reception arrangements to the organizers.”

This lineup of judges was made up of true giants in the industry. The finals were bound to be more spectacular than ever, and the crowd was eager to see what would unfold.

The contestants were fully prepared. 

Online, theories about the finals were flying. Everyone speculated about the content and tried to outdo one another with grand ideas.

But when the warm-up livestream began, the camera panned slowly to focus on…

A plain vegetable basket.