The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 95

It had to be said, the preparation for this set of materials was indeed extremely thorough. Combined with the on-site performance, several contestants had clearly stood out.

First was the contestant who chose to slice potatoes while blindfolded. Jiang Tingzhou glanced at him a few times, then pulled out that contestant’s file and placed it on top.

This young man looked like an experienced chef—quick to react, bold in both thought and action, the type who had the skill and the nerve to match. Yet he was only twenty-eight years old, with an honest, serious appearance. His name was Tao Jintian.

He didn’t seem to have any notable background or mentors. His résumé on the registration form was rather sparse—his family were banquet cooks in the village, the kind who catered large, continuous buffet-style events for hundreds of people. He had been practicing with his parents since childhood.

He was used to cooking for hundreds of people at a time and was widely recognized in his hometown. Before entering the competition, his bookings had to be scheduled a month in advance. He was seasoned enough to chop vegetables blindfolded.

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t only pay attention to the flashy contestants in front of the cameras—he also made sure to take note of those who performed well in less visible ways.

Some showed creativity—like the one who made waterfall potatoes and carved a little bear. Others didn’t shine on camera, but earned high scores from the judges. That difference in scoring was enough to send them to the next round. Even though they had all made stir-fried shredded potatoes, the taste must have been exceptional. Chefs like that deserved close attention too.

Several of the promising contestants Jiang picked out this time hadn’t even appeared in his previous life’s competition. They were probably drawn in by the buzz from the pre-show publicity and had signed up at the last minute. All were rare talents, and meeting them here was its own kind of fate.

While he worked through things methodically, An Xiaoping came in with his lunch. He leaned over and asked, “Do you want to approach them now to discuss cooperation?”

“Not yet, there’s no rush. This is only the first round—let’s wait and see,” Jiang Tingzhou replied. “And since the sugar factory is one of the organizers, going over now could be seen as favoritism or private dealings. That kind of thing could impact fairness. Better not to do it.”

“True,” An Xiaoping nodded. “So many eyes are on this now—we shouldn’t cause unnecessary pressure for the contestants. Let them compete in peace.”

But when these contestants signed up, none of them had expected the competition to become so popular.

Thanks to the livestream, the first round got off to a strong start. The number of video views on the voting platform quickly surpassed 100 million, and discussions stayed hot. Many viewers rallied behind contestants from their hometowns. The edited version broadcast on TV was even more polished.

Not only did the assistant director recommended by Cheng Shifei film the food in a way that made mouths water, but the variety show director recommended by Lu Group also captured grand scenes beautifully—the stove flames roaring, knife edges gleaming—bringing a cinematic touch.

But when the Saturday night broadcast officially aired, Jiang Tingzhou didn’t have time to watch it.

He was still working on preparations for the next round and didn’t finish until noon the following day.

At noon, Lu Baiyu arrived with ingredients for the competition—coming under the guise of work, just like before. Seeing that it was lunchtime, he had thoughtfully ordered extra food for the staff.

Of course, this was mainly for Jiang Tingzhou.

Jiang Tingzhou’s lunchbox looked no different from the others, but inside it was filled with his favorite dishes, along with desserts for afternoon tea—carefully prepared by Lu Baiyu.

Lu Baiyu had hoped they could chat over lunch, but he waited and waited—the other staff had already finished eating, and it was nearly 12:30, yet Jiang Tingzhou still hadn’t come to the rest area.

Normally, he wouldn’t interrupt Jiang Tingzhou’s work—but he knew Jiang usually stuck to a regular meal schedule. Even with a packed day, he would plan ahead. He wouldn’t forget to eat entirely.

Something felt off, so Lu Baiyu went to look for him.

From a distance, he saw Jiang surrounded by a group of people, several of whom Lu recognized as mid-to-senior managers from the TV station. He didn’t see Deputy Director He, so this must have been an unplanned visit.

The rest were unfamiliar.

As he approached, he overheard a few lines and realized they were from the Dongjiang Food and Beverage Association.

“…Dongjiang Food and Beverage Association has always valued this competition. It’s thanks to young talents like Mr. Jiang that it’s been such a success this time—credit to Director Zeng as well.”

“Dongjiang TV just reported that last night’s ratings quickly broke past 1. If the comprehensive ratings hit 1.5, that would be quite something. Not bad, Mr. Jiang.”

“Oh, right—what did you say the next round’s theme would be again?”

Jiang Tingzhou had dealt with talkative people like this before. He calmly replied, “Heat control.”

Before the competition gained popularity, none of these people had shown up. Now that it was trending, they came around—not just to observe, but to fish for insider info. It was annoying.

“But with knife skills, you can see the results easily. How exactly do you compare ‘heat control’?”

More discussion broke out.

“Mr. Jiang must’ve changed the format, right? I heard it’s different this time.”

“Knife skills are easy to evaluate, but heat control—if everyone’s making different dishes, how do you set a standard?”

“With this much attention, Mr. Jiang, aren’t you under pressure? Let us know if you need anything!”

“It’s good to feel pressure—it means the audience has expectations,” Jiang Tingzhou said smoothly. “As for heat control, it’s about adjusting the temperature according to the ingredients to achieve the best flavor in a limited time. Every chef has their own methods.”

It sounded good, but didn’t give the answer they wanted.

One person, dissatisfied, said sarcastically, “Mr. Jiang is really perfect. But since you’re in charge of this competition, we don’t really have a say anymore, huh?”

Jiang Tingzhou understood what they meant—they wanted to grab a share now that there was value in the event.

He had noticed earlier that something was off. These people were trying to probe the theme of the next round. The topic had always been kept strictly confidential—only a few people, like him and Zeng Rong, knew it. Even Deputy Director He hadn’t known in advance. That was basic protocol.

Among the contestants, there were true talents—but also quite a few with obvious backing, here to build credentials.

“I don’t handle advertising,” Jiang Tingzhou replied. “That’s first come, first served.”

Business matters could be discussed, but letting these people meddle in the competition could easily ruin it. So he made his stance clear.

Zeng Rong tugged at his sleeve, signaling that these people weren’t to be offended lightly, and tried to smooth things over with a smile: “Mr. Jiang’s words are direct, don’t take offense. We’re all—”

Before he could finish, a voice from behind interrupted. “Mr. Jiang is right.”

It was Lu Baiyu.

He stepped forward without hesitation. “And for those complaining about no ad slots—don’t talk to him. Come to me and see if you can outbid Lu Yun.”

Jiang Tingzhou turned, surprised.

Lu Baiyu’s presence made some of the crowd quiet down, especially the TV staff, who muttered respectful “Mr. Lu” greetings.

“If you care about this competition, fine—observe. But dragging people around and chatting for an hour? Don’t you know the organizer is busy?” Lu Baiyu said bluntly. “If you’ve got any sense, step aside. Don’t just stand here.”

Interrupting someone’s lunch, no less.

The TV station folks didn’t dare respond.

A few from the Dongjiang Food and Beverage Association mustered the courage: “Young Master Lu, you can’t interfere with our internal affairs.”

Lu Baiyu thought to himself: Where were you when Tingzhou needed money and people? You were nowhere to be found. Now that there’s credit to claim, you show up?

Before he could reply, Jiang Tingzhou spoke.

“Everyone in the association has their role. You don’t get to give me orders, so don’t say things like that,” he said calmly. “If you genuinely want to help, I welcome that. But if this is all you’ve come to talk about, then don’t bother coming next time.”

His words were polite—but his meaning was clear.

“Jiang Tingzhou, you…”

Jiang Tingzhou turned away; he was done speaking.

Zeng Rong was left to handle the fallout.

With a strained smile, he said, “Mr. Jiang is a straightforward person, please don’t mind him. He’s really busy—he can’t see you out.”

Lu Baiyu didn’t bother with them. He walked straight to Jiang Tingzhou. He looked different from the past few days.

Jiang Tingzhou expected him to say something else, but instead he simply asked, “Tingzhou, you’ve been working so long—aren’t you hungry?”

Now that he mentioned it, Jiang Tingzhou realized he had indeed missed lunch and was starting to feel hungry.

“Let’s eat first,” Lu Baiyu said. “See if today’s dishes are to your liking.”

They sat in the rest area.

While Jiang Tingzhou ate, Lu Baiyu poured him water and said softly, “Ignore them. Just do what you want.”

The competition’s popularity was a good thing—but it also invited scrutiny. Lu Baiyu had taken that into account.

He had always been thinking ahead.

Jiang Tingzhou glanced at him. “Young Master Lu, you really don’t want to ask about the competition content?”

Lu Baiyu had never asked about the details before. He had guessed the first round was knife skills from the mass shipment of potatoes. But for heat control, Jiang Tingzhou had ordered a wide range of ingredients, all arriving one after another—clearly not a standardized dish.

“There’s no need for questions between us,” Lu Baiyu said. “Tingzhou, I believe in you.”

He knew Jiang Tingzhou still didn’t fully trust him, always keeping a polite distance. But that was okay. He trusted Jiang unconditionally—and would always stand by him.

After that, he said nothing more. He just quietly peeled an apple.

It was a small apple. In the past, he would never have handled it himself. Now, he peeled it skillfully—the skin didn’t even break.

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t eat apples often, but he liked this particular cream Fuji variety. Lu Group had kept it fresh, crisp, and sweet.

Jiang Tingzhou: “…”

Something about Lu Baiyu felt different—but he said nothing.

The day before the next round, the results were released. After the elimination, only 100 contestants remained.

No one knew what the theme was until the live broadcast started.

In the livestream chat, everyone was guessing:

【“How will they compare heat control?”】

【“Double stir-fry crisps? Beef noodles? Heat control’s essential for Kung Pao Chicken too.”】

【“Just stir-fry fast and tasty, done!”】

【“Wrong. Heat control is about timing. High, medium, low—different stages, different techniques.”】

The contestants were nervous.

Once inside, they were even more confused—there were all kinds of ingredients.

Since it was a competition, there had to be standards. But heat control had no fixed standard—chefs had to make judgments based on ingredients.

And the variable they were controlling this round was—gas?!