Chapter 349: Chapter 349: Lying Bull

After throwing down the gauntlet, Zhang Kan did not linger, promptly turning and leaving with the others from the Jiuhe Restaurant.

It was evident that their fighting spirit had been stirred due to Qin Lang’s presence, and they planned to bolster their resolve in order to maintain their standing in the Tower of Food.

Seeing this, Qin Lang and Su Henian exchanged a glance and shook their heads in resignation.

The others seemingly felt that the participation of such a young Spirit Chef like Qin Lang was an act of contempt towards them.

They hoped these impressions would persist when the Qualification Battle began.

Su Henian wanted to ask how far Qin Lang had progressed with preparing the dish “Sleeping Bull Silk,” but ultimately swallowed his words.

The competition was about to begin; he would know soon enough. Asking now might affect Qin Lang’s state of mind and cooking attitude. It was better not to ask.

Consequently, Su Henian chose to chat with Qin Lang about some of the famous eateries in the Tower of Food. Their cheerful conversation was a stark contrast to the gloomy ambiance over at the Jiuhe Restaurant.

Soon after, eleven Food Recommenders gradually took to the stage and took their seats on the judging panel.

“Good luck!” Su Henian clapped Qin Lang on the shoulder and left the arena along with the other three chefs. They walked out into the open space outside the arena to watch the proceedings.

Many people were already gathered in that open space, including curious tourists who had caught wind of the event and decided to observe the spectacle, as well as proprietors of other currently closed eateries on the first floor.

Upon seeing the arrival of the Breeze Restaurant group, they graciously gave up the best viewing spots.

The Jiuhe Restaurant staff had also cleared out, leaving behind a mature middle-aged man whose face bore a solemn expression.

“Ahem.” The eldest of the Food Recommenders, seated in the center of the judges’ panel, cleared his throat and spoke evenly, “I am Xin Yimin. I will be the lead judge and host for this Qualification Battle.”

“I call on representatives from both sides to introduce themselves!

“Jiuhe Restaurant, Bai He.” The middle-aged man from Jiuhe Restaurant declared, speaking in a deep voice.

“Breeze Restaurant, Qin Lang.” Qin Lang responded in a loud, clear voice.

The moment Qin Lang announced his name, a murmuring swept through the crowd. The eleven judges on the panel all turned to look at him, their expressions reflecting surprise.

As Food Recommenders, they were naturally aware of the Leaping Fish Banquet.

They had not paid it much mind before, but now that they knew Qin Lang’s name and could associate it with the figure in their memories, all eleven Food Recommenders seemed to recognize him.

“Let me restate the requirements for the Qualification Battle.” Xin Yimin paused only for an instant before returning to his role as the lead judge. “The representatives from both restaurants can only use dishes that have been on their menu for over a month.”

“The theme for this battle is ‘Beef,’ and the time limit… three hours,” Xin Yimin looked at both sides and then spoke slowly. “Unless there are any objections, let the battle begin.”

Qin Lang and Bai He locked eyes, then simultaneously turned around and walked into their respective Competitive Standard Kitchens.

The moment both of them entered their kitchens, the numbers lit up on the electronic screen, and a countdown for three hours began.

On the judges’ panel, the eleven judges visibly relaxed a bit. As they watched the tightly shut doors of the kitchens, they started making small talk.

“This Qin Lang, he’s the one from the Leaping Fish Banquet, correct?

“Indeed, it’s him. What’s the story of this Breeze Restaurant? They managed to source such an impressive helper.”

“I traveled to Tianhua State on a business trip once. Our restaurant might not be well-known here in Mingjing Province, but in every city in Tianhua State, this restaurant has branches. It is indeed a strong competitor.

“I see. It seems to have quite a reputation.”

“It seems the Jiuhe Restaurant is going to have difficulties this time!” “Survival of the fittest! That’s always been the rule in the Tower of Food. The menu of the Jiuhe Restaurant hasn’t been updated for a full year. Their culinary skills have stagnated. A restaurant like this would be eliminated sooner or later.”

II II

Their remarks were unheard by others, and since this was a conversation among the Food Recommenders themselves, there were relatively few barriers. They had yet to taste the dishes, but it seemed they already had preferences in their minds.

In the kitchen, Qin Lang and his two companions were bustling around.

“Whoosh-”

Qin Lang scooped out the beef that had been quickly boiled under the effect of Cooking Acceleration, drained off the extra water and then immediately began cutting it up.

Under the shining light, the knife blade kept flickering. Delicate beef shreds, cut along the grain, quickly piled up into a miniature mound at the edge of the chopping board.

Even more strangely, throughout the entire process, the edge of the knife never once touched the chopping board, and there was no sound of chopping.

When Qin Lang finally lowered his knife, the colossal piece of beef, originally the size of two fists, had been transformed into thin strips of beef, piled like a small mountain.

Casually picking up a strip and giving it a slight tug, Qin Lang felt the elasticity from the beef produced by thorough boiling. He nodded satisfactorily.

According to the tests he had conducted all last night, this should be the ideal tenderness.

Immediately afterward, Qin Lang turned his gaze to Dan Bao, who was standing by, waiting for instructions.

“Gurgle!”

Watch me!

Understood, Dan Bao nodded, and in the next moment a creamy white halo erupted from all over his body. The intangible Thought Waves enveloped the beef shreds, making them float mid-air.

Just like braiding a hair braid, the beef shreds, under Dan Bao’s control, were subcategorized into bundles, three shreds per bundle. Then every three of these bundles were braided together to form a thicker group of beef shreds, while maintaining a continuous link in the braiding process.

Following two rounds of such braiding, the originally fine shreds had turned into strands the thickness of woolen yarns and a continuous strip, over ten meters in length, had been formed.

After several bouts of Special Training, Dan Bao’s Thought Waves had gained enough strength to perform this workload.

Though the process seemed complicated, under the minute manipulation of the Thought Waves, it appeared to proceed effortlessly.

“Well done.” Patting Dan Bao’s head affectionately, Qin Lang reached out and accepted the long line of braided beef shreds and looked at it with an odd expression.

Strangely enough, this “Sleeping Bull Silk” dish bore some resemblance to longevity noodles.

However, longevity noodles involved a single strip of noodle, whereas Sleeping Bull Silk consisted of a single strip of beef shreds.

Real beef noodle.

During the braiding process, the beef shreds had cooled down. The shrinkage had caused the shreds to become firmer, granting the “beef noodle” in Qin Lang’s hands an astonishing springiness.

Setting it aside for later use, Qin Lang moved on to the next step without any rush.

Boiling broth.

He took another piece of beef and gently simmered it over a low heat, to extract all the rich savours inherent in the beef, then discarded the meat and retained the broth.

“Beef noodles” were portioned into over a dozen pieces and placed in the pot. After reducing the broth to a sticky consistency over high heat, he added a little water and starch for thickening. Lastly, he scooped out the “beef noodles” drenched in a substantial amount of sticky soup and served them in bowls.

A sprinkle of chopped green onions completed the dish.

Done.

The final product, under the light, displayed a colour similar to that of buckwheat noodles. The sticky soup visibly coated the surface, while the sprinkling of green onions added a lively touch. The pure and enticing aroma of beef permeated throughout when sniffed.

Admiring his masterpiece for a moment, Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction.

“Let’s go, let’s have the judges take a taste.”