“Look at his face, Master Chef, and you still think that he isn’t insulting you?
“Everyone thinks that your food is delicious, Master Chef Ding. It’s an honor to be served by you, but this guy here only says that your food is ‘not bad’. Isn’t that an insult?” Han Lei said loudly.
The people around him nodded in agreement.
Master Chef Ding’s expression sank again. He was feeling disgruntled.
“Do the dishes not suit your tastes? Should I prepare something else for you instead?” Master Chef Ding said.
He thought that perhaps the kid did not appreciate dishes that were not as heavily seasoned.
It was not something that he had not encountered before, though most people would rather keep quiet and still offered praises to avoid a confrontation. The kid’s dissatisfaction was written all over his face.
“No, I’m fine. I quite like Huaiyang cuisine,” Tang Hao said with a smile, not wanting to cause a bigger scene.
Those words were like thorns in Master Chef Ding’s ears.
If the kid liked Huaiyang cuisine, then there was no reason that the dishes did not suit his tastes. Even so, the kid had only said that his dishes were ‘not bad’. Was the kid implying that his culinary skills were mediocre?
Master Chef Ding was proud of his culinary skills.
He thought of himself as one of the top chefs in the entire Huaxia. The kid had implied that his skills were mediocre, which had greatly angered him.
“You are quite boastful, kid. If my dishes are only ‘not bad’ to your tastes, I wonder what you would find truly delicious!” He said coldly.
“Master Chef Ding, that guy is only a windfall tycoon from a mountain village. He’s probably only trying to show off, and you don’t have to mind him,” Han Lu said mockingly.
“Your culinary skills are the best in Province Z, Master Chef Ding. Every dish that you create is exquisitely delicious. I don’t think he’s ever eaten anything that’s half as delicious as what you served him tonight!”
“That’s right! Just ignore that guy!”
Everyone said in agreement as though they understood what was going on.
Ling Wei felt more embarrassed than ever.
She did not expect what should be a usual dinner date would turn out that way.
Tang Hao’s expression also darkened. “Your dishes are only ‘not bad’. They’re very far away from what you can consider truly delicious.”
Master Chef Ding nearly burst out laughing when he heard that.
Meanwhile, Han Lei was bursting with glee.
‘That kid doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut. The master chef must have been incensed by now!’
“Tell me what’s ‘truly delicious’ to you then!” Master Chef Ding said with a smirk.
Tang Hao put down his chopsticks. “You want to taste something truly delicious? Let me cook up something for you.”
The restaurant fell into silence when those words were spoken.
Everyone was stunned at first, then they burst out laughing as though they had heard the funniest joke in the world.
“Haha! This kid is a riot!”
“Is he insane? He’s trying to show off in front of the master chef!”
Everyone could not stop laughing.
Even Master Chef Ding was laughing. He was beginning to think that there was something wrong with that guy.
‘A kid of eighteen wants to cook something that’s even more delicious than what I made? That is an utter joke!’
Ling Wei’s mouth was slightly agape. Her eyes were round and wide as they stared at Tang Hao.
She was confused by what she had just heard. Even though she had not known Tang Hao for very long, she knew that Tang Hao was not one to boast or lie.
‘Don’t tell me… he’s a master chef too?’
Even so, his skills would not have matched Master Chef Ding’s!
“You’re a boastful one, kid! Alright, you can show me what you think is truly delicious then!” Master Chef Ding’s tone of voice was laced with anger.
The commotion in the restaurant had reached the kitchen. Many chefs came out of the kitchen to see, and they were surprised by what they heard.
“Haha! I don’t believe the kid can be that amazing! I’d like to see how he’ll be humiliated!” Han Lei was overjoyed as he sat back down on his chair.
He wanted to provoke Master Chef Ding to throw the kid out of the restaurant, but he did not expect the kid to brazenly challenge the master chef’s skills.
‘That guy is a total idiot!’ Han Lei thought.
“So what dish are you making for me, kid? I’ll get the kitchen to prepare the ingredients for you,” Master Chef Ding said coldly.
Everyone laughed condescendingly.
“This kid thinks that he can cook better than Master Chef Ding? I wonder if he’s any better than even the most inexperienced apprentice here!”
Tang Hao thought for a while and said, “Do you have any snake meat here?”
Master Chef Ding was taken aback. “What do you want to cook?”
“Snake stew!” Tang Hao said carefully.
Master Chef Ding furrowed his brows. “Snake meat is juicy and tender, but it’s extremely difficult to make a perfect pot of snake stew.
“We have a few live snakes in the kitchen. Get someone to kill one!” He looked at the group of chefs as he said.
Two of the chefs answered affirmatively and went into the kitchen.
The restaurant served dishes from the eight types of Chinese cuisine. Snake meat was a frequent ingredient in Cantonese cuisine, and it was normal for the restaurant to stock up on that.
“What else do you need? Just say it!”
“Bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese ham, tofu…” Tang Hao rattled off a list of ingredients.
Master Chef Ding nodded. “No problem. They’ll be prepared for you.”
“Also, dang gui, ginseng root…” Tang Hao continued with a list of medicinal herbs.
Master Chef Ding opened his mouth in surprise.
“What do you want to do?”
“Medicinal cuisine!” Tang Hao said.
Master Chef Ding nearly burst out laughing.
The smell of the medicinal herbs would have masked the scent and taste of the food ingredients. How would that be delicious?
‘The kid said he wanted to cook something truly delicious, but now he’s saying that he’s cooking medicinal cuisine. He’s contradicting himself.’
“Alright, I’ll get someone to buy the herbs you want!” Master Chef Ding waved his hand. Someone wrote the list of herbs down in a notebook, then went out of the door.
“Are you really cooking right here and now, Tang Hao?” Ling Wei whispered to him.
“Of course!” Tang Hao said calmly. Then, he walked toward the kitchen.
Master Chef Ding grunted coldly and followed behind.
Han Lei and the others stood up and prepared to go watch the comedy unfold.
Tang Hao saw that most of the ingredients were prepared for him when he stepped into the kitchen. A complete array of cooking utensils were also available on the counter.
The snake meat and medicinal herbs had not arrived yet. Tang Hao prepared the other ingredients first.
He picked up a knife with a comfortable grip from the rack, then calmed himself down in front of the counter.
Then, he picked up a piece of bamboo shoot and weighed it in his hand.
“Ha! He looks like he knows what he’s doing!” Some of the chefs mocked.
In their eyes, the kid was lesser than the most inexperienced apprentice. He would only be humiliating himself if he tried flaunting his skills in front of all the master chefs!
Tang Hao glanced at them, then threw the piece of bamboo shoot in the air.
Everyone laughed louder when they saw that.
‘This kid is such a showoff!’
Soon after that, their smiles froze on their faces.
The kid lifted the knife into the air and casually swung it around. The bamboo shoot in mid-air was dismantled into pieces.
Swish swish swish!
The gleam of the knife’s edge was like lightning.
The knife was wielded at an unimaginably fast speed.
Even so, the kid remained calm and collected.
As the knife danced in the air, shreds of bamboo shoots landed on the chopping board. They were about an inch long and as thin as a strand of hair.
The kitchen fell into silence.
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