Chapter 88 The Competition Begins

Chapter 88 The Competition Begins

The news that Yu Xin was going to participate in the cooking competition quickly spread throughout Iris Base.

Many people at the base had tasted his cooking, and they held a blind faith in Yu Xin. Just like Cheng Zikun, they believed that winning the championship would be a piece of cake for Yu Xin. Instead, they were worried that if Yu Xin won the championship, he might go work elsewhere or open his own restaurant, and they would never have the chance to taste his food again.

Fang Yuting was one of them. After making a special trip to cheer Yu Xin on, she nervously asked, "Yu Xin, will you come back after you win the championship?"

Yu Xin didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He hadn’t even come close to winning the championship yet, and they were already worrying about his future career plans.

"Don't worry, I have no plans to leave the base for now," he said resignedly.

At least, he wouldn’t leave before Ji Yixing recovered. After that…

Yu Xin didn’t want to think too far ahead for the time being. Until the truth about the original host’s background was uncovered, he wouldn’t make any further plans.

With everyone’s good wishes, he set off alone for the Imperial Capital Star.

The spacecraft slowly descended at the Imperial Capital Star’s spaceport. Cheng Zikun had been waiting there early, and Yu Xin saw him immediately as he stepped out of the passageway.

It had been a while since Cheng Zikun last saw Yu Xin in person, and he was a bit excited. "You’ve finally come to the Imperial Capital Star, Xin-ge! This time, I’ll host you and show you around properly. What’s the fun in staying all day on that remote backwater planet your sugar daddy boss is on?"

During breaks in the variety show, Cheng Zikun had invited Yu Xin several times to visit the Imperial Capital Star, but Yu Xin had always refused. Cheng Zikun had never even been to the star system where Yu Xin stayed, so he assumed it was some remote minor planet.

"Forget it. With this face of mine, it’s not suitable for me to appear in public places right now," Yu Xin flatly refused.

The Imperial Capital Star was where the Yu family was based. He didn’t want to show his face under the Yu family’s watchful gaze too early and risk alerting them.

Cheng Zikun misunderstood, thinking Yu Xin meant that too many people recognized him now and he would be spotted wherever he went. But then again, his Xin-ge was super popular these days.

"No problem, no problem. We can go to my friend’s private restaurant," he said eagerly, taking Yu Xin’s lightweight luggage and walking out with him. "He’s the scion of Flying Fish Platform and has been wanting to meet you for a long time…"

He took Yu Xin to a members-only restaurant, which indeed offered great privacy. As soon as they entered, a waiter escorted them to a private room.

A young man was already waiting inside. When he saw Yu Xin following Cheng Zikun in, his eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up to greet them.

He bypassed Cheng Zikun and went straight to Yu Xin, extending his hand. "Finally meeting you, Yu Xin. I’m Qi Wei, vice president of Flying Fish Platform."

He had long known that Ash’s true identity was Yu Xin, but he was still stunned when he saw him in person.

For no other reason than that the young man’s appearance was exceptionally outstanding, and his demeanor was even more extraordinary.

Yu Xin was already very attractive even without showing his face. Qi Wei didn’t dare imagine how many people would be captivated if Yu Xin started showing his face during livestreams.

It was practically otherworldly charm.

"Hello, Mr. Qi," Yu Xin said, lightly shaking his hand.

"Please, don’t be so formal. Just call me Qi Wei," Qi Wei said, not daring to put on any young master airs in front of the platform’s future cash cow. "Come, have a seat here. I specially prepared our restaurant’s signature dishes for you, along with all the special limited-time offerings. I hope you can give us some feedback so we can improve."

Cheng Zikun had been completely ignored since entering the room. Watching his friend’s sycophantic, smiling face, he couldn’t help but say, "Qi Wei, you’re such a shrewd businessman. Entertaining my Xin-ge and getting him to taste test for your restaurant at the same time—you really know how to squeeze value from everything."

The three of them sat down. The table was filled with dishes of various shapes and styles. Qi Wei’s restaurant focused on seafood and fusion cuisine, and was quite pricey. The dishes were beautifully presented.

As they ate and chatted, Yu Xin offered some suggestions on the dishes. Qi Wei treated them like gold, quickly jotting them down.

If he could have lured Yu Xin away, he would have loved to invite him to be the head chef at his restaurant. Just having Yu Xin’s name associated with it would guarantee a full house, with customers beating down the doors.

He didn’t take advantage of Yu Xin for nothing, though. Right then and there, he raised Yu Xin’s livestream revenue share by three percentage points and promised that if Yu Xin won the Supernova Cooking Competition, he would tear up the old contract and draft a new one more favorable to Yu Xin.

He wasn’t shortsighted. The most important thing now was to keep Yu Xin on board.

Qi Wei was so straightforward that Yu Xin appreciated it. The meal was enjoyable for everyone.

Afterward, Yu Xin went to the hotel that Bai Yizhou had arranged for him in advance and contacted the production team, mainly to ask about the progress of the mask.

The production team was efficient. The next day, they delivered the custom-made mask to the hotel.

Yu Xin opened the delivery box. Inside was a pure black mask with a cyberpunk-inspired design.

He took it out and put it on. The mask fit perfectly over most of his face, leaving only the tip of his nose, his mouth, and his chin exposed.

The mask was made of an extremely lightweight synthetic metal, so light that it was almost unnoticeable when worn. The black metal was adorned with subtle silver patterns, perfectly contouring his delicate facial structure.

Yu Xin already had a distant demeanor when he was quiet. With the mask on, his eyes and eyebrows—the most expressive parts of his face—were concealed. Combined with his game-CG-like refined features, it gave him an almost non-human aura.

Like an emotionless android assassin from a movie or game.

Behind him, Cheng Zikun was staring in awe.

This mask… suited his Xin-ge so well!

The production team must have spent a fortune hiring a top-tier stylist and prop master. This look wouldn’t be out of place in a big-budget movie.

He was convinced that with this mask, even if Yu Xin knew nothing about cooking, some people would still vote for him.

Yu Xin took a few photos and sent them to the production team for feedback. They replied quickly, very satisfied with the final effect of the mask.

*

Soon, it was time for the broadcast of the Supernova Cooking Competition.

Penguin Platform generously rented the largest studio on the Imperial Capital Star and invited a hundred of the most popular food streamers from various livestreaming platforms. Among them were chefs from renowned restaurants, long-established cooking masters, winners of interstellar cooking competitions, and many non-professional, self-taught food streamers. The variety of styles and schools was dazzling.

The competition was broadcast live, allowing viewers to experience the tension and excitement alongside the contestants. Penguin Platform had been promoting and building hype since the project’s inception, garnering significant attention. Finally, amid great anticipation, "Supernova Cooking Competition" began broadcasting.

As soon as the livestream started, the screen was flooded with dense comments.

"It’s finally starting! I’ve been looking forward to this for a whole month!"

"Only Penguin knows how to make shows like this."

"I heard Ash isn’t streaming because you invited him here, so I had to come see what’s going on."

"Me too, me too! I’m here for the streamer! Is the streamer going to show his face this time? I’m dying to know. Hurry up and bring the streamer out!"

"What are you all talking about? Who’s this streamer?"

"Are you serious or just pretending? Of course, it’s the one who single-handedly made cooking streams popular with one PK!"

Amid the full-screen comments, the words "Supernova Cooking Competition" appeared in the center of the screen, marking the official start of the show.

A huge black curtain slowly rose, revealing the full view of the studio. Viewers watching the livestream couldn’t help but let out a "wow."

The largest studio on the Imperial Capital Star had been transformed by the production team into a massive open kitchen capable of accommodating a hundred people cooking simultaneously. That meant at least a hundred independent stoves, along with ovens, steamers, and other complete sets of cooking utensils. The background wall was entirely black, and on the wall facing all the stoves was a large, bright red countdown timer, adding an unspoken sense of urgency.

"This setup… major investment by the production team."

"As expected of the deep-pocketed Penguin. I’ve never seen such a huge kitchen in my life."

Behind the monitor, executive producer Jing Yun watched the astonished comments, folded her arms, and smiled contentedly.

This was the venue she personally oversaw the renovation of for over half a month, all for the sake of achieving a stunning effect.

Before the audience could even take it all in, the host, dressed sharply in a suit, made a flashy entrance: "Welcome, everyone, to the live broadcast of the Supernova Cooking Competition! Do you want to witness the birth of a star chef with your own eyes? Do you want to see the sparks fly from the collision of the finest ingredients and the most elite culinary skills? Please stay tuned for the Supernova Cooking Competition!"

"Next, let me give a proud introduction of the judging panel for this competition!" The host gestured, and three figures slowly rose from beneath the stage.

"The first is the former Royal Executive Chef, a titan in the federal culinary world, the esteemed old Mr. Chen Hongyun!"

An elderly man with a white beard waved warmly at everyone, appearing very amiable.

His family has been in the culinary field for generations; it’s said that his ancestors even served as imperial chefs. In this era where culinary arts are gradually declining, he still holds considerable influence. He himself once served as the Royal Executive Chef, serving nobles and dignitaries, and has even been awarded the Queen’s Medal.

There is hardly a chef who doesn’t know Mr. Chen. As soon as he appeared, the contestants’ section erupted in gasps of surprise.

"The second judge is the editor-in-chief of Silver Shell Magazine, Mr. Felix Grant!"

The second judge was a tall Caucasian man, dressed in a sharp suit, exuding gentlemanly sophistication.

If the contestants gasped in surprise at Mr. Chen’s appearance, they reacted to Mr. Grant’s entrance with delight.

After all, in the culinary world, no one is unaware of Silver Shell Magazine. The restaurant guide curated and recommended by Silver Shell is considered the galaxy's most authoritative rating system in the interstellar dining industry, covering most regions across the stars and setting the gold standard for high-end dining.

The restaurant guide is updated annually. Throughout the year, various professional critics make multiple anonymous visits to the selected restaurants, assessing aspects such as ingredient quality, culinary skill, and consistency, before finally assigning ratings. The ratings range from one to three stars, with three stars representing the highest honor a restaurant can receive.

The contestants never expected the show to invite the editor-in-chief of Silver Shell Magazine. If they could win Mr. Grant’s favor, earning a star in Silver Shell Magazine would be within reach.

The contestants were energized, determined to put their best foot forward—who knows, they might just catch the editor-in-chief’s eye.

Only one person seemed completely unimpressed. Upon hearing the murmurs around him about possibly being noticed by Mr. Grant, he actually let out a soft, derisive laugh.

If Cheng Zikun had been there, he would have recognized this person as the head chef whom Yu Ning had headhunted at great cost—Lucas Wang.

Lucas had every reason to be dismissive. Before being poached by Yu Ning, he had been the head chef of a Silver Shell three-star restaurant and had met Mr. Grant on several occasions. What the other contestants dreamed of achieving, he had already accomplished.

He joined Yu Ning because Yu Ning promised him half the shares of the restaurant and assured him full control over the kitchen, including procurement.

This meant there was significant profit margin for him.

Lucas had long grown tired of working for others and had always wanted to open his own restaurant. Yu Ning’s offer came as the perfect stepping stone for him to test the waters. If successful, he would reap more than half the profits; if it failed, he had little to lose.

Like Yu Ning, Lucas was determined to win this competition. As a crucial step toward their restaurant’s grand success, Lucas saw no room for failure.

The two contestants he laughed at glanced back at him. Seeing his arrogant demeanor, so starkly different from the others, they realized he must be someone of importance and chose to swallow their pride, turning back without a word.

"And the final judge is none other than an MCF competition judge, renowned food critic, and the nicknamed 'Devil Chef,' Ms. Roland!"

The last judge was a woman. Unlike the first two, she showed not a trace of a smile. Her sharp eyes behind glasses and the deep furrows between her brows suggested she would not be an easy person to deal with.

At the sight of her, the excitement among the contestants in the waiting area turned to dread, and they collectively gasped.

The reason was simple: Ms. Roland was a food critic notorious for her strictness. She had once been the head chef of a renowned restaurant, earning the nickname "Devil Chef" for her obsessive attention to detail and impossibly high standards. Her colleagues lived in constant fear, worried that the slightest mistake would incur her wrath.

Later, Ms. Roland left the kitchen and found her true calling—as a food critic.

She possessed an incredibly discerning palate, capable of detecting the subtlest differences in ingredients. Her professional attitude commands respect, and she frequently served as a judge in various cooking competitions. Earning her praise was no easy feat; in fact, the risk of being criticized by her was exceedingly high.

"Help, how did the show manage to invite her too?"

"I'm done for! I'm just an amateur—please don’t let Ms. Roland taste my dish. She’ll tear me apart!"

"There’s a one-in-three chance of being judged by her. Is it too late to withdraw?"

The contestants grew restless, their whispered discussions growing louder.

The three judges took their seats, and the host continued with the program: "Next, let’s welcome the contestants!"

"They’re here, the contestants are finally here!"

"So many of my favorite streamers are here—I finally get to see them in person!"

"Where’s Ash? Damn it, I don’t even know what he looks like. I can’t find him!"

"Relax, there’s bound to be plenty of camera time for the streamers. There’s no way Penguin would pass up on ready-made traffic."

The contestants in the waiting area perked up—it was their turn.

The doors on both sides of the studio opened, and a hundred contestants entered, creating a rather spectacular sight.

Now facing the cameras directly, everyone was fortunately comfortable on camera, having worked in live streaming.

The camera panned out for a wide shot, capturing all hundred contestants gathered together. Eager to make the most of their screen time, many had opted for eccentric outfits and exaggerated styles, making it hard to know where to look first.

Yu Xin, who only wore a mask, blended in surprisingly well amidst the crowd.

The hundred contestants took their positions at their respective stations as the host announced the rules: "We will now begin the first round: the Qualifiers."

"As the name suggests, only those who successfully pass the Qualifiers will advance to the next round. There are a hundred contestants here today, and the number of spots available in this round is—thirty."

Two-thirds of the contestants would be eliminated right away!

"Whoa, this is intense!"

"Looks like most contestants are going to be one-and-done!"

Hearing this, the contestants felt their hearts race. While many had never expected to win the competition, being eliminated in the first round would be quite embarrassing.

"Each contestant has two hours to complete one dish. One of the three judges will taste and score it. The top thirty highest scores will advance to the next round, while the remaining seventy will be immediately eliminated—with no chance of revival. Seize this opportunity. The countdown—starts now."

The large red countdown on the backdrop began, its vivid numbers stirring anxiety in everyone’s hearts.

The contestants sprang into action—selecting ingredients, preparing them—everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

Adding to the pressure, the three judges descended from their platform and began moving among the stations, observing the contestants’ performances throughout.

The cameras switched to close-ups, focusing on specific contestants.

Everyone knew that this segment highlighted contestants the production team was betting on, those who brought their own fanbase and could drive traffic to the show, or simply those who had paid for the exposure.

Lesser-known contestants would be lucky to get even a second or two of screen time.

"This contestant is Song Yu, from the Northern Yatan Galaxy. She specializes in using rich seasonings to give ingredients distinct layers of flavor. She is a gold medal winner of the MCF Interstellar Cooking Competition."

The camera zoomed in on a young woman deftly handling a piece of meat, cleaning a lamb chop with swift, precise movements.

"A gold medal winner from MCF? And she’s so young?"

Knowledgeable viewers expressed their astonishment in the comments.

The MCF competition, short for MasterChef Interstellar Cooking Competition, is the most prestigious culinary contest in the galaxy. Winning an MCF gold medal is the lifelong goal of many chefs. For this young woman, who appeared to be no older than 40, to have achieved it already meant her skills were not to be underestimated.

The camera then cuts to a silver-haired man, who is slicing fish with a knife. He cuts the soft, delicate fish into shreds as thin and uniform as hairs, the knife rising and falling rapidly. Just as everyone assumes he is making fish paste, he places the finely sliced fish shreds into water, where they disperse without breaking apart—each strand remaining distinct and intact, truly showcasing the chef's exceptional knife skills.

"This is Mr. Lu Qian, the founder and head chef of Hidden Pavilion Restaurant, which has maintained its position among the top 20 federal restaurants for years. Mr. Lu Qian himself is frequently invited to serve as a judge in various culinary competitions."

"A big shot like him should be on the judges' panel, not competing among the contestants!"

"I'm sweating for the other contestants, hahaha!"

"Lucas Wang, formerly a Silver Shell Three-Star Head Chef and winner of multiple interstellar culinary awards, is one of the top favorites to win this year's Supernova Cooking Competition."

The man flashes a confident smile at the camera, appearing remarkably relaxed compared to the other nervous contestants.

"Is this some kind of max-level player returning to the starter zone?"

"I can't even imagine how anyone can compete against him…"

"If he's already a Silver Shell Three-Star Head Chef, why is he here fishing in shallow waters?"

"The production team is seriously impressive—they managed to bring in all these big names."

At the Yu residence.

Yu Ning is watching the live broadcast of the Supernova Cooking Competition. Seeing the surge in comments following Lucas's appearance, he feels deeply convinced that the significant cost of bringing Lucas on board was the right decision.

Given the current buzz and reactions, once the show concludes with Lucas winning the championship, his new restaurant is bound to become an instant success.

He can sense that his father wasn’t entirely pleased with him after his last variety show appearance. Having not been raised by his parents since childhood, their affection for him isn’t as deep as it appears on the surface. To earn their love and approval, he must prove his capabilities and demonstrate his value to the family.

Still, whatever he desires, he will seize it for himself.

Yu Xin… the humiliation you brought upon me—I haven’t forgotten. Sooner or later, I will repay you twofold.