Chapter 96 Champion

Chapter 96 Champion

However regretful the judges felt, Yu Xin's dishes had all been eaten, and they could only move on to taste the other contestants' dishes.

The other contestants also performed exceptionally well. Lu Qian had a real way with chicken, managing to turn an ordinary chicken into ten different dishes—all completed within the time limit, which was truly impressive.

Song Yu's lobster and Lucas's snow crab were also outstanding, though they paled in comparison to Yu Xin.

The judges began their commentary.

"I think we all agree that from the difficulty of ingredient handling, the logic of dish pairings, the flavor of each course, to the creativity and novelty, Ash's performance was flawless," Ms. Luo Lan remarked. "Thank you, Ash, for such an extraordinary feast."

"The only regret is that I doubt I'll ever eat this well again," Felix sighed dramatically.

"Honestly, I envy whoever's got you. If you agreed to be my private chef, I’d accept any condition you propose," he said, half-joking and half-serious.

After the show aired, everyone was well aware of Ash’s situation—that he was currently working as a private chef for a mysterious top benefactor.

Since the broadcast of the Supernova Cooking Competition, more and more wealthy and influential figures had tried to steal Yu Xin away from his mysterious benefactor. But no matter what methods they used, no one could figure out who this top supporter was.

Of course, without considerable power and influence, how could one keep a chef as exceptional as Yu Xin all to themselves?

In response to Felix’s offer, Yu Xin stated frankly, "I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. I'm not looking to make a move at the moment."

These words, spoken directly to the camera, left countless fans heartbroken while fueling even more envy toward the mysterious benefactor.

"Who's the lucky one who spotted him and took him home before he became famous? I’m so jealous!"

"Damn these wealthy people, living the dream, boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo~"

"Well, not all wealthy people get to eat his food either. Even the daughter of the richest man couldn’t manage it and could only complain on social media."

"It gives me a strange sense of satisfaction knowing that many rich people are just like us—unable to taste the chef’s cooking."

"Exactly, before Ash, everyone is equal (except the benefactor)."

Such discussions had emerged right after the show aired. One day, while browsing online out of boredom, Bai Yizhou came across these comments and immediately recalled how he had initially thought the General had lost his mind, being swayed by a small-time streamer when he showered Yu Xin with money.

Now, thinking back, the General's instincts were, as always, spot-on.

His foresight, strategic decisions, and preemptive actions were never wrong.

If it weren’t for the General, how could he now regularly enjoy Yu Xin’s cooking?

At this moment, Ji Yixing, the object of everyone’s envy and resentment, appeared calm on the surface, but he allowed himself a small, smug smile.

No matter how many sweet offers others threw Yu Xin’s way, his heart was locked in here—unshakeable.

After all contestants had been evaluated and scored, they revealed the final scores.

Everyone present, including the live audience, had already sensed the outcome. By now, it was a certainty: there was no other possible champion besides Yu Xin.

When the final scores were announced, Yu Xin had ranked first in both rounds, his total score towering way out in front, far surpassing the second place.

It was an unquestionable, a landslide victory.

No one doubted it anymore—Yu Xin had proven himself the rightful champion.

The moment the results were revealed, the entire venue erupted in thunderous applause. Even the judges rose to their feet, clapping in a sustained ovation.

"Ash! Ash!"

The audience spontaneously chanted Yu Xin’s name, their voices growing louder and louder, the soundwaves nearly lifting the studio roof.

The stream chat went crazy, almost obscuring the view, with "Ash" and "champion" dominating every corner, leaving no room for anyone else.

Contestants nearby shook Yu Xin’s hand, embraced him, and offered smiling congratulations.

They could accept losing to Yu Xin wholeheartedly.

Lucas, who had finally overtaken Lu Qian in the final round, secured second place by a narrow margin after combining both rounds' scores.

So used to losing by now, he mechanically joined the applause.

In the audience, one person stuck out like a sore thumb against the cheering crowd.

Yu Ning gritted his teeth in frustration. If Ash hadn't shown up, Lucas would have been the undisputed champion!

Lucas and he would have been the ones standing at the center of the stage, receiving the applause and cheers!

He had planned to open a new restaurant right after the show, riding the wave of Lucas’s victory, expecting it to be packed every day and bringing in a fortune.

Now, all of it had been ruined by this dark horse!

All the attention was focused solely on Ash. No one would remember Lucas, let alone support his new restaurant? Even if some customers came, it would never reach the profits he had envisioned.

How could he not be bitter? How could he not hate it?

This round, he had lost, and lost big time.

But even if he lost, he wasn't about to let Ash win either.

He opened his device, sent a message, then sank deeply into his seat, closed his eyes, and quietly awaited a certain moment.

...Falling from the highest point—wouldn't it be sweet to watch him fall from the top?

After the scores were announced, everyone took a short break before the award ceremony began.

*

As the champion, Yu Xin naturally was the center of attention. Wherever he went, people congratulated him, and Yu Xin thanked each one with a nod before returning to the break room.

Cheng Zikun and Qi Wei were already waiting there. The moment Yu Xin entered, they set off confetti poppers from their phones.

With a "bang," colorful confetti fluttered down everywhere.

"Congratulations, Yu Xin, on winning the championship!!"

Cheng Zikun was ecstatic, as if he himself had won the title.

"I knew you could do it! This whole thing was so worth it. You have no idea—more and more people are jealous that I get to eat your cooking every day, hahahahahaha!"

Cheng Zikun laughed triumphantly, hands on his hips. Even his father, who had always looked down on him, had asked if he could find a way to bring home some of Yu Xin’s dishes.

Qi Wei was also thrilled. With Yu Xin’s victory, the number of people flooding the Flying Fish Platform to watch his past livestreams had multiplied, directly pushing the platform’s downloads to number one.

Moreover, he had secured several highly favorable collaborations with Penguin Platform. Boarding this giant ship meant immense growth opportunities lay ahead.

He even considered signing a contract now to transfer some of Flying Fish Platform’s shares to Yu Xin, deeply locking him into the platform.

This is purely a glittering golden cash tree!

Unlike their excitement, Yu Xin remained as calm as ever and asked,

"Young Master Qi, has anyone contacted me through the platform during this time?"

"There have been tons! The business inquiries you've received these past few days outnumber what many content creators get in a year. But I haven't responded to any of them yet—waiting for you to pick them yourself," Qi Wei said.

"Any from the Yu family?" Yu Xin got straight to the point.

"The Yu family? You mean your original family... I don’t think so, I don’t recall any," Qi Wei frowned, thinking for a moment.

Nothing? They're being this patient?

This doesn’t seem like Yu Ning’s style.

But Yu Xin wasn’t in a hurry. By winning the championship, he had almost completely blocked Yu Ning’s path. Yu Ning wouldn't be able to resist coming for him.

The only question was whether it would be enough to provoke his cheap fake father.

Given how much importance they seemed to place on Yu Ning, if Yu Ning caused any trouble, that man would likely step in to deal with the fallout.

Yu Xin wasn’t anxious. He had plenty of patience to deal with the Yu family slowly.

The award ceremony was about to begin when an employee from the Penguin Platform came in, saying they needed to check if Yu Xin’s mask would fit with the champion’s crown prepared by the show.

This employee had been their contact all along, so no one questioned it when he came in with the crown to inspect it.

"Your show team is quite thoughtful. Not only did they set up a lavish podium, but they even prepared a crown?" Cheng Zikun commented from the side.

"Done." After checking and finding no issues, the staff member left with the crown.

By then, the award ceremony was about to start. They left the green room and headed toward the studio.

The recording had been going on for quite some time, but the audience’s enthusiasm hadn’t waned. The moment Yu Xin entered, they began shouting his name loudly.

"Streamer! Streamer!" A girl in the second row waved enthusiastically at Yu Xin. "I’ve been following you since your first livestream! Congrats on winning—you’ve made us all so proud!"

"Thank you for your support," Yu Xin replied with a smile, his lips curling up under the mask.

The girl froze for a moment, then grew even more excited, shouting, "Streamer! I bet you’re super handsome in real life! When are you going to show your face?!"

Meanwhile, in the comments section:

"You have to be a real fan to get how awesome this feels. Choosing the right circle and person—others give you endless drama, but following our streamer just brings endless satisfaction."

"This series of twists and turns feels like something out of a satisfaction novel—even fiction isn’t this satisfying. The world really is one giant Green Jiang Literature City."

"I’m completely sunk into the fandom. I went back and watched the streamer’s battle with Last Road's Mad Dog—turns out his satisfying life was already taking shape back then."

"Slapping faces feels good temporarily, keeping slapping faces keeps feeling good."

"Who else is a gaming expert, a cooking genius, and a champion all rolled into one? Oh wait, that’s our streamer."

"I'm about to forget what 'satisfying' means... At this point, can it get any more satisfying? Haha!"

The award ceremony officially began.

Ms. Luo Lan, Chen Hongyun, and Felix were the award presenters, presenting awards to the champion, runner-up, and third place, respectively.

Yu Xin, Lucas, and Lu Qian stood on the extravagantly large podium, accepting their trophies from the guests. Luo Lan winked at Yu Xin and whispered, "Congrats. From the first round when I tasted your dish, I had a feeling you’d be the champion. Looks like my intuition was spot-on."

"Thank you, Ms. Luo Lan," Yu Xin said, bowing slightly with the trophy in hand.

Luo Lan was a woman worthy of respect. After the show, he’d be happy to continue exchanging cooking tips with her.

He shared his thoughts with Ms. Luo Lan, and she happily agreed.

The award presenters stepped down.

Next, a staff member came forward and crowned Yu Xin with the crown—a unique honor for the champion, designed to match the lavish style of the podium.

If not for the circumstances, Yu Xin wouldn't be surprised if the show had custom-made an emperor’s robe for him.

Once the crown was in place, Yu Xin raised his trophy high. Golden confetti rained down, shimmering and beautiful, filling the air.

Every camera lens focused on Yu Xin’s face, and the large screen behind him showed his face, capturing his moment of glory.

Applause and cheers erupted once again, reaching peak excitement.

Then, suddenly, something unexpected happened.

Yu Xin’s mask, for some unknown reason, fell off his face and dropped to the floor.

It happened so fast that it caught everyone off guard—not even Yu Xin himself.

His unmasked face was suddenly exposed to everyone.

-----------------------

Author’s Note: Finally, the mask has dropped!

I wrapped this entire cooking competition just for this unmasking moment—like making dumplings just for the vinegar sauce, haha!

Don’t worry, Yu Xin may not have wanted to reveal his face, but only because it's a hassle. It won’t cause him any negative impact. [Glasses emoji]

The countdown to the finale has begun!