Chapter 164 The Surge of Darkness

In the end, this gourmet feast ended smoothly.

From Chef Long to ordinary diners, everyone was extremely satisfied.

Although the four restaurants were overshadowed by Xu Qing's dishes, they still managed to leave a deep impression on people and successfully reversed their past bad reputation.

Needless to say, Feihuanglou was originally the best chicken restaurant in Guangzhou, and it became even more famous after this incident.

After tasting Xu Qing's dishes, Liang Jing, the chef of Taoranju, was moved by the thoughtfulness behind the dishes. He regained his spirits and once again enthusiastically devoted himself to his unremitting pursuit of cooking skills and delicious food.

After discussing with Liang Jing, Elder Li of the Guangdong Chefs Association spread the news that Tao Ran Ju was coerced by Elder Wu. The stigma of Tao Ran Ju was finally cleared, and the business became more and more prosperous.

Wenhuayuan and Shangpingguan also benefited from the food feast. Their situation that was originally on the verge of bankruptcy was reversed and their business is booming. The chef of Shangpingguan also slightly changed his old-fashioned style, adding new vitality to the originally lifeless restaurant and attracting many new customers.

Not to mention Yangquan Restaurant, the daily business is so heavy that even the usually lazy Master Luo Tian can't be lazy. Xu Qing was urgently appointed by Master Luo Tian as the second acting chef to share the work of Master Jidi.

The three top chefs worked at full capacity, and everyone else was mobilized, so they barely managed to keep going. They worked non-stop as soon as they woke up every day, and almost everyone was exhausted when they closed the shop at night.

At Elder Wu's residence, he was packing his luggage at this moment.

He suffered a series of setbacks in Guangzhou and decided not to stay there any longer.

Elder Wu took out the booklet of the imperial kitchen's secret skills and sighed inwardly, knowing that he would have to hand it over to Xu Qing in the end.

Although he was still somewhat reluctant in his heart, things had come to this point and he had lost, completely lost.

Even the chef Long he hired looked at Xu Qing differently and showed him great favor.

Wu Cheng had no choice but to admit defeat and save his last bit of face.

Upon hearing that Elder Wu was going to the Guangdong Chefs Association, Wei Jie immediately stepped forward and expressed his wish to accompany Elder Wu.

When Xu Qing hosted a food feast, Wei Jie and the other three also went together.

They had also smelled that wonderful aroma, so they were very curious about the dishes made by Xu Qing.

This taste is even more astonishing.

Among the three, Wei Jie felt it the most deeply.

He suffered a severe blow because of his defeat to Xu Qing in the cooking duel, and for a while he was even unwilling to pick up the kitchen knife.

The more talented a person is, the prouder he is. However, once a proud person suffers a major setback, it will be difficult for him to get up again.

Wei Jie is an example.

Chu Xianglong and the others looked at Wei Jie's dejected expression, feeling anxious but helpless.

This situation continued until the day of the re-examination for the top chef assessment, until that wonderful aroma blew into the room leisurely with a breeze that pushed open the window and door.

It was like a ray of golden sunshine, penetrating the thick and deep clouds and shining into the depths of Wei Jie's gloomy heart.

Wei Jie jumped out of bed almost instantly, pushed open the door and ran towards the source of the fragrance.

It was as if that was his only lifeline in this world.

However, after learning that this was the dish Xu Qing made in the top chef assessment, Wei Jie despaired.

Because he was destined to never be able to eat this dish that made his heart beat faster.

However, before he could taste the bitterness of despair, the news that Xu Qing was going to recreate this dish spread throughout Guangzhou City, and everyone was eagerly looking forward to it and waiting.

Wei Jie was no exception. He could almost say that those two days were like years.

When he finally put the dish into his mouth, Wei Jie realized that all the waiting and expectations were worth it. This dish was beyond imagination, and the ultimate deliciousness made Wei Jie deeply intoxicated, but what excited him even more was the heart behind it.

His unremitting pursuit for the ultimate delicious food flowed slowly in his heart like a clear spring, washing away all the decadence, anxiety, pain, despair and confusion in his heart, leaving only the purest thoughts and the ultimate pursuit of delicious food.

No matter how much pain one suffers, this desire cannot be forgotten.

Because this is the meaning of a chef's existence, to pursue the ultimate deliciousness unremittingly without stopping for a moment.

Wei Jie couldn't help but sigh. Xu Qing's dishes had once thrown him into a painful purgatory, but now it was Xu Qing's dishes that saved him from endless suffering.

One dish can give people despair, and another dish can give people hope.

Only Xu Qing can cook with such amazing skills.

After experiencing a low point and climbing out of it, Wei Jie's spirit became stronger and his pursuit of culinary skills became more determined.

Wei Jie has completely recovered since then, and is even more energetic than before.

He had always wanted to find an opportunity to thank Xu Qing, but because Yangquan Restaurant's business was too busy, he had no chance to meet Xu Qing.

Now that the opportunity had come, Wei Jie didn't want to miss it.

When they arrived at the Guangdong Chefs Association, Master Xu Qing and Master Luo Tian were both there. After all, today was the crucial day for handing over the secret skills of the imperial kitchen, so they specially closed for a day.

Elder Wu did not look at Elder Li's smiling face. With a cold face, he passed Elder Li and handed the book of unique skills to Xu Qing, saying, "I hope you will not let this unique skill down."

"I understand." Xu Qing nodded.

After handing over the booklet, Elder Wu turned around and left, not wanting to delay any longer.

Wei Jie walked up to Xu Qing, bowed to him, and said firmly: "Xu Qing, thank you. I will never forget the two dishes you made. I will keep chasing after you, and one day, I will catch up with you."

Xu Qing said seriously: "I look forward to that day."

It would be too boring if he was the only one walking alone on this road of pursuing the ultimate delicacy.

The departure of Elder Wu made everyone in the Guangdong Chefs Association breathe a sigh of relief, and they finally had some peace and quiet.

Xu Qing's reputation spread throughout the country with the top chef assessment and this unprecedented food feast. The news that came from the imperial kitchen made people's enthusiasm even higher.

It is said that from then on, the winner of each top chef assessment will have to display his dishes for everyone to taste.

What made the Imperial Kitchen finally make such a decision was Xu Qing's outstanding performance.

As shocking news came out one after another, Xu Qing's name gradually became known to everyone.

These things also spread to hidden corners and reached the ears of the dark culinary world.

"Xu Qing? This name seems very familiar."

"I remember now. The chef who defeated Chang Lin was called this name. He also caused all our years of hard work to go to waste in one day!"

"What? That kid back then actually became a top-notch chef? It's only been a short time!"

"It seems that the reason he was able to defeat Chang Lin was not because of luck, but because of his real strength."

"If he was just an ordinary chef, it would be fine, but since he can become a top-class chef, he should not be underestimated!"

"He's already a top-class chef at the age of twelve. I'm afraid he'll be a forerunner to the dark cuisine world in the future! We can't let him continue to grow!"

(End of this chapter)