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The camera, just like Senzaemon Nakiri, remained focused on Renz. Sometimes, certain individuals just exude an inexplicable sense of being in the spotlight. A distinct inner demeanor makes some people naturally stand out. Renz's composure and aura unconsciously attracted more attention.

Sometimes, some people just can't be hidden. There's nothing that can be done about it; when a high-level player competes in a low-level arena, this is simply how it is. Every move reveals the difference from others.

From the perspective of individual skill, Renz's current prowess might not yet match his future self, but achieving a world ranking is more than within his grasp.

And Renz's most formidable asset at the moment isn't even his cooking ability. His theoretical knowledge and sheer volume of culinary information are the true weapons of mass destruction, making his diverse culinary choices an impregnable fortress.

The final touch to the molecular gastronomy dish was the traditional plating stage, which Renz executed to perfection, bringing the dish to a flawless conclusion.

From table number one to sixty-four, people had gradually finished their dishes. Renz's cooking speed wasn't particularly fast, but the visual effect was impeccable.

After plating, the dish on the table resembled a masterpiece of intricate artistry. Renz completed the final searing and caramelization of the sous-vide steak.

A seared steak needs to rest for a while, as its internal temperature continues to rise during searing, and muscle fibers remain under high pressure, continuously contracting and squeezing out juices. If the steak is cut immediately when its internal temperature is highest, the unrestrained stress will be rapidly released, resulting in a significant loss of precious juices.

Ten minutes later, the entire process was complete. Renz slowly cut the steak into several small pieces. Beside Renz, a dedicated single-camera operator was already circling the dish on the table, filming it repeatedly.

"One hour is up! Everyone, please stop what you're doing!" Shinji Takahashi looked at everyone, calling a halt to their movements. Whether finished or not, time was up, and all dishes had to be submitted to the judges for evaluation.

"This evaluation will adopt a tournament system. The judges' scoring mechanism will range from a maximum of 10 points to a minimum of 5 points. After the preliminary review, the three judges will discuss and decide whether you qualify for the next round."

"After passing the second review, the approving judge will choose whether you join their team. Similarly, you also have the right to choose which team to join, provided that team is willing to open the door of advancement for you."

"Following the order of the competition, we will begin with the dish from table number one."

Shinji Takahashi reiterated the core rules of the competition. The dishes from the chef at table number one were slowly brought to the combined table of the three judges. Yoshino Ono was the first to taste the dish, with Mana Nakiri in the main seat as the second, and Tsuru Kanemoto in third.

The chef from table number one took a somewhat unconventional approach. Instead of a main course, he chose a cuisine that no ordinary person would have thought of: Russian Blini. Choosing this dish was truly a path no one had envisioned. Russian cuisine is considered quite obscure in the culinary world, as it is widely known that the charm of all Russian dishes cannot compare to a bottle of vodka that can be 'gulped down'.

In Russia, the most famous dish is surprisingly pickled cucumbers.

The "combat nation's" regard for food is remarkably low; the variety of dishes is not as rich as in other countries, and many dishes are inherited from elsewhere. One could practically taste all of Russia's cuisine within two weeks. "Edible is enough," this is the Russian standard.

Even the often-unacceptable British cuisine is palatable to Russians, who are one of the few nations that can eat it and even champion British "dark cuisine."

Russian Blini cannot truly be called a refined Russian dish, but rather a popular breakfast item. However, one can certainly transform this breakfast into a dessert-like delicacy, which was precisely the intention of the chef at table number one. The biggest issue for table number one was its position in the competition neither a clear advantage nor a clear disadvantage. The advantage was that being first meant that if you did something different from others, you could deepen the judges' impression of you. The disadvantage was that if you couldn't create something truly eye-catching, you'd be eliminated almost instantly. Making a Russian breakfast was an attempt to create an element of surprise, a risky move, and at the beginning of the competition, it wasn't suitable to eat overly heavy-flavored dishes.

Russian Blini fit perfectly and could also demonstrate a broad range of knowledge. Yoshino Ono looked at the egg-yellow, paper-thin blini, put on disposable plastic gloves, and touched the edge of the pancake. Its texture was soft, and beside it lay various flavor enhancers like honey, milk, caviar, and blueberry jam. Yoshino Ono first tasted it without any additions, gently taking a bite and chewing the pancake. As a sushi chef by trade, he had some experience with breakfast-style dishes.

However, this taste made him shake his head. It was a risky, unconventional move, but merely making a Russian dish without adding anything new made it seem clumsy.

After all, these judges had all eaten blini before. The impression it created was only a fleeting novelty because it hadn't been seen in a long time. Novelty aside, the taste of the pancake itself couldn't conquer him.

"7," Yoshino Ono gave a score. With a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10, 7 was a below-average score, essentially a death sentence.

Mana Nakiri also wore plastic gloves, but she merely tore off a piece, put it in her mouth, and then frowned. She raised her hand to cover her mouth and discreetly spat the blini she had just eaten into a conveniently placed trash can at her feet.

"5 points," Mana Nakiri wouldn't show any mercy. Or rather, the God's Tongue wouldn't show mercy. Any dish that caused her physiological disgust was directly rejected by Mana Nakiri.

It didn't even have value for commentary, because the God's Tongue didn't even give it a chance to analyze before deeming it a terrible product.

A score of 5 immediately put Tsuru Kanemoto, the judge sitting further back, in a difficult position. If Mana Nakiri gave a 5, and Kanemoto gave a higher score, wouldn't that imply his judging standards were insufficient? If he gave a lower score, wouldn't that be offensive? He could only rely on his instincts.

Kanemoto frowned and held up his fingers, "6 points."

The contestant at table number one, who had hoped to steal a win with an unconventional opening, instead directly condemned himself to culinary hell by the three judges. According to a certain rule in the competition card for the 64-to-16 elimination round, the total score in the preliminary review had to exceed 22.5 points to proceed to the second review stage, where eligibility for advancement would be decided.

5, 6, and 7, added up to 18 points. It seemed like a lot, but every additional point was hard-earned. Everyone understood Mana Nakiri's judging style; it was incredibly difficult to score points from her. Most people were likely destined for a 5. Therefore, the goal was to score points from the other two judges. 22.5 minus 5 points left 17.5 points, meaning one would need to average around 8.7 points from the other two judges to have a chance. This made it an unsolvable problem.

The dismal exit of table number one quickly put pressure on the chef at table number two. However, that pressure quickly dissipated, because he was about to follow the person from table number one and be eliminated as well.

Mana Nakiri's expression remained frozen, completely devoid of smiles.

"5 points."

"5 points."

"5 points."

Three consecutive '5-point' evaluations, and then four, Mana Nakiri's '5-point' evaluations didn't stop. Six tables had come and gone, and not a single person had reached the second review stage; all were defeated in the first round of judging. Scoring even one extra point from Mana Nakiri became the critical factor.

In this round of the competition, Renz was at table number eight. He watched the continuous parade of eliminated contestants without any particular feeling. He just wanted it to be his turn quickly. Finish early and move on to the next round. His goal for today was still "getting off work early"!

"Next up, table number eight, Renz!" Shinji Takahashi's voice slowly echoed in his ears. Renz stretched his muscles. After a long wait, it was finally his turn. He was one of the more watched individuals on the field. As soon as his name was called, everyone's gaze unanimously turned to him.

So, what would Renz's dish be? Everyone was curious, craning their necks to peek over.

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