```

The sudden sneer caused the complexions of the distinguished guests to drastically change, and Sun Li, standing next to Lin Chen, looked particularly distressed.

Zhou Tian stared coldly at Lin Chen, "It's you again, you bumpkin."

Lin Chen smiled faintly, "As far as I know, your Zhou family's ancestors were peasants too, weren't they? Should I say that you forget your ancestors, or should I say you despise your own lineage?"

"You're courting death, boy!" A frigid look passed over Zhou Tian's face.

The Zhou family stood at the apex of the social pyramid, and wherever they went, they were treated with the utmost respect by all parties—disrespecting the Zhou family was akin to courting death.

"You're not qualified to want my death," Lin Chen said lightly.

The onlookers were dumbfounded by the young man who was talking back to Zhou Tian.

"Has this kid lost his mind? To offend the Zhou family..."

"I think this young man is truly courting death."

Many in the distinguished guests section sighed secretly, knowing without doubt that this kid was in for trouble.

As expected, Zhou Tian's face turned frosty, exuding a bone-chilling aura.

"Qi Refinement later stage!" He truly was the young master of a great family.

But his cultivation seemed somewhat illusory, obviously the result of being piled up with medicines.

"Boy, today I'm going to cripple you with my own hands," Zhou Tian said with a fierce look as he advanced toward Lin Chen.

Lin Chen was unconcerned, staring nonchalantly as Zhou Tian approached him, intent on inviting Zhou Tian to come over for a slap in the face.

But just then, a sardonic voice came from behind, "Wow, what a scene, when did a cooking competition turn into a martial contest?"

All eyes turned to the entrance in shock.

The speaker was none other than Anna, followed by an elderly man dressed in luxury.

"The God of Cooking, Long Tianci." Suddenly, someone cried out in surprise.

"Greetings, God of Cooking!"

"Greetings, God of Cooking!"

Everyone present stood up and paid their respects to Long Tianci.

These were all people from the culinary circle, and to them, the God of Cooking was like a divine being.

Zhou Tian was caught on the spot, mildly embarrassed, and even in the presence of the God of Cooking, he did not dare to act rashly, so he glared at Lin Chen and then turned his heated gaze towards Anna.

"Miss Anna, hello." Zhou Tian smiled broadly, his eyes filled with undisguised affection as he reached out for a handshake.

However, Anna completely ignored his extended hand and brushed past him, heading straight for Lin Chen. Smiling, she said, "Lin Chen, you really didn't break your promise; you actually came."

Anna's beautiful eyes fixed on Lin Chen as she gracefully extended her hand. Her smiles and glances dazzled many of the young men in the VIP room. Known for her icy demeanor, Anna was unexpectedly warm to a man.

"How could I resist a challenge from a beauty?" Lin Chen chuckled as his eyes rested on Anna.

Anna's beauty could be described as devastatingly stunning, with a stunning figure. One extra ounce and she would appear overweight; one ounce less, and she would look too thin. That pair of long, slender, fair legs was unbearably alluring.

"Hehe, smooth talker. Let me introduce you to my teacher, Long Tianci," Anna said, beaming.

"Greetings, God of Cooking! I am but a humble young man, Lin Chen," Lin Chen said, bowing slightly.

Though Lin Chen was confident his culinary skills were not inferior to the God of Cooking, the latter had earned his skills through personal effort, while Lin Chen relied on a system. Therefore, Lin Chen still held great respect for the God of Cooking.

```

"Hmm, Anna has always mentioned encountering a prodigy at DY. Seeing you today, your reputation is indeed well-deserved," the Food God stroked his beard and nodded.

This scene left the surrounding crowd agape.

Who was the Food God? He was like a divine being in the culinary world, and he had such high praise for Lin Chen.

At this moment, Zhou Tian's face looked exceptionally unpleasant. This scene should have been about him, but Lin Chen had stolen all the limelight.

"The Food God is too kind," Lin Chen responded with a smile.

After a few greetings and taking their seats, what made Zhou Tian even more furious was that Anna seemingly intentionally chose to sit next to Lin Chen.

Seated next to a beautiful woman, a waft of fragrance enveloped him, causing Lin Chen's mind to slightly tremble.

At this point, Zhou Tian came in front of Lin Chen, his gaze cold and piercing like a venomous snake: "Kid, do you dare to make a bet?"

Lin Chen's eyebrows raised slightly as he said indifferently, "Sure, what's the bet?"

"If you lose to me in this competition, you must kneel on the ground and kowtow to me three times, calling me 'grandpa' three times," Zhou Tian said coldly.

"Alright, if you lose, you'll do the same," Lin Chen said with a slight smile.

"Fine," Zhou Tian snorted coldly.

Many people around overheard the bet between the two young men, and couldn't help but turn their curious gazes toward them.

"Since that's the case, let's have the Food God and everyone here serve as witnesses, so no one can deny their loss and be dishonest," Lin Chen said with a light smile.

"Hmph, me lose? That's a joke. Today, I'll make you lose face in front of Anna," a cold sneer crossed Zhou Tian's face.

"Alright, I'll be waiting," Lin Chen said with an easy smile.

As time went on, the competition officially began.

Lin Chen and the others also left the VIP seats and arrived at their positions for the competition.

The spots for these seeded contestants were different from the other competitors; they were at the very center of the venue, exceptionally conspicuous.

Lin Chen approached his cooking station, which was fully equipped with kitchen utensils and was also stocked with various ingredients.

At this moment, the big screen in the plaza suddenly lit up. The first round's required dishes were displayed.

"It's actually stir-fried Niu He!" Lin Chen was slightly startled to see the dish's description appear on the screen.

This dish could be considered a common household dish, found everywhere from five-star hotels to small alley diners.

Though it seems simple, it contains great depth of technique.

Stir-fried Niu He, if oily, becomes greasy; if not enough oil is used, it can burn; every strip of rice noodle must be evenly coated with "color" and "flavor," too much soy sauce makes it too strong, not enough makes it too bland; the beef should be fried to medium rare, so the juices stay locked in; then cooked a further twenty percent in the pan to make it fragrant, smooth, and crisp.

When served, you should be able to pick it up without any excess oil or soy sauce left on the plate. That's when you know it has the right dry texture and isn't greasy.

It's easy to talk about, but very difficult to achieve. In the cooking process, the techniques of tossing and high-heat flash cooking all test the basic skills of a chef.

At this time, Anna and Zhou Tian, who were next to Lin Chen, had already started their preparations.

Lin Chen looked at the ingredients; all the necessary items for Niu He—rice noodles, beef, bean sprouts, garlic chives—were complete. Taking a deep breath, Lin Chen started making his stir-fried Niu He.

In an instant, the entire plaza was filled with flashing flames and delectable aromas. Each chef knew how to stir-fry this dish, but due to different foundations and techniques, the resulting flavors varied greatly.

Lin Chen skillfully sliced the beef, tossed it in water to wet it evenly, then mixed it with light soy sauce and sugar, finishing with peanut oil for marinating, all in one fluid motion.

Just then, sounds of astonishment suddenly erupted from the audience.