"Lin Chen, what are you thinking?" Long Tianci asked when he saw Lin Chen was silent.

Lin Chen smiled, "Actually, this matter is quite simple."

"Simple? Do you think these people are ordinary criminals? They are a crime syndicate that even the international police organization finds troublesome," Anna snorted coldly.

"Yeah, you don't know how formidable this bunch is, they've even had the Eagle Nation's intelligence bureau going around in circles," Zhou Tian said, still shaken from the experience.

Long Tianci also nodded his head, "Although you are very strong, Lin Chen, you absolutely must not act recklessly against these people, otherwise the consequences will be very serious."

Lin Chen nodded, "Alright, I'll be careful."

"Hmph, being careful isn't enough; you must promise us that you won't act rashly," Anna said, her voice icy.

Lin Chen smiled faintly, "Don't worry! As long as you don't act as a dead weight, I won't do anything rash. Okay, I'm going to rest now. Tomorrow is the final after all. Oh, and try not to lose too badly."

"You—!" But before Anna could react, Lin Chen had already jumped out of the car.

"Master, this guy is too full of himself. Should we really let him join this operation?" Anna said, displeased.

Long Tianci shook his head and let out a sigh, "It wasn't my idea to bring Lin Chen in; it was the orders from above. We owe the Lin family too much. Now is the time to make amends."

The next day, as dawn was breaking, the main venue for the culinary contest became crowded and lively.

The competition the day before was spectacular, attracting even more spectators today.

Lin Chen entered the VIP hall; however, today nobody looked down on him. After all, if it weren't for Lin Chen's efforts yesterday, that man from the Island Nation, Kimura, would have been unbearably arrogant.

From being underestimated to being revered, Lin Chen had proven his worth with his strength, and more importantly, he had proven that true power is the ultimate argument.

"Lin Chen, remember your mission today and don't mess around," Anna whispered a reminder.

"Don't worry, I'll be giving you a big surprise later," Lin Chen replied with a light chuckle.

Watching Lin Chen and Anna whispering to each other, Zhou Tian sneered, "Kid, in today's final I'll show you my true strength."

"Oh? Good grandson, I'll be waiting for you to call me grandpa later!" Lin Chen laughed.

At that moment, the noisy hall suddenly became quiet, and all eyes turned towards the entrance as Kimura slowly walked in.

As Kimura walked in, Lin Chen and Anna exchanged glances.

This man had been confirmed to be a member of that mysterious organization, and their mission today was to figure out exactly what sort of scheme he was up to.

"Xiaoshan, is there anything unusual?" Anna asked quietly.

"Nothing," came Xiaoshan's voice through the earpiece.

Kimura walked into the hall and went straight to Lin Chen.

Zhou Tian blocked Kimura's path and said smugly, "Kid, your luck ends here. In today's final, I won't hold back at all. I'll let you see the real strength of a Huaxia chef."

Kimura glanced at Zhou Tian and snorted, "You're not qualified enough. Don't make a fool of yourself."

Then, turning to Lin Chen, Kimura said, "Only you pose some threat to me here. But still, the champion will be me in the end."

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Gazing at the arrogant Kimura, Lin Chen completely ignored him, while Zhou Tian's face turned an iron blue. Having been praised as the "Little God-Chef of China," he couldn't believe he was being disregarded by this bastard named Kimura.

"If you want to be respected, you need to show some real skills," Lin Chen said with a faint smile as he walked towards the contestant seats.

The contestants made their way to their respective cooking stations, with only ten advancing to the final round.

As the contestants took their places, a murmur spread through the audience.

"Did you see? That young guy yesterday was incredible! He outperformed the chef from the Island Nation and really won one for our China!"

"That guy is so handsome, he's definitely fresh meat."

"I hope he can still beat the chef from the Island Nation in the finals; otherwise, it would be annoying to see that Island Nation guy getting arrogant..."

Listening to the conversations around him, Zhou Tian's complexion grew even more unsightly. He was supposed to be the star of this competition, but now Lin Chen was the one bathed in the spotlight, and he had been relegated to an insignificant supporting role.

Just then, his phone suddenly rang. After he answered, a chilly voice came through: "Young Master, everything has been arranged. That kid Lin Chen is sure to lose today."

After hanging up, a cold smile appeared on Zhou Tian's face: "Enjoy your arrogance a little longer, kid. Today, I'm going to make sure you never lift your head again."

Long Tianci then ascended the stage. His gaze slowly swept across the crowd before he announced, "The final challenge is for contestants to prepare a specialty dish of their choice, using ingredients they select from what the competition provides. They must complete their dish within the allotted time, and the winner will be decided by the judges and the scores from the food tasting machine."

This topic of the competition was unexpected by most, allowing for a high degree of flexibility, and therefore, a lot of uncertainty.

Zhou Tian sneered. He had obtained the topic through his connections the day before and was thus well-prepared: "Haha, the championship will surely be mine, Zhou Tian."

Lin Chen completely ignored the boastful Zhou Tian and instead focused his attention on Kimura.

The guy looked calm and composed, as if he had no concern, a look of utter confidence on his face.

"It seems this guy has some depth!" Lin Chen sighed lightly, pondering over the dish he would prepare for the competition.

At that moment, many contestants had begun selecting their ingredients, and soon, the sounds of cooking echoed throughout the plaza.

"It seems Zhou Tian is making the Capital City's famous dish 'Golden Jade Full House'," Long Tianci said, recognizing Zhou Tian's choice of ingredients.

"'Golden Jade Full House'? That's a royal gourmet delicacy. I've heard it's the ultimate skill of Master Lu. I never expected Zhou Tian to have learned it," a judge remarked, astonished.

Long Tianci nodded: "Master Lu Wei won the Chinese Culinary Competition with that dish in the past. If it weren't for Lin Chen and that Kimura, his dish might even rival Anna's. But now, it's hard to say!"

"Anna is making 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall,' right?" another judge said, observing Anna's ingredients from a distance.

"Yes, that's right. But I heard 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall' requires meticulous simmering for several tens of hours to make properly; how could it be possible in such a short time?" another judge asked curiously.

"Anna's dish has reached a level of perfection. With my unique cutting technique and stir-fry skills, coupled with Inner Strength to increase the temperature, the 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall,' which normally takes dozens of hours to stew, can be done in just a matter of minutes," Long Tianci stated indifferently.

"My god, that's amazing," the judge said, his mouth agape in shock.

However, what exactly were Kimura and Lin Chen cooking?

By now, Lin Chen had also chosen the dish he wanted to cook and began selecting his ingredients.

"The dish Lin Chen is making looks somewhat familiar, yet different. Could he be preparing that dish?" Long Tianci said, somewhat puzzled.

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