Chapter 321: The Sunset Peacock Plucking Pearls and Treading Lotus Map 

Exhibition matches differ from regular competitive contests. They aim to broaden influence, exchange experiences, and promote themselves. The focus is more on showcasing the chef's skills, the aesthetic appeal of the dishes, and the dining atmosphere. Although they don't determine life or death, under the public's scrutiny, there's nowhere to hide if something goes wrong.

If something went amiss now, it would be a disgrace for the entire South River region.

Thus, to ensure both the match's fun and the reputation of each participating hotel, the judges invited by the organizers all held significant responsibilities. They needed to select the best in terms of appearance, aroma, taste, and presentation, without letting any restaurant that performed poorly lose face.

The task was daunting.

As the competition began, reporters and judges made their way through each restaurant's kitchen area, half to promote and half to record, occasionally pausing to observe and comment.

In essence, it was just a formality.

Xu Badie appeared to be taking a leisurely stroll, treating the competition as a casual outing and relaxation.

"Old Xu, I heard your son Xiaobo is studying abroad and didn't come home this year?"

Among the judges and spectators, a middle-aged man stood next to Xu Badie, chatting as they visited each kitchen.

"No."

Xu Badie sighed, "This kid has always been ambitious. I planned to send him abroad to see the world, but he insisted he still had much to learn and wanted to use the vacation to catch up. No matter how I persuaded him, he wouldn't come back."

Xu Badie's expression was a mix of joy and worry.

Though it's good that his child is ambitious, he missed his son deeply. It was the first time in years that Xu Xiaobo didn't return home for the New Year. If it weren't for the business in South River, Xu Badie would have wanted to fly abroad with Xiaobo's mother to spend the New Year with their son.

"Alas, I wonder if he's eating well out there."

While Xu Badie was lost in thought, the middle-aged man suddenly spoke up.

"Hey?!"

"Old Xu, look at that person ahead. Doesn't he look like your Xiaobo?"

"Which one?" Xu Badie looked up with curiosity.

In the Lang Ai Hotel's kitchen, a young man in a white chef's uniform stood behind a workbench, instructing other chefs, looking every bit like he was orchestrating the whole operation.

Not feeling detailed enough, the young man took out a notebook, sketching something on paper and explaining his ideas to everyone.

After explaining for a while, and once everyone was on the same page and showed determined expressions,

The young man clapped his hands on the table and said, "Let's start!"

Dozens of kitchen staff quickly took their positions and began their tasks as if responding to a command.

Seeing the young man's face, Xu Badie's expression stiffened.

"This is bad, this is bad, this is really bad."

Chen Jianhai, who was secretly observing nearby, felt his heart race with anxiety.

"Uncle Xu values his pride too much; he definitely can't confront him here." Xiao Lang's voice trembled, "Oh no, he's heading straight towards Da Bo!"

At the workbench of the Lang Ai Hotel's kitchen,

Xu Xiaobo was unaware he had caught Xu Badie's attention.

He was kneading dough while turning to instruct Tang Tou, "The flavors of the other dishes are already quite strong. The soup needs to be lighter."

"Got it, Johnny." Tang Tou responded while adjusting the heat.

The next moment, Tang Tou whispered, "Johnny, someone over there has been watching you. They seem to know you."

Xu Xiaobo froze and looked up.

There stood Xu Badie in front of the transparent workbench, his forehead bulging with veins, fists clenched, his muscles tensed even through his shirt.

"Dad…?"

Xu Xiaobo was stunned, breaking into a cold sweat with his hands and feet turning icy.

Although he had previously spoken bravely about pursuing his dreams and being fearless, facing Xu Badie in person made his legs feel weak!

"Xiaobo?" The middle-aged man showed surprise, "Just now, your dad said you stayed abroad for studies and weren't coming home for the New Year. How come you're here?"

It was a bad time to mention this,

As soon as Xu Badie heard this, his eyelids twitched.

He opened his mouth, finally forcing a stiff smile and said, "You come home for the holidays without telling anyone, and instead of being with your mom and me, you're here participating in a culinary competition?"

The middle-aged man glanced at Xu Badie sideways, "Tsk tsk tsk, did you get a facial spasm or something? You were so keen to see your son just now, and now your expression looks like you're ready to kill."

Seeing Xu Badie's state, Xu Xiaobo quickly spoke up, "I was supposed to spend the holidays at school, but when I heard about the South River City hosting a five-star hotel culinary competition, I asked Haizi for a spot to participate and came here to see it."

Upon hearing this, Xu Badie's gaze fixed on Chen Jianhai.

That gaze seemed to see right through Chen Jianhai,

"He's onto me…!"

Chen Jianhai's scalp tingled, and he was about to explain when Xu Badie snorted coldly and walked forward.

"What's going on? Is he planning to settle scores later?" Xiao Lang asked tremblingly.

"Anytime is fine, as long as he doesn't make a scene. Whatever happens, happens!" Chen Jianhai's voice was shaky, not daring to guess what Xu Badie was thinking.

Xu Xiaobo watched Xu Badie's figure stiffly, then took a deep breath, showing a determined expression.

The scariest time is always when the fear hasn't fully arrived.

Once facing the fear directly, the pressure inside is released!

Xu Xiaobo gritted his teeth, putting all his effort into kneading the dough and giving his best performance.

Two hours flew by quickly.

After plating the dishes at the serving counter and checking each one again, the gongs and drums sounded, signaling the end of the competition.

Each restaurant placed their finished dishes in front of their own tables, waiting for the judges to taste them.

As Xu Badie and others hadn't even started tasting from the first restaurant, the middle of the tent was already crowded with people, and there was a buzz of excitement and chatter from inside.

"What's that, a birdcage?"

"A birdcage? That's clearly a white peacock, and the shining things around are peacock feathers!"

"Why do those shining things look like chocolate?"

"Don't be ridiculous, does your chocolate shine or something?"

...

Hearing the increasing discussions inside,

Some reporters, seeing the crowd gathered in the middle of the tent, quickly set up their cameras and rushed over to see what was happening.

Huang Baichuan and Xu Badie, along with others, were also curious and walked over.

But as soon as they reached the Lang Ai Hotel's restaurant,

All the LED lights around were turned on.

With a crisp bird call, a large white peacock spread its wings and descended gracefully from above, landing directly on the table.

In the vast golden opera house restaurant, a dazzling "Sunset Peacock Plucking Pearls and Treading Lotus" map was displayed, stunning everyone present.

"I've seen so many food festivals, but this is the first time I've seen such a presentation!"

"The peacock plucking pearls, what about the rolling beads on the small tray? How does the soup keep flowing?"

"The trays on both sides, stacked like clouds, look really beautiful."

"Look! In the bottom plate, although it looks like a lotus pond at first glance, the noodles are intricately designed to create a ripple effect."

"Fantastic!"

...

Xu Badie, Huang Baichuan, and Tong Tongsheng were shocked, staring at the Sunset Peacock Plucking Pearls and Treading Lotus map with disbelief.

"What kind of creativity is this?"

The host was also stunned by the scene and immediately asked:

"Is the head chef of Lang Ai Hotel here?"

"This beautiful dish, could you introduce the elements of the dish to us?"

As soon as the question was asked, the crowd buzzed again.

"Yes, the head chef should tell us!"

"I just want to know if that peacock is really made of chocolate!"

"If you don't explain this dish properly, I don't even want to eat it."

As people spoke, they stood on tiptoes, eager to see who the hotel's head chef was to design such a beautiful dish.

The next moment, a young figure walked out from the Lang Ai Hotel's kitchen.

Seeing this, the host quickly approached, shaking hands and smiling, asking:

"Hello, are you the head chef of Lang Ai Hotel?"

Xu Xiaobo's smile was a bit stiff as he responded, "Hello, I'm Johnny, the head chef of Lang Ai Hotel."

As soon as he spoke, he clearly felt a murderous intent from behind.

Xu Badie's face was frighteningly dark,

Especially when he heard Xu Xiaobo call himself "Johnny," Xu Badie's neck veins almost burst out.

Just a moment ago, Xu Badie had claimed he came back during the holidays to see and get a spot for the competition, but now his son had emerged as the head chef!

The middle-aged man nudged Xu Badie with his elbow and whispered:

"Old Xu, when did Xiaobo become a head chef at a five-star hotel? Isn't he studying abroad?"

Hearing this, Xu Badie's face turned red with embarrassment, his lips tightly pressed.

"Can you introduce this dish to us?" The host asked with a smile.