Chapter 378: Chapter 378: Lost Contact

Time flew by. Two days had already passed since the second round of the Xianyu City Cooking Contest’s elimination competition had ended.

In these two days, the excitement around the Cooking Contest did not dwindle with time; rather it grew as replays of the fantastic performances of the eight contestants in the elimination round were repeatedly shared and rebroadcasted, sparking widespread discussion.

As the upcoming ranking competition grew nearer, this discussion also became more intense.

What kind of rankings the top four contestants would secure became the hottest topic among public discussion.

According to these discussions, Shen Qian and Qin Lang from the red and blue groups respectively, were the favourites to win. And among these two, the one thought to have the best shot at winning the championship was none other than Qin Lang, who stunned everyone with his skills in the two rounds of Transparent Mode Cooking.

The Yanpi Flat Food dish he presented during the elimination round stirred up quite a bit of controversy. Right after the competition ended, many people were curious about what this dish tasted like that resulted in it receiving a landslide of votes from the judges.

It was only when a cooking expert recreated this dish following the steps demonstrated by Qin Lang during the competition that people finally understood.

Turns out the seemingly simple pounding step had such a crucial role.

With the controversy resolved, what remained in people’s minds was the image of Qin Lang as an inscrutable master chef.

Furthermore, some people even dug up Qin Lang’s past records in Tianhua State, leading to even more intense discussions.

Meanwhile, amidst the fervor of Xianyu City’s populace, the Spirit Chef Association, and the many Spirit Chefs who were invited, were intensely discussing and preparing.

During these two days, they held several secret meetings every day, planning and strategising, determined to thwart Star Hunter’s scheme.

Zhou Tianhao brought up Qin Lang’s suspicions during the meeting but, as he had expected, no one else would believe him.

In the hotel kitchen where the three were residing, Qin Lang stretched languidly and turned to Shen Qian, who was still hard at work practicing her dishes. “Your dish is already quite impressive, how about taking a break?” “Just wait a bit more.” Shen Qian paused for a moment with her kitchen knife in hand before continuing to chop the ingredients on the cutting board. “With this dish, perhaps I can beat Tantai Yue, but I won’t be able to beat your Yanpi Flat Food.”

“So, you do want to go head-to-head with me.” Qin Lang smiled helplessly, “Yanpi Flat Food was finished two days ago, whereas your Phoenix Bone Colored Glaze will be presented tomorrow. How can you compare those two?” “I’ve tasted your Yanpi Flat Food,” Shen Qian glanced at Qin Lang. “Whether I can surpass it, I can decide for myself.”

“Alright then.” Seeing that Shen Qian was insistent, Qin Lang didn’t argue further.

Shen Qian’s competitiveness intermittently flares up. Once it settles down, everything would naturally return to normal.

“I’m going out for a bit, do you want me to bring back anything delicious for you?” he asked.

“Then get me a Fish Roe Cake.” Shen Qian didn’t refuse and requested a specialty snack from Xianyu City.

“No problem.” Qin Lang gestured an “ok” sign with his hand and left the hotel with the two little ones.

The dish he planned to present tomorrow was already almost ready. Going out and relaxing now would help him do better in tomorrow’s competition.

Although the opponents weren’t very strong, he really likes this dish – he wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble preparing the pickled mustard otherwise.

He wanted to go all out for the first time showcasing this dish.

“Dan Bao, Spicy, let’s go check out the nearby Food Street.” Carrying the two little ones who looked forward to the trip, Qin Lang excitedly headed out.

“If there are no other questions, tomorrow’s final arrangement in the Xianyu Arena will follow this plan.” Zhang Tianze handed out the assignment sheets to everyone in the Meeting Room, a serious expression on his face.

The group of powerful individuals who received their assignments quickly confirmed their respective roles.

“Chairman Zhang, I have no objections, but I have a question.” One of the powerful individuals pointed to the plan in their hand. “A few days ago, you mentioned that Mr. Zuo Weiran has arrived in Xianyu City.”

“But Mr. Zuo has attended none of our meetings in the last few days, and there’s no mention of him in this assignment sheet. What’s going on?”

The other powerful individuals didn’t speak up but many had expressions of agreement on their faces, clearly showing that they had the same concern.

“I know everyone has doubts but I assure you, Mr. Zuo Weiran is already here. He will not directly participate in this operation but serves as our final trump card.” Zhang Tianze stated solemnly.

“We are out in the open, while Mr. Zuo acts behind the scenes.”

Hearing Zhang Tianze’s explanation, those who initially had doubts slowly began nodding their heads.

However, the person who initially raised the question wasn’t convinced just yet. He slightly furrowed his eyebrows and asked again, “So, when this is all over, will Mr. Zuo Weiran stay in Xianyu City for a couple more days?”

Seeing everyone looking at him, he scratched his head and said, “I don’t have any ulterior motives. You all know I came here from Wuhe State just to pay a visit to Mr. Zuo Weiran and get his Third-level Spirit Executor Badge.”

Upon hearing his explanation, the others nodded in understanding.

“I cannot guarantee it, but when everything is over, I can introduce you.” Zhang Tianze promptly stated, then turned to look at the silent Zhou Tianhao on the other side of the room.

“Mr. Zhou doesn’t seem to be a local from Mingjing Province either. If you need it, I could also introduce you.”

Thanks for the trouble.” Zhou Tianhao responded with a smile.

If he could secure an opportunity to pay an early visit to Mr. Zuo Weiran and obtain the second Third-level Spirit Executor Badge, he would surely appreciate it.

“It looks like there are no further questions, so we’ll proceed with this plan.” Zhang Tianze took a deep breath. “Success or failure, this is the decisive moment.”

“According to the records of the Spirit Chef Association, Star Hunter has carried out criminal activities in several regions, with a very low failure rate and no members captured so far.”

“If we can catch them, it will be the first time!”

Listening to this, everyone in the meeting room had a look of excitement.

Participation in such an essential operation was an enormous honor!

Only Zhou Tianhao’s expression showed a hint of concern.

He had a feeling that things may not unfold as expected.

“Brother Zhou, are you back?”

Shen Qian, hearing the sound of the room door, walked out of the kitchen and waved at Zhou Tianhao cheerfully.

“Yes, the meeting is over. Now it all depends on tomorrow.” Zhou Tianhao responded with a relaxed smile. “Why are you alone at home, where is Qin Lang?”

“That guy probably went out to have some fun.” Shen Qian slurred, “Not only did he not bring me a Fish Roe Cake, but he hasn’t even returned this late.”

“He left?” Zhou Tianhao frowned and immediately dialed Qin Lang’s number.

On the other end of the phone, there was no response.