Setting Up a Stall!

The judge in the middle picked up some noodles and held them before his eyes for a careful look.

"These noodles... seem a little strange..."

As an executive committee member of the Chef's Association, Han Yu naturally knew what noodles were supposed to look like. Yet seeing these noodles now, he felt as though his entire worldview had been overturned.

"These noodles... don't seem to be made from flour."

Li Qing smiled. "Indeed they aren't, but you'll know once you try them."

Li Qing did not want to tell the judges outright what kind of noodles these were, because that would take away some of the mystery.

People always liked unveiling mysteries, after all—the sense of accomplishment after uncovering them. Wasn't that what surprise was?

Han Yu and the other judges were immensely curious. They promptly put the noodles into their mouths.

It was as though a bolt of lightning had flashed through Han Yu's mind!

"This flavor..."

Han Yu was stunned. The other judges were stunned as well.

These noodles...

Such an astonishingly fresh taste!

Such springy, chewy texture!

This was the taste of the sea!

After swallowing that mouthful of noodles, Han Yu felt as though he had been transported to the depths of the ocean, an intoxicating deliciousness surging endlessly across his tongue.

Han Yu was already intoxicated. He closed his eyes and immersed himself fully in the noodles' exquisite flavor.

Only after a long while did he slowly open his eyes.

"Delicious. Very delicious. Truly delicious!"

Han Yu used the word "delicious" three times in a row to describe this bowl of noodles.

Seeing the expressions on the judges' faces, Li Qing smiled happily as well.

This was his first time making Catfish Noodles without relying on machines. He had not tasted them himself, but he had already gotten the answer he wanted from their faces.

"Young man, you're very good. These noodles are made from catfish meat, aren't they?"

Li Qing nodded. "That's right."

"And..." A proud smile appeared on Han Yu's face. "You also added Shredded Squid to these noodles. My heavens, I truly admire your idea."

"Catfish meat is fresh and delicious, but it cannot give noodles their chewy texture. Shredded Squid, on the other hand, is chewy. Combining the two... oh, these noodles are simply wonderful!"

Han Yu looked at Li Qing in astonishment, his gaze seeming to say, Young man, you have a bright future. Come study cooking under me someday!

"Of course, I don't know how you combined the two so perfectly, but I presume you used Soul Power," Han Yu said.

"You're right. I did use Soul Power, but the cooking competition never stated that Soul Power couldn't be used, did it?"

"Hahahaha! Young man, you've got character. I'm really looking forward to your performance from here on!"

"Thank you, Judge." Li Qing bowed.

Didn't Han Yu's words mean that Li Qing had won this match?

The bald uncle gave a bitter smile. Although he already knew the outcome, he could not help feeling upset. At the same time, he was worried that others might mock him after he left.

After all...

He had lost for nothing to a little brat not even eleven years old, though that little brat was admittedly rather well-developed.

All he could do now was hope that Li Qing would continue winning and shine in the cooking competition. That way, he would at least be able to save some face.

Li Qing had no idea what the bald uncle was thinking. The cooking competition would not be held in the afternoon, after all. Those judges were people, not Spirit Beasts. They could not eat that much food in a day, especially such a wide variety of dishes. It would already be lucky if they did not get diarrhea.

Li Qing's match was over. Looking relaxed, he walked out of Gourmet Plaza.

"Popcorn..."

Seeing that it was still early, Li Qing decided to first settle the ingredients for popcorn so that he could sell it that afternoon.

Li Qing wanted to make two kinds of popcorn. One would be the kind sold in movie theaters on Earth.

That kind of popcorn had a rich aroma, a sweet flavor, and a crisp texture.

The second kind was actually far less popular than the first, but to Li Qing, it represented a cherished memory...

On a sunny afternoon, a gray-haired old man sat on a small stool, setting up a black, round-bellied little stove and continuously turning it over a flame to heat it.

Of course, what Li Qing missed most was that loud bang when it exploded.

"Perhaps... Earth's food can also shine on the Douluo Continent..."

At that thought, a smile appeared at the corner of Li Qing's lips.

He had already made a decision in his heart.

He wanted to promote all kinds of delicacies from Earth.

Perhaps when Li Qing had cooked for the students at Nuoding Academy before, he had held the same thought...

An hour later, Li Qing had solved the issues of popcorn ingredients and equipment. After casually having lunch at a restaurant, he returned to Xiangju Building.

The spirit power he had stored in the milk bottle had already completely dissipated.

"Nearly a whole day... the effect of this milk bottle..."

Li Qing pinched his chin, his brows slightly furrowed.

Honestly, Li Qing was not satisfied with this rate of dissipation. It was fading far too quickly.

At this rate, the spirit power in the Spirit Power Milk Bottle would be completely used up within a week.

And the Spirit Power Milk Bottle's maximum storage capacity was not very large either. Even when filled to the brim, it could at most restore one-tenth of Li Qing's spirit power.

Moreover, as Li Qing's spirit power continued to grow, that proportion would only become smaller and smaller.

"Sigh, looks like I can only deduce it."

If he wanted to create a milk bottle with greater spirit power preservation efficiency and stronger storage capacity, a more advanced Core Formation was indispensable.

Fortunately, Li Qing had the Replication Eye and could deduce formations...

But it was exhausting.

Still, a little fatigue was worth it for the sake of adding another layer of protection to his life.

Thus, after eating and drinking his fill, Li Qing embarked on his journey of formation deduction...

Another two hours passed. After rubbing his dry eyes, Li Qing decided to go out and set up a stall to sell popcorn.

After leaving Xiangju Building, Li Qing found a relatively open area. Though it was spacious, there were few pedestrians.

There was no helping it. At this time, it was impossible to find a place with heavy foot traffic that did not already have other vendors.

But Li Qing firmly believed in one saying: "Good wine needs no bush."

As long as the aroma of the popcorn spread, Li Qing believed customers would come to buy it.

The two kinds of popcorn differed not only in their preparation methods, but also in the types of corn they required.

The first kind of popcorn was the most common kind Li Qing had seen in movie theaters in his previous life. It required Exploding Corn.

It was only when Li Qing visited a grain shop at noon that he remembered this. He had initially thought he would not be able to make movie-theater-style popcorn, and without it, he would not be able to quickly attract a large number of customers.

After all, the second method did not produce any rich aroma during preparation that could stir people's appetites.