Thump...
"I am truly sorry, Lord Luo Chen. Please forgive my ignorance and failure to recognize you. I beg you to disregard me like a fart..."
With his companion's reminder, Cott finally realized just how high Luo Chen's status must be. Fearing that he would be held accountable for his actions, he quickly knelt down and begged for forgiveness.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
Luo Chen slowly walked towards him, the sound of his footsteps echoing in Cott and his companion's hearts like the call of Reaper. Cott, in particular, was even more panicked, his face covered in cold sweat, and he quickly kowtowed to apologize.
"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry, please forgive me, I'll never offend you again..."
Cott hoped that his kowtowing and apology would earn Luo Chen's forgiveness and understanding. He kept kowtowing, making loud thuds on the floor. This made everyone present realize how terrifying the young man's identity and strength were, and even the soldiers sent by Limon did not dare to offend his authority.
clatter...
"Hehehe, get up, come on. I know you didn't know who I was, so I'll let it go. After all, ignorance is no excuse..."
Luo Chen walked up to Cott and gently helped him up, smiling as he spoke. But before they could even notice, a red light One Flash in his hand and then shot into Cott's body. Kurt was completely unaware of this and genuinely believed that Luo Chen would so generously let them go, exclaiming excitedly.
"Thank you so much! You've been so forgiving of someone as insignificant as me who offended you. You're such a kind person..."
"Ha, a good person? I hope you'll still think that way after you know the truth."
Luo Chen never expected that he would be friend-zoned after transmigrating to another world. He shook his head and sneered, but he didn't change his mind. He would not easily let go of any enemy who had bad intentions towards him. The Blood Breath he had just implanted in Cott would erupt in his body in a few days, and he would die painfully from various complications.
At this moment, Cott was unaware of Luo Chen's evil intentions towards him. He changed his previous behavior and respectfully welcomed Luo Chen to the judges' table to sit with the two judges.
"Ahem, we were unaware of Lord Luo Chen's illustrious reputation and unintentionally offended him. Now, Lord Luo Chen is very magnanimous and forgiving, and has forgiven us. To express our respect, we would like to request that Lord Luo Chen serve as a judge for our preliminary food review competition. The competition will now continue. Please give it your all and let Lord Luo Chen taste the cuisine that Macaron is so proud of. What do you say?"
Seeing that Luo Chen no longer cared about their previous mistakes and sat down on the judges' panel, Fiss coughed a few times to draw everyone's attention to explain and encourage them.
"Good!!"
Although most of them did not know Luo Chen's identity, they could roughly tell from their words that he was of very high status. The thought that such an important figure would participate in the preliminary round not only excited the audience but also greatly encouraged the chefs, who cheered loudly.
The intense competition continued, with all the chefs giving it their all and refusing to give an inch.
Now, as the chef's wok and spatula dance across the table, the food releases an enticing aroma that tantalizes the senses and makes one's mouth water.
Suck...
"Wow, the aroma is wonderful! It seems my trip wasn't in vain. I really want to try these tempting dishes right away, but it would be even better if I could recruit some partners among those chefs!!"
Luo Chen twitched his nose slightly, sniffing the enticing aroma in the air, and stared at the chefs in front of him with shining eyes, thinking to himself.
As the competition intensified, some chefs began to stop what they were doing and move on to the final plating stage.
"Oh, it seems Chef Number One has finished his dish and is ready to serve it. The others are also nearing completion. Who will be the ultimate champion? Let's wait and see!!"
Not long after, the host, holding the microphone, saw that contestant number one had finished their work first, and announced it loudly. This aroused the tension among the others, who began to speed up. Soon, someone finished on their own, and the others followed suit, submitting their work to the judges.
Ding ding ding...
"Time's up. Contestants, please put down your cooking utensils and place your dishes aside so that the waiters can take them to the judges' table."
Finally, the clock struck midnight, and the host announced it loudly once again.
As the final bell rang, all the chefs had their masterpieces presented by the waiters, then looked expectantly at the judges, eager to hear who would win the final championship.
Shhhhhhhh...
Just as the three judges, including Luo Chen, were about to unveil the plates and taste them, the sound of a galloping carriage approaching rang out, drawing everyone's attention.
clatter...
At this moment, a thick, strong foot emerged from the carriage and stepped onto the ground. Then, the person walked out. It was a man in his thirties, about 2.5 meters tall, with well-developed muscles. He walked over, accompanied by his attendants.
"Huh?! Who's that guy? He's got such a big shot, even I've never shown off like that!!"
The moment Luo Chen saw the man, the thought of him being a show-off popped into his head, and he asked the person next to him with displeasure.
"Huh?! You don't recognize that sir?"
The judge sitting next to Luo Chen, who was being questioned by him, was somewhat surprised by his question and said...
"Hmm, isn't it normal that I don't know him? Is he really that famous?"
Seeing the man's attitude towards him, Luo Chen guessed that the man's status was probably no lower than his own. At least the two soldiers who had treated him with utmost respect were now treating the man with the same deference they had shown him after learning his identity.
"He is the guardian deity of our Macaron... the representative sent here by Big Mom, the queen of the New World, and also the Hippo Limon, the pirate Supernovas who became famous three years ago with a bounty of 330 million Beli."
The judge introduced Limon with utmost respect and seriousness, saying...
"Mr. Limon, you've arrived... We didn't know you'd be here beforehand, so the venue is very basic. Please forgive us..."
Cott and Fiss walked up to him respectfully, bowed, and said...
"Well, it's alright. You just mentioned that the pirate Supernovas Luo Chen is here, so I came uninvited. I hope I haven't disturbed your match..."
By the way, is he still here?
Limon waved to them to indicate that it was nothing, and then asked about Luo Chen's whereabouts.
"Yes, Lord Luo Chen is currently seated on the judging panel. Would you like to go and take a look? Of course, it would be our honor if you could also participate in this judging competition like Lord Luo Chen..."
The two men answered him respectfully.
"Okay, let me have one too. I'm a little hungry, so I'll try one of our chefs' masterpieces here!"
Hearing that Luo Chen was still there, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then, upon hearing the news of delicious food, his stomach rumbled. He rubbed his stomach and decided to put aside the matter of finding him and fill his stomach first. So, he agreed to their request and sat down on the judges' table with Luo Chen and the others.
"Oh, you must be Mr. Luo Chen, the famous pirate who's been making waves on the high seas lately. It's an honor to meet you. Do you have anything else important to discuss after you've finished eating? I have something I'd like to talk to you about."
Limon took his seat on the judges' panel, pretending it was their first meeting, and extended an invitation to Luo Chen.
"Well, I don't have anything planned for later. I'd also like to have a chat with Mr. Limon. I have great respect for someone like you who has been to the New World!"
Luo Chen did not refuse Limon's invitation, since he had nothing else to do afterward. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he accepted the invitation.
"That's wonderful! Please stay the night so I can show you my hospitality and we can have a good chat."
Unconsciously, Limon was trying to bring the two closer, acting very enthusiastically, which made Luo Chen feel a little uncomfortable, but he couldn't refuse his kindness, even though he didn't know what Limon's intentions were.
"Alright, host, let's begin..."
"Yes... the judging will now begin. Please take turns opening your plates and trying the food, then give your scores to determine who will be the final champion!"
Seeing Limon call out to him to begin, the host didn't dare to delay any longer and picked up the microphone to speak loudly.
The first plate opened contained a cooked fish dish.
"Hmm, it's contestant number one's signature dish: pickled fish..."
The host introduced the author to the audience, and then a judge picked up a spoon, scooped a spoonful into the mixture, and gently put it into his mouth.
"Um,
The tender enoki mushrooms complement the delicious fish.
Soup-boiled vermicelli
With a sauce made with a "secret recipe".
A wonderful "hormonal effect" is produced at high temperatures.
Green vegetables, tofu skin, bean sprouts, pickled vegetables
Four into one
The spiciness of the soup base and the freshness of the fish combine
The flavor has been adjusted to its highest level. It's absolutely delicious!
The first judges to taste the dish were captivated by the masterpiece meticulously prepared by Chef No. 1.
The others, like him, took a small bite and were all captivated by the flavor, ultimately giving it a perfect score of nine out of ten.
Next, we arrived at the second dish prepared by number two.
That was a main dish rice order: chicken cutlet with scrambled eggs and rice.
Nutritional combination of red, yellow and green
Stir-frying in a pan releases an enticing aroma.
Then add the pre-mixed scrambled eggs.
Completely blended with the ingredients
The chef in charge skillfully controlled the heat.
Scrambled eggs cooked in the oven cover the rice
Visibly smooth
Finally, it was topped with the signature black pepper sauce.
"As expected of a chef renowned for his bibimbap, this meal was absolutely delicious; I was completely won over."
Another judge scooped up a spoonful and ate it, praising him highly.
Then they came to the food prepared by number three, which was an egg roll.
Mmm!! The scallions, radish, and eggs blend perfectly.
Between the fingers, warmed by the simmering fire,
layer by layer
The egg mixture flows seamlessly into the batter.
Served with Korean salad dressing,
The thick egg rolls are incredibly delicious.
Number Three's cooking skills are also undeniable...
And so, everyone sampled the various dishes from number one to number ten. When it came to the final score calculation, everyone's attention was focused on that, as if they wanted to confirm who could emerge victorious from the ranks of the experts and claim the final championship.
"Alright, after the intense scoring on site, I'm sure everyone is very curious about the final champion. Without further ado, let's turn our attention to the big screen and see who takes home the title."
The host, microphone in hand, turned to face the giant screen suspended high on the platform, with Luo Chen and the others facing away, and began to urge them on.
Ding-dong...
"The overall champion of the preliminary round of the 7th Macaron Chef Championship is... contestant number six, Monbuma. Let's give him a warm round of applause to express our sincere congratulations and gratitude for bringing us such wonderful food. We also sincerely wish contestant Monbuma continued success in the upcoming competition and that he will advance to the final championship. Well, that concludes today's preliminary round of the Chef Championship. Thank you all for your participation. Please leave the venue in an orderly manner."
After announcing who the champion was, two judges walked over to him and awarded him a medal. Then the host announced the end of the competition. Everyone else left the venue one after another, leaving Limon and Luo Chen behind to discuss important matters.
Splash...
Meanwhile, at the port of Macaron, a pirate ship slowly sailed into the port and gradually approached and stopped at the shore, following the instructions of the commander on the shore.
Thump thump thump...
"Lord Phil, Lord Phil, are you resting inside? Our ship has arrived at Macaron, and I came here specifically to inform you as you instructed..."
Although the pirate spoke those words, his legs were trembling. His navigator had confidently assured him they would reach the destination in a day, but a sea storm had delayed their journey. Remembering Phil's ruthless methods, he was terrified that Phil might kill him in a fit of rage. Because he had guessed wrong in a game of rock-paper-scissors, the others unanimously pushed him forward, forcing him to report the news to Phil.
Click...
Just then, the door opened, and Phil, dressed formally, stood across the crack in the door, staring at him with piercing eyes. Just as the pirate was about to collapse to the ground in despair, Phil finally spoke softly.
"Finally... we've arrived? I remember you were supposed to get here in a day and a half, but you've wasted a whole day. Tell me, how am I supposed to punish you useless cowards who waste time?"
"Ah... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, we know we were wrong, please forgive us again. We never expected to encounter a sea storm, so..."
Upon hearing Phil's words, the pirate immediately knelt down, kowtowed repeatedly, begged for mercy, and explained.
"So it's my fault after all? I shouldn't have insisted that you hurry, is that what you think?"
Phil frowned and said indifferently, seemingly displeased by the explanation he had given for them.
Thump thump thump...
"No, you're not wrong. It's our fault. We didn't anticipate the storm and that's why we're in such a mess. We've also wasted your precious time, Mr. Phil. Please forgive us... please forgive us this time!!"
The pirate sensed the dissatisfaction in Phil's tone and, instead of arguing, kept apologizing. This made Phil lose any thought of punishing them, and he walked straight past Phil toward the shore.
"Fine, I'll let you off this time. You can go now. You've completed the task I assigned you, so remember not to let me see you commit any more evil deeds, or those people will become your role models..."
After saying that, he disappeared into the crowd.