Three days later, the central square of the shelter was packed with people.

The news of the "Master Chef Competition" swept through the entire Wanghu Town like a whirlwind.

For these people who have just escaped poverty and whose spiritual lives are extremely impoverished, this is undoubtedly a grand festival.

In the center of the square, a huge platform was erected. Ten sets of brand-new, top-of-the-line kitchen utensils, provided by the logistics department, gleamed in the sunlight.

Below the platform was the judges' panel, which consisted of Tang Bao, Wang Jianguo, and several other highly respected individuals from the shelter.

When Lin Feng, escorted by Qin Lan and a team of guards, appeared on the top-floor viewing platform specially built for him with the best view, the entire square erupted in thunderous cheers.

Long live the leader!

"To pledge allegiance to the leader!"

The roaring sound, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, shook the very earth.

Lin Feng simply raised his hand calmly and gently pressed it down, instantly silencing the boiling square. Everyone looked up at their god with the most fervent and worshipful gaze.

Lin Feng nodded in satisfaction, indicating that Tang Bao could begin.

The competition officially began. The twenty chefs who had emerged victorious from the preliminary rounds were eager and ready to compete.

"The theme of the first round is 'fish'!"

Tang Bao announced loudly: "The ingredients will be provided by the Logistics Department, including rainbow bream and jadefin fish, specialties of Lake Hope. Each contestant must complete an original fish dish within one hour! This round will eliminate ten contestants!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the twenty contestants immediately got to work. This was not just a competition of culinary skills, but also the ultimate test of their creativity.

After all, this is an alien planet, not Earth. Many of Earth's cooking theories and seasonings no longer exist. They must use the existing, unique ingredients to create entirely new delicacies.

In an instant, the high platform was filled with the glint of swords and the aroma of incense.

Some chefs choose to mince the fish meat of rainbow bream into a fine paste, mix it with a purple herb seed with a special aroma, shape it into balls, and simmer it in clear lake water to make a pot of incredibly delicious fish ball soup.

Some chefs boldly slice the jadefin fish into paper-thin sashimi, serving it with a sauce made from the juice of amethyst fruit and the root of an acidic plant, creating an exquisite and mouthwatering dish.

A clever female chef named Liu Qingyi mixed the jadefin fish meat with crushed young leaves of the Japanese sandalwood tree, wrapped it in a huge lotus leaf, and buried it in scalding hot sand to roast. The moment the lotus leaf was opened, a unique aroma that blended the freshness of the fish, the fragrance of the lotus leaf, and the sandalwood scent of the Japanese sandalwood filled the entire square, astonishing everyone present.

Unsurprisingly, Liu Qingyi won first place with her "Lotus Fragrance Jade Fin Fish" and advanced to the next round along with nine other chefs.

"The second round's theme is 'Soup'!" Tang Bao continued, "The ingredients are leg meat from the 'Armored Rock Lizard' and ten random alien mushrooms. This lizard meat is tough and extremely difficult to handle, testing your control over the heat and your ability to 'tame' the ingredients! Four will be eliminated this round!"

This round is significantly more difficult. The meat of the armored rock lizard is so tough that it's difficult to leave a mark even with ordinary knives and axes, let alone make it into a soup.

The chefs who advanced to the next round each displayed their unique skills; some repeatedly pounded the meat with a heavy hammer, while others soaked it in acidic fruit juice for an extended period to soften it.

Liu Qingyi, however, chose the most time-consuming and laborious method. She used a small knife to carefully remove the meat from its grain, then simmered it over low heat for a full hour and a half.

In the end, her "Hundred Mushroom Lizard Soup" had a clear broth, the shredded meat melted in her mouth, and the umami of the mushrooms and the rich flavor of the lizard meat were perfectly blended, once again outshining all the others and easily advancing to the next round.

"The third round, a knife skills duel!" The atmosphere in the square grew even more heated.

Tang Bao pointed to a batch of newly delivered ingredients: "This is a 'Seven-Colored Glass Melon,' with a hard outer shell and layers of flesh inside, each a different color. Contestants are required to carve it into shape within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, combining aesthetics and creativity! Two contestants will be eliminated this round!"

This was the ultimate test of a chef's basic skills. The remaining six chefs held their breath, their carving knives flying.

Liu Qingyi was focused, her hand as steady as a rock, and as the blade passed, the melon rind fell off like snowflakes.

In the end, she carved a glass melon into a lifelike model of the "Wanghu Town Shelter," with even the high platform in the central square clearly visible. Her ingenuity and exquisite carving skills drew repeated praise from the judges, and she once again received the highest score.

"The fourth round's theme is 'mutual generation and mutual restraint'!"

Only four top chefs remained on the field. Tang Bao's voice became more impassioned: "The main ingredient is the tenderloin of the 'Black-bristled Giant Pig,' which is succulent but has an extremely strong odor. The accompanying ingredient is 'Andrographis paniculata,' which has a fragrant aroma but an extremely bitter taste! How to use the most bitter ingredient to highlight the most odorous meat is the key to this round! One person will be eliminated in this round, and the two finalists will be determined!"

This was almost an impossible task. One chef tried to mask the bitterness with hot frying, but ended up with a burnt mess. Another tried to neutralize it with sweetness, but created a bizarre-tasting "dark cuisine."

After much thought, Liu Qingyi extracted juice from Andrographis paniculata, took a very small amount of the juice, mixed it with more than a dozen spices, and created a unique marinade.

She discovered that a slight bitterness could miraculously bring out the sweetness deep within the meat and neutralize the fishy smell. Her "bitter-to-sweet" grilled meat skewers had a rich and layered flavor with a long-lasting aftertaste, which earned her an undisputed place in the final round.

"The fifth round, the final battle! Theme: 'Feast'!"

Tang Bao's voice resounded through the sky: "The two finalists, Liu Qingyi and Master Wang, must use all your knowledge and skills to cook the dish that you consider the best in the world within two hours to compete for the title of 'God of Cookery'!"

Chef Wang is an experienced chef. He chose the classic and top-notch dish "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall" and used all the rare ingredients he could find in the shelter to stew a pot of fragrant delicacy.

Amidst much anticipation, Liu Qingyi once again chose her signature dish, the one she was most confident in – "Lotus-Scented Jade Fin Fish". This time, however, she modified the recipe, adding several layers of different herbs to the lotus leaves to create a more complex and layered aroma.

When the two dishes were presented to the judges, everyone held their breath.

Finally, after a difficult decision, Tang Bao stood up and announced loudly: "The ultimate winner of this year's Culinary God Competition is—Ms. Liu Qingyi!"

Her dish, "Lotus-Scented Jade Fin Fish," takes traditional techniques a step further, perfectly showcasing the charm of ingredients from Wanghu Town! She will be awarded the title of "Imperial Chef," serving exclusively to leaders!

The audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers. Liu Qingyi was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes, and she bowed deeply in gratitude.

However, just as Tang Bao was about to present her with a kitchen knife made of gold, a loud voice rang out from the crowd.

"etc!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Logistics Minister Pang Dahai, with his signature big belly, panting as he squeezed onto the platform.

Even now, despite his high position, he still dresses like a chef, with an apron tied around his waist.

He first bowed deeply in respect towards Lin Feng, and then turned to the judges' panel and the winner on the stage.

"Boss, judges."

Pang Dahai wore his signature, seemingly simple and honest smile: "This fellow chef's skills are indeed quite good, I, Old Pang, admire him. However, to become the leader's personal chef, skill alone is not enough, one must also consider whether the chef suits the leader's taste."

He patted his chest, his voice suddenly rising: "I propose that she and I have another match right here, in front of everyone!"

This statement caused an uproar. The logistics minister was actually going to personally challenge the champion who had just emerged victorious after five rounds of fierce competition?

Liu Qingyi, who had won, turned pale and looked somewhat at a loss.

Lin Feng watched this scene with great interest from the viewing platform.

He understood Pang Dahai's thoughts perfectly well. This guy was afraid someone would take his position from him.

"Interesting." Lin Feng smiled at Qin Lan beside him, then raised his voice and asked, "Pang Dahai, how do you want to compete?"

Upon hearing Lin Feng's voice, Pang Dahai trembled.

He said excitedly, "Boss! Let's have a contest on your favorite home-style dish! You can choose any ingredients and the cooking method is up to you! If I, Pang Dahai, lose, this colleague will take over as the head chef of the Imperial Kitchen! If she loses, she'll have to obey my orders in the kitchen from now on!"

Lin Feng looked at Pang Dahai's chubby face below the stage and laughed loudly, "Good! You have guts! I'll grant your request!"

"Thank you, Boss!" Pang Dahai shouted excitedly, then immediately turned around and walked towards the spare stove.

His entire demeanor changed. He was no longer the shrewd and resourceful logistics manager, but had reverted to being Lin Feng's personal chef, who had absolute confidence in his culinary skills.

Under immense pressure, Liu Qingyi had no choice but to grit her teeth and fight back.

The cooking competition will now officially begin.

She took a deep breath and, after careful consideration, chose steamed jadefin fish.

This dish best showcases the original flavor of the ingredients and requires extremely precise control of the cooking time. It is light and elegant, and is a universally recognized top-class dish that demonstrates respect for superiors.

On the other hand, Pang Dahai's choice surprised everyone.

He did not choose the precious jadefin fish, nor even the rainbow bream.

He simply scooped out a few of the most inconspicuous, coarse-fleshed "black-scaled fish" from the tank. These were the lowest-grade edible fish in the lake, usually only used as basic food for laborers.

Everyone was stunned, not understanding what Pang Dahai was going to do.

Pang Dahai skillfully deboned and skinned the black-scaled fish, leaving only the finest fillets.

Then, he cut the fish fillets into extremely thin strips and marinated them in a special, spicy red berry juice.

Next, he set up a wok and melted the fat from a black giant sheep. When the oil reached its highest temperature, he quickly slid the fish strips into the wok, stir-fried them a few times, and immediately took them out of the wok. The whole process was smooth and seamless.

Finally, he placed the stir-fried fish strips on top of a bowl of freshly steamed, plump white rice.

And just like that, a very ordinary "spicy fish shreds rice bowl" was completed.

On one side is the exquisitely presented, ethereal "Steamed Jade Fin Fish".

On the other side is a simple, even somewhat rustic "fish shred rice bowl".

The difference in skill was immediately apparent. Almost everyone believed that Pang Dahai was doomed to lose.

However, when the two dishes were served to Lin Feng, he only glanced at the exquisitely steamed jadefin fish before pushing it aside. Then, he picked up the bowl of rice, took his chopsticks, and took a deep breath.

A familiar, spicy, and domineering aroma, mixed with the fragrance of rice, instantly awakened his long-forgotten memories.

He picked up a piece of fish and rice with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

The tenderness of the fish, the spiciness of the chili, the richness of the oil, the sweetness of the rice… all the flavors exploded perfectly on his taste buds. This flavor was domineering, direct, and full of power, just like himself.

Pang Dahai, this fat man, understands him better than anyone else.

He knew that no matter how many delicacies he ate, they could never compare to the most familiar and comforting taste deep in his memory.

What he was doing wasn't food, it was loyalty, it was selflessness.

"Delicious." Lin Feng put down his chopsticks and said only two words.

But those two words had already sealed the fate of the match.

Pang Dahai was so excited that his whole body trembled. He knelt down with a thud and kowtowed heavily in Lin Feng's direction, his voice choked with emotion: "Boss! I, Pang Dahai, will always be your cook! I may give up this position as logistics manager, but no one can take your stove away!"

Lin Feng looked at him, a hint of warmth flashing in his eyes.

He stepped down from the viewing platform, personally helped Pang Dahai up, and patted him on the shoulder.

"It's good that you have this intention. The logistics department needs you, and my kitchen needs you too."

Lin Feng glanced at him and said calmly, "From now on, no one can take your position as the head of the imperial kitchen!"

"Yes! Yes! Thank you, Boss! I will do my utmost and die for you!" Pang Dahai wiped away his tears and smiled like a 300-pound child.

He knew better than anyone that his success wasn't due to management skills or social maneuvering, but rather because he had chosen the right person to follow and always remembered his fundamental duty—he was Lin Feng's cook. As long as this fundamental duty remained unchanged, his position would be unshakeable.

Liu Qingyi, who lost, was pale, but more than anything, she was convinced of her defeat.

She shook her head helplessly, walked up to Pang Dahai, and bowed deeply: "Minister Pang, I lost. I hope you will continue to guide me in the future."

She realized that she had won the competition, but lost because of her lack of understanding of the leader.

Lin Feng looked at the scene before him with a calm heart.

A small competition revealed to him loyalty, wisdom, and solidified people's hearts.

He turned around and looked again at the worshipping people in the square, and at the rich land in the distance that he had named "Kaiyuan County".

The gears of the empire are turning smoothly and powerfully.

And he will be the sole master of this enormous machine, forever.