As it is an international competition, the hotel area had already made ample preparations even before the competition started, and the security measures for the participants during their stay were also very thorough.
Entering and exiting the hotel requires not only an access pass but also facial recognition. There were four security personnel stationed at the elevator entrance on the 23rd floor where Xu Milu and her group were staying—of course, these were the ones on the surface.
"Hello, your room number is 2310. Turn right at the elevator and go straight for three rooms. Please check your competition schedule during the competition. If needed, you can contact us via the internal phone."
The security guards, dressed in black suits, opened the elevator doors for Xu Milu and her group in a friendly manner. They even helped them carry their luggage to their room and only left after confirming the identities of the guests.
"What's going on?"
Li Ning, still completely bewildered, had just taken a phone call at the hotel entrance and had gone through security three times on his way back.
"Among the contestants are a sheikh from the UAE and a prince from Canada. This kind of entourage is almost as grand as a foreign mission visiting China, isn't it?"
Xu Milu touched her nose and didn't say anything.
It's probably, possibly, maybe, likely... that this whole commotion is because of her.
Although she was unclear about the current attitude of the Chinese government towards cooperation, she also knew that as long as Shan Hai Restaurant and Honghe Technology existed, it was not so important whether "Ren Honghe" and "Xu Milu" were the same person.
"Come on, I've already looked at all the contestants' information beforehand. There are no chiefs or princes among them. But that Japanese female contestant, Sayuri, is supposedly the heir to a family of kaiseki chefs, related to the Japanese royal family, so she's practically a noblewoman—"
Cui Qingli slumped heavily onto the sofa, tilting her head back as she replied:
"The hotel at the International Exchange Center often hosts foreign investors or diplomatic missions from other countries. It's possible that the competition time coincided with some political meeting. It happens all the time. Besides, the competition will be broadcast live, so it's good to have more security to prevent any fanatical fans from sneaking in."
"fan?"
Xu Milu was a little surprised, and casually took a bunch of ping-pong grapes from the fruit plate on the table and started eating them:
"Aren't all the participants chefs? Why are there such fanatical fans?"
"Little Martial Aunt, you've been in seclusion for too long. You need to surf the internet more often, otherwise your internet surfing speed won't be able to keep up."
Let's not even talk about celebrities, actors, models, or internet celebrities. We live in the internet age; if you've ever appeared online, you have fans. Not to mention world-class competitions like "MasterChef," where fans are everywhere. Having one or two die-hard fans is perfectly normal.
Cui Qingli sat up and cheerfully opened Weibo to show her:
"Although the variety show 'Chef Showdown' is niche, it has a wide global influence and a huge fan base. The official list of all contestants has already been announced—how long has it been since you checked Weibo?"
Xu Milu took the phone and saw that, sure enough, the cooking competition show had released the list of contestants from various countries:
[#WorldChefBattle# #WorldChefBattle: Who Will Win the Crown in the Culinary World?#]
[The ocean embraces all rivers, life is ever-evolving. We are delighted to witness once again young chefs from around the world gathering together for a grand feast. Whether it's the exquisite Chinese cuisine that uses a wide variety of ingredients and makes the most of everything, the meticulously selected and refined French cuisine, the English cuisine that emphasizes the original flavors and is full of British flair, the hearty yet delicious German cuisine, or the light-flavored American cuisine that favors the use of fruit in dishes...]
Viewers will enjoy delicious food with the judges, experience culinary cultures from around the world, and witness the unique style of young chefs.
@Chinese Young Chef Guan Wenyan, @Chinese Young Chef Liu Zhou, @Bald Eagle Chefs Association Jack B. Brown, @Maple Leaf Star Chefs Association Andre Adams, @Neon Young Chef Mishima Sayuri...
Due to the competition format reform, this year's final round will feature two "challenger contestants" selected by millions of netizens to join the semi-finals. They are Bai Bao'er, Sous Chef of @Hajis International Hotel, and Xu Milu, Chef of @Shanhaishisi.
This Weibo post, published half a month ago, has already accumulated over a million reposts and comments, demonstrating the public's interest in this grand event.
[Eating, sleeping, and playing games: This trashy show finally got a release date! I thought it was going to flop again.]
[When I get angry, I just want to eat grass: The Bald Eagle Chefs Association caused trouble recently, insisting on changing the competition venue to New York City. Thankfully, our national team is powerful and indomitable! Thumbs up! Thumbs up!]
[My life as a working professional is worse than bitter melon: The competition has a home-field advantage! Just look at the fact that four chefs from China are participating; our chances of winning are much higher than others!]
[Iced Americano with Black Tea: Didn't you look closely? Those two spots were decided by online voting. There's no way they'd win. They're probably just wallflowers created by the production team to increase viewership; they have no real ability.]
[Ms. Dingdingdangdang: LOL, why don't you click into their profiles and take a look? One is a chef at Haggis International Hotel, and the other is Ren Honghe's private chef. You're telling me these two geniuses are just wallflowers??]
[Mr. Yu, who loves pickled cabbage: Holy crap! How come I keep seeing Ren Honghe here?]
[Ren Honghe Marries Me: My wife is the best!! I know this young lady surnamed Xu. Her shop used to be the only authorized distributor for the Honghe Group. Later, it seems she went to run a private resort, and the original shop was converted into a Honghe Fruit and Vegetable Specialty Store.]
[That person looks like a dog: Oh right, right, the shop used to be called "Rice Food Shop," and it got mocked because it was considered tacky, hahaha! She was seen being all lovey-dovey with President Ren on the news livestream!]
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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