"This soup is quite good, too," Liang Cong praised after taking a sip.
"The ingredients are incredibly simple, yet the preparation is pure genius. To think that pairing Green Tung Egg with eggs could be so delicious. It’s light and mild, but has a unique flavor of its own." Liang Cong took another sip, a warm and fuzzy feeling spreading through his entire body.
Cooking truly relied on talent. Some people possessed just a tiny bit of natural aptitude, but coupled with dozens of times the effort, they still had a chance to become culinary masters. But Gan Lan was different. She wasn’t just highly talented; she was also incredibly hardworking. How long had it even been since she arrived on Banan Star? Yet, she was already able to create new recipes using unfamiliar ingredients. Combined with her brilliant creativity, it was simply astonishing.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this person was destined to become a leading figure in the future.
"Is this the Ice Ice Vegetable? And it’s raw?" Liang Cong picked up some of the Ice Ice Vegetable salad with his chopsticks and tentatively placed it in his mouth.
He chewed. The sound was like the crisp CRUNCH of eating ice cubes, exceptionally delightful to the ears. The faint saltiness of the Ice Ice Vegetable mixed perfectly with the sesame paste—another stroke of genius.
Liang Cong looked at Gan Lan with a changed gaze. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the heights this student would reach in the future.
Gan Lan was fully engrossed in her meal. She glanced up and caught Mr. Liang looking at her with a complex, joyful gaze, which left her a bit bewildered. She wondered what exactly had happened.
"Mr. Liang... is something wrong?" Gan Lan carefully set down her chopsticks, asking in a slightly uncertain tone.
"Have you named these dishes?" Liang Cong quickly hid his almost-exposed expression of admiration and changed the subject.
Was it really acceptable for a teacher to somewhat idolize his own student? Well, admitting that a student was more outstanding than their teacher wasn’t actually that difficult. Some people were simply born with more talent than others. It wasn’t something to be jealous of; one could only admire and look forward to it—look forward to her ushering in a new era of gastronomy.
The Culinary World had been complacent for too long. It was about time to drop a bombshell on them.
"This is Sweet and Sour Fish, this is Steamed Spareribs, this is Green Tung Egg Drop Soup, and this is Ice Ice Vegetable Salad," Gan Lan introduced them one by one.
Liang Cong nodded and chuckled. "These names are all so straightforward and easy to understand. Not bad at all."
Early the next morning, Liang Cong took Gan Lan out to explore Banan Star for the day. As a floral kingdom, Banan Star truly gave off a comfortable and relaxing vibe.
Over the following two days, Liang Cong took Gan Lan to observe the competitions in other districts.
The arena was filled with the aroma of food—strange, unfamiliar scents. With culinary students gathered from prestigious schools across major planets, the cooking techniques on display were absolutely dazzling. The variety of edible ingredients was so rich and diverse; there was still so much she didn’t know. This made the usually confident girl feel a bit nervous.
"Hey! Are you the one who made the Phoenix Cake?"
Gan Lan had been completely immersed in watching the competition, only to be suddenly interrupted by a loud voice beside her. Mr. Liang had told her to watch the matches by herself first while he went to handle some matters, promising to return shortly.
Gan Lan looked up at the person addressing her. He was a stranger—tall, with an unruly gaze, currently staring down at her with undisguised disgust.
Seeing Gan Lan looking slightly dazed and not answering, he grew displeased. This time, he stepped right into her line of sight, blocking her view of the competition. "Hey! Didn’t you hear me talking to you? How rude!"
"...Oh? You were actually talking to me? I don’t recall my name being ’Hey!’ Also, you’re blocking my view," Gan Lan said expressionlessly.
"I figured whoever made the Phoenix Cake would at least be a tall beauty. The reality is far too disappointing. Especially since your legs look short even when you’re just sitting there."
Gan Lan flared up. She stepped straight up onto her chair and glared down at him, firing back. "Where are your manners? The moment you approach me, you either call me ’Hey’ or insult my short legs? Did I cuckold you or something to offend you?"
The unruly guy was speechless. Didn’t the dossier say she was gentle, magnanimous, and good-tempered? Was that all just a facade?
He then let out a cold sneer. "Do you think standing on a chair will hide the fact that you have short legs? Someone from a poverty star dares to speak to me like that? Who gave you the nerve?"
Gan Lan sneered right back. "So what if I have short legs? So what if I’m from a poverty star? Personal attacks are the only skills you’ve got!" She knew without a doubt that this guy was a competitor; coming at her with personal insults right out of the gate was infuriating!
Even if she couldn’t beat him in a physical fight, couldn’t she at least blast him verbally? Even a saint had their limits!
Meanwhile, seeing a good show unfolding in the stands, the audience stopped watching the competition. They gathered around to spectate, whispering among themselves in a lively buzz.
"Isn’t that Master Miao’s top disciple? Why is he arguing with a woman?"
"I heard this disciple of Master Miao has a very arrogant temper and comes from quite a good background. It’s just that he’s a bit..."
"Isn’t that Ge Feng? He’s the current talk of the town on our Banan Star. Word is he’s created a new recipe, and a three-star recipe at that! He’s incredibly skilled, so it’s understandable that he’s a bit proud."
"Still, isn’t it kind of beneath him to be quarreling with a girl in broad daylight like this?"
Gan Lan had sharp ears. Hearing the term "three-star recipe," she felt a bit puzzled. She wondered if they actually classified recipes by tiers here. Her teachers hadn’t mentioned anything about it; she would have to ask them when she got back.
The crowd of onlookers proved very useful, providing Gan Lan with quite a bit of information. She now knew exactly who this arrogant, condescending man was. She had also heard the academy dean briefly mention his master before.
Master Miao, Miao Xingyan, was the number one culinary master on Banan Star. His reputation was sky-high, and every single disciple he accepted was a genius among geniuses! Any recipe he produced was nothing short of a masterpiece, and his disciples had established themselves across the major planets. One could truly say he had an army of students all over the world.
This Ge Feng was his newest and youngest disciple. Rumor had it that Master Miao doted on him immensely.
But so what if he had Master Miao backing him? She had the backing of the entire Huaxia populace! Her courage was given to her by the people of Huaxia!
Ge Feng possessed no such awareness that one shouldn’t bully women, nor did he care about making a scene in public.
Just a few days ago, he had been feeling smug over the three-star recipe he’d created. His teacher had even praised him for having a very promising future, leaving him utterly conceited. He felt certain he would easily take first place in this competition. But then, just today, his teacher had come over and given him a long, earnest talk, warning that Banan Star’s guaranteed first-place spot was looking a bit precarious this time, and urging him to give it his absolute all.
Mingzong had produced a dark horse. His teacher then sent him a stack of dossiers, telling him to thoroughly study his opponent and not get careless.
After reviewing those files, he felt that she was nothing special. It was all just commoner’s food. How could it possibly compare to his premium ingredients and high-end cuisine? Only the Wolf Cake and the Phoenix Cake caught his attention slightly.
Following that, he went and boasted to his teacher, claiming that the competition wasn’t about making cakes anyway. This person wasn’t worth learning about, and he promised he would maintain Banan Star’s tradition of securing first place year after year. He had wanted to keep rambling on, but ended up getting chewed out by his teacher instead, who scolded him for having such an inflated ego!
Furious, he had someone track Gan Lan’s movements, intending to come over and take her down a peg!
Wasn’t she a dark horse? He would make her lose her composure in public first. She was just a girl; her psychological endurance was surely weak! In the scenario he’d imagined, shouldn’t she be sobbing her eyes out after being personally attacked? Who was this person standing on a chair and sharply firing back at him?
But now that the stage was set, he couldn’t just back down halfway. When it came to a war of words, did he really have any reason to fear her?