The sudden change of title sponsor was something no one had experienced before.
Little Mei was so anxious that sweat was about to drip down her face.
She was also part of the rich second generation group, in the same circle as Lin Rui.
However, her interest was in being a producer.
This time, she had pulled some strings to get the show on Cake TV Station.
She knew Lin Rui's personality well.
Back when Lin Rui's engagement to Su Zheng caused a huge stir, she was able to cut it off decisively, showing her strong will.
Moreover, the Lin Family held a significant position in society.
Offending her over this matter would truly be more trouble than it's worth.
The show was originally in Lin Rui's hands and could have been successful.
She just wanted some buzz, and she had already reported the sponsorship issue to the old station director.
Many people at the station knew about it at the time.
Now the deputy director had boldly replaced the title sponsor directly.
It really made her anxious.
The person who tipped off Little Mei asked, "So what do we do now?"
The opening music could already be heard from the other side, indicating that it had likely started. Little Mei's forehead was covered in sweat.
The best solution would be to negotiate with the deputy director.
As soon as she said this, someone nearby immediately rejected the idea: "The deputy director is arrogant and proud. Saying this would be like slapping him in the face."
The old station director was about to retire.
The deputy director had taken over many of the station's affairs.
Those with keen eyes didn't dare to offend him.
Because he would be the future station director, and offending him would lead to no good outcomes.
If it were in the past, Little Mei wouldn't want to offend him either, but now she couldn't afford to worry about that. After some thought, she said, "Then I'll go to the old station director."
Skipping levels to report was a major taboo in any workplace.
But at this point, there was no time to worry about such things.
If the old station director didn't take charge of the situation, there would really be big trouble.
Others might not know, but she was clear about it.
The legal team of Lin Group was top-tier in the industry.
She had previously signed a contract and even stamped it with the company seal.
Now that things had turned out this way, forget about making money, they might even have to pay compensation.
Little Mei immediately went to make contact.
Meanwhile, Shen Wei's show was starting.
Soon, the TV station began the live broadcast.
Indeed, the camera positions were much more professional than at Starry Sky Kindergarten.
Along with various lighting setups.
The host was reading the opening lines.
Fans gradually entered the live streaming room.
They had been following the culinary competition for some time.
They were very familiar with this show.
Liu Chef sat upright on stage, looking very serious.
But many fans in the live stream could see that he was nervous, with sweat forming on his forehead.
"He's practically acting out my life. I get just as nervous every time I face a big occasion."
When the camera turned to Shen Wei, everyone was struck by her beauty.
"So beautiful!"
"Damn that scoundrel Gu Qingyan, draw your sword! Shen Wei is mine alone."
"Great, another one's gone crazy."
Everyone was laughing and joking. The host from Cake TV Station was rapidly reciting the advertisements for the title sponsors.
His broadcasting had been professionally trained, so no matter how fast he spoke, you could clearly hear what he was saying.
But there were so many of these sponsors.
With his rapid speech, it took a full three minutes.
The online viewers in the live stream couldn't help but give likes in support: "Wow, that's one long tongue twister!"
"What an impressive tongue."
"If I had such an impressive tongue, I wouldn't be left speechless when my colleagues confront me."
Then, a large logo rose up on the entire venue, displaying a brand of soybean oil.
Shen Wei frowned. She looked around but didn't see the Gu Corporation logo.
They were supposed to be the title sponsor here.
Could the TV station have made such a significant blunder?
Just as she was thinking this, they began introducing the experts.
All the judges were friends of Liu Chef from before.
Now serving as TV judges, they were all dressed very formally like Liu Chef.
When their names were called, each chef would stand up and wave normally.
The audience began to cheer and scream wildly.
This made the chefs a bit nervous.
Then it was announced that the first dish would be braised abalone with sauce.
The contestants knew about this beforehand. The TV station had notified them.
The TV station had consulted with culinary masters in the industry to do their homework.
This time, they weren't using fresh abalone.
Instead, they were using dried abalone, with ten pieces per head.
The process of rehydrating them had taken more than five days.
The rehydrated abalone were larger than a man's fist.
They had turned slightly white from soaking, and when squeezed, had just the right softness – these were excellent quality abalone.
To eat this level of abalone in a restaurant, you couldn't order it for less than a few thousand yuan.
The time limit was set at an hour and a half.
The timer started.
Everyone began to process their ingredients.
Soon, Jiang Xun was seen picking up the abalone and starting to prepare it.
He thoroughly cleaned off the gills and teeth of the abalone. Then he began to slice it.
The most important part of braised abalone with sauce was the sauce itself.
The other contestants were even more nervous in front of the cameras than last time.
The show only provided one abalone per person, so if they ruined it, there was no chance for a do-over.
Cameras frantically moved through the crowd.
Everyone had their own secret recipe, and since the abalone had been announced beforehand, some contestants had secretly practiced for a while.
But faced with the actual challenge, they were still a bit nervous. In comparison, Jiang Xun seemed much more composed.
This was a dish that required skill. Previously, there was an old master chef who was particularly good at making abalone. He was invited to Ao City to specialize in abalone dishes, and it was said that his technique had been listed as intangible cultural heritage.
Many people visited just to taste that tender, umami flavor.
If abalone isn't prepared well, it has no taste, and everything is ruined.
So, with such large abalone, both the cooking time and flavor were crucial.
An average chef who hadn't made it before wouldn't dare to try.
As expected of a TV station program, they were playing for high stakes from the very first round.
The others whispered and watched the contestants below.
These chefs were a bit nervous when they first arrived at the TV station.
But seeing everyone start to work in an orderly manner, they relaxed.
Liu Chef had been watching Jiang Xun the whole time. Among all the people present, he admired this young talent.
He seemed very calm and collected while preparing the dish.
He was truly a young man with solid foundational skills. Whether it was frying, braising, or making the sauce, every movement was pleasing to the eye, as if everything was under his complete control.
His composure made the others seem flustered in comparison.
Time passed minute by minute.
Soon, the abalone dishes were ready.
When the final bell rang, everyone brought their finished dishes to be presented.
The most joyous moment for these judges had finally arrived.
One by one, they could go up and taste the dishes.
Shen Wei, as a special guest, was also allowed to participate in the tasting.
They sampled each abalone dish, with every piece cut into small chunks.
As they savored each bite, every dish had its own unique flavor.
Although Shen Wei couldn't cook herself, she had tasted and seen many dishes in her daily life. Some dishes tasted bland, others were slightly undercooked, and some lacked proper seasoning.
However, when she tasted Jiang Xun's dish, her heart skipped a beat.
It was on a completely different level compared to the others.
After the scoring, Jiang Xun's dish received the highest marks.
