As the words faded, Ye Shu, who was off-stage, couldn't help but scoff. "This is a team member's problem, that is also a team member's problem. So all the good things were done by him, and all the bad things were done by others, huh."
"What kind of attitude is that? He is miles behind our Xiaxia."
"Exactly," Wen Jiajun hastily chimed in. "Just looking at his face, you can tell he's not a good guy."
After that, looking back at the stage, following the judges' scoring, they ultimately received a score of eighty.
Next up was Yao Yi'an, the Best Actor Yao who had successfully challenged the regulars.
Just like his debut match yesterday, he continued with the approach of using local ingredients with Western cooking techniques.
The appetizer was beef tartare made with local yellow beef.
Since the portion was small, Xu Yanxia and her teammates didn't get to taste it. They could only observe the dish's appearance through the close-up shots on the big screen, along with the expressions of the judges as they ate it.
But then they heard Sister Gao whisper to her teammates, "Why does this meat look raw to me?"
"It is raw," Xu Yanxia told her. "This is a preparation method in French cuisine, where raw beef is minced and mixed directly."
What...
If they weren't still filming, Sister Gao would have almost shouted out loud. After a moment of shock, she whispered to Xu Yanxia again, "Can raw meat be eaten directly? Won't there be bugs in it???"
Xu Yanxia, "...Logically speaking, as long as they use beef specifically graded for raw consumption, it shouldn't be a big problem."
Just as she finished speaking, Best Actor Yao personally began to introduce the dish to the judges, "Our top-tier beef must be eaten raw to preserve its original flavor. This is also currently the healthiest and most high-class way of eating in the world."
"..."
Sister Gao silently exchanged glances with her teammates—
Sure enough, it was better to be an ordinary person. Forgive them, but they really couldn't enjoy this kind of "high-class" blessing...
Immediately after, the judges who were fortunate enough to taste this "high-class blessing" began their critique.
"Mr. Yao, please forgive my bluntness, but why do I feel that the tartare you made today is a bit too bland?"
Teacher Qiao was the first to speak. "I remember eating the local version in France before. Besides onions, capers, and egg yolks, they also add some mustard or something similar. In yours, I only taste lemon juice and black pepper, and it's not salty enough either."
Saying this, Teacher Qiao specifically looked at Feng Yiheng next to him and asked, "What does Dr. Feng think? You grew up in Europe, so you should have more of a say in this."
"You are correct,"
Feng Yiheng spoke up. "To make this kind of beef tartare, apart from lemon juice, black pepper, and egg yolk, there must also be Dijon mustard... Um, in China it should be called..."
Because he was still unfamiliar with the common Chinese names, he naturally cast a pleading look towards Xu Yanxia.
Xu Yanxia picked up the microphone and helped him translate, "Dijon mustard."
"Thank you,"
Feng Yiheng nodded at her and continued, "Besides Dijon mustard, there must also be Horseradish..."
He paused for a moment and glanced at Xu Yanxia again.
Instantly understanding, Xu Yanxia immediately translated, "In China, it's called fresh horseradish."
"???"
Off-stage, Lu Jingming couldn't help but frown. He asked Ye Shu and Xiaozhen in a low voice, "Is he like this every time?"
"..."
Ye Shu, who seemed to catch the underlying tone of CEO Lu, quickly comforted him, "It's alright. Except for the time at the Jincheng stop where someone used additives, this is only the second time Dr. Feng has asked Xiaxia. The main reason is that, besides him, Xiaxia is the only professional on set."
...Alright then.
Lu Jingming nodded and said nothing more.
After all, his little foolish darling had mentioned this to him last time, saying that this person didn't quite know the domestic terms for some professional vocabulary.
Returning attention to the stage, Feng Yiheng continued, "The reason for adding so many spices is to use their different flavors to support the aroma of the beef. It is undeniable that our local beef is of very high quality, but your method makes the flavor too thin, preventing people from enjoying the deliciousness."
"Aside from that, the other dishes basically have the same issue. The pomegranate juice confit salmon lacks sufficient saltiness; there is only the sweetness of the pomegranate juice, which completely prevents the umami of the fish from coming through. It tastes very bizarre."
"The mushroom risotto is the same. Although the quality of the mushrooms is excellent, sufficient saltiness is the foundation of flavor. Without it, there is no point in talking about deliciousness."
As he finished speaking, the other judges also nodded in agreement.
Teacher Qiao even specifically asked Best Actor Yao, "I wonder why it seems like Mr. Yao is a bit reluctant to add salt to the dishes he made today?"
"...That might be because I usually eat very blandly to stay healthy,"
Best Actor Yao could only smile and say. "In the future, I will try my best to consider everyone's preferences and make the flavors a bit stronger."
...
They thought it would end there, but who knew that as soon as the words left his mouth, Feng Yiheng at the judges' panel picked up the microphone again and said, "This concept is incorrect. Bland does not equal healthy, and salt does not equal poison. While too much salt is bad, too little salt is also unacceptable, because the human body needs salt to stay healthy."
"Moreover, your dishes just now didn't just lack salt; they lacked the balance of many flavors. You cannot simply use the excuse of health to cover up the problem."
"Uh..."
This made Best Actor Yao try his best to maintain his composure as he nodded and said, "Okay, thank you for your critique, teacher."
...
Seeing this, Wen Jiajun, who was off-stage, leaned close to Lu Jingming and whispered, "I gotta say, someone from a major foreign financial group really is different. He doesn't need to give face to anyone; he's got full confidence!"
Lu Jingming gave a hum of agreement.
Indeed, this Feng Yiheng was unlike many of the second-generation rich kids in China.
Perhaps due to the awkwardness of his own identity, and being in such a European financial group, it could be seen that the other party did things very rigorously and seriously. His way of dealing with people and situations was quite cultivated and wise.
...However, he always felt that Feng Yiheng's attitude towards his little foolish darling was somewhat different.
But then again, it wasn't like that playboy from the Chu family from before, or that borderline guy from yesterday...
Just as he was silently thinking, he saw that the judges on stage had already given the actor their scores.
Among the four professional judges, two gave four points, one gave three points, and another gave two points.
—Needless to say, the lowest score obviously came from Feng Yiheng.
Added to the sixty-four points from the public judges, that actor received a total of seventy-seven points.
With the host delivering the closing remarks, the competition at the Xijing stop was finally completed.
His capable and beautiful little foolish darling said goodbye to her teammates and walked towards them.
"Thanks for waiting for me, everyone!!!"
Xu Yanxia said with a smile. "What delicious food are we going to eat later?"
"BBQ, of course!!!"
Before anyone else could speak, Wen Jiajun immediately chimed in, "Let's go to the place you guys ate at the night before last! I've already booked a table!!!"
He then made sure to add, "As agreed, Mr. Lu is treating."
"No problem!"
Xu Yanxia smiled and said, "I didn't get to eat enough of it anyway, so let's go have another great meal!"
As she spoke, she finished taking off her microphone and headset, handed them back to the staff, and then linked her arm through Lu Jingming's, ready to head out with the rest of the group.
But just then, they saw Feng Yiheng walking toward them.
Wen Jiajun took the initiative to greet him first. "Dr. Feng, your presentation just now was absolutely brilliant."
"You're too kind."
Feng Yiheng smiled modestly, then looked at Lu Jingming and said, "I'm very glad our two companies are able to collaborate this time. I hope everything goes smoothly moving forward."
"Yes, thank you very much for reaching out to us."
Out of politeness, Lu Jingming extended his hand for a handshake and offered a courteous invitation, "We're actually just about to go get something to eat. Would you like to join us?"
"Thank you for the invitation, but I have to catch a flight to the US shortly to handle some business."
Feng Yiheng smiled politely and added, "However, I'll be arriving in Gangcheng late next week. If it's convenient, we could arrange to meet up in Rong City over the weekend."
"Next weekend?"
Wen Jiajun glanced at Lu Jingming. "I'm not sure if our CEO will be free."
This gave Feng Yiheng pause. He asked, "Does Mr. Lu have another important arrangement?"
"There is indeed a very important arrangement."
Lu Jingming smiled, glanced warmly at Xu Yanxia, and said, "We are getting engaged next weekend."
