Chapter 1861: The Arrogant Young Girl

There were only four dishes, all of them focused on knife skills with cooking as a secondary element; some didn't even require the stove at all.

Everyone present today was an expert, and seeing this, some breathed a sigh of relief; they were contestants with high hopes of winning the championship today.

They had originally thought another female Chef God had emerged, but it turned out her knife skills were just impressive; that was a relief, truly a relief.

The judges also had mixed opinions; of course, knife skills were important, but other things were important too. If one only had knife skills, they still couldn't get a high score.

Although the girl did not get the highest score, she advanced without any surprise.

After advancing, there was a forty-minute break before the next round of the competition.

At this moment, the girl came before the judges and asked directly, "Can I win the championship?"

The judges:...

It was the first time they had encountered such a situation, where a contestant would bluntly ask the judges before the start whether they could win the championship.

The chairman said, "This contestant, we have no way to answer this kind of question. We have to wait until the competition is over to see. We guarantee that it will be fair, just, and open..."

Before the chairman of the judges could finish speaking, the girl had already lost patience. She interrupted, "I came to win the championship. Give me a straight answer on whether I can or not. If I can't, I'm leaving; there's no need to waste time here."

The chairman:...

It was the first time he had seen such a rude person; it was too much.

So he also said unpleasantly, "No."

"Thank you."

After the girl thanked him, she came back and started packing up her knives; she really was going to leave.

Zichen stopped her: "Are you not going to continue participating? Just because you won't win the championship? Being able to participate in a competition like this is an honor in itself. I hope you can continue to compete."

"I don't want to."

After the girl finished speaking, she turned and left, not even sparing him another glance.

"Can you leave your contact information?" Zichen wasn't trying to hit on her just because she was pretty; he wanted to poach the girl for his own restaurant.

"No." The girl finished speaking and turned to leave.

Sheng Zichen, who was famous in the culinary world, was rejected like this without being given any face for the first time.

He sheepishly returned to the judges' table, where Li Dashao appeared much angrier than him.

"Brother, don't be discouraged. That little girl doesn't know what's good for her. Big brother will help you vent your anger; I won't let her come to participate in the competition ever again."

"Big brother, there's no need for that. Can you find her contact information?"

Li Dashao's expression became suggestive, and he suddenly realized: "Oh, I understand now. You've taken a fancy to that girl, haven't you? Although she is quite pretty, this little girl has a bad temper and isn't worthy of you..."

"Where is your mind at? That's not what I meant. Forget it, I don't need your help."

"I can do it. I'll help you find the contact information."

Gu Zhihao looked at his apprentice with a complex expression, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "After the competition ends, come to my house. I have something to tell you."

"Okay."

The competition continued, but for the following rounds, both Zichen and Gu Zhihao were restless and appeared to be lost in thought.

The competition finally ended, and Gu Zhihao walked away with his hands behind his back, not even participating in the group photo with the contestants.

He was acting contrary to his usual self today; it was very abnormal.

In such situations, he would never miss out.

Gu Zhihao liked the feeling of being fawned over; now that he didn't even participate in the group photo, there was something strange going on.

Zichen also wanted to follow him, but he couldn't get away. Many young chefs were pestering him for autographs and photos, and it wouldn't be good to just walk away.

He patiently finished the event before he could free himself to go to his master's house.

Zichen walked into the courtyard and saw his master sitting there. The tea had gone cold; it had clearly been prepared long ago.

"Master, why did you leave today without participating in the group photo?"

"I wasn't in the mood. Sit down. Is that female contestant surnamed Li?"

Zichen was slightly stunned, but he answered truthfully: "Yes, she is surnamed Li. Her name is Li Xue."

"Being surnamed Li is correct. You want her to work at your restaurant, right? I warn you, it's best not to do that. Her family is very difficult to get along with, and there will be more trouble in the future..."

There were no outsiders in the courtyard, so Gu Zhihao finally had no reservations and said everything he wanted to say.

He knew Li Xue's father, Lao Litou; he was an old man with a strange temper.

Old Li used a knife with supernatural skill and was a famous fast-knife expert far and near. It was normal for capable people to have a bit of a temper, but this man was not just normally abnormal.

He hated the rich and had a near-paranoid prejudice against all wealthy people. As long as someone was rich, in his heart, they were viewed as heinous.

Gu Zhihao had met Lao Litou when he was young. Because he was poor and they both shared common interests, they quickly became good friends.

Later, when Gu Zhihao married Shi Yuke, Lao Litou cursed him for being an irresponsible Chen Shimei who only climbed the social ladder, and scolded him severely. The two broke off their friendship and never had any contact again!

Gu Zhihao also felt aggrieved in his heart. Why did he curse him as a Chen Shimei?

In his first short marriage, he was clearly the victim.

He helped raise someone else's son and daughter, and later, when the couple got back together, they dumped him. He hadn't done anything wrong.

Could he not start a new life after being dumped?

Just because he married Shi Yuke, and just because the Shi Family was wealthier than them, Lao Litou turned against him. This matter had been a lingering grievance in his heart for many years.

Gu Zhihao never imagined that he would encounter the descendants of the Li family in such a situation.

That girl's knife skills and mannerisms were exactly the same as Lao Litou's. His mood was very complex; he didn't want his apprentice to follow in his footsteps, which was why he called Zichen to his home to tell him to stay away from people from the Li family.

His master was doing it for his own good; he knew that.

But Zichen didn't take it to heart. He smiled and said, "It's fine. Perhaps you are overthinking it. There are so many chefs in the world; maybe it's just a coincidence that they are both surnamed Li, and there is no connection."

"Even if they are father and daughter, their temperaments and characters might not necessarily be exactly the same. I want Li Xue to work at the restaurant; it's a superior-subordinate relationship, not making friends. The situations you mentioned won't happen with me."

Zichen left his master's house without changing his mind. He still had someone find the contact information Li Xue had left behind and went to find her personally.

The address Li Xue left was on an old street.

The most prominent features were: dirty, messy, and poor!

Can a restaurant even be opened here?

To compete in the Gourmet Conference, there is a hardware requirement: one must have a restaurant; being a chef at a restaurant or having a restaurant at home both count.

The address clearly stated "Li Family Restaurant"; although the name didn't sound particularly high-end, it shouldn't be opened in a place like this—opening a snack stall here would be more like it.

Zichen came by car, but the car couldn't drive into such a narrow alley at all, so he parked outside and walked in.

He was wearing designer casual wear, and his entire demeanor was extraordinary; anyone with a discerning eye could see at a glance that he didn't belong here, so wherever Zichen walked, he attracted curious gazes, and some people even pointed at him.

I Like the Madam Who Always Wants to Anger Me