Universe Infinite Canteen-Chapter 587 - Final Battle

Ma Lu returned to his room and called for a massage service. Later that evening, Sun He gave him a massage, which alleviated the pain in his right hand.

Additionally, Sun He expressed her gratitude to Boss Ma for his mercy that morning.

She had been focused solely on her cooking and only learned about the ruckus Ma Lu caused after the competition ended, from other competitors. He had replicated three popular snacks on the spot and sold them at a discount, which led to the elimination of a popular competitor, Cui Junxian.

It was said that Cui Junxian contacted several other chefs who were also barely eliminated and filed a complaint to the organizing committee claiming unfair treatment.

The God of Cooking Competition was supposed to be about culinary skills, but Ma Lu had triumphed through business tactics, compromising the fairness of the event, and even had his fans send protest letters to the World Cooking Federation hoping for a rematch.

However, it was clear to the discerning eye that Cui Junxian was just looking for an excuse for his early elimination to minimize the impact on his restaurant's business.

He knew there was little hope for a rematch because Ma Lu's actions hadn't broken any competition rules, so after registering his protest, he took a flight back home without even attending the post-competition interviews.

Sun He's fried fish cakes had also sold well, and Ma Lu's decision not to copy them was obviously him showing mercy.

Sun He initially only hoped to make it past the first round and considered that a victory, but she was thrilled to have made it into the top six.

Before leaving, she gave Ma Lu her home and restaurant addresses.

Ma Lu also gave Sun He the addresses to Universe Infinite Canteen and his new villa.

The two didn't discuss further possibilities, knowing well that neither was likely to abandon their careers, friends, and lives to start over in a foreign land.

Thus, they agreed that what happened there would stay there, turning into a beautiful memory, an unspoken understanding among adults.

...

On the third day, after a restful recovery, Ma Lu arrived at the banquet hall on the sixth floor of the hotel with his usual swagger, accompanied by two assistants.

As soon as he stepped inside, he felt the atmosphere had changed from the previous days, with the audience being more excited and lively.

This was because half of the finalists were chefs from China, a first in the history of the God of Cooking Competition.

The competition area had also been revamped overnight, excess cooking stations had been removed, leaving only six arranged in a hexagon.

This allowed the competitors to cook while observing their opponents' choices and progress.

Additionally, each cooking station had three camera positions enabled, allowing both the live and television audiences a comprehensive view of the chefs' skills during the competition.

Ma Lu received the warmest welcome upon entering.

Although Universe Infinite Canteen had been open for less than six months, due to several controversies and a feud with the Meiping Website, it had garnered more popularity than many established restaurants could in years, or even decades.

And Ma Lu was a unique participant in the God of Cooking Competition in Sanya, as most other competitors owned restaurants but did not cook regularly themselves.

Initially, many had doubted Ma Lu's skills, but after two rounds of the competition, Boss Ma's culinary prowess had silenced the skeptics.

He could no longer be considered a dark horse; he had become a towering figure, exuding an imposing presence as he entered.

Ma Lu waved to the audience, his expression relaxed.

Before the competition started, the female host briefly interviewed the six contestants.

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When it was Ma Lu's turn, she asked a question that many were curious about.

"Uh, over the past two days of the competition, everyone noticed that Chef Ma Lu, you seemed to be using only your right hand for cooking, with very little participation from your left hand.

"Especially under yesterday's street food theme, was your left hand injured?"

"No."

"Then why not use it?"

"Because there hasn't been anyone worthy of me using both hands," Ma Lu said into the microphone.

His arrogant response immediately elicited another gasp from the crowd.

Even Sun Mei and the others had their fighting spirit ignited by these words, even Qi Shanzhu showed an expression of not wanting to easily admit defeat.

Being the head chef of a restaurant, one inherently has some pride.

The reason Ma Lu made such a statement, reminiscent of a comic book villain, was not only to justify his actions but also to intensify the challenge for the other contestants.

He hadn't forgotten Old Wang's wish, hoping everyone would give their all and be able to showcase their best in the final round.

However, it must be said that there were too many old friends and familiar faces in this round, and Ma Lu was worried that everyone would be too cautious because of their relationships and would not fully stretch their capabilities, so he decided to personally stoke the fire.

Seeing everyone energized, he also felt a hint of relief.

Then the female host introduced the judges for the finals.

Like the contestants, the panel of judges for the finals had been streamlined to just four members.

They included Gaggan Anand from the Gaggan restaurant in India, Chef Rocky Chen from Hong Kong, Violet Yupil, the editor-in-chief of 'Food & Wine' magazine, and Yoshikazu Yoda, the chef from the restaurant HAJIME in Japan.

Originally, Sun He, the president of the Asian branch of the World Cooking Federation, was also a judge, but to avoid conflict of interest, he decided to step down temporarily, giving his place to Rocky Chen.

With this, both the contestants and judges were all present.

Only then did the female host open the envelope she was holding. She glanced at the card inside and couldn't hide her surprise.

"Ah, the theme for this competition is quite unique.

"It's something very, very common on the island. The six chefs will have to use this item to cook, and then the four judges will score them, eliminating the lowest scorer each round.

"There will be five rounds in total to decide the ultimate champion, with the top three winners receiving corresponding prize money. The first and second place winners will also qualify to compete in the world championship and battle for the title of God of Cooking."

The female host paused, "Has everyone seen the timer on the table?"

Upon hearing her words, Ma Lu and the others looked to their right, where indeed there was a specially made timer.

"Once the competition starts, the timer will automatically begin counting down. Once cooking is completed, a tap on the timer will pause it, and after pausing, no more kitchen tools can be touched.

"This round's total cooking time is two hours, and it must be completed within the specified time. Going over will automatically result in a loss."

Although the time was shorter compared to the second round, since they no longer had to cook for 100 people, most felt relieved and considerably more at ease.

Until a contestant asked, "Two hours, is that the cooking time for each round, or all added together?"

"It's all added together," the female host said. "That means if you're aiming for the championship, you'll need to cook five dishes within these two hours."