The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

The menu on the table consists of four dishes and a soup.

The takeout order Zhao Meng took over is a long list of barbecue items, totaling fifteen, quite a spread.

At this point, the assistants have been assigned their prep tasks. Zhao Meng gave out the necessary instructions, glanced at Fu Yu, then at Sun Qingning, thought for a moment, and said, "Fu Yu, you’ll handle the grilling dishes, I’ll take the cooking... Qingning, you can assist me."

Sun Qingning was startled. He sensitively noticed a very obvious hint of distrust in Zhao Meng’s attitude!

For a small meal of four dishes and a soup, do you even need an assistant?

It clearly implies he thinks my grilling skills aren’t up to par!

Sun Qingning looked at Zhao Meng defiantly.

Fu Yu laughed and said, "Qingning, if you think the work is too easy, then come over and assist me instead."

Sun Qingning pouted, "Keep dreaming!"

Zhao Meng glanced back at them, and after Fu Yu took Zhang Jinyu to the grilling area, he said to Sun Qingning, "Talent is something that can’t be changed, but hard work pays off in the end, and effort is also important."

"Having ambition is a good thing, but... don’t aim too high. Only by grounding yourself and honing your culinary skills can you achieve your ideal goals."

Zhao Meng patiently guided Sun Qingning for once.

After all, talent is something given by heaven.

How can ordinary people compete with those already blessed?

Keeping this in mind, Zhao Meng advised further, "Although your talent might not be enough, you’re still quite clever. As long as you settle down and work hard, you’ll also make progress in the future."

As for comparing yourself with Fu Yu?

You’re not even in the same league.

Why compare?

Looking for abuse?

Sun Qingning: "..."

...

Waste is shameful.

After a wave of bans on eating shows on the internet, many former competitive eaters rebranded themselves, turning their streaming shows from binge eating into professional restaurant reviews.

The takeout order Fu Yu received was placed by a certain online culture studio, with a note requesting extra chili peppers, explicitly stating that the streamer isn’t afraid of spice, and even leaving the streamer’s name.

[Brother Hua the Food Lover]

Unlike other dishes, working at the grilling station meant that Zhang Jinyu really didn’t have much to do as an assistant.

The prepared ingredients were within Fu Yu’s easy reach, and there wasn’t much else to help with.

With nothing to do, Zhang Jinyu took the opportunity to pull out her phone out of curiosity and look up Brother Hua the Food Lover.

"Wow! He’s actually a big internet celebrity, with over two million followers!"

Zhang Jinyu said, showing her phone to Fu Yu.

"He’s currently live streaming!"

Fu Yu placed the eel on the grill and glanced over.

On the screen, the streamer appeared to be a middle-aged man in his forties, quite fat, with a slightly fierce look and a prominent scar on his forehead, adding a degree of roguishness to his demeanor.

He was seated at a round table, the camera close-up, with several snacks laid out in front of him, enthusiastically recommending them to viewers.

He seemed very professional, and the streaming room was bustling. Fu Yu casually watched as numerous golden alerts flashed, indicating how many people had made purchases.

But none of that had anything to do with him.

Fu Yu focused on his grilling work.

The exhaust fans in the barbecue area were on, making it a bit noisy, so Zhang Jinyu turned up the volume to the max to hear the live stream.

Even Fu Yu could faintly hear Brother Hua enthusiastically interacting with his fans.

"Someone asked if today’s stream was just about selling products?"

Brother Hua chuckled deeply, "How could it be!"

"What’s the surprise besides selling products?"

Brother Hua laughed, "I’m a professional restaurant reviewer; selling products is just a side gig. Before the stream, I pre-ordered some takeout, which should arrive soon."

"Qianlima Restaurant, you know? I did a review stream there six months ago and was quite impressed. The flavors were great, and the service attitude was good too. Most importantly, their old-fashioned seafood dishes are very authentic. It’s not easy to find such authentic seafood anymore."

"Two days ago, I got a call from their restaurant saying they launched a new barbecue series. It sounded quite good, so I ordered one today, partly to give you all a preview."

"I’m quite looking forward to the seafood barbecue. After all, the seafood this season isn’t really worth eating, but making it into barbecue might properly compensate for the not-so-tender texture of the seafood."

Hearing this, Zhang Jinyu couldn’t help but say, "Wow, this guy’s an expert!"

The seafood this season has indeed passed its plumpest stage, so the restaurant mainly promotes stir-fried and fried dishes now, with steamed dishes relegated to accompaniments.

Fu Yu nodded in agreement. Indeed, although Brother Hua seemed rather disorganized, his words were quite reliable.

It’s said that gourmets are always those who are gluttonous and love eating and know how to eat. Eating much, naturally, they become experts, and there’s some truth to that.

After all, having tasted a lot, one would at least have some understanding of many dishes.

Fu Yu was increasingly meticulous in his grilling.

Such restaurant review streamers have very discerning palates.

Seafood during this season indeed has a lackluster texture, and enhancing it relies solely on seasoning.

At this point, Brother Hua’s voice came through the phone again, "I’ve had so much barbecue, remember last year? Once, I tried a supposedly ancestral secret barbecue recipe. It tasted indeed different and very distinctive. Have any of you tried it?"

With the internet becoming so advanced, people’s consumption concepts have somewhat changed.

The old idea of sticking to one’s own little corner and saving money for security has gradually been replaced by traveling more and enjoying life.

When Brother Hua mentioned the barbecue place, many fans immediately started discussing it.

Brother Hua said timely, "You all have a good eye for places, but they do make great barbecue. If the barbecue is done right, the taste is indeed very delicious!"

Brother Hua is a streamer who gives people a strong sense of contrast. His rugged and bold appearance seems a bit intimidating, but his conversation is topic-focused and psychologically engaging.

In just a few words, he could easily steer the conversation and heat up the atmosphere in the stream.

After promoting the products, and with the takeout not yet arrived, Brother Hua chatted more with his fans in the stream.

"You all appreciate good food and know how to enjoy it. Have you ever noticed that barbecue relies entirely on the sauce for flavor!"

"As long as the sauce is well-prepared, whatever you grill will taste quite delicious!"