“Didn’t they do so much just to suck you dry of your fame and influence in the end? There’s a saying that goes, people step on others to get to a higher position. The Master Chef hasn’t revealed himself yet, let alone have any influential dishes. But he has already the presence of a deity in the hearts of the audience. What will happen in the future?”

Chen Xian crossed his arms and explained slowly, “As long as you agree to participate in the competition, you will most likely lose. After signing the agreement, you will have already fallen into Chen Yeqi’s trap.”

Lu Yuxi listened with her hands on her hips. When she heard this, she smiled and said, “You’ve already started a conspiracy theory, right? You might have lost the competition, but Xu Le might not.”

Chen Xian smiled and said, “I was afraid that he would be tricked, so I came to remind him.”

At this point, Zhang Tong finally understood what he meant. Even if Chen Xian looked indifferent to fame and fortune, he would definitely not let it go after being tricked by the production team. Therefore, he wanted to make use of Xu Le’s participation in the competition to win back.

That way, he could be considered to have vented his anger.

Lu Yuxi said in an unpleasant tone, “Then do you have a way to defeat him, or do you have some tips to impart?”

Her words were sarcastic. Xu Le couldn’t stand it anymore and elbowed her, indicating for her to be kinder with her words.

“Not really, but I can help him avoid a trap.”

Zhang Tong looked at him and said, “What is it?”

“What I said to you earlier was just a conjecture. It’s not convenient to tell you the reason now, but I can guarantee that the method I gave Xu Le will definitely be useful.”

After Chen Xian finished speaking, Zhang Tong became even more curious. He was waiting for him to continue.

But Chen Xian waved his hand and said, “Is it convenient for you to come to my house after the meal later?”

Xu Le glanced at the packed restaurant and said, “I’m afraid I don’t have time.”

“It’s fine to talk here.” Chen Xian had a good temper. With a wave of his hand, he called Xu Le over and whispered in his ear.

“Is that so?” Xu Le hesitated. “Can such a tactic win against the Master Chef?”

“Believe me, that’s what principle of losing to win means.”

Chen Xian said with certainty, “Since they set up a trap for us, then we just have to return the favor.”

Xu Le’s face was filled with doubt as he nodded.

Soon, it was time for the stewed knock to be served out of the pot. Xu Le entered the kitchen. As soon as he opened the lid of the casserole, a rich fragrance assaulted his nostrils. It was especially tempting.

He adjusted to high heat to evaporate the sauce, and finally sprinkled a handful of shallots, before serving the dish.

Xu Le brought the casserole to the table. “The stew you ordered. Come, try it.”

Chen Xian picked up a piece of eel and took a bite. The eel was crispy and salty after being fried and stewed. After inhaling the fragrance of the lard and the sweetness of the soup, it had a lingering aftertaste.

He raised his eyebrows and said, “Stewed knock is a dish I often make at home. Usually, before putting it into the pot to stew, I will sprinkle a handful of minced garlic with oil to make it fragrant. But since you removed that step… the taste of the finished product is even better.”

“Yes, because of the soup, the garlic will suppress the taste. If you don’t especially like the taste of garlic, you can choose not to add it.”

“Yes, not bad, not bad.”

Chen Xian nodded continuously.

Lu Yuxi chewed on the eel. The meat was salty, fresh, and juicy. The rich sauce wrapped around the crispy skin, and under the crispy texture, there was soft and mushy eel meat. The texture was distinct and complemented each other.

Zhang Tong was depressed that Chen Xian avoided him when he told Xu Le the plan. However, his self-esteem was high, and he couldn’t be bothered to ask further. He scooped an egg with a spoon. The egg was smooth and tender. When he bit through it, the gravy that was soaked in meat stuffing rushed towards his taste buds.

“Wow, awesome!”

He couldn’t help but be impressed. The rich meat filling was fragrant but not greasy. The huge egg was filled with endless flavor.

Zhang Tong commented, “I can tell that you’ve modified the stewed knock and mixed the poultry with seafood. It seems unrelated, but it’s extremely harmonious after it’s made. No wonder…”

No wonder Xu Le could get ahead of everyone in every competition. Zhang Tong nodded in approval and admiration.

While they were eating at the table here, some customers had already noticed them. After hearing Zhang Tong’s evaluation, someone stepped forward and asked, “Hello, why isn’t this dish on the menu?”

Lu Yuxi smiled and explained, “Oh, it’s an employee meal.”

The customer’s eyes widened. He said half-jokingly, “Are you still hiring?”

Xu Le said, “Haha, if you don’t mind, I can give you some.”

The customer was embarrassed, but he couldn’t help the craving in his stomach. He nodded.

Smelling the fragrant eel, the customer took a bite and his eyes lit up. “It’s so delicious. I just ordered Yangzhou fried rice. It can be eaten with this. Oh, there’s meat stuffing in this egg?”

“Yes.”

The customer was full of praise. “Boss Xu, when are you going to add this dish to the menu? I’ll definitely come every day!”

“Sure, I’ll wait until I’m free in the afternoon.”

Xu Le agreed with a smile.

After Chen Xian finished chatting with him about the things to take note of in the competition, Zhang Tong came over and asked, “What did he say to you?”

“He just told me to present a dish different from the one introduced in the middle of the competition.”

“Huh?” Zhang Tong frowned and asked in confusion, “What kind of stupid idea is that?”

It seemed useless.

Xu Le shook his head to show that he didn’t know either. When he got home that night, he sat on the sofa with his chin in his hand and scrolled through his phone. He was at a loss.

Would he win if even his parents couldn’t win? What was going on behind the scenes? If he lost, would the outcome be the same as what Chen Xian said?

As he thought about it, his finger repeated the short video. Suddenly, his gaze stopped on the latest video.

It was uploaded by the eight-year-old cafeteria official account. The video was simple, and the post-production filter color looked unappetizing.

Xu Le subconsciously knew that this was definitely not taken by Lu Yuxi. He saw that there were many people urging him to update his uploads. After a pause, he asked loudly, “Do you still want to eat fried chop rice cake?”

Xu Tian, who was doing her homework in the study, said at the top of her voice, “Brother, I have eaten in the afternoon.”

“I want, I want!”

Lu Yuxi stuck her head out of the bedroom and said, “I want to eat.”

“But I have a condition.” Xu Le waved his phone.

Lu Yuxi understood and said, “What’s so difficult about that? I’ll film it for you.”

“Sure.”

Although Xu Le declined in the morning, he still obediently soaked the rice. It had already been eight to nine hours since then.

Lu Yuxi raised the camera and started recording. “Ready.”

In the shot, the rice was white and round. It was obvious that it had already absorbed enough water.

Xu Le fished out the rice grains and placed it on the chopping board after drying it. He said, “Hello, everyone. I’m Xu Le. I’m here today to teach everyone how to make a soft and smooth dessert – fried chop rice cake.”

“The glutinous rice is already soaked. Next, we’ll use a rolling pin to crush it.”