Lin Xu felt that placing a 10,000-grit whetstone here was purely to trap the contestants. Because if anyone were to use such a fine-grit whetstone, they wouldn't even be able to achieve a gleam on the cutting edge in ten minutes, let alone get it sharp.

He took a 400-grit whetstone, braced it against the edge of a step, dribbled some clean water on it, and began to rapidly sharpen the kitchen knife.

Time was too tight. He could only focus on honing the cutting edge first.

If there had been more time, Lin Xu would have definitely used a 6,000-grit or even finer whetstone to polish the entire kitchen knife to a mirror finish.

Ugh, as someone with obsessive-compulsive tendencies, I really can't stand these rust pits on the knife's surface.

After getting the edge reasonably sharp, he polished the blade until it was clean. Then, he washed the kitchen knife, wiped it dry with a towel, and picked up the sole remaining box of Lactone Tofu from the basket.

At that moment, the smiles of the contestants who had been waiting to see him make a fool of himself froze on their faces.

When everyone was using a bad kitchen knife, it was a case of the pot not calling the kettle black. Since the knives were terrible, no one could display their true skills, so they might as well just go with the flow.

But now, a contestant had managed to transform a terrible kitchen knife into what looked like a new one.

Everyone's spirits were suddenly lifted. Those who needed to sharpen their knives did so, while others grabbed cutting machines—everyone was now following Lin Xu's lead.

The online viewers watching the livestream found this scene hilarious.

"Who would have thought that Chef Lin, whose food is so delicious, is also this knowledgeable about hardware!"

"His technique with the cutting machine and the polishing grinder is even more professional than Old Wang from our village who welds large iron gates!"

"The competition in the culinary world is truly intense, no doubt about it!"

"It's so intense they're practically stealing jobs from the hardware industry!"

"Hardware workers: 'Can you chefs please stop encroaching on our field?'"

「In the audience area.」

Chen Yan, holding her cat, said to Shen Jiayue, "Is your Xu Bao really a finance major? How is he so familiar with hardware? If I didn't know better, I'd think he owns a hardware machining shop."

Shen Jiayue was also dumbfounded. Her Xu Bao was truly full of surprises, one after another.

She said with a grin, "He's so smart, forget hardware—even 'eight-ware' wouldn't be a problem for him!"

Chen Yan was speechless. "..."

Why can't I control this mouth of mine? I knew asking this cheeky girl would just result in another public display of affection, yet I still couldn't resist. AARGH! I've given her another chance to flaunt it!

No way, tonight I'm going to my brother-in-law's restaurant and eating my fill. The kind where I dine and dash! I'll use the bliss of free, delicious food to soothe my wounded soul! Yes, that's settled!

「At the competition site.」

Lin Xu, kitchen knife in hand, didn't immediately open the lid of the Lactone Tofu. Instead, he first placed the box of Lactone Tofu upside down on the table and carefully sliced off its four corners with the knife.

Then, he flipped the box right side up and poured some clean water onto the cutting board. Next, he tore open the film seal on the front and inverted the box onto the cutting board. A perfect block of Lactone Tofu slid out.

Containers of Lactone Tofu are usually vacuum-packed. If you just tear open the surface film, the tofu can stick to the container due to the vacuum effect. This stuff is notoriously delicate, and it's very easy to break the tofu. Therefore, you need to make small cuts in the container beforehand to let air in. This allows a complete block of Lactone Tofu to slide out undamaged.

Once the Lactone Tofu was out, Lin Xu drizzled some clean water over it with his left hand. He then pressed down on the tofu with his fingertips, curling his fingers. He dipped the kitchen knife in his right hand into some water and then rested the side of the blade against the knuckles of his left hand.

He took a deep breath and then began to slice with swift, smooth strokes.

The freshly sharpened knife sliced rapidly into the Lactone Tofu and was quickly lifted. It shifted ever so slightly—a hair's breadth—to the left before slicing down again.

Even for someone with Excellent Level Knife Skills, cutting Lactone Tofu was somewhat challenging. But it wasn't impossible.

Lin Xu tried to clear his mind, focusing solely on slicing the Lactone Tofu on the table.

Xie Baomin, also seated in the audience, smiled. Although he didn't know if his junior could ultimately win the championship, this round of the competition was undoubtedly his.

Old Man Gao, sitting in the consultant's seat, also smiled. When Lin Xu had first received the Lactone Tofu, he had been a little worried, fearing Lin Xu would attempt to cut it directly with the damaged edge of the knife.

But now, he proudly watched the handsome young man intently slicing the Lactone Tofu, as if seeing his younger self.

"Wow, who is this young man? Not only did he re-edge his knife in such a short time, but his Knife Skills are also so genuine!"

"Exactly! Which building is he from? If he doesn't have a mentor, then I might just..."

"Old Qiu, your legs aren't what they used to be; you should rest more at home. This kind of thing is better left to me. After all, I'm used to handling these matters and can't stay idle at home anyway."

"Hey, Old Dai, your legs are hardly any better than mine! Who are you to talk? After this, I'm going to ask around. If he's from our Building No. 6's kitchen, then none of you will stand a chance!"

"Pfft! With that sorry lot in your Building No. 6, could you possibly produce a young man of this caliber? I'd say he's from our Building No. 18. What do you think, Old Man Gao?"

Seeing such a talented young man, the elders' eyes lit up with a hunter's excitement upon spotting prized game. The urge to take on an apprentice became irresistible.

Old Man Gao, noticing the conversation had turned to him, pretended to glance at Lin Xu again. "This young man you're talking about? I'm quite familiar with him. Are you perhaps looking for his details?"

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