"Crack..."

Old Zhao's mouth kept working, biting through the crispy skin into the lean meat wrapped inside.

The aroma of the crispy skin was already melting in his mouth, and the tender meat inside began to unleash its flavor.

Being air-dried for a day didn't cause any moisture loss from the meat; instead, it compressed into the meat. The slightly firm lean meat allowed you to feel each strand of muscle clearly, yet it didn't give a dry sensation, having a slight chewiness while breaking apart with each bite. Every chew released a burst of meat juices in the mouth, a unique texture that lamb and beef skewers didn't possess.

Delicious! Really delicious!

Zhao Bufan was also eating the roasted fat alongside, and although he didn't want to admit it, his taste buds honestly told him that this meat was indeed roasted better than his father's.

Looking at Wang Fan's ridiculously youthful face, he couldn't help but think, "Talent is more important than hard work when learning. How can there be such a huge talent disparity in barbecuing? Even if you started grilling skewers from the womb, it's only about 20 years of experience, right? My dad's got over thirty years under his belt and still couldn't match up..."

Old Zhao finished a big skewer quickly with his good health and teeth, and his already small eyes squinted into slits with a smile, giving a thumbs up and praising, "Impressive, impressive, your skill is indeed remarkable. No wonder customers say it's better than mine; it's truly better."

Wang Fan chuckled, "It's not as good as you're saying. It's just that you haven't tried it before, so it seems fresh."

Old Zhao shook his head repeatedly, "Good is good. If possible, could you grill a few lamb skewers for me? I feel like I've hit a bottleneck and haven't made any progress for a long time."

"Sure, just a moment."

Wang Fan took the 20 skewers just prepared by Li Wei and started grilling them.

He didn't treat Old Zhao as a customer but rather as an exchange of skills between an elder and a junior in the same trade.

He also wanted this decades-experienced elder to taste his skewers, to assess their level, and see if there was any room for improvement.

"Sizzle..."

The skewers on the grill quickly sizzled as the oil surfaced, and Old Zhao watched Wang Fan's grill with childish curiosity.

"Wow, this grill of yours is something else, heats up so fast. If I'd had this grill back in the day, I wouldn't have ended up so tan."

Wang Fan glanced in surprise at Old Zhao's dark skin, and then at the equally tan Zhao Bufan.

Hmm, this doesn't seem to be the grill's doing...

Old Zhao saw Wang Fan's look and knew what he was thinking, retorting grumpily, "Don't judge by how I am now; I used to be very fair, got tanned standing by the grill every day."

Wang Fan turned the skewers and added seasonings, each step perfectly timed. Watching the color change on the meat chunks, Old Zhao knew that this young man indeed possessed profound skills, probably better than him in controlling the heat!

The aroma peaked, with the skewers covered in oil bubbles, turning golden just as Wang Fan finished sprinkling the seasoning. Two quick taps knocked off the excess seasoning before handing them to Old Zhao.

Old Zhao took the skewers, inspecting the color carefully; the skewer was a vibrant golden yellow with tints of crispiness, making it look even more inviting and appetizing.

The color alone was a massive win!

Closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, it indeed was Lu Dong's coastal lamb, particularly the fatty and lean intertwined lamb brisket. The quality was superb. After expert processing, the lamb emitted a rich meaty aroma, with the mixed spices amplifying rather than masking the unique lamb fragrance, giving a distinctive feeling.

It felt like going back to a time when supplies were scarce, when even getting rice or flour was a joy for days, with that longing for meat echoing the current sensation exactly.

Amazing, the aroma of this meat awakened a primal human desire for meat; the scent alone was a big win!

Unable to wait due to the heat, he eagerly took a bite, and the dense meat aroma and spices instantly fulfilled that longing. This double satisfaction of taste buds and spirit was something his skewers couldn't provide.

His skewers were definitely not as good as these!

The taste was a secondary factor as the ingredients were similar; the real reason was...

Old Zhao savored every change in the skewer, pondering over every step since seeing the grilled meat and finally pinpointed the issue.

It was the perfect control of seasoning and heat, bringing the meat's color and aroma to a level that humans couldn't resist!

It's like when someone isn't hungry, no matter how good the food is, it won't feel as special.

But for someone nearly fainting from hunger, even a plain bun would seem delicious.

This skewer, through color and aroma, fully elicited his hunger, so how could it not taste amazing after entering the mouth?

"Respect, respect. I've been grilling for over thirty years, and I've never roasted a skewer with such color and aroma like yours,"

Old Zhao gave Wang Fan another thumbs up in praise.

Wang Fan quickly responded, "Not at all, there's still much I need to learn and improve."

Old Zhao chuckled, "Well, there is indeed a point."

Wang Fan's eyes lit up, about to ask when Zhuo Qianqian interrupted, carrying two skewers angrily, "Grandpa, are you just a sore loser? I'm from Great Border, and even there I've never had skewers better than our boss's. How can there be room for improvement?"

She glared with her big watery eyes at Old Zhao.

But her look wasn't intimidating at all, making Old Zhao laugh heartily.

Wang Fan quickly pulled Zhuo Qianqian behind him, "Watch your words! There's nothing perfect in the world. I've only been in touch with skewers for a few days; having issues is certain, and I shouldn't be arrogant."

Old Zhao's laughter halted suddenly upon hearing Wang Fan's words.

What did this guy just say?

How long did he say he's been grilling skewers?

"How long have you been into skewers?"

Wang Fan replied a bit shyly, "Should be three or four days?"

"Three or four days?"

Old Zhao's tone was so high-pitched it almost broke.

"Yeah, last week I was still making braised meat, sorry to make you laugh."

Laugh my face! Can I really laugh here?

I've been grinding for over thirty years building my skills, and you said you exploded past me in just a few days?

If you said your recipe was better, I'd understand, but even your heat control surpasses mine!

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