Chapter 260: Chapter 260: Seizing the Initiative

Everyone could see it.

This cooking class was no friendly exchange. It was a culinary showdown between Nan Zhi and Lai Liang, a spectacular clash between Chinese and Japanese cuisine!

That was why, before the livestream even started, some netizens were so nervous they were already flaming Nan Zhi online, telling her not to tarnish the name of Chinese cuisine by losing to a Japanese chef. They said it would be a disgrace to the entire nation...

So, everyone naturally assumed that Nan Zhi, starting this class under immense pressure, would inevitably be judgmental and critical of Lai Liang from the get-go.

They expected her to nitpick his technique, be intimidated by his skill, or be too nervous to even speak...

The reality was the exact opposite.

Nan Zhi was perfectly calm.

She stood in a corner with her arms crossed, listening quite attentively to Lai Liang’s words.

When Lai Liang even had his assistant pointedly bring a dish to her, she didn’t refuse or show any wariness. Instead, she gracefully tasted it and offered a simple comment:

"It’s not bad."

Some people thought she was just pretending to be magnanimous.

...But Nan Zhi really wasn’t.

Her culinary skills were honed in a world where Food was truth.

In that world, Chinese cuisine and the myriad of dishes derived from the Eight Great Culinary Traditions shone as brightly as the countless stars in the sky.

And she had gone from knowing nothing to traveling the length and breadth of the land, learning from the best of every school, and finally mastering it all to reach the pinnacle of skill that earned her the title "God of Cookery."

Since she was capable of constant learning and innovation, Nan Zhi was naturally not the type to be complacent or close-minded.

On the contrary, she loved learning about new things.

Take Japanese cuisine, for example. She hadn’t known much about it before she transmigrated, and since returning, she hadn’t tried it even once.

But she felt that for something to be loved by so many people worldwide, Japanese cuisine must have its own merits.

Now, after tasting it, Nan Zhi discovered that Japanese cuisine, especially the kaiseki right in front of her, truly benefited from a perfect combination of conditions. The single advantage of using impeccably fresh ingredients was enough to surpass many other dishes.

Even Lai Liang, no matter how much Nan Zhi disliked his arrogance, she had to admit he had put in a tremendous amount of work. His fluid, practiced movements alone were proof that he had spent countless hours honing his craft.

It’s impossible for a chef who has spent years, decades, or even a lifetime on a single craft to not be good at it.

Practice makes perfect; reaching a state of effortless mastery is the norm, not the exception.

Nan Zhi respected that dedication and attitude.

But that was all.

To Nan Zhi’s discerning palate, which had tasted the most exquisite delicacies, the dish before her was far from unbeatable.

"What do you think?"

Nan Zhi turned her head and saw the nervous expression on Qi Pei’er’s face.

She glanced down and saw that Qi Pei’er’s plate was completely clean, and she couldn’t help but smile.

Qi Pei’er stammered:

"I-I didn’t want to let it go to waste..."

In truth, Qi Pei’er was annoyed at herself for having eaten it all without even realizing.

Nan Zhi’s smile widened as she said:

"It was pretty good. I cleaned my plate too."

Qi Pei’er let out a soft "Ah," thinking this was the prelude to Nan Zhi admitting defeat. She hesitated for a moment, then covered her microphone and whispered to Nan Zhi:

"It’s okay if you lose. It doesn’t really decide anything..."

"Who said I’m going to lose?"

That word had long since been removed from Nan Zhi’s vocabulary.

Qi Pei’er’s eyes widened.

"But just now you said..."

Nan Zhi gave a mysterious smile and stood up.

"It’s my turn to prepare."

Lai Liang had already started on dessert, which meant his meal was drawing to a close.

Next up, then, was Nan Zhi.

「Meanwhile.」

The livestream’s comment section was in an uproar:

[Uh oh, I have a bad feeling about this.]

[The kids all seem to be enjoying it. They might not like the sashimi, but they look really happy eating the sushi and tempura!]

[Lai Liang is a three-star Michelin chef for a reason; he’s obviously got skills. The people who were looking down on him before were the ones who were blindly overconfident!]

[I think Nan Zhi’s team made a strategic error. They shouldn’t have let Lai Liang go first and steal the show. Not only did he capture everyone’s attention, but think about appetite. After a whole kaiseki meal, no one will have room for anything else!]

[Oh, I wouldn’t worry about them being too full. I’ve never once felt full after eating kaiseki.]

[That’s because kaiseki is *meant* to leave you not-quite-full! That’s literally its origin!]

[Huh? Such a strange thing exists in this world?]

[LMAO, I’m dying!]

...

After the final "mizumono" dessert course of wagashi and matcha, the kaiseki meal personally prepared by Lai Liang came to an end.

To be honest, it would be impossible to say he hadn’t felt any pressure at all.

His restaurant only ever served a small number of guests at a time. A situation like today, preparing a meal for dozens of people simultaneously, had almost never happened.

Fortunately, he had managed to pull through.

Lai Liang considered his performance flawless. No matter what tricks Nan Zhi pulled, she couldn’t possibly surpass him.

And so, he bowed confidently to conclude his segment, then stepped to the side, crossing his arms to scrutinize Nan Zhi’s cooking.

But before that could happen, he saw several of the show’s other guests walk to the front?

Lai Liang frowned, watching the movements of Fu Chao and the others with the same bewildered expression as everyone else.

He watched as Fu Chao’s group expertly cleared the area.

Fortunately, Lai Liang hadn’t decorated much. The space was limited, so he had only used a few black ceramic vases with some flowers and grasses.

After Fu Chao’s group quickly finished cleaning, they brought out several tall, slender racks tied with stalks of verdant bamboo, from which lengths of gossamer fabric drifted down.

These few simple changes completely transformed the environment, adding a rich sense of atmosphere to the originally plain cafeteria. The gossamer fabric was also arranged so it wouldn’t obstruct anyone’s view.

Lai Liang’s expression darkened. Annoyed that he hadn’t thought of it himself, he couldn’t help but inwardly blame Chang Mu and his assistant.

But with the cameras rolling, Lai Liang couldn’t react too strongly. He had to suppress his temper and even feign magnanimity by saying to the camera:

"It’s quite beautiful."

In reality, he just thought Nan Zhi’s flashy setup was a pointless effort. ’It won’t be long before she’s exposed for what she really is...’

The setup with the bamboo and gauze wasn’t finished yet.

Then, Qi Pei’er, who had disappeared for a moment, reappeared. She was holding a guqin and had changed into a simple cyan robe that looked plain yet elegant and beautiful.

She gave everyone a slight smile, then carried the guqin to a low table in the corner and sat down cross-legged behind it.

Qi Pei’er raised her hand to pluck the strings, and after just two or three notes, a clear sound, crisp as a mountain spring, rang out.

This left everyone utterly astonished.

They knew Qi Pei’er was multi-talented and could play many instruments.

But they had never imagined that she could also play the guqin!

What an unexpected surprise!

...Wait a minute.

Isn’t this supposed to be Nan Zhi’s cooking class?

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