Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country-Chapter 420 - 418: World Guobaorou Championship (Final)
"Where did you pull out these old scallions?"
This is a line from Stephen Chow’s movie.
And at this moment, Lv Xianchao was also full of questions for Director Liu: "Where did you pull out this young spring onion?" Lv Xianchao thought that the green onions he dipped in soy sauce were much fresher than this young man.
The culinary industry is such that chefs usually get better with age; it’s rare to see a young chef stand out.
Regarding the various versions of sweet and sour pork that followed, Lv Xianchao was clearly uninterested, including the one with a diameter exceeding one meter.
It’s just not on the same level!
"Old Liu, you’ve had too much, you need to spread the love with the other contestants. I haven’t tasted this dish fully yet. Let me have a few more pieces to taste."
"Old Li, don’t go too far, you’ve already had three pieces. If you keep eating, will you still have room for the dishes of other contestants?"
"I, Old Li, can always eat, just three pieces are nothing for me. It’s been so long since I’ve had such an astonishing sweet and sour pork. I have to have a few more pieces!"
Hearing this, Lv Xianchao suddenly realized he was too focused on the green onions and forgot that the dish of meat wasn’t made exclusively for him. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
Opening his eyes, he saw that the other dishes were hardly touched, but the dish made with those young onions was already half gone.
"Hey, put down that sweet and sour pork!"
With an internal roar of outrage, Lv Xianchao hurriedly joined the battle.
The director got excited at this point, focusing the camera intensely on several people, and the on-site host said with a smile on his face: "Wow, it seems that our professional judges have a particular fondness for this traditional sweet and sour pork. While they only took a taste of the other contestants’ works, they nearly fought over this one. Could it be that this traditional sweet and sour pork and its creator would take home the gold this time?"
The camera quickly switched back from the judges’ table to the contestants’ stage, where most of the chefs were still working on their entries, with only a few starting to pack up.
When the camera cut to Wang Fan, he was washing a pan, while the host enthusiastically introduced: "This contestant is probably the youngest in this world sweet and sour pork competition, but do not underestimate him because of his age. The traditional sweet and sour pork that made the judges fight over was made by this contestant, and he might be the most popular contestant today, with a resounding nickname—Ultimate Outdoor Food Boss!"
When Director Liu invited Wang Fan to participate, the promotional period had long passed, and it was clearly too late for any promotion afterward. But he certainly wouldn’t miss today’s live broadcast opportunity.
After all, besides advance promotion, isn’t there also post-event buzz to capitalize on?
Let the word spread for a while!
As most chefs began to clean their pans and stoves, the world sweet and sour pork competition was nearing its end.
Once the volunteers had cleaned up the cooking stations and reported back, the professional judges would score and critique based on their tasting experience, ultimately determining the rankings.
There were plenty of confident competitors.
After all, among them were many chefs from renowned hotels and some who ran small restaurants focusing on sweet and sour pork for over 20 years; without skill, who could keep going?
But a competition is a competition; it’s typical for there to be winners and losers. As the rankings were announced one by one, those who didn’t make it could only sigh in disappointment.
"The third place goes to Master Chen Mo from Liao Province, the second place to Master Liu Qiang from Ji Province."
Clearing his throat, Lv Xianchao solemnly announced, "The champion is... Master Wang Fan from Hei Province!"
Loud cheers instantly filled the air. Second Uncle and Zhuo Qianqian were shouting and jumping, waving vigorously at Wang Fan. Wang Fan smiled and waved back at them—winning the championship was something worth celebrating.
Among the crowd, there were the most people who knew Wang Fan, and upon hearing he won, they were naturally willing to shout along, especially those who served as public judges, cheering extra loud.
"It’s gotta be Boss Wang!"
"The championship is well-deserved!"
"Boss Wang’s cooking is just delicious."
"Fair and just!"
For those who won, the smiles were genuine—even though the award was just an ordinary medal with a prize not worth much money, hanging it in the store would serve as a living advertisement, sure to bring considerable customer traffic.
Yet some were still unhappy with their rankings. Master Liu Qiang, head chef of a renowned five-star hotel in Ji Province, was aiming for the gold, but never expected to end up with only a silver medal.
The most incomprehensible thing to him was that his victor looked like someone only in his twenties!
If it weren’t for the fact that several judges were his acquaintances, he would have suspected that this young man was the son of one of them.
Lv Xianchao cleared his throat and said seriously, "Some may have objections to this result, but I say with great responsibility that this ranking was a unanimous decision by our seven professional judges. Mr. Wang Fan’s sweet and sour pork, the gold medalist, was impeccable in terms of timing, texture, and taste. I believe the public judges also have no objections."
"While his flavor wasn’t as innovative as others, the perfect mix of seasonings makes it unforgettable. Most importantly, it’s his attention to every detail and his earnest attitude that truly humbled us judges. So this first place..."
After a moment’s pause, Lv Xianchao looked around and solemnly declared, "is well-deserved!"
Host Wang Cong smiled and added, "Now let’s invite our champion to the stage."
Wang Fan didn’t know there was such an arrangement, but after this stint, he was no longer the shy person he used to be, striding confidently towards the judges’ table.
Cheers erupted again, and Wang Fan waved with a smile to those supporting him.
Standing at the front of the stage, basking in the attention of everyone, he couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of achievement.
Standing at 175 cm tall with high heels, Wang Cong didn’t seem short in front of Wang Fan. She remarked in surprise, "Our champion is not only young but also handsome. He’s the perfect candidate for both the hall and the kitchen. Can I ask, Mr. Wang, do you have a girlfriend?"
"Oh-ho..."
The crowd loved gossip, and they were clearly excited. Some who fancied themselves good-looking, whether pretty or handsome, were already considering the prospect of a whirlwind romance with Wang Fan.
Don’t ask why there are also handsome ones interested. Let’s just say, bromance is true love!
Wang Fan had no intention of hiding anything; unlike idol stars, he had nothing to cover up. He pointed to where Second Uncle and Zhuo Qianqian were, "I do have a girlfriend, and we have a great relationship."
