The hotel breakfast was a buffet, where you could pick and choose whatever you liked. Besides typical Chinese dishes, there were also some Western options.
Cheng Xiaofan entered the dining hall, placed his two large cardboard boxes aside, and immediately scooped a bowl of congee. He then grabbed a plate of Xiao Long Bao and a plain boiled egg.
Mei Lina followed suit, mirroring his actions exactly, as if performing a husband-and-wife ritual. She also got a bowl of congee, a plate of Xiao Long Bao, and picked a plain boiled egg.
The two sat together and began their breakfast.
"Look at that couple. Although they're a mix of East and West, they're clearly deeply in love. Even their food choices are identical. They truly are in sync!"
"One of them married for love, the other married into love!"
"See how they chat and laugh together? They're so affectionate!"
"I'm truly envious of this young couple!"
For a moment, the diners sitting near Cheng Xiaofan and Mei Lina couldn't help but point and discuss them animatedly.
"Darling, listen to them, they seem to admire us so much!" Mei Lina said to Cheng Xiaofan with a smile.
Cheng Xiaofan shook his head and replied, "People have mouths, let them say what they want!"
Mei Lina chuckled, "You don't mind hearing that, do you?"
Cheng Xiaofan immediately replied, "Of course not, I'm happy to hear it!"
Would it be okay not to be happy?
He knew that if he wasn't happy, Mei Lina would certainly be displeased.
This was exactly what she wanted to hear from those people.
After breakfast, as they were leaving the hotel, Mei Lina again insisted on paying.
Cheng Xiaofan placed the two cardboard boxes in the trunk of Mei Lina's black Cadillac. Once he got into the car, Mei Lina started the engine and drove towards the venue for the culinary competition.
Soon, they arrived at their destination.
In front of the archway of Chinatown, a stage had already been set up. The previously empty square was now crowded with people.
Colorful banners fluttered everywhere.
The onlookers who had gathered here to watch the spectacle included not only Chinese people from all over the world but also many foreigners who enjoyed Chinese cuisine.
In the center of the square, a large sign was erected, bearing two lines of text: "Gong Fan Ren, Gong Fan Hun, Gong Fan Dou Shi Ren Shang Ren."
This meant that food is paramount to the people, and those who can eat well are superior to others!
On the other side of the sign, two more lines were written: "To find the human world's aroma, it all lies on the tip of your three-inch tongue."
Some Chinatown vendors were also holding up signs, enthusiastically promoting their specialty cuisines: Hunan's spiciness, Jiangsu's elegance, Guangdong's freshness, they shouted incessantly.
It was still morning, and vendors were already setting up stalls along the roadside, hawking various famous regional dishes to visitors: Yangzhou's Three Heads, Wuxi Pork Ribs, Layered Oil Cakes, Longpao Crab Roe Soup Dumplings, Stone-ground Tofu Pudding, Specialty Wontons, Nine-Turn Sausages, Scallion-Seared Sea Cucumber, Cantonese Morning Tea, Wonton Noodles, and more.
Each speaking in different Chinese dialects, their calls were truly spectacular!
Mei Lina's car slowly glided past the square, and after a rare bit of searching, she found a relatively empty spot to park.
"Mr. Cheng, Miss Mei Lina!" As the two stepped out of the car, a voice called out from behind them.
Cheng Xiaofan turned his head and saw Withers approaching with a few subordinates.
"Heh heh, you're quite early!" Cheng Xiaofan said.
Withers quickly replied, "Not at all, not at all. Mr. Cheng is participating in the culinary competition today, so I naturally had to come and show my support!"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled, "Withers, in this Chinatown, there's a man named Tai Fu Lai. You must know him, right?"
"I know him. He's a world-class gambling god, incredibly skilled. I really admire that guy!" Withers said excitedly.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiaofan's expression darkened. "Let me tell you the truth. This world-class gambling god you admire isn't very good at gambling. Yesterday, he lost his entire gambling house, along with all the income he'd made from running it over the years, to me!"
"This gambling god you admire has corrupt morals. I originally intended to kill him, but seeing that he's already suffering from terminal cancer and doesn't have long to live, I spared his wretched life!"
Withers' face turned pale with fear upon hearing this. He immediately dropped to his knees before Cheng Xiaofan and stammered, "Respected Mr. Cheng, I misspoke. I deserve to die. From this day forward, Tai Fu Lai will be completely removed from my list of admired figures!"
"Mr. Cheng, it's my fault for being blind and admiring the wrong person. Please forgive me!"
Seeing his terrified, soul-shaken appearance, Cheng Xiaofan couldn't help but inwardly chuckle. "I just said a couple of harsh words, and he's this scared? Am I really that terrifying?"
"Withers, get up!"
He said, "After the competition here is over, I have something I need to discuss with you!"
Withers immediately got up from the ground, bowing and scraping, "Mr. Cheng, thank you. I know that someone of your divine status would not bother with a small ant like me."
Cheng Xiaofan almost gagged at this.
How did this world-class boxing champion become such a sycophant?
He transformed into an ant in an instant!
Cheng Xiaofan didn't linger with him. Since Withers regarded him as a divine being, a divine being should maintain a certain stature, right!
So, he raised his chin and said, "Withers, you and your subordinates can look around nearby. When I go on stage to compete, you will stay by Mei Lina's side and await my instructions at any time!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Withers led his subordinates and quickly retreated.
Mei Lina chuckled, "Darling, I never thought this world boxing champion would be so timid in front of you, it's not like a normal person at all!"
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled, "I hope he can manage my gambling house like a normal person when he takes over!"
"I don't need a dog, I need someone with independent thought. Only then can he help me manage the gambling house properly!"
Mei Lina said, "Don't worry about that. I'll supervise him regularly!"
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled, "That's right, how could I forget about you? With you regularly supervising Withers, I'm confident he'll be able to do a good job."
"Actually, I can also see that Withers is a pretty decent person if he's properly guided. He's capable of achieving something!"
After chatting for a while, the competition was about to begin.
On the stage, several large iron woks were set up, along with various ingredients for the contestants to use.
Liu Yishou had already registered Cheng Xiaofan. All registered contestants were waiting to be called by the host's name before taking their seats at the front.
"Now, I will read out the list of participants. When each name is called, please come to the front to be seated."
A beautiful young lady holding a list stepped onto the stage and said.
Behind her sat a row of male and female judges. Cheng Xiaofan's gaze swept across them and he recognized Liu Tingshu and Mei Lina's father among them.
Liu Yishou was also seated there as a judge.
"We invite Han Cheng—" the beautiful hostess began to announce the contestant.
The contestant Han Cheng immediately walked to the front.