After Huang Jiesan finished calling his family, the contestants sitting in the front row started whispering and discussing amongst themselves.
"Heh, this kid's bragging too much. I've never heard of steamed crucian carp treating hemiplegia!"
"I know Huang Jiesan; he's a heavyweight judge. If this kid can't cure his father's illness, Huang Jiesan will surely kick him out of the competition in anger!"
"I think this kid's got a screw loose, saying such things?"
"He's just asking for trouble. I'm sure he'll gladly hand over that hundred dollars!"
Even the audience thought Cheng Xiaofan had oversold himself.
Steamed crucian carp was a delicacy and could be used as medicinal cuisine, for example, it could promote lactation. However, in all of history, who had ever used fish to treat hemiplegia?
At this moment, Cheng Xiaofan, disregarding the gossip, skillfully cleaned and scaled two crucian carp, placed them on two plates, added some ingredients, and put them in a pot on a makeshift stove.
He added water around the rim of the pot.
Then!
He covered both plates of fish with spiritual energy.
He closed the lid, immediately lit the fire, and steamed them over a low heat.
The contestants watched intently, their eyes fixed on Cheng Xiaofan's every move and the order in which he added the ingredients.
The process was simple, with no novelty whatsoever.
To them, Cheng Xiaofan had even omitted some crucial "finishing touch" seasonings, suggesting the fish would taste very ordinary.
And yet, this kid claimed to use steamed crucian carp to treat Judge Huang Jiesan's father's hemiplegia. Was he trying to make everyone laugh themselves into hemiplegia?
But!
No one expected that in less than four minutes, wisps of white steam would emerge from the pot, carrying with them an intoxicating aroma.
The scent wafted into their nostrils, making their stomachs rumble as if hungry worms were stirring.
"So fragrant!" Han Cheng couldn't help but swallow.
He had never smelled steamed crucian carp this fragrant before!
Just then, a car pulled up to the stage.
The car door opened, and two women helped a white-haired elder out of the car.
"Dad!" Huang Jiesan called out, quickly leaving the judges' table and going down to carry his father on his back.
One of the women retrieved a wheelchair from the car's trunk.
She brought the wheelchair to the stage, and Huang Jiesan, still carrying his father, placed him in the wheelchair.
The old gentleman, sitting in the wheelchair, sniffed a few times and asked his son, "Jiesan, what's being cooked in that pot? It's making me drool!"
His words made those around him chuckle.
It wasn't just him; many people were wiping the corners of their mouths.
Huang Jiesan pointed at Cheng Xiaofan and introduced him to his father, "Dad, what's being cooked is steamed crucian carp, made by this young gentleman. He specifically prepared a plate just for you to taste!"
Upon hearing this, the old gentleman's face broke into a smile like a blooming chrysanthemum. He nodded at Cheng Xiaofan and said, "Young man, thank you!"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and replied, "Old sir, you're welcome. Please let that plate of fish steam for a while longer before you eat it, okay?"
The old gentleman chuckled, "Certainly, certainly. Just smelling the aroma is already a pleasure!"
At this moment, Cheng Xiaofan walked over to the stove and lifted the lid of the pot.
Boom!
A wave of fragrance exploded outwards, spreading in all directions.
Those nearby seemed captivated, desperately inhaling the scent through their noses, their stomachs contracting several times.
There was no fish smell in the world better than this.
The contestants exchanged glances, frozen for a moment.
Cheng Xiaofan took out one of the plates of fish and placed it on a table nearby.
He put the lid back on the pot, extinguished the fire, and used the residual heat to steam the other fish.
Next, Cheng Xiaofan took out dozens of pairs of chopsticks, placed them on the table, bowed to the judges with a smile, and said, "Please, esteemed judges, taste it."
Liu Tingshu, the chief judge, led the way, followed by Miller, Huang Jiesan, and the other eight judges. Each approached the table, picked up a piece of fish with chopsticks, and put it in their mouths.
Liu Tingshu had tasted Cheng Xiaofan's exquisite dishes many times before, and the ingredients for his granddaughter Liu Xinyue's hotel were all provided by Cheng Xiaofan.
Despite this, after tasting a piece of fish, he couldn't help but widen his eyes, his face filled with astonishment and excitement.
"My God, this fish is divine!" Miller exclaimed after picking up a piece of fish and chewing it gently.
Huang Jiesan stepped forward, picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks, tasted it, and sighed, "Now I understand why Mr. Cheng has the confidence to call himself the God of Cookery!"
The eight judges ate half of the large crucian carp, with the other half to be tasted by representatives of the contestants.
Han Cheng was the first to step forward. He flipped over the large crucian carp with his chopsticks and picked out a small piece to put in his mouth.
Before he even chewed, he shivered all over, his eyes wide open.
After a long pause, Han Cheng carefully chewed the piece of fish, swallowed it, and closed his eyes. At that moment, his expression suggested he was immersed in some wondrous state.
When he opened his eyes, he bowed deeply to Cheng Xiaofan, who was standing nearby, and said, "Brother Cheng, I apologize. My words earlier were too crude!"
"I concede to you. I've lost. If anyone is the God of Cookery, it is you, undoubtedly!"
Cheng Xiaofan quickly clasped his fists in return and smiled, "Brother Han, it's too early to determine the winner. I've boasted that I can cure Judge Huang's father's hemiplegia with steamed crucian carp.
"If I can't cure him on the spot, I'll give up the title of God of Cookery, and I'll still hand over the one million dollars!"
Whoosh!
The audience below erupted in applause for Cheng Xiaofan's noble spirit.
When it was the turn of the other contestant representatives to taste the crucian carp, each of them praised it effusively after tasting it.
Without a doubt!
All the contestants unanimously agreed that Cheng Xiaofan had won.
They all knew very well that they couldn't possibly prepare such a delicious steamed crucian carp themselves.
"I can't believe it. Just by eating a small piece of fish, my itching seems to have disappeared!" a contestant exclaimed in amazement.
"Huh, how magical,"
Prompted by him, Han Cheng immediately said, "I had surgery for cholecystitis last year, and the scar on my abdomen has been itchy. Doctors couldn't do anything about it. After eating a piece of fish just now, that unbearable itch suddenly disappeared!"
"Heavens, I never imagined that Cheng Xiaofan's steamed crucian carp would have such miraculous effects!"