The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Fu Yu was surprised and saw Liu Yunong slightly raise an eyebrow.

Liu Yunong looked Fu Yu up and down and asked, ”Are you planning to ask to be my apprentice?”

Fu Yu nodded, ”Yes.”

Although they shared a simple exchange, Fu Yu could clearly feel a noticeable hint of schadenfreude from the onlookers around them.

This made him feel as if he was sitting on pins and needles.

Since the city’s publicity department suggested adding an apprenticeship segment to the competition, many contestants had been secretly seeking connections to approach the judges.

Perhaps it was because Liu Yunong was the only female among the judges, or because she seemed more approachable, that the most people sought her out, only to be politely refused one by one, leading contestants to gradually shift their focus away from her.

The contestants who had been turned down suddenly noticed someone daring enough to try again, and found it amusing.

They all eagerly watched the scene, anticipating what kind of polite refusal Fu Yu would receive.

With the competition starting the day after tomorrow, the staff from the publicity department were busy, and the judges rarely had free time to arrange their own schedules.

Everyone had their own businesses and work to attend to, and today, when everyone finally had time, the chief planner hurriedly discussed and finalized all the competition-related matters with them.

Tomorrow, preparations for various pre-competition checks were to begin.

After recent events, Liu Yunong had realized that if she didn’t proactively take an apprentice, the chief planner would inevitably assign one to her for the sake of the competition’s publicity.

Reflecting on all the contestants’ appearances and profiles, Liu Yunong felt that it was better to choose someone she liked to spark some attention rather than leaving it up to others.

If it was for publicity, they should go all out to capture attention.

She was also quite interested in the perks and conveniences offered by the publicity department.

If she could really open a branch in Bei’an, her sister would have some security with a place of her own, allowing her to worry less.

When Fu Yu asked to be her apprentice earlier, Liu Yunong felt relieved.

In fact, from the first time she met Fu Yu, she thought the young man left a good impression.

He looked spirited, seemed polite, and crucially, she recognized him as the one running frantically to be early a few days ago.

Even though there was half an hour before rehearsal time, Fu Yu arrived even earlier, earning Liu Yunong’s favorable opinion.

As a chef, punctuality was critical, and Liu Yunong not only had a strong sense of time herself, but also high expectations for her colleagues.

She greatly disliked tardiness, so Fu Yu’s actions resonated with her.

In particular, Fu Yu’s appearance and demeanor were indeed excellent.

Amid the group of contestants, he stood out remarkably.

Liu Yunong nodded at Fu Yu, ”You work at Qianlima Restaurant. How old are you this year?”

Fu Yu, ”Twenty-two.”

Liu Yunong asked again, ”How many years have you been working?”

Fu Yu replied honestly, ”One year.”

Liu Yunong looked at Fu Yu in surprise, ”You’ve been working for a year, so you went to culinary school? Started at seventeen?”

Fu Yu nodded, ”Yes, I transferred to culinary school without finishing my senior year of high school.”

Generally, those studying culinary arts enter vocational schools at sixteen or seventeen and gain experiences by assisting chefs after graduation.

However, Fu Yu, having worked only a year, was sent to participate in the chef competition,

suggesting either extraordinary talent or an exceptional mentor.

Reevaluating Fu Yu, Liu Yunong found herself more impressed.

”What aspect of cooking are you adept at?”

Liu Yunong had criteria for this, as chefs differ from other professions.

Even in cooking, proficiency varies by specialization, making classification quite detailed.

Liu Yunong herself excelled in methods like braising and steaming, so her apprentices were specialists in those areas.

However, her current chain of restaurants primarily served fast food, so she also delved into skills like quick-frying and cold dishes.

She wanted to know Fu Yu’s personal skills.

This mattered greatly.

Although the apprentice ceremony was a publicity stunt,

they all understood the reality, while outsiders wouldn’t.

The Sanjiang Tourism Festival was organized on a grand scale, with the chef competition prominently featured, ensuring wide publicity.

If word spread, insiders would all know who her apprentice was, and any lackluster skills or poor character might eventually reflect poorly on her.

Now managing her own business, she had to ponder carefully.

Fu Yu, confident in his skills, earnestly said, ”I’m quite good at all of it.”

Liu Yunong laughed.

The onlookers, however, did not laugh along.

Among them, at least half had fallen to Liu Yunong in some form.

Although she seemed classy and elegant with a pretty face, she had a way of being quite cutting with her words.

Liu Yunpeng, among the contestants, mumbled seeing Liu Yunong’s smile, ”Descendant of Lady Liu, thinking she’s something special? Traveling abroad a few times makes her ’International Liu’? If not for the organizers wanting this apprentice ceremony, no way am I calling her Master, how does she even qualify!”

Apprenticeship was not something Liu Yunpeng wanted to comply with.

At forty-two, having been the head chef for nearly sixteen years with two apprentices himself,

the idea of apprenticing under a woman in her thirties felt humiliating!

Yet his boss insisted he cooperate and seek Liu Yunong as his mentor.

On one hand, Liu Yunong was fairly well-known in the industry, genuinely skilled and talented.

On the other, Liu Yunong carrying the legacy of Lady Liu was a notable draw.

That kind of gimmick outweighed the attention one might gain from a single chef competition, promising greater impact for the restaurant.

Liu Yunpeng met Liu Yunong through his boss’ efforts to pull strings.

When he met her, she asked what culinary skills he excelled in almost immediately.

After answering, she bombarded him with several more questions.

After his replies, she cheerfully told him he didn’t meet her standards for an apprentice, straightforwardly rejecting him.

Not a hint of courtesy or politeness, just one sentence, sending him away.