Ch. 881..890
Chapter 881: Like a Cup of Milk Cap_1 “Since Cindy Clarke is already the CEO’s wife of Pingla, can Adrian Zhekova let her be eliminated so easily?” someone commented sarcastically.
“Plus,” another person chimed in, “if Cindy Clarke’s cuisine is really that good, what difference would it make if Jenny Kirk targeted her?
Would she blatantly lie?
In the face of real strength, everything else is superficial.
It won’t work even if Jenny Kirk wants to harm her.”
“If Cindy Clarke really loses, it just means her skills are not up to the mark.”
“Your words are wrong; this competition strictly depends on the judges’ scores.
We, the audience, can’t taste it, so we can’t vote,” someone pointed out.
“So only the judges know whether it tastes good or not,” the person said, “What if it tastes good, but Jenny Kirk says it doesn’t, insisting on giving a low score to Cindy Clarke?”
“Do you think the other judges are foolish?
...
If the other judges give high scores, but Jenny Kirk gives low scores, wouldn’t it further prove that Jenny Kirk is targeting Cindy Clarke deliberately?” someone countered.
“Then the error lies with Jenny Kirk.
Who sent Jenny Kirk here?
It was the International Culinary Competition organizer.
Though the mistake could be on Jenny Kirk’s part, the organizer wouldn’t be able to absolve themselves.”
“Can Jenny Kirk withstand such a huge responsibility?”
“That’s not certain,” someone else stated, “What if Cindy Clarke’s dish is not tasteful, and Jenny Kirk is merely telling the truth?”
“Don’t you forget, you just said that Cindy Clarke is married to Adrian Zhekova,” someone mentioned, “What if the other judges, due to their connection with Adrian Zhekova, give high marks to Cindy Clarke?
What if they favor her?”
“All these can’t be proven since we can’t taste Cindy Clarke’s cuisine, we can’t determine who is telling the truth.” the person talked.
“You’ve been gloating the entire time; do you have such little faith in people?” someone rebuked.
“Am I gloating?
I’m just stating a possibility, how does that count as gloating?
You can’t just look at Cindy Clarke through rose-colored glasses because she married Adrian Zhekova and think she is perfect.
You are actually bootlicking, do you realize that?”
“We think Cindy Clarke is good, and you think it’s because of the rich filter?
I think there’s something wrong with your worldview!” someone argued back, “Why don’t you see how hard Cindy Clarke had to work in the past?”
“Her inspirational experience is a good lesson for many young people.” someone said, “This has nothing to do with her marrying Adrian Zhekova, it’s because of her strong personality that inspires admiration.
The fact that she met and married Adrian Zhekova can only be attributed to fate.”
“It goes to show that those who strive in life are never treated unfairly,” that person said, “I see optimism and ambition in this, yet how come you see only the negative and distorted aspects?”
“You!”
The audience was about to start quarreling.
Someone intervened, urging, “Alright, alright, calm down and watch.
Cindy Clarke is about to present her dish.”
Upon hearing this, everyone looked over.
Naturally, those who hoped for Cindy Clarke to do well were very concerned.
Moreover, those who harbored different intentions, hoping for Cindy Clarke to slip up, were also keeping a close eye.
They saw Cindy Clarke bring out six small European-style double-eared white glass cups.
The petite cups were no larger than the size of a palm.
Cindy Clarke poured the tomato soup into the cup first, then took the piping bag filled with mashed potatoes, and squeezed it on the surface of the soup.
Incredibly, the mashed potatoes lingered on the surface of the soup and didn’t sink, due to her fine preparation.
From a distance, the soup Cindy Clarke made resembled creamy coffee.
The tomato red paired with the milky yellow mashed potatoes made for a surprisingly nice color combination.
Even within a glass cup, the colors were displayed more vividly.
“Time’s up!” With Grace Green’s announcement, the countdown on the big screen cleared to zero.
“Now, in the order from left to right on the cooking stations, judges will taste the first round of soups prepared by contestants.”
On the cooking stations, the contestants’ names are displayed.
They weren’t arranged according to ranking.
Instead, they were arranged alphabetically.
As such, Cindy Clarke, whose initial is Y, ended up second to last.
The very last position belonged to Leon Hernandez, whose initial was Z.
As it had just been New Year, the weather was still cold.
Therefore, the major competition was held indoors at the gymnasium.
The heating in the gymnasium was cranked up high, and everyone had taken off their coats.
There were even people who wore only shirts or short sleeves.
In these room conditions, it was guaranteed that the soup wouldn’t cool down in a short amount of time.
The organizer had specially hired waiters to serve the dishes during this round.
Six waiters went up together, first bringing Bartholomew Bailey’s soup to the judges’ table.
We have now entered the top ten.
And nine of them were students from under Pingla Academy.
Naturally, there would be no mistakes in their dishes.
We are only looking to see whether they will outshine others.
Bartholomew Bailey made Tom Yum soup.
“The taste of this Tom Yum soup is sour and spicy, very appetizing, suitable for drinking before a meal,” Rosaline Parker commented.
“The unique taste of lemon leaves and citronella is very prominent, and it’s less spicy than what I’ve previously tasted,” Michael Greene mentioned.
Bartholomew Bailey nodded, “Since it’s supposed to be consumed on an empty stomach before the meal, I was afraid that too much spice would stimulate the stomach.
Therefore, I used less chili, just enough to enhance flavor without setting your mouth on fire.”
Wesley Gordon agreed, “It’s very comfortable to drink.
Moreover, the coconut milk acts as a buffering agent.
Amidst the acidity and spiciness of the lemon leaves and citronella, the scent of coconut milk is also perceptible.”
When it came to Jenny Kirk, she remarked, “The taste is good, very close to what I had in Siam Country, but I feel that it lacks a bit.”
As to what was lacking, Jenny Kirk didn’t specify.
Peggy Lewis chuckled lightly from the stage, “She can’t name it, yet she still insists on appearing knowledgeable.”
Jenny Kirk had been targeting Cindy Clarke just now and Peggy Lewis was already restless.
The other judges raised an eyebrow at Jenny Kirk’s comment.
Charles Dean rather bluntly said, “I also stayed in Siam Country for a few months and had extensive dialogues with local homegrown chefs.
I believe that Bartholomew Bailey’s soup has completely captured the essence.
The ‘missing taste’ Miss Kirk spoke of may well be the spiciness.”
“And this spiciness was exactly what Bartholomew Bailey adjusted, considering our current circumstances.
This indicates that it is not that he cannot produce a more authentic taste, but that he is tailoring the taste for us, as diners.”
“This thoughtfulness is more valuable than the authentic local flavor,” said Charles Dean.
Jenny Kirk smiled, “Chef Charles Dean indeed makes a valid point.”
Chapter 882: Looks like the temper is really good _1 Following that, Cynthia Florine and Jasmine Hudson came up.
This time, Jenny Kirk learned her lesson.
Instead of showcasing her “uniqueness”, she synthesized the opinions of previous judges before speaking.
Although it did not make much difference, at least it prevented her from making mistakes.
However, it only made people look down on her even more.
At first glance, it’s clear she lacks solid substance.
Just a while ago when she came on stage, she bragged about how she worked with many renowned chefs and amassed phenomenal knowledge.
...
She claimed she had learned so much from these masters.
So we thought she would have some insightful ideas.
The audience does not necessarily need her to say something unique, just something that makes sense.
But what did Jenny Kirk do?
She merely repeated what the other five judges said.
What’s the point of having her as a judge then?
Isn’t that just annoying?
“Miss Kirk’s opinion, it seems, is in agreement with all of ours,” Hunter Clarke remarked, not without a hint of sarcasm.
Jenny Kirk’s smile faltered a bit as she quickly responded, “Mainly because five judges have said it all, there really is nothing for me to add.”
Hunter Clarke just scoffed, ignoring her reply.
Jenny thought that she’d provided a good comeback, enough to leave Hunter speechless.
When it came to Yannick O’Brian’s turn, the waiters served his soup.
Despite the pleasant room temperature, the soup was still covered with a warming cover.
Only when the waiter lifted the lid could one see the soup Yannick had prepared.
It was a broth made from beef, with cucumbers finely chopped into small pieces, as well as peas and baby carrots.
“I let the beef soup simmer slowly, constantly skimming off the foam and oil,” explained Yannick.
“This keeps the broth clear.”
At that point, the camera cut to a close-up of the soup.
The audience could see that the broth was a light tea color, so clear that you could see the white bottom of the bowl.
Yannick used a shallow soup dish from Western cuisine.
The plate looked big, but only the middle small part could hold soup.
Moreover, it was particularly shallow, just a few sips, and it would be finished.
But because of this, you could see the bottom of the bowl clearly.
There were a few scattered veggies in the bowl.
“Because there are more dishes in sequence, I didn’t put too many veggies in the soup,” said Yannick, “I wanted to avoid the judges consuming too much and losing their appetite for the following dishes.”
“What if it were in a restaurant setting?” Wesley Gordon asked.
“The same principle applies in restaurants,” Yannick stated, “We do not deliberately reduce the amount of vegetables in the soup for profit.”
“One reason is for aesthetic purposes.
The other reason is because, just like the judges, diners will also be eating more dishes later on.
Although not as many as the judges, to keep the appetite up for the diners, it’s better to serve less appetizing soup.”
“Especially for female customers, who usually don’t eat much.
Considering the combination of dishes, this portion size is actually enough.
Soup before a meal is good, but not too much,” explained Yannick.
What Yannick did not mention was that he had purposely chosen to make a soup with a delicate flavor.
If the soup served at the beginning of a meal was too flavorful and overpowering, it could easily overwhelm the taste buds.
That could potentially affect the tasting of the dishes that followed.
However, considering Bartholomew Bailey made a tom yum soup, which is known for its strong flavors.
Yannick decided not to mention his point.
If Yannick had shared his thought, he might have inadvertently undermined Bartholomew’s high praises from the judges.
Even though they were competitors, Yannick didn’t bring it up.
This competition was all about learning and growing.
There wasn’t actually that much competitive tension.
While they hadn’t been that close back in school,
after being teammates for so long, everyone got along well.
They had grown into friends, not just former classmates.
Since the judges didn’t say anything, Yannick kept quiet to avoid causing trouble for Bartholomew.
At that moment, Hunter Clarke said, “So far, we’ve always been the ones to comment first.
We’ve overlooked our first-time judge, Miss Kirk.”
“Today is Miss Kirk’s first and last time as a judge.
With such a unique opportunity, it would be a shame if she couldn’t get much screen time.”
The rest knew Hunter Clarke too well.
They could tell Hunter was plotting something mischievous.
They all played along.
“Right, that was my oversight,” Wesley Gordon admitted first.
“Us gentlemen don’t possess your keen insight, Clarke.”
“Teacher Clarke is right,” Rosaline Parker quickly agreed.
“We have failed to show proper hospitality today.”
Charles Dean also chimed in: “Yes, let’s give the first comment opportunity to Miss Kirk.”
They managed to appear courteous.
However, to the audience on the scene, their scheme was transparent!
The audience couldn’t help but chuckle.
Peggy Lewis commented to her child, “These judges are really funny.”
“They’re all good people!” the child declared, giving a thumb up.
“Yes!” Peggy Lewis nodded earnestly.
Lyke Zhekova had been listening to Peggy Lewis and the little one chat for quite a while now.
He thought to himself how well these two got along, with no generational gap and sharing a delightful conversation.
Although the pair had been whispering nonstop beside him,
it was oddly not annoying to Lyke Zhekova.
In fact, he found it quite amusing.
Listening to their chat, he didn’t even notice that he had been sporting a smile the entire time.
There was a constant smile on his face.
Aria Evans, while watching the stage, also kept an eye on Lyke Zhekova.
She nudged Samson Zhekova and asked in a low voice, “Doesn’t Fourth Uncle usually get really annoyed when girls chatter nonstop?
He says it’s too noisy.”
Samson Zhekova was not bothered by people’s chatter, so he hadn’t noticed.
But now, after hearing what Aria said, he turned to look at Lyke.
Just as he suspected!
Peggy Lewis was still chattering away with the child at this moment.
However, there wasn’t a hint of annoyance on Lyke’s face.
In fact, he was smiling.
It seemed like he was in a great mood!
Samson Zhekova mischievously moved closer to Lyke and whispered, “Fourth Uncle.”
Lyke turned his head to look at Samson, his brow furrowed.
For some reason, he felt Samson’s expression at the moment was oddly familiar.
As if he had seen it on someone else before.
But he couldn’t remember who, so he asked, “What is it?”
“Don’t you always complain about women chattering nonstop beside you, saying it’s too loud?” Samson kept his voice extremely low, afraid Peggy might hear and take offense.
“Yes, so?” Lyke, still clueless, asked Samson in confusion.
Samson subtly pointed towards Peggy Lewis, “Isn’t Morgan’s godmother always talking?”
Right at that moment, Peggy stopped talking as she felt a little thirsty.
She bent down to pick up her milk tea from under the chair and took a few sips.
Chapter 883: Did He Misunderstand?
_1 The little one was also holding the milk tea that Peggy Lewis bought for him and took a few sips.
The two of them together let out a satisfying sigh of praise.
Just finished drinking, quenching their thirst, immediately Peggy Lewis started chattering away to the little one.
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
Holy cow, she really was!
How did he not notice it just now!
...
Lyke Zhekova was astonished.
He didn’t find that Peggy Lewis was noisy at all!
Lyke Zhekova looked back at Samson Zhekova again.
Samson Zhekova asked with anticipation on his face, “Why?
Why?”
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
“I just thought, she’s quite interesting when she talks,” Lyke Zhekova said, “like listening to a comedy sketch.”
Lyke Zhekova asked Samson Zhekova in return, “Do you think it’s noisy when you listen to a comedy sketch?”
Samson Zhekova turned his head and started speaking to Aria Evans, “My uncle is just being stubborn, he might actually have a thing for her.”
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
He was just right there, okay?
He could hear everything Samson Zhekova was saying!
Of course, originally, Samson Zhekova had no intention of hiding it from Lyke Zhekova.
Lyke Zhekova grit his teeth and whispered to Samson Zhekova, “Nonsense!”
He just met her for the first time, like her?
He didn’t even get a good look at what Peggy Lewis looks like!
Then, Lyke Zhekova suddenly froze.
Because while he was thinking like this, Peggy Lewis’s face clearly appeared in his mind.
The way she was fired up earlier because Cindy Clarke was being bullied, wanting to rush onstage to protect her.
That image is still in his mind, very vivid.
To be honest, Lyke Zhekova usually has some degree of face-blindness to women.
While it’s not to the extent that he sees everybody without a face.
But he really has a hard time remembering what others look like.
Even after seeing someone seventy or eighty or ninety times, he’s not sure he would remember.
Of course, this probably also has something to do with the fact that Lyke Zhekova has never really paid attention.
Because he had only seen Cindy Clarke once, but he remembered what Cindy Clarke looks like.
But as for Peggy Lewis, he just met her today.
Throughout, he was always watching the stage.
So surprisingly, why could he remember Peggy Lewis’s face so clearly?!
A crucial point is, he has no relation to Peggy Lewis, there was no necessity for him to remember what she looks like.
For Cindy Clarke, he was afraid of not being able to recognize her and therefore feeling awkward, so he tried his best to remember.
He even watched many clips of Cindy Clarke from the competitions.
But for Peggy Lewis, he only looked at her a few times.
Lyke Zhekova felt a bit of a chill.
So, he looked at Peggy Lewis again.
At this moment, Peggy Lewis was excitedly watching the stage, waiting to hear what Jenny Kirk’s comments were.
Jenny Kirk doesn’t have much taste, what could she possibly comment!
Wesley Gordon and the others just want to embarrass Jenny Kirk on purpose.
Therefore, Peggy Lewis’s face was shining with anticipation.
Looking at her glowing face, Lyke Zhekova was a little dazed.
Suddenly, he heard someone calling him: “Grandfather, Grandfather!”
Lyke Zhekova came back to his senses and saw the little one propped up on Peggy Lewis’s leg with his elbow, with his hands supporting his cute little face and said: “Grandfather, what are you looking at?”
Even though the little one was asking what he was looking at, he was clearly full of curiosity.
Clearly asking: “Why do you keep looking at my Godmother?”
However, the little one still knows his bounds well.
Mainly because he didn’t want to make Peggy Lewis uncomfortable.
Considering that Peggy Lewis was around, thats why the little one didn’t ask too directly.
If Peggy Lewis was not there right now, the little one would have just straight out asked.
He wouldn’t care about Lyke Zhekova feeling awkward at all.
All of a sudden, Lyke Zhekova understood where he got that familiar feeling when he looked at Samson Zhekova before.
His gossiping nephew and his nosy grandson.
They are literally two peas in a pod when they gossip!
Lyke Zhekova just smiled at the little one and said, “Of course, I was looking at you.
You’re so adorable, I can’t get enough of looking at you.”
The little one, for a moment, wasn’t sure whether Lyke Zhekova was telling the truth or not.
After all, he really was very cute and lovable.
It’s understandable if Lyke Zhekova couldn’t help but want to look at him.
Moreover, it was just the right spot for him to be sitting on Peggy Lewis’s side.
If Lyke Zhekova wanted to look at him, he would indeed be looking in the direction of Peggy Lewis.
It’s also possible that Lyke Zhekova was really looking at him.
Did he misunderstand it?
“Let’s listen to what Jenny Kirk has to say,” Lyke Zhekova reminded.
At this time, Jenny Kirk was already pushed to the front on the stage.
She had no choice but to brace herself and take a sip, saying, “Not bad, the soup is very clear, there is not a bit of oil floating on top, but it is not lacking in flavor when you drink it, you can tell Yannick O’Brian really put in an effort.”
“However, I personally think that the soup is slightly bland.
Even though it’s beef soup, it’s not that impressive,” Jenny Kirk added, “But, it’s still pretty decent.”
After Jenny Kirk finished speaking, Michael Greene shook his head and said, “I can guess why Yannick O’Brian did it this way.”
“Because the main course is still to come, the soup in the beginning is mainly to serve as a base, to make the guests feel more comfortable when eating the later courses.
That’s why Yannick O’Brian didn’t choose a soup with a strong flavor.
He didn’t want to overwhelm the guest’s taste buds, so that after drinking the soup, being stimulated by the heavy flavor would reduce their anticipation and appetite for the later courses.”
“Is that so?” Michael Greene asked Yannick O’Brian.
Only then did Yannick O’Brian nod his head.
He didn’t want to sabotage Bartholomew Bailey, but since Michael Greene had already brought it up, Yannick O’Brian just admitted it generously.
Rosaline Parker scooped a spoonful of soup and said, “Can the camera please switch over here for a moment.”
Waiting for the close-up shot to come, Rosaline Parker slowly raised her spoon a little higher and slowly poured the soup back into the bowl like a small stream.
“As the audience can also see, the soup is clear and not oily,” Rosaline Parker said.
Jenny Kirk sneered, didn’t she just say that?
Rosaline Parker’s level seemed to be just so-so.
“However, the soup tastes very flavorful when you drink it, it’s actually not bland at all, this shows that the soup has been properly stewed,” Rosaline Parker said, “It has extracted all the essence from the beef, and even if you eat the beef left in the soup pot now, it definitely won’t taste good anymore.
Because the essence is already in the soup.”
“The star of the show is the soup, not the beef.
The soup does not see the meat, but it sees the aroma of the meat, it’s incredibly clever,” Rosaline Parker said.
Hunter Clarke added, “The green beans are soft and smooth, the little radish is cooked to melty softness but retains its original shape.
The cucumber has soaked up all the beef soup, bite into it and you get all the beefy flavor, mixed with the refreshing taste of the cucumber.”
“The essence of the beef has not only been stewed into the soup but also into the vegetables in the soup,” said Wesley Gordon, “It’s like watching a mind-blowing movie, where each part is connected to the other, it’s amazingly intricate.”
Jenny Kirk: “…”
It’s just a bowl of beef soup, right?
They talked it up as if it’s some rare delicacy!
“Next, it’s the dish by Cindy Clarke,” Grace Green said.
Chapter 884: Cindy Clarke, are you arguing with the judge?_1 Finally, it came!
The audience was all ears.
Not that they were looking forward to Cindy Clarke’s dish.
Of course, they were.
But at this point, the Top 10, every contestant was worthy of their anticipation.
Every dish eagerly awaited.
However, what the audience was more eager for was Jenny Kirk’s evaluation.
...
Jenny Kirk was so critical of Cindy Clarke, the audience was curious to see how she would comment on Cindy Clarke’s cuisine.
“Cindy Clarke seems to be at a disadvantage with this order.
Of course, Leon Hernandez is even worse off.”
“Being last and second to last makes no difference really.”
“Even if the judges only take a sip each time, it would still have some impact at this stage.”
At this point, the waiter served Cindy Clarke’s soup to the judges.
This time, Michael Greene and the others didn’t dare let Jenny Kirk comment first.
Through the previous events, they already knew what Jenny Kirk was like.
If they let Jenny Kirk comment first, given her unfathomable hostility towards Cindy Clarke, who knows what she might say.
Better for them to go first and set the tone.
The judges were not inclined to show favoritism towards Cindy Clarke.
They just genuinely believed in her skills.
No matter what, she wouldn’t crash and burn.
Wesley Gordon took a small spoonful of the mashed potatoes floating on the surface of the soup and said, “If I hadn’t seen your cooking process, I would have thought this layer was cream.”
“It’s very fluffy, visibly light to the eye.” Wesley Gordon said, taking a taste of the mashed potatoes, “There’s a faint spiciness from the pepper and the fragrance of the parsley.”
Then, he scooped up some mashed potatoes and soup together and took a bite.
“Normally the fragrance of parsley can be somewhat overpowering, but the acidity of the tomatoes perfectly balances it.
Combined with the creamy, silky smooth texture of the mashed potatoes, the complexity of flavors is something rarely seen,” said Michael Greene.
Rosaline Parker took a sip and said, “The soup also has a slight sweetness that counterbalances the sourness.
Too little sugar produces an overly sour taste, too much and it’s too sweet, so getting this balance right is quite difficult.”
“But the balance of sour and sweet here is just right,” Rosaline Parker added.
Charles Dean, who was always a fan of Cindy Clarke’s cuisines, said, “I feel like it has reopened my appetite.”
Jenny Kirk had to admit, Cindy Clarke’s soup was indeed delicious.
She didn’t expect Cindy Clarke to be this talented.
“Miss Kirk?” reminded Grace Green, indicating that it was Jenny Kirk’s turn to comment.
“Other than disappointment, I have nothing else to say.” Jenny Kirk said, “I had previously watched several episodes of the competition, and in each one, Cindy Clarke did exceptionally well.”
“So I’ve been looking forward to Cindy Clarke’s performance.
But this soup, while not bad, falls far short of my expectations,” said Jenny Kirk.
Cindy Clarke knew Jenny Kirk was looking for a fight.
“May I know what Miss Kirk’s expectations are?
If you could tell me, I could improve on them at home,” said Cindy Clarke.
Jenny Kirk: “…”
She had no idea what her own expectations were!
What was she supposed to say?
“Cindy Clarke, are you arguing with the judge?” Jenny Kirk’s face darkened as she interrogated.
“Not at all, Miss Kirk, you misunderstand,” Cindy Clarke responded indifferently, “I just want to know where I’m lacking, even if I’m eliminated from this competition.
As long as I know my deficiencies and what to correct, this competition would still be a great gains for me.”
Chapter 885: Shameless!_1 Jenny Kirk couldn’t bring herself to say it.
She didn’t understand!
She just felt that Cindy Clarke was putting her on the spot.
“I think you can go back and think about it on your own,” said Jenny Kirk, “Do you need people to tell you everything before you understand?”
After saying this, Jenny Kirk didn’t want to give Cindy Clarke another chance to speak, she confidently said, “Next!”
Cindy Clarke had no intention of continuing the standoff with Jenny Kirk either.
Rosaline Parker, on the other hand, had no plans to let Jenny Kirk off the hook so easily.
Rosaline said to Jenny Kirk, “I also want to know what you think is insufficient about this dish.”
Jenny Kirk looked up with irritation.
This Rosaline, does she ever stop?!
...
Jenny Kirk took a deep breath, “Alright, since you’re all asking me to voice my thoughts, I’ll do it.”
“This soup is too thick and not refreshing enough.” Jenny said, “I remember the beef soup that Yannick O’Brian just made.
The judges all said that it was light and refreshing, and it wouldn’t affect the appetite and taste for the dishes to come.”
“But Cindy’s soup here is mildly thick and the flavor is a bit strong,” Jenny continued, “Isn’t this detrimental to the tasting of the subsequent dishes?
That’s why I think Cindy’s soup isn’t as good as the judges said.”
Wesley Gordon shook his head, and Hunter Clarke said, “Cindy, what do you think about what Miss Kirk just said?”
Cindy then said, “This soup, only the judges have tasted, the audience hasn’t.
Therefore, no matter what I say, or what Miss Kirk says, it would be difficult for the audience to make judgments.”
“However, what I want to say is, this soup falls into the category of cream soups, but it is not overwhelmingly heavy.
It has a similar consistency to milk tea.
If the soup is too thin, it won’t hold the mashed potatoes, and they will sink to the bottom,” explained Cindy.
“The soup is slightly thick, so I used the natural sweetness and acidity of the tomato to stimulate the appetite.” Cindy explained, “I only added a small amount of crushed black pepper and parsley to the mashed potatoes, without adding any strong flavor.”
“It won’t steal the taste from the dishes to come.” Cindy explained.
“So what, you’re saying, you want the audience to try your soup?” Jenny Kirk said with a cold laugh, “No contestant here has done it before, why should you be the exception?”
“Cindy, how dare you suggest such a thing?” Jenny Kirk sneered, “Why do you deserve special treatment?
Just because you’re different?
Because of your special status, you’re seeking preferential treatment here?”
“I’m curious, how many special treatments have you received since the start of the competition.” Jenny Kirk sarcastically quipped.
After saying this, Jenny Kirk shook her head, “Forget it, it’s useless to talk about this now.”
“But Cindy, let me tell you, regardless of how you’ve received special treatment before, or how the judges have evaluated you, don’t expect any special treatment from me.” Jenny Kirk said coldly.
“I won’t turn a blind eye because of your relationship with the CEO of Pingla Group.” Jenny Kirk stated.
Peggy Lewis was fuming in the audience.
“When did Cindy Clarke get special treatment?!” Peggy Lewis wanted to curse.
She suddenly turned her head and asked her son, “Hey, did you bring the amplifier?”
“Yes!” The boy nodded.
He had long been annoyed by Jenny Kirk and couldn’t eat anymore.
Now empty-handed, he directly took out his backpack and fetched an amplifier.
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
Why would the kid bring this thing to watch the competition?
Lyke Zhekova couldn’t help but wonder, should he ask or not?
Before he could ask, he saw Peggy Lewis take the amplifier and suddenly stand up.
She turned on the amplifier and yelled towards the stage, “Who do you think you are Jenny Kirk, a layperson who was forced into this judging panel by the International Culinary Competition organizers, criticizing a bunch of professional chefs?
And you’re accusing Cindy Clarke of using her connections?”
“The one who’s really using connections and shameless is you!
Have some dignity!” Having finished yelling, Peggy Lewis felt tremendously relieved.
She took a satisfying breath and sat back down.
She had wanted to curse at Jenny Kirk for a long time!
Shameless!
Adrian Zhekova is a married man, yet Jenny Kirk is still harboring thoughts for him.
Although she didn’t manage to voice out these words just now, having called her shameless was enough to satisfy Peggy Lewis.
Jenny Kirk’s face changed drastically, turning from pale to green.
The audience, who had been stunned by Jenny Kirk’s words, almost got swayed by her.
Now, hearing Peggy Lewis’s words, they all snapped back to the reality.
Exactly.
Jenny Kirk knew nothing, yet she was nitpicking a bunch of professional chefs.
Why did they let someone who knew nothing be a judge?
Isn’t that because she was forced into the position?
Sure, Cindy Clarke is Adrian Zhekova’s wife.
But she didn’t get any special treatment for it, as far as the audience could see.
But today, Jenny Kirk, who was forced into it, was strutting around arrogantly, which everyone saw.
After Peggy Lewis sat down, she still felt unsatisfied.
So, she picked up the amplifier again and said, “You don’t know anything, blabber on without knowing the facts, yet you won’t let contestants seek fairness from the audience?”
“I never knew that seeking justice from the audience was considered as seeking special treatment!” The amplifier made her voice louder, and Peggy Lewis hollered, her voice was crystal clear.
Peggy Lewis was seated right under the stage, very close.
Thus, she wasn’t worried about being unheard on stage.
Peggy Lewis was more worried the audience couldn’t hear her.
What she yelled out was to let the audience know who was the one playing tricks, right?
Jenny Kirk said with a dark face, “Where’s the security?
Someone is disturbing the order now, please remove the person who is disturbing the competition!”
The security really didn’t know who Peggy Lewis was, and the scene was starting to get ugly.
This wasn’t supposed to be the scene of a final competition, the event was almost turning into a farce.
The security staff of the competition started moving towards her.
They only hesitated because she was a VIP seat audience.
It wasn’t because they would give VIP audience preferential treatment even if they caused trouble.
But most of these tickets were taken by the Zhekova family.
Peggy Lewis was in the Zhekova area.
These seats weren’t sold to the public, they were all reserved for the Zhekova family.
The rest of the VIP areas were open for sale to the public.
At this time, the other areas were also full of people.
Only the Zhekova side still had many seats empty, apart from the Zhekova family, the remaining seats were empty.
And Peggy Lewis was the only one who wasn’t a member of the Zhekova family but was sitting there.
How could the security not hesitate?
They had no choice but to walk up to her and politely said, “Miss…”
“I don’t think she said anything wrong.” Lyke Zhekova spoke up first.
How could the security not know who Lyke Zhekova was?
They quickly greeted him, “Mr.
Zhekova.”
“Don’t worry.
We, here, will absolutely not disturb the order of the competition.” Lyke Zhekova said.
Chapter 886: Where It Comes From, There It Goes Back_1 “The Pingla Competition is hosted by the Zhekova Family.
Would we really sabotage our own event?”
Security: “…”
The problem is, this Peggy Lewis isn’t a member of the Zhekova Family, right?
Mr.
Zhekova, don’t you think there’s something wrong with what you just said?
“Yes.” The security guard had no choice but to nod.
With Lyke Zhekova’s assurance, what else could they do?
They could only go back to where they came from.
...
Jenny Kirk’s expression immediately changed upon seeing this.
But upon seeing where Peggy Lewis was seated, she mistakenly thought that Peggy was part of the Zhekova Family.
Maybe she was with Lyke Zhekova’s group.
“There was a minor disruption, but we are resuming the competition,” said Grace Green.
The cameras quickly cut away from the scene of Jenny Kirk yelling at the security to eject Peggy Lewis from the Racecourse.
While the audience at the venue saw it.
The online audience watching the live broadcast did not.
Even if they found out, it would be after the fact.
As for Peggy Lewis’ scathing remarks to Jenny Kirk.
Sorry, the live broadcast didn’t cut that out.
It certainly wouldn’t be fair if only Jenny Kirk could critique others and no one else could say anything about Jenny Kirk, right?
The truth should be presented fairly, both sides of the view should be heard!
To avoid misleading the viewers who are not at the scene.
“Our last contestant, Leon Hernandez’s dish hasn’t been served yet.
If it gets any later, the taste of the dish may be affected,” Grace Green reminded.
Charles Dean quickly said, “Then please bring over Leon Hernandez’s dish now.”
No one was paying attention to Jenny Kirk anymore.
Jenny Kirk thought bitterly to herself, let them be smug for now.
After all, in the end, the score will decide everything.
What’s the use of talking big now!
Lyke Zhekova didn’t hear how Leon Hernandez’s dish was being critiqued on stage.
Instead, he turned to the little kid and asked, “Why do you carry an amplifier with you?”
Is this something people usually carry around with them?
He just couldn’t figure it out.
The little kid replied, “I came here to cheer for Cindy, in case my voice doesn’t carry over the other fans’, I brought the amplifier.”
So that’s why he had it with him.
See, it came in handy in the end.
Peggy Lewis held her chin high with pride: “Our Little Zhekova is so smart.”
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
After the judges finished critiquing Leon Hernandez’s dish.
Grace Green said, “Now, the waitstaff will hand each judge a ballot to score the contestants.”
“Judges, please fill in the scores you will be giving to each contestant in the first round,” said Grace Green.
Before the judges started scoring, the broadcast gave a closeup of the ballot.
To allow the viewers to see what the scoring sheet looked like.
At the top of the paper, it was written Soup Cuisine.
Following Soup Cuisine, were the names of the judges.
Below that, were the names of the ten contestants.
The judge was expected to give each contestant a score.
When the judges were writing their scores, the cameras only shot from a distance, not revealing the scores written on the paper.
“Judges, after you have finished scoring, please place the score sheet into an envelope,” Grace Green said.
The envelope already had the judge’s name on it.
This ensured that judges would not accidentally forget to write their names on the envelopes.
If it were not clear who the scores belonged to, it would be quite embarrassing.
“Please put the sealed envelopes into the box in front of the judges,” Grace Green added.
All six judges put the sealed envelopes into their respective boxes.
With the audience watching, no one could secretly change the scores.
Once all of the judges had put their envelopes into the boxes.
Grace Green again took the stage and announced, “Next, we start the second round, Meat Cuisine.”
“Time limit, 1 hour.”
After Meat Cuisine, it was time for Vegetarian Cuisine.
For the Vegetarian Cuisine, Cindy just straightforwardly made a vegetable dish.
She didn’t insist on making the vegetarian dish taste like meat.
Following the Vegetarian Cuisine, it was time for the Dessert category.
Dessert is different from pastry.
Cindy made a creamy, smooth soy pudding.
The sweet pudding came with a strong soy aroma, and was chilled straight from the refrigerator.
For those who had already had soup and two dishes, this cold, refreshing pudding served as a good palate cleanser.
Not to mention, the judges had to taste the dishes from all ten contestants.
Even if they only tasted one bite from every dish, it was still a big task.
After eating all this, they would need such a refreshing dessert to cleanse their palate and digest the food.
Other contestants chose to serve plums and hawthorns as palate cleansers.
After tasting all the dishes, the judges’ stomachs also got a rescue.
It seemed that Jenny Kirk had learned her lesson.
She didn’t blatantly target Cindy in the later stages of the judging process.
She didn’t speak too negatively about Cindy’s dishes.
But with each dish, there was always something that could be improved.
It’s just that her attitude wasn’t as aggressive as before.
So, with just one more round, the traditional Chinese pastry competition left.
Today’s competition wasn’t just a test for the contestants.
Even the audience had to endure sitting at the venue for so long.
Not to mention the contestants who had to stand on stage, constantly cooking.
This was also a significant test of their stamina.
For the traditional Chinese pastry, Cindy made a rose flavored cake.
She crushed rose petals and mixed them with rose wine, white sugar, and honey to make a rose jam.
She then steamed peeled green beans and mashed them into a puree in the food processor.
The finely mashed green beans, because she had removed the skins, were actually a pale yellow color.
Cindy poured mild-flavored oil into the pot, choosing to mix soybean oil with rapeseed oil, then added the green bean puree, stirring and adding white sugar.
She continued to stir until the green bean puree became a non-stick dough.
After that, Cindy wrapped the prepared rose filling in the green bean dough and used a mold to shape it.
Through the thin layer of green bean dough, the splendid red color of the rose seemed to shine.
The rose red color wasn’t uniformly distributed in the center.
During the process of molding, it would scatter a little in different directions.
Suddenly, it looked as if a delicate abstract painting had been drawn on the green bean cake.
Just visually, it was very pleasing.
Wesley Gordon took a bite: “It’s not very sweet, there’s a hint of alcohol in the rose filling.”
“Did you add wine to speed up the fermentation of the rose jam?” Wesley Gordon asked.
“Yes.
I only added low-alcohol rose wine, but there is a hint of the taste of alcohol, which can dilute the sweetness,” Cindy explained.
“Indeed.” Michael Greene nodded, “And this rose cake isn’t very sweet itself.
In the absence of a formal sugar ratio, I personally prefer this light taste.”
“This light taste is suitable for eating freshly made.
It can’t be kept for long,” Cindy said, “If you buy ready-made pastries from a shop, they will definitely be sweeter to extend the shelf life.”
“But now, since we have the conditions to make and eat it fresh, I have slightly reduced the sugar ratio,” Cindy said.
Chapter 887: Have you forgotten that I am by your side?
_1 “The sweet, crisp skin of the mung beans dissolves as soon as it is in your mouth.
The strong rose flavor of the rose hip jam inside lingers, making for a captivating ending,” Hunter Clarke nodded.
Charles Dean was more straightforward: “I’ve always liked Chinese pastries, which are totally different from Western ones, each with its own charm.
However, Chinese pastries are more exquisite in shape, delicate in texture, and the range of ingredients used is wider.
I’ve always admired this.”
After all ten contestants’ cuisines were finished, the judges had tried them all.
...
Having concluded the final Chinese pastry scoring round, the scoring result was placed in the box and locked away.
Grace Green returned to the stage.
“All the competitions are over for today,” Grace Green said, “Today’s competition had many dishes, took a long time, and was exhausting for the contestants, the audience, and the judges.”
“Now, here, I want to express my gratitude to the contestants, the audience, and the judges,” Grace Green said.
“Okay, let’s cut the small talk, let’s announce the contestants’ scores right now.
I think both the contestants and the audience are getting impatient,” Grace Green smiled.
“First, let’s announce the scores for the soup cuisine,” Grace Green said.
Grace Green said, “Please, staff, bring out the ballot box.”
Once the staff had checked and organized everything on-site, each type of cuisine was classified and organized.
Now Grace Green was holding six envelopes in her hand.
“What I’m holding now are the results of the first round of the soup competition,” Grace Green said.
“First, let’s see how Wesley Gordon scored,” Grace Green said.
“Bartholomew Bailey, 8.5 points.”
“Daniel Vahn, 8.5 points.”
“Cynthia Florine, 8.4 points.”
“Jasmine Hudson, 8.6 points.”
“Gladys Joy, 8.3 points.”
“Parker Honi, 8.8 points.”
“Aiden Huxley, 8.5 points.”
“Cindy Clarke, 8.8 points.”
“Yannick O’Brian, 8.7 points.”
“Leon Hernandez, 8.5 points.”
When Grace Green finished announcing, the scores were projected on the screen for the audience to witness.
“It seems that the judges’ demands have been high in the finals.
Not a single contestant reached 9 points this time,” Grace Green said.
“At present, the highest scores are from the contestants Parker Honi and Cindy Clarke, both with 8.8 points.
The runner-up is Yannick O’Brian, with 8.7 points,” Grace Green said.
“The scores Wesley Gordon gave to the contestants are very close,” Grace Green said, “Now, let’s see how Hunter Clarke scored.”
“Bartholomew Bailey, 8.6 points.”
“Daniel Vahn, 8.6 points.”
“Cynthia Florine, 8.5 points.”
“Jasmine Hudson, 8.5 points.”
“Gladys Joy, 8.4 points.”
“Parker Honi, 8.9 points.”
“Aiden Huxley, 8.5 points.”
“Cindy Clarke, 8.8 points.”
“Yannick O’Brian, 8.6 points.”
“Leon Hernandez, 8.6 points.”
After the original score sheet of Hunter Clarke was projected onto the big screen, the real-time summary of each contestant’s scores appeared on the side.
This made it easier for the audience to see the current ranking of the contestants.
“As we can see, so far the contestant with the highest total score is Parker Honi, but Cindy Clarke is very close behind.
The difference between the two is only 0.1 points,” Grace Green said.
“This is too tense,” a member of the audience said.
“I didn’t expect that Cindy Clarke would fall behind at this point, it seems a bit precarious for her.”
“Not necessarily, even if Cindy Clarke is behind in this round, there are still scores for the remaining cuisines.”
“And the third contestant, Yannick O’Brian, currently has a total of 17.3 points, which is 0.3 and 0.4 points behind Cindy Clarke and Parker Honi, respectively,” Grace Green said.
“Okay, now let’s look at Chef Michael Greene’s scores,” Grace Green said.
“Bartholomew Bailey, 8.5 points.”
“Daniel Vahn, 8.4 points.”
“Cynthia Florine, 8.3 points.”
“Jasmine Hudson, 8.3 points.”
“Gladys Joy, 8.2 points.”
“Parker Honi, 8.8 points.”
“Aiden Huxley, 8.4 points.”
“Cindy Clarke, 8.9 points.”
“Yannick O’Brian, 8.7 points.”
“Leon Hernandez, 8.7 points.”
“She caught up!” Peggy Lewis stared at the changing score rankings on the screen, unconsciously clutching the arm of Lyke Zhekova next to her, “They’re tied!”
Lyke Zhekova was taken aback, lowering his head to see an additional pure white hand on his wrist.
Peggy Lewis’s finger was clean and without any accessories.
It looked refreshing in its pure whiteness.
The only adornment on her wrist was a jade bracelet.
The bracelet was of a rice-jelly like quality, the base was greenish white like glutinous rice and even though jade is very hard, it had a soft vibe to it.
Floats of blue-green flowers adorned the greenish-white base.
It was apparent that she had been wearing this bracelet for a long time, the well-nourished texture was something new bracelets lacked.
Bracelets with this texture and clarity don’t come cheap, Lyke Zhekova could identify them but had no idea of the price for this specific texture.
Usually, if he wanted to buy, someone would recommend a set for him to choose from.
The options given to him were naturally top-tier.
It’s the type of products that have a price but no market.
Indeed, there’s a price, but it is unavailable to most buyers.
While it’s officially obtainable, good quality stock usually ends up in the hands of significant patrons.
Ordinary people, even with money, were unable to buy them.
Lyke Zhekova looked down, thinking the bracelet seemed to bring out the whiteness of her wrist even more.
Under the bracelet’s enhancement, Peggy Lewis’s wrist seemed even whiter.
Lyke Zhekova was even curious if her hand would glow under the moonlight?
For a moment, Lyke Zhekova was entranced.
It was only when he saw Lyke Zhekova looking at his wrist that Peggy Lewis realized that she had impulsively reached out and grabbed his wrist.
Lyke Zhekova kept staring, surely he found her unexplainable!
Peggy Lewis quickly let go, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I …
I forgot …”
Lyke Zhekova raised an eyebrow, “You forgot?”
“Did you forget that I am by your side?” Lyke Zhekova’s voice seemed filled with frustration.
Was he so insignificant to her?
Peggy Lewis:”…”
She did indeed discern that Lyke Zhekova’s mood didn’t seem too pleasant.
But Peggy Lewis didn’t know that Lyke Zhekova was less pleased because she had forgotten about his presence.
Peggy Lewis thought his inexplicable behavior was likely due to her abruptness.
After all, they were not familiar with each other, and she suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist.
This behavior did indeed seem pretty eccentric.
Should Lyke Zhekova have a character that’s not easily approachable, he would indeed be displeased by this.
Peggy Lewis was quite understanding.
She didn’t think too much about it.
For instance, she was taking advantage of Lyke Zhekova.
Peggy Lewis didn’t have that kind of thought.
She was a woman, how could she take advantage of him, a grown man?
She was not that unscrupulous.
While at this time, on stage, Charles Dean and Rosaline Parker had finished giving scores.
When Peggy Lewis looked again, only the real-time cumulative score rankings remained on the screen.
Chapter 888: Is There a Mistake_1 Thus far, the big screen showed the total score ranking.
First place: Cindy Clarke, 44.3 points.
Second place: Parker Honi, 44.2 points.
Third place: Yannick O’Brian, 43.4 points.
Fourth place: Leon Hernandez, 43.2 points.
Fifth place: Daniel Vahn, 42.6 points.
...
Sixth place: Bartholomew Bailey, 42.5 points.
Seventh place: Jasmine Hudson, 42.4 points.
Eighth place: Aiden Huxley, 42.4 points.
Ninth place: Cynthia Florine, 42.3 points.
Tenth place: Gladys Joy, 41.6 points.
“Cindy Clarke is in the lead!
She has overtaken the rest!” Peggy Lewis exclaimed excitedly.
Although it was only a 0.1 point lead, it was just the results of the first round.
There’s more to come!
Peggy Lewis believed in Cindy’s strength.
The scores in the next rounds might fluctuate, but the overall total would definitely not be lacking.
Bit by bit, the gap would surely widen!
Overwhelmed with excitement, Peggy subconsciously reached out to Lyke Zhekova again.
Even though Lyke’s Zhekova’s gaze was fixed on the big screen, in reality, his attention was all on Peggy Lewis.
Seeing her movements, before he could think, his hand had already moved instinctively.
Like a discreet lift of his wrist, shifting slightly towards Peggy.
It seemed like he wanted to make it more convenient for her to grasp his hand.
In fact, he really missed the sensation of her tiny hand gripping his wrist from earlier.
Just now, a part of his wrist was just exposed outside his sleeve.
Peggy had held onto his wrist directly, with nothing in between.
Lyke Zhekova could clearly feel the softness of Peggy’s palm and fingertips, soft as if there were no bones, and it was warm.
So, when Peggy let go, his wrist suddenly lost the warmth from her palm.
He even felt a bit empty, and he desired for Peggy to place her hand back on his wrist.
Thus, now Lyke seized the opportunity and took the initiative to cooperate.
Who would have thought, although Peggy reached out, she abruptly stopped herself.
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
It wouldn’t be right for him to just shove his wrist into Peggy’s hand.
Peggy’s reason had promptly returned.
Realizing what she was doing, she quickly stopped and pulled her hand back.
She solemnly rested her hand on her knee.
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
He really wanted to tell her, it’s okay to hold his hand.
However, afraid of making the same mistake again, Peggy directly picked up her milk tea, holding it with both hands.
This way, with something to grasp, her hand wouldn’t wander to the side again.
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
At this time, on stage, Grace Green picked up the last envelope in her hand.
“Okay, now, let’s see the scores from Judge Jenny Kirk.” Grace Green said with a smile as she opened the envelope.
But who would’ve thought that upon seeing the score inside, Grace Green’s smile nearly faltered.
Her smile froze for a moment, though it quickly returned to normal.
However, she couldn’t maintain the smile on her face.
Even as a professional host, Grace Green couldn’t maintain her smile.
A lot of keen-eyed audience members noticed Grace Green’s change.
Aside from a few particularly naive audience members who were oblivious to the different expression on Grace Green’s face signalling that something was amiss.
But most of the audience could tell that something was off.
Grace Green drew in a deep breath and said, “Let’s see Miss Kirk’s scores.”
“Bartholomew Bailey, 6.9 points.” When she called out the score, Grace Green’s voice was somewhat awkward.
The audience erupted in whispers.
“All the other judges gave scores above 8 points.
How come when it gets to Jenny Kirk, it suddenly dips?”
“Does she think the other judges scored too generously?
Are their standards not high enough?”
“What on earth is Jenny Kirk doing?
Does she know what she’s doing at all?”
“If you don’t understand, don’t randomly score!
This makes it look like Bartholomew Bailey didn’t do well.”
“Daniel Vahn, 6.8 points.”
“Cynthia Florine, 6.7 points.”
“Jasmine Hudson, 6.9 points.”
“Gladys Joy, 6.3 points.”
“I’m getting numb listening to these scores now.” said an audience member, “Why is she scoring so low?”
“Could it really be that her standards for cuisine are higher?”
A person who had been sarcastically denigrating Cindy Clarke earlier, spoke up again: “What’s with all the gasping?”
“She’s from the International Chefs Association and is usually in touch with renowned international chefs.
Can the current top ten, no matter how talented, compare with the world’s famous chefs?”
“No matter how good the top ten are, they’re still competitors, still students, they still have more to learn.
They’re still kids who haven’t finished learning yet, how can they compare with the world’s famous chefs?
Both in terms of skill and vision, they are far behind.”
“Jenny Kirk has tasted the cuisine of all these famous chefs, so naturally she is using such high standards to score the competitors.
Does this not perfectly exemplify the gap between the competitors and these famous chefs?”
The crowd listened, and it seemed to make a lot of sense.
Despite how sarcastic this person was when talking about Cindy Clarke earlier.
The lines he just spun were pretty sound.
“Parker Honi, 7.9 points.”
Parker Honi’s score was still not very high.
But compared to the others, it was much higher.
Perhaps it was because the previous scores were so low that they made a nice juxtaposition.
Suddenly there was a score of 7.9 points, and it was almost 8 points.
This made everybody feel that Parker Honi’s score was really high.
“See, with strength, you can still earn a high score.” That person said again.
“This kind of scoring exactly demonstrates the gap between the competitors and the real famous chefs.” This person said with a smug expression.
“Look at you all, how Wesley Gordon and the other judges have given high scores.
In reality, they are just grading based on Parker Honi and the others being students and young chefs, and even encouraged somewhat.”
“But let’s be honest, their scores are not at all realistic, not like Jenny Kirk’s who you all claim knows nothing.”
“I’m even doubting now that those comments from Jenny Kirk earlier might actually be the truth.” Someone voiced out.
The crowd, upon hearing this, could not find words to refute it for a moment.
“Aiden Huxley, 6.5 points.”
“Cindy Clarke, 4.0 points.” As she spoke, Grace Green’s voice was filled with disbelief.
The audience burst into an uproar.
“What?
Only 4 points?
Are you kidding me?”
“Even if Jenny Kirk has high standards, she shouldn’t only give Cindy Clarke 4 points!”
“Cindy Clarke has always been on par with Parker Honi, but now, she’s completely left behind!”
“Cindy Clarke’s skills are a match for Parker Honi’s!”
“Jenny Kirk’s bias is way too obvious!”
“Yannick O’Brian, 7.0 points.”
“Leon Hernandez, 7.1 points.”
“Even Yannick O’Brian and Leon Hernandez’s scores are so much higher than Cindy Clarke’s!”
“How do you know that Jenny Kirk is biased against Cindy Clarke?
Could it be that Cindy’s true level has been exposed?”
“Before, the scores were always given by the five judges, so we were never truly sure about Cindy Clarke’s skill.”
Chapter 889: Chapter 889: How about suspending the competition first?_1 “Even though both Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke, along with the Five Judges, have repeatedly emphasized they will grade fairly, what truly happens actually depends on them.
Whether it’s just or unjust, only they themselves would be aware.”
“You’ve been quite strange, constantly picking on Cindy Clarke from the beginning.” Someone couldn’t stand it, “Fine, as you said, we’ve not tasted Cindy Clarke’s cuisine, so we can’t comment on it.
But the process of Cindy’s cooking has been watched by us all, hasn’t it?”
“Can you still argue her cooking tastes bad, despite her exceptional skills?” That person responded sarcastically, “Her fundamentals are so solid; even if her cuisine is just plain, it can’t taste bad.”
“If you think Jenny Kirk’s evaluations are reliable and trustworthy.
Then, in every round ending evaluation by Jenny Kirk, apart from clarifying the cuisines are inappropriate and lacking her expectation, did she ever claim that Cindy Clarke’s cuisine tastes bad?”
“What she expected, who knows?
Cindy asked, but she couldn’t answer it.” The person scoffed, “You must have forgotten that in the first round, Jenny Kirk was left speechless when she was questioned.”
“If Cindy Clarke’s cuisine had no issue in terms of taste, and it was appealing to all senses.
Even if it couldn’t get high scores, the gap shouldn’t be that significant with other contestants, right?
It’s not a similar 6 plus point compared to other contestants, but 4 points!
...
If there were a curve for comparison, Cindy’s place would be a pit!”
“Doesn’t this prove that Jenny Kirk deliberately targeted Cindy Clarke, exploiting her status as a judge for her personal gain?
Regardless of Cindy’s cooking being good or bad, she has looked to bring Cindy down using her authority!
As long as Jenny Kirk is a judge, Cindy is never to win first.”
“Um…
I would like to say, actually, we, many of us, have tasted Cindy Clarke’s food.” Someone said.
This person hadn’t said a word until now.
Yet, couldn’t hold it anymore: “Have you forgotten?
The first competition was on street food.
Cindy made Skewers back then.”
“When the Food Coupons were granted, we were allowed to eat.” This person explained, “At least, I had tried it.”
While saying, he gave a thumbs up, “Damn delicious.”
“Just for its ingenious seasoning that could make regular grilled skewers taste uniquely delicious, it was rare.”, that person added, “I have not had a chance to try that fancy Michelin Star Restaurant, but have visited several places with average spending per customer around $100 to $200, because of work, celebrations and everything.”
“Honestly, a meal that costs about $200 per person is not cheap.”, the person continued, “But those kinds of restaurants, none can make grilled skewers taste as good as Cindy’s.”
“Don’t just say skewers don’t belong to the list of fancy food.
The skewer is just a formality.
If you pull off the meat and vegetables from the skewer, and change the way of presentation, then I bet it could look very fancy.”, he reminded.
“However, I’ve never tasted that flavor again.” The person spoke regretfully, “To tell you the truth, ever since I tasted Cindy’s skewer at that competition, I’ve been yearning for it.”
“I wish Cindy could open a restaurant.
Even if the price would be quite high, I’ll grit my teeth and give it a go.” The person noted.
“However, Cindy has become Mrs.
Zhekova, if she opens a restaurant, she might not cook herself.” Someone mentioned.
“Even if she doesn’t cook, just instructs and hands over the recipe to someone else, that will do.”, he claimed, “I’m not demanding.”
After saying this, the person transferred to the one who kept badmouthing Cindy, “If you claim Cindy’s cooking doesn’t taste good, it means you’re being simply delusional.”
“At least I’ve tasted Cindy’s cooking.
How about you, the one who claims her food is bad, have you tried it?” He asked.
The person who’d been constantly bad mouthing Cindy froze for a moment and reluctantly said, “Of course I have.”
“Fine, then you should show me your Food Coupon.” That person demanded, “If you bought it from the Pingla App, there should be a purchase record.”
“I…
I uninstalled it!” The person stuttered to respond.
“Huh!” That person scoffed, “Isn’t it too coincidental that once asked for proof, you uninstalled it?”
“Can you show me the purchase record, cause I can?” He scoffed.
Others nearby were rousing, “Even if the App was uninstalled, it could be installed again.
Why not just reinstall it?”
“I bet you’ve not tasted it at all!”
“You’ve not tasted it and yet you’re yapping about Cindy’s food being bad?”
“Beat it!”
The false accuser was dumbstruck by the hostility, filled with rage, yet again still unable to find the right words.
“Now, can you finally admit that Jenny Kirk is targeting Cindy Clarke?”
“No matter how good Cindy Clarke’s cuisine is, Jenny Kirk will always give her a low score.
If you don’t believe me, just wait and see!”
“If I remember correctly, for the upcoming cuisines, even if Jenny Kirk deliberately nitpicks, there won’t be much to find fault with.
By that time, if Jenny Kirk still gives low marks, wouldn’t that prove that she’s deliberately nitpicking?”
“If it turns out to be like that and people still say that this is because Cindy Clarke’s food is not good enough, and they believe Jenny Kirk to be impartial, then it is truly speechless.”
Adrian Zhekova was firmly focused on the big screen on the stage.
All because Jenny Kirk gave 4 points.
This dropped Cindy Clarke directly from first place to ninth.
Second to last!
If it were not for Cindy’s good performance in the previous rounds, she would have dropped to the last place in this round!
Initially, he thought that Cindy Clarke taking a lead in every round, even though there might be ups and downs, the steady accumulation would give her a significant advantage.
But now, it seems impossible.
If Jenny Kirk’s grading remained the same in each round.
Then, Cindy Clarke without a doubt, would become the last.
If Cindy Clarke were to lose because she wasn’t skillful enough, even if she finished last, she would take it graciously and without any interference.
But now, it’s only because Jenny Kirk is deliberately giving low scores, which is forcing Cindy Clarke to be the last.
Losing the competition this way is disgraceful.
This makes one feel so frustrated and angry!
Adrian Zhekova felt a squeeze in his heart as he looked towards Cindy Clarke on the stage.
Cindy Clarke appeared composed on the surface, standing behind her cooking station.
But Adrian knew, Cindy’s heart was far from being as calm as she appeared on the surface.
“Perhaps we should halt the competition.” Old Madam looked at Cindy Clarke and couldn’t bear it.
“No!”, Adrian Zhekova insisted in a deep voice, “Cindy won’t want us to do this.”
“It’s Jenny’s fault to deliberately downmark, it’s her disgrace.”, Adrian Zhekova said, “But if we halted the competition because of this, it would be we who are abusing our power.”
Chapter 890: Unworthy of being a Judge_1 “The confounding factors would all lie with Jenny Kirk.
Our arbitrary interruption of the competition, which is completely detrimental to Cindy Clarke as the victim, would be influenced, creating a similarly unfavorable situation for her.”
“The public opinion would be elusive to propel at that point.” Adrian Zhekova said in a deep voice.
“The purpose of letting the judges score before sealing the vote is to prevent discretionary changes in the scores,” Adrian continued, “Interrupting the competition, won’t be necessary if we don’t alter the scores.
But if we do, we lose the spirit of fairness we originally upheld.”
“And, it’d mean that we’d influenced the judges’ scores,” Adrian continued, “This is unfavorable both to Cindy, and the Pingla Competition.”
We were the affected, and would have otherwise created a groundswell of public sympathy.
He really wanted to halt the competition straightaway and have the judges re-score, but this would only have an adverse effect.
He knew, at this point, the best thing to do was nothing.
...
But however advantageous, it wouldn’t change the unfairness Cindy suffered.
Indeed, Cindy’s inward feelings were far from being as composed as she appeared on the outside.
She was not feeling wronged, she was just angry.
Cindy believed she had no reason to feel resentful because of Jenny Kirk.
She was livid at Jenny for her outrageous and unscrupulous conduct.
Selfishly manipulating the judges’ authority to lowball her scores!
If she’d truly performed poorly, she’d have accepted it!
But this was clearly not the case!
Cindy was also angry that Jenny had ruined the Pingla Competition!
Since its inception, the Pingla Competition has always stressed fairness and impartiality.
Also, the previous rounds of the competition had maintained a good reputation.
However, it’s such a shame that during the final round—this crucial stage—the competition was spoiled by Jenny’s scoring.
It started so promisingly, only to end in a fiasco.
Although the competition had been conducted so well, it failed at the end, causing disappointment.
Cindy burned with anger at Jenny for ruining the entire Competition out of personal spite.
By forcing her into the last place, would the other contestants be happy with their victory?
Would it be a dignified win?
The people of Pingla are very proud.
Winning the competition in such a way, they wouldn’t even want it.
Therefore, besides Cindy, the expressions of Parker Honi and others were also quite negative.
They didn’t even want to hear the scores anymore.
But, the scoring had to continue.
Grace Green mustered the courage and picked up the score results from the second box.
Cindy’s scores were all around 8.8 or 8.9.
Until Jenny Kirk’s score was pulled out.
As expected, Jenny’s scores were all very low overall.
Before announcing the scores, Grace first found Jenny’s rating for Cindy.
A quick glance at the result, and Grace’s heart plummeted.
Currently, they were broadcasting live and Grace didn’t even have the chance to ask the organizers whether to continue or not.
Grace could only continue reading the scores.
During the announcement of others’ scores, the audience was already used to it.
Jenny’s scoring style for this round continued as it had in the last.
All in the high sixes.
Until Grace read Cindy’s scores: “Cindy Clarke, 3.8.”
This score, Jenny seemed to misuse it for a cheap shot.
Not only did she lowball the score, but also gave her a “three-eight” (a derogatory Chinese slang).
The audience was outraged.
“What is Jenny Kirk doing?!”
Cindy’s fans stood up, shouting towards the stage: “Is the competition seriously still allowing Jenny Kirk to score?
What type of score is she giving?!”
“Unfair!
Jenny Kirk is not fit to be a judge!”