"This feeling... it's truly wonderful."
Watching everything unfold before her, Lia remained silent, simply observing quietly from the side, a gentle tenderness reflected in her eyes.
Several hours passed in this way. When Lia grew tired of standing, she sat down, then moved behind Dylan and began to massage his shoulders.
Dylan enjoyed the process, occasionally reaching back to grasp Lia's wrist and adjust her position.
Since leaving the Dark Cooking Society, he hadn't enjoyed such treatment for a long time. He truly missed the days of having a maid attend to him.
"Alright, you go back and continue honing your skills. You can't fail dozens of times and then slack off after succeeding just once. You must succeed every single time."
"Yes! I'll work hard!"
Looking at the excited young man before him, Dylan patiently instructed. And after hearing his words, the young man excitedly agreed.
"Success! Everyone passed smoothly!"
After finishing his instruction, a clear female voice reached Dylan's ears. Looking up, he saw that the students had all stopped their actions and were now gathered around a girl. The girl held a wok, and the sand inside it was just a little past the red line.
And Dylan recognized that girl.
It was none other than that incredibly studious one, An Tianxing.
At this moment, beads of sweat covered the young woman's forehead, her face etched with an expression of relief.
As the last one to finish, the pressure on her had been immense.
Fortunately, everyone present had been an underdog at some point and understood each other's struggles, so no one resorted to taunting.
And with An Tianxing's success, the scene erupted in fierce cheers. This meant that today, every single one of them had passed Dylan's assessment.
A smile also appeared on Dylan's face.
"Alright, brats, you've done very well. I've decided to cook dinner myself tonight. Go and unload all the ingredients from the van."
His resonant voice echoed through the area, momentarily quieting the cheers. The students gathered around An Tianxing all turned their gazes towards him, their eyes gleaming with excitement.
"What? Dylan Sensei is going to cook himself!? Didn't they say he only cooks a dish for someone if they make a dish that satisfies him?"
"I heard that any dish Dylan Sensei makes will glow. I've never seen glowing cuisine before..."
"This is so exciting!"
After a brief silence, the cheers that followed were even more fervent.
Immediately after, the young men and women ran like mad towards the small van, threw open its doors, and then saw the fruits and vegetables arranged inside.
The atmosphere instantly fell silent.
"This..."
"Sensei, were you cheated? The quality of these ingredients is terrible!"
"That's right, this... We'll go find the vendor who sold these to you! We need an explanation for this. So many ingredients, and not a single one is good!"
While moving the ingredients, a student who had climbed into the van noticed that the ingredients in his hands were flawed.
At first, they thought it was just one or two, but upon closer inspection, they were stunned to find that every single ingredient before them was flawed!
Instantly, a hot-tempered boy among the students shouted out. Seeing someone take the lead, the others also wore expressions of righteous indignation, some even wanting to confront the vendor for an explanation.
"This huge amount of ingredients, and not a single one is good! This is simply treating people like fools!"
"No need to find that vendor. I specifically selected these ingredients. There's no problem with them."
Seeing the agitated crowd, Dylan's voice rang out, silencing the students who had just been filled with righteous anger.
What followed were faces full of astonishment and surprise.
"Why, Sensei?"
Someone frowned, asking in confusion.
"There were clearly good ones to choose from, yet you picked the worst..."
Someone muttered to themselves, a thoughtful expression on their face.
"Enough nonsense! I ask you to move some ingredients, and you're all so long-winded. Hurry up! If these ingredients aren't in the kitchen in three minutes, I'm not cooking! You can all just drink the northwest wind tonight!"
But clearly, Dylan had no intention of explaining to them.
Looking at the youths who had unanimously stopped their actions, he frowned, his voice then turning cold as he urged them on. After speaking, he walked straight into the kitchen.
"No, Dylan Sensei! We'll move the ingredients in right away! Please, you must let us taste your cooking!"
"Please give us a chance! Those at the back, hurry up, don't dawdle!"
"Ah, ah, don't just talk about us, those at the front, hurry up too, you're blocking my way! Honestly, why is everyone so slow!"
The moment Dylan's words fell, the previously quiet scene instantly descended into a flurry of activity. Everyone exerted their utmost effort, moving the ingredients into the kitchen as quickly as possible, no longer caring about whether they were good or bad.
The boys were responsible for lifting items from the van and placing them on carts, which the girls then pushed to the kitchen.
Despite being extremely tired from the just-concluded wok-flipping training and feeling very hungry, not a single person complained. Everyone's face was filled with a sense of accomplishment.
For underdogs, there was nothing more joyous than a steady improvement in their abilities!
If there was, it would undoubtedly be rapidly and steadily improving their abilities.
Soon, all the ingredients were transported to the kitchen. The students all withdrew, leaving the kitchen space to Dylan.
However, despite having withdrawn, many still lingered at the doorway, wanting to admire Dylan's superb cooking skills.
Dylan paid them no mind, not even sparing them a glance.
The people outside only saw him nod satisfactorily at the pile of ingredients, then take out two pairs of long, slender silver rods from under the cooking station.
"What are those?"
"They look a bit like chopsticks, but are there chopsticks that long? And they're silver; could they be made of pure silver?"
"Even if they are chopsticks, why take out something like that..."
Looking at the long, slender silver chopsticks in Dylan's hands, a heated discussion erupted among those present, clearly none of them knowing what they were for.
"It's Dylan Sensei, after all. Have you forgotten the wok flipping from earlier? Anyway, no matter what Dylan Sensei does now, I wouldn't be surprised!"
"That's true. If it were anyone else doing this, I'd just call them an idiot. But if it's Dylan Sensei, I can only say let's wait and see."
"Look! Dylan Sensei is moving!"
After the previous wok-flipping demonstration and Dylan's patient explanations, everyone present was filled with respect for him, and at the same time, trusted him unconditionally.
Even if Dylan's actions were incomprehensible to them, no one spoke ill of him. Instead, their eyes shone brightly, filled with anticipation.
Suddenly, someone shouted, and the crowd ended their discussion.
Immediately, all eyes turned to Dylan. They saw him lift and point the chopsticks in his hand, and flames simultaneously erupted from several cooking stations.
"About time. Let's begin."
Looking at the flaming stoves before him, Dylan murmured softly, then used the silver chopsticks to pick up one iron wok after another, letting them land steadily upon the flames.
Next, an oil pot was tossed into the sky, and under the guidance of the silver chopsticks, oil poured evenly into each iron wok.
Everything was so orderly, and Dylan, during the interval while the oil heated, approached the area where the ingredients were piled.
The onlookers outside the kitchen merely saw him pick up a portion of ingredients before him with the silver chopsticks, then reach out and draw the Seven-Star Knives from behind his back.
Not one, but all of them!
The blades danced in the air. When not needed, they were tossed upwards, the brief moment of suspension providing the interval to switch knives. By the time they fell, it was time to use them again. The entire process was incredibly smooth.
"So fast!"
"What happened? Why did I only see a blur, and when I came to my senses, all the ingredients were already processed?!"
"I saw a little more. With the aid of the silver chopsticks, Dylan Sensei processed all these ingredients using only the knives from his back, without even using a cutting board! It's truly amazing!"
"Without a cutting board? Green peppers sliced into fine shreds, meat cut into thin slices of uniform thickness, tofu processed into evenly sized small cubes—this is simply too incredible!"
Watching portion after portion of ingredients fall into the woks, everyone present widened their eyes, their mouths agape, faces filled with disbelief.
How long did it take to process these ingredients?
One second? Or two? They weren't sure. In any case, every time they blinked, more ingredients would fall into the woks before them.
By the time they regained their senses, an astonishing sizzling sound was already emanating from the woks—the sound of hot oil colliding with vegetables!
"What on earth is this technique?! To be able to cook ten woks of dishes simultaneously, all of them different!"
Looking at the stir-fry woks emitting an enticing aroma, everyone present couldn't help but swallow their saliva. Even the previously calm Lia was no exception, showing a look of craving.
"A Dark Secret Technique, Silver Chopstick Ten-Wok Revival! Boss Dylan has only demonstrated it a few times at gatherings of the Dark Cooking Society, and each time it was breathtaking!"
Hearing the students' confused murmurs around her, she composed herself and voluntarily took on the role of commentator, explaining the prowess of Dylan's technique.
"Silver Chopstick Ten-Wok Revival? What kind of technique is that?"
"Why have I never heard of it? A Dark Secret Technique? Why is it called 'dark'? Could it be that the training method is very cruel..."
But clearly, such an explanation couldn't satisfy the students. They raised question after question, their large eyes filled with eagerness.
"The so-called Silver Chopstick Ten-Wok Revival is the use of silver chopsticks to operate ten woks, allowing these ten woks to simultaneously produce ten entirely different top-tier dishes."
According to Boss Dylan.
"The traditional Silver Chopstick Ten-Wok Revival uses a dozen or so long silver chopsticks for cooking. Both cutting vegetables and cooking are done with these dozen or so chopsticks."
Hearing the discussions, Lia didn't hide anything, sharing everything she knew, her voice filled with admiration.
"Then now? Why is Dylan Sensei using kitchen knives..."
Among the students, Aoko Wakana asked with a puzzled expression. According to Lia's explanation, the Silver Chopstick Ten-Wok Revival should be performed with a dozen or so chopsticks, not kitchen knives.
"Boss Dylan can naturally perform the cooking method using a dozen or so chopsticks, but that would somewhat affect the completeness of the dishes. And Boss Dylan is a meticulous chef; he is unwilling to accept even the slightest influence. So, he researched on this basis and finally, using the silver chopsticks and his trusty Seven-Star Knives, he created a new secret technique."
"Silver Chopstick Ten-Wok Revival: Seven-Star Army Breaker!"
Lia looked at Dylan with utmost respect. To her, the Silver Chopstick Ten-Wok Revival was already an incredibly formidable skill. Even if he were willing to teach her, she might not necessarily be able to learn it.
But for Dylan, it was just an ordinary skill that he still wasn't satisfied with even after mastering it, one that required constant refinement.
"If the Silver Chopstick Ten-Wok Revival utilizes the pressure between chopsticks to process ingredients... then the Silver Chopstick Ten-Wok Revival: Seven-Star Army Breaker uses silver chopsticks as a support for the ingredients, utilizing the sharpness of the Seven-Star Knives to achieve rapid processing, thereby ensuring every part of the ingredient is perfectly prepared! After that, two pairs of silver chopsticks are used to operate within the woks, simultaneously performing exquisite cooking on the ingredients in ten woks, allowing them to be ready at the exact same time!"
Lia grew more excited as she spoke, as if she were the one cooking in the kitchen. A thrilled flush appeared on her face, and her body trembled slightly.
It was the kind of excitement a martial artist would feel upon witnessing a supreme secret technique!
While conversations took place outside the kitchen, inside, Dylan had already completed the dishes in the woks.
He was seen holding two pairs of silver chopsticks. With a light flick and push, the plates from the dish rack lined up neatly on the table.
Immediately after, Dylan used the silver chopsticks to lift the woks whose contents had reached the perfect state of cooking, causing them to spin in the air, using the wind to cool them.
By the time the dishes entered the plates, they had reached the most suitable state for consumption!
In an instant, dazzling golden light erupted from the ten plates, subsequently sweeping through the entire kitchen.
"Golden light! This is glowing cuisine that only a Five-Star Special Chef can produce!"
Swallowing hard, a student outside the kitchen spoke with a trembling voice.
"Ten dishes, all of them glowing! Dishes that even a Five-Star Special Chef would have to treat seriously, made so easily!? And ten woks at once! If I could learn this technique, then..."
Nishikio Tsuguji muttered to himself, his face dazed, clearly lost in a fantasy. When he came back to his senses, the blood in his entire body was boiling, and his face was filled with fighting spirit.
"Look quickly, why is there a shimmering light on this?"
Once the golden light subsided, what was presented before everyone were streams of light flowing over the dishes. However, because they didn't know what this was, the students weren't as excited as when the golden light had first erupted.
"I can't take it anymore, someone pinch me, I'm about to lose control! I feel some strange force pulling me, I want to eat so badly!"
"I can't hold back much longer either! Help! If I go in now, Dylan Sensei will definitely kill me! Endure! Brain! Hold on!"
As the dishes revealed their original appearance, the rich aroma also made it difficult for the students on site to restrain themselves.
But, cowed by Dylan's intimidating presence.
At this moment, they could still barely hold on, but looking at the gradually fading sanity in their eyes, it was likely they wouldn't last much longer.
For these underdogs, most of them had never even tasted a special-grade dish, let alone glowing cuisine.
Suddenly encountering it now, they naturally appeared disheveled. Not rushing forward in a scramble was already pushing their endurance to the limit!
"Do not cross this line. Each person can choose one dish, but do not snatch food from others. The rice is over there; serve yourselves."
Dylan glanced at the dishes steadily emitting a flowing light, then at the students observing from a distance, his tone淡淡.
This was the first meal, and also the easiest one for the underdogs to obtain.
He hoped that everyone present could eat it, remember this taste, and develop a craving for it, thereby turning it into a driving force for improvement!
Want to eat the dishes he made? Fine, first present a dish that satisfies him!
A one-for-one exchange, very fair, isn't it?
As Dylan's words fell, the students at the doorway, who could no longer hold back, rushed forward.
Not paying any mind to the students behind him scrambling like wild dogs for food.
Dylan silently lit all the remaining stoves in the kitchen, simultaneously placing the idle woks upon them, and then began to operate with ease.
Clearly, he hadn't used his full strength just now.
It was just that he hadn't used this technique for a while and was worried about messing up, so he had only operated on a small scale to test the waters.
Now it seemed, something so ingrained in his very being, how could he forget it just because he hadn't practiced for a while.
"Silver Chopstick Ten-Wok Revival: Seven-Star Army Breaker!"
Ingredients were processed into suitable shapes in the sky, then fell into the woks.
Operating more than twenty woks simultaneously, with large flames underneath, Dylan focused intently, his supersensory abilities operating at high speed.
Before long, portion after portion of top-tier dishes, flicked by the silver chopsticks, soared from the woks, then landed on plates, erupting with infinite golden light!
The students waiting outside the kitchen greedily inhaled the aroma, but still remembered Dylan's words: one portion per person, no one dared to take more.
To be precise, they couldn't get a second portion either.
Because by the time they finished their first portion, they were pushed out by the people behind them, having no chance to reach the delicacies at the front again.
And after tasting the delicious food, their emotions gradually stabilized. Finally, with a longing glance at the kitchen, they forced themselves to walk away.
In just over ten minutes, Dylan had cooked a hundred dishes. He then made a few more separately for Lia to take back to her room.
"How did the food taste?"
Coming out of the empty kitchen, Dylan's voice suddenly rang out as he looked at the students in the hall, who wore expressions of blissful intoxication, seemingly savoring the deliciousness of the meal.
"Delicious! Supremely delicious! I've never eaten such amazing food! So... can we eat it again in the future?"
"If I could eat it again, no! Just one bite! I'd be willing to pay any price!"
A pure-looking girl gestured to her chest, her eyes, fixed on Dylan, filled with fanaticism. She licked her lips, savoring the aftertaste, her face a mask of ecstasy.
"It's hard to imagine that such deliciousness was made from ingredients of that quality. My father taught me from a young age that making a good dish starts with selecting the ingredients. Now it seems my father's skills are lacking."
"Indeed, I also always thought that to make good food, you must use good ingredients! Slightly inferior ones would affect the quality of the dish, but now it seems..."
Hearing Dylan's words, the crowd, lost in their enjoyment, instantly sobered up. They gathered around him, chattering endlessly, their expressions filled with elation.
_____
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