Chapter 42: Restaurant Chef

"I'll give you $1,500 if you stay and compete!" Elijah snapped, his voice filled with frustration. "That's more than your monthly salary." "If you beat our head chef, I'll throw in another $1,500," Manager Terry added, his tone just as sharp. The offer of $3,000 caught the attention of everyone at the table. Becker and the others exchanged envious glances, wishing they had the skills to compete in George's place. For George, $3,000 was no small amount—it far exceeded what he made in a single night running his barbecue stand. After a brief pause to consider, he nodded. "Alright, since you're so insistent, I'll stay and have a cook-off with your head chef," George agreed, though he put on a show of reluctance. Inside, though, the money had piqued his interest. George's nonchalant attitude only further fueled the anger of both Elijah and Manager Terry. "If you lose, you'll need to apologize sincerely to me and to our head chef," Terry said through gritted teeth. "And forget about touching my $1,500 if you lose!" Elijah quickly added, glaring at George. "Deal!" George said without hesitation. "But who will be the judge? It can't be you, Terry—there's clearly a conflict of interest." Terry, narrowing his eyes, was forced to agree. Cooking was subjective, and without an impartial judge, there would be room for manipulation. "We'll let the restaurant patrons be the judges," Manager Terry suggested. "You and our head chef will each make three dishes of your choice. Once they're done, we'll select one judge from the guests, you'll choose one, and Ms. Calista will pick the third. Best of three. Fair?" "Fair enough," George said with a confident nod. He trusted Calista more than anyone else in the room, knowing she wouldn't side with Elijah. "Since there are no objections, let's head to the kitchen," Terry said, leading the way. As they walked, Calista leaned close to George and whispered, "Why are you being so reckless? It's obvious Manager Terry is siding with Elijah to humiliate you. Can't you see that?" George gave her a calm smile. "Who ends up humiliated is still up in the air. But I appreciate your concern, Teacher Calista." "Do you really think your cooking is better than the head chef's here?" Calista asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. "Why not?" George replied casually. "Don't joke around. The head chef here isn't some random cook. He's highly skilled. Even if you're good, he's definitely better," Calista insisted. "The chefs here are indeed talented," George admitted. "But they're not on my level." George's extensive experience with food had sharpened his palate to an extraordinary degree. With just a few bites, he could assess the skills of the chefs at Kelmen. While they were undoubtedly skilled, George knew he was on the cusp of advanced mastery. Only a small gap separated him from reaching that level, though it was no easy hurdle to clear. Still, he was surprised. Considering Kelmen's reputation as one of the top restaurants in Jiangzhou, he had expected the chefs to be masters. Yet they were merely at the peak of the intermediate level, far from the culinary titans he had imagined. "Maybe master chefs are even rarer in the real world than in the culinary competitions I've been in," George mused silently. "You sound pretty sure of yourself," Calista said, her tone shifting as she observed George's quiet confidence. She had never seen him in this light before, and it was unexpectedly captivating. A faint blush colored her cheeks, and she turned away, avoiding his gaze. "It's no big deal," George chuckled, brushing off the moment. Up ahead, Elijah's eyes burned with jealousy. He had noticed Calista slowing her pace to speak with George. His fists clenched as he vowed to completely humiliate George in front of everyone. Once George lost, Elijah would spread the story far and wide at Jiangzhou University, ensuring George's reputation was ruined. High-end restaurant kitchens were usually off-limits to the public, and Kelmen was no exception. Even restaurant managers like Terry rarely entered during busy hours, let alone outsiders like George and his colleagues. As soon as they stepped into the bustling kitchen, the head chef immediately took notice and stormed over. "Manager Terry, what on earth is going on? This is a kitchen, not a sightseeing tour! Get these people out of here!" the chef barked, clearly annoyed. "Chef Liu, please don't be angry. I know this isn't protocol, but today is a special case," Terry said, trying to soothe the chef's temper. "This guest claims that your dishes don't hold a candle to his own cooking. He criticized every dish we served, so I brought him here to compete with you and clear your name." Chef Liu's eyes narrowed at the mention of the challenge. He was no ordinary chef—he was the heir to a prestigious culinary legacy and had been hired at a high price to lead Kelmen's kitchen. His authority was undisputed, even by the restaurant's management. While managers could be replaced, a head chef of his caliber was far harder to come by. The kitchen staff relied on him for guidance, and his expertise was critical to maintaining Kelmen's reputation. Chef Liu himself handled all the dishes for private rooms, leaving the dining hall's meals to the sous chefs. While their skills were slightly less refined than his own, they were still better than most chefs in the city. "Are you serious, Terry? I don't have time for every person who thinks they can cook better than me. Get them out of here before I kick them out myself," Chef Liu snapped, still angry. "Please, Chef Liu, this is just a one-time thing," Manager Terry pleaded. "I promise I won't bother you like this again, but this is important for the restaurant's reputation. I need you to make an exception." Manager Terry, motivated by Elijah's request and his own desire to see George humiliated, was determined to make George look like a fool in front of everyone.