Chapter 46: I Lost

"No one said that being a teacher means you can't be a good cook, right?" George calmly said as he looked at Zane. Zane looked at George with a hint of surprise. He hadn't expected George to talk back. "Indeed, teachers can have good cooking skills," Zane nodded. "But how 'good' it is depends on who you're comparing it to." Obviously, Zane meant that even if George had some cooking skills, compared to Chef Liu, he was nothing. "How can you be so sure that my 'good' isn't better than everyone else's?" George replied. "Haha, quite arrogant," Zane laughed, but he didn't seem angry. His expression suggested he found George's comment amusing. "Arrogance backed by skill is confidence. Arrogance without skill is just conceit," George said. "So, are you confident or conceited?" Zane asked. "Well, once you've tasted the two plates of squirrel fish in front of you, you'll know," George responded. Zane glanced at the two similarly colored plates of squirrel fish in front of him, smiled, and said, "Alright, I'll give it a try." Elijah watched George with schadenfreude. Initially, if George lost, it would only be a slight embarrassment. However, with the way George had spoken so boldly to Zane, Elijah was sure Zane's opinion of him would worsen if he lost. Once the news spread, not only would George have a hard time at Jiangzhou University, but his reputation across all of Jiangzhou could suffer. "George, you brought this on yourself. Do you really think having some skills gives you the right to be so arrogant?" Elijah thought gleefully. Meanwhile, Calista looked at George worriedly, wondering how she could help him if things went wrong. Amid everyone's mixed emotions, Zane picked up his chopsticks and first tasted the squirrel fish from the white plate. A look of satisfaction appeared on his face. "This must be Chef Liu's. The flavor hasn't changed; it's still top-notch. One bite and it's unforgettable. As far as squirrel fish in Jiangzhou goes, I've never had one better than Chef Liu's," Zane said. Every chef had their signature dish. While their other dishes might be excellent, their signature dish always stood out. Clearly, squirrel fish was one of Chef Liu's specialties. "Thank you, Master Zane, for your compliment." Chef Liu's expression brightened. He had been brooding over losing the first round to George, but hearing Zane's praise lifted his spirits. "The guests at that table clearly didn't appreciate fine dining. Only someone like Zane, who's tasted all kinds of gourmet food, is qualified to judge," Chef Liu thought, casting a smug glance at George. Initially, Chef Liu hadn't taken the competition seriously, but losing the first round to George had sparked his competitive spirit. George didn't pay attention to Chef Liu's expression. Instead, he began worrying about Zane's integrity. What if Zane gave an unfair judgment because of his friendship with Chef Liu? Wouldn't that be an unjust loss? "If I had known, I wouldn't have spoken so rashly earlier. Still too young and hot-headed," George thought. "Now, I can only hope Calista chooses a fair judge for the third round." While George worried, Zane's chopsticks reached for George's squirrel fish. Before tasting it, he glanced at George, but didn't see any change in his expression. In reality, George had already resigned himself to losing, assuming Zane would be biased in Chef Liu's favor. He had mentally prepared for the worst, feeling indifferent about the outcome. Zane put the fish in his mouth. His expression, initially neutral, suddenly froze. It was as if he had been stunned—his face stiffened, and the only movement was his mouth, still chewing slowly. As everyone wondered what was happening, Zane's brow furrowed, and his chewing quickened slightly. Then, he took another piece of fish, his face showing disbelief. No one understood Zane's reaction. Did George's dish taste so bad that Zane found it hard to swallow? At least, Elijah and Manager Terry thought so. Calista also grew more worried for George. Zane didn't keep everyone waiting for long. He set down his chopsticks, looked at George, then at Chef Liu, and slowly said, "Between these two squirrel fish dishes, the one made by the PE teacher tastes better." Though Zane's voice wasn't loud, it felt like a thunderclap in the room. Even George hadn't expected such a verdict. "That's impossible!" Chef Liu, Elijah, and Manager Terry exclaimed in unison. Especially Chef Liu, who had been confident about winning this round, considering this was his specialty and that the judge was Zane, who frequently dined on his food. There was no reason he should lose. Yet, he had still lost. Unable to accept the outcome, Chef Liu, disregarding propriety, picked up a pair of chopsticks and tasted George's dish. His reaction mirrored Zane's. He froze, then dejectedly set down his chopsticks and said, "I lost." After tasting George's dish, Chef Liu realized the gap between their skills. George's dish was indeed better, and the difference wasn't small; their abilities were clearly on different levels. No wonder the guests in the hall earlier unanimously agreed that George's dish was superior. The difference in flavor was so noticeable that even someone without much culinary knowledge could taste it. Seeing Chef Liu admit defeat, Elijah and Manager Terry began to panic. It wasn't the money they cared about—that was insignificant. What mattered to them was their reputation. They had been so confident that George would lose. But in the end, it was Chef Liu who had lost, something they couldn't accept.