Chapter 725
Chapter 725:
Spoonful after spoonful followed, each bite chipping away at his resolve. Finally, he set the spoon down with deliberate care, his hands resting heavily on the table. His head bowed, and his shoulders slumped, as though caught in a battle with himself that he wasn’t sure he could win.
The silence stretched, almost unbearable, before he exhaled deeply, straightened up, and managed a strained, reluctant smile.
Though his pride seemed to be waging war with his honesty, it was clear the latter had won. He reached out a hand toward Ashton, his voice tinged with begrudging respect. “I won’t lie, this bowl of porridge is nothing short of a masterpiece. And as much as it pains me to admit, I’ve been beaten fair and square this time.”
Upon hearing Stuart concede defeat, the other two members of the Green Hotel team exchanged bewildered glances before rushing forward to taste the dish that had so thoroughly shaken their leader’s confidence.
What could possibly make this humble-looking porridge surpass the groundbreaking dish they had poured years of effort into perfecting?
Their doubts, however, evaporated the instant the porridge touched their tongues. A medley of flavors unfolded, delicate yet profound, and with each bite, their expressions shifted from skepticism to genuine admiration.
Cameras strategically placed around the venue zoomed in to capture their expressions of sheer disbelief, broadcasting this unexpected twist to an equally shocked audience.
Malcom, standing off to the side, watched this scene unfold with a slight smirk. Their astonishment was nothing new to him. He had once underestimated Ashton’s creation himself.
But upon trying the porridge earlier, Malcom had been taken aback by its exquisite complexity.
The dish was a symphony of flavors, each ingredient expertly simmered to enhance its essence and intricately woven together by Ashton’s masterful touch.
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Malcom had witnessed Ashton’s cooking firsthand, yet the fluidity of Ashton’s movements eluded him entirely. Such extraordinary skill in the kitchen—masterful selection of fresh ingredients, impeccable timing, and precise heat control—was astonishing for someone so young.
Yet Ashton executed each step without a single flaw.
At that moment, the other two chefs from the Green Hotel team broke out of their stupor, one of them remarking, “I’m at a loss for words. This porridge is the finest I’ve ever tasted in my culinary career. I concede.”
“Truly, this dish is a masterpiece, deserving of a perfect score. It should be showcased in the final, not merely the semi-final.”
Overhearing the lavish praise, Stephen and Marc simmered with frustration.
But with their own team openly acknowledging defeat, they were powerless to contest, no matter how loudly they objected.
Once again, Ashton’s small but formidable team, consisting of just two members, managed to outperform Stephen’s squad—the dominant contenders—in a surprising turn of events that propelled them into the final.
While Ashton’s remarkable skills left both competitors and judges in awe, the crowd was less easily swayed, many still holding fast to the belief that Stephen’s team would clinch the championship title.
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