Chapter 740

Chapter 740:

In stark contrast, Malcom’s dish was so plain that he couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed, scratching his head awkwardly.

He had prepared a cheese omelet—barely enough for three people to share.

As Malcom placed the modest omelet before the Figueroa brothers, Stephen couldn’t hide his smugness. He was already certain of his victory, even before the tasting began.

The omelet looked far from appetizing, with parts of the eggs slightly burnt from excessive heat.

The difference between the two sides’ dishes was glaringly obvious at a single glance. Even if ten thousand people were judging, no one would have praised Malcom’s creation.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the three Figueroa brothers, who had been so confident moments ago, didn’t mock Malcom this time. Noticing their unexpected reaction, Malcom realized Ashton’s intuition had been spot on.

Letting out a silent sigh, Malcom called out cheerfully, “Come on, hurry up and sit down. If you’re late, there won’t be anything left to eat!”

Almost as if on instinct, the three men quickly took their seats while Malcom began serving them the food.

Stephen had expected his top chefs to scoff at the dishes, criticize them mercilessly, and confidently award a score of zero. Yet, to his utter shock, the seemingly unremarkable, slightly burnt omelet was devoured by the three men with their hands, as though they hadn’t eaten in days.

Before Malcom could even sit down to sample their dishes, the three had already finished his omelet.

At some point during the meal, tears began to well up in their eyes.

gⲁ𝗅𝓝𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.𝗰0𝗺. 𝒶𝒸𝒸𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒

“Malcom, you don’t need to taste our dishes. We admit defeat!” they declared, their voices almost in unison.

The competition had barely begun, yet the Figueroa brothers surrendered so quickly.

This unexpected turn of events left Stephen dumbfounded. What the hell was going on?

Morris, too, was at a loss. He had worked with them before and knew all too well how arrogant the three men could be. These were men who refused to eat food prepared by anyone but themselves—even dishes crafted by Morris, a Michelin-starred chef, failed to meet their lofty standards.

So why now? Why had these three proud men been so deeply moved by something as simple as a cheese omelet?

Their reaction, however, didn’t catch Ashton off guard. It was exactly what he had anticipated. During the last cooking competition, he had sensed something amiss. It wasn’t a trick of his imagination—there was definitely more to their story.

Drawing on what he had learned from Malcom, Ashton began to tell their tale. “Over thirty years ago, Staville was ravaged by a catastrophic famine brought on by a natural disaster. At the time, Malcom was just a child. By pure chance, he encountered three homeless orphans struggling to survive. Moved by their plight, Malcom pleaded with his father to take them in. He even offered to look after them himself, begging his father to teach them how to cook so they could have a chance at life. Back then, the only dish Malcom could manage to make was a simple omelet. Despite his limited skills, it was enough. Perhaps his father saw the genuine compassion and determination in Malcom’s actions, but in the end, he agreed to take the three boys in and teach them the culinary arts. Without that humble omelet, those three children would have starved during the famine. They would never have survived to become the people they are today. So, to them, the flavor of Malcom’s omelet is etched deep in their mind. Isn’t that right?”

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