Phainon lifted the dish cover. However, this time there were no flashy special effects, no overwhelming aroma.
Even visually, it looked utterly ordinary.
"It's actually white rice?"
Su Chen rubbed his eyes. "Am I seeing things? How did the fried rice come out white?"
He nudged Kiana's arm. "Your eyesight's good—help me check."
"It is white, but it's also pretty similar to what I've eaten recently?" Kiana didn't show much surprise.
Anaxa looked at the fried rice on the plate. "Why does egg fried rice look like this?"
Phainon lowered his head and slowly spoke. "Teacher, I swear I didn't waste even a single grain of ingredient."
Hearing this, Anaxa and Ratio exchanged a glance.
Then, together, they took spoons, scooped up a portion, and put it into their mouths.
As they chewed, both furrowed their brows and fell into silence.
Tang Niu, watching from the side, immediately sensed an opportunity. "Yo-ho? Did he just boil the rice and serve it straight up? I knew it—calling it egg fried rice when there's not even any color. Does he really think the judges are idiots he can fool?"
"Hahahaha, hahahaha…"
Anaxa suddenly burst into laughter without warning. "Ha→ha→ha→ha→, ha↗ha↗ha↗ha↗, ha↑ha↑ha↑ha↑…
The answer is already obvious. I choose the Golden Grand Hotel. I have comprehended the truth of cuisine!"
Everyone watching this scene was covered in question marks—what kind of fit was this?
The plot twist came so abruptly!
Ratio gave a slight smile and revealed the truth. "To train simplicity to its utmost extreme—the Great Way is extremely simple! My choice is also the Golden Grand Hotel!"
"Ohhhhhhh!"
Owlbert declared passionately, "Let me congratulate Phainon on winning this edition's title of God of Cooking! In truth, the essence of cuisine is quite simple—when you're starving, a single bowl of egg fried rice is enough!"
"Impossible!" Tang Niu couldn't accept it for a moment. "On what basis? How much is his bowl of egg fried rice worth? How much is mine worth? Whether in flavor or effort, it should be me as champion. On what grounds can his plain white rice, fried in ten seconds, defeat my Imperial Fried Rice?"
Anaxa sneered with contempt. "Ignorant fool—every word you speak reveals the shallowness of your understanding."
He pointed at Phainon's egg fried rice. "You can try it yourself and taste the profound mystery within."
Tang Niu resentfully walked to the judges' table, grabbed a handful with his hand, and shoved it into his mouth.
Then—he ate in complete silence.
It was as if he had returned to his childhood, when family conditions were not yet affluent, waiting alone for his mother's egg fried rice.
For some reason, even though it was the simplest dish, it always left an endless aftertaste—he would finish every last grain.
In contrast, nowadays with lavish feasts of fish and meat, he could never muster any appetite.
"This egg fried rice is too delicious… It reminds me of Mom's taste."
Below the stage, Caenis saw this scene and completely deflated. She muttered to herself, "We lost… we actually lost? Which part went wrong?"
Su Chen walked over to Caenis. "Since you've lost, stop thinking about it. Just take a good rest."
The next moment, his tone shifted. "But later we'll have to settle accounts between us."
"What accounts?" Caenis looked at Su Chen in confusion.
"Topaz, Aventurine, Jade, Sunday—this morning the four of them represented Mihoyo in negotiating a very substantial deal with the Golden Grand Hotel. Am I right?"
Caenis's pupils suddenly contracted. "How do you know?"
"I sent them. Why wouldn't I know?"
"So you're the mastermind behind everything?" Caenis seemed to understand it all. "Impossible—absolutely impossible. So the issue with the organizers was also your doing? How exactly did you manage it?"
At that moment, Kiana obediently brought a chair and placed it behind Su Chen. He sat down casually. Unbeknownst to anyone, everyone had gathered standing behind him.
Whether judges, host, or the members of the Golden Grand Hotel.
"Mihoyo has now achieved full control of the Golden Grand Hotel. The shareholdings are as follows: Sunday 16%, Topaz 16%, Aventurine 19%, Jade 16%…"
"Impossible! I still have veto power. I personally hold 30%, and I also hid…"
"That nephew or whatever of yours holding 3.4% under his name, right? Rest assured—before meeting with you, the transfer was already successfully completed."
Caenis looked at Su Chen, yet she couldn't utter a single word.
"What's wrong? Speechless? Or does this feel familiar? Isn't this exactly the tactic you were once best at? Inciting the board, impeaching anyone in your way."
Su Chen propped his cheek on one hand. "Evil is ground down by evil. I'm simply using the same methods you used against the Golden Grand Hotel—against you. Now the Golden Grand Hotel is an asset under Mihoyo."
"But how could you possibly sway those old fogeys on the board?"
"I don't need to act personally—my employees have their own ways. That's not something you or I need to worry about." Su Chen slowly stood up, almost face-to-face with Caenis. "What you should be most concerned about right now… is that I am your boss."
"I—I!" Though Caenis felt indignant, in the face of absolute power she had no choice but to yield. "Yes… Boss!"
"That's right. Remember—I'm the boss. I plan to integrate the Golden Grand Hotel with the Golden Grand Tavern and reorganize the shares. As for how much you'll have left afterward… you'll have to ask Lady Aglaea."
With that, Su Chen shrugged and walked over to Aglaea.
Leaving Caenis alone in her seat, silently spiraling into isolation.
Seeing Su Chen approaching slowly, Aglaea said gratefully, "I really didn't expect you to help me this much. I don't even know how to repay you."
"Just join Mihoyo directly."
"Huh?" Aglaea blinked. "Uh… are you talking to me?"
"No!" Su Chen shook his head. He glanced around. "I'm talking to everyone. Effective immediately—you are all employees of Mihoyo, and at the same time, the main cast of the eighth season web drama Honkai: Star Rail!"
Before the words even finished, Su Chen had already walked away from the stunned crowd.
He pulled out a notebook and handed it to Kiana, whispered something in her ear, then headed straight toward Anaxa.
Only after seeing Su Chen's departing back did everyone belatedly react.
"Eh!!!!!!"