Beiye Xiu stepped down amidst cheers and took a seat in the waiting area by the side of the stage. Out of the six available spots, he was the only one there, solitary.
But he was not a loser; he was a success, and the people around him looked on with admiration and respect.
Had he lost, those looks would probably have made Beiye Xiu uneasy.
But now, Beiye Xiu was enjoying this attention.
"The first contestant to submit their dish is the first to pass!" Chiyoda Aichi shared her excitement with the audience.
As the atmosphere in the hall cooled down, the audience, both on-site and in front of the live broadcast, digested Beiye Xiu's culinary performance. It was then that Chiyoda Aichi timely brought up a new topic to Shinohara Shigetaro:
"Minister Shinohara, could you elaborate on the judgment criteria for this summer's assessment?"
Undoubtedly, this was a sensitive question.
The audience fell silent, all ears.
