The tension reached its peak as Chu Qing declared, "You've lost. There's no need to continue."
Though he had only finished slicing the tofu a few seconds faster than Qin Hao, in a competition of this caliber, even the smallest margin could signify a world of difference.
The livestream audience was baffled.
"Why is Vice President Chu saying Qin Hao lost? The dish isn't even finished yet."
"Yeah, where's the proof? Can someone explain this?"
Wang Feng, relieved that Chu Qing had seemingly secured victory, stepped in to clarify.
"While Qin Hao has some skill, he's still far behind Vice President Chu. As everyone knows, the most challenging part of Wensi Tofu is slicing the tofu into hair-thin threads while keeping it intact. The fact that Qin Hao took longer than Vice President Chu already puts him at a disadvantage."
The audience nodded in understanding after Wang Feng's explanation.
Chu Chu Baby, too, smiled brightly, relieved that the situation hadn't spiraled out of control.
Yet, deep down, she found herself rooting for Qin Hao, despite knowing it was unlikely he could surpass someone from the Culinary Association.
Meanwhile, Su Wuyao tried to console herself.
"Maybe I was overthinking it. Qin Hao's just an ordinary cook—he couldn't possibly be some culinary master," she thought.
But Qin Hao's calm response shattered that notion.
"Not necessarily. Let's finish the dish first," he said nonchalantly.
Chu Qing smirked. "I know you're unwilling to admit it, but facts are facts."
The final step remained: placing the sliced tofu into water to check for any damage.
Confident in his knife skills, Chu Qing believed there was no way he'd make such a basic mistake.
To demonstrate, he used a transparent bowl, carefully placing his tofu into the water.
As the tofu touched the water, it spread out like a delicate flower, each thread glistening and intact.
The strands were uniform in length and thickness, forming a pristine white chrysanthemum blooming in the water.
Wang Feng and Chu Chu Baby couldn't help but applaud.
"Vice President Chu's skills are truly extraordinary. To achieve this level of precision blindfolded—it's nothing short of miraculous!"
"Absolutely stunning. I've never seen tofu sliced this finely before."
The livestream audience erupted in praise, flooding the chat with admiration for Chu Qing's unparalleled craftsmanship.
"Give up. Hand over the Dragon Head Knife," Chu Qing said with a cold smile, extending his hand toward Qin Hao.
But Qin Hao ignored him, retrieving a similar bowl and placing his tofu into the water.
And then—
The tofu vanished.
The moment it touched the water, it disappeared without a trace.
The once-clear water turned slightly cloudy, but the tofu was nowhere to be seen.
"What?" Chu Qing's jaw nearly hit the floor.
He rubbed his eyes and looked again.
The tofu was gone.
It was as if someone had struck him from behind—his vision darkened, and his mind went blank.
"Impossible! How could this happen? Where did it go?"
Frantically, Chu Qing grabbed a pair of chopsticks and stirred the water.
When he lifted the chopsticks, something clung to them.
He squinted and gasped.
"These… these are tofu threads!"
The strands were so fine they were nearly invisible to the naked eye. Only upon close inspection could one see the delicate threads clinging to the chopsticks.
The tofu hadn't disappeared—it had been sliced so finely that it dissolved into the water.
"Qin Hao… how many cuts did you make?" Chu Qing asked, his voice trembling.
"Thirty-six thousand," Qin Hao replied calmly.
The words had barely left his mouth when—
Thud!
Chu Qing's legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees.
His face contorted in disbelief as he stared at Qin Hao, muttering, "Thirty-six… thousand cuts!"
"No wonder you were slower. No wonder…"
"No wonder the tofu disappeared in the water."
"I… I've lost. The legendary number one chef truly lives up to his name!"
Lowering his head, Chu Qing admitted defeat.
Both Chu Chu Baby's and Su Wuyao's livestreams fell silent.
Viewers were frozen in place, their expressions of shock etched onto their faces as if they had been turned to stone.
The silence was so profound that newcomers to the stream might have thought their connection had frozen.
It took a full thirty minutes for everyone to process what had just happened.
They realized they had been deceived.
Even the most fervent fans of Chu Chu Baby and Wang Feng couldn't deny the truth.
Qin Hao's identity as a National Special Grade Chef and the former number one in the culinary world was undeniable.
If Chu Qing himself admitted defeat, who could argue otherwise?
The dish had not only stunned but awakened everyone.
No one could believe Chu Chu Baby and Wang Feng's lies anymore.
The claims of "fabrication," "scripts," "food runner," and "threats" were all exposed as baseless.
The audience felt like fools, manipulated by the duo into attacking a genuine chef.
Their anger ignited, spreading like wildfire.
"Refund me! Give me back the gifts I sent!"
"Liars! How are you going to explain yourselves now?"
"If I ever see you in real life, I'll make sure you regret it!"
"We treated you like treasures, and you treated us like fools!"
"Just wait—we'll report you and ruin your reputation!"
Chu Chu Baby and Wang Feng sat pale-faced, their minds blank as they stared at the flood of angry comments.
It was over.
Completely over.
They had played themselves into a corner with no way out.
Had they known Qin Hao was the legendary number one chef, they wouldn't have dared to slander him.
But it was too late for regrets.
No amount of damage control could salvage their reputations now.
They braced themselves for the onslaught of online backlash.
Everything they had done to Su Wuyao and Qin Hao would now come back to haunt them tenfold.
Defeated, they hastily ended their livestream and prepared to disappear.
Meanwhile, Su Wuyao sat in stunned silence, her throat dry.
This was no ordinary chef.
Qin Hao had sliced tofu so finely it seemed to vanish.
She had underestimated him entirely.
Qin Hao wasn't just a chef—he was a culinary legend.
The hunter had become the hunted, and Su Wuyao realized she had been blind to the truth all along.