Chapter 605: Two Sides of the Coin (8)
Chapter 605: Two Sides of the Coin (8)
For a long while, the debate raged so fiercely that few paid close attention to what Minjoon and Kaya had introduced. Eventually, the consensus settled: the two chefs’ fresh idea was “an adventure worth taking.” No surprise there—it was hardly a risk to base a dish on a regular person’s recipe. And when customers didn’t order from menus with already prepared ingredients, Minjoon and Kaya had a plan.
“For the recipes we review and approve, we’ll cook them here on this internet TV. We’ll explain how to enjoy each dish at its best, why it’s fresh and appealing, and analyse the flavour components and cooking methods,” Kaya explained. “Among those featured on Irregular Lab, the most popular will be added to Lotus Bridge’s special menu for a limited time. Of course, we’ll pay you commissions for those dishes.”
When Minjoon and Kaya first conceived this idea, they deliberated carefully. They weren’t hungry for recipes—they had countless they’d love to show right away but couldn’t, due to kitchen constraints. So adding others’ recipes to their menu wasn’t an investment but a cost. Yet they realised they stood to gain something valuable from this idea. The biggest lesson Minjoon learned from June was how to trade without losing money.
After all, the deal with ordinary people was supposed to benefit both sides.
Consider this: how many people dream of becoming chefs? How many skilled chefs never get to showcase their talents due to circumstances?
If all went as planned, Irregular Lab would become a beacon of hope for countless chefs, surpassing even the Grand Chef competition. No matter how grand or refined the competition was, it occurred just once a year, benefiting only one winner. And competitors who slipped up were swiftly eliminated, no matter how talented.
Many chefs struggled even to find time to enter the competition; Irregular Lab would provide a platform for them to freely express their passion for cooking. Controlling entry to this path, Irregular Lab could hugely impact young chefs’ careers—especially those like the old Minjoon.
He faced the choice between clinging to nothing but cooking or settling for the status quo; the Grand Chef offered a glimmer of hope.
Irregular Lab would draw those wavering on the border of those choices. Minjoon, Kaya, and Chloe would bear the challenge of evaluating the talent flooding in. Few chefs could rival those three, but the spark of inspiration from ordinary people might be just as precious.
A glimpse of such inspiration might help Minjoon and Kaya lead the culinary world across America and beyond. Among the viewers of their internet TV, how many glimpsed this grand vision?
Minjoon said politely, “Please don’t hesitate to submit your recipes anytime. We won’t look down on your passion.”
Yet, as he made the announcement, he felt as though he was pulling the wool over their eyes.
At first, not many ordinary people submitted recipes.
Minjoon and Kaya were in no rush. Having just announced the scheme, a sudden flood of submissions was unrealistic. Many chefs treasured their recipes deeply and feared rejection by Minjoon and Kaya.
But time didn’t treat everyone kindly. As more recipe ideas arrived and the Lotus Bridge opening neared, more participants dropped out of Grand Chef. Only three remained: Michael, Peter, and Gwen.
Minjoon expected these three to reach the finals but felt uneasy about their odd mix. Peter hadn’t planned to join originally; suddenly, he had entered and was competing on an equal footing with Michael and Gwen.
“I wonder if Peter can really win,” Minjoon mused.
Sometimes, he thought Peter’s unexpected participation was the wildcard. Peter overcoming his troubled past and turning his life around might determine the competition’s outcome.
If so, who should Minjoon root for? He felt torn.
He certainly didn’t favour Michael; Michael treated cooking as theory rather than art. Though his unique style had merit, Minjoon disliked it.
Minjoon supported Gwen but not for her cooking style—for fear she would make terrible choices. As for Peter, he hesitated. He did cheer for Peter but worried openly supporting Gwen might jinx her.
Perhaps that was why Gwen’s question embarrassed him.
“What did you say?”
“My application,” she said softly. “I heard Lotus Bridge is hiring chefs.”
He looked silently at her application—undeniably perfect—and met her gaze slowly.
In truth, he shouldn’t have found her application strange.
Lotus Bridge was poised to set culinary trends in Los Angeles, and Gwen had good ties with local restaurant leaders.
As a chef, Minjoon should seize the chance to hire her. But knowing what she might do if she failed Grand Chef stopped him. She’d likely commit suicide if she lost.
After all, she’d only apply to Lotus Bridge if she lost. How could someone unready for failure prepare a backup?
She wasn’t the old Gwen anymore.
Man, she’s not the Gwen I knew. I must have been mistaken.
Looking back, Minjoon realised he had judged her as pathetic and weak simply because her suicide came soon after the contest.
But that prejudice wasn’t based on facts.
He had assumed she killed herself out of pessimism over the contest, a logical but unproven assumption.
Only now did he doubt that old Gwen and this Gwen were the same person.
They shared a profession as chefs, but their paths differed.
Peter and Hugo now teamed with her; Minjoon and Kaya were her evaluators. He wasn’t sure how much that changed things, but Minjoon tried to have the best possible influence. Maybe Gwen could change.
Maybe she was different from the old Gwen he knew.
“Have you decided to drop out of the finals?”
“You told me to bet everything on this competition. Cooking, not the competition itself, was worth risking my life for.”
“Are you ready to accept my advice?” he asked quietly.
If she truly chose cooking over competition, it meant she had freed herself from her tragic fate—at least, that was what he hoped.