Noodle-but-not-Noodle, wasn't that the meaning?
After they understood, they immediately ran out the door, afraid of wasting any more time.
Megumi and her two partners also didn't linger, leading their partners and running outside.
Liu Ming watched the departing crowd with a strange gaze.
"Although the problem has been solved, what kind of dishes can you make to satisfy me?"
"I'm really looking forward to it."
"It turns out that setting difficult questions for others is such a pleasant thing. It's really too interesting, I feel a little addicted."
"Megumi, let me see your growth."
Liu Ming sat quietly alone in the venue, leisurely petting Iko.
Feilu reminds you: three things to do when reading - collect.
Looking at Iko in his arms, Liu Ming suddenly remembered a small plot point.
He wondered if Yukihira Soma would still try to get his hands on the examiner's belongings, as he did in the story.
It shouldn't be possible, after all, Iko is a living creature, and it's clear that it's Liu Ming's pet, so he shouldn't treat it as an ingredient.
Otherwise, even a gentle and adorable creature like Iko would riot, wouldn't it?
Thor isn't here, so no one can subdue it.
Iko suddenly felt a chill down its spine. It quickly raised its head and looked around, but didn't find any other dangerous individuals.
"It's okay, don't be nervous," Liu Ming gently stroked Iko's fur.
Unbeknownst to them, thirty minutes had already passed.
Liu Ming looked at the empty hall, and not a single person had returned yet.
Could it be that he overestimated the abilities of these students?
"But with the development of the culinary world to this day, many noodle dishes have already appeared. As long as they put their heart into it, it shouldn't be difficult to make a dish that meets the requirements," Liu Ming thought to himself.
Another ten minutes passed, and finally, someone returned.
However, when Liu Ming saw the ingredients in their hands, he couldn't help but be stunned.
It was a fish.
But with just one fish, what kind of noodle dish can you make?
You really think of yourselves as master chefs, don't you?
As expected, the situation did not surprise Liu Ming in the slightest.
The two realized their mistake immediately after returning to the cooking station.
"Oh no, I was so focused on making a bowl of seafood noodles that I forgot to solve the most important part: the noodles. If I can't use flour, what ingredients should I use to replace it?"
Watching the two on the verge of collapse.
Liu Ming shook his head, indicating he was powerless.
He was an examiner now and couldn't give them hints. Moreover, if they were smart enough, they would think of imitating what others did.
And he had never said that identical dishes were not allowed, as long as he didn't help them cook.
Time passed by minute by minute.
During this time, many students returned, and many also went out again.
Soon after, his diligent disciple, Megumi, finally returned. Her partner was a woman, but Liu Ming didn't recognize her.
Seeing Megumi's confident expression, it seemed she had found a solution.
Liu Ming immediately walked over curiously.
In her basket, there were many ingredients, the most crucial of which were probably the several potatoes still covered in dirt.
Using potatoes to replace flour, how interesting.
Liu Ming didn't intend to keep watching. He returned to his original seat and waited for the results.
The students who had been paying attention to Megumi immediately understood after seeing the ingredients she used, and they ran out of the classroom again.
Takumi and Yukihira Soma's groups also arrived one after another.
However, looking at the ingredients in their hands, Liu Ming was a little speechless.
One had sweet potatoes, one had taro, and like Megumi, all three chose high-starch crops.
While such a choice could fit the theme of Noodle-but-not-Noodle, it did diminish some of his surprise.
"Master, I'm done. Please taste it." Megumi brought a steaming bowl of noodle dish to Liu Ming.
Liu Ming looked at the bowl of noodles; the toppings were very sparse, just a few vegetable leaves and some chopped green onions.
He sniffed, detecting a sweet fragrance.
"Is this clear soup noodles?" Liu Ming asked curiously.
"Yes, this is my potato version of clear soup noodles, made with potatoes as the main ingredient, combined with several other ingredients."
Megumi looked at Liu Ming nervously, unsure if such a dish would earn his approval.
"Then I must have a good taste to see if you've grown during this time."
Liu Ming took out a pair of chopsticks and picked up a small strand of noodles.
However, he didn't taste it immediately, but instead held it suspended in the air.
The golden noodles shimmered there.
The resilience was excellent; not a single strand broke, standing perfectly intact.
Next, it was time to see how it tasted.
Liu Ming gently put the noodles into his mouth.
The noodles were surprisingly sweet; no wonder he had smelled a faint sweet aroma earlier.
Moreover, the sweetness of the potato carried the milky fragrance of milk and the eggy aroma of eggs. The combination of the three not only made the noodles smoother and more enjoyable to eat but also geometrically increased their elasticity and resilience.
More importantly, Megumi actually made it sweet, fully bringing out the natural sweetness of the potato.
It was truly hard to believe that these were noodles made from potatoes.
So chewy.
Each noodle strand kept bursting in his mouth, very springy.
Achieving this level was extremely difficult, after all, these were potato noodles, not real flour.
Megumi had really made great progress.
Liu Ming's previously disappointed expression instantly vanished without a trace.
"An excellent bowl of noodles. Out of a hundred points, I'll give you ninety. Without a doubt, your group has passed."
Liu Ming gave Megumi a thumbs-up after finishing all the noodles.
"Mm, thank you, Master." Megumi immediately became happy; more than passing, she cared about Liu Ming's evaluation of her.
She thought to herself, "However, there are still ten points left to a perfect score; I need to work even harder."
The woman paired with Megumi was already jumping with excitement.
She had passed too!
Seeing that Megumi had passed by simply making a clear soup noodle, the people in the venue immediately gained confidence.
One by one, they rolled up their sleeves, ready to make a big effort.
Unfortunately, reality was cruel.
"Redo it!" Liu Ming's calm words shattered their illusions.
"Why? You haven't even tasted it," the rejected student asked unwillingly.
Liu Ming merely glanced at it, and without even tasting it, he said it was no good. How could they possibly be convinced?
"Why?" Liu Ming shot him a look, pointed a finger at their sticky concoction, and asked, "Try to pick something up with chopsticks. See what you can get."
The student in his group immediately picked up chopsticks and tried, but got nothing.
"This bowl of yours can't even be called noodles. Do I still need to taste it?" Liu Ming asked calmly.
The two were instantly speechless.
"Instead of arguing with me here, you'd better use the time you have now to make a new one."
The two immediately came to their senses, bowed gratefully to Liu Ming, and then anxiously ran out to find ingredients again.
"Again."
"Again."
"Pass."
"Again."
As time passed, there really weren't many dishes that could satisfy Liu Ming.
Of course, the satisfactory dish Liu Ming spoke of wasn't to the extent of Tadokoro Megumi's; it just needed to reach sixty points.
This requirement was genuinely not high.