The sickening crunch of the metal disposal blades slowly faded into a dull, mechanical hum, leaving the sprawling Azure Harbor Marina smothered in a heavy, suffocating silence, since the elite crowd of billionaires and rival chefs stared at the empty silk cushion in sheer shock.
Chef Francois stood near the grinding machine, wiping his sweaty hands on his pristine white apron, as a smug, self-satisfied grin stretched across his face, fully believing he had just saved the culinary world from a massive scam.
His sycophantic lackeys immediately broke the silence, cheering loudly and clapping their hands, as they pointed mocking fingers directly at Rick's presentation table.
"Chef Francois exposed the fraud!" a sous-chef yelled to the wealthy onlookers, puffing his chest out to share his master's fake glory. "This poor hotel cook tried to pass off a dirty piece of carved wood as a priceless artifact, but true Michelin dragons are never fooled by cheap tricks!"
