With the sound of music, they danced, their bodies pulsating to the rhythm. Soon, others joined in, and the atmosphere of the entire party quickly reached a crescendo, like being in the heart of a music festival.
Although they hadn't had much to drink, everyone's spirits were already lifted. It was at this moment that the chef, carrying the dishes, arrived on the street.
From a door in another room across the field, an entire line of waiters emerged, carrying metal-colored platters, some even adorned with lit candles. The candlelight reflected an orange-yellow hue on the mirrored surface of the platters.
They walked forward in perfect formation. Even the waiters were professionals from the world's most high-end restaurants. Such a spectacle was hard to ignore. In an instant, even those dancing and singing in the center of the dance floor, or those who had gotten lost in their drinks, were drawn to the sight. They looked over.
Although Master Wu himself did not step forward, he was the creator behind the food being carried by these more than twenty waiters. Looking at the scene, he felt as if he had stepped into some royal banquet and become a very important person.
Cao Baiming also noticed people around him whose gazes were converging in one direction, so he looked over as well.
This was the first dish of the evening. By this time, everyone was probably starving.
Although Master Wu had said he would prepare the first dish tonight, and had even discussed the ingredient preparation with Cao Baiming and other staff in advance, no one knew what he was making or what the final product would look like. Even Cao Baiming himself was unaware.
Watching this procession, like a royal banquet, slowly approach with neat steps and noble bearing, holding platters that seemed so elegant, their curiosity was piqued to the extreme once again.
What kind of dish could possibly be worthy of being the first course at such a high-class and luxurious gathering tonight? Everyone's heart was filled with anticipation.
Neymar, holding a bottle of beer and still exuding excitement, saw this scene and immediately stopped dancing. He walked forward to investigate.
As the waiters' procession drew nearer, everyone gradually got a clearer picture of what was on the platters.
The night sky had completely darkened, and the lights on the street were merely decorative mood lighting and faint white lamps, far less illuminating than daylight. Even with the candles on the platters, the food could not be seen clearly.
Upon closer inspection, the contents appeared to be a white cube, resembling a piece of tofu.
Looking even more closely, the texture seemed identical to tofu. As the waiters moved forward, the contents on the platters even jiggled slightly.
"Isn't this just ordinary tofu?"
Although most people present were not connoisseurs, it was unlikely they wouldn't recognize tofu. Surely the best chef of this so-called candy wouldn't try to trick them with a piece of raw tofu?
Cao Baiming's brows furrowed slightly. He understood Master Wu; he wasn't that kind of person. This thing before them was likely not as simple as it seemed.
As the waiters continued their advance, they finally reached the party area. Here, they dispersed, placing the platters on everyone's tables. Cao Baiming and Wu Xue were each served a full platter.
Looking at the white object before them, both their eyes widened simultaneously.
It truly looked like tofu, nothing like anything else. Could this really be the dish Master Wu had spoken of, requiring a full six hours of preparation?
More importantly, even if it looked like tofu, it barely smelled of anything. A hot dish, fresh from the kitchen, should have a strong aroma that makes one salivate from afar.
"Instead of guessing, why don't we just try it? I'll go first!"
With a hearty declaration, Cao Baiming picked up a small metal knife that was placed beside the platter. It looked like a knife meant for cutting tofu.
He then proceeded, with the mannerisms and habits of cutting tofu, to slice off a corner of the cube.
As he cut into this piece, Cao Baiming's gaze suddenly widened in surprise. As expected, it was not as simple as it seemed.
Wu Xue, sitting opposite him, saw the expression on Cao Baiming's face and her curiosity was instantly piqued. What could possibly surprise him so much? This was not a man easily astonished.
He carefully placed the small piece he had cut off onto a nearby ceramic plate.
Wu Xue turned her head to look at the cross-section of the cut piece. She already had a premonition that it would be quite revealing.
However, when she saw it, she froze.
It was all white, pure white, with not a trace of anything else.
She had expected layers, perhaps various textures hidden beneath a white coating that made it resemble tofu. But upon cutting it open, there wasn't even that.
Yet, Cao Baiming's face wasn't just surprised. He eagerly brought the cut piece of tofu to his mouth and tasted it, his face instantly lighting up with an expression of pure bliss.
"Just as I thought!!"
Wu Xue looked confused.
"It's clearly white, what else could it be if not tofu?"
Cao Baiming savored the taste carefully, then quickly looked at Wu Xue.
"Do you know why I was surprised just now? Although it looked simple to the eyes, and even when cut it didn't reveal its true form, the texture when the knife cut through was unmistakable!"
The more Wu Xue listened, the more eager she became. She had rarely seen such a happy expression on Cao Baiming's face; even when he received a sixty-billion commission, he had only smiled slightly.
"When cutting into it, at first you feel like you're cutting tofu, soft and elastic on the surface. But then, this elasticity becomes greater and greater..."
"When you've cut about a third of the way in, you'll find that the friction between the knife and this seemingly tofu-like substance increases significantly. And in the center, there's a 'snap' sound, as if you've hit something hard, followed by a softness like liquid..."