Culinary God in Wilderness

"Well now, what a lively scene."

Just as everyone was staring at each other, trying to decide how to split the Stir-fried Lamb with Scallions and Cumin, a voice completely unfamiliar to Lin Chen suddenly rang out from the top of the fence.

"That smells amazing! I caught the scent from dozens of meters away. I never thought the guy from Great Xia had such skills."

The sudden arrival of a stranger caught everyone off guard, especially Lin Chen, who looked up at the top of the fence in confusion.

Robert and the others shot him a glance, a flicker of surprise in their eyes, but they immediately returned their focus to the steaming dish before them.

"Alright, the simplest way is to take turns. I’ll count to three, and everyone grabs a slice."

"Isn’t that stating the obvious..." Hei muttered under his breath. "Let’s just get on with it, the meat’s getting cold!"

While the two of them were talking, Ariana and Daniel had already silently reached for the plate.

The thin slices of lamb were incredibly tender, tearing apart with just a gentle press of the tongue. The rich lamb fat provided an intensely savory aroma, yet any greasiness was instantly cut by the clean sweetness of the scallions.

The surface of the lamb was coated in a brownish-green powder, which tasted completely different from the whole cumin seeds on lamb skewers.

With whole cumin seeds, there’s little flavor at first, followed by a stunning explosion of taste the moment you bite down.

Ground cumin, however, was a more familiar taste, one they encountered in everyday cooking. Its fragrance was distinctive and constant, without any sudden bursts.

But the most surprising element, for them, was the flavor of the soy sauce.

This seasoning isn’t typically used in Western cuisine; it only shows up in the fusion restaurants that have become popular in recent years. For those unfamiliar with Asian food, their only exposure to the taste of soy sauce was likely from sushi.

But in this dish, the soy sauce imparted a subtle umami flavor they had never tasted before, which left a long, lingering finish as they chewed.

They weren’t chefs or food critics, so they couldn’t have articulated the fine points. But that didn’t matter. All they needed to know was whether it was delicious.

"Hey! Hey! Don’t leave me hanging! Let me have a taste, too!"

Seeing that the production crew was already eating, the man on the fence grew frantic, his face flushing as he waved his arms rapidly.

"They’re the ones who paid. I’m just preparing it for a fee."

The production crew had already announced the details about "Professional Privileges" during the last medical checkup, so Lin Chen wasn’t worried this contestant wouldn’t understand.

"How much is the fee?"

"That’s not necessary. Don’t forget, they’re the production crew and you’re a contestant. You already have the right to collaborate."

"Oh, right, right! Silly me, I almost forgot about that!"

The man propped his elbows on top of the fence, and without any visible effort, he easily climbed up.

Just as he was about to jump down, Lin Chen yelled, "STOP!!!"

"Huh?"

The man froze, his leg hovering in mid-air, and gave Lin Chen a bewildered look.

"I need to save the snow in my yard for a water source. You’ll ruin it if you jump in! Come in from beside the wall!"

"Oh, right. Okay."

The man scratched his cheek sheepishly and chuckled, then turned and jumped back down.

After he squeezed through the gap by the rock wall and took off the hood of his windbreaker, Lin Chen finally got a clear look at him.

’I can’t remember his exact name, but I think he was standing near me when we filmed the opening.’

"Hey there, Lin! I didn’t realize you were set up so close by."

"And you are?"

Lin Chen had no intention of making small talk; he got straight to the point.

"Connor," the man said, confidently extending a hand for a handshake. Then, he did something that took Lin Chen completely by surprise.

He formed a ring with his thumb and forefinger, put it in his mouth, and whistled sharply.

The long whistle carried swiftly across the vast, snowy expanse, startling flocks of birds into flight from the nearby trees.

The moment he heard the whistle, Lin Chen froze as a wild idea surfaced in his mind.

’Could it be...’

Soon, a single, chilling eye appeared silently in a gap in the fence.

’A wolf!’ 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

In an instant, Lin Chen recognized the creature the eye belonged to.

’Having been surrounded by them just a few days ago, it’d be a lie to say they hadn’t left an impression.’

"The Farmer?"

"That’s me."

Connor pointed to the small gray wolf outside the fence. "He’s still young and a bit timid. Pretty cautious. He only lets me get close. With so many people here, he’s too scared to come in."

"Speaking of which, I have him to thank for finding this place so fast. Trying to find someone in a forest buried in snow, using only the helicopter’s general direction, would’ve been a real pain."

’Using a wolf’s sense of smell?’

’It’s a wonder he could pull that off.’

Lin Chen was quite curious about this incredible fellow. Taming a wolf to serve him in such a short period of time sounded completely unbelievable.

Lin Chen was completely unprepared for Connor’s arrival.

"You can tame animals. Logically, a lot of contestants should be interested in partnering with you. Why did you come to me?"

"It’s not that incredible," Connor said, waving his hands dismissively. "They’re exaggerating. I just got lucky."

"You’re the one who’s really something. Even the production crew is coming to you to cook their food. That proves your skills are top-notch. It’s why you’re the most popular contestant, I bet. And this shelter... it’s absolutely perfect!"

"If I wanted to partner with you, what are your requirements?"

"You bring your own ingredients, and then you have to fulfill a request from him. I’m the one who helped him upgrade this shelter."

Andre’s voice suddenly sounded from outside, and as he spoke, he squeezed in from the side of the rock wall.

"Huh?"

Connor turned in confusion. "How did you get so close?"

He glanced over, but the figure outside the fence was gone, having hidden itself somewhere out of sight.

"You mean that young Coyote?"

Andre’s lips curled. "Wolves are smart creatures. They know who to pick on and who to avoid."

The two of them spoke in veiled terms, but their meaning was not difficult to understand.

Lin Chen had no interest in joining such a tiresome conversation. He clapped his hands, drawing both of their attention to him.

"Alright, gentlemen. Since you’ve both appeared here at the same time, I assume you’re both here to collaborate with me, right?"

"That’s right," Andre said with a wave. "My sheep is still boarded here with you. We already had an agreement, didn’t we?"

"Hey! That’s not how it works," Connor interjected. "The decision is his. He can partner with whoever he wants first. My shelter isn’t far from here, but a round trip still takes the better part of a day. I don’t want to waste another day traveling."

"What can you offer Lin? That wolf of yours?"

"No, no, no, he’s my partner. I would never abandon him."

"Or are you saying you can help Lin catch and tame a wolf in a single day?"

"Don’t be ridiculous. That’s impossible."

"See?" Andre spread his hands and looked at Lin Chen. "This guy is useless. You should just partner with me, Lin."