Chapter 90

Chapter 90: Chen Ran Really Exploded in Popularity!

There is a difference between food critics, even among food critics.

Wang Zhaoshan is listed under the "Famous Chefs' Directory," and he also has industries in other fields.

Bai Qing writes several food columns while serving as a cultural consultant for various film crews, and he also leads many cultural and food festivals.

Both of these individuals' food critiques, to some extent, carry a "love-powered" element.

However, Wen Zhaoqing is different. He is a professional food critic.

Under his company, there are hundreds of food critique accounts. These self-media matrices are his primary source of income.

"Mr. Wen, we may not make it in time. We haven’t finished the previous topics yet. Do we really need to chase after this little chef?"

Wen Zhaoqing glared at his assistant, thinking about whether he should replace them.

"Will the traffic wait for you?"

As soon as Chen Ran made a brief appearance, she immediately trended again!

Some might think that this trending topic has nothing to do with Chen Ran, that she just happened to catch the wave. But with so many trending topics, how is she able to catch every one of them?

Having been in the self-media business for so long, Wen Zhaoqing understood one thing.

To gain popularity, you need luck, but to truly rise, you need destiny!

If Chen Ran hadn’t appeared on trending topics so many times, even though her name would be listed on the "Famous Chefs' Directory," she wouldn't be worth Wen Zhaoqing rushing overnight to follow her.

But in today’s world, traffic is the most important thing.

"What about the previous store visits we scheduled? Did you decline all of them?"

"All declined! We've been getting too many advertisements recently, and some negative reviews have been hard to manage. Taking a break might be a good thing."

"Got it. I’ll get in touch with them right away."

On his way to the airport, Wen Zhaoqing looked at the dark night outside, feeling a bit dissatisfied.

He opened his phone and began scrolling through the platforms he often used for business.

He didn't need to mention the short video platforms, as they were where Wen Zhaoqing started his career. He had at least ten relevant store-visiting streamers under him.

The Sweet Potato Network, however, was his recent focus. He had almost turned local store visits into a form of protection money.

New businesses, especially those promoting trendy food, regardless of their confidence in their products, almost always come to him for promotions.

He had created hundreds of accounts on the Sweet Potato Network and had covered most of the local reviews in different regions.

But now, his homepage was forcibly filled with several posts about pyramid schemes.

"Pyramid scheme nest crushed by twenty college students, runaway chef turned righteous hero!"

"Martial Arts Food Snatching Tournament takes place in a pyramid scheme nest!"

Along with it, the relevant news about Chen Ran had been dug up again.

Posts that genuinely gained traction on their own were fundamentally different from those promoted by Wen Zhaoqing’s company with flow and bots.You can tell by the comments below.

"Did you watch the previous livestream? Tang Yang could crush a floor tile with just one kick. I can't even imagine how desperate the pyramid scheme scammers must have felt when they realized they had brought back a bunch of martial arts experts..."

"Show some respect, call him Tang Guanzhu! Just to clarify, Tang Guanzhu casually crushed a floor tile without even stomping on it!"

"I don’t care about the fate of the scammers, they’ll all get caught in the end. What I care about is what kind of dish they were fighting over when a bunch of people stormed into the pyramid scheme nest!"

Among these comments, there are also some from victims who were once involved in pyramid schemes.

"Can there really be good food in a pyramid scheme nest? Apart from potatoes and cabbage, don’t bother thinking about it."

"Exactly, it’s all potatoes and cabbage, not a hint of meat. If they let you eat as much as you want, how much could you even eat?"

"However, this chef is kind of mysterious, though I still haven’t tasted her food. I did watch the martial arts food-snatching event... maybe her potato and cabbage are actually delicious?"

The debate about potatoes and cabbage hadn’t settled yet when news from the pyramid scheme nest broke again!

The young master from the Shao family in Xiangjiang was also rescued from the pyramid scheme nest!

For the local law enforcement, this was considered a political achievement. Although they didn’t release Shao Yuxun’s real name in the news, they did emphasize the Xiangjiang-based company.

This caused the already trending topic to explode even more.

The comments went wild.

Other people may get caught up in pyramid schemes, but how did the young master of a Xiangjiang consortium end up there?

Shouldn’t the stocks of Shao family’s companies be sold off now?

The notorious tabloids from Hong Kong also joined in, with headlines more outrageous than the last.

"The Third Young Master of the Shao Family was greedy for pigs' ears and was tricked into a pyramid scheme cage by craving cabbage."

"Shao Family’s Old Business Collapses, the Foodie Loses His Inheritance Rights."

"Hong Kong Island’s chefs retire in mass, bird's nest soup is no match for boiled potatoes."

Under pressure, Shao Yuxun even had to release a statement: he just wanted to invite Chef Chen to cook a "Dinghu Shangsu" for his mother’s birthday banquet.

These media’s clickbait headlines were so offensive that he didn’t want to upset Chen Ran before even inviting her.

But, it was precisely this kind of buzz that finally pushed Chen Ran from the internet frenzy into the public spotlight.

Previously, Chen Ran was mostly famous on a few video websites. Each time a new event happened, she would ride the wave with various recap videos and gain some traffic.

Her popularity was more about playing with memes than about her culinary skills.

Although she had appeared on the "Famous Chefs’ Directory," the reputation of the directory itself was limited, mostly within the chef community.

When people thought of famous chefs, they would first think of the chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants. After all, those restaurants spent real money on promotion and had a natural appeal because of their international status.

But now, Chen Ran had truly broken the mold!

She was no longer the meme chef of internet users; she had officially stepped into the culinary world’s spotlight.

And this solidified resume was, to anyone who saw it, a shock!

Even though she had never proven herself in well-known restaurants, the fact that so many people were following her was proof in itself.What would make the entire city go crazy, with everyone lurking to check the kindergarten menu and even borrowing their kids’ lion's heads—would that be bad food?

What would make fugitives keep coming back to devour and pack up their rolled pancakes—could that be bad food? Don't say this is a setup; the criminals are really locked up in prison!

And even the Best Actor would wake up early to climb a mountain just to snag a bite of clear-braised elbow...

Unlike the internet users, some high-end diners have even found out that the famous "new star of Huainan cuisine," Lin Wei, who had suddenly disappeared, is actually the same person as Chen Ran!

Chen Ran, originally from the Chen family, a culinary genius, and now having inherited the Huainan cuisine legacy from the retired Master Xu...

This young Chen Ran is now the next big powerhouse in the culinary world!

And this powerhouse seems to have no visible weaknesses.

When it comes to both vegetarian and meat dishes, she can make the renowned Dinghu Shangsu, and she can also cook chicken porridge with vegetables as a base, along with top-tier meat dishes like the Three-Course Duck.

As for the price range, she’s done both the full Manchu Han Imperial Feast and the Huainan Three Heads Banquet. Yet, when reduced to a pyramid scheme nest, she can turn potatoes and cabbage into delicious delicacies, and even make common dishes like caramelized sweet potatoes using the finest techniques.

Moreover, based on the various stories circulating, this chef is not only a master of red (meat) dishes but can even extend her skills to white dishes...

Some people are beginning to understand Shao Yuxun now. Wanting to invite this chef to cook for a birthday banquet is actually a show of filial piety.

A chef who can make Three-Course Duck is impressive no matter where they go!

As a result, not only short video platforms started to compile Chen Ran’s experiences, but even the usually proud print media lowered their heads and gave her a small but significant mention.

And the final trump card is yet to come!

As one of the most powerful recent advocacies of traditional Chinese culture, Tang Yang appeared on CCTV News.

In a brief interview lasting just a few seconds, Tang Yang expressed her gratitude to everyone and shared her vision for the future of the martial arts community. But in the end, she made sure to thank Chen Ran.

"Without Chef Chen Ran's delicious dishes, we wouldn't have thought of such an excellent way to showcase martial arts. Thank you, Chef Chen Ran."

In just one sentence, she deliberately mentioned Chen Ran's name twice! Perfectly enunciated!

This topic has become so hot that even "Famous Chefs' Directory" is gaining traction.

Many people learned for the first time that we have our own chef rankings, a list strictly curated by national banquet masters.

And Chen Ran herself is now more popular than ever!

Even Ms. Chang Nian, who rarely accepts interviews, made an exception and gave a brief response.

"Chen Ran is the most focused chef among all the chefs I know."

"When I first tasted her dishes, I noticed immediately. Even though her techniques were still quite young, there was already a pure mastery mindset."

"She cooks without any ulterior motives; all she has is a pursuit of deliciousness."

"For such a chef to blow up like this, I think it's a counterattack to today's noisy era. The more the flow of traffic rises, the more sincerity can go against the current."

Some people did doubt Chang Nian's overly high praise.

After all, Chen Ran is practically the face of today's "Famous Chefs' Directory."

But these doubts don’t hold up.

Marketing is meant to yield results; it needs a cycle of return!If Chen Ran were really focusing on marketing, with all this traffic, she could probably open seven or eight chain stores, and the threshold would likely be flattened by the customers coming in just to try her food.

But what is she actually doing? She's just focusing on making a large meal at the Tang Family Martial Arts School.

"Ran Ran, is this dish done? Should I serve it now?"

"Yes, be careful! Don't burn yourself!"

"Chef Chen, the time's up! Can we take it out?"

"Okay! Tear the chicken apart!"

"Ran Ran, are you tired? Have a drink!"

A straw was brought to Chen Ran’s lips. She took a deep sip.

It was her favorite cola!

Tang Yang was wearing a cotton hat. Her hair was cut very short, and when the cold wind blew, she could feel it lightly brushing her scalp.

"I'm not tired. It's just one table, and there are so many helping hands."

The large five-meter-wide table in the center of the Tang Family Martial Arts School had not been cleared. A tent had been temporarily set up, with heaters and ventilation.

Chen Ran finished the last dish. She looked at Tu Xiaoning, who steadily carried it out, and hesitated before looking toward Tang Yang.

And then, there was the unexpected entrance of Ms. Wang.

"Are you leaving again?"

Ms. Wang smiled with a hint of emotion, then handed Chen Ran a small item.

"You know I can’t stop you, so I had someone make this small thing. Do you remember Liu from the Qiaotou Road Police Station? He made it."

Chen Ran looked at the small object in her hand. It was a delicate keychain.

"This is an alarm device. If you encounter a similar situation next time, just press it! But if you don’t press it, this little thing won’t give away your location."

"Don’t forget the moves I taught you! Don’t hesitate. Ordinary people should go straight for the kill when in danger—things like kicking low or poking eyes, just go for it!"

Chen Ran nodded.

She was about to head out for work again!

Tang Yang reached out to adjust Chen Ran's down jacket hood, then took her luggage and walked her to the door. Outside, Gao Shuxian handed her a pocket.

"I bought you some new hand cream. Remember to use it!"

"Alright, you all go back now! Don't worry, I won’t go to such dangerous places this time!"

The warm light from the campfire inside the martial arts school’s tent flickered, and amidst the bustling noise, Chen Ran could vaguely hear the voices of several familiar customers.

As everyone entered, Chen Ran tightly gripped the keychain Ms. Wang had given her, mentally confirming once again with the system.

"This new work location, there shouldn't be any danger, right?"

The system, for once, was unusually honest and gave a straightforward reply.

[New mission location: K-223 Sightseeing Train]