A Bite of China

"Xiaoqiu, I think our previous show has reached a bottleneck. We need a breakthrough before we can make something better," Jiang Hao said.

"What kind of show? Another rant show?" Zhen Xiaoqiu asked.

A rant show...

Jiang Hao thought to himself, I wouldn't dare make a rant show anymore.

Although the two of them had founded the Pissing Beef Balls Company, they still had not given up making television programs. Fortunately, the company was already on track, with professional managers overseeing it, so the two bosses did not need to worry about it.

"I'm planning to go to the mainland to film food and make a documentary. I've even come up with a title: A Bite of China. I have a proposal here. Take a look first."

As he spoke, Jiang Hao took out a not-too-thick document and handed it to Zhen Xiaoqiu. He had rushed it out over the past two days.

Zhen Xiaoqiu quickly finished reading it and looked at Jiang Hao in surprise. "This idea is really great! And these lines—how did you come up with them? Saturated fatty acids, crude fat, crude fiber, various amino acids... it all feels so sophisticated."

"And these passages—are you writing poetry?

Home, where life begins. A person spends their entire life on the road home. Under the same roof, they light fires, cook meals, use food to bind the family together, and comfort their loved ones. Within the ordinary pots, bowls, ladles, and pans lies the fullness of Chinese life, reflecting Chinese ethics as well. People grow up, fall in love, part ways, and reunite. Everyday flavors are also the many flavors of life."

"This is a China undergoing tremendous change. People and food move faster than ever before. No matter how hurried their steps, no matter how involuntary their meetings and partings, joys and sorrows may be, there is always a flavor that, in its own unique way, reminds us three times a day upon the tip of our tongues to know where we are headed tomorrow and never forget where we came from yesterday."

"Half a lifetime of struggle brings a prosperous household and generations of children and grandchildren. The footsteps of an entire life, their beginning and their end, all ultimately lead back to where home is. This is a belief the Chinese have upheld for thousands of years—simple, yet powerful."

Jiang Hao said, "For this program, I'm planning to send out three teams to film separately. The content needs artistic value and humanistic warmth, so that while viewers watch the food, they can also undergo a cleansing of the soul."

"We need to offer more than visual enjoyment and sensations of taste. We need to create a spiritual impact, letting Hong Kong viewers—and even all of Asia and the world—see what mainland cuisine truly contains."

Zhen Xiaoqiu frowned. "Your documentary is far too large in scale. It definitely won't be cheap, and ATV will never approve it."

"I'm planning to invest my own money," Jiang Hao said.

What else was he making money for, if not things like this?

"Your own money? Your proposal says you'll be traveling all over the mainland. That's no small investment," Xiaoqiu said.

"I estimated that around three million would be enough for the first season." Back then, the A Bite of China team had only spent 4.5 million on filming, and that had been in 2012.

In truth, as long as the show was made well, only the first season would require investment. Once the episodes were sold and advertising revenue was added, it should turn a profit. At the very least, it would not lose money.

As for Jiang Hao, his goal was to take advantage of the program to fully experience the vast and profound cuisine of China. Hong Kong alone could not compare.

Eating his way across the country and taking in the food and scenery of every region had been many people's dream. Jiang Hao had once had that dream too.

Unfortunately, it had only been wishful thinking before.

Now, he finally had the chance to make that dream come true.

"Three teams. One will head south, with bamboo as its theme. One will head north, with freshwater delicacies as its theme. The third, I plan to send to Shaolin Temple to film Shaolin Temple and Shaolin cuisine," Jiang Hao said.

Zhen Xiaoqiu looked astonished. "Shaolin Temple! Food! Does Shaolin Temple even have food?"

"Who knows? But viewers will definitely be curious. Shaolin Temple is very famous," Jiang Hao said.

He did not know about other worlds, but this world should have it. Wasn't Tang Niu from the Shaolin Temple kitchen? And the dish Stephen Chow made in the end had been Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. The monks in this world might eat meat.

Now that he had money, he could sample cuisine from all over. If possible, he also wanted to learn some cooking skills. Although Stephen Chow only had third-rate cooking ability, he still had the basics. If he learned from master chefs in different places, he might just become a great chef himself.

Zhen Xiaoqiu went to ATV. She was now a well-known host herself. After explaining her idea to the executives and saying she wanted to make a documentary about mainland cuisine, they initially agreed. But once she laid out the filming plan, they immediately shook their heads.

A season only had a few episodes, yet the filming budget would be three million. Wasn't that just burning money? Documentaries rarely made money, and they would not take on a business guaranteed to lose money.

Zhen Xiaoqiu and Jiang Hao had already anticipated this. Zhen Xiaoqiu proposed renting ATV's personnel and equipment while funding the production themselves, and the station executives immediately agreed.

A few days later, the filming team had been assembled. Just as they were preparing to leave for the mainland, the Hong Kong Gourmet Association publicly announced that it was preparing to hold the 28th Hong Kong God of Cookery Competition.

Reporters swarmed in to cover the event. One reporter interviewed Tang Niu. "Mr. Tang, as the current God of Cookery, do you feel any pressure? And is there anything you would like to say to the contestants?"

Tang Niu blinked his tiny eyes and said, "I only want to say that only those who truly understand food and can truly create delicious dishes deserve to be called the God of Cookery. This is a chef's highest honor. Yet some people use the name of the God of Cookery to deceive others and cheat their way through life. It is utterly shameless."

The reporters grew excited. Someone shoved a microphone toward Tang Niu's mouth and asked, "Are you referring to Stephen Chow?"

Tang Niu did not deny it. He nodded and said, "That's right, Stephen Chow. In my eyes, he's nothing but a fraud." Then Tang Niu pointed at the camera and shouted, "Stephen Chow! If you really have any ability, come compete in this God of Cookery Competition! I, Tang Niu, will be waiting for you here! If you hide like a turtle, then don't ever use the name God of Cookery to deceive people again and tarnish its reputation!"

At the airport, Jiang Hao, Zhen Xiaoqiu, and the others carried large bags and small bags. The moment they entered the airport, they were stopped by a group of reporters.

Jiang Hao was surprised. Had he become that famous already? Reporters had even come to see him off and interview him over a documentary shoot?

The reporters thrust their microphones toward Jiang Hao's mouth. Someone loudly asked, "Stephen Chow, the current God of Cookery, Tang Niu, says you cannot cook at all and have been faking everything to deceive people. What do you have to say about that?"

"Stephen Chow, Tang Niu has invited you to compete in the new God of Cookery Competition. He says that if you do not participate, you are a cowardly turtle. Will you join?"

"Stephen Chow—"

Jiang Hao was still somewhat dazed and had no idea what was going on. "What exactly are you talking about? I don't understand," Jiang Hao asked.

A reporter told him what had happened half a day earlier, and only then did Jiang Hao understand. After thinking for a moment, he said, "An invitation to the God of Cookery Competition? One month from now? Sure. I'd be very willing to participate."

"But please tell the Hong Kong Gourmet Association that if they want me to participate, they must agree to one condition: I must be allowed to taste every dish," Jiang Hao said.