A few of them walked out of the shop and saw a crowd of people outside chasing after someone. Liang Yin ran over too.
"Wang Zhi, watch the shop!"
Wang Zhi:...
The street was packed with people. Lin Chudong hopped onto Liang Yin's electric scooter and sped off.
He hadn't taken part in the Reality Show before, not because he wasn't interested, but because the system had required it.
Now that he wanted to join, he no longer had the chance.
But he had to try his luck today to promote his song.
Lin Chudong opened the Lucky Card in his mind and focused. One Lucky Card disappeared.
I hope this comes in handy at a crucial moment.
Liang Yin and Jia Lu ran for a few steps before they were completely out of breath. They said helplessly,
"These people can really run! I thought they were just pretending for the cameras, but they're actually running!"
"Did you see which celebrity it was?"
"I did. I think it was Lin Qiqi!"
"Oh, her! She's so pretty. What a shame I didn't get a better look!"
At that moment, a tall, slender young woman was running at full speed, a task card in her hand. The cameramen around her were all panting heavily too.
Lin Qiqi was getting anxious. She turned to the camera and said, "Sorry, cameraman, but I have to run!"
"For this task, I have to grab a random passerby and have them compete against a Special Grade 1 chef. I need to check the Snack Street up ahead!"
Lin Qiqi was a newly popular sweetheart idol among homebodies. She had starred as the lead in several idol dramas, and her popularity was soaring. On the Reality Show, she played a sweet, well-behaved girl, which made her very likable.
She was young, after all—she could really run.
A director said quietly, "Qiqi, if you run too fast, we won't get enough footage. Slow down. When you pick a passerby, look for someone with a funny or interesting personality, someone who looks like they'll make people laugh. Got it?"
Lin Qiqi nodded. How could a Reality Show be unscripted? Everything was planned. Even when they picked random passersby, they had to follow the Director Team's instructions.
The Director Team had made it clear: they didn't actually need to find a chef. They needed someone funny and distinctive.
Lin Qiqi began searching along the pedestrian street.
Suddenly, a shout rang out behind her.
"Move! Beep beep!"
A horn blared. Everyone turned to look and saw a black electric scooter speeding toward them. The man riding it wore a helmet. When he reached Lin Qiqi, he pulled off a stylish skid and stopped.
"Miss, need a ride?"
The cameramen captured his entrance perfectly. His showy arrival immediately made the onlookers burst into laughter.
Lin Qiqi glanced back at the Director Team, who promptly nodded.
"Yes, please! We're with the Super Challenge Program Group. Could you help me with a task?"
"No problem, little sis. Hop on."
Lin Qiqi climbed onto the scooter. "Big brother, take me to the plaza up ahead. I have to take part in a competition. Can you cook?"
"I can. When I cook at home, people say my food tastes like it came from a restaurant. When I cook at a restaurant, customers say my food tastes like home. You tell me—can I cook or not?"
Lin Qiqi laughed. "You're hilarious. I'm counting on you, then. Our opponent is a Special Grade 1 chef!"
"Special Grade 1? He's done for. I'm at least Special Grade 2."
"Big brother, Special Grade 1 is better than Special Grade 2! The smaller the number, the higher the rank!"
"Then I'm Special Grade 0. Just watch!"
The cameras caught their entire conversation. The Director Team spoke into their walkie-talkies. "This passerby is great. Give him more screen time and more chances to talk. We need to create some program effect."
"Copy!"
They soon arrived at the competition plaza.
The plaza was already crowded. The cameras had been set up, and the lighting was ready. Five celebrities—four men and one woman—were in position.
When Lin Qiqi arrived on Lin Chudong's electric scooter, it caused a commotion.
As they reached the others, Lin Chudong hit the brakes.
Lin Qiqi flung her arms around him. Her back felt as if it had been hit by a giant marshmallow. He swore it really hadn't been on purpose.
A middle-aged man said, "Qiqi, where did you find this driver? We're almost out of time!"
The speaker was Li Bo, a popular actor and Billion-Dollar Film Emperor with an enormous fan base. He was also the mainstay of Super Challenge.
"This is the chef I found. Let's get started!" Lin Qiqi said.
Li Bo smiled and teased her a little before they began the competition in earnest.
Even now, nobody had recognized Lin Chudong.
For one thing, he was dressed so plainly today that he didn't look like a professional singer at all.
For another, these people were all from Film and Television and knew little about the music industry. They had surely heard of the Da Fei Band, but they had never seen Da Fei himself.
"For this competition, the celebrities will work with ordinary people to cook, then compete against a Special Grade 1 chef. The judges are professional food critics, and the winner will receive a mystery prize!"
The Reality Show was mainly about comedy and drama. The sight of ordinary people defeating a Special Grade 1 chef was exactly what viewers wanted to see.
"Big brother, what's your last name?" Lin Qiqi asked.
"Lin. Lin Chudong."
Lin Chudong tried to keep the conversation going. They might cut most of it in post-production, but the more screen time he got, the better.
"Our opponent is a Special Grade 1 chef. What should we make? Are you confident?" Lin Qiqi asked. She seemed so innocent and sunny—whether it was genuine or an act, these performers were incredibly good.
"I'll do the main cooking. You can help prepare the ingredients. We'll make Nine-Turned Intestines!"
Lin Qiqi picked up a kitchen knife and began chopping vegetables while Lin Chudong prepared the intestines.
The process of preparing the intestines might make viewers uncomfortable, so it barely got any screen time.
Lin Qiqi looked beautiful as she chopped, so the cameras naturally focused on her a lot.
Fortunately, she was also very considerate of Lin Chudong. Even though he wasn't on camera, she kept talking to him.
"Brother Lin, we have the same last name. What a coincidence! What made you think of making Nine-Turned Intestines?"
"It's a famous Shandong dish. If we want to make an impression on the judges, we need something with a strong flavor," Lin Chudong said.
Lin Qiqi smiled. "That's a great idea. Either the smell will make them swoon or it'll knock them out!"
Lin Chudong was an excellent cook. With the bonus from [Intermediate Cooking Skill], he prepared the ingredients as smoothly as flowing water.
He cleaned several lengths of intestines, marinated them inside and out with cooking wine and white vinegar, then threaded them through each other one by one and cut them into pieces about two centimeters long.
He heated oil in the wok and began slicing scallions.
At the same time, the dark-complexioned Special Grade 1 chef also began slicing scallions.
Their movements were synchronized, and both worked incredibly fast. Their scallion strips were fine and even, their knives striking in a steady rhythm. The crowd let out a chorus of gasps.
Just who was this young man?
His knife skills were actually on par with those of a Special Grade 1 chef?
Was he even faster?
Lin Chudong added the seasonings, stir-fried everything, then let it simmer over low heat.
A moment later, a rich aroma filled the air. He sprinkled on the scallions, plated the dish, and lifted it out of the wok.
A beautifully prepared plate of Nine-Turned Intestines was set in front of the cameras.
Li Bo exclaimed dramatically,
"Qiqi, I never thought a pretty young woman like you would have such a strong palate!"
Lin Qiqi smiled. "I really struck gold! Our Brother Lin is every bit as good as a Special Grade 1 chef!"
The Special Grade 1 chef beside them frowned slightly and snorted.
"With a dish like Nine-Turned Intestines, anyone who makes it is bound to mess it up. It takes no skill. It tastes bad—it only looks good."
"If I can't beat an ordinary person, I might as well quit being a Special Grade 1 Shandong Cuisine chef!"
Before you continue