The reason why these industry insiders turned down the Xunxiang Banquet and came to Muhe Mansion was primarily to meet this Mr. Meng.

In fact, quite a few of them previously had decent relationships with the Jin family, but seeing an opportunity to associate themselves with the big name that Mr. Meng represented, who would still care about past relationships?

A trace of pride flashed across Cheng Chen’s face, and he smiled faintly, “It’s nothing much.”

The president of the Linjiang Gourmet Association came today with the sole purpose of scheduling an interview with Mr. Meng.

He ran a food magazine called Morning Feast, which was currently in fierce competition with its rival, Fragrance of the World.

He urgently needed a powerful guest to boost publicity.

His attitude came off as a bit desperate, even bordering on undignified, as he flattered Cheng Chen: “How can this be nothing? Mr. Cheng, no need to be modest. For today’s banquet, we at Morning Feast plan to dedicate an entire page to covering it. Mr. Cheng, we’ll need your help introducing us to Mr. Meng.”

“No problem,” Cheng Chen nodded. “My assistant has already gone to pick up Mr. Meng. He should be here soon.”

The others, hearing Cheng Chen’s confident response, immediately relaxed and found their seats.

After settling the guests, Cheng Chen stepped back to the entrance, squinting as he admired the media team already stationed outside Muhe Mansion, ready for action.

Of course, he hadn’t told Mr. Meng about the interviews or the opportunists waiting for him.

After all, with his stubborn personality, if Mr. Meng knew there was such a hassle, he definitely wouldn’t have come.

But Cheng Chen didn’t need Mr. Meng to cooperate much. As long as he showed up and got photographed, Cheng Chen’s goal would be achieved.

After today, explosive news would flood social media, and the Xunxiang Banquet would be effortlessly crushed beneath his feet.

The extravagant costs of this banquet, and the sleepless months he spent planning and scheming, were finally about to bear fruit.

Cheng Chen calmly adjusted the buttons of his suit and stood straight when suddenly his assistant appeared:
“Mr. Cheng, your phone is ringing.”

Cheng Chen glanced at the screen and saw it was his assistant who had gone to pick up Mr. Meng. He quickly answered, “You’ve arrived?”

“Mr. Cheng… Mr. Cheng…” The assistant’s voice was panicked, almost in tears. “Mr. Meng is gone!”

---

At the Outdoor Cooking Zone

Two policemen helplessly blocked three people, trying to reason with a plump elderly man:
“Sir, at your age, you really shouldn’t be squeezing into the center like this. What if you get hurt?”

The round-bellied old man glared at them, his eyes wide and stubborn: “I’m perfectly healthy!”

The young man and woman beside him smiled apologetically to the officers.
“Sorry about this. Our grandfather is a food connoisseur, and he’s always very curious about cooking. He just wanted to see what’s being made here. Sorry for the trouble.”

“A food connoisseur…”

The officers exchanged glances.

Seeing how stubborn the old man was, they reluctantly relented:
“Fine, but please be careful. Look after your grandfather and make sure he doesn’t get hurt.”

Nearby, Wang Sheng was about to instruct one of the six chefs to turn off the stove when a loud voice suddenly called out: “Did you make this braised short rib?”

Startled nearly out of his wits, Wang Sheng turned and saw the plump old man staring at him with sharp, scrutinizing eyes. “How did you get in here?” he stammered.

The old man ignored the question and continued, “It’s time to turn off the fire.”

“Oh, oh, okay!” Wang Sheng quickly obeyed.

But the old man didn’t leave. Instead, he watched intently as Wang Sheng scooped the meat from the pot.

After inspecting the braised beef ribs, he commented to the young people beside him:
“The seasoning is meticulous, and the cooking is decent. The color and aroma are good, but the ingredients are too ordinary. I wonder how it tastes.”

“Hey, you—” A young chef nearby was about to retort when Wang Sheng stopped him.
“Don’t argue. It’s a celebration today, and he’s an elder. Don’t fuss.”

Wang Sheng calmed the young chef, then, remembering Jin Yaotiao’s instructions, sliced some of the braised short ribs and handed a plate to the grumpy-looking old man.

“Sir, we’re celebrating our anniversary today, so please enjoy this dish on us. The cooking zone is crowded and dangerous, though, so I’ll have security escort you out.”

Mr. Meng, who was used to being treated with reverence wherever he went, was unaccustomed to being shooed away like this.

He frowned, but upon seeing the tender, steaming beef, he still picked up a piece and popped it into his mouth.

The tender, juicy beef melted in his mouth, and the frown on his forehead relaxed immediately.

After a moment, he looked at Wang Sheng’s young face and asked, “Did you come up with this dish?”

“Of course not!” Wang Sheng chuckled and waved over security to escort him. “I don’t have that kind of skill. The ingredients and seasoning were prepared by our supervisor, Jin. She’s busy overseeing the Xunxiang Banquet right now, so she asked me to watch the kitchen here. Take care, sir. Wang, help him out and make sure no one bumps into him.”

---

Mr. Meng was escorted out, holding the plate of food.

His grandson whispered, “Grandpa, are we heading back to Muhe Mansion?”

“Try this,” Mr. Meng replied, handing the plate to his grandson and granddaughter. They each took a bite, their eyes widening in surprise as they exchanged glances.

Mr. Meng murmured thoughtfully, repeating the young chef’s words: “Supervisor Jin… the Xunxiang Banquet…”

At that moment, the grandson’s phone rang. Answering it, he heard Cheng Chen’s voice:
“Mr. Meng, where did you go?”

The grandson glanced at his grandfather and replied calmly, “Mr. Cheng, my grandfather has other matters to attend to and may be a bit late. You can go ahead with the tasting session without us for now.”

“What? That won’t do!” Cheng Chen’s voice rose anxiously. “We’ve prepared everything here!”

The grandson frowned. “Prepared what, exactly?”

Cheng Chen looked at the guests and reporters waiting outside, unable to explain. But the grandson understood immediately:
“Mr. Cheng, did you invite the press?”

Cheng Chen fell silent.

Mr. Meng, overhearing this, shook his head and signaled for his grandson to hang up.

After years of dealing with people trying to exploit him, this was nothing new to Mr. Meng.

---

Cheng Chen stared at his phone in shock, unable to believe that his carefully laid plans had unraveled at the final moment.

Outside, the reporters were growing impatient from waiting in the cold. Some began approaching him to ask when Mr. Meng would arrive. Inside, the guests were restless, chatting in small groups while constantly glancing toward the door.

Those hopeful glances all told the same story: they were waiting for someone.

Cheng Chen’s mind went blank. He had no idea what to do next.

---

Meanwhile, at the Xunxiang Banquet, Jin Yaotiao signaled Master Tu’s apprentices to bring out the freshly baked Beggar’s Chicken from the oven.

Jin’s father, who had always overseen the Xunxiang Banquet, was present today as well. Watching the guests arrive with their invitations, he felt a wave of relief.

His years of cultivating relationships had not been in vain. Despite the Cheng family’s efforts, many still chose to come here.

Editor-in-Chief Liu from Fragrance of the World arrived with his photographer, greeting him cheerfully:
“Mr. Jin, congratulations!”

“Your presence is the best congratulations,” Jin’s father replied with a smile, leading him to a seat. Along the way, Liu whispered: “Things at Muhe Mansion seem pretty grand, huh?”

After saying a few words, Father Jin turned and went back to the kitchen, where he saw his daughter intently stirring a pot.

She seemed completely unaffected by the bustling crowd around her, fully absorbed in the ingredients at her fingertips.

Her calm demeanor eased his slightly anxious heart.

Suddenly, someone behind him asked, “Excuse me, where is Manager Jin?”

Father Jin stiffened and turned to see a chubby old man being supported by a man and a woman.

The old man’s gaze lingered on him for two seconds before scanning the kitchen and landing on Jin Yaoyao, who was busy cooking.

“And you are…?” Father Jin found the man somewhat familiar but couldn’t place him, so he greeted him politely, “Are you here for the anniversary banquet?”

“You didn’t invite me,” the old man said. “I came on my own.”

Father Jin: “…”

What a weirdo.

Still unable to recall where he had seen the man before, Father Jin hesitated until Jin Yaoyao called out, “Dad, you can go back to work. I’ll take care of this.”

After sending her father away, Jin Yaoyao turned to the old man. “I’m Manager Jin. Is there something I can help you with?”

The old man’s gaze sharpened upon hearing this, scrutinizing her before his eyes rested on the pot she was cooking.

“What are you making? Congee?” he asked, hands clasped behind his back.

Jin Yaoyao raised an eyebrow, sensing that this visitor was not an ordinary guest. It was clear he hadn’t been invited by her father.

Still, a guest was a guest, even an uninvited one.

He was old, and while his behavior was a bit rude, it wasn’t enough to upset her.

Smiling lightly, she asked, “Are you hungry?”

The old man was momentarily taken aback by her question.

Jin Yaoyao took the opportunity to ladle some of the congee into a bowl, sprinkle it with finely chopped scallions, and hand it to him. “This is something I made for myself. There were leftover lobster heads from the banquet ingredients, and it seemed a shame to waste them, so I used them for this congee.”

Lobster heads… leftovers…

The young man supporting the old man hesitated as if wanting to say something, but the old man didn’t seem to mind.

He accepted the bowl and began eating.

From the first bite, he recognized the skill.

The lobster heads had clearly been meticulously prepared, without a trace of fishiness.

The rich, umami flavor of the lobster brain blended harmoniously with the chicken broth.

The subtle touch of scallions added a refreshing balance to the dish.

This simple congee, made from leftover ingredients, rivaled the taste of dishes crafted from rare delicacies.

Seeing the old man pause in astonishment after the first bite, Jin Yaoyao decided it wasn’t appropriate to shoo him away on such a festive day. She also recalled that several of the guests her father had invited hadn’t shown up.

She called for someone to escort the old man out, saying, “If you’re hungry, you can stay and eat. I’ll arrange a seat for you, but please don’t wander into the kitchen again, alright?”

The two young people supporting the old man immediately straightened up, casting cautious glances at the old man.

Bold.

The old man’s grandson thought to himself.

To everyone’s surprise, the old man wasn’t angry. Instead, he stared at the young woman, bowl in hand, and nodded. “Alright.”

Satisfied with his compliance, Jin Yaoyao nodded and handed him a crispy biscuit. “Here, have this too. Dinner will be served soon.”

---

Outside, the seated guests were chatting casually.

The editor-in-chief of Fragrance of the World glanced around the venue and shook his head at someone he knew. “As expected, Chairman Chen of Morning Feast didn’t come, nor did several members of the Culinary Association. That guy really turns his back on people fast.”

“Honestly, if I didn’t care about appearances, I’d be at that other banquet too,” someone replied.

“President Jin has always treated us well,” the editor-in-chief sighed. “I just couldn’t bring myself to make that kind of move.”

The other person nodded in agreement, though still with some regret. “But I’ll say this: Mingde Restaurant is likely to lose this time. They’ve invited none other than Mr. Meng, and the Cheng family’s rising star is pulling out all the stops.”

“You’re right. That’s Mr. Meng we’re talking about. A friend of mine once interviewed him years ago. I heard his temper is terrible—he’ll scold you on the spot if he doesn’t like your questions.”

As they spoke, a large man sat down beside them, causing the editor-in-chief to instinctively lean away.

Where did this chubby guy come from?

He glanced up, and then fell into a long silence.

The notoriously bad-tempered Mr. Meng was quietly eating a biscuit, having clearly overheard their conversation.

As he chewed, he fixed his gaze on the editor-in-chief.

Editor-in-chief: “???”

Editor-in-chief: “!!!”

---

At the Cheng family’s banquet at Muhe Hall, the event had officially begun, but the anticipated guest of honor still hadn’t arrived.

Someone finally lost patience and questioned Cheng Chen, “Mr. Cheng, didn’t you say Mr. Meng was on his way? Why isn’t he here yet?”

Cheng Chen, unable to explain, stalled for time. “He’s probably delayed on the road.”

He signaled his assistant to apologize to Mr. Meng’s grandson via text, but no response came.

Damn it! Everything had been planned perfectly. What went wrong?

Unable to pinpoint the issue, Cheng Chen was still trying to maintain composure when murmurs of shock rippled through the crowd behind him.

“Mr. Cheng!” someone called. Turning, he saw Chairman Chen of Morning Feast approaching, phone in hand. Forcing a smile, Cheng Chen asked, “What is it?”

Chairman Chen raised his phone. “Are you sure you invited Mr. Meng?”

“Of course,” Cheng Chen replied smoothly.

But Chairman Chen’s gaze turned sharp as he displayed his phone screen. “Then how do you explain this?”

Everyone nearby leaned in for a look and gasped.

“Mr. Meng is at the Fragrance Banquet?!”

The room erupted.

Those hoping to curry favor with Mr. Meng were now utterly confused.

Cheng Chen needed several seconds to process the words.

Approaching the phone, he saw a photo of Mr. Meng with the editor-in-chief of Fragrance of the World, taken at the rival banquet.

Impossible!

Chairman Chen stared him down, his expression darkening. “Mr. Cheng, are you playing games with us?”

Cheng Chen, feeling as though the world had collapsed beneath him, turned pale.

---

Meanwhile, at the rival banquet, Mr. Meng quietly enjoyed his meal, relishing the simple yet exquisite lobster congee.

Mr. Meng: Be good, and you’ll get biscuits and congee.