The rise of Chinese Delicacies quickly brought attention to Jia Bingyang and his previously unknown team.

The show’s popularity skyrocketed, and many local television stations proactively reached out to discuss broadcasting rights.

This sudden emergence of an unexpected contender naturally caught the media’s attention.

Some media outlets, eager for the buzz, began comparing Chinese Delicacies with another documentary airing at the same time.

With both being in the same genre and airing at such an awkwardly close time, friction was inevitable. Fans quickly became embroiled in heated debates as the media stirred the pot.

Although Chinese Delicacies had a good reputation, it had only just premiered, and the number of loyal fans was still limited.

On the other hand, The World of Food had received mixed reviews but had been heavily marketed.

The director, Lin Miao, was packaged as a charming and talented figure—a rich and handsome, patriotic intellectual.

With the prestigious Beijing TV backing him, his documentary, though not more successful than Chinese Delicacies, still garnered attention because of its investment and decent production quality.

Many viewers were still drawn to this narrative.

Thus, the rivalry became fierce.

One side criticized The World of Food, questioning how such an inferior piece could even be compared to Chinese Delicacies.

The other side defended The World of Food, acknowledging its detour from Chinese cuisine but highlighting its beautiful cinematography.

They pointed out that the director, Lin Miao, had strong connections, and Chinese Delicacies was just another internet-funded success that barely knew its place.

They also mocked that Chinese Delicacies could never land on Beijing TV.

The fans clashed, and soon, someone unearthed Jia Bingyang’s past. They revealed that Jia had once worked with Lin Miao in the same filming crew but had later left to start his own path for unknown reasons.

Once this was shared online, it caused a stir. Many people began speculating about the potential conflicts between the two directors, and some insiders began anonymously sharing behind-the-scenes stories of the two documentaries.

When Lin Miao saw these growing discussions, he felt a chill run down his spine.

In the past, he wouldn’t have cared if people found out about what he did to Jia Bingyang, but now, with Jia Bingyang’s rising popularity and a dedicated fanbase, the timing of the exposure was disastrous. It happened just as the leadership at Beijing TV started paying attention to his name.

He recalled his uncle’s warnings and realized the consequences if the leaders saw this unfolding online. His pride was overcome by fear as he realized he was facing a real crisis that could affect his future.

Over a year had passed since they parted ways, and Jia Bingyang was receiving his first call from Lin Miao.

Lin Miao’s voice sounded hoarse on the other end: “Jia Bingyang, did you send those people online to dig up my past?”

Jia Bingyang, busy negotiating with yet another local TV station, was caught off guard: “What’s wrong with you?”

Lin Miao suppressed his anger and softened his tone after a long pause: “Fine, you don’t have to admit it, but Jia Bingyang, you need to help clear up these rumors. If your fans keep this up, it’ll be bad for both of us.”

Having gone through so much, Jia Bingyang had matured. After achieving even greater success than Lin Miao, he wasn’t looking to stage any revenge.

However, that didn’t mean he was going to comply with Lin Miao’s unreasonable demands.

Lin Miao, unable to lower his pride to apologize to someone he had once looked down on, resorted to threats: “Just agree, and I’ll make sure your documentary gets a slot on Beijing TV.”

Jia Bingyang didn’t know that Beijing TV had already taken notice of the situation, but he hesitated at the thought of the station’s influence.

He didn’t outright reject Lin Miao’s offer but first called Jin Yaotiao to discuss the matter.

Although agreeing to Lin Miao’s request would be humiliating, the documentary’s investor was Jin Yaotiao, and Jia Bingyang didn’t want to jeopardize her interests because of a momentary impulse.

Unexpectedly, Jin Yaotiao wasn’t moved at all: “Jia Bingyang, we may earn money, but we must do it with dignity. If you agree, I’ll call Leiqiu and have her deal with you.”

Jia Bingyang, touched by her words, was grateful and firmly refused Lin Miao’s request.

At Beijing TV, Lin Miao couldn’t believe Jia Bingyang had even turned down his direct request.

He stared at his phone, now hanging by the line, and panic finally overcame his pride: “He didn’t even give me face. Those rumors online must have been spread by him!”

His uncle, who was even more furious, scolded him: “Such a petty mind, like a rotten stone in the mud, hard and foul.”

But now, Lin Miao had really gotten himself in a difficult situation. As things progressed, his attempt to make up an excuse to fool the leaders would inevitably fail.

Forced into a corner by someone he once looked down on, Lin Miao didn’t know how to feel. “Uncle, what do we do if the leaders see this…?”

“Don’t let them see it!” His uncle, experienced and calm, sneered. “If no one has evidence, we’ll fight. I’ll make sure he can’t even get close to Beijing TV.”

---

Soon after, major marketing accounts online began to circulate a new article.

Jin Yaotiao opened the article her cousin sent her and squinted at the title.

The article’s headline was cleverly worded: “Can’t Stand It Anymore—The Dispute Between Jia and Lin, I Have Something to Say as a Photographer Who Worked with Both Directors at Beijing TV. Don’t Let the Public Be Misled.”

The article was clearly written with skill. It was easy to understand and emotionally charged, succinctly recounting the internal power struggles within Beijing TV’s first food documentary team.

The general director had spent enormous sums on sourcing material for the documentary, with the team working diligently.

However, the deputy director was lured by fame and fortune, attempting to insert extra footage into the planned shots.

After being refused by the general director, he took his followers and left the team, delaying work and attempting to collaborate with the company that later caused the dispute.

Initially, the conflict seemed to end there, but the deputy director, riding high on success, held a grudge and came back to bite.

The article clearly named the deputy director as Jia Bingyang, portraying him as a petty and money-driven person, while Lin Miao was depicted as the selfless director who was dedicated to making the best documentary for Beijing TV, even at the cost of offending his team.

The company involved, without a doubt, was Mingde.

To escape responsibility, this information wasn’t directly disclosed in the article, but was mentioned in marketing accounts that spread the news.

Jin Yaotiao read the final part of the article calmly: “Director Jia’s success hasn’t been easy, and I understand why he values certain things. I’m happy for his success. This dispute is unfortunate. I didn’t want to get involved for personal safety, but Director Lin is a straightforward person who respects Jia Bingyang, and seeing him misunderstood is unbearable.”

The article was written by a verified photographer from Beijing TV. As soon as he spoke out, the online war escalated.

Some doubted his neutrality, given that he worked for Beijing TV and was defending Lin Miao, but the photographer was unapologetically righteous and called for the anonymous gossips to face him.

No one willing to back Jia Bingyang came forward, knowing the consequences would be too much to handle.

Eventually, an interview with Lin Miao was released. When asked about the article and the reasons for parting ways with Jia Bingyang, Lin Miao simply said, “We had different philosophies.”

Shortly after, a major marketing campaign was launched, revealing Mingde’s investment in Jia Bingyang’s project.

Jin Yaotiao’s cousin, who had excellent connections, was assigned to handle external public relations and information at Mingde’s headquarters in Linjiang.

She was now worried: “Yaotiao, this has blown up, and our family is probably going to get involved.”

It wasn’t just involvement.

Some people were now mocking Jia Bingyang while tagging Mingde.

—“I thought Chinese Delicacies was great, and Mingde Restaurant was a highlight, but I had no idea about this backstory.”

—“The capital is dirty, I wasn’t wrong.”

—“Mingde is a powerful company, the news is coming in waves, they really know how to play the game.”

Of course, there were also defenders of Mingde.

—“It’s not that bad, Mingde’s food is genuinely good. As someone from Linjiang, it makes sense their restaurant was featured.”

—“Mingde performed excellently in the documentary. The photographer seems like he’s just sucking up, though. The person involved hasn’t spoken yet, and we need to stay calm before taking sides.”

The battles continued to intensify.

“Isn’t this about whether Mingde is great? It’s about unfair competition! This is the first food documentary in our country, and they’ve caused this kind of trouble—what’s their aim? Plus, Director Lin himself admitted the difference in philosophy. Think about that!”

Jin Yaotao put down her phone, washed her hands thoroughly, and continued preparing her dinner.

The ground meat was mixed and generously stuffed into the oil gluten. In the pan, scallions and garlic were stir-fried to release their fragrance.

A seasoned broth was added to enhance the flavor.

The round and cute gluten balls slid into the dark broth, and in no time, the hard outer skin softened and conformed to the meat filling inside, tightly wrapping it.

She gazed at the meatballs floating in the pot, lost in thought. Lin Miao, on the other hand, had probably fabricated the story about his split with Jia Bingyang because there was no evidence.

However, it made sense; when Jia Bingyang left, he certainly didn’t leave behind any written proof clearly stating the reason for his departure, nor did he get Lin Miao to sign anything.

So as long as he wasn’t ashamed, he could say whatever he wanted.

A phone call came in.

Jin Yaotiao checked the screen and saw it was from Shen Qiming.

His voice was deep, calm as usual, and he immediately said, “Don’t go online lately.”

Jin Yaotiao paused, then asked, “Why? Are you worried I’ll see people online insulting me and Mingde?”

Shen Qiming, seeing that she already knew, responded with an “Mm” and then added, “I’ve had someone remove the posts and handle it.”

Jin Yaotiao was silent for a moment, vaguely guessing that if she hadn’t asked, Shen Qiming would have quietly handled everything without saying a word.

She sighed, “President Shen, you don’t need to bother. With things like public opinion, you can’t block it; it will only give people more to talk about.”

She thought for a moment and continued, “But still, thank you for helping. You go ahead with your work. I’ll handle the online matters.”

Shen Qiming remained silent for a while, then asked, “If you want me to leave, should I leave?”

Jin Yaotiao, while flipping the gluten, replied, “… Huh?”

Shen Qiming fell silent again.

Jin Yaotiao thought for a moment, then asked, “President Shen, what are you doing?”

Shen Qiming replied, “Solving problems.”

Jin Yaotao: “?”

---

Confused, Jin Yaotao hung up the phone, feeling like Shen Qiming’s last words had carried a hint of frustration.

It reminded her of how she used to feel when she was younger and kept getting her practice problems wrong.

The gluten finished cooking, and Jin Yaotao scooped one out. She grabbed her phone to scroll through the web while taking a bite.

The outer skin of the gluten had a unique toughness, and despite being a soy product, it remained firm even after being deep-fried. Once soaked, it became silky and elastic.

The meat filling was a mix of fatty and lean parts, with crushed mushrooms blended in. Inside, there were scallions, garlic, and spices, all well-seasoned. After being stewed, the gluten tightened around the meat, soaking up the flavorful broth. With one bite, the rich, savory broth flowed out.

Her parents weren’t home, so she didn’t bother making a complicated meal. She quickly put together something simple, occasionally having a light meal.

While eating, her attention remained focused on her phone screen.

Lin Miao had likely spent a lot of money, and now the internet was flooded with articles related to the issue.

It even involved Mingde.

What a mess. This was her territory.