Back in the Jin family, though he didn’t hold real power, his older brother had never treated him with disrespect.

Whether it was arranging work for his son or anything else, he never had his requests turned down.

At that time, Cheng Chen respected him, and they interacted occasionally.

He would address him as “Uncle Jin” and never dared to speak as he did now.

He knew that Cheng Chen’s disrespect for him was because he was no longer useful.

In the Jin family, he could provide inside information about Mingde, unlike now, when he was entirely dependent on the Cheng family.

He came all the way here, and didn’t gain anything.

Looking at his son, whose head was lowered with a similar expression of displeasure, Jin Laosan finally tasted the bitterness of being the “dog of a mourning family”—even though the Jin family was still intact and his older brother was still around.

After a long silence, he sighed deeply: “Wait… Once those Yun Ding branches are up and Dad gets his share, I’ll help you start your own business.”

He helped Cheng Chen take Mingde’s people away.

Mingde would never return; his pride wouldn’t allow him to go back.

His older brother had cruelly driven him away for the sake of a girl.

Even though he had to rely on the Cheng family now, he would live with dignity, making the Jin family regret their decision one day.

Cheng Chen’s premonition was soon confirmed.

At a meeting room in the Linjiang Broadcasting Building, an unprecedentedly heated argument broke out.

Jia Bingyang was so furious that the veins on his neck were popping out. He shouted, “Lin Miao! Don’t forget, the filming team is not your dictatorship! I’m also one of the directors! I also have the right to choose the material!!!”

Lin Miao was equally enraged and retorted with harsh words, “You pick a topic? You pick a damn topic! You haven’t even washed the mud stains off your pants! How many countries have you been to? What the hell do you know about food? Go back to farming!”

Vaguely, Cheng Chen heard them mention Mingde, and his heart skipped a beat.

He pushed open the door and entered.

The two were out of breath, and Cheng Chen adjusted his glasses, forcing a smile. “What’s going on, everyone? Let’s talk it out calmly, no need to argue like this.”

Jia Bingyang, who had been attacked with insulting words, shot him a red-eyed glance but said nothing.

Lin Miao, well-groomed and dressed sharply, immediately looked like a well-mannered young master, and with a flick of his hand, he returned to his usual polite demeanor. “Oh, Mr. Cheng, you’ve come at the right time.”

He smiled, “Some people, all they’ve ever done is scrape by in the mud, their rural taste is so ingrained that even Mr. Muscle couldn’t wash it out. I really don’t know how to communicate with them. We’re not even in the same world, no way around it.”

Jia Bingyang was so angry that his fingers trembled, “Lin Miao, I advise you to speak more politely. We all have the same goal for the program. Just because I’m not from your background doesn’t give you the right to reject my choice of material.”

Lin Miao smiled and spoke earnestly, “Director Jia, it’s not that I’m being rude. This is the first time the station is shooting a food documentary in years, such an important project. Who doesn’t want to do it well? I can forgive your narrow view, but if you insist on bringing those greasy, unsophisticated things to the world stage, sorry, I have to criticize you. I don’t want foreigners to see such Chinese food; it’s embarrassing for our country.”

Jia Bingyang retorted, “You think this is embarrassing? Didn’t you grow up eating these things?”

Lin Miao shot back, “So what? Society is evolving. Are we not allowed to progress? I suggest you take a look at the latest overseas forum studies. Foreign experts have clearly stated the dangers of greasy Chinese food. With all that being said, what kind of benefits did that chef Jin give you to praise her so much?”

The director, Lin Miao, was openly insulting others, and Cheng Chen almost laughed out loud. The situation was clearly in his favor, so he didn’t need to say much. However, just then, a familiar voice sounded beside him.

“I came at the wrong time, huh?”

Cheng Chen’s eyes widened, and his back straightened instinctively, ready for action.

He turned around, and sure enough, there it was.

It was quite cold outside, and Jin Yaotiao was dressed casually today, wearing a loose, bright yellow down jacket, a gray knitted scarf around her neck.

She was tall and slender; the coat that would normally reach to a girl’s calves only reached her knees, and her long boots wrapped around her slender legs. Her hair was casually tied up in the back, and it must be said…

She looked quite good.

Especially in a place like the Broadcasting Building, she looked as if she were a fashion celebrity coming to work, and a very popular one at that.

After Cheng Chen was slapped in the face by Jin Yaotiao at the shooting range that day, he couldn’t stop thinking about her standing in front of him, holding her arm up and firing a shot.

The sound of the bullet hitting the bullseye had left a deep impression on him, a sense of humiliation.

Honestly, Cheng Chen had never met such a bold woman in his life.

Now, after several days, as they met again, Cheng Chen’s feelings were complicated, but his eyes couldn’t help but scan her slender legs.

So thin.

Jin Yaotiao gave Cheng Chen a look when she saw he hadn’t spoken: “Mr. Cheng, what are you looking at? Want to swap shoes with me?”

Sure enough, she was bold—right from the start.

Cheng Chen, feeling inexplicably nervous, coughed and turned his face away, sneering, “Miss Jin, you’re really hard to get rid of. I keep running into you everywhere.”

Jin Yaotiao sneered back, “Is that so? A narrow road for enemies, huh? That’s disgusting. Mr. Cheng, don’t dream of me when you go back. Be careful, I might not be able to hold myself back in your dream and end up shooting you in the forehead. Might even give you a heart attack.”

Cheng Chen: “…”

He had actually dreamed of it…

More than once.

In his dream, Jin Yaotiao stood in front of him, sneering, then raised her hand, bang.

What kind of dream was that?

Cheng Chen was momentarily speechless and could only say, “Heh.”

Inside, the two directors who had been arguing stopped because their argument had gotten more and more vicious.

Lin Miao looked at Jin Yaotiao with confusion: “Who are you?”

“The chef named Jin,” Jin Yaotiao smiled at him, her gaze playful. “Director Lin, right? You mentioned me just now, but how come you forgot so soon?”

Lin Miao stared at her for a few seconds.

The woman standing at the door was undoubtedly beautiful.

After so many years in the Beijing TV station, he could honestly say he hadn’t encountered many who were her equal.

Good-looking faces weren’t hard to find, but her unique aura was what really made her stand out.

She stood there like an upper-class figure, exuding the power of someone who should be in charge, and there was no trace of submissiveness in her eyes.

It took Lin Miao a few seconds to react to Jin Yaotiao’s words—“the chef named Jin.”

He was even more surprised.

In his mind, Chinese chefs were supposed to be portly, always carrying the greasy smell of oil.

A clean robe and an outstanding appearance—those were the hallmarks of top-tier Japanese and French chefs.

Lin Miao had always looked down on traditional Chinese food, and on top of that, he had no regard for Jia Bingyang, the grassroots director in his team.

His sarcastic words had come out naturally, but now, he was unusually embarrassed.

Jin Yaotiao just stood there, slightly raising her chin, eyeing him. Lin Miao’s expression shifted, and he turned his head without saying anything.

Jin Yaotiao then chuckled lightly: “Also, let me clarify something. I didn’t give Director Jia any benefits. You two have your own team disputes, so don’t drag our Mingde’s reputation down. Our Mingde family has been known for generations for producing master chefs. Director Lin, don’t compare us to anyone else.”

She wasn’t trying to please Lin Miao, so there were no reservations in her words.

If he didn’t look up to Mingde, Mingde didn’t look up to him either.

Cheng Chen quickly glanced at her, rolling his eyes, knowing she was talking about him.

However, he wasn’t angry.

What Jin Yaotiao said was just the truth, and anyway, this woman had been poking fun at him for a while now.

At least this time she wasn’t holding a gun, right?

Lin Miao, seeing how blunt she was, truly felt awkward.

Jia Bingyang let out a breath but seemed a bit embarrassed: “Miss Jin, I’m sorry. I was just trying to contact you for some material, but I didn’t prepare properly and caused trouble for your company.”

Jin Yaotiao had heard a few of Lin Miao’s harsh comments earlier and felt a bit sympathetic towards the assistant director.

She realized that the truth behind the online insults was even worse than what had been revealed.

If it were her, she might have resorted to physical confrontation after hearing those words.

Whether or not she could win the fight was another matter, but it was about defending her pride.

She shook her head and comforted Jia Bingyang: “It’s fine.”

The little pitiful Jia Bingyang looked a bit relieved, but Lin Miao still wasn’t backing down, his tone stiff as he said, “Our documentary’s material selection is already finalized. It’s impossible for your company to be involved. Miss Jin might have made a wasted trip.”

Before Jin Yaotiao could respond, Jia Bingyang’s anger flared up again: “What do you mean finalized? My idea hasn’t even been discussed in a meeting! Lin Miao, go search online! Miss Jin’s Mingde restaurant is from a family of master chefs, with decades of history in Linjiang. I don’t think…”

“You don’t think what?” Lin Miao’s face turned red with fury. “Jia Bingyang, are you sick in the head? Do you not understand what I’m saying? I! Do! Not! Want! To! Film! Those! Greasy! Foods! Do I need to say it again?”

Greasy foods…?

Jin Yaotiao’s brows shot up, and Cheng Chen, who was slightly behind her, stiffened, his spine going rigid. He moved a couple of inches away.

It wasn’t because he was scared.

It was because he was worried Jin Yaotiao might not differentiate between friend and foe and accidentally hurt him.

Wait a minute, he was technically on the opposite side too…

But before Jin Yaotiao could go on a rampage, someone outside couldn’t take it anymore. Upon hearing the report from downstairs, Lei Qiu arrived just in time to hear Lin Miao’s impolite words. With a stern expression, she said, “Director Lin, Miss Jin is still here. Please be more polite with your words.”

She gave Jin Yaotiao a look, signaling her not to take it to heart.

Jin Yaotiao shook her head, signaling Lei Qiu not to speak out: “Lei Jie.”