Starlet Taotie Chapter 22 (Part 2)
Chapter 22.2 Chef Shi Wenqing
After the tasting, it was time for the judges to make their choices.
Hang Siqi and Fang Yiran both voted for Si Muze.
The outcome was already decided.
A knowing smile spread across Si Muze's face.
Yang Shurong said nothing, but a trace of disappointment and sadness showed on his face.
Jiang Tao's vote didn't really matter at this point. Usually, the remaining judge would choose the losing side as a gesture of consolation.
But Jiang Tao didn't make her decision right away. Instead, she first asked Yang Shurong, "The fish paste, you used small crucian carp for that, didn't you?"
Yang Shurong nodded.
Jiang Tao then asked, "You sliced the fish fillets first before making the paste. This way, there was no need to pick out the bones piece by piece, and that kept the flesh intact, so when you made the paste, the freshness and natural sweetness were preserved to the fullest."
Yang Shurong was taken aback. Since most of the camera focus had been on Si Muze, he'd assumed no one was paying attention to those details.
Everyone else on set was also stunned.
Small crucian carp has sweet, tender flesh but it's notoriously full of tiny bones.
Yet not a single bone had been found in that bowl of noodles they'd just eaten.
And according to Jiang Tao, Yang Shurong had simply sliced the fish directly and made the paste without ever removing the bones individually.
The production team immediately pulled up the replay.
In the footage, Yang Shurong's hands moved with gentle precision.
One after another, paper-thin, almost translucent fillets were sliced from palm-sized crucian carp and neatly arranged on a plate.
From a distance, you could hardly tell anything was even there.
【That knife work is absolutely insane!!】
【We're all human, so how is the gap this huge?!】
【Holy crap!! He really didn't pick out the bones at all and went straight to making the paste-that's insane!!】
【I never thought I'd be watching a cooking competition on my knees!!】
【Looks completely ordinary on the surface, but hides a master's skill to the extreme! respect, respect!!】
【Isn't this way better than Si Muze's flashy routine?!】
Si Muze's fans, of course, weren't happy hearing that.
But anyone with eyes could see the sheer mastery of Yang Shurong's knife work.
Still, they weren't about to admit they were wrong.
【Chef Yang is impressive, sure, but Mu Mu is amazing too!】
【They just have different knife styles, what’s the need to compare? Let's move on】
【Weren't you the ones dragging others down in the bullet comments just now?】
【Exactly, if Jiang Jiang hadn't been sharp-eyed, that brilliant knife work would've gone completely unnoticed】
After her questions, Jiang Tao stated simply, "I think Chef Yang's dish was better."
The three judges had made their selections.
Following the script, Hang Siqi announced, "Then let's congratulate Si Muze for becoming this week's winner of 'Masters of Inventive Cuisine'!"
Yang Shurong had lost.
But he wasn't upset at all. The earlier dejection had vanished from his face, replaced by nothing but a simple, honest smile.
To be recognized by such a knowledgeable diner, that, for him, was the greatest reward of all.
In contrast, the winner, Si Muze, however, wore a dark scowl. He didn't look happy in the least.
He was used to smooth sailing.
No one had ever embarrassed him like this before.
Even though he'd won, everyone would still say that Yang Shurong's knife skills were superior to his.
That frustration lodged in his throat, stuck, unable to rise or fall.
He raised his chin and looked arrogantly at Jiang Tao. "What gives you the right to say I'm not as good as him?"
"I studied under renowned masters! I've been cooking since childhood!"
He turned his gaze to Yang Shurong, his tone dismissive. "Chef Yang, who was your teacher?"
Though Yang Shurong was displeased by his attitude, he answered politely: "My father."
Si Muze let out a scoff. "You know Chef Shi Wenqing, the state banquet chef, a titan of the culinary world? That's my teacher!"
A wave of gasps rippled through the studio.
Only Jiang Tao wore a peculiar expression.
Si Muze looked down at her haughtily. "So, I'd like to hear, what exactly gives you the right to judge my cooking?"
He'd expected that dropping Shi Wenqing's name would make Jiang Tao back down.
But instead, she asked, puzzled, "Are you really a disciple of Master Chef Shi?"
Si Muze: "?"
Jiang Tao: "If you're really Master Chef Shi's disciple, how dare you ask me to judge your cooking?"
Si Muze: "???"
"Of course, since you asked, I'll oblige."
Jiang Tao then proceeded to point out every flaw in his dish clearly, logically, and with solid reasoning. Even viewers who knew nothing about cooking could follow along and nod in agreement.
Si Muze's face grew darker and darker.
He hadn't expected that his attempt to humiliate Jiang Tao would end up humiliating himself instead?!
In the end, he could only resort to blunt denial: "Nonsense! What would an amateur like you know! Even my teacher has never criticized me like this!"
Jiang Tao sighed helplessly. "In that case, I guess we'll have to have your teacher tell you himself."
Si Muze: "????"
Bullet comments: 【????】
【What does that mean? Is Jiang Tao saying she knows Shi Wenqing?】
【I don't know who Shi Wenqing is, but he's just a chef. How great could he be? And Jiang Tao is a celebrity after all, what's so special about knowing him?】
【The person above clearly knows nothing about the culinary world! Shi Wenqing is a state banquet chef who's been received by national leaders. And even though he doesn't appear in public much now, his disciples are incredible. The president of the Culinary Association is his disciple, and about half of the renowned chefs in the country have received his guidance at some point.】
【not just in culinary circles, even in the entertainment industry, Master Chef Shi commands considerable status. do you know where he cooks now? Velaris Sky. thats where pretty much all of the capital's cultural elites gather. its not a place you can just walk into. minimum, you'd need to be an actual film emperor】
【About four or five years ago, Master Chef Shi held a tasting banquet and invited celebrities from all walks of life. The star power there was so dazzling, even film festivals couldn't match it!】
【Speaking of which, there was a funny thing back then: because the invitations were so precious, getting one became a status symbol in the entertainment industry.】
【Ohhh I remember now! A bunch of celebrities posted photos of their invitations back then. I thought another big star was getting married or something...】
After being educated by the barrage of comments, the audience grew even more awed.
【If he's that impressive, then Jiang Tao must be bluffing!】
【she looks pretty confident to me!】
【I hope it's true. I just want to see a showdown hahahaha】
Even Yang Shurong thought it was unlikely. After all, that was Shi Wenqing!
A few years ago, Yang Shurong had also received guidance from Shi Wenqing. It was just a brief exchange, but it had benefited him enormously.
He appreciated Jiang Tao speaking up for him, and he didn't want her to act on impulse and end up embarrassing herself.
But Jiang Tao simply pulled out her phone and dialed a video call.
In no time, the call connected.
A spirited elderly man appeared on the screen.
Yang Shurong's eyes went wide. "Th-that’s..."
Shi Wenqing said amiably, "Xiao Jiang, what a rare sight... Where are you right now?"
Jiang Tao then explained the whole situation.
Shi Wenqing's face darkened with anger upon hearing that. "When did I ever take on such a disciple? Let me see who's this shameless scoundrel using my name to swindle and deceive!"
The studio erupted in commotion.
Even the director team was dumbfounded!
They'd always tolerated Si Muze's arrogance because they believed he had Shi Wenqing's backing.
Who would've thought he wasn't Shi Wenqing's disciple at all?!
If Jiang Tao hadn't video-called Shi Wenqing today, everyone would probably still be fooled by Si Muze's lies.
Si Muze's face went pale.
He wasn't Shi Wenqing's disciple, not even close. He'd only studied at a culinary school for a few years. But because he was good-looking, after being discovered by his now manager, they built up his image, and marketed him to fame.
He'd been basking in the glory; endless fame, fortune, fans' adoration, and slowly, his head got big.
He'd been using Shi Wenqing's golden name as a free pass, bulldozing his way through everything.
What he never expected was to run into a wall like Jiang Tao today.
It was like a clean, sharp slap straight across his face, knocking him right back to where he truly belonged.
Si Muze's manager, watching from backstage, rushed out the moment the situation unfolded, shouting, "Stop filming! Cut the cameras!"
But it was already too late.
The news spread like wildfire.
Si Muze's fans were completely stunned.
None of them had ever imagined they'd been deceived by a fabricated persona for so long!
Though a small faction of fans remained stubbornly in denial, refusing to believe Si Muze had lied, even insisting this was all a setup to frame their idol.
Most fans were still rational. After watching the broadcast, they quietly unfollowed and moved on.
Two hours later, a law firm in the capital issued a public statement—they had accepted Shi Wenqing's commission and were filing a lawsuit against Si Muze and his company, involving multiple charges.
Over the past few years, Si Muze had been using Shi Wenqing's name without restraint, leveraging that false persona to appear on various shows and rake in exorbitant appearance fees.
It wasn't just Shi Wenqing's side, the TV stations and streaming platforms he'd defrauded were also joining in to sue him and his company.
If successful, Si Muze and his company would face astronomical damages; not only having to cough up everything they'd earned over the years, but potentially even facing prison time.
After reading through the whole saga, netizens were left stunned and speechless.
And, unexpectedly yet perfectly in character, they once again spotted Jiang Tao's involvement.
【Jiang Tao, are you sure you’re not part of the legendary Chaoyang Masses?】
TL Note: Chaoyang Masses (朝阳群众) is the nickname for a large network of ordinary residents and public security volunteers in Beijing's Chaoyang District who regularly report suspicious activity to the police.
They became famous across China after helping police solve numerous high-profile cases, especially those involving celebrity drug use, prostitution, illegal firearms, theft, and other crimes. Because so many major cases have started with their tips, Chinese internet users jokingly compare them to elite intelligence agencies like the CIA or MI6.
Today, ‘Chaoyang Masses’ has become a cultural meme in China. Beyond referring to the actual network of volunteers, the phrase is often used humorously to mean ordinary citizens who somehow always know what's going on and report suspicious activity to the authorities. In internet slang, people jokingly portray the Chaoyang Masses as an unofficial but extraordinarily effective intelligence agency, thanks to their long history of exposing high-profile crimes.
Source: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%9C%9D%E9%98%B3%E7%BE%A4%E4%BC%97/17646648
