When the chef from the Culinary Association saw Chu Qing's face on the video call, his expression froze instantly.
Five minutes passed—silence.
Ten minutes passed—and still nothing.
Fifteen minutes—by now, impatience was palpable among everyone waiting.
"Could the connection have frozen?" suggested Chu Chu Baby.
Even Wang Feng found it puzzling. Why wasn't the man speaking? Was the livestream signal malfunctioning?
He inspected his phone carefully—full bars and the video call ongoing.
"Brother Li, what's going on? Can you hear me?"
"You said this guy was what?" asked the chef suddenly.
"Just some kid pretending to be from your Culinary Association," Wang Feng replied confidently.
"Excuse me?! Wang Feng, watch your mouth! You're insulting the China Culinary Association—apologize immediately!"
The man's sudden shout caught Wang Feng off guard, startling him.
What had triggered such an intense reaction?
"Do you even know who this young man is, Wang Feng? His name is Chu Qing. You dared call him a brat? Brace yourself to be blacklisted by the culinary world," the chef barked before abruptly disconnecting the call.
When Wang Feng tried messaging him again, he discovered he had been blocked.
Wang Feng panicked.
A sinking feeling washed over him as a name—Chu Qing—nagged at his memory, familiar yet distant.
It was Chu Chu Baby who had the foresight to search for Chu Qing's name online.
What appeared next made the entire livestream halt in disbelief.
"Chu Qing, male, Vice President of the China Culinary Association."
"Designated successor to the Association's presidency."
"Second youngest Vice President in the Association's history."
"Honorary head chef for over 300 elite restaurants across China."
"Awarded numerous prizes in domestic and international culinary competitions before the age of twenty."
"A rising star hailed as the chef most likely to surpass Asia's culinary legend, North Village Ichiro."
"Represents the pinnacle of China's culinary strength today."
Boom!
These words hit like thunder, reverberating through everyone's minds.
Wang Feng's complexion turned deathly pale, as though his soul had fled.
He had openly provoked the Vice President of the Culinary Association—his career might as well be over.
Chu Chu Baby clutched her mouth, her pupils dilating in utter shock.
This young man in Su Wuyao's livestream was none other than Chu Qing, the Vice President of the Culinary Association.
A name blazing like a supernova in the culinary world.
She had thought this was all about exposing Qin Hao's supposed fraud—but instead, they had unearthed a colossal figure.
Was someone of Chu Qing's stature not qualified to represent the Culinary Association?
Recalling their earlier ridicule, Chu Chu Baby felt a pang of fear in her chest.
The brainless fans were equally stunned.
Once they processed the revelation, they came to a chilling conclusion.
If Chu Qing—Vice President of the Culinary Association and a celebrated chef in China—had come to challenge Qin Hao…
Challenge.
The term implied an invitation from a lower rank to a higher one.
This could only mean one thing: Qin Hao's culinary skills might surpass Chu Qing's.
And if someone greater than Chu Qing existed, surely many would recall the legendary chef who mysteriously disappeared years ago—China's number one in the culinary world.
"This… how is this possible? I can't believe it!"
"I remember Chu Qing calling Qin Hao the number one chef earlier."
"This must be fake—a hallucination, maybe?"
The fans began questioning their own beliefs.
Some viewers, holding onto rationality, grew curious about the Dragon Head Knife.
After all, Chu Qing had mentioned challenging Qin Hao to claim the legendary blade.
Upon searching its details, the audience fell silent once more.
"Dragon Head Knife—China's culinary treasure. Any food prepared with this blade can fully unleash its exquisite flavors."
"Rumored to be owned only by the most skilled chef in China."
"Disappeared three years ago alongside the culinary world's number one, leaving no trace."
Staring at the information on her computer, Su Wuyao sat motionless for five minutes before snapping back to reality.
She had thought Qin Hao was just an ordinary chef, someone who had simply kept his identity hidden.
After all, being a chef was fairly common—plenty of men could whip up a few dishes.
But today's revelations shattered her understanding completely.
Chef?
No, no, no!
Qin Hao wasn't just a chef—he was once the number one chef in all of China.
Even Chu Qing, now regarded as the top chef in China's Culinary Association, had come to challenge Qin Hao himself.
"This can't be. I accept that Qin Hao is a chef, but calling him the number one chef in China—China's former culinary leader—is something I refuse to believe," Su Wuyao murmured to herself.
"I don't believe it either. It's impossible!" exclaimed Chu Chu Baby, her expression darkening.
What a joke!
Wasn't this supposed to be all part of their script?
How had they dragged the title of number one chef into this?
The idea of Qin Hao being the number one chef was beyond her comprehension—she couldn't accept it.
But disbelief aside, how could the current scenario be explained? Chu Qing stood there, undeniably real.
Could Chu Qing's identity also be fake?
"I just want to clarify—I meant no disrespect to Vice President Chu. Earlier… my brain must have short-circuited," Wang Feng stammered.
"I take back what I said and sincerely apologize to Vice President Chu."
Quick to react, Wang Feng humbled himself in the livestream, aware that further fallout could utterly ruin him.
No amount of easy money was worth jeopardizing his future.
"Turns out we're the clowns here. Qin Hao is the real deal—we underestimated him."
"Everyone thought Qin Hao was playing a script, but his authenticity shocked us all."
"What's going on? I'm confused—what's the truth here?"
"Can someone give me a definitive answer about Qin Hao's identity?"
"I don't know either. I'm lost."
Chaos erupted in Chu Chu Baby's livestream.
Her fans hesitated.
To continue criticizing—or not?
If they did, would it backfire?
But if they didn't, wouldn't it make their earlier comments seem brainless?
"Calm down, calm down. Don't panic," Chu Chu Baby hurriedly soothed her audience.
If this continued, her stream was bound to crash and burn.
Beneath the table, Chu Chu Baby discreetly kicked Wang Feng, signaling him to come up with a solution.
If they couldn't find a plausible explanation, their relentless smearing of Qin Hao would be exposed.
Both would be left utterly disgraced.
Sweating nervously, Wang Feng came up with a clumsy excuse.
"Everyone, please stay calm. Vice President Chu must have been tricked by Qin Hao."
"Qin Hao isn't the number one chef from back then."
"The only reason Vice President Chu believes Qin Hao is that chef is because of the Dragon Head Knife in his possession."
"But no one can verify the knife's authenticity through a video, right?"
Wang Feng's reasoning made the audience pause.
"Ah, yes, yes—Mr. Wang is correct. Don't overthink this. Vice President Chu must have been misled by Qin Hao. His skills can't compare to Vice President Chu's."
"From Qin Hao's previous cooking videos, it's clear he's just an ordinary chef."
Chu Chu Baby quickly chimed in agreement, clinging to this narrative.
Her fans latched onto the explanation, believing it to be true.
"Qin Hao must have top-notch acting skills. I bet he's dabbled in showbiz before."
"Even Vice President Chu fell for it. If not for Chu Chu Baby and Mr. Wang exposing him, countless others would've been duped."
"Well, he's about to duel Vice President Chu. Just wait—his true colors will show."
"A fake chef accepting a challenge from Vice President Chu? Who gave him the guts?"
"This is going to be good!"
Seeing the chat's shift, Chu Chu Baby and Wang Feng sighed in relief.
Fortunately, they still controlled the narrative.
With their fans blindly supporting them, this minor crisis was brushed under the rug.
As for what came next…
Qin Hao was set to face off against Chu Qing in a culinary duel.
Victory for Qin Hao seemed impossible.
Chu Qing, the rising star of China's culinary world, was a master at his craft, with countless accolades to his name.
If Qin Hao lost, their previous claims would remain justified.