I’ve Gone Viral Because of a Money-Saving Variety Show

Chapter 78: Chapter 75 Hurry, hurry, hurry! Protect the emperor! Chapter 78: Chapter 75 Hurry, hurry, hurry! Protect the emperor! Honestly speaking, the way this cucumber dish turned out would make even a stray dog curse after eating it.
Even to ask Lu Wenling to approve it, he just couldn’t do it.
[It feels like Jin Cheng made it too disgusting? Otherwise, the boss of Nanxing Entertainment wouldn’t be drinking so much water.]
[Has Jin Cheng all this time not been praising with ‘666’? Looks like he’s going to lose a lot of money this time, right? Seems like not only will he miss dinner, but he might end up owing the program money.]
[Ahhh! President Zhou is here again, President Zhou is really so handsome! If I could marry a man as handsome as President Zhou, I’d be willing to live in a big villa and drive a luxury car too!]
[The man next to President Zhou, isn’t that the boss of Nanxing Entertainment, the man rumored to only produce idols? He’s also really handsome!]
[Sisters! What do I do, what do I do! I like the looks of both these men, if they both pursued me at the same time, which one should I choose? Quick, give me some advice!]
[Sister from above, next time you drink, eat some more peanuts, and you won’t have such worries, no need to thank me!]
Since Lu Wenling didn’t approve, whether Zhou Jinyuan would approve became less important, as the program team said that dishes could only be served if both judges approved.
Jin Cheng looked to Zhou Jinyuan for help, only to find Zhou Jinyuan’s expression unchanged, completely ignoring him.
Wasn’t this dinner party specially organized by Zhou Jinyuan for him? Shouldn’t the backdoor be open to let him through? But what is this situation now…
It seems like his backdoor is locked tight…
Outside the VIP room, Zheng He and others waiting at the door saw Jin Cheng coming out and Zheng He quickly stepped forward to ask: “How did it go? Did you pass?”
Jin Cheng sighed heavily in frustration: “No, the sponsor’s requirements for food are too high.”
“Really?” Zheng He didn’t quite believe it, and after tasting a piece of cucumber, he almost choked to death.
Zheng He hurriedly found a nearby trash can to spit out the cucumber, contorting his face in agony as he said, “If that passed, then only a ghost would believe it!”
Jin Cheng frowned and protested, “Is it really that bad?”
How could such a simple cucumber dish defeat him?
Then he took a taste himself…
“Yuck～”
There really was a reason Lu Wenling didn’t approve.
It’s also a good thing Lu Wenling was on good terms with him; otherwise, anyone else might think he had serious complaints about the sponsor of the show!
Zheng He wiped his mouth, his gaze sweeping around anxiously, “Where is Chen Xixi? Why hasn’t she come out all this time?”
Seeing Chen Xixi made Zheng He worried that she might come up and snatch his Gold Coins; not seeing Chen Xixi made him worry that she was plotting something in the shadows.
He was truly restless.
Wan Chen patted Zheng He on the shoulder and reassured him: “You’re a grown man, what’s there to be scared of? Besides, with us here, don’t worry, she won’t do anything to you.”
Zheng He subconsciously touched his pocket, relieved to feel his Gold Coins were still there.
That was the key to his victory!
Zheng He took a deep breath: “Who’s going in second?”
Han Qianyi said, “I’ll go in first.”
She had prepared a steak, and if it was left to wait for too long, the steak would get cold and affect the taste.
When Han Qianyi brought in the steak, she first glanced at Zhou Jinyuan, then her gaze fell on Lu Wenling.
Her goal was very clear, it was to become a contracted artist at Nanxing Entertainment, so naturally, her dish was for Lu Wenling.
Han Qianyi placed the plate in front of Lu Wenling and smiled softly, “President Lu, this is the steak I made especially for you, please have a taste.”
[The second dish is also for President Lu, it looks like President Lu is even more popular, and the guests favor him more!]
What’s there to like! It’s all because if they win the popularity contest they can sign with Nanxing Entertainment. If they don’t cater to President Lu, and they do end up signing with Nanxing Entertainment later, they could very well face a ban as soon as the deal is inked!
That may be true, but Han Qianyi is unaware that the real owner behind Nanxing Entertainment is actually Zhou Jinyuan.
Lu Wenling didn’t want to make things difficult for the young girl, so after tasting the steak and even though it wasn’t up to his expectations, he still gave her a pass.
After Lu Wenling gave his approval, Han Qianyi turned to look at Zhou Jinyuan.
Zhou Jinyuan’s expression remained cool and detached, making Han Qianyi feel he was particularly hard to approach, and somewhat intimidating.
Biting her lip, she feigned an innocent and pitiful look, and asked cautiously, “President Zhou, the show’s rules only allow us to prepare a dish for one sponsor, so it’s not that I don’t want to cook for you, but I really couldn’t. Next time I get the chance, I’ll definitely make up for it with a dish of my own making. Could you… perhaps give me a pass?”
Han Qianyi first shifted the blame to the show’s rules, then bowed to Zhou Jinyuan, full of apology, to show her sincerity.
With this shift of blame followed by moral supplication, it would seem unfair if Zhou Jinyuan refused to give her a pass.
Moreover, Zhou Jinyuan disdained the idea of making things difficult for a girl.
As Han Qianyi left the private room, Zheng He hurried over to inquire, “How did it go? How did it go?”
A hint of pride flashed in Han Qianyi’s eyes as the corners of her mouth curved slightly, “Passed.”
The third to go in was Wan Chen. Wan Chen’s cooking talent wasn’t much stronger than Jin Cheng’s, so he too failed to get a pass.
Zheng He was the fourth to go in.
The last time Zhou Jinyuan came to the program, he did not have a good impression of Zheng He, so the dish Zheng He made today was for Zhou Jinyuan in hopes of improving his standing with him.
If he couldn’t win over Zhou Jinyuan, even President Lu’s approval would be in vain.
With a sycophantic smile, Zheng He bowed and said, “President Zhou, this is the stewed beef I made for you, please have a taste.”
Zhou Jinyuan picked up his chopsticks, and leisurely took a piece of beef to taste carefully.
After finishing his taste test, Zhou Jinyuan lifted his eyelids to look at Zheng He and said unhurriedly, “The fire control wasn’t perfect, which made the beef chewy, and the overall taste is quite average. I won’t grant a pass for this.”
Zheng He hadn’t quite recovered when he walked out of the private room.
His feast was no more!
What nonsense about imperfect heat management and average taste—he thought Zhou Jinyuan was deliberately making things difficult for him!
After all, he had tasted it himself after cooking, and it was delicious!
But Zheng He forgot one thing: he had tasted it on an empty stomach after not eating all day, and given that he had been intermittently starving over the past half-month without any good food, his taste buds were naturally less discerning.
Besides, Zhou Jinyuan’s daily meals were prepared by star chefs with fresh, select ingredients, with a major focus on quality.
Naturally, there would be different evaluations coming from two such different standards of taste.
Zheng He closed the door of the private room in frustration, and Wan Chen asked, “Did you pass?”
Zheng He shook his head.
Wan Chen sighed and said, “Out of the four of us, only Han Qianyi gets to go to the meal. That’s just too sad.”
Zheng He’s eyes shifted, and suddenly, with an ill-intentioned smile, he looked at Han Qianyi, “We’re a team now, after you’ve had your meal, pack up some for us to take away.”
Takeout?
Han Qianyi frowned.
With President Lu of Nanxing Entertainment still there, wouldn’t it be a little inappropriate for her to do that?
Just as Zheng He finished speaking, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. He immediately pressed his back against the wall and shouted, “Quick, quick, quick! Protect the VIP!!”
Chen Xixi: “…” Am I such a gentle and honest assassin?
[Why do I feel like Zheng He is about to come down with ‘Chen Xixi Syndrome’ hahaha I can’t stop laughing!]