International Exchange Center, May 14th.
The hotel entrance was packed with reporters, surrounded by flashing lights and flowers. Various cameras were pointed at the main entrance, ready to capture the contestants' shots. The clicking of shutters filled the air. If only a red carpet were in place, the atmosphere would rival that of the Cannes Film Festival.
A large crowd thronged outside the main entrance. Most of the reporters knew each other, and seeing that the people they wanted to photograph hadn't come downstairs yet, they huddled together chatting with their arms hanging down.
"They'll be out soon, right?"
"I haven't heard anything from you, Lao Zhang. Your camera angle isn't good; you won't be able to get a clear shot of their face. Find another spot—"
"Hey, I've been here since 4 a.m., but I can't get in at all. This place is always used to receive foreign guests. Without a press pass, you can't even get close to the hotel door."
"Hey! Xiao Wang! This! Come quick, come quick!"
"And you're right, just now the National Security officers came over to check press credentials. One credential per person, and those without credentials were politely asked to leave. Quite a show of force."
One reporter, who specializes in food news, was completely stunned, having never seen such a large-scale event before.
"Hey bro, I've never seen you guys before. Are you following some celebrity? I haven't received any notification."
Upon hearing that this guy was a reporter from the newspaper who covered "The Chef Showdown," the reporters immediately became enthusiastic and warmly handed him a breakfast.
"Brother, you don't know this, there's a big news story among the contestants this time. If you can interview her, not only will you get a promotion and a raise, but you'll also be on the front page. From now on, you can walk all over your newspaper and no one will stop you."
You know that incredibly powerful Honghe Technology, right? You know Honghe Botanical Garden, right? You know Honghe Research Institute, right? You know the Baby Come Home Angel Foundation, right? You know that new cancer treatment that recently came out, right? You know Ren Honghe, the founder of their group, right? The president who donated hundreds of billions before—
Oh, this competition has nothing to do with her.
This long string of news came crashing down on the young reporter, making his eyes light up:
"Ren Honghe is going to attend the competition?!"
"The competition has little to do with her."
A reporter nearby interjected:
"Everyone online knows that Ren Honghe and Xu Milu, who is participating in the competition, have a very good relationship. There are even rumors that Ren Honghe might come to watch Xu Milu's competition."
The young reporter shook his head: "Isn't that possible? The entire competition is broadcast live and can be watched online. And you guys came to follow even when the news wasn't confirmed. That's professionalism."
"What can we do then?"
The first male reporter to speak looked weathered and had the air of someone who had been through it all.
"Ren Honghe is as elusive as a Pokémon. Our company sent seventeen paparazzi to follow her for over a year, but we still haven't managed to get a single clear photo of her face. Even if we did, there's no guarantee we'd publish it, and even if we did, it might not pass censorship. And even if it did pass censorship, it might not be as fast as someone else's..."
The key point is that Ren Honghe doesn't give interviews. Her only public appearance was during the official global live broadcast. We're all counting on this opportunity to interview Xu Milu to boost our sales figures. If we can get even the slightest bit of information about Ren Honghe, we're guaranteed to be trending on social media the next day.
...
...
"There are way too many reporters, isn't that a bit much?"
Standing in the hotel lobby, Cui Qingli looked out and, despite having prepared herself mentally, was still shocked by the sheer number of reporters.
"If I had known, I would have hired someone to fabricate scandals for the company's artists. I could have just dragged them to walk around in front of the hotel. They would have been in the news the next day."
"As long as you're not afraid that your artist will be featured in social news."
Xu Milu flipped through the notebook in her hand, looking completely calm and composed:
“Since anti-cancer drugs were included in the national medical insurance plan, people who want to interview Ren Honghe have gone crazy. I heard that some media outlets have been staking out the Honghe Technology Building every day, rain or shine. They can’t find Ren Honghe, so they’ve come to wait for me.”
—After the official announcement of the two finalists in the online audition, there were no shortage of reporters waiting outside the hotel. Some reporters even got wind of the situation from somewhere and went directly to her floor to try to interview her, only to be taken away by the Guoan staff as a "500,000 yuan" bribe.
"Little Martial Aunt, the way you're talking... you don't know where President Ren is, do you?"
Cui Qingli rubbed her hands together with a hint of gossip:
"Mr. Ren, are you really going to come watch your match?"
"……Won't."
After all, President Ren is still lying in the system slot.
Xu Milu seriously reflected on her actions and decided to fix the lotus root figurine as soon as she got back tonight. Otherwise, if she continued to delay like this, the reporters, who had been driven crazy, would probably attack her.
The thought had barely formed in her mind when she heard very light footsteps behind her. Xu Milu turned slightly to the side and saw Guan Wenyan standing behind her, smiling and speaking to her:
"Hello, Junior Sister Xu, I am Guan Wenyan."
—The Guan family and the Cui family are old friends, and it is not unusual for disciples from both sides to address each other as senior brother and junior brother.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Guan."
Xu Milu raised an eyebrow and gave a polite smile:
"What brings you here, Senior Brother Guan?"
"Can't you catch up with your junior sister if there's nothing else going on?"
Guan Wenyan smiled; he's actually a bit taller in person than on camera, and his handsome features are very appealing.
"Uncle Cui told me before that I should take good care of you. You should also know the rules of the final competition. It not only tests a chef's culinary skills, but also his ability to adapt to unexpected situations. This silent battle has already begun from the selection of ingredients."
Today's match might be very intense. You don't have experience participating in world-class competitions and aren't familiar with this format. If you don't mind, my team and I can help you out.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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