Chapter 230 Conspiracy
She wanted to see what Su Yingxue would use to cook without ingredients, and what she would use to compete with her.
Meanwhile, in the temporary workshop of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Food Street, Su Yingxue and Shen Yu were checking the ingredient list for the next batch. Chen Chen was squatting on the ground, fiddling with his sugar painting tools, while Lin Qiao and Xia Paopao were sorting out the feedback questionnaires from tourists.
"How about we make sweet fermented rice balls with sugar painting next time?" Xia Paopao held up the questionnaire, her eyes sparkling. "Many tourists have said they want to try this sweet intangible cultural heritage snack."
“That works.” Su Yingxue nodded. “The fermented rice should be from an old rice winery, and the glutinous rice balls should be handmade to make them soft and chewy.”
Shen Yu added, "Sugar paintings can be made into zodiac animals for tourists, and they can be customized on the spot, which will definitely be popular."
As the group was chatting animatedly, Hu Xiaoguang rushed in, his face grim: "Something's wrong, there's a problem with our food supplier."
He handed his phone to Su Yingxue. On the screen was a message from the supplier: "Sorry, we are afraid we will be unable to continue our cooperation in terms of food supplies."
The air fell silent instantly. Xia Paopao's smile froze: "How could this happen? Weren't we working together perfectly fine before?"
Shen Yu frowned: "It's a sudden change of heart. Can someone with independent thinking help us?"
Su Yingxue looked at the message, her fingertips tightening slightly.
She looked up at the crowd, her eyes still calm: "Don't panic. There's always a way out. If we lose our suppliers, we'll find our own. There are always fresh ingredients in the old town's vegetable markets and farmers' homes."
Chen Chen put down the sugar painting spoon and stood up: "My brother and I are going to the farmers market! We grew up in the old town and know a lot of the stall owners!"
Lin Qiao nodded in agreement: "I'll contact the wonton stall owner and the steamed bun auntie who helped us before. They definitely have the connections!"
Su Yingxue took a deep breath and patted Hu Xiaoguang on the shoulder: "Director Hu, don't worry. We can handle the ingredients."
The last rays of the setting sun shone through the window, illuminating her resolute eyes. This time, they faced not only a food crisis but also a sinister attack from the shadows. But she knew that as long as her companions stood together, no obstacle was insurmountable.
Zhu Lili thought her method of cutting off the food supply was flawless, but she didn't expect that the supplier boss she had pressured had been paying attention to the show and couldn't bear to see a group of hardworking young people being harassed. So he turned around and sent the recording of their conversation to Hu Xiaoguang.
In the recording, Zhu Lili's imperious voice was clear and grating, every sentence aimed at "cutting off Su Yingxue's livelihood." Hu Xiaoguang was so angry that his hands trembled. He immediately handed over the recording and evidence of Zhu Lili pressuring the supplier to the program team's legal department, and also sent it to the cooperating cultural and tourism bureau.
The news was quickly spread online, like a bombshell.
The hashtag #ZhuLiliMaliciouslySuppressesCompetitors# quickly rose to the top of the trending topics list overnight. Netizens dug up old stories about her smashing stalls and acting like a diva, and compared them with the actions of Su Yingxue's team in getting close to people's lives and supporting intangible cultural heritage, and public opinion instantly turned against her.
This is absolutely vicious! They can't accept defeat, so they resort to such despicable tactics?
I used to feel sorry for her, but now it seems there's always a reason why someone is pitiful!
[The Culture and Tourism Bureau has already cooperated with Su Yingxue, yet she still dares to sabotage things. Whose face is she slapping?]
Brand termination notices flooded Zhu Lili's studio. Previously coveted endorsements and variety show offers vanished overnight. Even the few remaining resources she had were replaced by other artists due to public pressure.
Her agent was frantic, her mouth blistered, and she kept urging her to come forward and apologize, but Zhu Lili hid in her apartment, watching the online abuse, and simply didn't dare to show her face. She couldn't understand how she, a popular actress, had fallen to such a state.
What devastated her even more was that the Culture and Tourism Bureau issued a public notice, blacklisting her from all cultural and tourism cooperation agreements. The notice explicitly stated that she would no longer be involved in any future cultural or tourism-related activities within the city. This meant her performing arts career in the city was completely blocked.
The studio's entrance was completely surrounded by reporters. Cameras were shoved into the apartment building, their flashes blindingly bright. Her former fans had turned against her, throwing away all her support signs and merchandise in the trash.
That afternoon, Zhu Lili finally couldn't resist and, wearing a mask and hat, tried to sneak out of the apartment through the back door. She was caught red-handed by a sharp-eyed reporter as soon as she stepped out of the building.
"Ms. Zhu, do you have any explanation for the malicious suppression of Su Yingxue's team?"
"Brands are terminating their contracts one after another, and the Culture and Tourism Bureau has blacklisted you. Do you think this is the end result you deserve?"
The sharp questions, like countless needles, pierced her, leaving her nowhere to hide. She stumbled forward, head bowed, face in hand, her high heels twisting, nearly causing her to fall. The once glamorous star, now disheveled, her eyes reddening beneath her mask, was a far cry from her former arrogance.
Meanwhile, Su Yingxue's team had already solved the ingredient problem. The stall owners in the old town spontaneously organized themselves, some delivering rice and noodles, some providing fresh vegetables, and some farmers even driving tricycles loaded with glutinous rice and fermented rice. During the filming of the fourth episode, the intangible cultural heritage food street was more lively than usual. Children surrounded Chen Chen's sugar painting stall, and the sweet aroma of fermented rice balls cooked by Su Yingxue and Shen Yu filled the entire street.
Looking at the lively scene captured on camera, Hu Xiaoguang smiled and said to Su Yingxue beside him, "Justice resides in the hearts of the people; this is the best ending."
Su Yingxue nodded, her gaze falling on the laughing crowd not far away, a gentle smile curving her lips.
What wins is never scheming, but down-to-earth warmth and sincerity.
Instead of choosing a high-end restaurant, the celebration banquet was held in the central square of the intangible cultural heritage food street.
The production team set up a long wooden table, displaying Grandma Zhang's water chestnut cake, Grandpa Li's dough figurines, Grandpa Wang's fried dough sticks, and the wonton stall owner's shepherd's purse wontons, all lined up in a row, their aroma wafting far and wide on the evening breeze.
The stall owners in the old town, the workers in the industrial park, the staff of the Culture and Tourism Bureau, and even many netizens who came specifically for the occasion, all crowded in the square, laughing and joking, making it even more lively than during the Spring Festival.
Holding the microphone, Hu Xiaoguang stood on the makeshift stage, his voice choked with emotion: "Three months ago, this program almost went off the air. It was these young people, these lovely ordinary people, who pulled it back from the brink. Today, we won't talk about ratings or viewership; we'll only say thank you!"
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Xia Paopao hugged Lin Qiao and cried her heart out: "I knew it! We could make it!"
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