The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 105

Although Liu Ping was now in a semi-retired state, he remained the sole decision-maker of the entire Xiushui Group. All major decisions still required his approval.

Even though Zhang Xiaocong had climbed the ranks thanks to family connections, everyone familiar with the inner workings of Xiushui knew that he wasn’t even the true second-in-command.

Xiushui also had several long-term loyal executives who had been with Liu Ping for years—veteran professional managers, each responsible for a specific business segment—whose authority far surpassed Zhang Xiaocong’s.

Moreover, Xiushui was filled with ambitious climbers, all waiting for a chance to rise. If Zhang Xiaocong slipped up, he could be easily squeezed out. 

At present, he hardly had the standing to represent the entire group.

Zeng Rong saw all of this clearly. And from his perspective, promoting someone like Zhan Rui would bring no benefit. That’s why he chose to be both direct and unyielding.

If Zeng Rong was the kind of man to yield just because someone powerful appeared, he wouldn’t have made it to where he was today.

At this point, Zeng Rong no longer bothered to pretend. He issued a cold warning to Zhang Xiaocong: “Mr. Zhang, this matter is meant to benefit everyone. I’ve already done my part for Xiushui. Sponsoring this competition is highly profitable for you. But if you insist on pushing things your own way and make a mess of it, who do you think will suffer the most?”

Big-name corporations care deeply about reputation—and Liu Ping cared more than most. If a scandal broke out now, Zhang Xiaocong would pay a much heavier price than anyone else.

On the other end of the line, Zhang Xiaocong hadn’t expected Zeng Rong to turn against him. He was furious—his ego had been hit hard.

“What, now you’re threatening to call the media? Xiushui has dealt with media outlets for years. I’ve worked in this industry a long time. Tingzhou, do you really think you can win against Xiushui just because you have a few million fans? You think you can threaten me with this competition? Who do you think you are?! When the time comes and the TV station doors open, you—”

In Zhang Xiaocong’s eyes, the developing Sugar Factory was nothing. Jiang Tingzhou was just another  tough opponent; there were plenty of those around.

But the more he ranted, the more it revealed his weakness. Only those with shaky confidence got this worked up.

Just then, a voice interrupted—not Jiang Tingzhou’s, but someone who opened the door and cut in.

“Who said we couldn’t get into the TV station?” It was Lu Baiyu. He walked in and said coldly: “TV stations have very few partners.  I’d love to see which executive dares to stop Lu Group from walking through the door.”

At the mention of Lu Group, Zhang Xiaocong immediately recognized the voice. He was stunned for a moment, then ground out: “Mr. Lu, Xiushui and Lu Group have never been at odds. This matter has nothing to do with you. And Jiang Tingzhou is clearly in the wrong. There’s no need to cause tension  over him, is there?”

Lu Baiyu replied sharply: “Why not? Just for Jiang Tingzhou? Is it really so hard to admit you did something dirty and tried to steal someone else’s success?”

He wasn’t alone. He had brought others with him.

Zhou Bing barged in behind, speaking even more aggressively than Jiang Tingzhou: “Who do you think you are? Don’t think Xiushui is some kind of almighty power that can bulldoze over everything!”

Du Juan followed, her face serious, continuing Zhou Bing’s thought: “Mr. Zhang, even if Lu Group wasn’t involved in this case, that doesn’t give you the right to use your position to pressure others. Even if we do get into the TV station, our brands—Bingcheng Chao and Haoshi—have been in the Dongjiang industry for years. Out of pride, we’d still have a voice. We’ll find a way to present our case properly. I recall Mr. Liu is still the Association’s president. With his personality, he won’t let things slide. When the time comes, I’ll personally ask him whether this was really his intention.”

Although Bingcheng Chao and Haoshi were smaller than Xiushui in terms of scale, they were long-established names in Dongjiang’s culinary industry. When Jiang Tingzhou first joined the association, he mentioned that, in terms of scale, their companies ranked among the top in first-tier cities within Yongqing’s food industry.

If things really escalated into a confrontation, the chaos that followed wouldn’t be something Zhang Xiaocong could handle.

“Fine! You win!” Zhang Xiaocong barked from the phone. “Jiang Tingzhou, I really underestimated you.”

He hadn’t expected Jiang Tingzhou to be so uncompromising—or that so many people would support him so firmly.

Zhan Rui, who had been standing to the side this whole time, was visibly shaken. His emotions had been on a rollercoaster—first relaxed, now tense again. He stammered: “Mr. Zhang… I’m still here. What do you mean by all this? My father said you already agreed to cooperate with us. We had a deal, right? I—”

“Idiot. You still don’t get it?” Zhang Xiaocong, full of anger, vented it all on him: “If you had any guts, we wouldn’t even be in this situation! And you still have the nerve to talk about cooperation? Solve your own mess. Don’t come looking for me again.”

Then he hung up without another word.

Zhan Rui tried calling out “Hello? Hello?” but no one responded. His legs buckled, and he collapsed back into the chair—finally feeling real fear, unable to say a word. His mind buzzed in panic. 

Then, he heard Jiang Tingzhou’s cold voice. He looked up, only to see everyone in the room surrounding Jiang Tingzhou without hesitation.

“Withdraw from the competition. It’s your only option now.” Jiang Tingzhou pushed a withdrawal form onto the table and said calmly: “Sign it. And never appear in front of me again.”

Of course, Zhan Rui resisted. He shouted in frustration, more like a flailing clown than anything else. Then, with trembling fingers, he started dialing numbers—but none of his calls went through. After several failed attempts, he finally realized: his so-called “support” had vanished.

Powerless, defeated, he had no choice but to sign the withdrawal form. 

He left the room with a pale face, completely defeated.

Zeng Rong immediately collected the document, glanced at his watch, and said, “It’s time to announce the final list. The official statement is already drafted. With Zhan Rui out, we’ll replace him with another contestant. We’ll still have ten finalists.”

Each of those ten contestants had made it to the finals through their own hard work and skill.

“Good,” Du Juan nodded. “No matter what, the integrity of the competition must be protected. But beyond the statement, we need to prepare for possible retaliation. Zhang Xiaocong may not have gotten his way, but if he holds a grudge, he could still cause trouble. Mr. Zeng, we should clarify everything to President Liu as soon as possible. We don’t want to make enemies unnecessarily—but we have to protect ourselves.”

Zhou Bing nodded vigorously: “Right. I already told my father he can step in if needed. It’s rare for the chef competition to be this successful. We won’t let some clown ruin its reputation.”

Zeng Rong reassured them:“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

With the situation now under control, everyone was calm—but Jiang Tingzhou, who had initiated everything, remained silent.

He had known that dealing with Zhang Xiaocong would come at a cost—but he hadn’t expected this many people to stand with him.

He didn’t even need to ask why. The answer was clear: Lu Baiyu had brought them here.

How had Lu Baiyu found out? There was no need to ask. They had both been investigating the same thing. Like Jiang Tingzhou, Lu Baiyu had realized that the Zhan family couldn’t have pulled this off alone—there had to be someone backing them.

A simple “player cheating” incident was easy to resolve. But once higher powers got involved, things got complicated. That’s why Lu Baiyu had asked Jiang Tingzhou if he could handle it.

Even when Jiang Tingzhou refused, Lu Baiyu still worried—and stayed behind. He brought in Haoshi and Bingcheng Chao to bolster support. 

When he entered the room earlier, he barely said anything—just enough to open the door for the others to speak.

He knew Jiang Tingzhou’s character. He acted on principle, not impulse. He must have coordinated with Zeng Rong in advance. Against Zhang Xiaocong, who relied on manipulation, Zeng Rong’s alignment with the competition’s best interests gave Jiang Tingzhou the upper hand.

But for Lu Baiyu, that still wasn’t enough.

“I’ve also contacted the TV station and the livestreaming platform,” Lu Baiyu added. “The person in charge is still en route, but rest assured—they all share the same stance. We’re on your side.”

He wanted Jiang Tingzhou to understand: At this moment, everyone is behind you.

Jiang Tingzhou was quiet for a long time. Then he finally spoke, his voice soft: “…I know. Thank you. All of you.”

Before confronting Zhang Xiaocong, he hadn’t planned to call for backup. Faced with the tempting offer from Xiushui and with Zeng Rong’s heavy involvement, he wasn’t sure how others would react.

To be blunt, his relationship with Haoshi and Bingcheng Chao was built on shared interests. If too many people got involved, things might become chaotic—so after weighing the pros and cons, he chose to handle it alone.

But Zhou Bing, despite his brash personality, understood what Jiang was thinking.

In the beginning, his partnership with Jiang Tingzhou may have been fan-driven. But over time, it had become about more than that—far more than just mutual benefit.

The success of this competition had brought enormous returns to both Bingcheng Chao and Haoshi. Though their official role was only as co-organizers, the attention and acclaim far exceeded what their initial efforts warranted.

Later, after gaining massive traction, many other companies had tried to join in. Jiang Tingzhou ignored them all.

“Boss Jiang, I’ve never had the chance to thank you,” Du Juan said sincerely. “For your dedication to good food, and to the competition. Our company has never received this much attention before. It’s our honor to stand with you. You don’t need to thank us.”