Another culinary disaster.

Because word had spread that Old Zhu’s food livestream was about to begin its tasting session, many viewers had already gathered in the channel, waiting.

Soon, the livestream’s popularity began to skyrocket.

Wen Jiu and Qiao Shishi heard the system begin its countdown. As the final second ticked away, all three hundred tasting slots were snatched up in an instant.

[“One Leaf Autumn Blade”: Aaaaaah, I didn’t get one! Why are you all so fast?!]

[“Seed Big Baby”: I got one! Hurry up and start the tasting, Old Zhu! I can’t wait any longer!]

[“Old Zhu’s Piglet Big Nan”: Another day of failing to grab a tasting spot, it’s so painful!]

Because the streaming platform had rules against transferring tasting slots, those who had successfully claimed them were busy bragging in the chat, though many more were frantically spamming requests for more slots to be opened.

Old Zhu was efficient. In no time at all, he had ladled out three hundred bowls of soup. Wen Jiu watched as the small bowls displayed on the counter began to disappear one by one.

[“Seed Big Baby”: This soup is delicious! Vibrant in color and rich in flavor!]

[“Coco Candy”: Agreed. I went to Wanhai Restaurant last time for their Three-Fresh Soup, and I think it wasn’t even as good as this Crucian Carp and Mutton Soup Old Zhu made!]

[“Everything is Fleeting”: Old Zhu, can you open more slots next time? I’ve been watching your stream for half a year and haven’t grabbed a spot once. It’s truly speechless.]

Next came the casual chat segment between Old Zhu and his fans, so Wen Jiu and Qiao Shishi closed his stream.

Afterward, the two checked out other popular livestreams, only for Wen Jiu to discover that the food being prepared was abysmal, with no limit to how dark and twisted these culinary creations could get.

She rarely saw anything as normal as fried mushrooms, and even then, the streamer didn’t recognize the poisonous variety. After taking a bite, the streamer started spouting nonsense and dancing around erratically.

After browsing through, Wen Jiu gained a clear understanding of food streaming.

This wasn’t food streaming at all; it was a dark cuisine competition!

“Jiu-jiu, I think you could definitely make money as a food streamer. Want to try it?”

Qiao Shishi had just returned from the bathroom after throwing up. Recalling how she had once drooled over those bizarre dishes, she felt terrible. Wen Jiu’s cooking was definitely superior.

“But I don’t have a way to stream while I cook,” Wen Jiu said, thinking about the lack of equipment.

Qiao Shishi smiled and said, “Small problem! We can rent the cheapest set of equipment from the StarNet Gold Rush store! Then you can just stream yourself cooking in the cafeteria every day!”

Hearing this, Wen Jiu thought the plan was feasible, so she opened her StarNet account and began searching through the Gold Rush store.

After comparing several shops, Wen Jiu chose the one with the lowest prices, renting a entry-level streaming kit for 400 Star Coins per month.

Next, Wen Jiu registered a streamer account on Bika Live, waiting for her equipment to arrive the next day so she could begin.

It was already late by the time they finished, so they went straight to sleep.

Wen Jiu didn’t have classes in the morning, but she still got up early to practice Tai Chi.

As she was slowly pushing her palms out and retracting her hands on the balcony, she heard Qiao Shishi ask in a low voice, “Jiu-jiu, what is this you’re practicing?”

Wen Jiu looked up at Qiao Shishi. The warm sunlight cast a glow over her, making her appear as if she were bathed in a halo.

“Tai Chi.”

Qiao Shishi didn’t quite understand, only feeling that at that moment, Wen Jiu possessed an ethereal, otherworldly aura.

She stood on the balcony, mesmerized, and only snapped back to reality when Wen Jiu finished the set and called out to her.

“My rented streaming equipment seems to have arrived at the academy’s parcel office,” Wen Jiu said, throwing on her school jacket and changing into sneakers.

“I’ll go with you. I don’t have class this morning either.” Qiao Shishi had originally had a class, but the teacher had cancelled it due to an urgent matter.

The academy cafeteria didn’t serve breakfast, so students survived on nutrient solution.

The two each downed a vial of nutrient solution before heading out.

It had to be said that the delivery speed exceeded Wen Jiu’s expectations. She remembered the shop’s shipping address was on another planet; she hadn't expected it to arrive after just one night’s sleep.

After picking up the package at the parcel office, she and Qiao Shishi excitedly carried the box to the cafeteria.

They had intended to arrive early to figure out the settings, but they bumped into a teacher and several students who were in the middle of distributing ingredients.

“This crate goes to Window 14, that one is for Window 15.”

The two had no intention of interrupting and were about to walk around them when Wen Jiu suddenly heard the teacher speak.

“Toss that crate containing the prickly fish and white radishes to Window 18.”

Window 18 was the one managed by Wen Jiu.

A student whispered, “Teacher Zhang, we’ve already sent the worst ingredients to Window 18 twice in a row...”

The man identified as Teacher Zhang replied, “So what? You just worry about distributing the ingredients; why are you concerned about anything else?”

So, the extra ingredients delivered yesterday were the worst ones? Wen Jiu thought to herself, quietly activating the recording function on her smart ring.

“Same old rules: send the best to Window 3,” Zhang Jing coughed a few times. “Remember to put those weeds into Window 18’s crate just to make up the numbers.”

Qiao Shishi had already clenched her fists, unable to understand why the teacher would do this. Wen Jiu, however, silently signaled for her to stay calm.

Qiao Shishi managed to suppress the urge to rush out and demand an explanation.

Wen Jiu had actually considered the possibility of being targeted behind the scenes, especially since she had gotten into a fight with Shi Gang, who was rumored to have connections, the moment she arrived. She had even found it strange that he hadn’t sent anyone to harass her yet.

Now that she knew the situation, she wasn’t in a rush to expose them. After all, the ingredients these people thought were the "worst" would only turn into irresistible delicacies in her hands.

Wen Jiu calmly recorded the evidence, and only after the group had left did she take Qiao Shishi into Window 18.

“They are truly outrageous!” Qiao Shishi began to vent her anger after closing the door securely. “Why should we be given the worst ingredients?”

“Don’t be angry; it’s bad for your health,” Wen Jiu soothed her calmly, then recounted her previous conflict with Shi Gang in full detail.

Qiao Shishi became increasingly amazed. She hadn’t known that Wen Jiu had fought that little bully and beaten him soundly.

“Even so, we can’t just let them bully us!” Qiao Shishi pouted, still feeling aggrieved.

Wen Jiu replied while unpacking the box, “That goes without saying, but we need to gather a bit more evidence first.”

She now understood why the teacher in charge of ingredient distribution hadn’t accepted her friend request for so long.

It turned out he had never intended to be friends with her in the first place.