Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

At first, Ni Bingyan thought she’d gotten on this hit Blueberry Channel variety show because she had shown off her cooking skills while livestreaming potato sales. She figured the production team liked her cooking, and her agent had pulled some strings.

But now, it seemed more than likely that her dad agreeing to the show’s invitation was also a factor.

As the heir to a famous Sichuan culinary family, he had been invited by the show two years prior. Unfortunately, her dad wasn’t interested in being on TV and preferred to stay cooped up at home developing new dishes.

After her dad retired, he’d accidentally become a huge internet celebrity. He was already highly prestigious, and now he came with his own massive following. Of course the production team would be even more eager to invite him.

The reason her dad agreed was, most likely, for her sake.

Before, when their relationship wasn’t public, it was one thing. But now that everyone knew they were family, Ni Guangli was openly using his influence to get her opportunities.

Realizing all this, Ni Bingyan was deeply moved.

”Bingyan, you weren’t expecting this, were you?”

The poised Li Sijia asked in a gentle voice, as Ni Bingyan still had her hand over her mouth in disbelief.

”Haha, look at that! She practically jumped! Come on, director, let’s get a replay of Ni Bingyan’s expression just now.”

The production team was ready. The moment Dong Rui finished speaking, the screen started playing back her reaction from moments ago.

Surprise, joy, and a touch of bewilderment.

”We can see your surprise, which makes sense since we didn’t tell you beforehand. And the joy is probably because you’ve been too busy with work to see your father for a long time. But Bingyan, can you tell us why you were so flustered you almost knocked over the microphone?”

Ni Bingyan covered her face with her hands, her voice full of mock accusation, ”I came in here so ambitious, psyching myself up, ’Alright, Ni Bingyan, you’ve got to show them what you can do! Score a point for the Starlight Group!’ But then you bring out my dad! He knows everything I know, and he knows everything I don’t. I might as well just give up now. What’s the point of competing!?”

Hearing this, the audience burst into roaring laughter.

She had a point, didn’t she?

The production team was just too devious.

Chen Zhi had originally planned to stir up some trouble during the recording, but the moment he saw Ni Guangli, he immediately chickened out.

Not only did he completely back down, but he also seized the opportunity to ride the wave of popularity, joking around as if nothing was amiss:

”This is perfect! The chef’s team might be strong, but we’ve got a hostage! Chef Ni, just tell us, are you going to go easy on us today or not? Are you going to let us win?”

Having been livestreaming for a while, Ni Guangli was no longer the serious little old man he used to be.

He knew how to play along with the jokes now. He immediately waved Ni Bingyan over. ”My girl, hurry up and defect! Come join Dad’s team, and we’ll be an unstoppable force! We’ll wipe the floor with them!”

Ni Guangli had a comical look in his eyes, and the studio once again erupted in cheers and laughter.

Only Guo Tong’s smile was a bit strained.

Originally, she had the highest celebrity status. Even though Ni Bingyan was beautiful, the hosts would have given her more attention. But now that Ni Guangli was on stage, the father-daughter duo was the main attraction, and she had been completely relegated to being a side character.

This left a bitter taste in her mouth.

But on second thought, her own father had done similar things to build up hype for her when she’d been on shows before. She figured the other guests must have felt just as unhappy then, and the thought brought her some relief.

After all, there were only one or two popular food shows. Her dad was a very famous director, so it was much easier for him to get on a show with her.

With both sides assembled, the production team started the show’s proceedings.

Step one: Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Spicy.

The other two members of the Starlight Group tacitly pushed Guo Tong forward to draw. Tasked with this heavy responsibility, Guo Tong carefully drew ”Sweet,” and the three of them erupted in cheers.

Chen Zhi wasn’t completely tactless. Seeing the two girls hugging and jumping with laughter, he just stood to the side with a helpless look on his face, not stepping forward.

On camera, at least, he knew to keep his distance.

The two women looked down on him in their hearts but couldn’t show it. If they wanted to get through the recording smoothly, they had to put on an act.

”Alright, our Starlight Group has drawn ’Sweet!’ So, what kind of dish will they make? More excitement after the commercial break! NiuNiu Sour Yogurt reminds you, we’ll be right back!”

When you watch it on TV with subtitles and background music, it seems so epic. But seeing it in real life, Ni Bingyan just found it incredibly awkward.

Luckily, many of the audience members were station employees. They were well-trained and managed to hold back their laughter.

The hosts added this segment mainly to give their Sugar Daddies a plug; during the actual taping, there were of course no commercials.

Dong Rui wasn’t embarrassed at all and continued with his lines. ”Welcome back! And now, our very own Chef Ni is about to draw! What will he get?”

Ni Guangli put his hands together and prayed with a grin, ”Spicy, spicy, spicy! I can make a hundred different spicy dishes in one go. If I draw spicy, it’s a total freebie!”

And the result was revealed—

”Haha, it’s ’Sweet’ again! It looks like today is destined to be a sweet, sweet day! Little Sunflower Cough Syrup reminds you: as the weather changes, remember to bundle up. Only with a healthy body can you truly savor the sweetness of life!”

Li Sijia had deftly slipped in another advertisement.

’If I were the Sugar Daddy,’ Ni Bingyan thought, ’I’d definitely give those two a raise.’

Next up was the first dish.

In this segment, the Starlight Group had a team challenge.

On camera, the three of them gathered together, discussing animatedly what sweet dish to make.

”How about honey-glazed yam? It’s simple, and my daughter loves it.”

Chen Zhi couldn’t resist showing off his kid, and no one on stage was foolish enough to call him out.

Guo Tong and Ni Bingyan both tactfully stuck to the point.

One said, ”That’s a bit too simple. Compared to Bingyan’s dad, it has zero competitive edge.”

The other said, ”Why don’t we switch to something a little more difficult?”

After she said that, Chen Zhi, not being a complete idiot, gave her an opening. ”Bingyan, do you have any special skills? Why don’t you take the lead on this dish?”

Ni Bingyan was here to showcase her cooking skills. The second round involved each person preparing their own dish, where even the worst cook would practice one dish beforehand just for show. If she wanted to truly demonstrate her ability, she had to seize the opportunity in the first or third round.

Guo Tong also understood that showing off her cooking wasn’t her goal for being on this show, so she also supported Ni Bingyan taking the lead.

So, Ni Bingyan briskly went up and deep-fried a hollow sesame ball as big as a basketball.

”My dish is ready. I present to you ’Wandering to the Moon.’”

The giant sesame ball, coated in sesame seeds, was placed in a shallow woven bamboo basket. Under the lights, it was slightly translucent and really did look a bit like the moon.

”Huh? Just a simple ball? Starlight Group, are you sure about this?”

Li Sijia feigned surprise.

”A giant sesame ball looks simple, but to make one that doesn’t crack, explode, or collapse requires a lot of skill!”

Having hosted a food show for a long time, Dong Rui and Li Sijia had perfect chemistry. One would express doubt, and the other would immediately point out the difficulties involved.

”Really? I don’t believe it! I just watched you, so I’m pretty sure I’ve got it down!”

This was another one of the show’s traditions for padding out the runtime: Li Sijia would deftly try her hand at making the guest’s dish.

Watching her fail spectacularly was also one of the long-time viewers’ favorite segments.

This time, as usual, Li Sijia did not disappoint the audience.

She proceeded to fry three sesame balls in a row. One puffed out on one side, looking like a mango. Another one burst open with a POP, scaring her so much she covered her head and squatted on the floor. After finally mustering her courage, she nervously managed to fry a decent-looking one, but the moment she put it on the plate, it deflated with a PFFT.

”Waaah! My eyes learned how to do it, but my hands say they didn’t. Bingyan, I don’t believe you can make another identical one! You just got lucky before, right?”

Ni Bingyan knew this was a ploy to give her more screen time, so she immediately stepped forward, fried another one, and placed it next to the first.

Alright, now everyone was finally convinced.

Then came the customary explanation segment.

A lot of Chinese cooking relies on feeling and intuition, so Ni Bingyan couldn’t really describe the process in detail, speaking only in general terms.

”It’s like she’s actually trying to teach us?”

Dong Rui let out a laugh.

He had a feeling that with the right promotion, this dish would go viral.

Sesame balls are common, but have you ever seen one the size of a basketball, plated so beautifully?

Foodie content creators, if you don’t try to replicate this, you’ll never know just how hard it is!