Chapter 240: Now This is Professional
Chapter 240: Chapter 240: Now This is Professional
Putting everything else aside, Miss Chang Mu’s army of hired commenters was not to be trifled with.
The atmosphere in the livestream, which had been uniformly against Chang Mu and Lai Liang, was suddenly shattered by some so-called "rational and objective" voices—
[I support Nan Zhi continuing her cooking class, but aren’t some of you going too far? Lai Liang is from Hua Country too, yet you’re all cursing him out like he’s some kind of spy.]
[Why must our great nation be so narrow-minded? Embracing diversity is the true path to progress. Shouldn’t we be welcoming Lai Liang’s arrival?]
[Lai Liang is honestly pretty innocent in all this. He hasn’t done anything, and you’re all tearing him apart. Some of Nan Zhi’s fans are really out of line. Forgive and forget.]
[It’s actually kind of funny. Just a few days ago, fans and the media were praising Nan Zhi to the high heavens. And what happens? She and her fans start acting like the cooking class is their personal property. Teacher Lai is clearly trying to do what’s best for the kids, but he gets attacked for it. What kind of logic is that?]
[Exactly! Putting aside your over-the-top interpretations, isn’t Chang Mu’s action, in itself, for the good of the children at the village school? It’s a fact that Japanese cuisine has a wider international audience than Chinese cuisine. These kids are in the mountains and haven’t seen the world. Today might be their only chance in their entire lives to experience top-tier cuisine. Are you really going to ruin that for them?]
[The kids might not understand, but the adults should be setting a good example. I’ve noticed this is a common problem with our Hua Country people—they have to drag patriotism into everything. I’m so sick of hearing it.]
[Alright, alright, I know everyone’s angry, but let’s be rational. Let’s not tarnish Nan Zhi’s name over this, okay? Everyone just wants the kids to have a better learning experience. Besides, Nan Zhi herself hasn’t even said anything.]
...
Previously, when Chang Mu had hired online trolls, she didn’t know the business. She spent a fortune only to get a bunch of bots, and anyone with eyes could see what was going on.
This time, she’d gotten smarter. She went through various channels to find the best, top-tier company in the industry, and the rhetoric they used was all carefully scripted.
Some of the comments sounded reasonable at first glance, but if you looked closer, you’d discover the true intentions hidden within.
It was the classic "seventy percent truth, thirty percent lies" tactic. Some comments even came from users posing as Nan Zhi’s fans, outwardly urging everyone to calm down while secretly fanning the flames.
This infuriated some of the genuine viewers:
["Chinese cuisine is inferior to Japanese cuisine?" That’s a world turned upside down! It’s like saying the son is better than the father. How absurd!]
[Stop with the act! I refuse to believe that if you were working on a project and a colleague suddenly swooped in to take all the credit, you wouldn’t be the least bit angry. Would you really applaud them for it?]
[Everything was fine before. Why does this sudden wave of people seem so strange to me?]
[Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not a Nan Zhi fan. I’m just a viewer who can’t stand what the production team is doing!]
[This reeks of flame-baiting. Don’t fall for it, everyone.]
...
In short, the livestream’s comment section became a chaotic mess, with people from all sides chiming in.
The overly heated discussion turned the livestream into a battlefield of words.
This fire didn’t just burn in the livestream chat; it spread to other platforms.
Soon, the hashtag #NanZhisCookingClassReplaced# started trending on all major platforms.
Nan Zhi’s cooking class had already gained mainstream attention before, so this seemingly random hashtag drew even more netizens’ eyes, and they all jumped into the discussion.
The situation escalated.
Some people even went directly to the production team’s official social media account, demanding an explanation.
In truth, the production team wasn’t just sitting idle.
They were also in discussion, trying to figure out how to let this situation unfold.
Ignore it and let things cool down?
Try to appease everyone and ensure a smooth landing?
Or take a clear and firm stand with Nan Zhi?
...Just as they were hesitating, they quickly learned that some things were not up to them to decide.
Because after noticing the direction public opinion was heading, a leader from the local government department contacted them directly.
Their attitude was pleasant, but their tone was firm. They hoped the production team would help the public accept Lai Liang, as it was related to study abroad opportunities for the children and the subsequent promotion of the cooking class throughout Guisheng Province.
The production team completely understood the leaders’ perspective.
After all, it was a positive initiative they had worked so hard to plan, and no one wanted to see it die halfway through due to public opinion.
But who was there to understand the injustice felt by Nan Zhi, the one being "sacrificed"?
’Just for the greater good, for the benefit of the majority, should Nan Zhi be the one to back down?’
Many on the production team were furious, but they had no choice but to comply.
The only thing they could do was try their best not to backstab Nan Zhi.
Meanwhile, the cooking class at Cuishui Village Primary School did not proceed as scheduled.
Due to the intense public reaction, the production team halted the livestream directly.
The moment the cameras were off, Lai Liang’s face darkened, and he turned and walked out.
Chang Mu didn’t look too pleased either. She followed after him and called his name.
Lai Liang said coldly,
"Miss Chang, you didn’t tell me there would be all this trouble before I came."
Chang Mu looked at him, displeased.
"I spent so much money to hire you, and this is the best you can do? You can’t even handle a few village kids?"
A heavy atmosphere hung between the two of them.
Until Chang Mu received a phone call.
Her expression softened, and she told Lai Liang,
"Alright, let’s resume filming. Perform well this time. Don’t disappoint me!"
Lai Liang had always been arrogant and was annoyed by this little brat ordering him around.
But for the sake of the money, he suppressed his temper.
"Are you sure?"
"It’s been handled."
Chang Mu pulled up a long article on her phone that had just been published by a local media outlet in Guisheng Province.
The article was sincere and tactful in its wording. It explained that the whole incident was a public misunderstanding caused by unclear communication, that they had no intention of "stealing the credit," but rather hoped to bring in a more professional and outstanding teacher for the children’s cooking class.
At the same time, the writer spent a great deal of space affirming Nan Zhi’s actions, followed immediately by stating that passing on food culture shouldn’t be limited to Chinese cuisine. Instead, children should be exposed to the diverse culinary cultures of the world.
Of course, they would later invite an equally professional Chinese cuisine chef to teach the children about orthodox Chinese Food culture. Everything had to be done in order, and it was by no means a case of fawning over foreign things.
The person who wrote this article was highly skilled. They praised the goals of the cooking class, they praised Nan Zhi, and they even praised the production team!
Because the tone was so humble and friendly, even those who had been on Nan Zhi’s side felt too embarrassed to continue their attacks.
The tide of public opinion shifted:
[I told you some people were too quick to start yelling. Should’ve let the dust settle first.]
[The local department and the production team had the right idea. This sort of thing needs to be properly managed.]
[I looked up this Teacher Lai Liang’s resume, and he’s a real master! The production team really put in the effort!]
[This was Chang Mu’s good deed, right? Where are the people who were cursing out Miss Chang before?]
[See? Now *this* is professional!]
...