Chapter 279: Promotion Ambassador?
Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Promotion Ambassador?
"Huh? A Promotion Ambassador?"
Nan Zhi lifted her eyelids, much of her morning drowsiness instantly swept away.
She brought the phone closer to her ear.
Xu Li’s voice on the other end became clearer:
"...That’s right! An officially invited Promotion Ambassador! Our country has been placing a special emphasis on preserving intangible cultural heritage these past few years, hasn’t it? I only just learned that this also includes a lot of culinary treasures! This time, the officials are inviting you to be the Intangible Cultural Heritage Food Promotion Ambassador. They’re hoping you can use your online influence to reignite the public’s love for traditional pastries!"
This was clearly a great opportunity.
No wonder Xu Li was so excited; her high-pitched, fluctuating voice was impossible to hide even over the phone.
In comparison, Nan Zhi was much calmer.
She fell silent, pondering.
But to Xu Li’s ears, this silence was interpreted differently.
Xu Li let out a low "ah" and started to stammer:
"O-of course, if you’re still not willing, th-then we can turn it down..."
Nan Zhi snapped back to reality and could hear the distress in Xu Li’s tone.
She raised an eyebrow, about to explain.
But Xu Li got anxious first and quickly changed her tune:
"No, that’s not it, Nan Zhi... Sister Zhi, this is a fantastic opportunity! Think about it! You’re so popular with the public right now, and your recent cooking class videos went viral. You’ve practically become the face of the culinary world! The officials definitely recognize your talent, which is why they want to work with you. This doesn’t even conflict with your desire to keep a low profile! Why don’t you reconsider? Or... do you need some time to think?"
Nan Zhi knew Xu Li was straightforward, but she hadn’t expected her to be this impatient.
She chuckled lightly.
"Who said I wasn’t going to accept?"
Xu Li was caught off guard.
"...Huh?"
Nan Zhi explained with a smile:
"I was just thinking. Of course, this is a good thing. Even if not for my own sake, it should be handled well. I just feel that the collaboration plan proposed by the officials is too simplistic. I want more than just the title."
In fact, after returning to this world, Nan Zhi had gradually figured out the state of Chinese cuisine in the modern world.
Without a doubt, the public was madly in love with Chinese food, and many citizens were proud that their country was a culinary empire.
But that didn’t stop many people around the world from misunderstanding Chinese cuisine, thinking it was greasy, low-class, and less popular than high-end Japanese food.
Some domestic sycophants, like the likes of Lai Liang, also belittled and despised their own food culture, instead hyping up the culinary cultures of other countries to the heavens.
There were also some dishes, cooking techniques, and even seasonings that originally belonged to Hua Country, which were misappropriated and stolen by other countries, brazenly given foreign names...
This absurd situation was enough to make even the usually emotionally stable Nan Zhi laugh out of sheer anger!
She thought about her time in the Otherworld, where the nation’s power and global standing were similar to the Tang Dynasty in her original world’s ancient history.
That was a truly great empire, with ten thousand nations coming to pay tribute, and the people’s sense of identity was incredibly strong!
’Can’t handle our dynasty’s food?’
’Hah, then the problem must be with your tongue, not with our food!’
’—Don’t ask. The answer is absolute confidence!’
Therefore, Nan Zhi had always hoped to do something about it.
The invitation that just came from the officials, asking Nan Zhi to be their Intangible Cultural Heritage Food Promotion Ambassador, was the perfect opportunity.
Nan Zhi felt this was an excellent opportunity, and thus had higher expectations for it.
What she wanted was more than just a title!
After Nan Zhi’s explanation, Xu Li also understood her thinking.
Xu Li exclaimed in amazement:
"You’re the one who thinks so far ahead! I was so happy I forgot that with this great opportunity, we should be aiming for more than just a little bit of fame!"
Xu Li thought even further.
She now had a clear picture of Nan Zhi’s plans after the variety show ended, and had gone from being hesitant at first to being determined to hitch her wagon to Nan Zhi’s star.
Hearing the ambition Nan Zhi had revealed in private, it seemed she intended to follow Nan Zhi and make a formidable return to her old home to prove herself!
For this goal, Xu Li needed to help Nan Zhi build even greater influence.
In the future, this would become a powerful tool for Nan Zhi to break new ground!
Having made up her mind, Xu Li began to rub her hands together in anticipation.
"Alright! Leave the rest to me! I’ll go have a good talk with the officials!"
Seeing that Xu Li completely understood her intentions, Nan Zhi hummed happily.
"By the way, you can reveal a few of our bargaining chips at the right time—you can tell them that many lost delicacies exist, and the Wangchuan Map Sample isn’t the only one I know..."
Nan Zhi said a few more things to Xu Li.
Although Xu Li didn’t understand cooking, she had once held an important position in her family’s restaurant group, so she naturally understood what Nan Zhi was saying.
The more she listened, the more excited and confident she became.
Towards the end of the conversation, she was in such a hurry that she hung up without even asking when Nan Zhi planned to return.
Nan Zhi: ...
’Well, alright.’
’In any case, her role isn’t an assistant or secretary, but a true partner.’
’A small matter like returning home is something she can handle herself.’
Today was the last day in Cuishui Village.
To be precise, it was the second-to-last day.
Because there was still some wrap-up work to do today, the actual departure for the capital was scheduled for early tomorrow morning.
For guests like Nan Zhi, they also needed to pack their luggage, say goodbye to acquaintances, and so on.
The livestreaming work, however, had already ended last night.
Although cameras were still quietly following them today, they were only shooting scattered footage that would be reviewed later to see if any of it was needed for the final cut.
So for the guests, it wasn’t much of a burden. They could treat it casually, almost like they were just playing around.
At this moment, however, Nan Zhi was looking at a room full of luggage with a headache.
She had arrived light, with just one suitcase that was easy to carry.
But now, leaving, she had so many bags, big and small, that even two more suitcases might not be enough.
It couldn’t be helped; her colleagues at the factory were just too enthusiastic.
The factory’s new products had been selling like hotcakes online these past two days. The revenue from two or three days was enough to match a whole month’s income from before, and sales were still growing, promising considerable future profits.
The factory employees all knew who the biggest contributor was. They didn’t know how to express their gratitude, so they took advantage of the abundance of good things in the mountains—dried mushrooms, homegrown medicinal herbs, cured meats from the new year festival... They brought bag after bag to Nan Zhi’s house.
It wasn’t that Nan Zhi hadn’t tried to refuse.
But her colleagues would wait until she wasn’t home, drop the bags of mountain goods at her doorstep, and then quickly slip away.
This left Nan Zhi unable to return the items even if she wanted to, as she didn’t know who to give them back to, so she could only accept them.
’Maybe I should just ship it...’
Nan Zhi was pondering this.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside.
"Zhizhi! I’m here!"
A familiar, cheerful voice.
It was Fu Chao.
Accompanying his footsteps was Qing Xi’s boisterous, high-pitched, childlike voice:
"Auntie Zhizhi, it’s me!"
Nan Zhi couldn’t help but smile as she turned to greet them.
"What brings you two here?"
Her gaze then fell on what Fu Chao was holding.