"Who are you?" Stark and Napier looked at the man behind them with confusion.
They vaguely remembered him.
This man seemed to be another customer in the restaurant, but why was he following them out?
"Oh, sorry, I'm a reporter from CBC. I just wanted to ask about the so-called Magical Mapo Tofu and Golden Fried Rice you mentioned," said the reporter, Lawrence, showing his press card to the two.
He had been curious about these two in the restaurant.
Especially after they ordered something called Magical Mapo Tofu and Golden Fried Rice, which he'd never heard of, and when they tried to teach the owner using what looked like a manga, his curiosity peaked.
Seeing the reporter's credentials, Stark and Napier exchanged a glance.
CBC was a small newspaper, one they wouldn't have known about if they weren't locals.
But a small newspaper is still a newspaper, and for fans like them, the best thing is to spread the word about their favorite manga!
This was an opportunity!
So, they got excited and started telling the reporter about their experience.
"Of course, it's from the manga Cooking Master Boy!"
"What? You say manga is fake? How can that be? Look at the explanations, they're very scientific! This is China! Chinese cuisine, praised by many. Think about the so-called Chinese food we've eaten in local restaurants; it's not authentic at all."
"We have reason to believe that most Chinese restaurants in our country are probably run by people who didn't learn the real skills back in China. Of course, they can't make such delicious dishes!"
"Look, glowing dishes. That's probably exaggerated, but the taste must be much better than ordinary food."
"I'm sure the dishes in the manga are the real Chinese cuisine!"
Stark vividly described the food from Cooking Master Boy. Naturally, it was somewhat embellished.
And as a journalist, Lawrence took notes, also embellishing the story.
Thus, the next day, CBC published a headline: "If It Doesn't Glow, It's Not Real Chinese Food."
For Lawrence, it didn't matter if the manga was fictional.
What mattered was that someone went to a real restaurant to order food from the manga. Even if the glowing part was fake, he could turn it into something believable.
This news created a small stir in the small city on the West Coast.
Even the manga Cooking Master Boy caused a minor sensation in the American manga community.
Some manga enthusiasts became very curious about the so-called glowing dishes.
Food-themed manga is a niche genre, and it's hard to find good ones. But once a good one appears, it can quickly gain popularity within the niche community.
"Oh, so the Chinese food we've been eating at local restaurants is subpar?"
"I really want to try Magical Mapo Tofu!!"
"I found out the author has another manga called *Your Name*. People say it's very touching, but I didn't feel anything."
"+1, maybe it's a cultural thing?"
...
Time passed.
Ren was getting more and more accustomed to having manga assistants.
If you ask why, it's because they handled many tasks. Previously, Ren had to spend several hours a day on his manga, but now he spent less than half that time.
With assistants handling tasks like applying screen tones, Ren sometimes only needed to focus on key parts of the story.
Everything proceeded smoothly.
Soon, the manga reached chapter 14.
The story continued from the previous chapter.
In the last chapter, the protagonist, Cooking Master Boy, entered the formal special chef test. The theme of the test was "Noodles, but not noodles," and the test process was very exciting for many readers.
For example, Cooking Master Boy decided to use catfish to make his dish, but someone sabotaged him during the competition, causing him to lose his sense of taste.
Fortunately, Fei, who had previously given him hints during the National Twin Hero Competition, helped him again. Fei also shared his childhood story and connection with Master A Bei, inspiring Cooking Master Boy to work hard like Fei. He finally completed his catfish noodles but discovered a fatal flaw.
How would he overcome this fatal flaw?
Excited readers who had been waiting for a week eagerly opened the manga.
The familiar competition venue, the familiar faces.
Even though it was a static manga, readers could almost smell the food in the pictures.
Especially during Shirin's competition, readers were stunned.
Because Shirin added poppy flowers to her dish!
"Actually, some restaurants do add it. I read a news article recently where a police officer tested positive during a checkup, and after an investigation, it was found that their takeout contained it."
"Really? Now I'm scared to order takeout."
"It's true. I saw that news too. But it's not just about takeout. You might have the same problem eating at a restaurant."
"Better to eat at home. It's healthier."
"If you feel addicted to a certain takeout and can't stop craving it, you should probably get checked at a hospital."
People discussed this issue.
"Cooking should bring happiness to people."
With this line from Cooking Master Boy, Fei even pulled off Shirin's robe, revealing a needle kit with many thin needles.
"Damn!"
Seeing this, combined with the previous scene of pulling needles from Cooking Master Boy's body, readers realized that Shirin was the one who had poisoned him!
Seeing Shirin get arrested, readers felt vindicated.
Unlike the original story where the author merely revoked her chef qualification and banished her from Guangzhou, Ren changed it so she was imprisoned. The original punishment felt too lenient, and Ren couldn't accept that.
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