Huang Ninghui, with his five million followers, shared his daily food exploration activities regularly.
He had a decent appearance, scoring about seven out of ten, and his makeup skills attracted many female fans. His social media engagement was even higher than that of some minor celebrities.
As soon as this particular post went live, the reposts and comments surged.
[?! I wanted to visit this restaurant, but the kitchen is too dirty! How can anyone eat the food here? Imagine the bacteria.]
[Avoid this place! Iâve followed Huang for years, and heâs always fair, pointing out both the good and bad. This is the first time Iâve seen him criticize a place so harshly.]
[A dirty kitchen is already unacceptable, but adding poppy shells to the food? No wonder it tasted so good. Never eating there again. This must be reported!]
[Boycott Tingâan Restaurant! Such unethical places should be shut down!]
[This restaurant is disgusting. How can anyone promote such a trashy place? Gross!]
The fans were outraged.
Given the issue of food safety, even casual internet users began to join the boycott.
Ji Qingyao frowned.
She didnât know Huang Ninghui, this food blogger, nor was she aware of the dark underbelly of the restaurant review scene, but she trusted Si Fuqing.
Seeing the post gaining more traction and more people joining the boycott, Ji Qingyao quickly sent a private message to Si Fuqingâs studio.
There wasnât much she could do except counter the more outrageous comments.
Soon it was time to board, and Ji Qingyao got on the plane, turning on flight mode, but she remained tense throughout the journey.
How should she tell Si Fuqing about the matter of stealing luck?
No wonder Si Fuqing had been vilified online in the past; it was probably because her luck had been stolen.
An hour and a half later, the plane landed at An City International Airport.
Ji Qingyao took a few deep breaths before heading to the address JIANG Shuihan had given her, to Si Fuqingâs studio.
The studio wasnât in the city center, but in an apartment building six stories high on the outskirts.
Si Fuqing treated her employees well, providing food and accommodation.
Feeling a bit anxious, Ji Qingyao knocked on the door, which promptly opened.
However, she hesitated to step inside.
âCome in and sit,â Si Fuqing pointed to a single sofa opposite her, her tone very familiar. âEveryone else is out, thereâs no one here, so you can relax.â
Ji Qingyao was surprised to find the studio empty even though it was working hours.
She pressed her lips together before stepping inside.
âMr. JIANG said you have something urgent to discuss with me,â Si Fuqing closed her script and nodded. âWhatâs the matter?â
âIâm here to apologize,â Ji Qingyao suddenly knelt down, her voice strained. âIâm sorry, Miss Si. It was only after being guided by two masters that I realized I had taken your luck, and your healthâ¦â
The monk had said that whether it was life swap or forcibly stealing luck, it would have an irreversible impact on the original owner.
The essence of life swap was âswap,â at least leaving oneâs life intact.
But stealing luck meant robbing someoneâs life, squeezing them dry.
She knew Si Fuqing had been in poor health, even gaining weight due to hormone medication.
Ji Qingyao couldnât imagine what would happen if Si Fuqingâs luck were completely taken.
âItâs not your fault; you didnât know,â Si Fuqingâs expression changed. She immediately helped Ji Qingyao up. âGet up, thereâs gold under your knees; you shouldnât kneel.â
Ji Qingyaoâs hands dropped, her fingers clenched, âBut I took your luckâ¦â
âI said, you didnât know about it,â Si Fuqing patted her shoulder. âAnd you came to find me as soon as you found out. You did the right thing.â
âI took what wasnât mine, so I must return it to its owner,â Ji Qingyao clasped her hands, smiling bitterly. âBut I really donât know how to return the luck I took from you.â
Si Fuqing looked up and smiled, âDonât worry. Since youâre willing to return it and have a strong will, most of it has already been returned. Donât burden yourself too much.â
Hearing this, Ji Qingyao finally sighed in relief, her expression resolute. âThe master said my younger sister also has your luck. Iâll make sure she returns it to you as well.â
Si Fuqing said calmly, âPerhaps not everyone will be as understanding as you.â
Ji Qingyao was stunned.
âThe Thousand Army Allianceâs assessment is coming up, right?â Si Fuqing raised an eyebrow. âYouâve trained for twenty years; your physical condition is excellent. Even without my luck, it wonât affect you much.â
âBut your techniques lack the ruthlessness because you havenât faced life-and-death situations. I can teach you some moves; do you want to learn?â
Hearing this, Ji Qingyaoâs eyes widened, âMiss Si, youâ¦â
Si Fuqingâs willingness to let go of past grudges and even teach her made her very happy.
Recalling Si Fuqingâs swordsmanship demonstration that day, it was clear it wasnât just for show.
Only experts could tell that the blade in Si Fuqingâs hand was genuinely lethal.
Ji Qingyao, a martial arts enthusiast, was thrilled, âPlease, Miss Si, teach me.â
âAlright, come,â Si Fuqing beckoned, âLetâs go to the courtyard.â
Ji Qingyao immediately followed.
Shang Lu was exercising in the courtyard. Seeing them, he greeted them and sensibly left the studio building to go for a run outside.
âThere are no swords here now, so letâs use branches as swords,â Si Fuqing broke off two branches, handing one to Ji Qingyao.
âMiss Si,â Ji Qingyao took it and suddenly remembered something important. Her voice turned urgent, âSomeone is slandering your auntâs restaurant online, saying itâs unsanitary and that the dishes contain poppy shells.â
Si Fuqingâs eyes narrowed, âSlandering?â
âYes, when I saw it, the reposts had already exceeded five thousand,â Ji Qingyao took out her phone. âThe situation is quite serious.â
Just then, her phone rang; it was Jiang Changning.
âSisi, did you see your restaurant trending online?â Jiang Changning frowned, âThat food blogger has five million followers; his influence is significant.â
It was always easier to spread rumors than to dispel them.
Even with evidence, once people had a preconceived notion, they didnât pay much attention to clarifications.
âFive million followers?â Si Fuqing also saw Ji Qingyaoâs phone screen and clicked her tongue, âThatâs impressive.â
She had never thought of using her fame and influence in the entertainment industry to promote Ye Zhenmianâs restaurant.
Otherwise, the Mousses Corp alone would be enough to pack Tingâan Restaurant.
But that didnât mean any influencer could slander Ye Zhenmianâs hard work.
The trending topic had already reached the fourteenth spot on the overall list, with over eighty thousand comments on Huang Ninghuiâs post, all criticizing Tingâan Restaurant.
âAlright, I got it,â Si Fuqing chuckled softly, âMy aunt doesnât go online, so she probably doesnât know yet. Iâll check the surveillance footage from that time.â
After the call ended, she tapped on her phone a few times, quickly composing a tweet and tagging @HuangIsHungryAgain, the influencerâs ID.
After posting it, she picked up the branch again, calling Ji Qingyao, âLetâs spar.â
**
At this moment, Huang Ninghui was resting in his villa.
He glanced at the number of reposts on his latest Weibo post and the flood of boycott comments underneath, snorting coldly.
If they embarrassed him, he would make sure Tingâan Restaurant couldnât survive.
With his large fan base, closing down a small restaurant was a piece of cake.
However, among the boycott comments, there were questions raised by loyal customers of Tingâan Restaurant.
But their doubts were quickly drowned out by the comments from Huang Ninghuiâs fans, who accused these loyal customers of being shills for the restaurant, sympathizing with capitalists, and failing to protect consumersâ rights.
These loyal customers were using personal accounts on Weibo.
They didnât have as many followers or as much influence as he did.
It was completely ineffective.
Huang Ninghui didnât take these customers seriously at all. He leisurely sipped his red wine, waiting for the person in charge of Tingâan Restaurant to come begging him.
That brat had embarrassed him, so he would ruin their restaurant.
Serves them right!
Huang Ninghui sneered.
If they had given him a free meal, he would have praised Tingâan Restaurant on his Weibo. Unfortunately, someone was too blind and tactless, even daring to call him a freeloader. There was no way he could swallow that insult.
Huang Ninghui was completely unafraid of the real customers of Tingâan Restaurant refuting him.
The internet was a chaotic place, with many people lacking independent thought and discernment, simply following his lead.
And in the food blogging circle, they all knew each other.
Huang Ninghui had already informed several other food bloggers. Unless Tingâan Restaurant came to beg him, they wouldnât discuss it at all.
Without channels or enough followers, he wanted to see how Tingâan Restaurant could maintain its attitude!
After finishing a glass of wine, he refreshed his Weibo feed and frowned.
He noticed the number of reposts in his notification bar was rising exponentially.
A bad feeling suddenly arose in Huang Ninghuiâs heart.
He immediately clicked on the repost section.
The number of reposts kept increasing, but it wasnât because his Weibo post had gone viral again.
Instead, a new Weibo post had tagged him, causing him to receive a notification every time it was reposted. The notification sound kept ringing continuously.
This repost speed was much faster than his own Weibo post.
Huang Ninghuiâs fingers trembled as he clicked on the Weibo post that tagged him and immediately saw the name of the poster.
It was the top celebrity, Si Fuqing.