Chapter 005: Everything You Say Comes True Because of Me

The dishes arrived one after another, filling the air with an irresistible aroma that seeped straight into their hearts. To sample more flavors while avoiding extravagance and waste, Wu Miaoran leveraged her idol privileges: she asked Master Lu to prepare slightly larger portions of his signature dishes while cooking for other customers, then divide out small plates for the three of them—essentially creating half-portions.

In this way, business wasn't interrupted, and they could enjoy a wider variety of tastes.

As soon as the table was laden with delicacies, the three couldn't wait to set their chopsticks dancing, indulging with gusto.

Master Lu was a true local of Sichuan, his culinary skills beyond reproach. The spicy poached fish was both numbing and fresh, tender enough to melt away at a touch; the spicy hotpot was rich and fragrant, full-bodied and satisfying; the husband-and-wife beef slices were soft, smooth, and delightfully chewy; the mapo tofu was plump, silky, and springy; and the kung pao chicken was bright red, sweet and spicy, with a tangy, mouth-tingling crispness.

Though similar ingredients were used in each dish, every one had its own unique flavor, thoroughly delighting their taste buds. Even the humble sides—pickled pepper chicken feet and Sichuan-style cold noodles—were so good they made you want to slap the table in awe.

While savoring the feast, Wu Miaoran animatedly recorded her impressions on video.

After the meal, Qin Qisan picked up his phone to film the final segment.

Wu Miaoran took a sip of sweet chilled noodles, let out a satisfied burp, and held the receipt up to the camera, saying, “Whew… Three people, ten dishes, 267 yuan—it’s really quite a bargain. Honestly, this Sichuan snack shop is the real deal, truly unforgettable. The pickled pepper chicken feet in particular—worlds apart from the prepackaged supermarket ones—just melt in your mouth. Highly recommended by Miaoran.

“And, to avoid wasting food, we ordered half-portions today. If you come by, try the dishes I recommended—you won’t regret it! That’s it for today’s food adventure—don’t forget to like and follow!”

“OK!” Qin Qisan flashed a hand sign, lazily slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Lin Yu covered her mouth with one hand, picking her teeth with a toothpick. “Well then, ladies and gentlemen, full and tipsy—shall we take our leave?”

“Leave? Are you forgetting why we’re here? The main task hasn’t even started and you’re thinking of running off?” Wu Miaoran pouted.

Qin Qisan shook his head helplessly. “Seriously? Working right after a meal? That’s rough.”

“No rush,” Wu Miaoran replied. “We still need to wait a while. It’s peak mealtime now; who knows how long Master Lu will be busy.”

“Isn’t he your fan? Just call him over for a quick chat—it won’t take long, ten minutes at most,” Qin Qisan suggested.

“Forget it! Did you see the way his wife was looking at Miaoran just now? She looked ready to turn her into chopped pepper fish head! If you make her interrupt Master Lu’s work, his wife might explode on the spot,” Lin Yu immediately objected.

“Exactly. Best to wait—I’m not looking for trouble,” Wu Miaoran agreed, a little exasperated.

So, the three passed the time on their phones. Wu Miaoran noticed that Master Lu kept a big golden retriever, who was lying peacefully on the staircase landing, looking adorably goofy and well-behaved.

She decided to go over and play with it, smiling as she approached. But for some reason—perhaps it was feeling unwell or something else—the golden retriever seemed uninterested, barely responding. After barking a few times, it ran upstairs to the second floor, whining softly.

Wu Miaoran was puzzled. She remembered seeing the dog lively and energetic in other food-review videos, but she didn’t dwell on it.

When all the customers had finally left, the three called Master Lu over.

Lu Tieqiang wiped the sweat from his brow with a large towel, gulped down several mouthfuls of strong tea, and said, “Sorry I couldn’t take better care of you earlier—it was just too busy. So, how were the dishes? Not bad, right?”

“Master Lu, your food is incredible! Next time I bring friends out, it’ll have to be here,” Wu Miaoran grinned. “By the way, we’re actually here today to ask you something.”

“Oh? What’s that? For our lovely Miss Chongchong, I’d even teach you how to cook if you asked!”

Before he could finish, his wife—who’d been pretending to sweep nearby—let out a pointed cough. Lu Tieqiang swallowed and laughed awkwardly, “Just kidding, just kidding. Ask away—if I can answer, I will.”

Wu Miaoran felt a little awkward but handed over her phone, pointing to a photo of Xiao Wangyan. “Master Lu, I’ll get straight to the point. Have you seen this person before? He’s also a food-review streamer.”

Lu Tieqiang only glanced at the photo before his eyebrows shot up in anger. “Of course I’ve seen him! That guy’s a lunatic. He really pissed me off.

“That day, he and his three roommates came here for a meal and tried to skip out on the bill. He kept filming me with his phone, claiming to be some big-shot food blogger with millions of followers, saying he’d expose me! Just thinking about him makes my blood boil!”

“Master Lu, please calm down,” Wu Miaoran said. “We saw the video online, but it’s incomplete. Could you tell us exactly what happened?”

Still fuming, Lu Tieqiang gulped more tea before continuing, “The guy deserved a beating. A few years ago, I would’ve decked him myself. It started just like you saw in the video—he and his friends tried to dine and dash. When I confronted him, he called us a black market shop and threatened to expose us. I cursed at him, asked what right he had to say that. Just because he says we’re a shady shop, that makes it true?”

He paused, then continued, “So then, full of himself, he said he had millions of fans, that whatever he said became reality. If he called us a black market shop, then that’s what we were, if he called us crooks, that’s what we were. I was so mad I almost hit him, but Xiao Li and the others held me back. Xiao Li said he’d call the police. The guy still wouldn’t back down, but in the end, one of his roommates paid and that was the end of it.”

At this, Lu Tieqiang suddenly frowned, a peculiar look crossing his face. Wu Miaoran immediately sensed something was off. “Master Lu, is there more to this?”

“Not really, but…”

“But what?”

“Well, there was another customer there that day. He heard the guy boasting that his word was law, so he stood up and asked, ‘You really think whatever you say becomes true?’ The guy glared at him and snapped, ‘None of your damn business.’ The man just smiled, walked out, and as he reached the door, he said something odd: ‘Very well, I’ll grant your wish—everything you say will come true.’”

The three exchanged glances, suddenly wide awake. Lin Yu quickly turned to Lu Tieqiang, excited, “Brother Lu, do you still have the surveillance footage from that day? We want to see that person!”

“Yes, please, can you pull up the footage from that day?” Wu Miaoran chimed in.

Lu Tieqiang looked at them in surprise. “Honestly, I was annoyed at the time, but that kid was probably just a college student, maybe poorly raised. I didn’t think much of it—just wrote him off as a nutcase. If you have a grudge with him, forget it. I can’t go violating customer privacy over something so trivial.”

Wu Miaoran pressed her lips together, speaking earnestly, “Please, Master Lu. This is a serious matter—people’s lives are at stake. I’m not joking. I hope you can help us.”

Lu Tieqiang frowned, rubbing his fingers together in hesitation. “Lives at stake? What’s going on?”

“Master Lu, I can’t explain everything right now, but I give you my word—I’m not lying. With so many followers online, I wouldn’t risk my reputation by making a fuss over one person’s information,” Wu Miaoran pleaded sincerely.

Still hesitant, Lu Tieqiang looked into Wu Miaoran’s honest eyes, and, bolstered by his admiration as a fan, finally relented with a sigh. “Fine. If lives are involved, better safe than sorry. I’ll help you this once, but please keep this quiet.

“I’ll pretend I know nothing. You’re on your own from here.”