Chapter 157: The Program Resumes

It was night. A man and a woman, alone in a room—this situation is usually the stuff of suggestive daydreams. It calls to mind scenes of burning passion, intimate entanglements, piercing precision, explosive success, and meticulous order. It invokes thoughts of generous guidance, warm welcomes, kindhearted hospitality, karmic rewards, and waiting for good news. All of the above are human yearnings for beauty, the most delightful fantasies one harbors when a man and a woman find themselves alone together.

However, this picturesque vision of longing and beauty was shattered into pieces by the shrill screams of Han Jiangxue. So much for a romantic atmosphere!

"Ahhh! What kind of 'casual' game is this?! It’s all a damn lie!"

"And they claim it helps improve the bond between two players? I’ll show you a 'bond'—go to hell!"

"Zero stars! I am absolutely leaving a negative review for this game called 'Overcooked'!"

...

As she spewed curses with zero regard for her image, Han Jiangxue took control of Su Chen's mouse and promptly deleted "Overcooked." She felt that merely deleting the game wasn't enough to vent her frustration; she went on to perform a deep clean of the local disk, ensuring not a single remnant of the installation remained, terrified that even a trace of it might disgust her further. After uninstalling the game, she headed straight to its online forum, intent on tearing this moronic game to shreds.

Yet, when she saw the flood of glowing reviews for "Overcooked" on the forum, she froze. How could anyone give this garbage game a positive review? Were these people all insane?

As Han Jiangxue pondered this, she suddenly recalled the game reviews they had seen before downloading it, as well as the guides she had searched for later, all brimming with praise and admiration for "Overcooked."

In that instant, it all clicked for her.

Good grief, they were luring people in just to watch them suffer! These netizens were truly twisted; they were rotten to the core!

Han Jiangxue’s mouth twitched with rage, but her hands never stopped moving. Under Su Chen’s stunned gaze, she gave "Overcooked" a five-star review, accompanied by a nearly five-hundred-word essay of praise. The review was so earnest and compelling that anyone who read it would undoubtedly download the game to experience it for themselves.

Anyone who saw that review would never guess it was written by someone who had been cursing the game as a piece of trash just moments ago. Han Jiangxue let out a sinister laugh. I can’t be the only one to suffer this loss! If everyone suffers, then it’s as if I didn't suffer at all! Heh heh heh... I am such a genius!

Witnessing this, Su Chen stiffly turned his head, just in time to catch the cold smirk on Han Jiangxue’s lips. Damn... women are truly devious! Su Chen gulped. He had originally been worried that she might smash his game controller in a fit of rage and had intended to protect it. Now, he felt that if it would make Boss Han happy, she could smash as many controllers as she wanted! One isn't enough? I have another one right here! Just please, show some mercy and don't hold my performance in the game against me!

After leaving her review, Han Jiangxue stormed out of Su Chen’s room. Watching her retreating back, Su Chen, who had been as quiet as a cicada, finally let out a sigh of relief. Indeed, no matter the woman, they are all equally terrifying when angry... Women are just too scary!

With that thought, Su Chen had no heart left for games. He washed up, climbed into his bed, and huddled under his covers, shivering. In a hazy, half-conscious state, he finally made it through his night of "fun." After all, early to bed and early to rise—there was a competition the next day!

The following day, amidst the excitement and anticipation of the masses, the top-four-to-top-two round of the program "Star of Tomorrow" finally arrived! Almost everyone had finished their work early, striving to avoid overtime so they could enjoy a wonderful night watching the show in peace. Some had even prepared beer and barbecue well in advance, and even the local deli shops sold out earlier than usual.

Under this atmosphere of national anticipation, "Star of Tomorrow" was held on schedule at the Xiang Province Broadcasting Television Building.

"Everyone, do a final check of the equipment! Confirm every camera angle!"

"Check one last time that the live stream on Mango Video is smooth and stable!"

"...Ready!"

"Attention all departments, countdown starting now!"

"Ten, nine... three, two, one!"

"Action!!!"

Snap!

As the director Wu Tong’s professional voice fell, the previously pitch-black stage was instantly illuminated by dozens of spotlights. At the same time, the famous variety show host Liu Shao stood at the center of the stage, reciting his lines to a camera that circled him.

"Authentic herbal tea, shining 'Star of Tomorrow'! Welcome to 'Star of Tomorrow,' brought to you by the leading herbal tea brand, Duoduobao!"

"Drink Dali, feel the power! Wahehe Dali Health Supplements cheering for 'Star of Tomorrow'!"

"Among all the contestants this season, the four mentors' most prized protégés will embark on the Wahehe Dali Musical Dream Journey!"

"..."

Liu Shao rattled off all the sponsor advertisements with his signature speed and clarity. This scene was broadcast live via the internet on Mango Video, a subsidiary of Xiang Province TV. In the live comment section, millions of netizens were frantically posting.

"Ahhh! Finally waited for you, thank goodness I didn't give up!"

"Two days! Two whole days! Do you know how I’ve been living without 'Star of Tomorrow'?!"

"I don't know how you lived, but I fired my boss just so I could watch 'Star of Tomorrow'!"

"Hahaha, same here! My boss kept making us work overtime and asked us to choose between watching 'Star of Tomorrow' and keeping our jobs. I gave him a slap right then and there. What kind of low-tier company is his to even compare itself to 'Star of Tomorrow'?"

"Enough talk, brothers! Are the beer and dinner ready? I can't eat a single bite without 'Star of Tomorrow'! My anorexia has almost been cured by this show!"

"What anorexia! Come to Qingdao, brother, I'll treat you to beer and clams, and we can watch 'Star of Tomorrow' together!"

...

Amidst the jubilant flow of comments, Liu Shao finished his commercial reads and turned to the camera to introduce the program for the night.