The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles-Chapter 219: Sharpening Knives for the Kitchen War

The smiles on Huang Yulei and He Jiongjiong's faces were completely impossible to hide.

Su Qingying and Luo Yu's reactions were far more complex.

One cast a look of curiosity.

The other, one of scrutiny.

Jiang Ci, this newly appointed dinner head chef, had four big words written all over his face.

Utter despair.

He was just like that, flanked by the two seniors on his left and right, half-pushed, half-led as they "escorted" him into the famous open-concept kitchen stronghold of the Mushroom House.

He stood in place.

Looking at the table full of fresh, tender, and vibrant ingredients that were completely unprocessed.

Looking at that massive, traditional stove that required him to burn firewood himself.

Jiang Ci fell into a prolonged silence.

Right at the moment he was pushed into the kitchen, the program director, exceptionally sharp, waved his hand.

A brand new live stream window was temporarily opened.

The title was simple and brutal: "Teacher Jiang's Kitchen Debut."

The moment the window opened, the number of bullet comments exploded exponentially.

"Ahhhhh! Qingying, go help him! A husband and wife cooking together in the kitchen, isn't that sweeter than any movie?!"

"Hey, CP fans in the front, keep your fantasies to your own circles, okay? Hands off my brother, don't force it. He obviously can't cook. If it's not working, just call Teacher Huang over!"

"Hahahaha waiting to watch! He's definitely going to crash and burn! Sitting here waiting for a world-shaking, earth-shattering dark cuisine creation!"

"His face looks like he doesn't eat mortal food, how could he possibly know how to cook?"

The live stream chat was boiling over with heated arguments.

But Jiang Ci in the kitchen hadn't moved a muscle.

He didn't stand there bewildered and helpless in front of the ingredients as everyone expected.

He first walked to the faucet and washed his hands unhurriedly, cleaning every single crevice between his fingers spotlessly.

Then, he began inspecting the kitchenware.

He picked up that Chinese cleaver that looked a bit dull on the blade edge and gently tapped the blade with his fingernail.

He frowned slightly.

Just as all the viewers, including Huang Yulei and He Jiongjiong in the yard, thought he was about to ask for help...

Jiang Ci, holding that cleaver, silently turned around and walked out of the kitchen.

He walked to the corner of the yard.

Picked up that old whetstone he had previously used to sharpen the hoe.

"Shua—"

The grating sound of metal scraping against stone once again echoed throughout the entire small yard.

Jiang Ci, sleeves rolled up, focused in his movements, serious in his demeanor.

His sole purpose for coming to this variety show was to sharpen every single piece of ironware the program crew owned.

This scene, transmitted clearly through the live stream camera, reached every viewer's phone screen.

"????????"

"What's wrong with this guy? Did he come to a variety show to be a knife sharpening master?"

"After the farm tool killer, now he's unlocked a new identity as a kitchenware killer?"

Inside the house.

Su Qingying stood in place, hesitating for a moment.

She looked at Jiang Ci's back, focused on sharpening the knife in the yard, then looked at that pile of neglected ingredients in the kitchen.

She walked in.

Wanting to help.

But looking at the fish still flopping around in the water tank, and those vegetables with fresh dirt still clinging to their roots, she had absolutely no idea where to start.

"Do you... need any help?"

She stood at the kitchen doorway, her voice a bit stiff.

At that moment, Jiang Ci finished sharpening the knife and walked back, holding that cleaver now gleaming with a cold light.

He saw Su Qingying standing at the doorway, looking completely at a loss.

Without any polite ceremony.

He pointed at that massive traditional stove.

"Teacher Su, can you tend the fire?"

Su Qingying was taken aback.

"A small fire is fine, just don't let it go out," Jiang Ci added, his attitude matter-of-fact.

And so, under the gaze of hundreds of thousands of viewers across the entire internet.

That Su Qingying, who debuted ten years ago, had never been on a variety show, and was hailed as the "Ice Queen Best Actress," silently walked behind the stove, picked up the cattail-leaf fan and firewood beside it,

and clumsily, yet with exceptional seriousness, began studying how to control the fire.

She successfully transformed herself from an aloof Best Actress into a "fire-tending apprentice."

Jiang Ci was quite satisfied with this.

He rinsed the cleaver clean under running water.

The real performance began. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He picked up a potato, and the peeling action was so fast it left only afterimages.

Then.

"Thump thump thump thump thump—"

The cleaver made contact with the cutting board, emitting a series of rapid sounds.

A moment later, he stopped.

A handful of potato shreds, each strand distinct, even slightly translucent under the light, appeared before everyone.

In the yard, Huang Yulei, who had been standing with arms crossed watching the spectacle, slowly lost the smile on his face.

He took two steps forward, stood at the kitchen doorway, and his expression turned serious.

Jiang Ci didn't stop.

He turned, scooped out the still-flopping fish from the water tank, raised the knife and brought it down, scaling, gutting, cleaning—the entire set of actions was fast, precise, and ruthless, without a moment's hesitation.

Huang Yulei's pupils contracted slightly.

This was no longer the level of an ordinary person who could cook!

Luo Yu had originally been quietly observing off to the side, trying to analyze the core of Jiang Ci's unique acting method from his every behavior.

But as he watched, his train of thought was completely derailed by Jiang Ci's smooth, flowing cooking movements.

He watched Jiang Ci heat the wok, pour in oil.

Blue smoke rose from the surface of the oil.

He watched Jiang Ci toss the ginger slices and minced garlic into the wok with a "sizzle," the aroma instantly exploding.

Luo Yu subconsciously took out the notebook he had prepared for recording observations from his pocket.

He adjusted his glasses and, on a fresh page, seriously wrote down a line.

"...When stir-frying, oil temperature needs to reach 80% heat. Add ginger and garlic first, then dried chilies."

In the kitchen, Jiang Ci had already begun tossing the wok.

Ingredients flew through the air, making contact with the flames, emitting a series of enticing sounds.

Seasoning, thickening with starch, plating.

A plate of stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork, complete in color, aroma, and flavor, was steadily transferred to a plate.

Immediately followed by the second dish, the third...

Just as a table full of fragrant, mouth-watering dishes was about to be completed.

A buzzing drone sound suddenly came from above the yard.

Everyone instinctively looked up.

They saw a drone, dangling a small box tied with a pink ribbon, slowly descending towards the center of the small yard.

On the box was attached an exquisite card.

He Jiongjiong walked over with a smile and took down the box and card.

He waved the card in his hand.

"It looks like our mysterious mission has arrived!"

He opened the card, cleared his throat, but the smile on his face turned strange the very next second after seeing the contents.

"Mysterious Mission, First Phase, Activated."

He paused, raised his head, and swept his gaze—a mix of sympathy and excitement—over Jiang Ci, Su Qingying, and Luo Yu.

"Mission requirement..."

"The three guests must, during dinner, use the manner of the characters you each played in the movie 'Longing Across Time'..."

He Jiongjiong deliberately drew out his voice, enunciating the final instruction word by word.

"...to evaluate the 'Stir-fried Bamboo Shoots with Pork' made by Jiang Ci."