After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

"A plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes costs 288 yuan? A bowl of boiled cabbage costs 1888 yuan? They've even come up with gimmicks like 'curing diseases and saving lives'!"

"Is this a distortion of human nature, or just hype from capital? Who is behind this fabricated 'master' paying the price?"

At the end of the article, the tone shifts abruptly, directly targeting Lin Fan's character:

"It is reported that in order to gain sympathy by playing the victim, this person even went so far as to use his five-year-old daughter as a marketing tool, keeping the child in a smoky restaurant every day as a signboard."

"Can a man even his wife despises, a businessman who sells overpriced vegetables through deception and fraud, really create comforting food?"

The moment this article was published, the entire internet in Jiangcheng went wild.

Resentment of the rich, plot twists, gossip about the wealthy, exorbitant restaurant prices... these elements combined perfectly strike at the public's curiosity and anger.

The comments section below was refreshing at a rate of hundreds per second.

"Holy crap! This is huge! So that so-called master chef was actually a gigolo?!"

"I knew it! A plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes for 288 yuan, what is that if not a tax on intelligence? Those rich people queuing up are probably just shills he paid to be there!"

"This is disgusting! He even exploits his own daughter. Does he deserve to be a chef? Does he deserve to run a shop? Why hasn't the health department shut him down yet!"

"Su Qing, the female CEO of the Su Group? She's a well-known powerful woman in Jiangcheng! No wonder she wanted to divorce him; why keep such a good-for-nothing around?"

"Boycott Lin's Shop! Boycott this unscrupulous business that uses deceptive marketing!"

Online opinions are often devoid of reason.

Most people have never eaten Lin Fan's cooking, or even been to Phoenix Golden Street, but that doesn't stop them from hiding behind their screens, typing away, wielding the moral cudgel, and sentencing a complete stranger.

……

Inside an apartment in Jinmao Mansion.

Lin Fan had just finished bathing Tuantuan, changed her into clean pajamas, and lulled the little girl to sleep.

He went out of the bedroom and poured himself a glass of water.

Before I could even take a sip, my phone, which was on the coffee table, started ringing incessantly.

Caller ID: Qin Lang.

Lin Fan answered the phone, but before he could even speak, Qin Lang's furious roar came through the receiver, tinged with barely concealed rage:

"Brother Lin! Have you checked your phone?! Those bastards online have gone crazy! I don't know which blind idiot bought articles online to smear you!"

"What 'abandoned husband from a wealthy family,' what 'false marketing,' they've got it all so convincing! They've even revealed your ex-wife's name! Now the whole internet is calling you a fraud!"

Qin Lang was really anxious.

Although he was a playboy, he knew that Lin Fan's cooking skills were genuine, honed through years of hard work.

Seeing those keyboard warriors online belittling Lin Fan to the point of worthlessness, he was so angry he wanted to smash his phone.

"Brother Lin, don't panic. Someone's definitely pulling this stunt. I've already had my husband's legal department investigate the IP address and source of the post. Whoever it is, I'll skin them alive!"

"And those influential online figures, I'll immediately pay someone to take those trending topics down!"

Hearing Qin Lang's anxious voice on the other end of the phone, Lin Fan's expression remained unusually calm.

He didn't rush to open his phone to see the so-called negative information; he simply took a sip of water and spoke calmly:

"No need for that trouble."

"Huh?" Qin Lang was stunned.

"Not withdrawing? Brother Lin, if this gets blown up overnight, tomorrow your shop won't be lined up for food, it'll be full of internet celebrities and trolls filming short videos to laugh at you!"

"Then let them come."

"There will never be a shortage of people who follow the crowd and watch the show. If you spend money to remove the trending topic now, in the eyes of those keyboard warriors, it's because you're guilty and because capital is covering up the truth."

"Qin Lang, thank you for your kindness. But you need to understand one thing—"

"True deliciousness cannot be obscured by rumors and gossip."

"Those people spent real money on the food I cooked; their taste buds didn't lie, and their bodies didn't lie either."

"In the face of absolute power, all conspiracies, tricks, and cyberbullying are nothing but a joke that can be easily exposed."

On the other end of the phone, Qin Lang was stunned.

Listening to Lin Fan's steady, even breathing, his previously anxious and flustered heart miraculously calmed down with just a few casual words.

Yes! Lin Ge's skills, is that something an ordinary person could do?

As long as that soup is still available, those who have eaten it will shamelessly continue to queue up, even if they are condemned by the entire internet!

"Get some rest. If you want noodles tomorrow, remember to come early and queue up."

Lin Fan didn't say anything more and hung up the phone directly.

He didn't issue any clarification statement, nor did he bother to look at the online abuse anymore.

He turned off the living room lights and turned to walk back to the bedroom.

Because tomorrow, he has to get up early to go to the farm to prepare vegetables.

No amount of public opinion can outweigh the power of that purple-gold black iron knife in the kitchen.

……

The next morning.

The morning mist in Jiangcheng had not completely dissipated, and the early autumn morning was slightly chilly.

However, on the internet, the outcry against "Lin's Shop" had completely boiled over after a whole night of fermentation.

That meticulously planned smear article was forwarded by countless netizens unaware of the truth.

With the help of some people, the hashtags "Boycott overpriced black shops" and "Exposing the abandoned husband of a wealthy family" firmly topped the local search rankings in Jiangcheng.

7:30 a.m.

The intersection of Phoenix Golden Street was now like a chaotic vegetable market.

Dozens of internet celebrities, shop review bloggers, and even paparazzi from gossip media, all armed with selfie sticks, fill lights, and windproof microphones, swarmed together like a bunch of greenbottle flies that had smelled blood!

In this era where traffic equals money, whoever gets firsthand footage of "Lin's Shop" closing down or being shut down can make a fortune.

At the very front of the crowd, a young man with gray-white hair was taking advantage of his size to squeeze into the best spot and was live-streaming to the camera on his phone, spitting as he spoke.

He is a local internet celebrity in Jiangcheng who specializes in exposing counterfeits and outdoor exploration. His online name is "Brother Fei". He usually attracts attention by riding on trending topics and causing trouble at various controversial shops.

With such a huge buzz today, he naturally couldn't let it pass.

"Good morning, everyone! Did you see the street sign behind me? Phoenix Golden Street!"

Fei Ge faced the camera with an extremely exaggerated expression, his tone revealing an excitement of upholding justice:

"Did everyone see the trending topics last night? That exorbitantly priced tomato and egg stir-fry, that soul-cure rip-off restaurant—today, Brother Fei will go and investigate for you!"

"We must expose these unscrupulous businesses that rely on hiring online trolls and shills to hype themselves up, leaving them with absolutely nothing!"