Chapter 13: Major Competition

Cindy found it difficult to determine the members of the troll army and who were Zoe Silverstone's genuine fans.

However, she could tell that the people who started this commotion were not just ordinary netizens.

It was because these people set the tone that ordinary netizens began to believe their rhetoric as well.

By the time Cindy finished reading these comments, Peggy Lewis had finished eating and put Cindy's and Morgan's bowls and chopsticks into the dishwasher.

Upon returning, Peggy said, "It's obvious these people are trying to discredit you. "What are the so-called 'insiders' telling the truth about? That you're ugly?"

"Please! If you're considered ugly, I'd like to know what kind of standard is pretty! You aren't promoted by any internet celebrity packaging company, have never signed with a company, never had an agent, and you don't even have your own studio. You just record videos, edit them, and upload them yourself. I didn't know anyone was packaging you!"

"Nothing these people say aligns with the truth. It's clear that someone has paid troll army to slander you," Peggy exclaimed indignantly. "Just look at Zoe Silverstone's responses. Even your peers haven't said anything, but she jumps out and bounces around. If it's not her, then who could it be?"

Cindy noticed that Zoe Silverstone had replied to every person who praised her.

More importantly, Zoe Silverstone thanked those who also disparaged Cindy without any hesitation.

This was just what Cindy saw. There might have been more interactions involving Silverstone she missed.

Cindy decided not to read the comments under her video, as they were likely chaotic.

Naturally, her fans defended her.

Vincent: "Cain Velman never showed her face, so no one can prove whether she is pretty or not. Where is your evidence for saying she's ugly?"

Pampered Princess: "Besides, who says a food blogger must show their face? They're not celebrities; they share cooking methods, not their faces. Just because she doesn't show her face, you accuse her of hiring someone to do the work?"

Little Fish: "By that logic, many people don't show their faces in videos. Why were only suspicions against Morgan Zhekova raised? Even more suspicious is the sudden surge of doubt. I seriously doubt the truth and motives of these netizens."

Little cuttie: "Zoe Silverstone good at cooking? No way! Half of her videos are copying Morgan Zhekova. She just attracts fans by showing her face and pretending to be cute. In the food industry, her face is considered pretty, but outside of that, it's just ordinary. What kind of superiority complex do her fans have?"

"Ha! Zoe Silverstone has an ordinary face? How do you look? Show us! At least Zoe Silverstone is bold enough to show her face, not like Cain Velman, whose head is hidden."

"You say Zoe Silverstone's cooking skills aren't good, have you ever tasted them? At least when we cook according to her methods, it tastes great."

Cindy's fans rebutted: "That's only what you say. We also cook following Cindy's methods, and they taste delicious. Compared to her, Zoe Silverstone's methods only make the process more complicated, but the final result hasn't changed and doesn't taste better than Cindy's recipe."

Although Cindy's fans were defending her too

However, the effects of hiring a troll army and not doing so were different.

Cindy's genuine fans were overshadowed by Zoe Silverstone's fans and troll army.

"Zoe Silverstone has posted on Facebook!" Peggy cried out.

Cindy also checked and saw Zoe saying, "I feel so fulfilled seeing everyone share their results. It means the methods I share are useful, right? I'll upload a new video at 9 PM tonight. This time it's special because it's a long unedited video, recorded in one shot, to prove that I don't have someone doing the work for me!"

Zoe Silverstone's fans immediately replied, "Wow! Can't wait!"

"Hahaha, Zoe just directly answered back. I love her confidence!"

"Zoe's right. If Cain Velman feels unfairly accused, then she should post a video without editing, showing her face and talking! That's more persuasive!"

"What's the matter with these people?" Peggy fumed, "Cindy, we can't let it go. It's obvious that Zoe Silverstone is targeting you."

"Even if you don't go to the scene, CouTube has awarded you the most popular food blogger award for three consecutive years, and Zoe Silverstone has always been ranked second or third," Peggy analyzed.

"I've always known that she's dissatisfied and wants to surpass you. I didn't expect that after holding it for so long, she'd come up with such a mean trick," she continued.

Meanwhile, Morgan suddenly spoke up, "Cindy, let's participate in the competition."

"What competition?" Peggy asked curiously.

Morgan pushed the laptop screen towards them, revealing a promotional page for a major competition.

"It's a competition hosted by the Pingla Group!" Peggy exclaimed in surprise. "It's even broadcasted live on TV and the Internet!"

"Cindy, join!" Peggy urged. "The competitions organized by the Pingla Group are highly regarded. If you stand out in this competition, even without winning the championship, as long as the judges think you have potential, you can genuinely make a name for yourself in the food industry."

Although Cindy, a food blogger, was quite well-known,

Her status was similar to that of an internet celebrity in the entertainment industry— people simply didn't take her seriously.

Despite her excellent cooking skills, Cindy couldn't make a name for herself in the food industry.

People just wouldn't acknowledge her.

"The Pingla Group dominates 80% of Hearth Nation's food industry," said Peggy. "90% of Michelin-starred restaurants in our country belong to the Pingla Group. They also own more than 70% of high-end and mid-range chain restaurants. As for those being acquired, I can't even calculate those."

"Also, there's Pingla Culinary Academy, the only culinary academy in Hearth Nation that ranked top ten in the world. It was ranked seventh in last year's evaluation. Who knows if their ranking will go even higher this year? Graduates from Pingla Culinary Academy either open their own restaurants or are snapped up by high-end restaurants. Every Michelin-starred restaurant around the world has a Pingla Culinary Academy graduate working there."

"If you achieve a good ranking or even win the championship in this competition, you'll be recognized by the entire culinary industry," Peggy continued. "However, students from Pingla Culinary Academy participate in each competition. Although they're students, ordinary chefs really can't compare to those who come out of Pingla Culinary Academy."</p