Chapter 108 (edited)

Kara never thought her latest column would stir such a storm. The idea of writing about cooking pig intestines had popped into her head almost as a joke, a challenge to the norms she saw dominating food culture. Her philosophy was simple: every part of an animal should be valued if it was to be eaten. The nutrients in organs like the heart and liver were undeniable, packed with iron and essentials the human body needed.

But there was a condition—these dishes had to be cooked deliciously. If it wasn't palatable, who would eat it? And therein lay the problem: a certain lack of culinary skill seemed widespread. Some people preferred to stick to lean meats like bacon, ham, and pork chops. But Kara was undeterred, driven to highlight the overlooked treasures of cuisine.

When she submitted her column on pig intestines, the reaction was immediate. Disgusted murmurs spread throughout the newsroom of the Daily Planet. Perry White, her editor-in-chief, almost spat out his coffee when he read the title. Even her colleagues, seasoned journalists with strong stomachs, winced.

"Pig intestines? Are you serious, Kara?" Perry had groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This isn't journalism. This is madness."

Yet Kara remained unshaken. She'd spent hours perfecting her recipes: one for braised pork intestines, rich and glistening with a caramelized glaze, and the other for a stir-fry with vibrant green and red peppers. The accompanying photographs could make anyone forget the ingredients' origins.

"Braised pork intestines," she wrote, "offer a delicious, fat-but-not-greasy experience that's nothing short of extraordinary. Stir-fried pork intestines, when cooked until slightly browned, become an irresistible dish that pairs beautifully with peppers for a balance of heat and flavor."

Kara didn't just stop at descriptions. She included detailed instructions for cleaning and preparing the intestines to remove any unpleasantness, ensuring a perfectly clean base for cooking. "If we choose to consume an animal's life," she concluded, "the least we can do is honor it by not wasting any edible part."

The column was published, and the backlash was instantaneous. Morning talk shows ridiculed it, and online forums were flooded with comments mocking Kara's audacity. The Daily Planet sold fewer papers that day than ever before, and Perry stormed into the newsroom, declaring the column a disaster.

"Kara, this is the worst-performing piece we've ever run! What were you thinking?" he demanded during the staff meeting.

Kara, unbothered, met his frustration with a calm response. "I'm willing to stop the column, Perry," she said evenly, surprising everyone. "I'll pivot to something else tomorrow."

Her nonchalant attitude only further infuriated him. "So, you're giving up just like that?"

"It's not giving up," she replied. "It's waiting. Right now, it might seem absurd. But soon, you'll see."

Perry scoffed but let her leave. The newsroom buzzed with murmured speculation about Kara's confidence. How could she be so sure this wasn't the end of her career?

What no one anticipated was the ripple effect Kara's column would have. That very night, the city's more adventurous restaurateurs decided to take a gamble. Guided by Kara's meticulous recipes, chefs experimented with pig intestine dishes, and the results were astonishing.

In Chinese restaurants, the dish became a hidden gem, introduced cautiously to patrons without disclosing the ingredient at first. The flavor won people over before they knew what they were eating. Soon, word spread: the mysterious dish was cheap to make, delightful to taste, and rapidly gaining popularity.

For low-income families, pig intestines—previously discarded or sold for pennies—became a lifesaver. By carefully following Kara's steps, they transformed this humble ingredient into meals their families loved.

Within days, social media was flooded with photos of home-cooked pig intestine dishes. Comments shifted from ridicule to curiosity, then to admiration. People started asking where they could buy the best intestines and how to cook them.

Perry couldn't believe the turnaround when he saw the new data reports. Sales had rebounded, driven by a surge in public interest in Kara's cooking. The talk shows that had mocked her now revisited the topic, some even inviting chefs to demonstrate the recipes on air.

Finally, he stormed into the newsroom, his face red with a mix of embarrassment and excitement. "Kara!" he bellowed, spotting her typing away at her desk.

She turned lazily in her chair. "Yes, Perry?"

"Explain to me how this happened!"

She smiled. "I told you. Sometimes, the world just needs a little push in the right direction."

For once, Perry had no retort. He simply stared at her, shaking his head, as the newsroom erupted in laughter. Kara had proven her point—against all odds, she'd turned mockery into a movement.