Food: Senior year internship, you take over the university cafeteria

Time flies like an arrow; it's over in the blink of an eye.

The Zhuangzi (also known as the Nanhua Jing)

Soon, the dawn of the third day arrived as scheduled.

The queue in front of window number 07 was even longer than yesterday.

The long queue took up almost half of the cafeteria's dining area, and later students could only stand on tiptoe to get a better look. The complex aromas in the air were the most irresistible temptation.

"Dude, is it really that delicious? The line is so long!"

"I'd be a dog to swear! The principal personally certified it yesterday; it's even better than the oldest brands!"

"The sweet taro is also amazing; it warms you right to the heart!"

"Go for it! We have to eat this today!"

Inside the window, Wang Sheng was like a finely tuned instrument wound up.

Kneading dough, preparing fillings, wrapping, steaming, packaging, collecting payments… the movements were fluid and swift, yet there was no sweat on his forehead, and his face was clean and refreshed.

The effect of preventing kitchen fumes from getting stuck is outstanding.

The positive feedback notifications were already playing incessantly in his mind, like background noise.

Positive reviews: 723/1000

Popularity: 8743 (Continuing to grow rapidly)

At this rate, we're likely to break 10,000 today!

The [System Shop], which requires 100,000 popularity points to unlock, no longer seems out of reach.

However, while some are happy, others are questioning it.

Especially in the rapidly evolving online world.

On the Nanjing University campus forum "Under the Wutong Tree," a post with a highlighted title was featured on the homepage:

[Highly recommend! Window 07 in the first canteen has amazing soup dumplings and sweet taro – absolutely divine!]

Posted by: Veterinary Medicine Newbie (Su Weiwei)

Content: Three days into school, the only motivation that keeps me up early! [Images: Nine-grid high-definition food photos; the xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) are juicy and the sweet taro is glistening and tempting.]

Taste description: The soup dumplings are bursting with sweet and savory broth, the meat filling is springy, and the skin is paper-thin! The taro filling is soft and melts in your mouth, sweet but not cloying, and the osmanthus fragrance is absolutely divine! Personally, I think the taste is in no way inferior to those famous old brands in Suzhou and Wuxi, and even surpasses them in some details! Please don't raise the price! Please increase the supply!

The comments below the post quickly piled up into a long thread.

"OP, you're great too! I had it yesterday, it made my whole day!"

"Even the principal gave it a thumbs up, quality guaranteed!"

"I queued for half an hour today, it was totally worth it!"

"I've already recommended it to the whole dorm; we're going as a group tomorrow!"

"Looks delicious! Bookmarked!"

But amidst all the praise, a reply from an ID that clearly carried a hint of skepticism stood out starkly.

"@NewbieNewAccount: With this level of skill, why not open a boutique or a private restaurant instead of staying at a school cafeteria window? OP is exaggerating, isn't he? The picture, however, looks like a typical 'internet photo'."

After posting this, Su Hang, sitting in front of his computer in his studio, clicked his tongue in slight regret.

He is Su Mingyuan's son and Su Weiwei's brother, a food blogger who is well-known in the Yangtze River Delta region for his "sharp tongue" and "seriousness".

Yesterday, my curiosity was piqued by my dad's phone call about "changing my ticket for xiaolongbao." I originally wanted to come to the forum to see the students' real feedback and find some material for restaurant reviews.

The first thing I saw when I walked in was a screen full of praise, even saying it was "no less than the established brands"? His father, who had run a restaurant for decades and was very discerning, was "deceived," and now even the students are saying the same thing?

His professional habits, or perhaps his somewhat awkward, argumentative personality, made his fingers fly past his brain as he typed out that question.

Oh no, that was a bit harsh.

Su Hang wanted to delete it, but someone had already replied to him.

"@VeterinaryMedicalNewbie: Exaggeration? Online picture? Dude, please don't jump to conclusions if you haven't tried it. Those who have tasted it will know how it tastes. The masses have discerning eyes."

Su Weiwei was in a good mood, but when she saw this question, especially the words "online photo," and thought about how her carefully taken photos were being described like this, coupled with her mood swings due to her period, she suddenly felt a surge of anger.

She immediately tagged several roommates and classmates she had eaten with the day before and who had raved about it, in the comments section of the post.

"@Veterinary Medicine Little Transparent: @Weiwei's Sleepy Roommate @Law Scholar @Economics and Management Wu Yanzu, come on over! We ate together yesterday, what do you think, was it good?"

She confidently awaited her sisters' support, intending to refute them with facts.

A few seconds later, the reply came.

"@Weiwei's sleepy roommate: Huh? The xiaolongbao? It was so-so. The ingredients seemed okay, not particularly fresh, and the soup was a bit greasy."

"@A Flower of Law: The taste is okay, but it's just like a cafeteria. There's nothing special about it, and it can't compare to other places."

"@Economics and Management Wu Yanzu's Ancestral Hall: Street stall level, small portions, better to eat a big meat bun."

Su Weiwei: "...???"

She stared at the few replies on the screen, her eyes wide, her fingers frozen on the mouse, her mind buzzing.

So-so? The ingredients aren't fresh? Street vendor quality?

Yesterday, these guys ate more than anyone else! They almost got into a fight over chopsticks! They even scraped the bottom of the taro bowl clean! That "sleepy roommate" even clung to her arm and wailed, "Weiwei, from now on you'll be my guiding light when it comes to food!"

Now???

A surge of anger at being betrayed and a profound sense of absurdity rushed to Su Weiwei's head. She felt a tightness in her chest and her face flushed red with anger.

She immediately exited the forum page, opened WeChat, and started typing furiously, bombarding everyone with private messages:

"@Sleepyhead! What do you mean? Why are people saying that on the forum?!"

"@OneFlower! You didn't say that yesterday!"

"@Fenzu! Don't you have any conscience?!"

A few moments later, replies began to arrive, but their contents left her both amused and exasperated, even on the verge of tears.

Sleepyhead: "Don't be angry, Weiwei! I did it on purpose! [crying and laughing] Think about it, if everyone says it's delicious, even more people will go, and wouldn't our queue stretch all the way to Grandma's Bridge? If we say it's not good, we can deter some of our competitors, and we can secretly go and eat it ourselves, isn't that great!"

One Flower: "Strategy! This is strategy, you know! Good things should be kept hidden!"

Fenzu: "Brother, I'm only thinking about long-term food supplies... Please understand!"

Su Weiwei stared at the screen, speechless and bewildered.

These drama queens! The cunning of foodies!

She rubbed her forehead, feeling both amused and exasperated. Her anger had subsided considerably, but seeing that the "newbie account" on the forum might become even more suspicious because of her best friends' "reverse actions," which could even affect the forum's reputation, she couldn't help but feel a little wronged and worried for the senior student who was so dedicated to making delicious food.

What kind of nonsense is this?!

Helpless, she returned to the forum post and saw that under those few "backstabbing" replies, some people had already started to follow suit and question it.

"See? I told you it might have been overblown."

"As expected, how good can the cafeteria food be?"

"Could the original poster really be a shill?"

And that "new user, new account" account did indeed reply again:

"@NewbieNewAccount: It seems the reviews are quite polarized? Interesting. These kinds of controversial 'food' places are the most worthwhile to explore. @VeterinaryMedicalNewbie, whether you're a shill or not, I've noted this place down."

Su Weiwei: "..."

She could almost see this "fake news crusader" rubbing his hands together, ready to come and "challenge" her.

"May you have good luck..." she silently made the sign of the cross in her mind.

Meanwhile, the breakfast rush at window number 07 in the cafeteria has temporarily subsided.

Taking advantage of a break while supplementing his materials, Wang Sheng pulled out his phone, habitually checking the school forum for any feedback regarding the window—

This is a habit he started yesterday, wanting to understand the diners' true thoughts.

As a result, I immediately noticed the red-highlighted post and the heated debate below it.

He frowned slightly and quickly scanned the page.

Seeing Su Weiwei's (a nobody in veterinary medicine) recommendation and beautiful pictures warmed his heart.

Seeing the skepticism surrounding the "newcomer, new account" comment, he raised an eyebrow, but wasn't surprised. Anything that becomes popular is always accompanied by skepticism.

But when Wang Sheng saw the negative comments from his "roommates and classmates" that Su Weiwei had tagged, he was taken aback.

The ingredients aren't fresh? Is it street food quality?

He glanced subconsciously at the worktable, where the black pork rated "superior," the five-year-aged soy sauce rated "rare," the taro from Taihu Lake rated "superior," and the almost instinctive cooking skills enhanced by the system in his mind.

This assessment is a bit too biased.

However, when he saw people behind him starting to echo the doubts and even imply that Su Weiwei was a "plant," Wang Sheng's eyes became serious.

You can question me, but I can't let students who genuinely recommend something feel wronged, and I certainly can't let the reputation of this window be affected by unfounded negative reviews.

He wasn't angry; instead, he saw it as an opportunity.

An opportunity to respond to all doubts with facts and transparency.

He thought for a moment, then logged out of the forum and pulled out some photos and video clips from his phone's album—these were snapshots he'd taken casually when he went to the market to buy ingredients in the early hours of the morning, as well as footage he'd recorded while preparing ingredients in the kitchen.

He created a new post with a simple and direct title:

[Some notes about the ingredients and preparation at window number 07]

Posted by: Cafeteria Worker No. 07 (Wang Sheng)

Content: Hello everyone, I'm Wang Sheng, a senior economics student and the operator of window number 07. Thank you for your love and support; I've also seen some discussions and questions. All ingredients at this window are personally purchased every morning, and we insist on making and steaming them fresh. Attached are some records of the purchasing and preparation process; your supervision is welcome. [Video 1: Purchasing black pork, five-year aged soy sauce, etc. at Xiaguan Market; close-up of ingredients] [Video 2: Clips of the process of kneading dough, preparing fillings, and wrapping buns in the kitchen] [Photos: Making pork skin jelly, processing taro, making syrup, etc.]

Our commitment: We always insist on using high-quality ingredients and preparing every meal with care. We welcome you to taste and judge for yourself how delicious it is. Business hours: 6:30 AM - 9:00 AM (or until sold out).

After posting the message, Wang Sheng tagged his counselor, Lao Zhang, and also tagged Principal Gu Lingyi's official account (of course, the principal might not have seen it), as a way of bearing witness.

He didn't tag that "newbie account" or directly refute the negative reviews; he simply calmly presented the process.

Sometimes, the facts themselves are the most powerful language.

The post quickly attracted attention after it was published.

"Wow! The boss himself has shown up!"

"The texture of this pork! The color of this soy sauce! It looks like good stuff!"

"It's handmade and freshly made, no wonder it tastes so good!"

"Going out to shop at dawn? That's incredibly hardworking!"

"Support my senior! He makes delicious food with integrity!"

"@Veterinary Medicine Newbie, girl, don't be angry anymore! Your boss is supporting you with his actions!"

"Aren't you ashamed to say the ingredients are bad?"

Counselor Zhang quickly replied: "Wang Sheng is a down-to-earth and conscientious student. He has all the necessary permits for the contracted window service, and the hygiene standards are met. The school supports his entrepreneurial endeavors. As for the quality, the students will have their own opinions after tasting it."

This official endorsement boosted the post's credibility once again.

Public opinion shifted instantly.

Those dissenting voices were drowned out by the responses from more supporters and curious onlookers.

Wang Sheng smiled slightly as he looked at the rapidly increasing number of replies and likes, and was about to put his phone away to continue working—

【Ding! 】

[Congratulations, host! Your popularity score has surpassed 10000 points!]

[Milestone Achieved: Gaining Some Recognition!]

[Reward: 1 random chance to win a breakfast/snack skill!]

Should we start the prize draw now?

Wang Sheng's eyes lit up!

Again!

Without hesitation, he said, "I'll smoke!"

Deep within my consciousness, the dazzling golden turntable reappeared, spinning rapidly.

The pointer hovers over a dazzling array of breakfast snack icons.

Ultimately, it landed on...

[P.S.: Requesting recommendation votes and monthly tickets, and to continue reading.]