The director was stunned—this had been a trap he set up himself: "Huh?"
Liang Zhiwei beamed and pointed at the pile of luggage behind her. "Sorry, director. When we were asked to purchase daily necessities earlier, we already bought a full set of kitchenware. We’ve got all the basic utensils covered."
This was largely thanks to Liang Zhiwei’s personal habits. Because she was particular about cooking tools, she had meticulously selected everything from knives and cutlery to pots and pans. The items they’d bought were more than enough to keep a restaurant running smoothly.
Even Gu Zhaoping had to admit—this was professionalism.
No one had seen this twist coming.
When the rules were first announced, Liang Zhiwei had looked startled. She turned to Gu Zhaoping, and only when she saw the faint smile on her lips did realization dawn.
—This was why she had been willing to push all their chips forward and choose the most expensive street-front shop.
The show had priced the kitchenware at an exorbitant rate. If the second team wanted a complete set, they’d have to spend over 15,000. They had already bet 30,000 and spent another 30,000 on rent, leaving them with just 40,000 in capital. After deducting the cost of kitchenware, they’d be left with a little over 20,000.
Once they bought the full set, their budget for ingredients would be severely limited.
Meanwhile, their own team had only bet 10,000 and spent 40,000 on rent—but they didn’t need to pay for kitchenware. That meant they still had 50,000 left, all of which could go toward ingredients and operations.
Even though they’d chosen the better location, their remaining funds were double that of the other team.
Liang Zhiwei was momentarily speechless before a grin spread across her face, one she couldn’t suppress no matter how hard she tried. She hadn’t even processed how they’d ended up with such a massive advantage!
No wonder she was Zhaoping-jie—just a few words had sent the other team walking right into their trap!
The logic was simple. The moment Gu Zhaoping saw the game setup, she remembered their earlier shopping trip, where they’d bought a large amount of kitchenware. At the time, she’d thought it was just Liang Zhiwei’s hobby, but now it turned out to be a crucial advantage in the first challenge. So she immediately factored out the cost of kitchenware.
From a conventional standpoint, the show would want to maximize drama by making the fixed expenses push each team to their financial limits.
If the rent was this high, she could safely assume the kitchenware wouldn’t be cheap either.
Originally, she had leaned toward a more conservative strategy—but since Li Xunxi had provoked her, matching her bet for bet, she decided to take a riskier path.
If someone wanted to play, why not?
After a quick calculation, she realized Li Xunxi’s team had already spent 30,000 on their bet. Even if they chose the cheapest option—a food stall at 20,000—they’d only have 50,000 left.
Her own team, after betting 10,000 and choosing the most expensive street-front shop at 40,000, would also have 50,000 left—except they didn’t need to deduct kitchenware costs, while Li Xunxi’s team absolutely did.
Once she’d figured out this tipping point, Gu Zhaoping didn’t hesitate to goad Li Xunxi into raising the bet to 30,000.
Her initial 10,000 bet was specifically to force Li Xunxi to match or exceed it.
This way, they secured a 20,000 advantage, giving them the freedom to pick the best location without falling behind.
With more operating funds and the prime spot, Gu Zhaoping had no reason to lose.
Of course, the safest play would have been to bet against Li Xunxi’s team. With their limited funds, choosing a food stall would mean smaller profits, while opting for an office building location would make attracting customers harder and marketing more expensive. They were practically doomed from the start.
As for the street-front shop? They’d never afford it. If it came down to a bidding war, Gu Zhaoping’s team had the clear upper hand.
But playing it safe wasn’t Gu Zhaoping’s style.
If Li Xunxi wanted to raise the stakes?
Then she’d bet on her own team’s victory.
The director wiped his sweat. Who could’ve predicted this kind of maneuver?
"Haha… alright, since self-supplied equipment… is allowed, we don’t have rules prohibiting it. Other guests are free to use any personal items they’ve brought for the challenges."
"Of course, you can hire outside help during the game, but they can’t work for free—you must pay them fair market rates from your own funds."
This rule closed another loophole—they couldn’t cut corners on labor costs either.
Li Xunxi’s expression had already darkened.
But the most miserable was Ruan Nian. She knew all too well that if they couldn’t find outside help, she’d be the one doing all the work—this pair of siblings would never lift a finger.
Ruan Nian was on the verge of losing it.
What just happened? Weren’t they just mocking Gu Zhaoping? Weren’t they provoking her to raise the bet? How had their team suddenly ended up with the least capital??
Her gaze at Li Xunxi turned venomous. Why was this rich heiress so impulsive, making decisions without even discussing it with them just to spite Gu Zhaoping?
If she hadn’t recklessly thrown in that extra 20,000, they’d still be in a comfortable position.
Even if they’d chosen the food stall, they could’ve saved 10,000. But no—she had to make the most expensive choice!
If Gu Zhaoye were here, would Li Xunxi have dared to act on her own? She’d have listened to him without question!
Ruan Nian’s chest tightened with frustration.
But she knew nothing she said now would matter—they looked down on her. A wave of helpless isolation washed over her, the kind she hadn’t felt in years.
She was so angry she could cry, her chest heavy as if she might vomit blood. All these years, with the system backing her and Gu Zhaoye standing behind her, she’d never been bullied. She’d always had someone to shield her.
But now, with her favorability points depleted, the system was useless, and Gu Zhaoye absent, she was powerless against these wealthy, influential people.
Even as a popular celebrity, she still had to tread carefully around real high society.
If others couldn’t see her backing, they would treat her as a plaything.
Ruan Nian grew angrier the more she thought about it, her eyes already tinged with red from suppressed frustration.
In the past, whenever she showed even a hint of distress, someone would always rush to comfort her—especially the system, which never allowed her to wallow in misery for long. But this time, the system, guilty over its miscalculation with Gu Zhaoping, had quietly logged off and gone dormant after issuing its punishment, too afraid to face Ruan Nian’s blame.
Li Xunxi turned her head, already irritated, and seeing Ruan Nian’s pitiful expression only worsened her mood. She snapped, "What’s wrong with you? Are you seriously sulking now? Do you have a problem with my decision?"
Ruan Nian hadn’t expected her to be so blunt. Her emotions stuttered mid-breath, leaving her momentarily speechless. "N-no, Xunxi-jie, I’m not unhappy with it."
Li Xunxi found her tone grating. Before meeting Ruan Nian, she’d only had a neutral impression of her, but now she couldn’t stand how Ruan Nian always acted like the victim around everyone. It was so… petty.
Already uneasy after gambling away their resources, Li Xunxi grew even more annoyed at Ruan Nian’s seemingly performative distress. She shot her a cold glance before turning away. "Instead of playing the pity card, why don’t you focus on how we can cut costs and attract customers? Or are you planning to stand at the entrance and cry to lure in your fans? If that works, then by all means, go ahead."
…How could Li Xunxi’s words be so cruel?
Ruan Nian’s face paled.
Of course, Li Xunxi had always been surrounded by sycophants—she had no idea how harsh she sounded.
Swallowing her anger, Ruan Nian fell silent and sat back down, listening as the production team auctioned off the remaining ingredients.
Strangely, in just this short interaction, she found Li Xunxi even more insufferable and harder to approach than Gu Zhaoping had ever been.
Was this how all wealthy heiresses behaved?
Arrogant, inconsiderate, with no trace of upbringing—worse than ordinary people.
Though, in that moment, she conveniently forgot about Gu Zhaoye.
Gu Zhaoye’s temper was far worse than either of these two young mistresses. When Ruan Nian first met him, she had endured outright humiliation, exhausting every trick in the book just to earn a place by his side. It had taken immense sacrifice to finally move him.
As the male lead of a domineering CEO novel, his ruthlessness, coldness, and disregard for loyalty were par for the course. A rising tycoon dominating the business world couldn’t afford emotions—much less gentleness or courtesy.
Even if he maintained a polished facade, beneath it had to be an iron will, capable of overturning the world with a flick of his wrist. That was what made him compelling.
Only someone so callous and sharp-tongued falling for the very woman he once scorned—that was the satisfying twist.
Everyone else? Just plain mean, with no redeeming contrast.
The final auction began as the production team pinned ingredient cards onto the whiteboard.
"Attention, all guests: Common, general-use ingredients are freely available. Only the core ingredients for each restaurant’s specialty dishes require bidding. Please deliberate carefully—once purchased, no refunds."
In other words, this was the moment to finalize their restaurant’s theme.
Li Xunxi’s group already had a rough plan. Without hesitation, she turned to Li Xunwen. "We’ll do a mid-to-high-end private kitchen. I have experience here, and my palate is refined—I can pinpoint flaws in a dish instantly. Flavor won’t be an issue. Plus, I know trade secrets from state banquet chefs and Michelin masters. No worries at all."
She was used to dining on world-class cuisine. By offering high-end techniques and plating at lower prices in a commercial district, they’d attract young crowds eager to snap Instagram-worthy meals.
Compared to nearby eateries, they’d be in a league of their own.
Li Xunxi had it all mapped out. "Our slogan? ‘Michelin three-star dining at everyday prices.’ Perfect for social media. We’ll even allocate some funds to design a photogenic corner for check-ins."
The siblings settled on their strategy, leaving Ruan Nian silently fuming.
Seriously? Did they even consider me? I’m the one cooking here!
Even if you know all these tricks, how am I supposed to master them overnight? Do you expect me to surpass state banquet chefs and Michelin stars in a single day?
Ruan Nian stared at them in disbelief, but Li Xunxi and Li Xunwen didn’t seem to view this as a problem.
In fact, they were relieved. Since this wasn’t a real market, the production team had standardized all ingredient starting prices, regardless of rarity. That slightly offset the inherently high costs of their upscale menu.
Plus, the other two teams likely wouldn’t overlap much with their concept.
The siblings zeroed in on premium ingredients—prime cuts, truffles, foie gras, wagyu—confident no one would compete.
Without hesitation, Li Xunxi bid aggressively, securing most of the luxury items at near-base prices.
Liang Zhiwei leaned over and whispered, "Should we counter-bid?"
Gu Zhaoping, however, seemed distracted, scrolling through her phone absentmindedly as the auction proceeded. Only after Li Xunxi had swept up the key ingredients did she finally lower her phone and say, "Now, bid on the truffles."
Liang Zhiwei and Chu Yanze exchanged glances before hastily raising their paddles.
The team next to Li Xunxi froze for a moment. Seriously? They hadn’t bid on anything before, and now, at the very last truffle, they suddenly decided to compete? What kind of restaurant were they planning to open—were they really going to fight over these rare ingredients too?
They couldn’t possibly be planning to open some Western restaurant, could they?
Oh no. A competitor.
Now not only was Li Xunxi panicking, but Li Xunwen also quickly stepped in, pursed his lips, and called out, "We’ll raise the bid!"
This was crucial for them—it absolutely couldn’t fall into the other team’s hands.
Even though their remaining funds were running low, this was their last essential ingredient. They’d secured everything else so far, and if they didn’t push through to claim this final piece, it would feel like an incomplete victory, leaving a nagging frustration in their hearts.
Gu Zhaoping, unhurried, said, "Raise the bid."
The opposing team’s expressions darkened as they kept matching the offers.
After about three or four rounds of this, Gu Zhaoping suddenly declared, "We’re out. It’s yours."
Li Xunwen finally let out a sigh of relief. At least they’d secured their main ingredients…
Their initial capital was nearly depleted now, and they couldn’t afford to splurge any further. Fortunately, no major mishaps had occurred. As long as they tightened their belts from here on out, avoided additional costs, and handled all the labor themselves with just the three of them, they wouldn’t end up completely broke as they’d feared.
Just as Li Xunwen was about to pat himself on the back for his cost-control skills, Gu Zhaoping pushed their team’s placard forward again and announced:
"We’re bidding on the oil next."
That particular oil was the show’s sponsor—the biggest investor—so rows of it were displayed, with no competing alternatives available.
This wasn’t just any ordinary ingredient.
And up until now, their initial 50,000 yuan fund hadn’t been touched at all.
Gu Zhaoping glanced over, took note of the remaining funds in Li Xunwen’s hands, then turned back and called out a number without hesitation: "5,000."
Li Xunwen’s face paled instantly!
Their remaining capital? Just 4,500 yuan!
Normally, with so much oil available, teams could bid separately and divide it based on their offers.
But Gu Zhaoping had no intention of letting them compete—she was going for a complete monopoly!
In that instant, Li Xunwen’s heart sank. He finally understood Gu Zhaoping’s plan.
The moment she realized this oil was the show’s sponsor, she knew there’d be no substitutes—meaning it was the one truly irreplaceable ingredient in the entire competition.
And no restaurant could function without oil. Whoever controlled the oil supply would essentially hold the other two teams by the throat.
But no one had thought of this earlier. Everyone had been too focused on securing their own kitchenware and ingredients first, afraid of losing them. The oil, the most unassuming item, had slipped their minds entirely during the initial bidding.
Li Xunwen’s face turned ashen.
They’d been played.
Even the production team was stunned.
Wait, you’re serious?
You’re pulling this underhanded move now??
Li Xunxi’s expression twisted in fury as the realization hit her—Gu Zhaoping’s earlier bids on the truffle had been a deliberate bluff!!!
She might not have even planned to open a Western restaurant at all! That’s why she’d casually raised the bid a few times before backing out!
