Let you play a corrupt official, are you saying you want to make progress?

Chapter 16: Truly Delicious, Netizens Are Amazed

At this moment, Qin Xuan had no concerns at all. He nodded earnestly and said, “Yes, Qian Yu, this is a top-quality ingredient, it’s known as ‘Blanched Freshwater Pearls.'”

Qin Xuan picked up a plump pearl and pointed at it while explaining. The onlookers initially expected Qian Yu to be upset, but to their surprise, he displayed a delighted expression as if everything before him were the ingredients he had desired.

“Ah! Qin, my friend, you truly grasp my preferences!” Qian Yu’s eyes lit up at the sight of the pearl, overflowing with admiration. “As people know, pearls are rare and valuable medicinal ingredients with cosmetic benefits.”

“Not to mention pearl powder, which is highly useful in medicine. This Blanched Freshwater Pearl is like a return to purity, preserving the best effects of medicinal cuisine. An expert, truly an expert!” Qian Yu gave Qin Xuan a big thumbs up.

The online audience was left in disbelief.

“Is this genuinely the case?”

“I know that pearl powder has medicinal value. I run a pharmacy, but why does this seem peculiar?”

“It sounds reasonable, but why does it feel unusual?”

“Yeah, not only you guys, even I find it peculiar, but there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with using these pearls for medicine or cuisine!”

The netizens were discussing with each other and were astounded by Qian Yu’s response.

Qian Yu had a naturally upright and handsome face, which made it difficult to see him as a villain. His previous behavior and overall demeanor made it seem like he was genuinely focused on the ingredients. In the studio, the station manager was at a loss for words.

He initially thought that he and Qian Yu were both individuals who could resist temptation, but the current situation suggested otherwise. Qian Yu appeared to be a corrupt officer.

“Um… Mr. Manager, you have experience in these matters. Would you consider this pearl a delicacy?” the female leader asked awkwardly.

She was now uncertain whether the pearl qualified as gourmet cuisine.

“Of course not. Even if this item can be used for medicinal cuisine, Qian Yu hasn’t acquired it to consume!” The station manager replied in a somewhat irritable tone. The scene genuinely left him astonished. This was what they meant by a corrupt officer.

“Have you noticed that this corrupt officer resembles Zhao Dehan, whom Xia Qin wrote about in his novels?” Professor Yang quickly changed the topic to relieve the tension. “A bowl of noodles, a clove of garlic, and not spending a penny, isn’t that Zhao Dehan? They appear extremely upright and clean in public but are tremendous embezzlers.”

The station manager nodded repeatedly. They had some similarities. The difference was that Qian Yu was willing to spend money and had a masterful disguise.

Qian Yu’s level of caution and meticulousness was similar to Wang Zhi, both being extremely careful and thorough, never leaving any room for the other party to uncover their misdeeds.

Zhao Dehan, on the other hand, simply didn’t dare to spend money.

“This Qin Xuan is truly amazing. Without him, our show would have no chance!” the female leader said sincerely. Today’s performance was indeed another divine achievement. Netizens also edited and shared this scene, and international netizens praised it enthusiastically.

“Oh my goodness, is this genuinely gourmet cuisine?”

“I understand now. Call this pearl a gourmet dish, and the other party can accept it without a second thought. It’s brilliant!”

“This person named Qin Xuan is so impressive. Such an unexpected maneuver!”

Foreign netizens were also astonished by Qin Xuan’s cleverness. They felt like their brains were buzzing and weren’t functioning properly.

While the netizens were still in bewilderment, Qin Xuan continued. “This second dish is known as ‘Golden Braised Red Shrimp!'” Qin Xuan picked up the plate and pointed at the red shrimp resting on the golden brick.

At that moment, Qian Yu’s gaze followed Qin Xuan’s finger to the red shrimp atop the gold brick. Several small shrimp could be faintly seen perched on the golden surface.

Qian Yu revealed a jealous look resembling the enthusiasm of a food connoisseur. “Ah! An expert, indeed, my dear Qin understands my taste well. People may consider gold to be ordinary, but in my view, they are the ones missing out on the extraordinary!” Qian Yu quickly extended his hand, picking up a piece of the gold brick and admiring it while the small shrimp on top had already slipped off somewhere else.

“Qin, my friend, this gold can have medicinal properties. Using the golden brick to braise the red shrimp retains the shrimp’s texture magnificently. Splendid, truly splendid!” Qian Yu praised it as if this dish was genuinely a gourmet delight.

“It’s incredible, I believe it!”

“If I hadn’t seen the gold, I would have thought this was a genuine gourmet dish!”

“Impressive, I’m at a loss for words. Brother Xuan’s brilliance is on a different level.”

“If it were up to me, I’d just serve gourmet food!”

“Who says it’s not true? Initially, I really thought Qian Yu just loved eating, and as long as you served him some delicious dishes, he would be satisfied, and the job would be done!”

The netizens continued to express their thoughts. No one had expected Qian Yu to be such a complex character.

But this fulfilled his vision of ancient corrupt officers. I always said that people in ancient times were all deceitful without sincerity. How could Qian Yu have become a provincial governor without being extremely cautious?

“Yeah, even now, it’s straightforward. If I were living in those times, I would be doomed.”

“That’s right, no doubt about it. My current workplace isn’t bad, the leadership is straightforward.”

“Brothers, not everyone is as straightforward as your leaders. To be honest, our leadership beats around the bush. They hinted at things before, and I didn’t understand, but now I realize I might have missed out on many opportunities.”

The netizens continued to analyze. Unfortunately, they realized that time was running out. Two hours had passed by swiftly.

On the stage, Qian Yu collected these items and then began discussing the upcoming relief efforts with Qin Xuan.

“Qin, my friend, you might not fully comprehend the nature of disaster relief, so let me explain. Every time there’s a disaster, it’s always the same—there’s never enough to feed the affected population,” Qian Yu started, venting his frustration.

“I understand this. Essentially, there are three key points to consider. First, when you distribute food, regardless of whether someone is a disaster victim, they’ll all rush to grab a share. Human nature tends to lean towards the more ruthless side,” Qin Xuan nodded and replied.

Hearing Qin Xuan’s words, Qian Yu displayed a surprised expression. He hadn’t expected Qin Xuan to see through the essence of the problem so clearly.

“What’s the second point?” Qian Yu quickly asked. Qin Xuan’s first point had hit the mark.

“The second point concerns the individuals involved in the relief efforts. If you keep them perpetually benefiting from the situation, the famine is unlikely to end. But if you remove their incentives, they won’t be inclined to work anymore,” Qin Xuan continued.

“It’s like some unscrupulous medicine vendors. For them, a remedy that cures a disease in one go is not good medicine, the best kind is one that provides relief but doesn’t cure entirely. As long as people keep paying for their medicine and consuming it, the ailment will not disappear.”

Qian Yu’s eyes lit up. Qin Xuan’s analysis was spot on.

“Qin, my friend, you’ve impressed me. You’re right. If we don’t consider the personal gain of the people involved in relief efforts, the work will not get done. But if we only think about profit, there’s no way disaster relief can be effective!” Qian Yu exclaimed.

Qian Yu also vented his frustrations in front of Qin Xuan.

“And the third point?”