Chapter 643: Chapter 643: Neglected
Having already found their table, Ye Fei and her group went over directly.
Each place had a name tag, and it was convenient that all 10 people were seated together.
No fear of awkward silences with strangers.
At this time, some leaders from the banquet host accompanied a few well-known entrepreneurs and investors from the culinary industry to introduce them to Tian Pengpo and others.
"You are all pillars, rising stars!" one person said.
"I can’t say I’ve watched every episode of your livestreams, but I’ve seen most of them. Sometimes, due to timing issues, I can’t catch the live show but I watch the replays," another added.
"Your cooking in the competition really amazed me; so much talent and skill at such a young age is truly admirable."
"Indeed." Another person chimed in with a smile, "If my son had your drive and competence, and performed so well in the industry like you all do, I would have no worries."
"Oh? Tian Pengpo, I remember I have a business partner also named Tian. His youngest son seems to be called Tian Pengpo. This name is quite unique, so I remember it clearly. Is that you?"
Tian Pengpo nodded, saying, "If your partner is Tian Wenguo and the family is in the livestock business, that’s us."
"Hahaha! I talked to your father before, he mentioned you were studying culinary arts. I thought that was quite a unique ambition. Didn’t expect you’re a student at Changping Academy, that’s extraordinary."
"Of course." Tian Pengpo wasn’t modest at all: "Back then, my father told me my choice of major had to relate to the family business, even remotely. It turns out I was interested in cooking, and my family is also involved in food-related business, so I applied to Changping Academy, which ties back to the family."
Another person remembered others’ names and asked: "Xu Aoliang from the Xu Family, could it be the renowned Xu Food Enterprises? They’re famous for dumplings, rice balls, and instant bird’s nest."
Xu Aoliang nodded: "That’s us."
"Shang Heyue, such a unique surname, could it be Xi Yue Food?"
Shang Heyue nodded: "You’re absolutely right."
With three remarkable figures, it’s likely the others are also extraordinary.
So, they went on asking one by one, and found out that the families of Changping Academy students were indeed impressive.
People who were originally chatting among themselves sharpened their ears upon hearing this news and came over.
It turned out the people from Changping Academy weren’t ordinary, so it was worth getting acquainted.
If there’s a chance, collaborations with their families could be an option.
Suddenly, Tian Pengpo’s group became lively.
Everyone eagerly talked with them.
Some indeed had real collaboration opportunities.
But Tian Pengpo and the others weren’t interested in business matters, so they responded vaguely and moved past it.
At this moment, someone noticed Ye Fei who stood quietly aside without saying a word and asked: "Is this Ye Fei?"
That person thought for a moment, recalled Ye Fei’s name, and said: "Your performance is quite impressive."
"Of course." Tian Pengpo, displeased by this social hierarchy, answered directly for Ye Fei, "She’s my strongest competitor. Before the contest, I was confident I would secure first place."
This statement from Tian Pengpo immediately drew eye rolls from Huo Jiarong and others.
Tian Pengpo really dares to claim!
Of course, he truly has such confidence, though the others don’t think the same.
Only Tian Pengpo believed that he was unbeatable and would surely take first place.
Others, gearing up, felt they were on par with Tian Pengpo.
Right after, Tian Pengpo continued: "I didn’t expect to meet Ye Fei here with such strong capability. Her presence means I’m not confident to claim the top spot anymore."
"This is indeed rare!" Ban Ziang said, "You’re surprisingly self-aware this time, Lao Tian."
Tian Pengpo snorted, "I could still beat you in seconds."
Someone then cheerfully turned to Ye Fei: "Miss Ye, and your family is?"
Ye Fei smiled calmly and composedly said: "My family is quite ordinary. I came to B City alone to make a living and happened to see the Changping Culinary Competition opening its qualifiers to the public, so I signed up to give it a shot."
Everyone was surprised to hear Ye Fei was just an ordinary person and immediately lost interest.
Someone, unwilling to give up, asked: "You’re not a student at Changping Academy?"
This person clearly hadn’t watched the competition, otherwise, how could they not know about Ye Fei.
Ye Fei smiled and said: "No, I’m just an ordinary person."
Upon hearing this, they completely lost interest.
It’s a matter of comparison.
Initially, they thought the students from Changping were also ordinary, but upon asking, they discovered impressive backgrounds.
They went down the line of questioning, realizing everyone had unique origins, making them mistakenly assume Ye Fei too had an impressive background.
Who knew when they asked Ye Fei, she said she was just ordinary.
The stark contrast made them lose interest in Ye Fei.
Ye Fei suddenly found herself sidelined, with everyone’s attention shifting to Tian Pengpo and the others, chatting about their families, parents, and company situations.
Inquiring about their culinary skills, professional matters, and more.
Everyone assumed a friendly and approachable elder stance.
If not for seeing them purposely ignore Ye Fei, the scene would indeed feel warm.
Actually, maybe they didn’t intentionally ignore her; they simply felt there was no need to engage, thus, subconsciously disregarded her.
Of course, it’s also because business people are motivated by profit and accustomed to being cynical.
But Ye Fei didn’t mind; she actually felt quite content standing on the sidelines.
Finally, once everyone dispersed, leaving just the 10 contestants at the table.
Tian Pengpo finally breathed a sigh of relief: "I can’t understand how my dad and brother endure this daily. All the smiling and polite talk—it’s exhausting. I’d rather quietly cook; it’s much more comforting."
Xu Aoliang smirked, "Remember when we were sitting here, no one paid attention to us until they learned our family backgrounds were noteworthy. Then everyone came over. These people are so opportunistic. If only they knew that our biggest background here is actually Ye Fei. If they knew Ye Fei was favored by the influential, they wouldn’t leave Ye Fei alone. She wouldn’t be able to escape their attention."
Just now, those people had been busy talking to Tian Pengpo and others, inadvertently neglecting Ye Fei.
