To be honest, at first, Jiang Jiujiu’s fans never thought she could win first place.

The gap was just too great.

It wasn’t a matter of 10 versus 20, but 10 versus 100. Plus, many of Jiang Qiuqiu’s fans had heard of Xiong Xin.

Even if they weren’t his fans, everyone knew who he was. That’s what you call mainstream popularity.

Defeating a streamer who not only had mainstream popularity but also genuine mecha skills was practically a fairy tale.

Because no matter how good the food, in the eyes of certain traditionalists, it was merely entertainment, an indulgence. It could hardly compete with something more "legitimate."

Xiong Xin had a natural advantage.

And yet—

[We’ve surpassed number two, we’re really in second place now!]

[With so, so many votes...]

[Every underdog victory is so beautiful!]

[My Juju really is a miracle worker!]

Everyone in their fan community was ecstatic. In one of the comment threads, they started a spirited discussion: [Do you guys think Juju could actually win first place?!]

[Juju is actually a Spirit Healing Master! I always slept so soundly and rested so well after eating her food. I just thought I was sleeping in contentment after getting something I craved! Now that I think about it, could it have been her Healing Spiritual Power at work?]

[Our chances might have been slim before—after all, the Mecha section next door has way too many passionate young fans—but now it feels like we actually have a fighting chance—]

[Exactly! Her fanbase grew a ton after the PK with Posena, so our base number is way bigger. Plus, when the time comes and Juju starts cooking, the aroma will draw in another whole crowd!]

Furthermore, Xiong Xin was a streamer from the Mecha section. Across the entire Federation Live Broadcast Company, Mecha streamers had always had the most fans simply because the "Mecha" label itself was so prestigious. Because of this, Xiong Xin’s actual number of dedicated fans might not be as large as people thought.

[I was watching, and in the last PK, a bunch of Xiong Xin’s viewers couldn’t vote because they hadn’t been watching for a full hour!]

With his numbers potentially lower and hers on the rise, it was indeed possible for Jiang Jiujiu to pull off another upset and take the real first-place spot.

After this logical, well-reasoned analysis, everyone in the thread was secretly delighted.

[I love Juju! Juju for first place!]

[And only the first-place Xingxing is worthy of Juju!]

That’s probably what it’s like to be a fan. You always feel they deserve the very best.

Juju’s cooking was so delicious that it already made everyone sad she was only number one in a "minor league" like the Gourmet section. Then, as she went through round after round of PKs, people kept saying things like, "You should be in the Beauty section!" or "You should go to the Spirit Healing section."

But in the end, Juju didn’t go to any of them. She stayed in the Gourmet section. At the very beginning, she had a paltry seven hundred million fans and couldn’t compete with anyone.

This just reinforced the fans’ feeling: ’Our girl was meant for better things! But she’s struggling now, so we have to do everything in our power to give her the absolute best! After all, she’s so incredible!’

This was originally just a very ordinary, unremarkable post. The only thing that wasn’t ordinary was this one comment thread, which was filled to the brim with the Ju people’s love and adoration for Juju.

However, other people saw it.

A fan community is no sacred ground, and there’s no rule saying only a certain streamer’s fans can enter their space. Lurkers could browse as they pleased.

Just as Jiang Qiuqiu’s fans kept a close eye on Xiong Xin, mentioning him in every other sentence, Xiong Xin’s fans were also paying close attention to Jiang Qiuqiu.

They were watching this streamer who had clawed her way up from the very bottom to finally stand before Xiong Xin.

Of course, this attention came with a healthy dose of scrutiny.

They were curious, but they never once thought Xiong Xin would lose.

And with a casual click into the community, they saw that the replies in the thread were filled with things like—

[I think Juju might actually be able to take first!]

Oho.

The moment Xiong Xin’s fans saw that comment, the corners of their mouths lifted in a slight smile, and they immediately typed out a reply—

You wish. In your dreams.

And just like that, what had been an ordinary, friendly chat was now on the brink of war.