—The owner of your local joint and some celebrity you see on TV are on completely different levels.

—What do you mean? I think she’s stronger. The people talking like that in Jiang Jiujiu’s thread are obviously just her fans! Look at the screenshots Xiong Xin posted. A lot of those supportive messages were from his friends, weren’t they?

He already comes from a privileged background. How can you count a few words of encouragement from his friends?

—So now it’s a crime to come from a good family? Is support from friends not real support?

—You know exactly what I mean.

—Of course I know. You think Jiang Jiujiu is better than Xiong Xin, and I just can’t agree with that. How can you compare a mecha pilot to a cook?

—?? Don’t you think the very fact that a cook can compete on the same stage as a mecha pilot makes her extraordinarily talented?

She’s even stronger than a mecha pilot like Xiong Xin. It’s a niche field, so her audience is naturally smaller. That just makes her accomplishments more impressive.

—I don’t. They’re not in the same league. You can’t compare them.

—Well, Jiang Jiujiu is also a Spirit Healing Master!

—Who knows if that’s true? She’s not certified. At her age, if she really were a Spirit Healing Master, she should be in school, not out here enjoying all this hype.

—What’s with that tone??? What do you mean, "at her age enjoying all this hype"? Aren’t Xiong Xin, and that Posena you were hyping up before, both young students who livestream on the side?

—It’s not the same dimension. You can’t compare them.

Thus spoke the slightly older, extremely stubborn user.

—Fine, fine, fine, I get it. You’re just a hypocrite with double standards.

The two of them kept arguing. As the argument dragged on, it was nearly four-thirty. Just as the younger user was about to give up, a wave of new people suddenly flooded their argument thread, frantically tagging everyone.

[@OP @TheRealist Stop arguing! You guys just get internet in Meteorite Village or something?! Drop the debate, Jiang Jiujiu’s fans are for real more incredible than Xiong Xin’s!]

[@TheRealist Stop doubting it! She really is a Spirit Healing Master!]

[@OP @TheRealist Jiang Jiujiu started her stream, and my god... she’s incredible. I took a look around and realized everything we saw in that topic today was just the tip of the iceberg.]

Summoned by a torrent of tags, the OP finally returned, only to find everyone speaking in a language he couldn’t understand.

OP: ??

OP: What Spirit Healing Master? What do you mean she’s live? I thought the PK match hadn’t started yet?

[@OP It hasn’t, but... ugh, it’s hard to explain in just a few words. Go to her livestream, then check the trending topics, and you’ll get it! She’s seriously incredible!!!]

Just as this user finished speaking, another person suddenly popped up and tagged them.

[Stop with the exposition! Holy crap, come look! Come look! Our little boss is going off, holy crap—]

[!!!!]

Their excitement was palpable.

Seeing all this, the OP’s curiosity got the better of him. He navigated to the Federation’s streaming platform and clicked on Jiang Jiujiu’s channel.

-

A young woman with her hair tied back, revealing a smooth forehead, faced the camera. Her almond-shaped eyes were a soft brown, and the corners of her eyes and brows held a natural, smiling curve.

"Welcome, everyone, to my stream! And no, no, today’s PK match hasn’t started, and the time hasn’t been moved up or anything."

"I’m not starting the cooking early, either. This is just a little bonus stream for everyone."

Jiang Qiuqiu waved at the camera. "It’s almost the New Year, and after the annual gala, I’m going to apply to host a communal New Year’s Eve dinner."

"Hm... what’s a New Year’s Eve dinner? That’s the meal we eat on the night of December 30th."

The meal on the eve of the New Year is called the New Year’s Eve dinner.

[No, no, no, Juju, I think you misunderstood me! I wasn’t asking what a New Year’s Eve dinner is! Geez, who cares about that! I just want to know—how much food will there be? How many dishes? It’s communal? How do we get in?]

This fan spoke for everyone.

"The New Year’s Eve dinner is still in the planning stages right now. It will be communal, and I’ll apply to use a holographic hall. The food will be unlimited, and I’m planning on preparing about eighteen dishes."

"The menu isn’t set yet, but it should include things like braised ’gugu’ meat, braised fish, pork knuckle, roasted fowl..."

Jiang Qiuqiu rattled off a whole list of other dishes.

[Okay, okay, okay! You can stop now!]

[Just tell me right now, this instant, how to sign up for this event, how do I get in on this New Year’s Eve dinner?! My mouth is already watering uncontrollably!]

[+1]

[+2]

[+N...]

The crowd’s enthusiasm for the event was explosive enough to blow the roof off.