Just as she was figuring out how to break out of the encirclement and assess the situation, her saviors arrived. And there was a massive crowd of them—their voices reaching her before they even came into view.
"You shameless scoundrels! Are you bullying Goddess Gan Lan just because she’s alone right now? Bullying her because she’s all alone in an unfamiliar place?!"
"Doesn’t your Banan Star pride itself on etiquette and manners?! Oh, my god, you’re no different from a bunch of hooligans right now!"
"You truth-twisting bastards! Did you think a simple boycott would ruin my goddess’s reputation? Did Ge Feng panic because my goddess is now ranked first in the polls, so he sent you to cause trouble?!"
...
Gan Lan was completely submerged in a sea of people, protected layer upon layer by her newly arrived saviors. How did things escalate to this point? She was utterly bewildered.
A fierce verbal battle raged between the two sides. Standing at the very center, Gan Lan couldn’t see a thing. She tried to say something to make them stop, but her voice was instantly drowned out the moment she spoke. Helpless, she could only shut her mouth.
She wondered when she had gained so many fans on Banan Star. She was just a nobody.
While she was lost in thought, a cute girl broke through the protective circle and squeezed her way to the front.
"Goddess, I’m your cutest fan! I’ve been following you for a long time. My Star Network username is ’The green of the Qingtuan is really beautiful.’ This is my second time seeing you. I even freeloaded at your hotpot banquet!"
The girl looked exceptionally lively and adorable. She stared at Gan Lan with sparkling eyes, revealing a pair of deep dimples when she smiled.
Hearing her voice, Gan Lan was relieved that someone was finally here to explain the situation. It wasn’t easy! A gentle smile instantly appeared on her face. "Hello, it’s nice to meet you. But what’s going on here? I just came out of the arena and I don’t know anything. Could you explain it to me?"
Qingtuan smiled shyly. "A lot of things related to you have happened on the Star Network. To make a long story short, you’ve gone viral, goddess, and someone got jealous! All of us here came to Banlan to watch the competition. Some of us are your long-time fans, while others just became your fans today. Seeing you in trouble, we organized everyone to come to your rescue!"
"That’s right! Goddess, I finally get to see you! Don’t worry! We’ll protect you!" another fan chimed in.
"Everyone, make way! Let’s clear a path for the goddess so she can go back and rest! She looks exhausted!"
Hearing this, a warm feeling blossomed in Gan Lan’s heart. It was wonderful to have such a group of caring fans; she felt incredibly lucky.
"Thank you all for everything you’ve done for me," Gan Lan said sincerely, bowing to her heartwarming fans.
In truth, when she had heard those voices telling her to get out of Banan Star earlier, she had felt quite upset. Being misunderstood and disliked was truly a terrible feeling. Now, seeing those who understood her, believed in her, supported her as always, and even spontaneously organized to protect her, how could she not be moved?
"What are you all rioting about? Huh? Take all these troublemakers back!"
The Order Team, responsible for maintaining peace, finally arrived. The Order Captain standing at the forefront had a stern face and a tall, imposing build. With a wave of his hand, he ordered his subordinates to apprehend all the troublemakers.
However, Gan Lan’s fans were spared, only receiving a warning glare. After all, they hadn’t started a physical fight; their main goal was to protect Gan Lan from getting hit. The instigators who had come to pick a fight had actually brought various pieces of trash and had been continuously throwing them at her.
The scene instantly quieted down. The Order Captain’s aura was simply too overwhelming; a single look from him was enough to make anyone instinctively shut their mouths.
"Oh? Captain Xu, I recall this area isn’t under your jurisdiction, is it? You’ve crossed the line."
Gan Lan looked up at the person who spoke. He was just as tall but had a somewhat frivolous demeanor. A sizable group of people trailed behind him as well. The two sides wore different colored uniforms—the former in black, the latter in silver.
Gan Lan winced, wondering what kind of drama this was. The scene was getting more and more chaotic, and she had no idea how long it would take to resolve. She was in a rush to go back and take a shower; she felt extremely uncomfortable, her whole body reeking of the lingering scent of Yao Yu.
The imposing Order Captain—Captain Xu—twitched the corner of his mouth upon hearing this. "It’s been chaotic here for so long. Captain Liu couldn’t possibly be unaware of it, right?"
"Whether I know about it and whether I handle it is not an excuse for you to overstep your bounds!" Captain Liu—Liu Yuanlong—stepped up to Xu Chengzhou, his words sharp.
"If you don’t want to be the captain of the second squad, we can always find a replacement. Plenty of people want this position," Xu Chengzhou said with a contemptuous tone. "Don’t waste my time. Take them away!"
With a wave of his hand, the black-uniformed law enforcement team hauled all the troublemakers away. Before leaving, he shot a deliberate, meaningful glance at Gan Lan.
Liu Yuanlong glared resentfully at Xu Chengzhou’s retreating back, his expression turning ugly. He could only talk tough; after all, Xu Chengzhou hailed from one of the five major families, a background he currently had no way of contending with.
If the Ges hadn’t come to him with an offer he couldn’t refuse, simply asking him to turn a blind eye to the farce at the arena entrance, he wouldn’t have gotten involved. How could he possibly refuse such a simple request? He never expected to nearly stumble over it. The conditions were so generous, yet the request was so simple. He wondered why he hadn’t thought more deeply about it before agreeing right away.
He hadn’t anticipated that Xu Chengzhou would intervene. Stifling his frustration, he stared intently at the protagonist of the conflict, who was busy saying goodbye to her fans.
He suddenly ordered, "Twelve, go take away that Gan-something! Yeah, the shortest one!"
After giving the order, he felt a bit smug. He might not be able to deal with Xu Chengzhou right now, but couldn’t he handle a mere Culinary Master? She was just someone with slightly decent grades. If he locked her up for three to five months, she would likely be forgotten by everyone.
Standing not far away, Gulu curled his lips. Watching Gan Lan bid farewell to her fans amidst laughter and chatter, he wondered if they didn’t notice the strong stench of Yao Yu on her. How could they stand it?!
Gulu shook his head. Humans truly were complex creatures.
Meanwhile, Adjutant Twelve, having received his orders, walked straight toward Gan Lan. The previously harmonious scene was shattered by this sudden intrusion, and everyone turned their gaze to the man stopping in front of Gan Lan.
"You’re Gan Lan, right? Come with me," Liu Yuanlong’s adjutant, Twelve, said to her, reaching out to grab her arm.
He was immediately intercepted by Gulu, who had rushed over. "You think you can just take her away? As far as I know, Gan Lan is the victim here! Instead of questioning the people who started the trouble, you want to take my person away?!"
"Exactly! Both my goddess and all of us are victims here! If you want to take someone away, you’ll have to take us all! I doubt your motives! We’re staying with her!" Qingtuan declared sharply, stepping right next to Gan Lan. Although the other fans didn’t speak, they moved quickly to form a protective circle around her.
"You people of Banan Star are truly lawless! I’d like to see who dares to take my student away!"
Chu Yuanyi had rushed over as fast as he could, and thankfully, he hadn’t missed this scene. He was absolutely furious. He had immediately hurried over upon hearing that Gan Lan was cornered at the arena entrance. However, for some unknown reason, his flying car had suddenly lost control, leaving him with minor injuries. The other teachers had also been delayed by various incidents, making it undeniably clear that someone had orchestrated this on purpose.
After finally managing to arrive, this was the scene that greeted him. So this was their plan all along?
They wanted to take advantage of the fact that no one was around to stop them and take Gan Lan away. If they locked her up for three to five months, she would miss the competition, guaranteeing Banlan the championship once again. Perhaps they were also after the various recipes in her head. Once they took her away, they would have the final say on whatever happened.
Did they really think Mingzong was full of pushovers?!