Food God

This film (drama)Also known as食神，is aTaiwan, ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2008Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating7.7(For reference only)。

"The people regard food as heaven," and "only those who drink will leave their names." The importance of food to Chinese people can be seen from this. China, a nation built on agriculture, further illustrates how fundamental and important "food" is to the Chinese people. Therefore, food can be said to influence the lives of billions of Chinese people at all times, regardless of wealth or status; whether powerful or poor, from the emperor to the beggar, everyone needs "food"! It is closely related, indispensable, and irreplaceable! With five thousand years of culture and vast territory, the diversity and skill of Chinese cooking are recognized worldwide. Among them, there are many legendary stories... This drama revolves around the legendary story of the Food God Stephen Chow, from a homeless man with only five dollars to a "Food God Group" with over one hundred million assets, and then sinking to become a worthless rogue, but in his most impoverished state, he finds the true meaning of life— the great significance of food! The saying goes, "Gourmet delicacies are easy to find, but human warmth is the hardest to give." Calling himself the "Food God," who excels in flavors, Stephen experiences great ups and downs in his life, creating exquisite dishes but failing in human warmth, only to realize in the end that to become a true Food God is encapsulated in one word. That word is "love"! □□ Prologue □□ Where did he come from? Is he out of his mind? He loves to be bossy, loves to tease others, loves to show off, and his behavior seems a bit eccentric; his personality and actions inexplicably appear out of place in the village. He is leisurely enjoying a sunbath, living worry-free for over twenty years, with the title of factory manager— how impressive! But in reality, he is like a frog at the bottom of a well. The so-called town enterprise "Fragrant Processing Factory" is essentially just a small herb processing plant. He spends his days with leftover food scraps because no one else wants to be the manager. His father was the factory owner, who loved to eat fish but was unexpectedly choked to death by a fishbone— one might say he died without regrets. But for the Shijia family, who had always lived a mundane life, it stirred up a storm that felt like a tornado in the small village! For him, it was a thunderclap on a clear day! Because at the time of dividing the inheritance, conflicts of interest do not differ just because it’s a small village. For a little benefit, the villagers exposed that he did not belong here and was not the biological son of the owner; he was just a foundling picked up by the owner from the roadside. The name given to him by the owner was— Stephen. The greatly impacted Stephen never expected to fall into a situation where he was unwelcome in the village and abandoned by its people! But who would have thought that he would one day become a food god? Today, once again abandoned, the disheartened Stephen just feels absurd, yet he does not give up. To pursue his dreams, he goes to Shanghai. But little does he know, more absurd things are yet to come. □□ Overnight Fame □□ Shanghai is indeed a world full of limitless business opportunities, among which a rapidly developing food group "Big Happiness" is ready to penetrate every corner of China and dominate the entire food industry! And the entire Big Happiness Group is in her hands. Why is she uniquely talented? Is her brain different from others? She is calm, straightforward, serious, and competitive. By the age of twenty-one, she became the chairwoman of a super food group, controlling over one hundred million in business with thousands of subordinates; she could be described as a girl of fortune. But in reality, she is very lonely, her name is Yang Tong. Since foreign fast food companies entered the market, Yang Tong's combative character has surfaced again; she wants to continue to lead the industry, so she hopes to raise funds again to expand her empire, but this requires a bit of skill. Her father was a once world-renowned food god, but unfortunately suffered an accident that left him paralyzed, unable to speak, so the entire food empire was handed over to this only daughter. Martin, one of Yang Tong’s subordinates, comes up with an idea to create a city topic and make a star! However, this is just Martin trying to take this opportunity to get close to her, so he carelessly chooses a useless person to create his own myth. Determined to carve out a new world for himself in Shanghai, Stephen quickly transforms from a homeless man on the streets of Shanghai! With no money and no skills, Stephen finds himself in this situation, which, aside from himself, is not surprising at all. A noodle shop becomes Stephen's dining hall, where he can find leftover food from others; in an overly affluent society, many people can’t even eat a bowl of noodles. Finally, Martin sees a news report about a madman, a blind drifter who climbed Shanghai's tallest building. Yes, this is Stephen, now turned into a homeless man. Apparently, when Stephen first arrived in Shanghai, he felt excited and wanted to experience the feeling of looking down from above by climbing the tallest building in Shanghai. As he falls to the depths of eating others' leftovers, when he is about to despair, he is finally taken in by Martin. Stephen thinks he has finally seen hope! But, as the saying goes, "A loss can lead to a gain," little does he know that this is just the beginning of a nightmare! In Martin's eyes, Stephen is just a pile of dung, a heap of garbage, but he doesn’t realize that this person will develop into his rival. Yes, Yang Tong unexpectedly meets Stephen, and when his bad luck turns into a chance for him, she begins to look at him differently. Their relationship is akin to Kangxi and Xiao Bao. However, Martin eventually exposes this; fearing complications, he decides to cancel his proposal, but Yang Tong is determined to help Stephen, asking Martin to continue training him. Martin never expected that he would "invite a wolf into his home," and in a harsh heart, decides to torment Stephen, even inviting a perverse villain, Ouyang Kong, hoping to "play Stephen to death"! But little does Martin know that he is inadvertently helping Stephen seize fortune from peril! Ouyang Kong is extremely irritable and perverse, the hellish training constantly tortures Stephen, but Martin would never guess that the seemingly perverse Ouyang Kong was once a legendary figure known by everyone in the food world, nicknamed "Nine Seconds Nine Knives," whose "Spring Rain Knife Technique" was unparalleled in the food community. It is said that he could cut a hundred meters of radish in just nine seconds. However, having gone through upheaval, he had fallen into despair, but Stephen’s unique personality and fighting spirit surprisingly moved Ouyang Kong, who ended up imparting his secret skills to him. Originally, Martin wanted to make Stephen look foolish in a big competition, but it instead leads to Stephen's stunning success! With Yang Tong’s strong assistance and immense financial support, combined with overwhelming publicity, Stephen became famous overnight, dominating Shanghai! Not only did Stephen win the fair lady, but he also made Martin eat his own words! Stephen, who has never experienced such glory or satisfaction in his life, is faced with an even bigger shock and test! □□ Overnight Bankruptcy □□ Xiong Bai is a founding member of the Big Happiness Group, an optimistic and open-minded person, who seems to brush aside everything, but in reality, he is a cunning old fox. He is also a descendant of the long-lost "Food Demon" clan. Initially, what happened to Yang Tong's father was not an accident; it was actually a scheme set up by Xiong Bai, but Xiong Bai's plan was not perfect enough, leaving Yang Tong's father paralyzed for life. Xiong Bai has been waiting to swallow the entire Big Happiness Group. Seeing that the group’s profits are gradually shrinking, Xiong Bai decides to use Stephen and reverses the situation. He appeals to sentiments and sets a false trap, making Yang Tong believe it, and when all options are exhausted, Yang Tong has no choice but to sacrifice the one she loves— Stephen. Xiong Bai uses beauty, fine wine, and even power to seduce Stephen. He completely falls into the world of pleasures— paper drunkenness and gold extravagance, just as Xiong Bai expected, in another world, Stephen becomes a completely different person, with luxurious living, commanding authority, all entrapping him hopelessly. One must realize that once you have something, you fear losing it; it is the weakness of all humanity, and Xiong Bai is very clear about this. But Xiong Bai does not know that Stephen is actually an extraordinary individual! Stephen just hasn’t had the opportunity; in fact, he has astonishing potential and talent! Ultimately, Xiong Bai forces Yang Tong to strip Stephen of his guise! The cameras flash incessantly; reporters gather and bombard him with questions, leaving Stephen momentarily overwhelmed. The people from Shijia village unexpectedly appear at this moment, exposing Stephen as just a foundling, a factory worker who makes pig slop! Yang Tong, the creator of this lie, becomes the victim of the deception. Thus, the city’s myth is shattered. Stephen falls from the heights to the depths in an instant, unable to defend himself as all his plans collapse. Stephen does not understand, under the pressure, Yang Tong has to tell him that this is called power, that the market is like a battlefield, while compassion is merely an excuse for the weak! Survival of the fittest— those who fail are eliminated, and the victors remain; this is an unchanging rule throughout the ages. In one night, Stephen loses everything, returning to his original form. He wanders back to the noodle shop where he had once stolen food scraps. The shopkeeper had long known everything from the newspaper, but she did not say much. Instead, Stephen tells her something that shocks her. Stephen actually says he can lose everything in one night, but he can also regain it all in one night. However, the next day's newspaper brings shocking news: Stephen has been diagnosed with a terminal illness— leukemia! When Yang Tong sees the report, she feels a deep sadness; she secretly goes to look for Stephen but finds no trace of him, as if he has evaporated overnight. Yang Tong, who has never cried since birth, cries this time, her previously hidden weakness surprises even her; she realizes she may have fallen in love with Stephen. □□ Food God □□ Just as the world begins to forget Stephen, he miraculously appears bright and shining before the public; it turns out that in his moment of despair, he encountered a high expert in the mountains who passed down the secret "Wild Mountain Ginseng Turtle Jelly," which cured the terminal illness even modern science struggles to treat. Stephen declares that in order to give back to society, he decides to share this secret food with the world. Thus, in no time, Stephen's turtle jelly shop becomes a haven for the needy, attracting countless customers, and within a month, its branches spread throughout the country. Of course, the story of the terminal illness and the mountains is entirely made up by Stephen, purely fictitious. This is the so-called "packaging" that Stephen realizes through Yang Tong, and it is also his first step towards going crazy. After accepting an interview from a famous American magazine, Stephen officially becomes Stephen Chow. He becomes a star, transforming into an idol. Stephen Chow expertly applies consumer psychology; he not only creates various turtle jelly products: turtle jelly buns, turtle jelly fries, but also uses the cartoon "Uncle Turtle Jelly" as its trademark, including beloved children’s dolls like Turtle Jelly Cat and Turtle Jelly Rabbit, even enlisting popular stars at the time as turtle spokespersons. Stephen’s food shop penetrates all age groups, and in less than half a year, wherever there are Chinese people, there is Stephen Chow's turtle! At this time, Stephen's momentum is unparalleled, but he is not satisfied with this. He focuses on going public and entering different food markets, even aiming to swallow the Big Happiness Group! Yang Tong sees Stephen Chow applying what he learned so remarkably and realizes she has always underestimated him. She approaches Stephen to collaborate but unexpectedly gets flatly rejected. The food demon Xiong Bai could never have anticipated that events would evolve to this extent. With a stubborn disregard for kinship, he naturally prioritizes profit over loyalty. Xiong Bai even throws himself under Stephen Chow, framing the death of Hu Shui upon Yang Tong, inciting conflicts between the two factions of food gods while allowing himself to reap the profits! Yang Tong would never have imagined that the lies she had woven would eventually become true, as if fate had arranged everything, and what she invested everything in, even her love, would be ultimately ruined by Xiong Bai’s straightforward scheme, leading her to be deceived in her emotions, which also resulted in her father's death and her business being entirely taken over by Xiong Bai overnight! Yang Tong appears strong but is actually very fragile, resulting in her death in a traffic accident! At this moment, Stephen Chow, after numerous experiences, has undergone tremendous changes; he believes that without power, one is as good as having nothing, and he has wasted his life. He wants power! He has also learned the vanity of modern society and the blind mentality of the herd; he finally understands that to succeed, one must sell packaging and be ruthless! The intoxication of power clouds judgment. Having been elevated to the top, with assets exceeding one hundred million, Stephen Chow begins to act arrogantly, almost tyrannical, contrasting sharply with the blank slate that the former Stephen Chow once was. Today's Stephen Chow has completely lost the charm of the past. After all, the higher the road, the higher the devil; the real enemy has silently crept closer. Regarding himself as able to conquer the world, Stephen Chow is oblivious to the fact that the demon is ready to strike! A seemingly foolish person comes seeking to apprentice under Stephen Chow, wanting Stephen to take him in, but Stephen has become dismissive. He believes this person is just a silly pig, and he aims to make his life difficult and thus accepts him as a disciple. This pig— named Tang Niu— is far from an ordinary pig; it is one that not only bites but also eats human flesh! Tang Niu pretends to be foolish but has already aligned with the Food Demon, mastering dirty tricks, and has become a pawn of Xiong Bai, who utilizes Stephen's lack of defense against Tang Niu, dropping a deadly drug with the intent to wipe out Stephen's dynasty completely! Because Xiong Bai knows very well that Stephen Chow's power is more formidable than that of a neutron bomb, Xiong Bai, who has been hiding, must take action for this battle! The bomb finally explodes! This surprise attack catches Stephen Chow off guard, even leading to his arrest; falling from grace once again, Stephen Chow undergoes a 180-degree turn, returning to the starting point. Stephen Chow is now more destitute than he was when he had dreams! □□ Dirty Mind, Flawed Face □□ After his downfall, Stephen Chow finds himself unable to even afford a bowl of noodles, resorting to deception for survival, but eventually in a poor alley, he is discovered and receives a cruel lesson! As Stephen Chow lies unconscious in a dumpster, mistaking himself for part of the garbage, a terribly ugly yet passionate woman brings him a bowl of barbecue pork rice, allowing the once-mighty Food God to understand what true deliciousness is. As Stephen savoring that delectable barbecue pork rice, tears of emotion flow down his face. Why does she have to look so ugly? Her passionate personality is uncompromising, living life with dignity in that poor alley; she is well known as "Dual Knives Turkey"—Huo Zheng. Turkey operates a noodle stall in that poor alley, calling it "Messy Noodles"; though the name is unappealing, the taste is beloved by the locals. However, due to the popularity of her noodle stall, a nearby seafood restaurant specializing in "Peeled Shrimp" suffers a downturn. Restaurant owner E Tzu becomes unable to restrain himself, deciding to negotiate with Turkey, but the deal, initially due to Stephen, falls through. Nevertheless, for Stephen, the loyal Turkey takes a stab for him. Stephen suddenly has a brilliant idea: why can’t the Peeled Shrimp from E Tzu be combined with Turkey's beef balls? Finally, a stunning dish, "Explosive Peeled Shrimp Beef Balls," is born! It seems like Stephen has lost hope, but he has not given up; he is merely searching for his comeback opportunity. Ultimately, Stephen manages to use the media to create a dish that even anorexic patients will enjoy— "Explosive Peeled Shrimp Beef Balls." The Food Demon never expected Stephen to recover from his downfall, deciding to hit him hard again, even at the expense of ensuring that Stephen never rises again, believing Stephen's business was bound to fail. He deliberately lets the bank lend money to Stephen, hoping to leave him no way out but death! However, Stephen learns from experience, gaining wisdom. He understands the Food Demon's schemes and has everything planned. Stephen pretends to open branches when, in fact, he uses the borrowed money to produce canned goods, thus allowing his "Explosive Peeled Shrimp Beef Balls" to penetrate the nation overnight! This move indeed catches the Food Demon off guard. Shocked, Stephen Chow emerges overnight as a competitor! The Food Demon realizes he has finally encountered a rival! So he has no choice but to use the final secret move from the Food Demon's arsenal—the technique known as "Kill!" Who is the least threatening person?—A corpse. Just when Stephen Chow is reborn, he realizes that the terrifyingly ugly woman who has always silently supported him actually knew him long ago; they just never met before, but fate had always intertwined their lives! In truth, after Stephen first came to Shanghai, he has encountered Turkey in various situations. Turkey has always watched him secretly, and many times when Stephen dodged disaster, it was not providential— it was Turkey working behind the scenes. After Stephen became a fake Food God, Turkey admired him even more. However, Turkey has low self-esteem, hence always hesitated to confess, not even daring to let him know! Later, Turkey faced misfortunes but eventually persevered, operating her own noodle stall, working hard. When she learned that Stephen was the real Food God and managed to turn the tide, she was so moved she cried, viewing him as her idol. But due to a careless customer who accidentally destroyed her beloved Food God poster, an argument ensued, leading to violence where a thug disfigured her face, resulting in her current appearance as Turkey! □□ MSG □□ Once again at the height of popularity, Stephen Chow is deeply touched but cannot accept Turkey's love. When the Food Demon sends assassins to hunt Stephen Chow, Turkey once again moves him! But this will surely be the last time Turkey touches Stephen’s heart; there will not be a next time, as Turkey sacrificed herself for him. There once was a sincere love laid out before him, yet he did not cherish it. This is precisely Stephen Chow's reflection after losing Turkey. The once-every-four-years Food God competition is about to take place. Stephen Chow vows to eliminate the threat, deciding to annihilate the Food Demon clan's Tang Niu and Xiong Bai. But how easy is this? After losing himself to obsession, the food god blood flowing within him seems to have dried up. He begins to lose the instinct for food, and that talent slips away quietly, disappearing alongside Turkey. While being hunted, Stephen passes out in the jungle where he was once chased. When he wakes, he finds himself in a secluded temple of the culinary arts. It turns out he was saved by the temple’s abbot, Master Zhong Yi. Though the Culinary Arts Temple is far from populated, it serves as a spiritual refuge for the impoverished farmers within dozens of miles; every day, faithful believers come in droves, thus the temple's kitchen must cook tons of vegetarian dishes daily. Stephen realizes that the kitchen inside the Culinary Arts Temple is the true holy place of food. Will Stephen be able to find himself in the Culinary Arts Temple? What secret skills does Master Zhong Yi possess? Will Stephen comprehend the true meaning of food? Will he be able to defeat the Food Demon? Has Turkey really lost her life? Will Yang Tong return to Stephen's embrace? Again, who is the true Food God? ! Is it Yang Tong? Is it Fang You? Is it Xiong Bai? Is it Master Zhong Yi? Is it Turkey? Is it Stephen Chow? Is it me? Or is it you? Or perhaps there is no Food God in the world? Or maybe, you, I, they, and everyone else are all Food Gods? ... … ????