The factory manager's cake

The liqueur-filled candy had already melted in her mouth and gone down into her stomach. Wang Shuitao took a sip of water to get rid of the alcohol taste and asked, "Is there any way to improve this?"

Sun Ming, who had more experience, said, "I've heard of a cocoa butter substitute before, which is said to be similar to chocolate. Is it possible to make it?"

He turned his expectant gaze to Meng Songying, trying to get a positive answer.

Wang Shuitao was the first to deny it, having tried both. She said that cocoa butter substitutes are indeed just a substitute for chocolate, but a low-quality one.

When she was a child, the taste of cocoa butter substitute was a bit strange, but as an adult, probably due to technological advancements, the taste and flavor have improved considerably.

But the present era is far worse than when she was a child.

Unable to ask directly, she instead inquired, "Ah Ying, how does the taste of cocoa butter substitute compare to chocolate?"

Meng Songying's ear tips instantly flushed pink, and she coughed lightly, saying, "Very different."

Amidst his anxiety and the thought of losing his hair, Director Sun still managed to squeeze in a couple of clicks of the tongue.

Wang Shuitao remained unfazed by the teasing and continued, "If that cocoa butter is no good, and our factory can only produce cheap and substandard substitutes, then we'll be too passive and completely controlled by others."

Meng Songying nodded in agreement: "That won't work, the factory doesn't have any machines."

Li Yuanhong, who was standing next to him, also sighed with regret.

It would be such a waste if the project were to fail halfway through, given how much we've invested.

Wang Shuitao stared intently ahead, pondering a solution.

Even when she's not smiling, the corners of her mouth are slightly upturned, but no one would mistake her for a serious expression.

Meng Songying stared at her, unable to look away: "I'll handle the technical issues."

He made a promise.

Wang Shuitao breathed a sigh of relief almost immediately, as she was so confident that Meng Songying would bring her good news.

After tidying up the messy desk, she followed Meng Songying to the workshop.

Adding a layer of glutinous rice paper to the outside of the starch shell, or replacing it with a gelatin shell or a hard candy shell, are three solutions proposed by Meng Songying on the way.

"Changing the outer shell is a good idea!"

Wang Shuitao, who had been hanging her head, suddenly raised it, her dim pupils seemed to sparkle with tiny lights, and she seemed to be revitalized, the anxious aura surrounding her was swept away.

Isn't this just a combination of gummy candy filling and hard candy filling? Wang Shuitao couldn't help but want to tap her head; how could she have forgotten this?

Mingming fruit juice gummies are something she never forgets to buy whenever she goes on a big grocery shopping trip.

Hearing her excited voice, Meng Songying's lips unconsciously curled up.

Since gelatin is more troublesome, the first product to appear is a hard candy with a liqueur filling, which looks much better than the starch shell.

Under the glaring lights of the workshop, the transparent sugar shell, like glass, refracts colorful light.

The filling inside is like a gentle lake lying in a mountain valley, waiting to be tasted.

Wang Shuitao took a bite of half of it, and the thin, crisp shell shattered easily like ice in winter, revealing the thick filling that slowly flowed out and dripped onto her tongue.

She had tasted it so many times that she could hardly tell the difference between good and bad, but even half a candy was beautiful enough.

Good looks are justice, good looks are victory; it seems the dawn is just ahead.

Sun Ming received a phone call from a city leader in his office.

They were former comrades-in-arms, so the leader didn't hide it from him and told Sun Ming to stop thinking about making liqueur candies.

Being a factory manager requires achievements, and Sun Ming, being young, naturally still has the drive to climb the ranks.

He has put a lot of effort into this project, and if it fails, Wu Dong's faction will likely start criticizing again, and the momentum that was finally suppressed will rise again.

Sun Ming then pressed, "Give me a straight answer. Why did you give up without even trying? And why did the Heilongjiang province give you a reply so quickly?"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, but the voice still reminded him, "The samples are indeed still under investigation, and there may still be hope. If you don't want to give up, then give it another try."

He hung up the phone.

Undeterred, Sun Ming made a direct call to the provincial capital. The person on the other end gave a vague answer, but clearly expressed that they were not prepared to support him.

We don't support sugar factories, but we study samples.

Sun Ming summarized the responses from both sides and his face darkened.

Such a big company in the provincial capital is actually trying to steal projects from small factories in the city; they have no shame whatsoever.

Once he gets stubborn, he insists on proving himself right. He doesn't care if his superiors don't support him; does that mean his unit isn't a state-owned enterprise?

Although the factory is small, it can still cooperate with Heilongjiang Province.

Wang Shuitao was urgently summoned to the office. After drafting a plan, she dialed the number on the other end of the line.

"Hello, this is the Shenxian Pearl Sugar Factory..."

Sun Minglong wrote three large characters on the paper with a flourish.

Wang Shuitao glanced at it and smoothly continued, "Wang Shuitao, deputy director of the factory office, are you Section Chief Yang from the Supply and Marketing Department of Harbin Songjiang Food Factory?"

Harbin Songjiang Food Factory not only produces liqueur-filled candies, but also bread, shrimp candies, and other products. It is a large factory; ten pearl candy factories combined cannot compare to it.

Yang Hong had heard of this factory in Shen County. They had already supplied sugar beets to the factory twice. He heard that the factory had some good ideas and had achieved some success.

He didn't take it to heart and simply said, "Hello, Comrade Wang, this is the Supply and Marketing Department."

Although she couldn't see from there, Wang Shuitao nodded and said, "We have developed a new type of liqueur-filled candy and hope to cooperate with your factory for export."

Yang Hong was both amused and exasperated: "I don't know where you got the idea that our liqueur exports have decreased, but your factory?"

It's not that he looks down on them, well, he really does. That small factory probably had no idea they'd ever heard of chocolate before.

Although it was immoral, Wang Shuitao's eyes lit up; she hadn't expected to hear such a pleasant surprise, and she quickly said:

"Section Chief Yang also knows the importance of foreign exchange. The country needs to import important materials that are in short supply domestically, as well as advanced technologies and equipment, all of which require foreign exchange."

Sorghum candy produced in Shandong sells well in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and the UK, and is praised by higher authorities every year.

Best-selling items are praised, but what about slow-selling ones? Section Chief Yang is experienced and knowledgeable; I don't think I need to remind him.

Giving the pearl candy factory a chance is also giving the food factory a chance; we are confident we can reverse the decline.

Yang Hong didn't feel the impact of sorghum candy being so far away in Shandong, but the Harbin sausage factory was right next door. Their red sausages were sold overseas, and the foreign exchange they earned increased year by year, making the factory director green with envy.

Yang Hong gritted his teeth and took the gamble. If he lost, he would be ridiculed for years; if he won, he would be promoted. He had been in the position of section chief for far too long. If he didn't give it his all, he would have to retire.

"Okay, let me take a look at your liqueur candies first."

Wang Shuitao readily agreed, "Okay, the driver will take the samples over."

Remembering how Director Sun had spoken indignantly about the provincial capital trying to snatch up projects, she added, "Our sample has been improved many times. The inside of the liquor is encased in a sugar shell with excellent sealing properties, giving it a unique and fresh feel. You will definitely be satisfied when you receive it."

Yang Hong: "Let's wait and see."

Wang Shuitao: "Goodbye."

Yang Hong: "Goodbye."

*Click*, the phone hung up.

Sun Ming exclaimed excitedly, "It's done?"

Wang Shuitao raised her chin slightly: "It's done."

Sun Ming: "Hahahaha, great!"

He didn't have many confidants, and Wang Shuitao was the most capable among them. If she couldn't persuade them, Li Yuanhong would have to step in, and if that didn't work, he would personally take over.

After all, it's a request for help, and the highest-ranking person can't step in right away, otherwise there'll be no room for maneuver if they're rejected.

Sun Ming slammed his hand on the table: "Once the contracts between the food factory and the sugar factory are finalized, I will immediately submit a report to officially promote you to deputy director."

Wang Shuitao stood up straight: "I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"