"How dare she come to the company?"

"Back then, we really gave Manager Xia a hard time, and he even insisted that we replace the Ge Xian Mi with Antarctic Krill Algae, which is three times more expensive."

"If it weren't for Manager Xia's insistence on his own opinions, how could we have achieved what we have today?"

Xia Zhining ignored these discussions, but secretly looked forward to them.

Today, an announcement will be released regarding the closure of Yanlan Mountain for breeding and the suspension of resource extraction.

Upon learning of Xia Zhining's visit.

Xia Qingqing rushed over immediately, a victor's smile on her face.

At this moment, she had shaken off the dejection she had suffered from Xia Zhi Ning's torment, and was now radiant with a triumphant aura.

"Zhi Ning, good news~"

Xia Qingqing's face was filled with undisguised pride. "We just secured a super order from overseas for the next quarter, with sales exceeding 100 million!"

"We're having a celebration banquet at the Jiangcheng Hotel tonight, you absolutely have to come!"

Xia Zhining calmly countered, "Have the R&D costs been recouped?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly freezing the lively atmosphere.

Although Xianmi dog food is selling like hotcakes, it took hundreds of millions of yuan to develop the product and upgrade the production line.

While things may seem glamorous at the moment, the company has not yet broken even on paper.

Xia Qingqing's assistant immediately retorted, "Consultant Xia, the product has only been on the market for less than three months, how could it possibly recoup its costs so quickly?"

"Don't you have even this much common sense about business?"

Those around them echoed their sentiments.

"Exactly, even if you're jealous, you can't talk like that, can you?"

"Breaking even is only a matter of time; things are going so well right now!"

"As expected of someone in the tech field, their thinking is too rigid and they don't understand the market."

Xia Qingqing immediately interrupted, her tone gentle yet slightly condescending: "Everyone, please don't say that. Xianmi's success is largely thanks to Zhi Ning's help in revising the plan."

Immediately, some people spoke up for her:

"She's just making minor repairs on top of what's already been done!"

"That's right, the soul of the product, the 'Ge Xian Mi' concept, was subtly mentioned from beginning to end!"

"She's so generous and magnanimous; with that kind of character, she deserves to make a fortune!"

Xia Qingqing affectionately took Xia Zhining's arm and almost forcibly led her to the celebration banquet at Jiangcheng's most prestigious hotel.

Along the way, whispers could be heard everywhere, and the gazes directed at Xia Zhining were full of disdain and ridicule.

Everyone felt that Xia Zhining's objections and new proposals at the last minute were simply driven by jealousy, and almost ruined the group's immense wealth.

At the banquet, Xia Qingqing raised her champagne glass with a radiant smile, her voice carried throughout the room via microphone.

"Today, we gather here to celebrate the tremendous success of Xianmi dog food!"

"Looking back, when I first proposed the innovative concept of Ge Xian Mi..."

She stood under the spotlight, basking in the admiration and compliments of the crowd, feeling smug and self-satisfied.

Amidst the chorus of praise and admiration, Xia Zhining, who had remained silent, glanced down at her watch.

Then, she calmly picked up the remote control and turned on the huge LCD TV in the banquet hall.

"...This station is broadcasting an emergency news report. Relevant departments jointly issued an announcement today, stating that a comprehensive breeding program will be implemented in Yanlan Mountain starting immediately."

"During this period, the commercial harvesting of any plants native to Yanlan Mountain, such as Ge Xian Mi, is strictly prohibited."

The clear voice of the television news anchor struck the noisy banquet hall like a thunderbolt.

In an instant, the entire hall fell silent.

Everyone stared in horror at the television screen, unable to believe the news they were hearing.

Clang—

Xia Qingqing's champagne glass shattered on the ground, shards and wine splattering everywhere, but she was completely unaware.

Chaos erupted at the scene, and the employees of the Xia Group panicked.

"Oh no! What are we going to do about all those pre-sale orders?!"

"Now is the peak sales season, production absolutely cannot stop!"

Xia Qingqing snapped back to reality, as if grasping at the last straw, and shouted shrilly, "Quick! Get the purchasing department to mobilize everyone and buy up all the raw materials of Ge Xian Mi that can be found on the market! Now! Immediately!"

She naively thought that there must be a sufficient stock of Ge Xian Mi, a niche and expensive ingredient, on the market to help in an emergency.