Zhao Jin's tone was so sorrowful, as if Xu Milu had committed some heinous crime against him. Liu Hongmei even looked at her daughter with a hint of caution.
"Dami, you didn't lie to her feelings, did you?"
"Mom! This is my roommate's uncle, what are you thinking!"
Xu Milu covered her forehead and went to the balcony. She then pressed her ear to her phone, and sure enough, Zhao Jin's rambling on the other end was still going on:
"I thought you were just going home to visit relatives, and that your family was taking care of the restaurant. Who knew you actually went back to open a restaurant? You're giving up the fruit business? No way! Go online now and see how incredibly popular Super Fruit is, you know?!"
Xu Milu couldn't help but retort:
"What do you mean by 'opening a restaurant on the side'? I'm not a rich person like you who can just open a supermarket and then wash my hands of it. I'm running between the restaurant and the stall every day. How do I have time to pay attention to these things?"
Zhao Jin was so angry on the other end of the phone that he jumped up and down:
"My God of Wealth, do you know how many phone calls I've blocked for you here? You'd better check Weibo right now, something terrible has happened!"
Xu Milu didn't understand. She opened Weibo and clicked on Ruihua Chain's account as Zhao Jin had instructed. She saw that it had gained more than two million followers in just a few months, and the comment section was full of complaints, with everyone clamoring to buy fruit.
【Silly Girl Youyoujiang】: Forgive me for speaking frankly, but this is the worst official account I've ever seen. They even use scarcity marketing to sell grapes!
【Spicy Squirtle】: Yes! Unscrupulous merchants! If you're so capable of selling grapes, then you should at least post a link!
[Eating ice cream in winter]: Folks, I've tried these grapes, and they're absolutely awful, so don't buy them!! Save your spot for me!
[Username deleted]: Are you kidding me? You're supposed to be an official account, can't you tell me when and where the grapes are from? Can't I just fly there to buy them? I'm asking you, is that okay?!
【I love panda Duoduo Kai】: The grapes are delicious. After I bought them, two of my three kids were so hungry that they just wanted to ask when grapes would be available for sale?
[Mischievous Girl]: I understand the low yield of the new variety, but!! I'm begging you dads to increase production quickly!!!
【A Rose More More】: Just a passerby, I just want to ask what grapes that cost over 200 yuan taste like.
【拼拼拼拼夕夕夕夕】: Just a fan, and to answer your question, these are the best grapes I've ever eaten, bar none!!!
[Zhou Chenchen, my darling]: Tsk tsk tsk, everyone on Weibo is a graduate of a top university with a million-dollar annual salary, and they can afford to eat such expensive grapes.
【Are you being incredibly rude?】: Yes, yes, you're absolutely right. If you're so capable, then don't buy it.
...
...
The most lethal thing about netizens is their cute antics. Xu Milu couldn't help but laugh, but she didn't see any of the "big things" Zhao Jin mentioned.
"Superfruit is all the rage! People from China Agricultural University contacted me, saying they wanted to know the origin of Ping Pong grapes. How could I not ask them and tell them?"
Zhao Jin sighed.
Huaxia Agricultural University?
Xu Milu knew a thing or two about it. This school was directly under the Ministry of Agriculture of China, and many famous professors in Chinese history came from this university.
"Why are people from Huaxia Agricultural University looking for me?"
Xu Milu found it strange. To outsiders, Ping Pong grapes were just a successfully cultivated hybrid fruit, not as magical as wheat ear eggs. Why were people from the agricultural university looking for a place of origin?
"They said they were inviting your company's breeding team to participate in this year's agricultural expo or something, but I don't understand."
Zhao Jin hesitated for a long time, somewhat unsure:
"Hey, Xiao Xu, is the source of this fruit... legal? It entered the country through legitimate channels, right?"
He clearly thought this batch of "superfruits" that had never appeared in China before were some new varieties developed abroad.
Xu Milu said helplessly:
"Of course it's legal. Otherwise, how capable do you think I am to smuggle goods from abroad into the country?"
Zhao Jin chuckled: "Isn't this... a reasonable suspicion? So what do you mean? Am I covering for you or telling the truth? People from China Agricultural University are very interested in the super fruit your company cultivates."
Xu Milu was having a headache; where was she going to find a training team?
But keeping it a secret like this isn't a good thing, she thought for a moment and said:
"Uncle Zhao, you don't need to keep it a secret for me. Just have the people from the Agricultural University come to Ningcheng to find me. I still have about 20,000 jin of Ping Pong grapes on hand. Let me ask if you're interested?"
Zhao Jin on the other end of the phone laughed in anger:
"You little Xu, our Ruihua Chain is being cursed to death on Weibo, and you're still holding onto this? Are you a hamster? Squeezing out every last bit, how much is 20,000 catties of grapes? It's not even enough to fill a gap between your teeth."
Xu Milu calmly replied, "Then I'll sell it to someone else?"
"No way!! I'll buy a plane ticket to Ningcheng tomorrow, no, tonight. You have to keep this shipment for me, keep it!!"
Zhao Jinfei hung up the phone quickly, and Xu Milu on the other end shrugged.
Actually, she might not be unable to find new sales channels, but she needed to monetize this batch of ping-pong grapes as quickly as possible, and Zhao Jin was the most suitable person to do so.
After all, the origin of the ping-pong grapes in her hand couldn't be investigated too deeply, and it would be safer to hide behind Ruihua Chain Stores.
Once Xu Milu's batch of greenhouse-grown ping-pong grapes ripens, she won't be afraid of anyone coming to inspect.
...
...
Zhao Jin was incredibly fast; he arrived in Ningcheng the very next afternoon. After inspecting the more than 20,000 jin of ping-pong grapes in front of the warehouse that Xu Milu had temporarily rented, he finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
“I’m really worried that you’ll sell it to someone else, Xiao Xu. These days, any grape on the market is labeled as a super fruit, but there’s nothing we can do. Consumers only recognize our Ruihua Chain.”
Zhao Jin said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.
"Of course not. After all, I've worked with you so many times, Uncle Zhao. It saves you trouble and reduces my worries."
Xu Milu signed the form and handed it back to Zhao Jin:
"I'll also tell you something, Uncle Zhao. I have a batch of Ping Pong grape seedlings that I plan to try planting in Ningcheng. I've only told Ruihua Chain about this."
Zhao Jin's eyes were shining:
"Alright, alright! So that's why you came all the way back from Sichuan and Chongqing. You've come here to make a fortune in secret! Don't worry, I'll definitely spread the word for you."
Xu Milu raised an eyebrow in slight surprise: "Aren't you afraid that others will steal your business?"
"Haha, I'm confident enough. Besides, this is such a big cake that Ruihua Chain can't take a bite in one go. Wait for me to make a call first."
Zhao Jin dialed the phone in his hand and added hopefully:
"How many acres of ping-pong grapes do you have now? When were they transplanted? Will they bear fruit this year?"
Xu Milu scratched her face, somewhat uncertainly saying:
"Yes, about thirty-five acres. We just had someone plant it yesterday, and it should be ready to harvest after the Spring Festival."
Zhao Jin slammed the phone down again, his face contorted with a mournful expression.
"Are you kidding me? Seeds these days mature in five months? You couldn't even water them with ginseng water that fast!"
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