Chapter 24: Despite setbacks in research and development, the project continues with unwavering determination...
Shi Wan already had a premonition that she would spend the rest of her days in front of this machine.
She took a deep breath, gulped down a full glass of iced cola, let out a long burp, and then refocused her gaze on the screen in front of her.
Several documents were open on my laptop, including the "Pudding Hypoallergenic Cat Food Formula Custom R&D Archive" and a document with a dense list of ingredient data.
"Alright, I'm going to get serious this time. For basic protein, I'll start with chicken, and if chicken doesn't work, I'll switch to rabbit... Let's set the percentage... 35%." She muttered to herself as she skillfully dragged the icons.
The icon representing rabbit meat was dragged into the simulated roulette wheel. As she slid her finger, the percentage gradually increased, and the indicator suddenly jumped to the numerical value.
"Fat source... chicken fat? Let's start with 8%. If only we had a fishpond, fish oil would be great too. I definitely wouldn't mind fish oil dumplings from a farm..." Shi Wan muttered to herself as she pulled the dial to display the fat content.
“Next are carbohydrates and fiber… If you’re low in allergens…” She opened the ingredient database, carefully studied which ingredients she could choose, and finally chose to add 15% peeled peas.
Although most people believe that grain-free cat food is better than grain-based cat food, Shi Wan did some research and found that appropriate grain intake is beneficial to a cat's health.
So she added 5% oatmeal, the fiber of which can also help the pudding digest better.
The data cat on the screen followed her finger's swipes, running around in a very cute and endearing way.
Occasionally, it would stop and squat down to lick its paws, its big eyes gazing at Shi Wan outside the screen, while pop-up chat bubbles would appear: "Go for it! Go for it!"
Meng Shiwan kept getting distracted.
However, things are progressing smoothly so far, and she breathed a sigh of relief, feeling confident of victory.
"Finally, add some offal like liver or heart to improve palatability, and some probiotics to regulate gut function..."
Shi Wan looked at the ingredient list of the recipe she had designed in the simulated compass with satisfaction. It was dazzling and felt very nutritious.
After noting it down in the document next to her, she clicked the generate button with great anticipation.
The data stream on the screen scrolled rapidly, and after a few seconds, the result popped up:
[Simulation results: "Scheme A"]
Nutritional balance: through
Estimated cost: High
Palatability prediction: 6 out of 10
Main issue: Oat components may cause mild bloating, potentially affecting appetite.
As the results appeared, a bowl of cat food appeared in front of the data cat next to it, with the words "Solution A" labeled on the bowl.
The data kitten sniffed the food in the cat bowl, giving it a disgusted look. A new chat bubble popped up next to it: "Smells a bit boring, and eating it might turn me into a butt monster... Pudding doesn't want to eat it..."
Shi Wan: "..."
This "intestinal gas" and "butt fat"... is that what she understands it to mean?
"Failure is the mother of success... If this doesn't work, I'll try something else..." She rallied her spirits and deleted the oatmeal. "I'll use pumpkin powder instead. Surely this won't create another 'biological weapon'?"
[Simulation results: "Option B"]
Nutritional balance: through
Palatability prediction: 7.5 out of 10
New problem: The total carbohydrate intake is slightly high. Frequent consumption will lead to rapid weight gain, creating a burden on the cat's weight and affecting its health.
A new cat food bowl appeared in front of the kitten. The kitten sniffed it, picked up two pieces, ate them, and then withdrew. A new bubble message appeared above its head: "I can eat it, but I'd rather eat other food."
"Ugh! So hard to please!" Shi Wan scratched her hair in frustration, feeling like she had encountered a life problem.
Moreover, the friendly reminder on the side always had an exclamation mark, reminding her that the protein content was low and suggesting that she change to other protein sources.
Shi Wan hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the rabbit cage unlock card in her system inventory.
It seems I really need to start raising rabbits now...
However, rabbit meat is more expensive than chicken. If she were to switch to rabbit meat, she would have to adjust the proportions and recipe again to balance nutrition and cost. But she hadn't even gotten the chicken recipe right, so wouldn't the rabbit recipe be even more difficult?
Shi Wan grabbed Shi Tangyuan, who was watching the commotion, and took a big, frenzied slurp.
He showered Tangyuan's snow-white head with kisses, as if the massage gun had come to life.
Tangyuan was dizzy from the kisses. After being put down, she stood on the sofa for three seconds to catch her breath before quickly running out the window.
That's terrifying, that's terrifying...
Humans at work are terrifying to cats...
That day, Shi Wan was struggling with chicken, and when she realized she wasn't doing it right, she tried rabbit meat, but in the end, she realized she was doing it wrong no matter what...
The next day, Shi Wan arrived at the office early with dark circles under her eyes.
Tangyuan was assigned to the position of general manager, overseeing all the work tasks for the day, including tending the fields and packing and shipping.
Tangyuan wears a smartwatch with phone access around her neck so she can call her anytime.
The computer's documents were filled with numerous attempts at different recipes and proportions, but the highest scores almost all hovered around 7.5 to 7.8, with none reaching 8.
The kitten also didn't seem to like eating much, always turning its back and leaving only its bottom exposed to Shi Wan.
Shi Wan couldn't accept taking out this kind of customized grain to fool people, so she used the same determination and spirit she had when writing her graduation thesis and immersed herself in her office.
Seeing failure after failure, Shi Wan refused to give up and tried going to extremes: "Fine! Since nothing else works, let's make it the highest protein ever! Let's reduce the pumpkin powder and increase the rabbit meat content, increase it even more!!"
She adjusted the scale and clicked "generate" again.
This time, the system's reaction also went to extremes along with hers.
A huge red warning pop-up window occupies the center of the screen:
"Serious warning!!"
"Crude protein content exceeds 45%! Long-term consumption may increase the burden on the kidneys of adult cats!!"
"Costs are severely exceeded! Immediate optimization is recommended!!"
Meanwhile, in the data table at the bottom, the cost column was highlighted with a glaring red number.
The data cat in the corner turned into a terrified cat head, and the text in the chat bubble looked like it was trembling: "Can't afford it! Mom will go bankrupt and have to beg for food! Pudding will also become a homeless person!"
Shi Wan felt as if all her strength had been drained away, and she collapsed onto the sofa. Looking at the failed solutions recorded on the computer screen, which were no longer enough with just 26 letters, she felt utterly defeated.
"Hypoallergenic, nutritious, palatable, cost... why are these four things so hard to put together?" she lamented to the screen. "Why is this rabbit meat recipe so difficult to come up with..."
She stared blankly at the empty ceiling, then subconsciously reached out and touched the side, wanting to hug Tangyuan in her arms.
I only remembered when I suddenly realized that Tangyuan had been sent by her to supervise the work today.
Research and development has reached a bottleneck.
She seemed to sense that success was just one step away, but she had no idea where that step was or how to take it.
I only have a headache.
No, I can't think about it anymore, my head is going to explode.
Shi Wan turned off the machine and prepared to take a stroll around the farm to clear her mind.
Maybe if she relaxes, she'll suddenly have a flash of inspiration and take that step?
With this in mind, Shi Wan went outside.
Taking a deep breath of fresh air, she felt the dull ache in her temples lessen.
You still can't push yourself too hard.
She went to check on the glutinous rice ball production, grabbed the three mischievous little "babies" who were causing trouble in the fields, put them in her pocket and took them away. Then she rode her electric tricycle to deliver the packaged goods to the farm gate.
The courier company noticed the increasing volume of shipments from the farm and originally intended to discuss with Shi Wan the possibility of setting up a courier point on the farm and stationing staff there, so that the couriers wouldn't have to collect the packages at the courier station and then send them to the local distribution center every day.
It will be more efficient.
However, the farm's secrets cannot be revealed to the public yet. Shi Wan didn't want unfamiliar outsiders to come in, so she declined the proposal, citing that the business was not yet stable.
Currently, the only option is for the delivery driver to come and collect the packages in his small car every day.
The delivery guy arrived right on time today. He looked very young, with tanned skin, and a bright, white smile that revealed a set of pearly white teeth.
"Sis, you're here so early today," he said, quickly loading the food into the car. "Is this all for today? Is there any more tonight?"
Shi Wan helped him load the truck. "That's all. This is for today. We didn't pay much today. You can leave work early tonight and don't need to come over."
"Sister, I've been seeing your brand online. I've seen pet owners recommending your store. I'm sure your store will have a lot of orders in the future." The delivery guy chatted with Shi Wan without any awkwardness.
"Thank you for your kind words. I'll treat you to strawberries then," Shi Wan replied with a smile, inwardly marveling at how terrifying E-people were, bringing up topics so easily.
"Alright, then I'll wait to eat strawberries. Just message me if you need anything, and I'll come over as soon as I see it." He got into his car, waved, and sped away.
Shi Wan dragged the cart back, and while sitting in the wooden house, she was still looking through other brands of cat food bags, trying to learn their techniques.
However, it did not come to fruition.
They're all pretty much the same, and she didn't specifically buy hypoallergenic cat food.
The animals on the farm are all healthy, and there are no allergic kittens.
She spent a week figuring things out, researching, and searching for product details of other brands of cat food.
Jiajia didn't urge her, but Shi Wan herself was restless.
She felt uncertain and couldn't sleep at night.
If you can't sleep, you'll have dark circles under your eyes that extend to your chest the next day.
Then they continued their research tirelessly.
It's a vicious cycle.
Tangyuan tried to suppress her, biting her trouser leg and pulling her to bed when it was time, but Shi Wan usually tucked her into her arms, saying, "Tangyuan, stop fooling around, we're just studying..."
Tangyuan cried out in anger, "You never sleep! Mom and Dad will be angry if they see this!"
Shi Wan was momentarily dazed before realizing that it was talking about her parents. When she found the glutinous rice ball, her mother smiled and said that now they were a family of four.
She is the older sister, and Tangyuan is the younger brother.
Mom and Dad are still Mom and Dad.
Since their reunion, Tangyuan hadn't asked about her parents, and Shi Wan hadn't brought it up either. Now that it was being brought up suddenly, she felt a little uncomfortable.
"Tangyuan, why don't you ask me where my mom and dad are?" Shi Wan touched him, her voice low.
Tangyuan licked the corner of her eye; it tasted bitter.
"If your parents were here, they wouldn't let you wander around like this."
Shi Wan went home very early that day. She lay in bed, hugged Tangyuan, and fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of her parents for the first time in a long time.
In my dream, the family of four was reunited.
I was still a little dazed when I woke up the next day.
But Tangyuan was pressed against her chest, its head resting on her shoulder, and it slept soundly, trusting her.
Shi Wan smiled.
Thankfully, Tangyuan is still by her side, and thankfully, Tangyuan will always be with her.
She quietly held the glutinous rice ball, lying on the bed without making a sound.
The system suddenly beeped twice.
This is the notification sound that was set up beforehand.
Curious, she opened the system and saw a small red dot appear next to the customer service hotline.
Strange.
How could a customer service representative who looks so much like an AI proactively contact her?
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Author's note: We were unable to collect employee files today. According to the investigation, the reason may be that the suspect cat bit the data cable, causing the transmission failure.
A search and manhunt has been launched, and it is believed that the culprit cat will be apprehended soon.
—Meow Meow Mimi Investigation Department
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