Chapter 67 Year-End Recognition: The First Annual Human-Cat Recognition Conference!
The December wind carried a biting chill, but it couldn't dispel the warmth and joy emanating from the Meow Meow Farm.
Shi Wan and Su Qing stood in front of the brand-new factory buildings in Zone 2, looking around at everything that still seemed fresh, their hearts filled with joy and happiness.
With Shi Wan signing the final acceptance document, it also marks the beginning of production in Zone 2 in the near future.
"Master Zhou, thank you for your hard work and that of your colleagues during this time."
Shi Wan handed the check for the settled project payment to Lao Zhou with a very sincere smile.
The amount was within her budget, and there was even some left over after paying, so Shi Wan paid very readily.
Old Zhou's dark face glowed red. He took the check with his rough hands, wiped it somewhat awkwardly on the corner of his clothes, and then carefully put it into his inner pocket.
He gazed at the modern factory that had been built brick by brick from scratch, his eyes filled with a sense of accomplishment and a hint of barely perceptible reluctance.
"Boss Shi, Manager Su, this factory is well-built, you can use it with confidence! If you need any minor repairs or maintenance in the future, just let me know!"
His voice was loud and clear, carrying the simplicity and pride unique to craftsmen.
Su Qing smiled and nodded. She was wearing a neat black coat that complemented the silver-gray factory background. "You've laid a good foundation, which gives us peace of mind when we start operating. Thank you for your hard work, Master Zhou."
At that moment, a slightly shy figure slowly approached.
It's Sun Xiaojun.
He changed into clean clothes, his face showing the nervousness and anticipation typical of young people.
“Boss Shi…” he mustered his courage to speak, his fingers unconsciously curling up, “I…I wanted to ask about the factory’s recruitment after the New Year…”
Looking at the longing for a stable life in his eyes, Shi Wan recalled the conversation that Bingbing had overheard, and her heart softened.
She smiled gently, no longer keeping him in suspense or pretending to be mysterious, and told him directly, "Xiaojun, don't worry, the recruitment plan after the New Year is already being drafted. Just go home and have a good New Year, and come back in the spring with your interviews ready and your energy up."
Sun Xiaojun's eyes lit up instantly, and he nodded heavily, his voice becoming louder.
"Yes, I understand! Thank you, Boss Shi! I will definitely prepare well!"
After he finished speaking, he ran away almost simultaneously, his joyful figure seeming to already see a new life in the coming year.
Su Qing watched his departing figure and couldn't help but smile.
Humans can never resist this kind of vibrant life force.
As the year draws to a close, the pace of the entire city seems to slow down.
Wang Zhizhi counted her holidays on her fingers. With her compensatory leave and annual leave, she could stay in her hometown for two weeks this year.
Her hometown is in a neighboring city, not too far away, so she made a special trip to the farm before going home.
They brought many gifts, large and small, as always.
"Wanwan! I've been craving the taste of your food so much!"
As soon as she got out of the car, she gave Shi Wan a big hug. Her nose was red from the cold, but she was still full of energy.
She entered the warehouse with practiced ease, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the dazzling array of products.
"This! This! And this! Give me some of everything! I've been telling my parents about it for ages. I told them that the vegetables from your farm taste just like vegetables and the meat smells just like meat. They've been drooling over it."
As Wang Zhizhi was speaking, she suddenly had a whim, "Why don't you come home with me for the New Year this year, like in previous years? My mom has said she misses you."
Shi Wan's heart softened. Wang Zhizhi's mother was very kind to her. She was worried that Shi Wan would not eat or dress well while she was away alone. She was also afraid that she would be too offensive if she kept sending her messages and making phone calls. So she kept calling Wang Zhizhi and asking her to take better care of her.
Shi Wan didn't know at first, but later, when Wang Zhizhi accidentally let it slip, Shi Wan realized that Wang Zhizhi's mother, Aunt Chen, had always been thinking about her.
“I’m not going this year, I can’t leave here,” but she shook her head. “I’ll wait until next year, then I won’t have to keep an eye on things here by myself.”
She couldn't keep bothering the family. Whenever she went, Aunt Chen would be busy, cooking delicious food for her and buying her new clothes, just in case she wasn't feeling well.
Shi Wan felt quite embarrassed, as it was the Lunar New Year and her elders were so busy.
Let's just skip the trip this year and let them have a proper New Year.
Wang Zhizhi sighed, "Okay, then you definitely have to come next year, otherwise my mom will worry and she'll have to come and see you in person."
"I know, please say some nice things to Auntie for me, and I'll call her too." Shi Wan took her arm and led her into the warehouse.
Like a weasel that has entered a chicken coop, Wang Zhizhi not only swept up a large pile of fresh vegetables, eggs, catnip biscuits and rabbit meat feed, but also set her sights on the spirited free-range chickens in the livestock area.
"Give me the two fattest ones! I'll take them back to make soup for my dad to help him recover!" Wang Zhizhi waved her hand generously.
Shi Wan smiled and agreed, personally helping her select two large roosters with glossy plumage and bright red combs. She also helped her contact a familiar driver to arrange for the New Year's goods to be delivered home safely.
Wang Zhizhi was very satisfied. She hugged Shi Wan's arm and chattered for a long time before reluctantly leaving.
After seeing Wang Zhizhi off, Shi Wan carefully prepared two more New Year's gifts.
In the box for Isabella, besides farm-specific products, there were also several jars of fine flower tea that Su Qing had selected.
The box given to Su Qing contained almost the exact same items.
She also specially prepared some New Year's gifts for that "interstellar big client" in the Meow Planet Resources Department to maintain good relationships with some clients.
Finally, considering that her two friends were not very good at handling live poultry during their time together, Shi Wan specially asked someone to clean the two chickens she was giving to Isabella and Su Qing thoroughly before delivering them to them as quickly as possible.
With the busy preparations coming to an end, the farm is about to have an exceptionally important day.
That was the first "All Employees (Cat) Conference and Year-End Summary and Commendation Conference".
The venue was set up in a spacious and bright fresh food kitchen in Zone 1.
This place is spacious and can accommodate many cats and several people.
Aunt Li and Xiao Zhang cleared out an open space early on, set up a long table and chairs, and even cut some decorative strips out of colorful wrapping paper. Although simple, it was full of a rustic sense of ritual.
The air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked catnip cookies.
Shi Wan and Su Qing, as members of the management team, sat in the main seats.
Aunt Li and Xiao Zhang, as representatives of the human employees, sat down neatly.
What's even more noteworthy are those special employees.
Huanhuan seemed to know that something big was going to happen today. She had licked herself until she was shiny and smooth early in the morning. Now she was sitting upright at Shi Wan's feet, but her wagging tail and her darting eyes betrayed her excitement.
Tangyuan, as always, maintained his dignified image as the clan leader, choosing a high shelf at the end of the long table as his VIP seat, looking down at everyone with his beautiful heterochromatic eyes as if scrutinizing whether the participants in this meeting were causing trouble.
The most impatient one was Bingbing. He excitedly circled the table leg where the special reward was displayed, his round body almost twisted into a pretzel, his nose sniffing hard, and his throat making urgent meowing sounds.
"Be quiet, Bingbing, you'll get something to eat later." Shi Wan couldn't help but chuckle and gently patted his head.
The conference was naturally hosted by Shi Wan.
She didn't prepare a speech in advance, but said whatever came to mind.
The article reviewed the farm's journey over the past year, from steady development to winning a major award, and the successful completion of the second phase.
She thanked every human for their hard work and also specifically praised several furry heroes.
"...So, to thank everyone for their hard work this year..."
Shi Wan changed the subject, a playful smile appearing on her face, "Now we'll move on to the awards ceremony!"
The atmosphere instantly reached a climax.
Aunt Li and Xiao Zhang received the Annual Diligence and Dedication Award. In addition to a generous red envelope, they also received comfortable and warm cashmere knee pads and gloves specially selected for them by Shi Wan.
"Thank you so much, Boss Shi! I will definitely work hard again next year!" Aunt Li said with a happy smile, holding the gift with great delight.
Xiao Zhang was so happy he could only grin foolishly.
Although Su Qing had only been there a short time, Shi Wan hadn't neglected her.
She was awarded an Outstanding Management Pioneer Award, which included a set of out-of-print professional books she had casually mentioned and a generous year-end bonus.
Su Qing adjusted her glasses, a genuine smile appearing on her usually calm and composed face. "Thank you. I'll do even better next year."
Then came the most anticipated moment: the recognition of the "Furry Employees"!
"Big Yellow!" Shi Wan picked up an oversized teething bone tied with a bow.
"You are awarded the Annual Best Vitality and Security Award! Thank you for your tireless daily patrols and... um... chasing away all suspicious fallen leaves!"
Big Yellow sat in a corner with her three puppies. Although Big Yellow was very friendly, some cats are just naturally averse to contact with dogs.
Dahuang, being very sensible, led the puppies to lie down in the corner.
Upon hearing its name, Big Yellow barked and pounced over, happily grabbing her new treasure. Its tail wagged like a helicopter propeller, and it raised its front paws to bow to Shi Wan before returning to the corner with the bone to share with the eager puppies.
"Tangyuan!" Shi Wan picked up a delicate, soft feather cat toy and a custom collar inlaid with dried fish patterns. "I hereby award you the Best Image and Quality Supervision Award of the Year! Thank you for attracting countless fans with your stunning looks and for supervising the completion of every task with your sharp eyes!"
Tangyuan then condescended to jump down from the shelf, walked over with elegant cat steps, first sniffed the collar with his nose, then demurely fiddled with the feathers with his paw, before letting out a satisfied "meow," allowing Shi Wan to put the new collar on him.
He then picked up the cat toy, jumped back onto his throne, and continued to maintain the aloof image of the cat chieftain.
Then Shi Wan picked up the largest deluxe seafood feast gift bag filled with various flavors of freeze-dried and catnip biscuits, and looked at Bingbing, who was already impatient and about to take off.
"Bingbing!" Her voice was full of laughter. "You are awarded the Best Affability and... uh, Stress Test Award of the Year! Thank you for healing everyone with your chubby figure and optimistic personality, and for successfully passing the stress test at the construction site in Zone Two!"
"Meow—!" Bingbing couldn't hold back any longer and charged over like an orange cannonball. The cat almost plunged into the big gift bag, rolling around happily and making a deafening purring sound, which made everyone burst into laughter.
Next, she prepared a unique and different prize for each of the farm's employees, emphasizing that no prize was wasted.
After the awards ceremony, Shi Wan immediately waved her hand and announced, "Let the feast begin!"
Aunt Li and Xiao Zhang served a steaming hot and sumptuous dinner made with ingredients grown on the farm, and everyone sat together, laughing and chatting happily.
Meanwhile, the furry friends each guarded their own spoils and feasted happily.
Big Yellow was so engrossed in gnawing on a bone that it forgot everything else, while Tangyuan was elegantly and cautiously eating a small dried fish, as if afraid that the cat would snatch it away. Bingbing was eating without even looking up. The whole room was filled with the aroma of food and the sounds of satisfied purring and chewing.
Outside the window was a cold winter night, but inside the room it was warm and cozy, brightly lit, filled with the aroma of food, laughter, and the contented purring of the cats.
This is the sweetest harvest after a year of hard work, a happy moment brewed by everyone, cats and dogs together with sweat and enthusiasm.
Looking at the lively scene before her, Shi Wan felt a great sense of satisfaction and happiness.
Her gaze swept over every smiling face, over every fluffy, adorable little creature, and finally she and Su Qing exchanged a knowing smile.
As the old year draws to a close, the new year looks forward to a brighter future.
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