Chapter 136 Market Acceptance and the Great Success of the Raw Meat Project
The consequence of staying up all night is that you sleep through almost the entire day.
When Shi Wan woke up in a daze, it was already past three in the afternoon.
The setting sun cast its warm rays through the window, filtering through the off-white curtains.
The sounds of birdsong and cicadas fill my ears, creating white noise that is very helpful for sleep.
Shi Wan lay on the bed for a while before she realized the difference between dreams and reality.
It's commonly known as being half-asleep.
She sat up, casually tidied her messy hair, and stared blankly around.
Tangyuan wasn't inside; I guessed she either went off to play with the mountain breeze or was curled up in some corner.
She yawned and finally got out of the soft, warm clothes she had put on.
The air conditioner in the room was set to 24 degrees Celsius, and the cool breeze was a bit chilly, but just right for sleeping under the covers.
She was a little hungry.
Shi Wan lazily slipped on her slippers and went downstairs, where she saw Xing Lin's figure on the stairs.
He didn't mind the heat and sat on the terrace reading a book.
On the table was a glass of plum juice filled with ice cubes. The steam condensed on the transparent glass and then slowly slid down, looking very refreshing and thirst-quenching.
Xinglin wore a light-colored short-sleeved polo shirt, which made her look very clean and elegant.
Shi Wan, who was also intrigued, stopped and leaned against the railing to admire the view.
He wasn't very focused when reading; after reading two or three pages, he would turn his head to look outside.
The terrace opens onto a lawn, surrounded by several trees, including osmanthus and apple trees.
As a result, not only did the grass grow with all sorts of kittens, but even the tree branches were home to several agile kittens.
Xinglin was watching them.
He would look down at the ground beneath his feet for a while, then bend down and reach out.
He cupped his palms slightly and gently patted the area above his ankle near his calf, as if there were a kitten there.
Shi Wan didn't understand at first, but two seconds later she suddenly understood.
That spot was probably where Mo Tuan used to hang out when he was alive.
The little black cat always stays at its owner's feet, then gently rubs its head against the owner's leg in exchange for a tender pat.
Shi Wan stared at Xing Lin on the stairs for a long time, so long that Tangyuan suddenly appeared from some corner and rubbed against her ankle, finally bringing her back to her senses.
"Meow~" Tangyuan tilted her head back, her heterochromatic eyes reflecting the afternoon sunlight. "Wanwan's awake?"
"Hmm," Shi Wan squatted down and rubbed its head, "Are you hungry? I'll go cook."
“Xinglin made a meal,” Tangyuan wagged its tail, “and it’s keeping it warm in the kitchen. He said Wanwan can eat it when she wakes up.”
Shi Wan felt a warmth in her heart and walked towards the kitchen.
Xinglin heard the noise, closed his book and came in, naturally taking the pot from her hand. "Go sit down, I'll heat it up."
"I can do it myself," Shi Wan said, a little embarrassed.
"You just woke up, take a moment to relax." Xinglin took the work from her and said while lighting the fire, "Did you sleep well?"
"It's fine, I just slept for too long." Shi Wan sat down at the dining table and watched Xing Lin deftly heat up the dishes.
A simple meal consisting of two dishes and a soup: stir-fried seasonal vegetables, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and a bowl of millet porridge.
The food was all light and easy to eat, perfect for her after she had just woken up.
Xinglin brought the food to the table and poured a glass of warm water for her, saying, "If you're really thirsty, drink some water first."
Shi Wan obediently drank the water, picked up her chopsticks, and suddenly remembered something, "Have you eaten?"
"We ate around 1:00 p.m.," Xinglin said, sitting down opposite her. "You were sleeping so soundly, so I didn't wake you."
The two ate their late lunch in silence.
Shi Wan was really hungry and ate with great relish.
Xinglin sat opposite her, occasionally serving her food, but most of the time he just watched her quietly, his eyes as gentle as the wind.
Halfway through the meal, Shi Wan's phone suddenly started vibrating repeatedly.
She picked it up and saw that it was a message from the work group, as well as several missed calls from Su Qing.
"Finally awake?" Su Qing called again quickly, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Quick, check your email! The third-party test report is out! All indicators are better than the national standards!"
Shi Wan paused, her chopsticks still in her hand. "Really?"
"Absolutely true! And there's even better news~ All 100 sets of the basic formula from Mr. Wang's side have been ordered, and the customer feedback has been amazing! Ms. Li's cattery's 28 Ragdoll cats have a 100% acceptance rate for the customized formula! Xiao Lu's video was posted last night, and it has already surpassed 5 million views!"
A series of good news left Shi Wan a little stunned.
She put down her chopsticks, opened her tablet, logged into her email, and sure enough, saw a row of new emails: the official report from the testing agency, Mr. Wang's confirmation of additional orders, Ms. Li's cattery's letter of intent for long-term cooperation, and screenshots of video data sent by Xiaolu.
The raw meat and bone project was a success as expected.
It wasn't a successful trial production; it was a success recognized by the market.
"Mr. Shi? Are you listening?" Su Qing asked on the other end of the phone.
"I'm listening." Shi Wan took a deep breath and tried to make her voice sound calm. "Su Qing, notify all departments to work overtime tonight. We're having an emergency meeting."
"We've already notified them!" Su Qing said with a smile. "Chen Xi is checking the raw material inventory, Lin Yao is designing the celebration poster, and Isabella is organizing customer feedback data. We're just waiting for you, the commander-in-chief."
Shi Wan hung up the phone and looked at the numbers and words on the screen that represented success, feeling a mix of emotions welling up inside her.
There is joy, a sense of accomplishment, and a sense of peace that comes with everything settling down.
"It's a success," she said softly, looking up at Xinglin.
Xinglin looked at her, a gentle smile on his lips, "I saw it, congratulations, Shi Wan."
“It was us,” Shi Wan corrected. “Without your data system, it wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.”
Xinglin shook his head. "The system is just a tool. What truly impresses the market is the product itself, and the hard work you and your team have put in."
Shi Wan wanted to say something more, but the work group chat was already flooded with messages.
She quickly finished the rest of her meal and said to Xinglin, "I need to prepare meeting materials, tonight..."
“I’ll go with you,” Xinglin replied naturally. “The data system needs to report its operational status, and…”
He paused, a smile in his eyes, "I want to see with my own eyes what it's like when you stand in the conference room and announce your success to everyone."
Shi Wan's face flushed slightly, and she nodded, "Okay."
At 7 p.m., the farm's meeting room was once again full of people.
But this time the atmosphere was no longer tense, but rather excited and joyful.
Shi Wan stood in front of the projection screen, looking at the familiar faces below.
Su Qing's eyes shone with pride, Chen Xi's smile was rare, Lin Yao's cheeks flushed with excitement, Engineer Li and several technicians stood with their backs straight, and Xing Lin, sitting by the window, was quietly watching her with eyes full of support.
“First of all,” Shi Wan began, her voice clear and firm, “I want to thank everyone here. Over the past month, you have all worked overtime and put in countless hours of hard work. Without your efforts, we would not have achieved today’s success.”
Applause erupted in the conference room.
Shi Wan waited for the applause to subside before continuing, "Everyone has seen the third-party testing report, so I won't go into detail. What I want to focus on is the market feedback."
She pulled up a data chart: "Mr. Wang's first batch of orders sold out within three days. The survey showed that 92 percent of customers said they would continue to buy, and 68 percent of them were willing to upgrade to customized services."
The screen then switched to another set of data: "Ms. Li's cattery has a 100% acceptance rate for the customized formula among its 28 Ragdoll cats. After using our formula for two weeks, the average luster of the cats' fur increased by 15%, the rate of improved bowel movements was 83%, and the overall mental state assessment was excellent for all of them."
A low gasp of surprise rippled through the conference room.
Shi Wan continued, "The deer's video has currently garnered 5.37 million views, leading to a threefold increase in visits to the farm's official website, and pre-orders for related merchandise have surged again. More importantly..."
She paused, then added, “In the video comments section, I received inquiries from seventeen other high-end pet agencies, five of which have already contacted Isabella hoping to establish a partnership.”
She turned off the projector and looked at everyone. "What does this mean? It means that we have not only made good products, but also opened the door to the high-end market. It means that our farm is no longer just a local pet food brand, but a professional supplier capable of serving high-end customers across the country."
The meeting room was silent for a few seconds, then erupted in enthusiastic applause.
Su Qing stood up. "Mr. Shi is right! But this is just the beginning. I have already contacted several top pet salons in Beijing and Shenzhen. They have seen the test report and the video of Xiao Lu and have expressed great interest. If we can capture these two markets, our order volume in the second half of the year can at least double!"
Chen Xi also spoke, his voice steady, "In terms of production, the existing raw materials can support up to 120% of the current order volume. If orders continue to increase, we will need to expand the scale of breeding. I have already made a preliminary budget and schedule plan, and we can start at any time."
Lin Yao excitedly raised her hand, "The packaging design has been nominated for the Pet Supplies Design of the Year award. The awards ceremony is next month. If we win, the brand's awareness will reach a new level!"
As Shi Wan listened to everyone's reports, her sense of accomplishment grew stronger and stronger.
She looked at Xinglin, "How is the data system operating?"
Xinglin stood up, walked to the front, and connected to his computer.
The screen displayed the real-time monitoring interface of the data system: "In the past week, the system has been running stably for 168 hours, processing 372 orders, generating 409 customized formulas, with 100% data accuracy, passing all stress tests, and completing emergency response drills."
He brought up another page, "More importantly, the system is starting to generate added value. Through the analysis of customer feedback data, we have discovered some interesting patterns. For example, cats living in humid southern regions are more accepting of formulas with added specific probiotics; appropriately increasing the fat content in winter formulas can significantly improve the condition of pets' fur. These data insights can, in turn, guide us to optimize basic formulas and even develop new product lines, and our database will become increasingly rich."
Another round of praise erupted in the conference room.
Li Gong couldn't help but say, "Teacher Xinglin, your system is simply amazing! Before, we relied entirely on experience, but now with data support, it's so much more scientific!"
Xing Lin smiled modestly, "It's because everyone provided enough data that the system was able to learn the patterns."
The meeting lasted for two hours, and everyone was excited, discussing the next steps.
The meeting ended after 9 p.m.
As everyone left, Shi Wan and Xing Lin were the last to exit the conference room.
Night had fallen.
"Shall we go for a walk?" Xinglin asked softly.
Shi Wan nodded.
The two walked side by side on the farm path, the night breeze cool and carrying the scent of grass and earth.
The faint chirping of insects could be heard in the distance.
"I'm very happy today," Shi Wan said softly.
“I can see that,” Xinglin said, walking beside her. “You looked radiant standing in the conference room.”
Shi Wan's face flushed slightly, and she changed the subject, "I'll be very busy from now on. The second phase of the production line needs to be started, new markets need to be explored, and the awards ceremony needs to be prepared... I feel like there's never enough time."
“Take your time,” Xinglin said gently. “You’ve already proven your ability. Now you just need to follow the steps, and…”
He paused, then said, "I will always be by your side to help you share the burden."
Shi Wan stopped and turned to look at Xing Lin.
Under the moonlight, his eyes shone as if they were filled with stars.
“Starfall,” she asked earnestly, “Are you really not planning to leave? To go back to the Data World or somewhere else, but instead want to stay here forever?”
Xinglin stopped and stood face to face with her.
A night breeze carries the sweet fragrance of osmanthus trees from afar.
“This is where I belong.” His voice was soft, but every word was clear and powerful. “In the long years in the system, I just existed, without a future or a place to belong. But here, by your side, on the farm, I found the feeling of being alive, found the people I want to protect, and the place I want to protect.”
Looking into his gentle yet firm eyes, Shi Wan gradually began to untangle the tangled mess in her heart.
She took a deep breath and said softly, "Xinglin, after the awards ceremony, after the second phase of the production line is stable, and after I have more energy to think about relationships... I will give you a serious answer then."
Xinglin's eyes lit up.
He nodded, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "Okay, I'll wait for you."
The two continued walking, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed than before.
As she reached the entrance of the main house, Shi Wan suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, Lin Yao said the awards ceremony is next month in Hangzhou. Do you want to go with me?"
“If you need it,” Xinglin said, “I can explain the data system presentation.”
“Then let’s go together.” Shi Wan said, then added, “Treat it as our first business trip.”
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A message from the author: Wishing everyone a prosperous and fulfilling 2026!
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