Chapter 23
The parents' oversight meeting was held on the rooftop of Wanfu Shopping Mall in the evening.
Hu Zhenzhen arrived at the venue ten minutes early and found that 80% of the seats were already full.
People were still gradually entering through the entrance.
The coffee shop hasn't hired any staff yet; the people currently serving the parents are all people Hu Zhenzhen brought from the villa.
The staff serving private individuals are of extremely high caliber, naturally distinguishing them from the staff in ordinary coffee shops.
Not all parent representatives are wealthy or powerful.
Some people had never seen such a scene before, and they were quite reserved sitting here.
However, soon, their conversations were joined by the socially adept parents, and with so many people, the café inevitably became noisy.
When Hu Zhenzhen came in, several parents who recognized her quickly surrounded her, causing the others who were talking to change the subject.
Who is that?
At the same time, this was the question that parents asked most often.
"Who else could it be?" Tong Shu said sourly. "Besides Hu Zhenzhen, who organized this meeting, who else could have this kind of popularity?"
As they were talking, another group of people surrounded Hu Zhenzhen.
Tong Shu clicked his tongue. "Look, aren't there more lackeys fawning over her now?"
Tong Shu is a nouveau riche who has only become wealthy in the last two years. He has some money and loves being fawned over.
However, in the Beiguan Elementary School circle, most of the people are either rich or powerful, so his little bit of money is not enough.
Those who are praised are the most vulnerable to being neglected.
Tong Shu was the same; he was used to being flattered wherever he went, so he found it particularly unpleasant to be around these parents.
The person closest to him was Wu An, whose family didn't have much money.
Tong Shu had helped him out casually by lending him some money, and since then, Wu An had been hanging out with him.
Hearing Tong Shu's words, Wu An lowered his voice, "I heard that she donated the school library. This Mrs. Hu must be quite wealthy."
"So what if she's rich?" Tong Shu sneered. "Everyone has some money, why is she the one donating this and that, as if she wants everyone to know she's rich?"
Wu An was also puzzled, and asked with a wink, "You think she's so rich, would she charge us for this little bit of milk?"
Tong Shu rolled her eyes at him. "What? Are you so poor that you can't even afford to buy some milk?"
Wu An scratched his cheek. "I do have money, but I was thinking that since she's so rich, she shouldn't be so stingy as to care about a little milk money."
Their conversation also reached the ears of others.
Sitting nearby, Dong Yu rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky. She couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out a comment.
"Some people are really outrageous. They take advantage of others and then act like they're in the right. They're hypocritical and yet they're so loud about it."
Wu An's face flushed red instantly.
He could tell this was a sarcastic remark and immediately retorted, "We're chatting here, it's none of your business, why are you interrupting?"
Dong Yu clapped his hands mockingly and stood up abruptly.
"I've never seen anyone as shameless as you. If you want to take advantage, just say so. Why try to use moral blackmail? What? Does Ms. Hu think that taking a little money from you for milk means she'll be labeled as stingy?"
Her shouting drew everyone's attention in the room.
Wu An was even more embarrassed. He couldn't save face, so he could only keep his mouth shut.
“I didn’t say I really wouldn’t pay. Besides, Ms. Hu is so rich, she definitely wouldn’t care about my ten or eight yuan for milk.”
These words were meant to explain to the parents around him, but they also revealed Wu An's own ulterior motives.
Hu Zhenzhen was watching this side; what if she heard what he said and decided not to charge for the milk?
Wu An believed he understood the mindset of these wealthy people; they cared most about saving face.
He said that in public, so how could Hu Zhenzhen possibly have the nerve to accept his money?
Hu Zhenzhen is indeed capable.
She noticed this corner as soon as the conflict occurred.
Wu An stood up and said those words, and Hu Zhenzhen understood his thoughts in an instant.
He simply wanted to use words to put her in a difficult position and then take advantage of her.
To be honest, Hu Zhenzhen originally didn't plan to charge students for milk. Even if she were to, considering the existence of some outstanding but impoverished students, she would only charge a token amount for packaging.
But Wu An's words were really annoying.
Hu Zhenzhen loves money and loves spending it. She doesn't care how much money she spends on others, but she hates being taken advantage of.
Even small gains can make people feel uneasy.
She was unhappy, and naturally didn't want Wu An to be happy either.
“This parent is joking. Everyone’s money is earned through hard work. There is no high or low value. Even ten or eight dollars is earned through hard work. I would never look down on it.”
After saying that, to prove this point, Hu Zhenzhen immediately turned around and said to Chen Kai, "Chen Kai, could you please add this parent? From now on, the money collected from the milk will be Xiao Chen's pocket money, so that he can experience what it's like to earn money."
Now that things have come to this point, how could Wu An possibly refuse to give a child money?
He gave an awkward, dry laugh a few times, and when he realized no one was paying attention to him, he sat down quietly.
Beiguan Elementary School is a place where wealthy people gather, and most of the parents who are elected as representatives are also rich.
Wealthy people who can build large businesses naturally have their share of cunning. Wu An's little tricks, though he himself thought they were foolproof, were nothing more than the antics of a clown in the eyes of others.
As for the representatives from ordinary families, they avoided him to the extreme, keeping their distance from him for fear of being mistaken for someone like him.
Just kidding, Hu's mom already said in the group that, in order to take care of everyone, she will only charge for the packaging of the milk.
The packaging cost is just for cardboard boxes; it wouldn't amount to much.
Their family is of modest means, but they shouldn't be unable to afford such a small amount of money as twenty or thirty yuan a month.
In their eyes, offending Hu Zhenzhen for such a small amount of money was the most foolish thing to do.
Hu Zhenzhen donated a library to the school and was busy with the student milk issue, clearly showing that she cares about the children and doesn't care about money.
If you build a good relationship with this Mrs. Hu, your child might enjoy the benefits in the future.
This time we can finally drink pure milk, right?
Maybe next time I can get a free school uniform.
Thinking about it this way, the representatives from ordinary families looked at each other and distanced themselves from Wu An even further.
With many people in the room, and several people changing positions, it shouldn't be noticeable.
But Wu An was really unpopular.
The room was already quite crowded with so many parents, but the area around him was completely empty, as if it had been swept clean by a vacuum cleaner.
Even Tong Shu, who was the first to speak to Wu An, moved to another place after Wu An stood up.
Despite the sour grapes, Hu Zhenzhen is so rich and has so many people flattering her; she's obviously a big shot. Tong Shu isn't stupid.
It would be a huge loss to offend Hu Zhenzhen for someone like Wu An.
Wu An sat alone in the middle of the crowd, his face flushed, but he shamelessly stayed.
It wasn't until Chen Kai approached him, actually added him on WeChat, and he heard the laughter of the people around him that Wu An finally couldn't stay any longer.
He suddenly stood up and walked out.
He attracted a lot of attention for a moment, but once they realized it was him, they all looked away and no one paid any attention.
The meeting was proposed by Hu Zhenzhen, so naturally, the responsibility of chairing the meeting fell to her.
"Everyone is clear about the purpose of today's meeting, so I'll keep it brief."
As soon as Hu Zhenzhen reached out, Aunt Liu and Aunt Wang, who had been waiting in the coffee shop for a long time, came out.
The two women were nannies that Hu Zhenzhen hired later. Today, Hu Zhenzhen paid them triple overtime pay to help out at the coffee shop for a day.
It was supposed to be helping, but it was really just boiling milk and preparing snacks.
The work wasn't much heavier than their usual work at the villa, and they earned three times the salary for such a simple task, so the two of them worked even harder.
They were both carrying the largest thermos flasks.
Although thermos flasks may look a bit old-fashioned, when it comes to both heat preservation and capacity, nothing can beat them.
In front of the parents was a long table, covered with empty cups.
Before, no one knew what they did, but when Aunt Liu and Aunt Wang appeared in this outfit, everyone instantly understood.
This is the milk tasting segment that Hu Zhenzhen mentioned.
The milk was poured into glasses one by one, and then Liu An and others handed them to the parents in order.
When fresh milk is boiled, a thick layer of milk skin will form on the surface, making it taste the richest and sweetest.
When it was Dong Yu's turn, the milk poured out was just mixed with the milk skin.
She hasn't drunk milk in a long time.
My first thought was that there might be some foreign object mixed in the milk, and I subconsciously frowned.
It wasn't until she held the cup in her hand that she realized what it was.
Milk skin —
Dong Yu is a self-made millionaire. His family was poor when he was young, and they raised a dairy cow to sell milk for a living.
Her mother loved her dearly and would always set aside a portion of her milk for her to drink every day.
A spoonful of sugar on freshly boiled hot milk was the most delicious thing Dong Yu had in her childhood.
Every time, her mother would use chopsticks to pick up the milk skin from the milk and give it to her as a snack.
I haven't had milk skin with a slightly chewy texture in years.
Dong Yu suddenly felt a surge of desire, so she drank the milk in her cup clean, not caring about her image, and ate the milk skin stuck to the cup.
"Very pure."
The person sitting next to her was taken aback. "Aunt Dong, are you saying the milk is very pure?"
Dong Yu then realized she had spoken out of turn, nodded, and said, "My family raised dairy cows when I was a child, and this is what pure milk tastes like."
The parent next to me laughed, "I also think the milk here is exceptionally pure, unlike the milk I drank at the ranch last time. It was pure, but it had a cow's taste."
The so-called "beef smell" is the unique muttony or gamey odor of cattle and sheep.
Having been exposed to the situation, Dong Yu knew some of the inside story and looked at her with pity.
“Mom, actually, some businessmen will resort to tricks to make money after pure milk is produced.”
Ms. Qian subconsciously tried to explain for the ranch, "But I checked it myself, the milk wasn't thin at all, it was very thick, it didn't look like it was diluted with water."
"Who says the only trick is to dilute it with water?" Dong Yu saw that she knew nothing about the dairy industry and kindly explained, "Adding cow urine will not reduce the viscosity."
Ms. Qian's expression froze instantly. "Cow urine?"
The parents sitting next to Dong Yu all put down their cups.
“Not every ranch does this,” Dong Yu comforted her. “Maybe the milk you drank last time was from a cow that hadn’t been bathed, so it might have had a stronger odor.”
Everyone around them lost their appetite for drinking milk because of Dong Yu's words.
Dong Yu, however, seemed to be enjoying her drink and raised her hand, asking, "Could I have another cup?"
Hu Zhenzhen didn't notice this little incident.
After everyone had tasted the milk, she said, "The name of the dairy farm is Baihua Ranch. If you have any questions or doubts about Baihua Milk, you can visit the ranch before 10 p.m. tonight or all day tomorrow."
Hu Zhenzhen wrote the address on the small blackboard in the coffee shop.
This is the first step Baihua Milk is taking, and it's also a very important step for Hu Zhenzhen in order to complete the main quest.
She became the most extravagant mom on campus.
On the surface, the goal of the mission seems to be to make Hu Zhenzhen the richest one.
After careful consideration, Hu Zhenzhen realized that things were not so simple.
Two-thirds of the children of the richest people in S City attend school here. If Hu Zhenzhen were to become the one with the most assets, it would be no different from making her the richest person in S City.
Why is the mission objective limited to the campus?
She thought for a long time, and when she used the word "most extravagant" as a verb, her thoughts suddenly flowed smoothly.
The term "most extravagant" can refer to having the most assets or spending the most money on campus.
According to Hu Zhenzhen's speculation, as long as those connected to Beiguan School believe that she is the richest one, the main quest will be successful.
She still has plenty of time; the system's countdown timer has two months left. If she can push Baihua Milk to a new level during this period, the mission will most likely succeed.
Hu Zhenzhen suggested that the parents visit the dairy factory for this very purpose.
Baihua Ranch was originally called Baihua Milk Factory, but it not only raises dairy cows, but also sheep and water buffalo that Fang Ping later purchased.
With more animals, calling it a dairy farm might be too narrow a term.
At Fang Ping's suggestion, Baihua Milk Factory was renamed Baihua Ranch.
Next came an advertising offensive.
Hu Zhenzhen doesn't plan to make a profit from milk at Beiguan Elementary School, but with Baihua Ranch running, it can't rely on the system's money forever; keeping it running is the real priority.
The kidnapping case has just been solved.
Online discussions about San Niu Milk remain heated.
This is the perfect time to promote Baihua Milk.
Hu Zhenzhen didn't hold back and brought up the previous issue of student milk safety to the top of the trending searches.
Student milk has always been a concern for the public. As a substitute for Sanniu milk, Baihua milk's appearance in the news is bound to attract everyone's attention.
Baihua Milk.
Before seeing the name on the trending topics, Wang Defa had never heard of this brand of milk.
Like most people, his first thought was: Where did this knock-off come from?
San Niu Milk just had its scandal, and now the milk supplied to Beiguan Elementary School is a no-name brand.
Wang Defa frowned; his professional instincts told him that there was definitely something wrong here.
Did the school take bribes?
As a frontline reporter, he has been fighting against all kinds of evil for many years and has a very keen sense of smell.
Matching this is Wang Defa's drive to act.
On the very day he suspected there was something wrong with Baihua Milk, he decided to sneak into the milk factory to find out.
Wang Defa's online account has amassed millions of followers through years of exposing various shady and disgraceful incidents. He then decided to use a miniature camera to document the production process of counterfeit milk products that might occur.
The video will then be made public to expose the dark side of milk.
Wang Defa originally planned to apply for a job at Baihua Ranch in order to have the opportunity to go in and film.
But when he got off the train and arrived at Baihua Ranch, looking around to see what was going on, he found that the ranch was having an event and welcoming people in droves.
This is a golden opportunity.
Wang Defa quickly stepped forward and mingled into the visiting group.
The people queuing up to visit were all parents of students from Beiguan Elementary School. In addition to the class representatives, Hu Zhenzhen also invited many parents who were not representatives to visit.
By blending in with these people, Wang Defa successfully entered the ranch.
He carefully concealed his miniature camera, hoping to capture some useful footage.
As a result, all the visitors around them were taking pictures of everything with their phones, turning everything upside down.
Wang Defa's feelings were mixed.
I always felt like he looked like an idiot, being filmed by hidden cameras.
However, a side path during his visit soon caught his attention. There were staff members specifically assigned there to guide visitors and prevent them from entering the side path.
There must be something wrong with it!
Wang Defa roused himself.
All the other visitors obediently followed the staff's instructions and turned the corner, but Wang Defa hid in a corner after turning the corner.
After this group of visitors left, the staff returned to the office to rest.
With no one watching the intersection, Wang Defa cautiously peeked out and dashed into the alley.
What he didn't know was that this staff member was specially arranged by Fang Ping to prevent visitors from accidentally entering the sheep-raising area.
The ranch was originally an abandoned botanical garden.
The botanical garden is basically flat, with only pebble paths for people to walk on and the rest of the area dedicated to growing flowers and grass.
After Fang Ping took over, she redefined the area.
Cattle and sheep should be raised separately.
Cows are gentle in nature, and dairy cows are the main attraction, so the area is open to parents for visits.
The goats don't like to interact with people and are strong jumpers, so Fang Ping specially kept them in a pasture with high fences, fearing that with so many people around today, one of the goats might jump out and hurt someone.
The road Wang Defa was walking on led to the sheepfold.
He observed very carefully along the way and noticed that small, round, black pills would occasionally appear on the clean road.
These tiny pills are only the size of a little fingernail, have a soft texture, can be easily squeezed open, and have a herbal smell.
Wang Defa smelled it carefully, then put another one into a plastic bag, intending to send it to the testing institute for analysis as soon as he left.
He suspected it might be medication given to the cows, perhaps with added hormones or something.
Unscrupulous merchants have endless tricks up their sleeves, and only after testing can we know what exactly is added to these little black pills.
Wang Defa saw small pills every now and then as he walked.
He was furious.
The pills were just lying on the ground so casually, which shows they weren't anything valuable. They must have been fed to the cows in large quantities to have left so many on the ground.
Cows fed this way produce milk, but all the medication is passed to the calves along with the milk.
I heard that Baihua Milk now only does business with schools.
Isn't this harming the future of our motherland?
Filled with a burning desire to expose the true nature of this tainted milk factory, he quickened his pace.
Going to the cowshed is the real priority.
In places like theirs where they produce black milk, the cows must not be treated very well. Wang Defa was already mentally prepared to see a dirty and chaotic cowshed.
He adjusted the position of the hidden camera to ensure it could be filmed directly at the cowshed, and moved towards the high fence in the distance.
Once he reached the fence, Wang Defa, seeing that no one was around, nimbly climbed up.
The ranch owner must have a guilty conscience to build such a high fence, Wang Defa cursed inwardly as he climbed. When he reached the top, he couldn't wait to raise the small camera hanging around his neck.
The photo was taken first, and then the person peeked out from behind.
Wang Defa was startled when he saw the camera.
This is supposed to be a cattle farm, so why are there so many sheep?
Are you suggesting we use goat milk instead of cow milk? That would be incredibly silly; goat milk is twice as expensive as cow milk.
Wang Defa's heart skipped a beat; he had realized that his judgment had been wrong.
He tried to climb down the fence, but his clothes got caught.
"Who goes there?!"
Someone in the distance spotted Wang Defa and roared.
Wang Defa was startled and lost his grip, falling directly off the fence. His clothes were torn in half, exposing most of his back, making him look extremely disheveled.
Ten minutes later, in the factory manager's office.
"Factory manager, we've found a suspicious person in the sheepfold!"
Fang Ping's door was pushed open, and the security guard excitedly escorted Wang Defa in.
"In the sheepfold? A sheep thief?"
Fang Ping looked up, glanced at Wang Defa, and saw that his clothes and demeanor didn't resemble those of a petty thief. "Why did you go to the sheepfold?"
Wang Dehua was in a difficult position. If he had known it was a sheep pen, he definitely wouldn't have gone there. What could he say? Should he tell the truth and say that he came to investigate the factory's black milk?
Wouldn't they be kicked out immediately?
Before he could figure out what to say, the security guard reported to Fang Ping in a strange voice.
"Factory manager, I think this guy is probably a pervert. He picked up a lot of the sheep dung that we didn't sweep up on the road."
Security guard Xiao Wang winked and said, "Didn't it all report on the news? There are perverted men who like sheep."
Fang Ping couldn't help but let out a "Huh," her expression one of disgust.
"No, I'm not a pervert!"
Wang Defa panicked. If this got out, he would be too ashamed to face his fellow villagers.
"I'm really not a pervert. Actually, I'm a reporter who wanted to visit the dairy factory."
Upon hearing that he was a reporter, Fang Ping instantly understood the reason for his furtive behavior.
So it turns out it was an undercover investigation.
She smiled and asked the security guard to release him. "So you're a reporter. Why didn't you let us know sooner? We can visit freely here for the next couple of days."
Wang Defa laughed awkwardly.
He doesn't want to see things that are obvious; if he's given permission, how can he possibly see them?
Fang Ping could tell his purpose from his expression.
"Actually, you are welcome to visit freely. There are no secrets in Baihua Ranch, as long as you do not disturb the cattle and sheep."
Wang Dehua was taken aback.
He never expected the factory manager to allow him to tour the factory at will.
Could it be that they have such confidence in their black milk production methods?
Wang De laughed.
Then let the ranch suffer the consequences of its overconfidence. There's no underhanded operation in this world that it can't uncover!
Wang Defa left and wandered around the ranch for three hours, deliberately seeking out secluded spots, and filmed quite a few videos.
His account, which had a million followers, was updated overnight in the early hours of that day.
[The entire process of an undercover investigation of Baihua Ranch]
Overnight, Baihua Milk once again topped the trending searches.
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