Gradual Improvement

October 16.

Of the third batch of 20,000 eels being cultivated, one-quarter had begun spawning.

According to the plan, to avoid long gaps in production, 5,000 eels would spawn roughly every half month from then on, ensuring the breeding base could produce 7.6 million glass eels every half month.

Yet before those 7.6 million glass eels had even hatched, 4.4 million had already been pre-ordered by fish farmers from the local area and across Chaoshan.

After more than a month of raising the previous batch, the farmers who had bought them found that, using the formula and specialized feed provided by Hai Lu Feng Company, a large portion of those glass eels had successfully developed into leaf eels.

Once eels reached the leaf-eel stage, they no longer needed Hai Lu Feng Company's specially formulated "artificial Sea Snow Feed." They only needed ordinary eel feed.

As a result, the larger farms among those buyers quickly called again to ask whether there were any eel fry available.

The Sales Department said they would have to wait around half a month for the next batch, without telling the farmers that the eel fry had been artificially bred.

Nor did the farmers think much of it. They assumed Hai Lu Feng Company had a dedicated import channel and had imported the glass eels from overseas.

The Canned Food Factory received another 5,000 culled female eels, but this time they were not all used to produce Braised Eel. A more traditional-flavored Braised Eel Canned Food was added instead.

After all, having just one variety of canned eel in the Online Store Department was far too monotonous.

However, sales of the previously stocked Braised Eel Canned Food had increased considerably in October, mainly driven by returning customers.

At Xinli Supermarket in the city center.

More than a dozen cans of eel were quietly placed on the shelves in the canned goods section. They were, surprisingly, Braised Eel Canned Food from the Hai Lu Feng Canned Food Factory.

Xiao Li pushed her shopping cart along as she examined the rows of canned goods on one side of the shelves.

Should I buy a can of Dace with Salted Black Beans to stir-fry with yau mak choy? But my son doesn't seem to like dace with salted black beans...

Eh... eel? My son has been thinking about it ever since he went to a Japanese restaurant last week. Maybe I should buy a can of eel for him?

After looking over several kinds of canned eel, Xiao Li ultimately chose the Hai Lu Feng Canned Food Factory's Braised Eel Canned Food. It mainly looked quite appealing, and the price was pretty affordable too—fifteen yuan per can.

Several more customers gradually bought canned goods from the Hai Lu Feng Canned Food Factory.

Xiao Li returned home.

Her son had just gotten back from school and was lying on the sofa playing with his phone.

"Stop lying around playing on your phone all day. It's bad for your eyes. Go take a shower—we'll be eating soon. Mom bought a can of eel today."

"Got it."

"This child..." Xiao Li shook her head, then carried the bags into the kitchen and got busy.

An hour later, the rice was done and the dishes were nearly ready. Only then did she remember the canned eel. She quickly opened it, poured it onto a small plate, and heated it in the microwave for three minutes.

By then, her husband had come home as well and was watching television in the living room.

"Dinner's ready."

Xiao Li used plate tongs to carry the small dish and set the Braised Eel on the dining table.

Her son came out after washing his hands. The moment he saw the eel on the plate, he said unhappily, "Mom, this is the eel you were talking about? I wanted the kind from the Japanese restaurant, not this!"

"Huh? Isn't it all eel?" Xiao Li snapped irritably. "Eat it or don't. Do you have any idea how hard your mother works?"

"Alright. Dad will take you to eat it again next time. For now, eat properly."

Since his father had spoken too, the brat did not dare say another word and hurriedly lowered his head to eat.

When Xiao Li saw that her son had not touched the eel, she could only eat it herself. She picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

"Hmm?" Somewhat surprised, she picked up another piece.

"What is it? Doesn't it taste good? Canned fish can't possibly taste good." Her husband also took a bite.

But he soon froze as well. "Why does this taste kind of familiar? Have I had this before?"

"No! This is the first time I've bought canned eel." Xiao Li shook her head.

Her husband searched his memories. Then, all at once, he remembered. "I know! It tastes a lot like the Braised Eel from that Agritainment place in Nanfen. Right! This is exactly the taste!"

"When did you go eat there?"

"A friend from work took me there last year."

"This eel tastes great. There's no muddy odor at all, and the seasoning is excellent. These peanuts have really absorbed the flavor—they go perfectly with rice." As Xiao Li spoke, she picked up another piece of eel and took a huge mouthful of rice.

Seeing his parents eat with such relish, the brat could not help but pick up a piece too. "Eh? It's good!"

Many people who tried Hai Lu Feng canned eel for the first time reacted much like Xiao Li's family.

The flavor was astonishing to first-time eaters, and with fish that had none of that muddy odor, even people with picky palates could hardly find fault with it.

Perhaps the canned eel's only flaw was that the fish was not fresh enough.

After dinner, Xiao Li washed the dishes and lay on the sofa playing with her phone.

As she scrolled, she suddenly remembered that she could look up that canned food on Tao Net. Buying it online should be cheaper.

She went to the kitchen trash can to check the brand on the can, then typed it into the search bar. Only one store appeared after the page refreshed.

"Hai Lu Feng Agricultural Technology Company? Huh? They only sell canned food? And they're a local company?"

Xiao Li looked over the online store's introduction, then tried chatting with customer service.

Meanwhile, in the third-floor dormitory at Hai Lu Feng Company headquarters, Zhang Xinyi was lying on her bed playing a match-three game when a Tao Net customer service notification suddenly popped up.

She quickly opened the merchant backend on Tao Net and answered the customer's questions.

Before long, Xiao Li learned that the company was located near Ma Gong Town, and that the canned food was produced by the company itself.

The two of them chatted for half an hour without realizing it.

Feeling slightly embarrassed after their lively conversation, Xiao Li placed an order for ten mixed cans of eel canned food.

Having just finished chatting with Xiao Li, Zhang Xinyi had not even had time to take a sip of water before another customer made an inquiry. This time, however, the customer wanted to buy ten cases of Braised Eel Canned Food.

Using her authority, Zhang Xinyi gave the customer a ten-percent discount.

This customer was a sushi delivery shop in the city. After trying the Braised Eel Canned Food from Hai Lu Feng Canned Food Factory, they found that it could replace the more expensive Unagi Kabayaki canned food they had been using.

Moreover, once the Unagi Kabayaki canned food they had used before went cold, its muddy, earthy odor became far too noticeable, resulting in more than a dozen complaints against the shop.

The sushi shop owner had therefore been searching for a solution, until he came across Hai Lu Feng Canned Food Factory's Braised Eel Canned Food. After trying it, it was as if a whole new world had opened up before him.

Upon hearing that Hai Lu Feng Canned Food Factory was in Ma Gong, the customer planned to come pick up the goods himself the next day.

Zhang Xinyi naturally had no objections. After all, the shipping fee for ten cases of eel canned food was no small expense.

Getting up from her bed, she stretched and gave herself a pep talk in the mirror. "Come on, things will get better!"

Although the boss had not said anything, the Online Store Department's consistently lukewarm performance still left Zhang Xinyi deeply anxious.

Fortunately, repeat customers had gradually begun appearing over the past few days. On top of that, they had settled the listing prices with supermarkets in the city, Hai Cheng County, and Lu Feng City, allowing her to finally breathe a small sigh of relief.

Only half of October had passed, yet the Online Store Department had already sold 1,436 cans, reaching 20,000 yuan in revenue. This greatly boosted Zhang Xinyi's confidence.

Now, she could finally get a good night's sleep.

Junior employees had their own worries and helplessness. Perhaps that was simply life.