Chapter 71

It is exceptionally sweet and has a very refreshing umami flavor.

The snow-white fish fillets lay nestled in bright red fermented tomatoes, their tangy and fresh flavors were astonishing.

Qing Mengzhu was worried that the fish would become fishy if it got cold, so she specially put the fish in a clay pot with charcoal at the bottom. The pot is still boiling, bubbling away, and a rich, sour aroma is wafting out, which is very tempting.

His tomatoes, in particular, are especially tangy and fragrant after fermentation, possessing a richer aroma than tomatoes from other places.

This rich, tangy flavor pairs exceptionally well with the otherwise bland fish, making even the broth taste delicious.

The scalding hot broth was poured over the snow-white rice, and everyone and every dog present could eat three bowls of it.

Everyone ate their meal slowly, chatting casually.

A breeze picked up in the evening, causing the plants in the yard to sway and the lamplight to flicker, making even the stars in the sky seem to twinkle.

After finishing his meal and putting down his bowl, Zhao Hexi suddenly said, "I'll do it with you."

Their long-standing tacit understanding allowed Qing Mengzhu to immediately understand what he meant, and she excitedly picked up her water glass. "Great! Let's toast with tea instead of wine!"

Zhao Hexi picked up her glass. "Your life is like that of a god, I'm going to live like that!"

Ming Chunxi: "Mengzhu and I will not let you down."

Zhao Hexi grinned. "I won't let you down either. Come on, let's celebrate the start of our business!"

Qing Mengzhu: "Cheers!"

Author's Note:

See you tomorrow!

Chapter 71

After the three agreed to start a company, Zhao Hexi rushed back, intending to resign from the company first.

Qing Mengzhu, holding a small notebook, earnestly discussed company matters with Ming Chunxi.

Qing Mengzhu wrote down the first item, "First, let's decide on a name. What should our company be called? What are your thoughts? I suggest 'Zhuxi,' Zhu as in Qing Mengzhu and Xi as in Ming Chunxi."

Ming Chunxi looked at the neatly written name in the notebook, her eyes gentle. "It really is a good name that follows the same lineage. Let's use this one."

Qing Mengzhu thought about the origin of his name. His parents had a free-choice marriage and gave birth to him. When they named him, they used the "Qing" from Qing Yan and the "Meng" from Meng Zhenyu. The "Zhu" at the end indicated that he came into this world with his parents' blessings, and they also wished him a peaceful and smooth life.

Qing Mengzhu looked down at the name he had written down. He was destined never to have biological children, so starting a company would be their child. "Then let's use this name. I checked, and there isn't a company named Zhuxi yet."

Xi means clear and bright, and the name "Zhuxi" is very meaningful to them, both in terms of its meaning and its original intent.

The two looked at each other and saw excitement and joy in each other's eyes.

Doing something together definitely brought them closer together psychologically.

Qing Mengzhu wrote down the full name of the company and said, "Zhuxi Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd.., and I'll be the legal representative."

Ming Chunxi: "Okay."

Qing Mengzhu: "I've calculated it. The company's start-up capital will be about two to three million. I'll register the company first, then set up the entire framework. I'll recruit people for the technical and financial departments first, and then gradually recruit people for the marketing and production departments. We're the type that includes R&D, so we might not make money very quickly."

Seeing that he was thinking clearly, Ming Chunxi nodded. "No need to rush, we'll figure it out slowly."

Qing Mengzhu: "We still need to make money, and we can't be too slow. Do you have time to participate in the daily management? If not, He Xi and I will handle it."

Ming Chunxi shook her head regretfully.

Qing Mengzhu had anticipated this and nodded. "Then I'll be the general manager myself. Do you want He Xi to be the deputy general manager? There's another issue: besides salary, we need to give He Xi a portion of the shares. How much do you want?"

Ming Chunxi: "How about 10%? Then we'll each have 45% left."

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

Ming Chunxi: "This shows we are on the same wavelength."

The two sat side by side, slowly writing down the various matters concerning the company.

At that time, none of them could have imagined that such a simply established company would one day become the world's largest agricultural technology company.

Qing Mengzhu first wrote down various matters, and then Cheng Ming Chunxi took over the pen and added to the list of things she had considered.

The two spent more than three hours writing, filling five large sheets of paper.

Qing Mengzhu carefully put the manuscript away. "I'll start the registration process tomorrow."

Ming Chunxi: "You still have things to do in the fields, and running around is too tiring. I found a registration agency and have them send someone to help you with the procedures."

Ming Chunxi, fearing that Qing Mengzhu would think it was a waste of money, explained, "They are quite familiar with the whole process, which can save us a lot of trouble."

Qing Mengzhu had no objections whatsoever and happily said, "That's great. I just found out that many procedures weren't explained online when I was researching, and I was just about to figure it out myself when you came along like a godsend."

Ming Chunxi: "After all, it's between the two of us."

Qing Mengzhu: "Mmm!"

After putting things away, Ming Chunxi was about to tell Qing Mengzhu to get some rest, but Qing Mengzhu grabbed his wrist and made him sit down. "I have something to tell you."

Ming Chunxi was taken aback. "What's so serious?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Did you notice that I kept emphasizing to you that this company won't lose money?"

Ming Chunxi nodded. He still found it strange. Given Qing Mengzhu's cautious nature, she shouldn't have been so confident. Now, she was repeatedly emphasizing that she wouldn't lose money, as if she had already secured victory.

Qing Mengzhu took a deep breath. "I dare to say this because I have a secret."

Towards the end, Qing Mengzhu lowered her voice.

Ming Chunxi also lowered her voice. "Have you run a similar company before and have some experience?"

Qing Mengzhu: "No, it's because I had a strange encounter."

Looking into Ming Chunxi's eyes, Qing Mengzhu earnestly recounted the story of the Interstellar Mall.

Ming Chunxi's eyes widened, and after listening, he seemed to want to reach out and touch Qing Mengzhu's forehead to see if he had a fever.

Qing Mengzhu grabbed Ming Chunxi's wrist and placed his hand on her knee. "I have evidence, look at my phone."

The two were a couple. Ming Chunxi would occasionally help Qing Mengzhu make calls or send messages on his phone when he was too busy, but she never saw any secrets.

Qing Mengzhu opened the Interstellar Mall app, found her personal center, and turned the Interstellar Mall from hidden to visible. Then she held the phone screen up to Ming Chunxi: "Can you see it now? I got an Interstellar Mall this year, a mall that connects to other civilizations."

Ming Chunxi stared in disbelief as a new app appeared on the screen, wondering if she was seeing things. "Interstellar Mall... a product of extraterrestrial civilizations?"

Qing Mengzhu: "I think so, but I haven't found its origin yet."

Ming Chunxi: "Can I touch it?"

Qing Mengzhu handed him the phone, indicating that he could do as he pleased.

Ming Chunxi took Qing Mengzhu's phone and tried to access the Interstellar Mall, but he couldn't get in at all.

Qing Mengzhu, however, when he saw the prompt from the Mall Assistant asking if he wanted to list Ming Chunxi as a secondary user, simply clicked "Yes".

Ming Chunxi then noticed a new line of text on the screen, which he could then click on.

Ming Chunxi: "Is this biotechnology? The Interstellar Mall only came into my view after you gave your permission."

Qing Mengzhu: "I don't know. Actually, although I've been bound to it for a while, my understanding of it is still very superficial."

Ming Chunxi explored the shop. "Cultivation planes, interstellar planes—are there really that many kinds of extraterrestrial civilizations? What can I buy in the shop?"

Qing Mengzhu: "You'll see when you click in. I still have over 5,000 Star Coins in my balance. I can buy anything that's not more than that price and that I have the purchase permission for."