I See through Everything

Due to a combination of factors, the market price of pond-raised catfish had risen.

The high-protein, firm and springy, and savory and sweet varieties of Egyptian Catfish that Hailufeng Company was preparing to launch were all culinary types, designed to increase the fish’s added economic value.

The vast majority of scaled fish have fine pin bones, and freshwater scaled fish in particular commonly have a muddy taste.

The catfish family, to which Egyptian Catfish belong, generally has large bones and distinct, flaky flesh.

When Jiang Miao was in college in Jiang City, he had Sichuan boiled fish several times, but the countless tiny bones always ruined his appetite. After returning to his hometown, he steered clear of dishes like Sichuan boiled fish and grilled fish.

In fact, this is a major reason why many young people don’t like to eat fish.

With those freshwater fish full of fine bones, you not only have to eat carefully, but you also risk getting a bone stuck in your throat. It just makes for an unpleasant meal. Young people accustomed to a fast-paced lifestyle would certainly have no interest in eating fish like that.

In coastal areas, on the other hand, fish with few or large bones are predominantly saltwater species like pomfret, grouper, and mackerel. Using these fish to make Sichuan boiled fish would be utterly ridiculous.

After all, these saltwater fish are very expensive and are best suited for lightly seasoned dishes. Using them for a heavily flavored dish like Sichuan boiled fish would be a waste of their inherent quality.

After Jiang Miao developed a low-cost technique to remove the muddy taste of Egyptian Catfish, he began considering how to further expand the fish’s potential applications.

These three specially bred derivative varieties were developed specifically for dishes like steamed fish and Sichuan boiled fish.

"Manager Zhang, if that’s the case, I’m a bit worried whether customers will accept Egyptian Fish." Li Xinhua was concerned. Apparently, the image of the Egyptian Catfish had already been branded into the minds of the people in Lingnan.

Zhang Xincheng was, of course, aware of this problem, but he already had a solution. "I know. The company has had the brick-and-mortar division purchase properties in the city proper, Hai Feng, and Lufeng to open eight restaurants. They’ll be called Jianghai Restaurant, and they will specialize in fish cuisine."

"So, you mean we’ll pioneer it ourselves and then get the market to follow our lead?" Li Xinhua hadn’t expected this to be Zhang Xincheng’s solution.

Zhang Xincheng was very confident. "That’s right. As long as the flavor is good, our premium Egyptian Catfish costs 6 yuan per kilogram at most. In terms of cost, we can blow grass carp and common carp out of the water. If the market price for the dishes is similar, our profit will be several times that of ordinary fish with pickled mustard greens, Sichuan boiled fish, or grilled fish."

"Besides, by the time other restaurants catch on, it’ll be too late. If they want to imitate us, they’ll have no choice but to source their ingredients from our company. The muddy taste of ordinary pond-raised Egyptian Fish will destroy their reputation."

After hearing this explanation, Li Xinhua considered the various scenarios and realized it was just as Zhang Xincheng had described.

Such was the advantage of technology.

"Even if these fish don’t sell well in the short term, we can still use them to make fish balls or fish feed. In any case, everything is within our control."

Hailufeng Company’s ever-growing industrial chain, along with its formidable technological strength, was the foundation of Zhang Xincheng’s confidence.

...

「The next day, at noon.」

「Great Ryukyu Island.」

Due to the approaching typhoon, Pingtung County was on high alert.

And in Pingtung County, Anye Aquatic Products Co., Ltd. was, naturally, no exception.

On the fifth floor of the office building next to the aquaculture base, inside the chairman’s office.

Jiang Anye stared at his laptop, lost in thought.

Suddenly, a knock came at the office door.

"Come in."

The door opened to reveal the recently returned Xie Xiaowei. He greeted him with a smile, "Boss, mission accomplished."

"Da Xie, you did a good job this time. The tech company has finished its verification, and I plan to arrange for mass production as soon as possible. However, our farms here aren’t easy to retrofit, and we don’t have many mature white eels for breeding."

Xie Xiaowei heard the issue, but before he could speak, Jiang Anye explained that he had already made arrangements:

"I’ve already arranged a meeting in Busan with the president of West Yuan Group. As soon as the contract is signed, we’ll borrow several of West Yuan Group’s large eel farms near Busan and begin mass production. After the typhoon passes, we’ll fly to Busan together."

"No problem." Xie Xiaowei nodded. Then he asked, "Boss, have you confirmed that the technology can really breed eel fry? Are there any other issues?"

"None. The eel fry from the experimental breeding hatched over a week ago, and they’re still doing just fine." Jiang Anye tossed him a cigarette.

He caught the cigarette, casually pulled out a lighter to light it, and took a long, satisfying drag. Xie Xiaowei breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew... As long as there are no problems."

"You’ve worked hard. Go home and spend the next few days with your family. I’ve already transferred your money to your account."

"Thanks, Boss."

"It’s what you’ve earned. I won’t shortchange anyone who’s contributed to our success."

Suddenly, a humming vibration came from the windowpanes.

The two men stood at the window, watching the powerful wind whip the trees outside into a frenzy. A few hundred meters away, the ocean waves had grown much higher.

Jiang Anye prayed, "Mazu, protect us. This wind is really strong. I hope the typhoon doesn’t make landfall here!"

"It shouldn’t be a huge problem. The mountains will block most of it, after all," Xie Xiaowei said reassuringly.