I See through Everything

While a public uproar raged outside, Jiang Miao looked completely unfazed. He was currently leading Station Chief Guo and his team, filming the eel farm, strawberry greenhouses, experimental breeding greenhouses, smart greenhouses, and the laboratory.

Clad in full protective suits and helmets, the group looked as if they were on a space station.

"General Manager Jiang, your protective measures are incredibly thorough! Do regular employees also wear this level of protection?"

Facing the camera, Jiang Miao smiled and replied, "Yes. This is to prevent any contaminants carried by people from polluting the cultivation area. It’s also for the health of our employees; after all, long-term work in the edible mushroom industry comes with the risk of infection from fungal spores."

"That’s definitely something to consider." Station Chief Guo smiled and turned his head to look at an employee harvesting White Truffles nearby. He asked curiously, "How much White Truffle can this substrate bag produce?"

"About 60 to 120 grams per bag," the employee replied, a little shyly.

Station Chief Guo was very surprised. "Really?"

Jiang Miao played along, taking out an electronic scale and placing it on a nearby cart’s work surface. "Station Chief Guo, we can randomly harvest from a few bags and check the weight."

"Alright, then I won’t stand on ceremony." Station Chief Guo pointed to a few substrate bags, and the harvester immediately cleared away the surface soil and plant debris.

A moment later, five White Truffles had been unearthed. Their shape was quite uniform, generally appearing as tuberous clumps—which is why their technical name translates to "white tuber fungus."

The five freshly unearthed White Truffles were displayed before the group and the camera.

Station Chief Guo, already wearing gloves, gently picked up a White Truffle and placed it on the electronic scale. Instantly, a number appeared on the display: 103g.

Soon, all five White Truffles had been weighed.

The results were 103 grams, 94 grams, 116 grams, 81 grams, and 96 grams, respectively.

Station Chief Guo turned his head again, smiling as he asked Lin Shuya, "It seems the average yield per bag is around 100 grams. Ms. Lin, how many White Truffle cultivation bags can be arranged in one mu of a smart greenhouse?"

"We typically arrange 6,000 bags per layer, and we can stack six layers, for a total of 36,000 bags," Lin Shuya answered fluently.

Station Chief Guo continued asking, "By that calculation, wouldn’t one mu produce 3,600 kilograms? I wonder, what is the current growth cycle? I’ve heard that the White Truffles cultivated using near-natural methods by the Agricultural and Forestry Research Institute in Pan City, Sichuan Province, take six to eight years to harvest."

"Yes, our company’s current yield for White Truffles is about 3,600 kilograms per mu, and the growth cycle is 95 days. That includes other preparatory work and harvesting time."

"So, that means you can grow 3.5 batches a year?"

Lin Shuya smiled and nodded. "Yes, but we also have to factor in the maintenance of the smart greenhouses and periodic, comprehensive disinfection. Therefore, producing three batches a year is a more suitable cycle."

"General Manager Jiang, how large is this smart greenhouse complex?"

"150 mu."

"Let me get this straight." Station Chief Guo pretended to think. "150 mu, 3,600 kilograms per mu, three batches a year... that means you can produce 1,620 tons a year, averaging about 4.4 tons per day."

Jiang Miao smiled and played along. "That’s correct."

"I’ve heard that the current international market price for White Truffles has dropped to around 4,500 yuan per kilogram. I wonder if the price will continue to fall in the future so that ordinary people can also enjoy a taste?"

Jiang Miao explained frankly, "Not in the short term. Our current production capacity is just enough to meet the demand of the global high-end market. Unless we undergo a massive expansion, the price will remain in the range of 1,000 to 4,500 yuan per kilogram. Considering the need to recoup R&D costs and other investments, this price will be maintained for at least five or six years before gradually decreasing year by year."

"I see. It’s true that for an agricultural enterprise, the massive upfront investment definitely needs to be recouped." Station Chief Guo looked understanding.

After all, it’s easy to slash prices, but the problem is that the company’s huge initial investment can’t be quickly recovered. This would strain the capital chain, leading to insufficient funds for continued research and development.

"Actually, I position White Truffles as a condiment. So, if ordinary working-class people want to try them, they can buy our company’s upcoming special sampler pack online—40 yuan for 50 grams."

This was clearly a product placement, something Jiang Miao and Station Chief Guo had arranged beforehand. A 10-second ad spot for 32,000 yuan.

Station Chief Guo picked up a box of the small, ball-shaped White Truffles from the sampler pack and began his introduction. "This price is truly fantastic. Hailufeng Company’s White Truffles are comparable to those from Italy in terms of aroma, freshness, and size."

"Before this, White Truffles from Italy generally retailed for over 10,000 yuan per kilogram in this country. That means 50 grams of Italian White Truffles would cost at least 500 yuan. But, General Manager Jiang, is there any difference between these small, ball-shaped White Truffles and the larger ones?"

Jiang Miao smiled and shook his head. "There isn’t much of a difference. Both come from the same fungal strain. The main reason for the size difference is that minor environmental variations during growth cause a small portion of the White Truffles to be smaller. However, their flavor development is fully up to standard."

"That’s a relief." Station Chief Guo put down the sampler pack of small White Truffles and turned to Lin Shuya.

"Ms. Lin, what are your plans for the future? Will you continue to research White Truffles? Or will you take on the challenge of other edible fungi that have yet to be tamed by humanity?"

Lin Shuya said confidently, "The cultivation technology for White Truffles is already very mature, so there’s little value in further research. I do indeed plan to start researching other edible fungi soon."