Chapter 26: 26: Selling Shrimp
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Chapter Twenty-Six
Su Wan didn't expect the call to be from Long Xiaoshan.
After listening to Long Xiaoshan, Su Wan frowned slightly and said, "Xiaoshan, I'm sorry, but this is a bit difficult. Our food supplies are from designated providers with whom we have long-standing collaboration, and besides, I'm not from the purchasing department; you asking me won't help.
"Sister Su, I'm not asking you to buy them right now, but I assure you this batch of shrimp is extraordinary. I will bring some over for you to try for free. If they're not good, I will absolutely not insist," Long Xiaoshan said with complete confidence in his shrimp.
Su Wan hesitated and then said with some reluctance, "Well, alright then, Xiaoshan." She was quite soft-hearted, especially knowing that Long Xiaoshan's family had financial difficulties. She figured she'd later buy the shrimp herself as a way to thank him for saving her life the previous night.
After hanging up, Shangguan Baihe spoke in an indifferent tone, "What's going on, little Wan?"
With a wry smile, Su Wan said, "It's the brother of Long Xiaoling, whom I brought with me today. He lives in the countryside and insists on selling me his shrimp. Don't worry, Chairman, I will not show favoritism. The hotel has suppliers, and I know what I need to do."
"Long Xiaoling's brother? Didn't you say you just met that girl yesterday? How come you're already familiar with her brother?" Shangguan Baihe asked as she pulled out a slim More cigarette, lit it, and looked at Su Wan with an amused smile.
"Yes, it's like this..." Su Wan, fearing that Shangguan Baihe might misunderstand, briefly explained what had happened the previous night.
"So you were bullied last night?" Shangguan Baihe's brow furrowed, a chill flashing in her eyes: "At the Bar Street, isn't that Scar-bearded's turf? He's quite bold to mess with one of my people."
"Chairman, I'm fine. Xiaoshan arrived in time last night, so I wasn't taken advantage of," Su Wan said, fully aware that her chairman was no ordinary person; otherwise, how could a woman hold the reins of one of the largest hotels in the county? She had also heard some rumors.
"Giggle, so it was a case of a hero saving a damsel in distress, how romantic," Shangguan Baihe laughed, her bosom heaving with the effort. Any man present would probably have a nosebleed.
"Chairman, it's not what you think," Su Wan hastily said.
"What I think? It must be you, young lady, who's overthinking," Shangguan Baihe teased.
Su Wan fell silent, knowing she could never out-talk Shangguan Baihe.
After the call, Long Xiaoshan arranged to go to the county the next day; there were no cars available that day, so he stayed home and worked until midnight, digging out the large pond, exhausting even his sturdy body.
The next morning, Long Xiaoshan carried a bucket of shrimp to the county early.
To prevent any issues with the shrimp, he used some of the Spiritual Water from his water tank. Overnight, the shrimp grew larger, the size of one and a half palms, but it seemed they had reached their growth limit.
Long Xiaoshan guessed that the effects of the Spiritual Liquid had its limits, and since he only used a drop, it wasn't feasible for the shrimp to grow indefinitely.
Besides, their current size was already terrifying. Any bigger and they would become monsters.
Long Xiaoshan had agreed to meet Su Wan outside the Lily Hotel.
When he arrived in the county after nine, Long Xiaoshan came to the outside of the Lily Hotel and called Su Wan from a public phone. Shortly after, a stunning office lady walked out from the hotel.
Dressed in a blue hotel uniform dress with long legs and a full chest, her light makeup and hair exuded elegance and allure. It was unmistakably Su Wan.
"Going out, Manager Su?" the security captain Chen Gang came over.
He had been envious of this beautiful hotel manager for a long time and always looked for opportunities to show his kindness. Unfortunately, Su Wan had been indifferent to him, maintaining a distance as colleagues.
"Yes," Su Wan nodded and proceeded to walk out without stopping.
Chen Gang watched Su Wan's enticing figure walk away, crossing over to the other side of the street, wishing he could immediately pin her down and strip away her dignified appearance. Fantasizing in his head, he then noticed a young man carrying a bucket approaching Su Wan. They exchanged a few words and entered a coffee shop across the street together.
Chen Gang felt a surge of jealousy. Even though the young man accompanying Su Wan looked poor, he seemed familiar to Chen Gang, and they had entered a coffee shop together.
Inside the coffee shop.
"Xiaoshan, have you eaten? They serve noodles here too; you can order some," Su Wan offered.
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"No need, Sister Su, I've brought the stuff, take a look." Long Xiaoshan hurriedly carried the bucket over to remove the lid.
"Xiaoshan, there's no need to rush," Su Wan said, not really caring in her heart. She had already taken out ten thousand yuan that morning, thinking that no matter what Xiaoshan brought, she would give him the money as a way of thanking him.
At that moment, Long Xiaoshan pulled a dark green large prawn from the bucket, thrashing its claws wildly.
Ah!
A girl carrying coffee over was so frightened that she spilled it all.
She hurriedly apologized.
Su Wan also stood up in surprise.
She thought Xiaoshan would bring the kind of small river prawns that could be caught from the local rivers, maybe an inch long at most. She never imagined that they would be such large prawns.
"Xiaoshan, where did you get such big prawns?" Su Wan asked.
"Sister Su, I told you I raised them. Look," Long Xiaoshan said, passing the bucket over. Su Wan looked inside and saw it was full of large prawns, at least twenty or thirty of them. If these were truly prawns, Xiaoshan could not possibly afford them.
Su Wan remembered that the cheapest prawns in the hotel cost 388 yuan each, and they didn't look as big as the ones Xiaoshan held.
"You raised them, how is that possible? Aren't those prawns?" Su Wan asked.
"They aren't prawns; they're a type of river shrimp I've bred using a new technology," Long Xiaoshan claimed.
"How can they be river shrimp?"
"Young man, you must be joking."
"I often go prawn fishing in the reservoir, and I've never caught river prawns half this size in my life."
"No, there's a difference between these shrimp and prawns. I've eaten prawns before, and they aren't like this. Prawns have a much thicker shell; this looks more like a green shrimp."
In the coffee shop, many people also came over to see what was going on, discussing the matter. After all, seeing prawns as big as Long Xiaoshan's in such a small inland city was rare. Many had never even tasted large sea prawns.
Long Xiaoshan said, "Sister Su, it doesn't matter what kind of shrimp they are. The important thing is that my shrimp have an absolutely top-notch flavor. Not only that, but after eating them, they strengthen the body and have health benefits. I guarantee even the best prawns can't compare. If you don't believe me, you can have someone cook and taste them right now. If they aren't delicious, I'll throw all these prawns away on the spot."
"Young man, don't boast too much. My shop has a kitchen. If these really are river shrimp, they must be drug-boosted genetically modified products, right? Who would dare to eat such large river shrimp?" said a beautiful young woman in a long skirt, challenging him.
"The lady boss has come out to watch the fun too."
"Yin Yin, you're here as well." The coffee shop was right opposite the Lily Hotel, and Su Wan often visited, so she knew the shop's lady boss.
After hearing the young woman's words, she also became somewhat skeptical. Xiaoshan's shrimp were so large they bordered on the ridiculous. She had heard that many farmed products nowadays were drug-induced, and many others were genetic products. Not too long ago, there had been a significant societal debate over whether genetically modified crops should be used.
Long Xiaoshan smiled faintly and said, "I assure you, they're not genetically modified products, nor have they been drug-enhanced. You'll know whether they are or not after you've tasted them. Since you have a kitchen here, why not let me use it? They don't need much cooking, just steam them plainly. This will bring out the true taste of the shrimp. Here's an idea: why not steam a few more, so everyone can have a taste?"
Long Xiaoshan generously grabbed three or four large prawns from the bucket.
He knew that no matter what he said, it would not be as effective as letting everyone taste for themselves, and he had complete confidence in his Spirit Shrimp.
"Since you've said so, I really must try them," said the woman called Yin Yin, giving Long Xiaoshan a glance and a flirtatious smile. She instructed the chef from her coffee shop to take Xiaoshan's large prawns for preparation.
About twenty minutes later, the chef emerged, carrying several plates of bright red, steamed large prawns.
A sweet fragrance filled the air, carrying the essence of the fish and shrimp, yet without a hint of fishiness.
"It smells so good."
The crowd watching in the coffee shop grew larger, and many who had finished their coffee and were planning to leave decided to stay instead.