Chapter 284 - 149: Unexpected Harvest (Medium Cup)

Chapter 284: Chapter 149: Unexpected Harvest (Medium Cup)

Returning to this familiar place, it was once again that time of year when the warblers fly and the grass grows long.

Below Lion Mountain, the scenery was the same as ever.

Watching the youthful students, Jiang Miao held Shuya’s arm and couldn’t help but sigh. "It’s great to be young. In the blink of an eye, we’re almost thirty."

Shuya gently touched her belly, a warm smile on her face. "Yes, it really is great to be young."

Teacher Li, who was accompanying them, smiled and asked, "Ah Miao, it looks like your company has really expanded its operations this year! Are you feeling the pressure?"

The university knew about this mainly because Hailufeng Company had begun large-scale recruitment drives at Lion Mountain Agricultural University and other agricultural universities starting last October. After finishing their fall recruitment, they immediately started a spring recruitment drive as soon as spring arrived.

From Lion Mountain Agricultural University alone, they had hired nearly one hundred and fifty people.

With recruitment on such a massive scale, the university’s administration naturally guessed that Hailufeng Company was expanding rapidly.

That was why Teacher Li asked with concern. He was mainly worried about Hailufeng Company’s cash flow. After all, as their teacher, he hoped Jiang Miao and his company would continue to develop smoothly and not fail halfway.

"Thank you for your concern, Teacher. Our company’s funding is fine at the moment. This year, we’ll have over three billion in technology licensing fee revenue, which is more than enough to support all of our projects."

"Over three billion in licensing fees?" Teacher Li was stunned.

Jiang Miao smiled and explained, "It’s for the Egyptian Catfish Meal technology. Other domestic feed producers are now fully adopting it."

There was nothing to hide about it.

After all, the Feed Association had already issued an internal announcement. Anyone who bothered to investigate could easily find out about the technology licensing fee Hailufeng Company set with the Feed Association: a patent fee of 800 yuan paid to Hailufeng Company for every ton of Egyptian Catfish Meal produced.

The reason it was registered under the Feed Association’s name before being licensed to other feed producers was mainly to deal with the WTO’s anti-subsidy investigations.

While these patent fees wouldn’t pass through the Feed Association’s books and would be paid directly from the manufacturers to Hailufeng Company, the arrangement was fundamentally different in principle.

During WTO anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations, if Hailufeng Company didn’t have this supplementary agreement with the Feed Association, then any compensation paid by the Association to Hailufeng to cover the difference when the fish meal price dropped below 5,200 yuan per ton would constitute a subsidy.

But as it stood now, the Association was effectively purchasing the technology license from Hailufeng Company and then sub-licensing it to domestic feed producers. This was purely a commercial transaction. The patent fee Hailufeng Company and the Feed Association agreed upon was fixed. If the Feed Association lowered the price when it sub-licensed the technology, then any loss—or subsidy—would be shouldered by the Association.

Of course, the Feed Association also benefits. They collect a 10-yuan technical service fee per ton from the feed producers, which allows them to earn tens of millions annually.

Although Teacher Li was shocked by Hailufeng Company’s licensing fee revenue, he was also happy for Jiang Miao. "It’s good that you’re not under pressure. After all, university students are facing a tough job market. If you can hire more of them, it’ll ease the pressure on the university as well."

"Teacher, Shuya needs to focus on her pregnancy this year, and I have to manage the company, so we won’t be taking on any new doctoral students for now. However, there is a doctoral student from Wudaokou University’s experimental medical program who will be applying to study under Shuya through university channels."

Teacher Li first expressed his understanding, then his expression shifted to one of surprise. "A doctoral student from Wudaokou University’s experimental medical program? Transferring to study under Shuya? I know Shuya used to study medicinal fungi, but isn’t she working in the field of edible fungi now? Is that medical doctoral student going to switch to studying edible fungi?"

Jiang Miao explained the situation succinctly. "No, she’s pursuing a dual doctorate. The student has already nearly met the graduation requirements at Peking Union Medical College Hospital and can apply to graduate next year. She wants to research gene therapy technology, which Shuya and I happen to be quite familiar with. Plus, she was introduced by a friend of mine, so we decided to take her on."

"I see. That shouldn’t be a problem. With the influence you have now, kid, the university will respect your choice." Teacher Li felt the university would most likely not object.

After all, one of their university’s doctoral advisors recruiting a PhD student from Wudaokou University was a great way to boost their prestige.

「That afternoon.」

Jiang Miao and Shuya were in the university’s main auditorium, where they accepted honorary doctoral degrees, distinguished professorships, and doctoral advisor appointments from the university. Afterward, the two of them went on stage to give a speech.

Inside the auditorium, thunderous applause erupted from time to time.

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP...

In the tiered seats, a few students from agriculture-related majors were listening to Jiang Miao’s speech while whispering among themselves.

"Incredible! Xiaozi, are you really not planning to apply to Hailufeng Company?" a chubby, round-faced guy asked in a low voice.

The guy next to him, who wore glasses, smiled and shook his head. "My hometown is in Gansu Province. I want to go back home and start my own business."

The chubby guy felt it was a shame. "That’s too bad. I’ve already submitted my resume and I’m waiting for an interview notification. I feel like it should be pretty easy to get in, though. As long as your performance in school was decent, Hailufeng Company usually doesn’t reject you."

"Little Fatty, what position did you apply for?" another guy, who was wearing invisible braces, asked curiously.

"I’m going to the Monan Branch to be an agricultural technician, of course. I’m from the same hometown as Khan, you know," Little Fatty replied with a cheerful laugh.

The guy with the braces teased, "Oh, I almost forgot. You’re from the same hometown as that little rat."

"But that’s weird. Isn’t Hailufeng Company’s main business in aquaculture and edible fungi? What does this Monan Branch do?" the guy with the glasses asked, looking curious.