Chapter 273: Small Food Factory

Chapter 273: Chapter 273: Small Food Factory

Chang Mu left.

Her departure didn’t cause much of a stir within the production team.

Everyone was simply relieved that she was gone.

Even Qi Pei’er, who was always at odds with her, only scoffed at the news for a couple of minutes.

Then, unwilling to waste any more time on someone so unimportant, she just widened her eyes and looked around the old, dated food factory with curiosity.

They had all changed into white work uniforms. Their hair was meticulously tucked into sterile caps, and they wore disposable gloves and masks to ensure they wouldn’t contaminate the interior before being allowed inside.

This included the four little ones and the camera operators following behind them.

Even the cameras were wrapped in a layer of plastic film.

Qi Pei’er, in her twenty-plus years of life, had never experienced anything like this, and she found it incredibly novel.

"Wow, are food factories always this strict?"

"Of course! The things you eat have to be clean!"

Standing before them, also dressed in full gear, was Master Xu Jin’s apprentice, a young man named Xiao Qi.

Today’s visit to the food factory had started as a casual invitation from Nan Zhi.

But now, the entire factory was taking it very seriously.

For one, it was out of respect for Nan Zhi.

Another important reason was the upcoming livestream sales event.

The three of them—Fu Chao, Qi Pei’er, and Xie Yu—were all big names. Even Xie Yu, the least famous of the group, was far from a nobody. In a real commercial setting, their appearance fees would start at six figures, at least. Fu Chao commanded a price in a whole other league.

The cost for them to personally appear on a sales stream was an astronomical price that ordinary people couldn’t even imagine.

Yet now, they weren’t taking a single cent, having agreed to do a promotional stream for the factory as a favor. How could the factory’s employees, from top to bottom, not be grateful?

And since they were grateful, they had to show their utmost sincerity.

This visit was also meant to ensure the celebrities had no reservations about the livestream.

By showing Nan Zhi and the others the factory’s hygienic conditions, they could at least guarantee there wouldn’t be any embarrassing food safety incidents.

Of course, letting the camera operators film and giving the factory some screen time on the variety show was a good thing, too.

All of this led to the meticulous preparations they were now witnessing.

Normally, the factory director or Master Xu Jin should have been the one to receive them.

But both of them were men of few words.

After much thought, they decided to push Master Xu Jin’s apprentice, Xiao Qi, into the role.

Xiao Qi had a lively personality and was poised and tactful in his dealings with people. Some even said he wasn’t suited to be a pastry chef and would be better off in sales!

But Xiao Qi had rejected that suggestion. In his own words...

Becoming a pastry chef was his childhood dream!

And now, Xiao Qi, who dreamed of becoming the best pastry chef, was standing before Nan Zhi and the others, speaking with confidence and eloquence.

He spoke of the small factory’s difficult beginnings, its later glory when it was famous throughout the province, and its current decline.

Xiao Qi was articulate and passionate. At the most critical points of his story, even Nan Zhi found herself empathizing deeply.

Nan Yi and the other little ones listened with rapt attention, as if they were hearing a story!

"...My parents both used to be workers at this factory. If it weren’t for this place, my family wouldn’t have even been able to afford food. So I truly hope it does well and can stay open long into the future."

Xiao Qi said, his voice filled with sincerity.

Everyone could feel his deep affection for this small food factory.

Qi Pei’er and the others were moved to the brink of tears.

Fu Chao was slightly more composed, but not by much.

Only Xie Yu looked around with a probing gaze.

"There’s something different about this factory of yours," he said.

The factory’s equipment was old and the environment dated, filled with a strong 20th-century vibe. The workers were mostly older, with hardly any young people in sight.

But despite all that, the factory wasn’t shrouded in the gloomy air of decline.

Looking around, all one could see were faces filled with hope.

It was as if this old factory was radiating a unique vitality.

Having struggled his way up from the bottom, Xie Yu couldn’t help but think a little deeper—

’Could it be... that the factory staff knew they were coming and arranged all this on purpose?’

Xiao Qi was a sharp one.

He heard Xie Yu’s first sentence and immediately guessed what the next one would be.

He wasn’t annoyed. Instead, he nodded openly.

"That’s right. The atmosphere wasn’t like this a few days ago. But isn’t it because of Master Nan and all of you that everyone’s hope has been rekindled? Especially Master Nan!"

Speaking of Nan Zhi, Xiao Qi’s eyes lit up, and he kept glancing over at her.

He looked just like a total fanboy.

Unfortunately, Nan Zhi was so used to looks of admiration that one more fanboy wasn’t enough to faze her.

Just then, Master Xu Jin, who was standing to the side, called out to her, saying he had a question.

Nan Zhi walked over to him.

Xiao Qi watched Nan Zhi’s departing back with a reluctant gaze, then said with a mix of regret and emotion:

"Teacher Nan is the most incredible pastry chef I’ve ever seen! There isn’t a single person in our factory who didn’t praise the proposals she put forward! Even our own Master Wang was strongly against Teacher Nan guiding us at first. He thought she was too young to accomplish anything, but later he had to admit she was superior..."

"AHEM!"

A cough suddenly sounded from the crowd.

Xiao Qi flinched, then turned around with an awkward smile.

"Master Wang, oh, you’re here."

Standing in the crowd was an old man, even older than Master Xu Jin. He had a fierce expression and didn’t look like someone to be trifled with. It seemed like he was about to rush out and start scolding Xiao Qi at any second.

Fortunately, Master Wang didn’t do that. He just lifted his eyelids, shot Xiao Qi a warning glance, and said no more.

Xiao Qi lowered his voice to explain:

"Master Wang is one of the only two master craftsmen in our factory. He’s even more senior than my master!"

Everyone nodded thoughtfully.

Next, Xiao Qi led the group on a tour of the production workshop and other areas.

Everywhere they looked, the place was spotlessly clean.

It was clear this level of cleanliness wasn’t the result of some last-minute effort. It was the product of meticulous daily care; otherwise, there would have been traces of old, built-up grime.

All this spoke volumes about the dedication of the management and the care all the workers put into their jobs.

Finally, it was time for the last part of the tour: tasting the new products.

They arrived at the finishing workshop, where the packaged final products were stored. It was equipped with preservation and anti-spoilage equipment.

Xiao Qi enthusiastically introduced several products whose recipes had been adjusted by Nan Zhi.

Among them was the factory’s specialty, buckwheat crisps, as well as some other classic, traditional pastries.

For example, there were peach crisps, peanut crisps, walnut cakes, mung bean cakes, and so on.

"Oh, right! Teacher Nan also guided us in developing a few pastries using traditional methods. They’re very special. Would you like to try them? It’s a perfect chance to give us any feedback!"

"Of course!"

Qi Pei’er was the first to agree!