Li Xiao licked his lips in satisfaction.
This coconut purple sweet potato mochi was quite good.
In the livestream chat.
"What on earth is the streamer eating? The color looks so beautiful."
"It looks like the ciba we usually eat, but the shape is a bit different."
"The mochi where I’m from is solid, coated with soybean powder, peanut powder, and powdered sugar. It’s pretty different from this one!"
"This mochi actually has a molten filling! It looks so delicious!"
Li Xiao began to explain:
"Mochi, also known as ’Zhuangyuan Ci,’ is a traditional snack from China that originated in the Song Dynasty."
"It’s made primarily from glutinous rice, processed with other ingredients."
"Mochi varies slightly from place to place. Here in Guangdong Province, the mochi is almost always filled. You have traditional fillings like peanut and sesame, and of course, more innovative ones with fruit. Mango, durian, and purple sweet potato are all quite common."
"As for how it’s made, it’s pretty similar to other places. Glutinous rice flour is made into a dough, which is then wrapped around a filling."
"Finally, it’s sprinkled with a layer of shredded coconut, and you’re done."
After briefly explaining to the viewers how to make the mochi, his gaze fell upon the Black Glutinous Rice with Coconut Smoothie next to it.
A visual feast appeared before Li Xiao’s eyes.
The "white snow" part in the bowl was a smoothie made from coconut milk and cream. It was a pure white color with a fine texture, looking cool and inviting.
In stark contrast was the "black glutinous rice"—balls made from black glutinous rice and red beans. Their color was deep, and they gave off the natural fragrance of black glutinous rice and red beans.
Li Xiao said to the camera:
"This is truly a feast for both the eyes and the palate."
He didn’t mix the two components completely. Instead, he picked up his spoon and tasted each one separately.
He first tried the coconut cream smoothie. With the first spoonful, a refreshing coldness instantly rushed through him, followed by the sweet fragrance of coconut spreading out. The flavor was both fresh and rich.
The natural sweetness of the coconut milk combined with the coldness of the smoothie brought a touch of coolness to the hot summer day.
The aroma of the cream was very strong, and its richness made the smoothie’s texture even smoother.
Next, Li Xiao tasted the black glutinous rice and red bean balls.
These rice balls looked ordinary on the outside, but the moment they entered his mouth, they revealed their uniqueness.
The black glutinous rice had a rich aroma, and the red beans were moderately sweet. Paired together, the texture was chewy yet soft.
Each rice ball was the result of meticulous preparation, sweet and layered in flavor.
After trying them separately, Li Xiao used his spoon to mix the smoothie and the black glutinous rice.
Once mixed, the flavors and textures of the two foods merged perfectly, elevating the taste to a whole new level.
"The combination of the black glutinous rice and red bean balls is very clever," Li Xiao continued his review. "Their sweetness forms a perfect match with the coolness of the coconut smoothie. You get to taste the richness of traditional rice balls while also enjoying the refreshing quality of the smoothie."
[Congratulations, you have unlocked the 40th item in your collection.]
[The food item you have unlocked is: Black Glutinous Rice with Coconut Smoothie.]
[Food Rating: 90/100 [Excellent]]
[Due to the excellent food rating, your reward is quadrupled (x4).]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a special reward: Height +1cm]
[Congratulations, you have received a recipe reward: Black Glutinous Rice Recipe]
After finishing all the food on the table, Li Xiao rubbed his stomach. Even though he hadn’t eaten any staple food tonight, he was already ninety percent full.
He glanced at the notebook his assistant had given him. There were still several snack shops listed, so it looked like they would have to wait for another time.
Bidding farewell to his livestream viewers, Li Xiao drove back to the university.
「Early the next morning,」 he received a text message from Zhang Li.
Pan Quanhong had been arrested. With both witnesses and physical evidence, he would likely be transferred from the police station to a detention center around noon today.
If he couldn’t pay all the back taxes within three months, he would be sent straight to prison. The current estimated sentence was at least seven years.
Li Xiao was delighted to hear such good news so early in the morning. ’For people with malicious intent like him, crushing them completely is the best option.’
After finishing his chat with Lawyer Zhang, Li Xiao also received a message from Dong Guojiang.
After half a day of consolidation, he had taken full control of the entire cultivation company.
The original long-term employees had all participated in providing evidence against the previous owner. After half a day of observation, Dong Guojiang found their work ethic to be quite good. So, he took the initiative and signed new contracts with all of them.
As for their seniority compensation, it would be distributed monthly after Pan Quanhong was incarcerated.
Li Xiao had no intention of interfering with these detailed work arrangements.
He had already made it clear during their meeting yesterday: unless it was a major decision concerning the company, all other company affairs were to be decided by Dong Guojiang.
Since the mushroom cultivation company was about to get on the right track and operate smoothly, Li Xiao decided to transfer the superior fungal strains still at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences to the cultivation company for further development.
After all, the mushroom varieties from the Academy were far superior to the ones the company was currently using.
After taking care of these miscellaneous matters, Li Xiao headed to the academic building with his three friends.
Just as his morning classes ended, he received a phone call from Wenchu People.
After a bit of pleasantry, the person on the other end got straight to the point.
Wenchu People:
"The business at Xihan’er Milk Tea Shop is getting better and better."
"Some of the Xihuan’Er’s family members think that opening a milk tea shop for their children wouldn’t be a bad path for them."
"They’re hoping to open related franchise stores, so their own children can also live and work in the shop."
"These family members contacted me, hoping to discuss this matter with you."
"I thought it was a good idea, so I contacted you right away."
After listening to what Wenchu People said, Li Xiao furrowed his brow slightly.
’The intentions of these Xihuan’Er families might be good, but he had never planned on getting into franchising from the very beginning.’
’After all, the Xihan’er Milk Tea Shop was never intended to be profitable.’
’And franchising would severely weaken the head company’s control over its branch stores.’
’Non-directly-owned franchises usually only appear in large numbers for brands that are on the verge of dying out.’
’That’s because the parent company needs to use a massive number of franchises to recoup its initial investment and advertising costs. Whether these branches can survive later on has little to do with them.’
’After all, they would be at the tail end of the brand’s profitability period. If they didn’t hurry up and recoup some funds at this stage, not many people would be foolish enough to throw money at them later.’