Ch 28: Those who wronged me are now begging me for mercy

Rong Ziyin the Dog—Don’t Talk to Me

“……”

The screen went completely silent.

Stunned Level 1998

Seeing this, Rong Ziyin thought they didn’t understand what he meant and were falling behind, so he casually took a salted duck egg from his storage, cut it open, and demonstrated it for them.

Given his previous experience live-streaming a boar castration surgery, Rong Ziyin’s filming was quite on point this time as well. He perfectly captured the key moments, even learning how to slow down the video using mobile software and adding sound effects.

So, these academic overachievers, who had just finished their papers and were lying in bed, were subjected to Rong Ziyin’s sadistic video.

In the video, set to the soundtrack of A Bite of China, Rong Ziyin meticulously recorded the sound of cutting the salted duck egg.

The sharp tip of the knife pierced through the egg’s shell, and as it broke through the soft egg white, the yolk released its fragrant, reddish oil, making you want to slurp it up right away.

Then, Rong Ziyin scooped out the yolk, spread it evenly in the center of a bowl of white porridge, and sprinkled some pork floss and a bit of pickled vegetables on top.

He then mixed the porridge evenly and took a spoonful into his mouth.

The savory egg yolk, the crispy pork floss, and the soft, refreshing pickled vegetables combined to make even the bland porridge irresistibly delicious.

Eight Overachievers: …

Hunger Level +3000

Hearing the system notification, Rong Ziyin knew his strategy was immediately effective. He quickly asked them, “Really, don’t you want to try some? It goes well with porridge in the morning, buns or rice at lunch, and instant noodles or self-heating hot pot for a late-night snack.”

“This is a versatile salted duck egg, available for a trial sale—single purchase or bulk orders are even cheaper.”

The eight overachievers remained silent for a while before someone finally asked, “How much with free shipping?”

Rong Ziyin replied, “Since we’re brothers, I’ll give you a discount.”

They thought he was going to say shipping was free.

But Rong Ziyin added, “I’ll waive the packaging fee for you. Just pay for basic shipping. I’ll throw in a small bag of salted fish for tasting.”

So that just means there’s no free shipping, right?

What a sneaky merchant!

Dissatisfaction Level +999

Yet, the images from the video kept replaying in their minds, and their empty stomachs wouldn’t stop growling. They couldn’t help but consider surrendering to the temptation.

Indecisiveness Level +888

Rong Ziyin seized the opportunity, “Come on, buy some salted duck eggs, you won’t regret it.”

And so, a minute later, these eight overachievers somehow ended up paying Rong Ziyin, each buying ten salted duck eggs.

One even inexplicably added five salted fish to his order.

Rong Ziyin enthusiastically responded, “First big customer! I’ll throw in a small pack of fried salted fish for tasting.”

With that, Rong Ziyin left the chat, saying, “I’ll go pack and ship your orders,” vanishing from the group chat like a heartless jerk who vanishes after a one-night stand, leaving without paying the hotel bill.

The eight overachievers stared at each other in the chat, feeling a bit lost.

They had planned to confront Rong Ziyin when he joined the group, to teach him a lesson that being such a jerk won’t help him make friends. Then, they would make up and bond because, despite his flaws, Rong Ziyin was competent and had strong character, making him a good candidate for a close friend.

But after all their preparations, planning out every possible response, they still lost?

They even ended up buying the very same nameless salted duck eggs that had made them so angry during the paper-writing marathon.

Instantly, their resentment grew by several hundred points.

Rong Ziyin: “Ah, they’re good people after all!”

Then, he took a moment to return to the group chat and said, “Don’t worry, we’re in the same city. You’ll have your salted duck eggs by tomorrow.”

So, were they in a rush because of the eggs? The eight of them felt a surge of frustration, nearly choking on it.

The female overachiever, who had been so angry she almost jumped out of her hospital bed when Rong Ziyin asked if she needed an ambulance, gritted her teeth and said, “Haha, this guy is definitely a hopeless straight man who will never find a girlfriend.”

The mechanical engineering student was curious, “How do you know?”

The female overachiever scoffed and sent a picture, “I bet he can’t tell the difference between these two lipsticks.”

Two vibrant shades of red appeared in the image.

The once lively chat group fell silent for a few seconds.

“What? Am I wrong?”

“Not exactly,” the other five guys replied, “It’s just that we can’t tell them apart either!”

Just then, Rong Ziyin replied, “Nonsense, I’m not colorblind. One’s chili chicken red, the other’s Kung Pao chicken red!”

All the guys suddenly realized, “Damn! That makes sense! You’re amazing!”

Female overachiever: “I’m done. Rong Ziyin and any dog are forbidden from talking to me.”

Frustration Level +1111

System was exasperated: “That girl was super pretty—big eyes, small face, long legs—and you just missed out on a cutie.”

Rong Ziyin replied righteously, “Don’t be fooled by her looks. They say girls from the horticulture department can pull up trees with their bare hands. They’re tough!”

System: “Master, if you ever find a wife, I’ll stand on my head and eat ten pounds of crap.”

Rong Ziyin clearly didn’t think so. He felt that with his current situation, he wasn’t in a position to get married—he’d only be holding a good girl back. He planned to work hard for a few years, establish a business, settle down, and then find a like-minded girl to build a life with.

System suddenly got curious: “What kind of girl do you like, anyway?”

Rong Ziyin thought for a moment: “Someone talented who can be a bit playful?”

System: “… Damn, that means you’re destined to be single forever.”

Which girl would want to be playful with a straight-laced guy like you? Ugh!

No matter how frustrated the system was, Rong Ziyin calmly continued packing the salted duck eggs he had sold today.

Meanwhile, after sending out the first batch of deliveries, Rong Ziyin took some time to visit the village chief and shared his plans from the day before.

“You know, I’m more of an academic, and I’ll be focusing more on research in the future. Keeping the recipe to myself doesn’t make much sense—why not share it with the villagers and make something out of it together?”

“It might not make us rich, but if it can improve everyone’s financial situation, that would be great.”

“Is that really okay?” The village chief was very hesitant.

He had tasted Rong Ziyin’s salted duck eggs before and knew they were exceptionally delicious—much better than what the villagers made and even better than those commonly found in the market.

The village raised a lot of ducks, and sometimes there were so many eggs that they couldn’t sell them all, leaving some to spoil. The village chief had considered the idea, but he felt it would be like pressuring Rong Ziyin if he brought it up, so he hadn’t mentioned it.

He never expected Rong Ziyin to suggest it himself.

As a result, the village chief was very grateful to Rong Ziyin. After Rong Ziyin showed him the recipe, they discussed it further, and the village chief proposed a profit-sharing plan.

“How about this? After selling the salted duck eggs, you take 30% of the total revenue. If you sell them yourself, you keep all the profit, and we’ll give you 30% of what we sell.”

After all, the village needed to cover the cost of the raw materials, and 30% was already a generous offer.

But Rong Ziyin shook his head. “Just 30% of the net profit is fine. We’re doing e-commerce to help the villagers earn more money. If we take 30% of the total revenue, it’s no different from selling to a factory.”

“And as for the trademark, we’ll rely on the village’s resources. I’m just contributing the technology.”

That’s what he said, but the truth was, without Rong Ziyin’s recipe, many of the village’s duck eggs might not even be sold.

So, in the end, it was Rong Ziyin doing everyone a favor.

The village chief took a deep breath and remained silent for a while before patting Rong Ziyin on the shoulder. “Rong Ziyin, let me just say this: you’ll always be one of us here in the village!”

Rong Ziyin smiled, “Haven’t I always been?”

The village chief laughed too. “Yes, yes, you always have!”

Affinity +2999

The village chief thought to himself, Top-notch character and medical skills—my judgment was right! This thought brought him so much satisfaction that he provided an additional 2,000 points of contentment to Rong Ziyin.

The system felt a bit lost, wondering what to do now that another elderly man had gained more affinity with its host.

Luckily, Rong Ziyin was focused on the e-commerce marketing plan and didn’t push the system any further, giving it a break.

With the groundwork laid, the rest of the plan went smoothly.

By noon, the village committee’s loudspeaker was broadcasting again, calling the major duck farmers and the owner of the snack shop to a meeting at the village office. Rong Ziyin knew that the village chief was ready to formally set the salted duck egg plan in motion.

It wasn’t long before the entire village knew that Rong Ziyin had shared the salted duck egg recipe with the village chief and wanted to collaborate with everyone.

Gratitude from villager Li Hanhai +1999, gratitude from villager Wang Zhu +2000…

The villagers were simple folk. Whether they made money or not was a later concern, but the fact that Rong Ziyin had the heart to help already made them very grateful.

System: Potential follower desire has reached the threshold. Would you like to accept them as followers?

Rong Ziyin: No.

System: This time, it’s not just a few people—it’s nearly the whole village!

Rong Ziyin: Wake up! Forming a cult? Do you want me dead sooner rather than later?

The system fell silent, realizing that Rong Ziyin had a point. It decided to ignore similar options in the future.

This isn’t a fantasy world—recruiting followers just doesn’t align with core socialist values!

And so, with all the busy preparations, time quickly flew by.

After discussing with the villagers, the village chief visited Rong Ziyin again to go over the specifics. Several major duck farmers agreed to try Rong Ziyin’s method, and as for the trademark, the village chief could handle that. The remaining challenge was sales.

“Rong Ziyin, how are we going to sell these? The villagers don’t really understand e-commerce!” The village chief was worried, as this was all new to them, and hoped Rong Ziyin could provide some guidance.

Rong Ziyin thought for a moment, and suddenly a term popped into his mind—”WeChat business.”

WeChat business is one of the most widespread e-commerce marketing methods today, relying on sharing through WeChat Moments. Although it can be a bit annoying, it’s highly effective. Especially since some villagers had family members working or studying outside the village, they could share it on WeChat, and the first wave of sales would likely go quickly.

After all, their salted duck eggs were not only delicious but also affordable and easy to store.

The village chief quickly caught on. “So, can we also use Douyin (TikTok)?”

“Like those guys who stream their fishing adventures, asking viewers to double-tap and like for a little heart?”

Rong Ziyin nodded, “I think it’s a good idea!”

With Rong Ziyin’s approval, the village chief quickly began to plan, “Then we’ll need to find someone good-looking to record the videos.”

Determined, the village chief decided to search the village for suitable candidates to star in the videos. He even thought up a title for the role—the same one those city companies use: Public Relations!

The village chief planned to find several candidates and have them compete for the position. Whoever’s video got the most views and had the best promotional impact would be promoted to Public Relations Officer.

After chatting with the village chief, Rong Ziyin also started eyeing his phone with a subtle idea in mind.

Rong Ziyin felt like he could start doing something right away.

So, he opened WeChat and checked his friends list. He had over 600 contacts, 80% of whom were university classmates, almost the entire veterinary department.

He had to thank the person who initially set up the department group chat for that. Back when university first started, Rong Ziyin’s good looks and reputation as a top student led many people to add him to their contacts.

But for the past three years, these people had remained quietly on Rong Ziyin’s friend list, barely interacting.

However, now… it was time for them to shine!

Timing it perfectly, Rong Ziyin uploaded the video to his Moments.

That evening, at 6 PM, the veterinary department students all happened to scroll through their WeChat Moments and, coincidentally, came across an update from Rong Ziyin.

In the video, the salted egg yolk fried rice was perfectly cooked, each grain of rice coated with the soft, golden yolk. The cucumbers were crisp and sweet, the ham was rich and savory, and the homemade radish leaf pickles added the perfect touch. It was a dish that just made your mouth water.

Above the video, Rong Ziyin had written a standard advertising line: “Salted duck eggs, red and oily, the perfect match for millet porridge. Buy ten, get one free—DM me. 😏”

And to top it off, he added a cheeky meme of a bald cartoon figure kneeling solemnly, saying, “Be proactive; not only do we have stories, but we’ll also have kids.”

🍉🫐🍇🍒🥝