Chapter 27: 27 Definitely Possible
After all, the enormous river shrimp made everyone nervous, fearing they might be genetically mutated specimens.
Long Xiaoshan took out a pair of chopsticks, pried off a piece of the shrimp shell, revealing the tender, translucent flesh which was completely free of impurities. He directly picked up a piece of the shrimp meat and put it into his mouth, revealing an expression of enjoyment as he said, "I told you my shrimp is absolutely not a genetically modified product. You all can rest assured. Sister Su, try it."
Long Xiaoshan directly picked a piece of shrimp meat and placed it in the bowl in front of Su Wan.
Though Su Wan still held a sliver of doubt in her heart, the sweet aroma of the shrimp meat tempted her to use her chopsticks to lift the piece into her mouth. Immediately, a rich, savory taste filled her mouth, and the firm, sweet flesh of the shrimp made her cover her mouth and exclaim, "It\'s so delicious."
Without needing Long Xiaoshan to urge her, Su Wan herself took another piece of shrimp meat and put it into her mouth.
Seeing Su Wan, a great beauty, frequently digging in and lavishing praise, the others couldn\'t resist the temptation anymore—the flavor of the shrimp was just too irresistible.
Moreover, many recognized Su Wan as the manager of Lily Hotel.
With her status, she couldn\'t possibly be shilling for them.
Someone grabbed the chopsticks and started picking at the shrimp to taste it.
Upon taking a bite, their expressions were even more dramatic than Su Wan\'s, one after another they exclaimed, "So delicious!"
Even Zhang Yin, the coffee shop owner who had been skeptical at the start, couldn\'t help but pick up a piece of shrimp meat. Once she put it in her mouth, her eyes widened.
The exquisite taste of Spirit Shrimp was beyond what any ordinary river shrimp could compare to.
Even wild shrimp couldn\'t match the savory taste of Spirit Shrimp.
A chorus of praise filled the coffee shop.
"Such delicious shrimp."
"My God, I feel like all the shrimp I ate in the first half of my life were wasted."
"This can\'t possibly be farm-raised shrimp; farm-raised shrimp meat is mushy and has some fishy smell, not this fresh and sweet. I feel it\'s even tastier than lobster."
The people who had been hesitant just moments ago.
After starting to eat, devoured the four plates of large shrimp like a whirlwind, still looking unsatisfied, and some even directly sucked on the shrimp shells.
Moments later, someone called out, "I\'m feeling a warmth in my body now, and I\'m full of energy."
"Right, I pulled an all-nighter last night, only slept for two or three hours, and was completely exhausted before. Even two cups of coffee didn\'t do the trick, but now I don\'t feel tired at all." An IT guy with dark circles under his eyes also remarked.
"I feel like my cold is getting better, my nose isn\'t stuffed anymore."
The patrons of the coffee shop were abuzz with discussion.
Long Xiaoshan said, "Everyone, don\'t be surprised. As I said earlier, my bred shrimp are not only delicious but also have medicinal and health-nourishing value. It\'s normal what you\'re feeling. After eating my shrimp, you\'ll feel more energetic, and eating them regularly can strengthen and benefit your body. There\'s no need for me to boast, you can feel the effects for yourselves."
"You didn\'t put any stimulants in there, did you?" the coffee shop owner Zhang Yin asked.
"Sister Zhang Yin, I\'m starting to realize that you really like to argue with me," Long Xiaoshan said with a slight smile, observing Zhang Yin\'s reaction. "To tell you the truth, I am a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, and the shrimp I cultivate inherently have medicinal value. If you don\'t believe me, I can diagnose right now that you have a serious problem with migraines, and you haven\'t had your period for three months."
Zhang Yin\'s face turned red with a rush of embarrassment. Having such a private matter called out by Long Xiaoshan in public made her feel shy and anxious, but what surprised her the most was that he was correct. She said, "How did you know that, are you a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine? You didn\'t even take my pulse."
"Traditional Chinese medicine consists of observing, listening, inquiring, and palpating; taking one\'s pulse is only one method among them. If you trust me, I can give you an acupuncture treatment right now that will relieve your headache immediately," Long Xiaoshan replied.
Zhang Yin, known for her fiery personality, was now provoked by Long Xiaoshan. She said, "Fine, if you really cure my headache, everything you eat in my shop from now on is on the house."
The people around them started to cheer.
Su Wan looked at Long Xiaoshan with some concern and said, "Xiaoshan, you can\'t be careless with treating illnesses."
"Sister Su, I know what I\'m doing," Long Xiaoshan reassured her, pulled out a nine-inch-long Golden Needle from his ring finger, and said, "Sister Zhang Yin, please turn around, I\'m going to insert the needle into the Fengchi acupoint at the back of your neck."
Zhang Yin looked at the long golden needle in Long Xiaoshan\'s hand and felt a tinge of fear as she asked, "Can you do it?"
"You\'ll find out soon enough," Long Xiaoshan replied.
Some men around them teased, "Boss Lady, this young fella looks so robust, he\'s definitely capable."
"Tch! Who\'s talking about that?" Zhang Yin stamped her foot, unable to hide her embarrassment, while a strange, moist feeling welled up inside her.
Though Long Xiaoshan\'s clothes were rather rustic, to Zhang Yin, who was used to seeing men in the city put on a polished front yet indulge in sordid deeds behind the scenes, his ruggedness and rural vigor presented an entirely different appeal.
At that moment, Long Xiaoshan quickly inserted the needle into the Fengchi acupoint at the back of Zhang Yin\'s neck and began to rapidly twist it. Zhang Yin started frowning, but after a while, her eyes revealed a touch of amazement, and her brows gradually relaxed.
Long Xiaoshan was quick with his acupuncture, and in less than a minute, he had already withdrawn the needle.
Zhang Yin exclaimed in amazement, "It really doesn\'t hurt anymore!"
Long Xiaoshan said, "Migraines are mainly due to blocked meridians. I\'ve now cleared your meridians for you. Just take a few more doses of the medicine to consolidate the treatment, and you\'ll be fine."
By this point, Zhang Yin was completely convinced. Her migraines were a chronic problem for over a decade; she had consulted various doctors, both traditional Chinese and Western, to no avail. She never expected Long Xiaoshan\'s treatment to be effective with just one needle. She took Long Xiaoshan\'s hand, smiled coquettishly, and said, "Little brother, I apologize to you. I shouldn\'t have doubted you earlier."
Zhang Yin, though not as beautiful as Su Wan, was still a very sexy woman. Dressed in a black dress that hugged her curves seductively, she revealed a deeply plunging neckline and a tantalizing cleavage. Holding Long Xiaoshan\'s warm and soft hand, he was faced with a sight of creamy white that made him quite uneasy. He said, "It\'s okay, Sister Yin, we didn\'t know each other, and suspicion is only natural."
He attempted to withdraw his hand, but Zhang Yin held on tightly and gave his palm a subtle scratch, saying, "Stop calling me Boss Lady. Just call me Sister Yin Yin instead. By the way, little brother, I still don\'t know your name."
"Long, Long Xiaoshan," he replied, clearly overwhelmed. As a fiery young man, he was not accustomed to such fervent flirtation from a married woman.
In his haste, he yanked his hand back with force.
Seeing Long Xiaoshan\'s embarrassed and shy demeanor, Zhang Yin chuckled, "Then, Little Brother Xiaoshan, remember, from now on when you come to Sister Yin Yin\'s place, your bill is on me."
"Okay, okay, thank you." Long Xiaoshan was truly inexperienced with matters of men and women.
Although he had encountered all sorts of people in prison, women were not among them. He could fight or even kill without fear, but he was completely green when it came to romance.
Su Wan watched from the sidelines as Zhang Yin flirted with Long Xiaoshan, and she felt an inexplicable twinge of discomfort.
She couldn\'t pinpoint the feeling; it definitely wasn\'t that she liked Long Xiaoshan, but rather it seemed like Long Xiaoshan had come for her, and yet ended up getting along warmly with another woman, leaving her feeling like an outsider.
She stood up and said, "Xiaoshan, your shrimp are indeed excellent, not only delicious but also of medicinal value. I\'ll take you to the hotel now, and we can discuss this more carefully."
Originally, Su Wan had indeed planned to send Long Xiaoshan away with ten thousand yuan.
But after tasting the delectable Spirit Shrimp and experiencing its medicinal effects, Su Wan deeply felt that it was a great opportunity for the Lily Hotel. If these medicinal shrimps were developed well, they could potentially become the Lily Hotel\'s signature dish.
Although she was the HR manager and not in charge of procurement, she was determined to recommend this fantastic product to the CEO.
"Okay, Sister Su," Long Xiaoshan eagerly agreed.
"Hey, don\'t go, young man, are you selling these shrimp? I want to buy some."
"Yeah, young man, you must sell me some."
"I\'ll pay three hundred each, young man."
"Three hundred—is that enough? I\'ll pay five hundred."
"I\'ll pay eight hundred."
The people who could afford to relax in a cafe at this time of day were not just ordinary office workers; many had some financial means. After sampling the exquisite taste of Long Xiaoshan\'s Spirit Shrimp and feeling the surge of energy that followed, they grew deeply enamored.
Thus, they blocked Long Xiaoshan\'s path, preventing him from leaving.
Hearing someone shout out a high price of eight hundred, even Long Xiaoshan felt tempted. If he sold at that price, the shrimp he brought could net him more than ten thousand yuan.
"Sorry, Xiaoshan is here to discuss a cooperation with our hotel, and we had no plans to sell shrimp. Our Lily Hotel has already acquired the distribution rights for these medicinal shrimp," Su Wan suddenly interjected.
"If you wish to taste the shrimp, you are welcome to visit our Lily Hotel."