Chapter 28: Rong Ziyin and the Dog Must Not Speak to Me
“……”
The entire screen fell silent in an instant.
【Confusion Level: 1998】
Seeing this, Rong Ziyin assumed they didn’t understand what he meant, which was why they couldn’t keep up. So he casually pulled a salted duck egg from the storage compartment, sliced it open on the spot, and demonstrated for them.
Drawing on his experience livestreaming a boar castration surgery during the last meeting, Rong Ziyin’s filming was spot-on this time. He captured the action perfectly, even teaching himself to edit with a phone app—slowing down key moments and adding sound effects.
Thus, these academic whizzes, finally able to breathe after finishing their thesis, were bombarded by Rong Ziyin’s video assault while still lying in bed.
Check out the video Rong Ziyin posted: set to the soundtrack of A Bite of China, he even recorded the sound of cutting into a salted duck egg.
The sharp knife pierced through the shell, breaking into the soft white. The moment it did, the uniquely fragrant red oil from the yolk oozed out, making you want to lean in and slurp it right up.
Next, Rong Ziyin scooped out the yolk, spreading it evenly over the center of plain congee. He sprinkled a bit of pork floss on top and added a small portion of olive pickles.
Then, he stirred the congee thoroughly before scooping a spoonful into his mouth.
The savory richness of the salted egg yolk, the crispiness of the pork floss, and the soft, refreshing texture of the olive pickles transformed the plain white porridge into something mouthwateringly delicious.
Eight Top Students: …
[Hunger Level: 3000]
Rong Ziyin heard the system notification and knew his strategy had worked instantly and brilliantly. He quickly asked them, “Seriously, wanna join in? Morning cafeteria with congee, lunch with steamed buns or rice, and late-night snacks with instant noodles or self-heating hotpots.”
“This is a versatile salted duck egg. Currently in trial operation—available for individual sale, cheaper for bulk orders.”
The eight top students fell silent for a moment. Finally, one of them asked, “How much for free shipping?”
Rong Ziyin: “We’re all brothers here. I’ll give you a discount.”
The eight assumed Rong Ziyin was about to offer free shipping.
Instead, Rong Ziyin said, “I’ll save you the packaging fee. Just cover the basic shipping cost yourselves. Oh, and I’ll throw in a small bag of salted fish for you to try.”
So that basically means no free shipping, right?
What a shady businessman!
【Dissatisfaction Level: 999】
But the images from the video kept replaying in their minds. Their empty stomachs, having skipped meals, kept growling. They couldn’t help but surrender to the temptation.
【Indecision Level: 888】
Rong Ziyin seized the moment to push his pitch: “Come on, guys, buying salted duck eggs is a surefire win.”
And so, one minute later, all eight top students inexplicably handed over their money to Rong Ziyin—averaging ten salted duck eggs each.
The mechanical engineering whiz even added five extra salted fish for some reason.
Rong Ziyin was all smiles: “As my first big customer, I’ll throw in a small bag of fried salted fish for you to try.”
With that, he signed off with “Gotta go pack and ship your orders” and vanished from the group.
He acted like a deadbeat who ditches after a one-night stand—cold as hell, and to top it off, he didn’t even pay for the hotel.
The eight academic stars stared at each other in the group, collectively questioning their existence.
Originally, they’d planned to confront Rong Ziyin the moment he joined the group—to make him understand that such dogged behavior wouldn’t win him friends. Then they’d patch things up and deepen their relationship, since Rong Ziyin was talented. Despite his daily lack of humanity, his character was actually solid—perfect for a close friend.
But here they were, fully prepared—even rehearsing their comebacks for his inevitable remarks—and still ending up on the losing end?
They’d actually shelled out cash for those nameless salted duck eggs he’d peddled?
The very same eggs that had made them seethe with envy during their thesis grind, watching him devour them with such satisfaction each morning?
Their resentment skyrocketed by several hundred points instantly.
Rong Ziyin: Ah, that’s just how passionate people are!
Then he found time to drop another line in the group chat: “Don’t worry, we’re in the same city. If the salted duck eggs ship today, you’ll have them tomorrow.”
So they were freaking out over salted duck eggs? All eight of them nearly choked on the blood they swallowed.
The female scholar who’d nearly jumped off her hospital bed last time when Rong Ziyin asked if she needed an ambulance gritted her teeth and said, “Hmph, this guy is definitely one of those hopelessly clueless straight men who’ll never find a girlfriend.”
The guy from the mechanical engineering department was curious, “How do you know that?”
The female academic ace sneered coldly and sent a photo. “I’ll bet my bottom dollar he can’t tell these two lipsticks apart.”
Two intensely vibrant shades of red appeared in the picture.
The once-bustling group chat fell silent for a few seconds.
“What? Am I wrong?”
“Not exactly wrong,” the other five guys in the group were dumbfounded, “but honestly, we can’t tell either!”
Just then, Rong Ziyin replied, “Stop talking nonsense. I’m not colorblind. One’s spicy chicken cubes red, the other’s Kung Pao chicken red!”
The guys suddenly understood: “Holy crap! Makes sense! You’re so smart!”
The female scholar: “Totally depressed. Rong Ziyin and the dogs are banned from talking to me.”
【Depression Level 1111】
System, frustrated: That girl is incredibly beautiful—big eyes, petite face, and long legs. You just missed out on a cute girl.
Rong Ziyin retorted indignantly: “Don’t be fooled by her looks! Legend has it all the girls in the Landscape Architecture department can uproot trees barehanded. They’re incredibly tough!”
System: “Rong, if you ever find a wife in this lifetime, I’ll stand on my head and eat ten pounds of shit.”
Rong Ziyin clearly disagreed. He had nothing to his name now—how could he possibly afford to marry? He’d only be holding a good girl back. Once he worked hard for a few years, built a business, settled down, and could shoulder family responsibilities, then finding a like-minded girl to share life with would be just fine.
The System suddenly grew curious: “Host, what kind of girl do you actually like?”
Rong Ziyin pondered: Talented and knows how to be affectionate?
System: …F*ck, that’d guarantee a lifetime of being single!
What girl would ever want to be affectionate with a clueless male dog like you, damn it!
No matter how distraught the system was, Rong Ziyin calmly packed the salted duck eggs sold that day.
Meanwhile, after sending out the first batch of deliveries, Rong Ziyin took time to visit the village chief and explained his plan from yesterday.
“You know I’m more of an academic type. Going forward, I’ll focus more on research. Keeping the recipe locked away is pointless—let’s use it to create something with our villagers.”
“It might not make us rich, but improving everyone’s economic situation would be the best outcome.”
“Is that really appropriate?” The village chief hesitated deeply.
He had tasted Rong Ziyin’s salted duck eggs before and knew their flavor was exceptionally unique. Not only did they far surpass anything the villagers made, but even the common ones sold in the market couldn’t compare to Rong Ziyin’s.
Almost every household in the village raised ducks, and sometimes they had so many eggs they couldn’t sell them all. Some even went bad at home. For a moment, the village chief had considered asking about it. But he remembered it was Rong Ziyin’s secret recipe, and Rong Ziyin lived alone. It wouldn’t be right to ask—it would feel like threatening him. So he never brought it up.
He never imagined Rong Ziyin would bring it up himself.
Thus, the village chief felt immense gratitude toward Rong Ziyin. Rong Ziyin then showed the recipe to the village chief, and the two discussed it carefully. The village chief proposed a profit-sharing arrangement.
“Here’s the deal: after selling the salted duck eggs, Doctor Rong, you take 30% of the total proceeds. That’s fine, right? Additionally, whatever you sell yourself, the money is all yours. The village will give you 30% of its share.”
After all, the village still needed to cover the cost of raw materials, so 30% was already quite generous.
Yet Rong Ziyin shook his head. “Just 30% of the net profit will suffice. We started this e-commerce venture precisely to help our fellow villagers earn more money. If I took 30% of the gross revenue, it would be no different from selling directly to the factory.”
“And as for the trademark, it still relies on the village’s connections. I’m just contributing my technical expertise.”
That’s what he said, but the truth was, without Rong Ziyin’s formula, many of the villagers’ duck eggs might never have been sold.
So in the end, it was Rong Ziyin who had looked out for everyone.
The village chief took a deep breath, remained silent for a long while, then finally patted Rong Ziyin on the shoulder and said, “Doctor Rong, I’ll say this plainly: you’ll always be one of us villagers!”
Rong Ziyin smiled too. “Haven’t I always been?”
The village chief smiled as well. “Right, right! Always have been!”
【Affinity Value: 2999】
His character and medical skills are both top-notch—he truly hadn’t misjudged this man! The village chief thought to himself, granting Rong Ziyin an additional 2000 points of Affinity Value.
The System felt deeply troubled, growing increasingly perplexed about how to proceed. Today, the elderly villager who had boosted the host’s Affinity Value had only added to its confusion.
Fortunately, Rong Ziyin focused on follow-up e-commerce marketing matters this time, sparing the System from further provocation.
With the groundwork laid, subsequent plans proceeded smoothly.
At noon, the village committee’s loudspeaker broadcast again, summoning several major duck farmers and the snack shop owner to a meeting at the committee office. Rong Ziyin knew the village chief intended to formally prepare for the salted duck egg project.
Before long, the entire village learned that Rong Ziyin had shared the salted duck egg recipe with the village chief, proposing a cooperative effort involving all villagers.
[Gratitude Points 1999 from Villager Li Huanhuan], [Gratitude Points 2000 from Villager Wang Zhu]…
The villagers were simple folk. Whether they could actually make money was a matter for later. For now, Rong Ziyin’s willingness to try had already filled them with immense gratitude.
System: Potential partner’s aspiration points have reached critical threshold. Should they be recruited as a subordinate?
Rong Ziyin: No.
System: This time it’s not just a few—it’s nearly the entire village!
Rong Ziyin: Snap out of it. Are you trying to start a cult? Do you want me to die sooner?
The system fell silent for a moment, conceding Rong Ziyin’s point. It resolved to ignore and block all similar options henceforth.
This isn’t some fantasy world! Recruiting followers like that goes against core socialist values!
Thus, amidst the bustle, the afternoon arrived swiftly.
After consulting with the villagers, the village chief returned to discuss specifics with Rong Ziyin. Several major duck farmers agreed to trial his methods. The chief would handle the trademark registration, leaving only the sales channels to resolve.
“Doctor Rong, how do we handle sales? E-commerce is unfamiliar territory for us!” The village chief was troubled. This was their first attempt at something new, and they hoped Rong Ziyin could set an example for them to follow.
Rong Ziyin pondered for a moment, and suddenly a word popped into his mind: “WeChat commerce.”
Micro-commerce was the most widespread e-commerce marketing method today, relying on sharing within WeChat Moments. Though somewhat intrusive, its effectiveness was undeniable. Especially since the village had members working or studying away—if they were willing to share via WeChat, the first batch could likely sell out quickly.
After all, their salted duck eggs were not only rich in color, aroma, and flavor, but also affordable and easy to store.
The village chief instantly grasped the idea. “So could we also use Douyin?”
“Like those beachcombers, you know? Double-tap for likes and hearts—make some videos?”
Rong Ziyin nodded. “I think it’s possible!”
With confirmation, the village chief began scheming rapidly. “Then we need to find someone good-looking to film the videos.”
Resolved, he immediately set out to scout suitable candidates in the village. He’d even decided on the title: PR Officer—just like the ones in city companies!
The village chief planned to recruit several candidates for competitive selection. Whoever garnered the most views and delivered the best promotional results would be promoted to PR Officer.
After chatting with the village chief, Rong Ziyin discreetly turned his attention back to his phone.
Rong Ziyin felt he could probably do something right now.
So he opened his WeChat and checked his friend count—a solid six hundred-plus contacts. Eighty percent were college classmates, practically the entire veterinary medicine department listed.
He owed this to whoever had created the department group chat back when university began. With his good looks and reputation as a top student, many had prioritized adding him when expanding their contacts.
For the next three-plus years, however, these contacts had lain dormant in his list, rarely speaking up.
But now… it was time for them to shine!
Timing it perfectly, Rong Ziyin uploaded the video to his Moments feed.
At six o’clock that evening, as veterinary students opened WeChat to scroll through their Moments, they all came across Rong Ziyin’s latest post.
The video showcased fried rice with salted egg yolk, where each grain of rice was coated in velvety soft yolk, distinct and separate. Crisp cucumber added a refreshing sweetness, while rich ham provided depth. Topped with a farm-fresh specialty—pickled radish greens—the dish looked utterly mouthwatering.
Above the footage, Rong Ziyin’s signature advertising tagline appeared: “Salted duck eggs, red yolks oozing with oil—the perfect match for millet porridge. Buy ten, get one free. Click to message me.” Accompanying it was an exceptionally cheeky emoji.
The bald little man knelt upright on the ground, addressing the crowd: “Be proactive. We don’t just have stories—we’ll have children too.”