Chapter 156: The Building Collapsed, and the Institution Is Ruined!

Chapter 156: The Building Collapsed, and the Institution Is Ruined!

Chen Xingyuan’s face grew darker as he read through the professors' statements. They all claimed they had never reviewed the Liyuan Farm project.

How could they do this to him at a time when the online buzz was so intense? It was a devastating betrayal. He was furious and immediately took out his phone, calling Xie Zhengye.

As soon as the call connected, he demanded, "Professor Xie, what do you mean by this? Did you all agree to issue these statements? What have I, Chen Xingyuan, done to deserve this?"

Xie Zhengye, who had just returned to his office, was already irritated. Seeing that Chen Xingyuan had the nerve to call and question him, he snapped, "Chen Xingyuan, you have the audacity to call me about this? None of us ten professors ever reviewed the Liyuan Farm sweet potato project during the evaluation. We haven't even questioned you yet. From now on, don’t contact me about your institution’s affairs."

With that, he hung up.

Chen Xingyuan was stunned. He could tell Xie Zhengye was genuinely angry, and knowing the man’s character, he began to doubt whether the professor had indeed never seen the Liyuan Farm project.

He immediately called the other professors, and each one of them gave the same answer: they had never reviewed the Liyuan Farm project.

This realization hit him hard. He quickly called his brother-in-law, Li Tao, but found the phone line was dead. After several attempts, he got a message saying the phone was turned off.

"Damn it, you scumbag!" Chen Xingyuan cursed.

By this point, he knew exactly what was happening, but the situation was so dire, how could he possibly salvage it? There was no way out.

He turned to his phone, hoping to find a solution online, but as soon as he opened the app, a video from Liyuan Farm popped up, draining the last bit of color from his face.

It was the promotional video for Liyuan Farm's whitening sweet potatoes.

After watching the video and seeing the results of the sweet potatoes, along with the national-level certification stamp on the test reports, he knew things were truly bad.

The stronger he had been in denouncing the Liyuan Farm project, the harsher the backlash would be now.

The internet was already in an uproar. The incident had gained significant traction and had even become a matter of political correctness, with people criticizing Liyuan Farm for disrespecting agricultural research. But then, the ten professors suddenly issued statements claiming they had never reviewed the project.

This sudden turn of events left everyone bewildered.

Many who had taken the high ground and criticized Liyuan Farm quickly deleted their comments.

This sudden shift also made many realize the severity of the situation.

At this moment, Liyuan Farm's promotional video surfaced, leaving everyone speechless.

"Hello everyone, I am Lin Muxue, the project director of Liyuan Farm. I’m excited to introduce our new specialty, the whitening sweet potato. As the name suggests, eating these sweet potatoes can help whiten your skin."

"Next, we have a seven-day trial of the whitening sweet potato and the changes in skin condition..."

The video clearly showed the skin condition of the participants before and after a week of consuming the sweet potatoes. Their skin was visibly whiter, and their overall appearance had significantly improved.

Everyone who saw this was amazed.

"Is this whitening effect real?"

"It must be fake, they probably used filters!"

"How can it be fake when they proved they didn’t use filters, and the test report at the end of the video has a national-level certification stamp?"

"If the sweet potatoes are so effective, why did they not even get the consolation prize?"

"Considering the professors’ statements, it seems there might be something fishy with the Fujian Province Agricultural Research Breakthrough Award center."

"It could be a case of backroom dealings, and Liyuan Farm was unfairly excluded."

"..."

The tide of public opinion quickly turned, and the criticism now shifted towards Chen Xingyuan’s evaluation institution.

On the other side, Liyuan Farm became the focus of many women. The video showing the skin changes of the participants caught their attention, and they flooded the comments with questions, especially about the price of the whitening sweet potatoes.

At Qinghua Company, Chu Daokai was thrilled. The online buzz, combined with the news of his cucumber project winning the gold award, had attracted a wealthy investor. After about an hour of discussion, the investor was almost convinced.

"Mr. Zheng, we’ve discussed this thoroughly. What do you think about our project?" Chu Daokai knew it was time to ask.

Just as Mr. Zheng was about to respond, his secretary entered and whispered something in his ear. Moments later, Mr. Zheng looked at Chu Daokai with a smile and said, "Mr. Chu, I’m truly sorry, but I can’t invest in your project."

Chu Daokai was taken aback. "Mr. Zheng, please reconsider!"

Mr. Zheng teased, "Mr. Chu, I was somewhat interested before, but not anymore. Everything must be genuine; deceit is always repulsive!"

"Ah??" Chu Daokai was confused. "Mr. Zheng, I don’t understand!"

Mr. Zheng hinted, "Mr. Chu, check the internet!"

With that, he left, leaving a puzzled Chu Daokai behind.

Chu Daokai felt something was wrong and immediately checked the internet. Within minutes, his face turned grim. He not only saw the ten professors' statements but also the promotional video from Liyuan Farm.

Naturally, he saw countless people questioning and even denouncing their gold medal.

"How could this be?" Chu Daoxing could hardly believe it.

This was not what he had expected at all. He had intended to leverage the popularity of Liyuan Farm to attract new investments for his cucumber project, and even to find partners to create a brand. He never thought that the gold medal his project had worked so hard to earn would be questioned.

Now, it seemed that not only was their gold medal under scrutiny, but the entire Fujian Agricultural Research Breakthrough Award was at risk of collapsing. As a gold medal recipient, they would be buried under the ruins of the awarding institution.

If that happened, the gold medal would be meaningless, and the donations would have been in vain. The donations had cost them a significant portion of their funds, and without new investments, they would be finished.

Originally, winning the gold medal would have guaranteed them the funding they needed. But now, everything was ruined.

Chu Daoxing, realizing the gravity of the situation, almost lost his balance. Regret filled his heart. If he had known this would happen, they would never have tried to piggyback on Liyuan Farm's popularity. They would never have done it...

Time passed, and although the situation had taken a turn, the online buzz only grew. The comment sections of the Fujian Agricultural Research Breakthrough Award and Liyuan Farm were flooded with messages.

On one side, there were doubts and questions, while on the other, there were inquiries about the skin-whitening sweet potatoes.

In the Liyuan Farm conference room, Zhang Lin had gathered Lin Muxue and the operations team to discuss the pricing of the skin-whitening sweet potatoes.

The effectiveness of the skin-whitening sweet potatoes was undeniable, far surpassing even the most expensive skin-whitening injections, which cost 20,000 yuan each, according to Lin Muxue's research.

However, the sweet potatoes required continuous consumption for seven days to achieve the desired results, and the effects would fade if they stopped eating them. This meant that the sweet potatoes needed to be eaten consistently to maintain the benefits.

This was a significant drawback compared to skin-whitening injections, which offered more immediate and lasting results.

Therefore, the sweet potatoes couldn't be priced too high. If someone spent seven days eating the sweet potatoes to achieve the desired effect, only to see their skin deteriorate again after a short period, it would be unsustainable for the average person.

This suggested that the sweet potatoes should be targeted at a wealthier audience. If they were only available to the rich, there would be no need for large-scale promotion, and the operations would be simpler, following a luxury goods route.

However, if the sweet potatoes were priced affordably, the general public would become the primary consumer base. While the individual price might be lower than luxury goods, the potential for profit would be higher if the product was widely promoted and the supply was sufficient to meet demand.

The +1 growth speed attribute seemed to hint that the latter route was the way to go.

This route, however, would be more complex, requiring more workers, more farmers, and extensive external collaborations with many growers.

Some might choose the first option for its simplicity and quick profits. But many would opt for the second, as it would have a greater impact, providing jobs, boosting the industry, and earning official recognition, which the luxury goods route couldn't match.

Therefore, Zhang Lin decided to take the second route, targeting the general public.

Wei Yuan, the head of the agricultural bureau, had long been hoping for a unique crop. He had no complaints about Liyuan Farm, and the promotion of the sweet potatoes would likely be welcomed.

"Let's go the mass-market route. The sweet potatoes will be priced at 200 yuan per pound. Even if ordinary girls are frugal, they should be able to afford it," Zhang Lin thought and set the price.

In reality, this price was still beyond the reach of many girls, much like how many can't afford expensive cosmetics.

But he couldn't sell the skin-whitening sweet potatoes as regular sweet potatoes.

Lin Muxue nodded. "Alright, let's use this price for the marketing plan!"

After finalizing the sweet potato price, Zhang Lin returned to his office and checked his phone, only to find that the internet was in an uproar.

The Fujian Agricultural Research Breakthrough Award had run into new issues. A company that had participated in the competition suddenly revealed that winning required a donation, and those who didn't donate were ignored. Liyuan Farm was cited as an example.

Moreover, the company provided donation receipts as proof.

Clearly, while donating for awards was a known practice, some winners felt it was unfair and voiced their discontent. If the awarding institution had been credible, they might not have exposed the issue. But with the institution on the brink of collapse, the awards had lost their value, and those with grievances came forward.

This final revelation pushed the Fujian Agricultural Research Breakthrough Award over the edge.

At the Fujian Agricultural Research Awarding Institution, Chen Xingyuan watched the online turmoil, feeling powerless. Sitting in his office, his eyes were lifeless until a group of men in suits entered. His body trembled.

As evening approached, Zhang Lin opened his phone, planning to browse some videos before heading home. He saw a shocking news story: Chen Xingyuan, the founder of the Fujian Agricultural Research Awarding Institution, was being investigated for multiple crimes.

After watching the video, he realized that the provincial agricultural science academy had taken action.

Many people were unfamiliar with this department, but it was highly influential. In Beijing, it was a ministry, and in the province, it was a bureau and an academy.

The provincial agricultural science academy was in charge of agricultural research in the province. The current situation was a disgrace to the entire Fujian agricultural system, so their intervention was not surprising.

Thus, the awarding institution was likely finished.

Just as he was about to put down his phone, a call came in from Wei Yuan, the head of the agricultural bureau. He answered immediately, and Wei Yuan's voice came through, but his words left Zhang Lin stunned. Why were those people coming to him?

Damn it!

Those issues had nothing to do with him. He hadn't exposed them; they had done it themselves.

This was going too far.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end