Chapter 30 Accident

Chapter 30 An Incident

Ever since Xie Xinyi warned Gu Yu, she had thrown herself wholeheartedly into her work.

On the day Jia Fugui’s verdict was announced, their custom ice cream mold also arrived.

Big Chen mixed the raw materials again, repeating the previous steps. This time, Liu Yinsheng let Xie Xinyi try her hand at adjusting the chocolate ratio. Sister Li preheated the cooling machine, and Zhang Chao recalculated the costs.

Working together, they managed to get the Doll Head ice cream out of the molding tank before the end of the workday. Everyone held their breath, and the room was dead silent until Master Liu pulled the ice cream out.

“Xie Xinyi, come take a look,” Master Liu called her over as soon as he retrieved the ice cream. “Is it how you pictured it?”

He held the freshly made ice cream and asked, feigning uncertainty, but his face showed confidence. Xie Xinyi didn’t even need to look to know they had succeeded this time. Still, she played along with the old man’s act, feigning surprise and excitement, which truly piqued the others’ curiosity.

“It’s a success! This Doll Head ice cream looks exactly as I imagined—it makes you want to eat it.”

Her exaggerated exclamation made Sister Li hurry over eagerly, exclaiming, “Let me have a look!”

Liu Yinsheng handed the Doll Head ice cream to her, not only letting her look but also encouraging her to taste it. “Try it and see how it compares to the one the researchers brought back from Shanghai last time.”

After giving one to Sister Li, Master Liu took out two more and handed them to Big Chen and Zhang Chao, who were also craning their necks eagerly awaiting the results. “You two try it as well, but take your time. After tasting, we’ll need your feedback.”

Big Chen and Zhang Chao, holding the ice creams now in their hands, nodded excitedly.

The Doll Head ice cream looked just like the one Xie Xinyi had drawn on paper: a brown hat, a white face, with eyes and a mouth decorated with chocolate. It indeed looked more appetizing than the previous version without chocolate.

The two of them did what Sister Li did and took small bites of the ice cream’s “face.”

Hmm, a light creamy flavor—just like the ice cream brought back from Shanghai.

After tasting the face, they glanced at the brown “hat” of the Doll Head ice cream, curious about what the tweaked chocolate tasted like.

Sister Li took a small bite of the hat before they did.

Her brows furrowed, her eyes narrowed into slits, and she chewed slowly...

It seemed like it didn't taste good.

Big Chen followed suit and took a bite.

His brows relaxed, his eyes widened like saucers, and then he took another big bite...

It seemed the taste was quite good.

Seeing their completely opposite reactions, Zhang Chao was puzzled. He cautiously took a bite of the hat.

Hmm...

Hmm??

Hmm!!!

Astonished, he took another bite of the “face.”

Hmm...

Hmm??

Hmm!!!

Then he took another bite of the hat, followed by another bite of the face, then the hat again, then the face again...

In no time, only the stick of the Doll Head ice cream remained. Zhang Chao didn’t even let the tiny bit of “eye” stuck to the stick go to waste—right in front of everyone, he held the stick and slurped it clean.

“Hmm, delicious!”

Zhang Chao forgot his manners, Big Chen devoured his eagerly, and Sister Li, forgetting what she had said earlier, gave Xie Xinyi a thumbs-up while eating. “Young folks sure have smart ideas.”

The group’s attitude shifted completely, and they praised Xie Xinyi’s unconventional idea repeatedly.

Xie Xinyi was embarrassed by all the praise and humbly attributed all the credit to Liu Yinsheng.

“I have Master Liu to thank for not writing me off. Otherwise, with my skills, I wouldn’t even qualify to join the R&D team.”

She laughed self-deprecatingly, clearly aware of her own limitations. Not only did she not take credit, but she also knew how to show gratitude. No wonder Liu Yinsheng momentarily spaced out when he heard the vaguely uttered “Master,” almost mistaking it for the long-unheard “Shifu” (Master).

He smiled warmly at the humble and low-key young girl before him, as if he could see in her the first apprentice he had taken on many years ago.

Equally smart, equally humble, and even strikingly similar in appearance. If not for that accident, perhaps she would be standing beside him now, smiling joyfully just like this child.

Thinking of his deceased apprentice, Old Liu’s eyes reddened. This scene was noticed by Deputy Manager Yuan, who'd come running after getting the news. Thinking something had gone wrong, he immediately confronted Xie Xinyi, who was standing by the door, with a series of anxious questions.

“What’s wrong with Master Liu?”

“Wasn’t the R&D successful?”

“Did you all do something wrong?”

“Or...”

He asked in a low voice, leaving Xie Xinyi confused.

What was wrong with Master Liu?

She looked up at the old man standing not far away, watching her with a pleased smile, holding the newly developed ice cream. Everything seemed normal—except for his eyes... why were they red?

Xie Xinyi was also puzzled, but Deputy Manager Yuan went straight to Master Liu to ask for an explanation.

No one knew exactly what the two whispered about, but soon enough, Deputy Manager Yuan was all smiles again, just as he had been before entering.

Deputy Manager Yuan first thanked the R&D team for their hard work during this period, then delivered an impassioned speech of encouragement regarding their achievements. Finally, he inevitably ended with some clichéd remarks about looking forward to the future. Soon after, he and Master Liu took the newly developed Doll Head ice cream and headed straight to the factory director’s office.

After a new product is developed, it must first gain the factory director’s approval. Once the director confirms it, another batch is produced, packaged, and submitted to the Commercial Bureau for pricing. Only after filing with the Commercial Bureau can it be allowed for market sale.

With the Spring Festival approaching, supply and marketing cooperatives would soon start stocking ice cream after the New Year. Aside from the Spring Festival holiday, food factories actually had very little time to prepare.

Moreover, with few varieties of ice cream available and high market demand, competition was fierce. Whoever could develop novel products ahead of other food factories would secure a favorable position in the market.

The cream ice cream launched in Shanghai last year was a perfect example, which explained why Deputy Manager Yuan was in such a hurry.

Yuan Kang was anxious, and the R&D team members were equally on edge. After Master Liu and Yuan Kang left for the factory director’s office, Xie Xinyi and the others, who should have been off work, voluntarily stayed behind.

Big Chen took out a cloth and wiped down the molding tank again. Sister Li brought water and rinsed the mixer once more. Zhang Chao sat at the desk, repeatedly checking his calculations. Even Xie Xinyi, who usually hated overtime the most, stayed by the door, quietly waiting for the outcome.

They all understood each other’s unspoken thoughts. No one pointed out the obvious, and they waited until sunset without any sign of Deputy Manager Yuan or Master Liu. Only then did they begin to worry.

“Do you think...” Sister Li broke the silence first, “Director Fang, he might have...”

“Impossible!”

Before Sister Li could finish, Big Chen cut her off sharply.

As if he knew what she was about to say, he firmly dismissed her suspicions.

Zhang Chao also refused to believe it, saying only that Fang Mingan was merely a bit timid. “He still knows what’s important.”

Equally convinced, he was about to lighten the mood with a joke when, before he could speak, a cry came from outside the workshop: “Quick, someone come! There’s been an accident!”