"Humans don't eat it, but aliens do!" Bai Xiaobai said. "Our company's customer base isn't primarily human. Human customers only account for 6% of our total profit; 90% comes from alien customers. I'm actually doing intergalactic, interspecies business."
"What about the remaining 4%?" Xu Aoqing inquired.
"That's financial and real estate income," Bai Xiaobai smiled. "Some of the land and buildings our company's factories and stores purchased have become valuable as the local economy prospers. The company also has a department that deals in stocks and futures; it's relatively new and makes a small amount in the financial market."
As Bai Xiaobai spoke, she took out her phone.
Her phone was about three times the thickness of a normal one. As soon as she placed it on the table, a holographic projection popped up.
The projection showed her company's factory assembly line.
Many bizarrely shaped and colorful alien creatures were being poured, sackful by sackful, onto a conveyor belt. Some resembled fungi, some were small beasts, and many more looked like insects, albeit the size of washbasins.
Many of the alien creatures were still alive, struggling on the conveyor belt.
Nearby workers would pick up any alien creatures that fell off the belt and forcefully toss them back on.
The alien creatures were then transported to cleaning equipment, where various water guns and disinfectants sprayed them repeatedly. Finally, all the animals' surfaces were wet and they no longer struggled, swaying their heads on the conveyor belt as if drunk.
Next, an extremely cruel machine appeared.
A giant, fully transparent meat grinder.
Hundreds of alien creatures slid in and were cut into mince by massive helical blades, bone fragments flying.
After more than ten minutes of a lengthy process, involving deboning and de-fuzzing, the final metal cans dropped from the end of the assembly line.
"This is one of our company's assembly lines," Bai Xiaobai said. "These cans contain the meat of twenty different alien species. They are rich in nutritional value, contain many additives, have a tangy flavor, and are very popular in the alien market. Last year, when several alien species' planets experienced famine, they purchased these cans for disaster relief. One order was for over a hundred million cans, followed by several hundred more orders, and the factories were almost overwhelmed."
"If you don't mind me saying..." Jiang Ye's scalp tingled. "That really doesn't look like something humans would eat; it's too mixed..."
"It's like ham sausage!" Bai Xiaobai exclaimed.
Jiang Ye was taken aback.
"It's actually similar to our ham sausage," Bai Xiaobai said. "Some ham sausages on the market contain pork, chicken, fish, beef, lamb, starch, and corn; it's a compression of many ingredients. Many aliens have a broader diet, and eating dozens of species at once is no big deal for them. Our products are all based on market research."
Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow, suddenly understanding.
So, it was a company that made ham sausage for alien species.
"I also brought a gift this time," Bai Xiaobai said. "This gift is related to another major event, but your guards confiscated it for inspection. I explained repeatedly, but those guards wouldn't listen, as if it were a bomb."
Cen Yemeng took out her phone and made a call.
Soon, guards pushed a large metal box in and placed it in front of the sofa.
Bai Xiaobai opened the box, and a living creature immediately scurried out and ran across the floor.
Everyone was startled.
It was an alien beast, about a meter long, with plump, round flesh on its body. Its appearance reminded Jiang Ye of a tardigrade. However, this alien creature had a layer of soft fur on its surface, like a sheep. It also had a face, with a nose, eyes, and mouth. The nose was a small black dot, the eyes were dark and round, and the mouth was a line; its appearance was very cartoonish.
"What is this?" Jiang Ye asked, slightly terrified.
"This is a Pa Pa," Bai Xiaobai shouted. "Pa Pa! Come here!"
Pa Pa, who had been circling the door like a dog, turned its head upon hearing the call. As if it had found a relative, it quickly scurried to Bai Xiaobai's feet and hugged her leg tightly. This time, Jiang Ye saw clearly: Pa Pa's belly was red meat like a dog's, but it had three pairs of claws, each with five digits, the length of which was between a human finger and toe.
"Is 'Pa Pa' its individual name, or is it the name of its species?" Cen Yemeng asked.
"It's the species name, Pa Pa. This one hasn't been named yet. It's just a three-year-old juvenile. We'll name it after it can speak when it's five years old," Bai Xiaobai said. "I'm giving it to you as a pet!"
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng exchanged glances, both looking awkward.
The couple had never considered raising an alien beast as a pet.
Cats and dogs were one thing; this creature, while cute, felt somehow off. More importantly, they didn't know how to raise it, and what bad luck it would bring if it died.
"Don't you want it?" Bai Xiaobai asked.
"No," Jiang Ye nodded. "Thank you for your kindness, but we're too busy to raise a pet."
"Don't you have a son?" Bai Xiaobai said. "This would be quite suitable for a child to raise. Many children from wealthy families raise Pa Pas."
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng both shook their heads, their faces full of refusal.
It was better for Jiang Senlin to have less contact with such strange alien things.
"If you don't want it, then don't. I'll tell you about my plan," Bai Xiaobai said. "I've looked at Meteorite Star, and it's very suitable for Pa Pas to survive. I can help Meteorite Star establish a complete Pa Pa industry and Pa Pa society."
Jiang Ye's eyebrows nearly shot up into his hair; he was startled by these two phrases.
"First, let me introduce Pa Pas," Bai Xiaobai said. "Pa Pas mature at five years old. Adult Pa Pas can speak and have a certain level of intelligence, though not very high. When the Galactic Empire first discovered the Pa Pa planet, these animals had already established their own tribes, waged wars against each other, and even practiced simple farming."
"The Pa Pas initially had strong resistance and refused to cooperate with the Galactic Empire, constantly rebelling and dying in large numbers," Bai Xiaobai said. "Later, the Galactic Empire installed consciousness interfaces in captured Pa Pas and systematically brainwashed them, finally controlling the entire Pa Pa species."
Bai Xiaobai bent down, reached out, and picked up the Pa Pa that was clinging to her leg, placing it on her lap. She pushed aside the fur on its head to reveal an interface slightly larger than a Type-C port.
"What exactly is this interface used for?" Jiang Ye asked.
"The first function is to detect resistance emotions," Bai Xiaobai said. "Pa Pas must regularly go to a detection station and extend their consciousness interface. A machine will connect to it for examination. If a Pa Pa develops strong hostility towards the Galactic Empire, it will be brainwashed or executed. The detection method is actually very simple. There's a hormone in the Pa Pa's body that is only secreted when they see an enemy. The detection station is filled with Galactic Empire insignia, slogans, and staff. If a Pa Pa is hostile towards the Galactic Empire, it will inevitably secrete the hormone."
Jiang Ye was shocked; he hadn't expected such a thing.
"The second function is to clear certain memories," Bai Xiaobai said. "This involves knowledge about the Pa Pa brain. Their brains and memories can be inherited across generations."