“Yum! Yum!”
I took advantage of the multiple barbecue grills, moving around to grab meat everywhere. The employees seemed to secretly hope for my arrival. Every time I went, there was a pile of freshly grilled meat waiting. After wandering around, I eventually returned to where Bora was. I felt like my stomach was about to burst.
I had eaten way too much. It was my first time tasting meat with such a chewy, delicious texture. I was amazed at how the cows were raised to produce such flavorful meat. Even the employees were impressed. Despite having high standards from tasting the food they made, they were still blown away. Honestly, the employees working in the office on my floor probably eat better than Starlight Food.
Maru mentioned that in the entertainment industry, people can’t get enough of the strawberries I grow. Rumor has it that even a girl group, known for their strict weight management, gave up on dieting after tasting my strawberries.
“Is this the famous beef everyone’s talking about lately? It’s really delicious.”
“It’s from cows fed with Starlight Food’s rice straw. As expected, Hana never makes anything less than perfect. Look at this. If it weren’t for the rice straw from Starlight Food, this beef would’ve been just average.”
“Mr. Choi’s farm sold us a cow at a discount as a thank-you. It’s said to be a special beef that’s hard to come by these days. Rumor has it that beef shops nationwide are desperate to get cows from Choi’s farm.”
No matter how much the media hypes up the marbling and tenderness of the beef, when you actually try it, the difference isn’t that noticeable to the average person. Sometimes, people even regret it after seeing the price on the receipt. But this beef was different. From the moment it hit the grill, it was special. The juices bubbled up, and when I took a bite, it melted in my mouth like ice cream. Normally, beef can be a bit tough, but this was something else.
“Yahoo!”
After eating so much beef that I was stuffed, I felt drowsy. But I couldn’t miss the highlight of the festival. Normally, I would’ve told Maru I was sleepy and gone to bed, but not today.
I watched as they prepared to set off fireworks. Others, having enjoyed their fill of meat, chatted while helping set up the fireworks. I was excited, nestled in Maru’s arms, eagerly waiting for the show to start.
“It’s starting, Hana!”
Once everything was set up, a male office employee lit the fireworks. As the fuses caught fire, the fireworks began to explode. I couldn’t help but marvel at the spectacle lighting up the sky.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Looking up, the colorful fireworks showered the sky with light, a feast for the eyes. Others were busy capturing the moment on their mobile phones, but I just enjoyed the view from Maru’s embrace.
“Hana, look at this!”
Maru handed me a firework that looked like chopsticks. When lit, it slowly burned from the bottom, sparkling brightly. I waved it around, drawing trails of light like a fire dance.
After all the fireworks had gone off, I was left with a lingering sense of awe. Seeing such a fantastic fireworks display live was incredible! Of course, it wasn’t as grand as government-run events, but for a company event, it was top-notch.
The smell of gunpowder filled the air, a reminder of the fireworks’ aftermath.
Once the event was over, I took advantage of my child privilege—skipping cleanup and heading straight home! No one stopped me; after all, I was just a kid. It felt great to be a child at that moment. I walked home smiling, and Maru got to skip work and come with me. How awesome is that?
“Dad! Look at this!”
The son of Choi’s Farm was talking as he looked at the pile of rice straw. The effect of the rice straw received from Starlight Food was so good that they had no choice but to order a year’s supply. And according to rumors, the efficacy of the rice straw was gradually spreading. So, to avoid price hikes due to competition, they had preemptively secured a year’s worth of rice straw.
Choi’s Farm was considered a large farm nationwide, and the sight of tightly packed silage bales spread across the vast fields was truly spectacular. If anyone saw it, they might think hundreds of giant marshmallows were stacked up. It was so impressive that cars passing by on the road would occasionally stop to take pictures of Choi’s Farm’s fields.
It was rare to see silage bales packed so densely, as most farms spread them out separately.
“Looking at this pile of rice straw, I feel so full already!”
The father at Choi’s Farm exclaimed as he saw the stacked rice straw. Even without checking each one individually, it was obvious at a glance that the rice straw in these silage bales was top-quality. Starlight Food wasn’t some small company, so there was no way they’d send anything less than the best.
“How many weeks will it take just to organize this?”
Moving the equipment to the field was done haphazardly, but estimating how long it would take to unpack and organize each silage bale was difficult. It might take all day and still not be enough.
“No matter how long it takes, isn’t it amazing to handle this much volume? Just last year, we were struggling with losses.”
Until last year, Choi’s Farm had been teetering between losses and breaking even. Beef prices were unstable, and feed costs had skyrocketed due to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
War isn’t something you can prepare for, so Choi’s Farm had no choice but to accept the losses. But after switching to the rice straw produced by Starlight Food, they couldn’t keep up with the demand for their cows.
Feed costs dropped by 70-80%, while the selling price of the cows soared. Buyers were practically begging to purchase the cows. It was strange to see those who were once in the position of power now pleading.
Just changing the feed had transformed the situation so drastically. If someone had told him this last year, he wouldn’t have believed it. The son of Choi’s Farm began dismantling the mountain-like pile of silage bales one by one. It was a massive labor requiring heavy machinery.
Of course, the fact that the rice straw in these silage bales cost only 70-80% of the original feed price was a huge motivator for the son. Other farms would soon catch on, but the early advantage had already led to a surge in sales.
Choi’s Farm wasn’t particularly close to their existing suppliers, so they had no hesitation in switching feeds. However, other farms had existing relationships and fears about switching from old to new feed, so it might take them some time to make the change.
“Did you deliver the beef that Starlight Research Institute requested last time?”
The father asked his son while holding a plow. The son nodded.
“Of course, Dad. I sent them the best one since they’re the ones who make the rice straw we use. I bet they’ll be moved when they taste it. I was amazed myself.”
Curious about why they were making such a fuss, the son went to the butcher shop where his cow had been processed and tried the beef. After tasting it, he understood the hype. If you ate beef this delicious, it would be strange not to make a fuss.
