Silently taking the news to heart, Liu Feng immediately began to ponder.
He was a greedy man by nature. Even though he knew the risk of acting now would be very high, the thought of having received eight thousand yuan for just one recipe before made him restless. If he could get his hands on the second recipe, wouldn't his future be secured without any more struggle?
Although the number of yuan-rich households was already quite significant, for ordinary families, becoming a yuan-rich household was still an unreachable goal. For a normal family, having a deposit of a thousand yuan or so was already considered well-off. Considering this, how much money did he see in this opportunity? If he truly calculated it, saying he wouldn't have to worry about his future wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Without delay, Liu Feng found the person he had dealt with last time. He conveyed this new information to him. It was clear that this person did not hold a particularly high position in the Su family. After a moment of thought, he instructed Liu Feng to proceed.
However, Liu Feng was different this time compared to before. He demanded ten thousand yuan, and only then would he act. If he didn't get it, he wouldn't do anything, no matter what. Thus, the two parties seemed to reach an impasse, and no action would be taken before the price was settled.
"I'm taking a huge risk this time to go after the recipe. If I'm not compensated adequately, I absolutely won't do it."
"If I'm caught, I'll go to jail."
Liu Feng showed no leniency, even though the Su family was a distant relative. He only cared about money now and recognized only money. Moreover, as he had said, the dried fruit factory had been completely unprepared last time, but this time it was different. Having lost a recipe once, they would undoubtedly guard the current one closely. If the money wasn't enough, he would absolutely not take the risk, even if they were relatives. Who would be indifferent to the prospect of going to jail? Especially since Liu Feng himself wanted to continue working at the dried fruit factory.
"What you're asking for is too much. I can't make this decision, so I can only find someone who can, and try to talk to them for you."
"However, since you've brought this up, it must be done. No matter what happens, we only care about the result, the recipe."
The person from the Su family did not immediately agree. After all, he was well aware of how terrifying Liu Feng's greed was. If he easily agreed to Liu Feng's demands, Liu Feng would become even more avaricious in the future. As he left, he even couldn't resist threatening Liu Feng. Simply put, he could try to get the money for Liu Feng, but since Liu Feng had revealed this information, he had to obtain the recipe.
The competition between the Su family, the processed food factory, and the dried fruit factory had reached a point of life and death. With this information, they had to get the recipe. Otherwise, if the dried fruit factory came up with new products and they couldn't replicate them, they would be passively beaten. Therefore, no matter what, they had to obtain it. Whether the price was high or not might be negotiable, but obtaining it was not up for discussion.
"Alright, after you get me more information, I'll figure something out."
"But let me be clear, if the price is the same as last time, don't blame me for not cooperating."
It was evident that Liu Feng was somewhat displeased upon hearing this. However, for the sake of money, to become a yuan-rich household, he felt he should and must endure.
That evening, after returning home, he began his investigation the next day. To be honest, the dried fruit factory was not that large. Even if some people were absent, with careful observation, it wasn't difficult to figure out where the people secretly engaged in research and development were located. And indeed, after just one day of searching within the factory, he identified several "research and development members" who had been conspicuously absent.
They were all confidants of the vice-factory director. At such a critical juncture, their being together when they should have been working made it impossible to believe they had nothing to hide. Therefore, in the following period, he gradually began to approach these individuals. Although they were all very vigilant, he found a breakthrough with them.
For the next few days, Liu Feng found himself drinking with these people almost daily. Finally, when they were all drunk one night, he made his move. His first tactic was to steal the key from their ringleader. He then instructed his wife to find someone to make copies of each key as quickly as possible. Afterward, during the factory's closing hours, he secretly sneaked in, intending to find the new recipe. He had already heard from these research and development personnel that although the new recipe wasn't finalized, several samples had already appeared. As long as he obtained these sample recipes, he could complete his task, and his ten thousand yuan would be in his pocket.
"Heh heh, these fools, how could they have imagined that I've been treating them to drinks every day to get their keys?"
"This time I'm going to strike it rich. If there are multiple recipes, I might even be able to demand a bit more."
The thought of crisp bills waving at him sent a wave of triumph through Liu Feng. Earning a little over two hundred yuan a month at his job, how many lifetimes would it take to earn ten thousand yuan? But if he obtained this recipe, he would have ascended in one step; even selling refrigerators and color televisions wouldn't be an issue. This was the life he had always dreamed of.
Picking up his flashlight, Liu Feng began to rummage through the office, which ordinary people couldn't enter. One by one, lists appeared in his hands, and upon seeing them, his face lit up with joy.
"This must be the recipe, right? It really came so easily! I'm going to get rich this time."
His face was filled with smug satisfaction. Now that the item was in his possession, it was time to reap the rewards. He immediately stuffed the recipes into his embrace, preparing to leave. In his mind, he was already fantasizing about his upcoming wonderful life, with over ten thousand yuan. He had never even dared to imagine such a thing before, and now it had fallen into his hands so easily.