A lonely, unlucky military officer with a stubborn fate insisted on marrying me.

After seeing Wang Erhua off, Lin Yinyin received a letter that very evening.

She caught a glimpse of Gao Ming's strange, hesitant gaze and felt a chill run down her spine.

Could this be Li Jinye's suicide note?

Thinking about this, Lin Yinyin's hands began to tremble.

She carefully opened the envelope, only to find a single line of text on the letter: Yinyin, I miss you.

Lin Yinyin almost choked on her breath.

No, it's a love letter. What kind of look is Gao Ming giving me?

If Gao Ming weren't the regimental commander, she would have kicked him right away!

She turned and glared at Gao Ming. "Just say what you have to say. Aren't you afraid of bottling it up?"

Gao Ming then spoke with a complicated expression: "This letter was sent along with intelligence from the front lines."

Lin Yinyin's eyes widened: "That's it?"

"Okay, that's it."

Intelligence lines are for delivering military intelligence; for Li Jinye to actually send love letters is unprecedented.

"Oh!" Lin Yinyin felt a sweet warmth in her heart after hearing this. She also missed Li Jinye a little.

But Gao Ming didn't think so. He couldn't help but feel a little exasperated when he thought about the expressions on the faces of Brigade Commander Zheng and Political Commissar Huang when they saw it!

In the end, Political Commissar Huang softened and said that considering his abandonment of his newlywed wife and the danger of venturing alone into the enemy's lair, he would forgive him this time.

Unexpectedly, Lin Yinyin continued, "Commander Gao, wait for me to write him a reply."

Gao Ming: "..." His lips twitched. It's true, birds of a feather flock together.

That Li Jinye was incredibly audacious, using his intelligence network to send sweet nothings, and this guy actually went after him to reply.

"Comrade Lin, the military's information channels can only be used in emergencies concerning missions or personnel danger; they must not be used for personal matters. Besides... we really can't contact him."

Lin Yinyin looked somewhat disappointed, and waved her hand dejectedly, "Alright then. Goodbye, Commander Gao!"

Gao Ming: These two are truly a match made in heaven!

After the little incident, Lin Yinyin got busy.

Zhao Qiang built up a considerable network of connections in the black market by selling mooncakes, and with Gao Ming's entrustment, he was exceptionally diligent in his work.

The two went straight to Weijiang Village and, under the pretext of preparing "support for the army sideline business" for military families, rented three tile-roofed houses with a large courtyard at the entrance of the village with Zhao Qiang as guarantor.

The main house served as the workshop, the side room was used to store raw materials, and the yard was used to dry pastries and package gift boxes. The location was secluded yet convenient for transportation, so the workshop's foundation was solid.

Meanwhile, the black market for mooncakes is booming. With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, every household prepares snacks to visit relatives. Zhao Qiang's mooncakes, priced at 35 cents per piece by Lin Yinyin, were sold out as soon as they were put out, and many people even asked him to reserve some.

Seeing the shortage of goods, Lin Yinyin simply asked him to raise the unit price to 40 cents. Even so, many people still placed orders every day, and some even paid deposits in advance to order goods after the holiday.

Three days later, Gao Ming went to the train station to pick up the goods. Wang Erhua had arranged for three hundred brown sugar mooncakes to be transported by train, which solved the immediate problem.

Li Juan also brought good news: the red lacquered tin box, the finely packaged brown sugar blocks, and the donkey-hide gelatin exchanged with foreign exchange certificates had all been purchased.

The two, along with their sister and the strong men Zhao Qiang and Gao Ming, set up a packaging table.

Lin Yinyin took out paper and pen and asked Lin Huizhi to write down the three characters "Xianghongzhai".

The character "祥" (xiáng) signifies good fortune and auspiciousness, while "红" (hóng) corresponds to the joy of brown sugar. This combination not only fits the festive atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival but also subtly conveys the meaning of good luck.

A red paper inscription is pasted on a red lacquered tin box, and then a red string is tied on it, instantly maximizing the festive atmosphere.

The "Xianghongzhai" gift box mooncakes caused a frenzy in the market as soon as they hit the market. A single box even sold for as high as 10 yuan.

But Lin Yinyin was troubled.

Although the policy has been relaxed somewhat, the end of the year is the time when controls are tightened. The risk of privately run workshops is too high. If they are reported for "speculation and profiteering", not only will their business fail, but it may also implicate Li Jinye.

She pondered for two days and finally came up with a solution that satisfied both sides.

Three days later, Lin Yinyin, carrying a neatly written plan, went directly to Political Commissar Huang.

Political Commissar Huang took the plan, and after reading only the beginning, the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

The title boldly reads "Application for the Establishment of 'Xianghongzhai' under the Army Canteen Supply Group".

As he looked further down, Political Commissar Huang's eyes widened even more.

The plan clearly states that Xianghongzhai is nominally affiliated with the Hebei Provincial Army Canteen Supply Group, with Lin Yinyin serving as the group leader and brand manager; the equity division adopts an allocation model.

The Second Regiment, where Li Jinye works, holds 30% of the shares; the military logistics canteen holds 21%; Lin Yinyin holds 34%; Li Juan holds 15%; and Lin Yinyin is solely responsible for all production, pricing, sales, and management.

"You little rascal, you sure know how to come up with ideas." Political Commissar Huang put down the plan, pointed to the line "Second Regiment holds 30% of the shares," and said with a wry smile.

"Aren't these two regiments Li Jinye's regiments?"

"Yes, I should protect my husband's team."

I plan to use the portion of the revenue that belongs to the Second Regiment to give bonuses to the soldiers, and also to subsidize the wounded veterans and comrades with financial difficulties.

At the end of this year, we will give each soldier and their family a gift box from "Xianghongzhai" again, which will not only be a source of pride but also boost morale.

Furthermore, the military logistics canteen owns 21% of the shares, which allows them to improve the food by adding two meat dishes to the soldiers' meals every day!

She changed the subject, her tone tinged with grievance: "Political Commissar Huang, the problem is you haven't contributed a single penny!"

I covered all the costs, raw materials, and technology. My share then had to be redistributed to my co-founders and key technical personnel—it was all my responsibility. You were just listed as shareholders and helped with the paperwork. This combined 51% stake is already quite substantial. If anyone's losing out, it's me, okay?

Political Commissar Huang then raised an eyebrow and asked, "What about that regiment?"

You're using Gao Ming and Zhao Qiang from Group One as porters and distributors every day, so why shouldn't they get anything?

"You are unaware of this."

Lin Yinyin said confidently, "Gao Ming came to us himself!"

Their group had an undercover mission in the black market and was looking for a stable resource channel to establish themselves. I provided them with supplies to help them complete their mission and helped their people infiltrate the core of the black market.

In a way, they took advantage of me, while I was a meritorious soldier!

Which military spouse could provide you with hundreds of mooncakes as supplies and accompany you in completing your mission?

Looking at it from another angle, I'm serving the military; shouldn't you say I have high moral character?

"You!"

Commissar Huang was both amused and exasperated by her, pointing at her and saying, "You're so full of clever ideas, and you're so quick-witted!"

Seeing this, Lin Yinyin immediately went along with it: "How about this, let's adjust the shareholding."

The first regiment has 10%, the second regiment has 20%, and the logistics canteen has 21%. So the troops still have a total share of 51%. This should shut others up!

Furthermore, I promise that the profits earned by the military will be distributed independently, whether it's for bonuses or subsidies for disabled veterans; I won't participate at all!

Political Commissar Huang: ...You've said both good and bad things.

Lin Yinyin continued talking, "Once my business stabilizes, I plan to develop other types of snacks, including high-end gift boxes and affordable snacks for the general public. My main focus will be our military brand."

Then you can just sit back and reap the rewards!

My profit margin is very high; take a look at my price and profit table above.

Political Commissar Huang was deeply moved when he saw the numbers.

A gift box that costs 3 yuan to make sells for 9 yuan and is still in short supply. This means that their unit makes a profit of 3 yuan per box of pastries.

Considering the recent tight budget of the military and the reduced food quality in the canteen, Lin Yinyin's suggestion was almost cost-free and risk-free, and would truly benefit the soldiers. Moreover, since it was initiated by Li Jinye's wife, he trusted her.

"How about you give me another ball with some extra?"

"Sure, I'll join if they offer 4000 yuan in capital! Li Jinye offered 8000 yuan!"

Political Commissar Huang: ...Who just said she paid for all the costs herself? It turns out it was Li Jinye's savings!

That's enough!

In any case, they will ultimately benefit from this job.

So Political Commissar Huang said again, "I can't make this decision myself; it has to be reported to the military region. Give me three days, and I'll apply under the guise of a 'support-the-military mission.' I'm more likely to get approval that way."

"With you here, it will definitely be approved!" Lin Yinyin quickly flattered him.

"Don't flatter me." Political Commissar Huang put on a stern face and said in a serious tone, "If it succeeds, I have only one request."

The quality of the snacks must be up to standard; we can't tarnish the reputation of the military!

Lin Yinyin immediately stood at attention and saluted, "Mission accomplished!"

She breathed a long sigh of relief as she walked out of the logistics department.

Although giving up 51% of the shares was extremely painful, with the military as a "protective umbrella," Xianghongzhai was finally able to gain a firm foothold.

That afternoon, Zhao Qiang returned with "good news" from the black market.

"Comrade Lin, the black market boss heard that our workshop is a joint venture with the military, and he specifically spoke to me. From now on, our raw material transportation and gift box sales will all be handled through a fast track, and no one will dare to cause trouble!"

Lin Yinyin smiled. Now that all the connections, both internal and external, are open, all that's left is to wait for Wang Erhua to return with her skills, and then the Xianghongzhai Mooncake Factory can officially start operations.