Inside a luxurious waiting room, ten people were chatting cheerfully, their voices blending with the soft, melodic music. In front of them, a large tank held countless vibrant fish. Suddenly, a voice rang out, bringing all conversation to a temporary halt.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Merium Mermaid Farm. We are the leading facility for raising mermaids and producing top-quality mermaid eggs and meat. There was a slight incident earlier, for which we apologize."
A man in a full protective suit walked up to the group, completely ignoring the faint screams echoing from behind him.
"But first, I'd like for you all to follow me to the decontamination area before we begin the tour."
He said this and then left the room, leading the group of visitors with him. The hallway was quite empty, with only a few technicians occasionally scurrying about. Even the decontamination room was unremarkable. The guide also asked everyone to temporarily hand over their electronic devices for safekeeping and to wear a black bracelet before entering the farm.
"You may find this a bit inconvenient, but following our procedures is mandatory to ensure the farm's absolute secrecy, especially in a competitive market like this."
The guide spoke with an energetic, cheerful tone, though his icy gaze was fixed on a woman in the group before everyone was led into a basement via a glass elevator.
"Welcome to the first area. Behind these glass enclosures is our pride and joy."
When the elevator door opened, they were faced with giant cylindrical glass tanks. Inside were creatures that were half-human, half-fish. One tank held only those with blue tails, while another contained those with red tails—the distinction was very clear.
"Using the most advanced technology, our farm has successfully recreated a natural environment, from water currents and temperature to salinity. And now, I'm sure you're all wondering how we harvest them, aren't you?"
The guide said, clapping his hands to signal a nearby technician. The young employee, who was holding a data tablet, smiled and hurried to answer.
"It's lucky for you that some of them have already shown suitable signs for harvesting, so you can witness the process firsthand."
With just a few taps on the tablet, a mermaid in a nearby glass tank suddenly began to convulse, slowly swam to the surface, and finally jumped into a net.
"At our farm, we prioritize the safety of our staff. All our mermaids are microchipped during the larval stage, which is far safer than the traditional method of using nets to capture them."
While one end of the net was being pulled toward another area, the guide and technician continued to explain the functions of the various zones before quickly leading everyone to the edge of a large tank.
Suddenly, a small sound like a bell rang out, causing the mermaids to become chaotic. Their monstrous screams, as if tearing at everyone's eardrums, rang out without end.
"It's feeding time, so they might be a little agitated. Please don't panic."
At the same moment, a swarm of drones flew in from an adjacent room, carrying dozens of containers. The climax occurred when the food was poured into the tank, causing the mermaids to go into a frenzy, almost climbing out, which made the visitors chuckle.
Even more remarkably, the food given to the mermaids at the farm wasn't meat or fish but small, round pellets.
"As you can see, at our farm, all parts are recycled. Those pellets are actually a mix of essential nutrients and leftover body parts, combined in a ratio that our experts have spent the last 10 years perfecting. They are designed to enhance the quality of the mermaids."
The guide continued speaking as he led them to another area. It was a white room with various processing tools and a few staff members working diligently.
On a dissecting table, a previously selected mermaid lay motionless, her chest still rising and falling faintly.
"During the first stage, the mermaids are put into a tank mixed with a sedative, to prevent them from panicking before they die."
As he spoke, he gestured toward a smaller basin next to the table, where several mermaids floated listlessly in a pale blue liquid.
At this point, two employees began to process the mermaid on the table. First, they used a large knife to make a vertical incision along her tail at the egg sac. From there, they quickly extracted a large pouch of red eggs, each one as big as a chicken egg. One of the men casually held a sample out for the visitors to see.
Under the bright white lights of the room, it wasn't hard to make out a small creature wiggling behind the membrane.
"Would you like to try a taste? It's delicious," the other employee said kindly, noticing the visitors' focused stares.
He was right. The rich flavor of the yolk and the firm, crispy-chewy texture of the fetal meat blended together, creating an indescribable taste. A little fluid even dripped onto one visitor, but he didn't seem to care, while others started asking for their own samples to try. On the other side of the room, staff began to fillet the mermaid's flesh, not just from the tail but also from her human-like upper body.
"If you'd like, we can treat you to a meal made from mermaid meat later."
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