Chapter 312: Three Birds with One Stone
Just as Director Feng was feeling stifled with vexation, Su He came back carrying two string bags.
Peanuts, sunflower seeds, large duck pears, eggs, cucumbers, and massive steamed buns!
If someone didn’t know better, they would assume she had just gone to stock up at the non-staple food store.
It happened to be lunchtime as well. Principal Chen and the others pulled out their dry rations and ate them along with the items Su He had “alms-begged.”
In truth, Director Tian was also carrying a box of instant noodles on his back.
However, having smelled the scent of instant noodles every single day in the factory compound recently, he currently didn’t possess much interest in them.
Originally, he hadn’t wanted to carry them along since the samples had already been mailed to Guangzhou.
But once he recalled how they had promoted the product on the train during their trip to the capital, he felt it would be a massive loss not to promote it this time. So, he had slung a box onto his back anyway.
He felt quite smug in his heart: This time, I actually thought of this ahead of Little Su!
She didn’t even mention this matter!
Tsk-tsk, she is still young after all, so it’s inevitable she’d overlook some details.
When dinner comes, I’ll pull out the instant noodles and steep them, taking the opportunity to give Little Su a proper lesson.
Consequently, the exact moment he took a bite of his bun, he caught the scent of instant noodles, and it was growing increasingly rich.
He scanned around—well, look at that. Over half the people in the delegation were steeping instant noodles.
Only now did he realize in hindsight that when Su He delivered the photographs a while ago, she had given instant noodles to quite a few people.
This girl had bound to mention that this stuff was perfect for train rides when she gifted them, which was why these people had brought them along.
The tiny bit of pride Director Tian held previously shattered into pieces instantaneously!
Little Su had not only used the instant noodles to secure a favor, but she had further turned these people into free labor and promotional agents. It could truly be described as killing three birds with one stone!
Thinking back to the box of instant noodles he had carried with exhausting effort, the steamed bun in his mouth instantly lost its flavor.
Because so many people were steeping instant noodles, the entire sleeper carriage was permeated with the savory fragrance of the noodles.
In these times, the vast majority of people could rarely taste meat or grease throughout the entire year, so the rich fragrance of the instant noodles was more than enough to make them swallow their saliva.
Quite a few people began inquiring about the instant noodles. Because Su He shared an excellent rapport with everyone, the delegation members called Su He straight over.
Su He was thoroughly familiar with this routine, rattling off a grand and sweeping introduction of the He Brand instant noodles, then stating:
“He Brand instant noodles have already hit the market, and the department stores in the capital have already begun selling them. After a bit more time, you’ll be able to buy them at every major department store across the nation. I welcome everyone to give them a taste when the time comes…”
Beholding this scene, Luo Dongchuan stood completely dumbfounded like a wooden block.
She’s already started selling goods right on the train?
Although these weren’t foreign trade orders, it still counted as performance results!
After chattering away for a good while, Su He climbed to the upper berth to doze off for a nap.
When she woke up, the train had pulled into Chucheng Station in Jingbei Province.
Very quickly, the adjacent sleeper carriage became lively—presumably the people boarding from Chucheng Station.
Chucheng was the provincial capital of Jingbei Province, commanding a massive passenger flow.
After a long bout of noisy rushing, the carriage finally quieted down a bit.
At this moment, Luo Dongchuan was exchanging pleasantries with Tong Zhen, the deputy team leader of Jingbei Province. Although they appeared highly warm, hidden barbs lay buried within the words of both men, sparks flying in all directions.
Tracing things back, these two were actually university classmates. Both had concurrently pursued the class beauty, Zhang Lin, and in the end, Zhang Lin had chosen Luo Dongchuan.
Because of this very business, the two had thoroughly formed a bitter grudge.
Tong Zhen had been promoted to deputy director of the Jingbei Provincial Foreign Trade Department at the start of the year, and he had given Luo Dongchuan plenty of passive-aggressive squeezing during the Spring Canton Fair.
He adjusted his glasses with his hand. “Old Luo, I didn’t expect the two of us would actually ride the exact same train. It truly is fate!
“To tell you the truth, I quite envy you. The team leaders of your Beiliao Province have a vastly easier time than us in Jingbei Province!
“After all, your Beiliao Province represents our country’s heavy industry base—boasting steel mills, mines, and glass factories. These are all veteran earners of foreign exchange.
“Our Jingbei Province is completely different; our heavy industry can’t compare to yours, so we can only develop light industry.
“Look at this—under the guidance of our foreign trade department, the Chucheng Textile Factory, Chucheng Food Factory, and Chucheng Handicrafts Factory have all achieved massive elevation.
“Particularly the Chucheng Textile Factory, which has designed quite a few new patterns that are highly popular abroad. Furthermore, they even learned a lot of foreign trade experience from the Shanghai First Textile Factory and are prepared to stretch their arms and legs to show their grand prowess at this Canton Fair.
“Old Luo, you ought to expend some effort in this area as well, so you won’t constantly remain a mere section chief!”
Luo Dongchuan naturally understood the subtext of Tong Zhen’s words perfectly—the man was trying to say he was a piece of useless trash resting on past laurels, possessing zero practical competence in his work.
However, Luo Dongchuan couldn’t be bothered to bicker with him, offering a couple of vague murmurs.
Unexpectedly, Tong Zhen spoke up again, “I also heard a novel piece of news came out of your Beiliao Province—that you set up some sort of An County Joint Exhibition Delegation. Isn’t that a bit of a child’s joke?
“Who doesn’t know that An County is a famously poverty-stricken county, having to rely on relief grains to fill their bellies year after year? What sort of grand achievements can a tiny, broken place like that possibly conjure up?”
No matter how poor An County was, it was still a region under the jurisdiction of Beiliao Province. Unless Luo Dongchuan were a submissive turtle, it was impossible for him to refrain from refuting.
Sure enough, Luo Dongchuan’s face turned rather unsightly as he said, “Old Tong, those words of yours are a bit over the line! An County’s booths were approved by the Ministry of Foreign Trade. Could it be that you are questioning the Ministry of Foreign Trade?”
Tong Zhen’s face stiffened. “I—I merely made a casual remark, I didn’t mean anything else by it.”
Luo Dongchuan let out a cold snort. “You might have just said it to satisfy your tongue. But do you know, if these words of yours were heard by the people of An County, what would they think?
“Are you trying to sow discord within our Beiliao Province delegation, or are you trying to sabotage our country’s export foreign exchange earnings…”
Tong Zhen’s face shifted between green and white. Gnashes his teeth, he said, “Old Luo, fine, fine, fine, I was wrong. For the sake of us being old classmates, just act as if I said absolutely nothing.”
Luo Dongchuan let out a sigh. “Old Tong, I’m also doing this for your own good. You are the deputy team leader of Jingbei Province; you still need to be prudent in your speech and actions!”
Furious and stifled with frustration, Tong Zhen directly invented a reason and walked away.
Luo Dongchuan felt an absolute wave of refreshing comfort in his heart!
In the past when he traded barbs with Tong Zhen, he would suffer defeat eight times out of ten. This was the very first time he had claimed such a thoroughly satisfying victory!
This was entirely thanks to him memorizing the exact words Su He used to argue down Zhao Damao from the seafood company, applying them perfectly here.
It seemed that whenever Su He crossed swords with people in the future, he would have to learn from her a bit more.
The more Tong Zhen thought about it, the more vexed he grew. Catching sight of Section Chief Zhu from the Chucheng Textile Factory’s foreign trade section, he spoke up, “Old Zhu, I heard the An County Textile Factory is also participating in the exhibition this time. Do you have the confidence to crush them?”
Section Chief Zhu was amused! “Deputy Director Tong, you must be joking with me, right?
“Whether it’s scale, technology, or management level, the An County Textile Factory shares zero comparability with our Chucheng Textile Factory, not to mention we have already secured foreign trade orders for three consecutive years.
“If we fail to crush them, that would truly be a monumental joke.”
Standing right beside Section Chief Zhu was a young female comrade. If Su He were here, she would bound to recognize her instantly—it was precisely Li Xia.
Previously at the Shanghai First Textile Factory, Su He had straightened out Yu Dandan, driving a wedge between them in passing, which had left Li Xia thoroughly convinced that Su He was a magnificent, good person.
Upon her return, she had even written a letter to Su He, and Su He had written back to her as well.
Hearing Section Chief Zhu’s words left her heart giving a violent tremble. Section Chief, oh Section Chief, we might genuinely turn into the joke!
Because Su He is at the An County Textile Factory!
She can secure a three-hundred-thousand-dollar order out of thin air while empty-handed in Shanghai, yet you still want to crush her? You’re dreaming!
