Chapter 139: Twisted Like a Braided Bun
The pedicab driver and Su He hit it off immediately.
Principal Chen, however, was completely lost. He couldn’t understand a word—they might as well have been speaking English.
Despite that, the driver pedaled them to the Jinxiang Hotel in half the usual time.
“We’re here, young lady.”
Su He pulled out a pack of local pastries from her bag. “This is a specialty from my hometown, please take it and try.”
It was a hot day, and the ride wasn’t easy. Plus, she had learned a lot from the driver during the trip.
Though the driver tried to decline, he eventually accepted the gift.
Before he left, he handed her a number. “This is our rickshaw team’s contact. If you ever need a ride, call this number. If they say there’s no availability, just say you’re a relative of Luo Lao Guai.”
Su He smiled and thanked him sweetly.
At this point in time, there weren’t any modern taxis yet—pedicabs like this were the equivalent. You could call for one, but there was no telling how long you’d have to wait. She figured that name drop might come in handy someday.
Once the driver had left, Principal Chen turned to Su He. “You can speak S City dialect?”
Su He answered lightly, “When I was in school, there were often transfer students, and I picked it up from them. I can even speak Cantonese! It’s really not hard. If you’re around people who speak it often, you’ll pick it up quickly too.”
Principal Chen suddenly didn’t feel like continuing the conversation.
He didn’t want to see Su He’s smug face—pretending to be modest but clearly showing off.
No more words. Too tired.
Su He gave a very Versailles-style humblebrag, then smiled, “Principal, let’s head inside!”
As a state guest hotel, there were greeters stationed at the entrance.
At first, the two greeters assumed Su He and Principal Chen were just passersby. When they saw the pair approaching, they exchanged a glance.
One of them stepped forward and said, “Sorry, comrades, this is a foreign affairs guest hotel. We don’t accommodate domestic guests. There’s a cheap guesthouse just around the corner to the left.”
To be fair, what the greeter said wasn’t exactly wrong—but his tone was condescending.
In that era, working at a foreign guest hotel was prestigious. Especially greeters—they not only had to look good but usually came from well-connected families.
So naturally, some of them got a bit arrogant. They flattered foreign guests but looked down on locals, especially those who seemed powerless or unimportant.
Su He simply smiled. “We were referred by Comrade Gu from the Foreign Trade Department. I have his authorization note.”
The greeter froze for a moment, then broke into a smile. “Ah, I see! Please follow me!”
Su He couldn’t be bothered to argue. She followed him to the hotel lobby.
Although the décor wasn’t comparable to what she’d seen in the future, the lobby still reminded her of the seaside resort hotel she’d stayed at before she transmigrated.
While she was still reminiscing about palm trees, waves, and bikinis, the greeter had already led them to Director Qu’s office.
After reading the authorization note, Director Qu smiled. “Floors three and above are for foreign guests. The first and second floors are for domestic escorts. Would it be okay if I place you on the second floor?”
Of course Su He had no objections. Beggars can’t be choosers—complain and you’ll be seen as ungrateful.
Director Qu added, “As per standard procedure, the room charges will be settled with the Foreign Trade Department, so you won’t need to pay. Also, we provide three meals a day free of charge. The dining hours are…”
Principal Chen kept a straight face, but inside he was overjoyed!
What a huge savings! Traveling with Su He was just too comfortable—First-Class train, free guest hotel, free meals. Even the top county officials hadn’t enjoyed such treatment!
From then on, any time Su He said she wanted to travel, Principal Chen would jump faster than a monkey.
Su He wasn’t surprised about the free stay. Since Elder Gu had arranged for them to come, of course he wouldn’t make them pay out of pocket. Judging by Director Qu’s attitude, she concluded that Elder Gu’s influence was quite useful.
“Oh right, Principal Chen, Comrade Su,” Director Qu said, “As a foreign affairs hotel, there are a few rules I must remind you of.”
- Do not enter the third floor or higher without permission.
- When encountering foreign guests, be mindful of your behavior and words—do not tarnish our country’s image.
- Do not take photos with foreign guests, go out with them, or accept gifts from them.
If it can’t be avoided, report and register the situation.
He handed them a document to sign, confirming they understood the rules.
Once signed, a hotel staffer escorted them to their rooms on the second floor—next to each other, for convenience.
“Principal, you didn’t get any rest on the train. Let’s just take today to relax in the hotel and explore tomorrow.”
Principal Chen hadn’t slept well at all—he’d been dreaming about counting money all night. So he nodded in agreement.
Su He returned to her room. Seeing it was hot water supply time, she went to take a shower.
Afterward, she pulled out a copy of The S City Daily she had bought from the trading post and began flipping through it, taking notes as she read.
Know your enemy and know yourself, and you’ll never lose a battle. Although she’d picked up some things from the rickshaw driver, it wasn’t nearly enough.
The trading system, seemingly curious, floated out and hovered in front of her to read along.
Su He: “…What the hell are you looking at?!”
[Host, please watch your language! I was just wondering—why are you working so hard?]
Su He snapped, “Why?! So I can make money and feed your damn KPI! I’m busting my ass for you, and instead of being grateful, you nitpick me? Tell me, are you a heartless freeloader or just blind?”
Trading System: …Fair point.
Maybe I have gone too far?
Should I reward her with some bonus points?
Su He noticed the trading interface start to twitch and distort. She knew the damn system had been successfully manipulated again.
Why was she working so hard?
On a personal level, she had to grow stronger to go up against Shen Ruyi and the Shen family behind her.
While the Shen family’s local power wasn’t much, she was worried about the branch in the capital. According to the book, that branch had been entrenched for years. Though they’d had ups and downs, their roots ran deep.
On a broader scale—if one cannot help the world when poor, then they should strive to benefit the nation when capable.
Since she had a golden finger like the trading system, she would do what she could to help the country grow stronger.
After a long pause, the trading system realized it had once again been tricked by Su He. Its screen twisted like a braided bun.
When dinnertime came, Su He knocked on the door next to hers.
“Principal Chen, it’s time for dinner!”
Both domestic and foreign guests dined in the same restaurant on the first floor. As they entered, they saw several foreigners.
Su He and Principal Chen filled their trays with food they liked and sat at an empty table to enjoy their meal.
She had to admit—the chefs at this hotel were pretty good.
Just as they were eating, a loud “Shit!” came from the next table.
Su He frowned and looked over. A foreigner was angrily yelling at a waiter.
“I’m your VIP! I can take as much food as I want. So what if I don’t finish it? Waste? Only paupers care about crap like that!”
Su He looked at his table—it was piled high with food he’d only taken a bite from and tossed. He had even used a piece of bread to wipe the table like it was a napkin.
Su He thought of Old Madam Su, who could scold someone for three days straight over a wasted egg. Her anger flared instantly.
