Chapter 143: You’ve Dug Up All the Bamboo Shoots on the Mountain!
Although Section Chief Wei was a bit puzzled, he still exchanged a few polite words and invited Su He and Principal Chen to take a seat. Then he asked, “What brings you two here today?”
Su He smiled and said, “It’s a long story. We originally came to S City to visit the S City Night School…”
Principal Chen: …Why don’t I know anything about this?!
Su He continued, “But while taking the train, we ran into Elder Gu from the Foreign Trade Department. Because his interpreter suddenly had something come up, I stepped in as a temporary translator. Elder Gu was concerned that we wouldn’t find a proper place to stay since we were unfamiliar with S City, so he arranged for us to stay at the Jinxiang Hotel, with free room and board.”
Section Chief Wei, who had been sitting rather casually, suddenly straightened up.
Their food factory had overseas business dealings and often interacted with the Foreign Trade Department, so naturally he knew who Elder Gu was.
Anyone personally looked after by Elder Gu couldn’t be a simple person.
Su He had been quietly observing Section Chief Wei’s reactions, and seeing this, she felt more confident.
She continued, “As you know, the Jinxiang Hotel is a foreign affairs hotel and houses many international guests. During our stay, a small incident occurred that allowed me to befriend some of them. In casual conversation, I mentioned your factory’s Little Bunny Milk Candy. Some guests from Country M were full of praise, and others from different countries expressed interest in taking some gift boxes home for their friends and families. However, the guests from Country M found the current candy tins lacking in uniqueness and suggested customizing a special version. They asked me to come here and negotiate on their behalf.
Strictly speaking, I’m neither part of the Foreign Trade Department nor the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, so coming to you directly might be a bit presumptuous. But since the request was sincere, and I thought this could be a great opportunity for your factory to expand into overseas markets, I decided to come. I hope you won’t mind.”
Section Chief Wei laughed, “Comrade Su, you’re being too formal! You’re thinking on behalf of our factory, and this also involves international guests—how could I mind? The only issue is that our gift boxes are mass-produced. If the order quantity for the custom version is too small, it might be difficult to arrange.”
Su He nodded. “You’re right. Creating new tin or paper packaging would take time and wouldn’t be cost-effective for a small batch. So I came up with several alternative solutions for your consideration.
The first: purchase woven straw baskets and place the candy tins inside.
Second: use silk drawstring bags with decorative Chinese knots to emphasize cultural elements.
Third: place the candies inside miniature red lanterns…”
Su He went on to list over a dozen ideas. Principal Chen was utterly shocked!
Forget whether the ideas were any good—when did this girl come up with all this?!
Did she start brainstorming right after arguing with those foreigners this morning?
People talk about being quick-witted—this girl must’ve been reincarnated from a sieve!
Initially, Section Cheif Wei hadn’t held out much hope. After all, in his mind, Su He was an outsider. What clever ideas could she really offer?
But the more he listened, the more his eyes lit up.
As someone experienced in foreign trade, he could tell that these packaging ideas would definitely appeal to foreign tastes.
After explaining the alternatives, Su He added, “This can also serve as a market test. If the guests give good feedback after returning to their countries, your factory can consider improving the packaging in the future. For example, you could incorporate more Chinese elements into the candy tins—scenic landmarks, folk embroidery, paper cuttings, and other cultural treasures. This way, not only would the products appeal to foreign consumers, but they’d also promote Chinese culture. Of course, I’m an outsider, so if I’ve said anything inappropriate, I ask for your understanding.”
Section Chief Wei beamed. “Comrade Su, don’t be modest! What you said was excellent—very inspiring! Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll report this to my superiors and get back to you with a response.”
Su He nodded. “Great. I’ll jot down your office number. If there’s anything urgent, you can also call the Jinxiang Hotel front desk. They all know me there.”
Principal Chen: …There it is again!
Another subtle display of status!
You just had to let him know how well-connected you are at Jinxiang Hotel—what, does everyone there know you?
And Principal Chen guessed right—Section Chief Wei’s eyes flickered slightly. He thought, This Su He really is someone to pay attention to!
Suddenly, Su He slapped her forehead. “Oh, right! Section Chief Wei, those international guests wanted some Little Bunny Milk Candy samples. If it’s convenient, could I trouble you for a few?”
Of course, Section Cheif Wei wouldn’t refuse. He immediately had staff bring out all their current gift-box packaging.
Most were tin cans and tins, with some simple plastic bag versions.
They filled up an entire cardboard box.
Su He hesitated. “Section Chief Wei, we’re taking the bus back. Carrying this would be tough… How about you lend me a bicycle, and I’ll pedal it back?”
Section Chief Wei: …
He could see through her intentions clearly.
Still, he didn’t mind. If this girl didn’t have some strategy, she wouldn’t be able to connect so well with international guests.
So he chuckled and said, “I’ll have someone drive you back.”
Su He grinned. “Oh, we couldn’t possibly trouble you like that! But honestly, I’m fine. It’s just that Principal Chen is older, and squeezing onto a bus really is tiring. He said on the way over that it would’ve been nice if someone picked us up.”
Principal Chen: …You’ve dug up all the bamboo shoots on the mountain!
Su He then added cheerfully, “Just joking, Section Chief Wei! We’re fine with cars or buses. It’s mainly for appearances—so the international guests can see that your factory takes them seriously. It’ll help with future cooperation.”
Section Chief Wei’s expression turned serious. Clearly, he had misjudged her!
He’d thought the girl just liked comfort and had a bit of vanity—but it turns out she was thinking strategically.
Remarkable girl!
Originally, he’d planned to send them back in an old car. After hearing that, he immediately arranged for a brand-new S City 760A sedan.
He even personally escorted Su He to the front of the office building. He waved goodbye until the car drove off.
Principal Chen: …
They had arrived empty-handed, and now they were leaving with a chauffeured car and a whole box of candy?
The scholarly and eloquent Principal Chen was once again left speechless.
But… how is she going to smooth this lie over next?
What if those international guests don’t actually buy the Little Bunny Milk Candy?
