Chapter 140: A Radiant Smile
At the Foreign Affairs Guesthouse, a basic requirement for all staff was English proficiency. While they weren’t fluent, simple daily conversations posed no problem.
When a foreign guest began cursing loudly in the restaurant, many of the staff looked visibly uncomfortable—especially the young waitress he was yelling at.
Her face turned crimson, her body trembling with a mix of anger and humiliation.
Su He, who had just set down her chopsticks, was about to stand and deliver a sharp lesson in ethics to the foreigner when she saw a woman who appeared to be a supervisor approaching. Deciding it was better for the hotel to handle its own guests, she stayed seated.
The waitress, clearly upset, quickly turned to the supervisor, saying, “Sister Lu, I didn’t want to interfere, but you saw it too—this guest was wasting so much food…”
Before she could finish, Supervisor Lu cut her off impatiently: “Wu Xiaoshuang! What did I tell you all during the last meeting? Do not create conflict with foreign guests. It damages the reputation of our country! Apologize to this gentleman immediately!”
She then turned to the foreigner with a forced smile. “Mr. Daniel, I apologize. This was poor service on our part. I’ll have her apologize right away.”
Daniel grinned smugly—he knew it. These people from China always treated them like gods and would never dare to offend them.
Seeing Wu Xiaoshuang still silent, Supervisor Lu snapped again, “Wu Xiaoshuang, apologize right now! Or I’ll report this to Director Qu and have you disciplined!”
Tears welled in Wu Xiaoshuang’s eyes. She hadn’t cried when Daniel yelled at her earlier—she had only felt anger. But now, being forced to apologize for doing the right thing felt deeply unjust.
She didn’t want to apologize. She had done nothing wrong. But refusing might mean facing punishment.
Su He could no longer stand it. She stood and said coldly to Supervisor Lu, “Apologize for what? I think Wu Xiaoshuang did exactly the right thing! As her supervisor, not only are you failing to support her—you’re forcing her to bow down. What kind of leader are you? If anyone deserves punishment, it’s you.”
Supervisor Lu frowned, recognizing Su He as someone introduced by Elder Gu. However, having seen her listed on the guest form as a mere sales rep from a small county food factory, she hadn’t taken her seriously.
She retorted, “Our foremost rule at this guesthouse is to treat all guests with courtesy. Wu Xiaoshuang offended a foreign guest—what’s wrong with asking her to apologize?”
Su He’s tone turned colder. “According to the Code of Conduct for Foreign Affairs Room Attendants, established in February 1973: when faced with unreasonable provocations, one must safeguard the dignity of the nation, be clear in stance, and engage in rational, measured, and beneficial confrontation. This Daniel intentionally wasted food. That makes him the one provoking trouble. Was Wu Xiaoshuang wrong to remind him?”
Supervisor Lu’s face turned pale. She hadn’t expected Su He to quote the actual regulations, and she didn’t know how to argue back.
Frustrated, she muttered, “Then how do you expect this to end if Wu Xiaoshuang doesn’t apologize?”
Su He sneered, “How? Of course Daniel should apologize—and pay a fine.”
Supervisor Lu was speechless.
Make a foreigner apologize? And pay a fine?
This Su He really must be from some backwater—talking nonsense like that.
Just as she was about to mock Su He, the latter stepped up to Daniel and pointed at the wasted food on the table.
“Mr. Daniel, whether in China or your country, wasting food is disgraceful. Our staff reminded you politely. You should have corrected your behavior—not responded with insults. Now, I ask you to apologize immediately to our staff and pay a fine of 100 U.S. dollars.”
Daniel was momentarily stunned. He scoffed, “I’m a distinguished guest from M Country, invited by your own government. I only wasted a little food, and you want me to apologize? And pay a fine? Is this how China treats guests?”
Su He’s expression grew colder, “Only a little food? Do you realize people in our country are still going hungry? That some people may never eat such a feast in their entire lives? We tighten our belts to offer our best to guests like you. Is that not sincerity? And you repay it with arrogance?”
Daniel, now flustered, snapped, “You’re all just poor peasants! Even your best offerings are garbage to me!”
In contrast to Daniel’s fury, Su He remained calm. “Yes, we’re poor—but this has nothing to do with poverty or wealth. Is it common in your so-called rich country for guests to insult their hosts and waste their food? If that’s the norm where you’re from, I have nothing more to say. I’ll simply suggest to the Ministry of Foreign Trade that they report your behavior to your country’s media. I’m sure your citizens will be proud of you.”
Daniel paled. He didn’t know that Su He was just a guest herself—he genuinely thought she worked with the ministry. And he knew full well that publicizing behavior like swearing and food wastage would not go over well.
At that moment, his dining companion, Brown, chuckled and said, “Daniel, even if China’s food is mediocre, that doesn’t give you an excuse to waste it. Just apologize. As for the fine—what’s a hundred dollars? Consider it alms for beggars.”
Daniel gave a strange laugh, then muttered a half-hearted apology before pulling out two $50 bills and tossing them on the ground.
The restaurant was filled with not just M Country guests but people from various nations. All eyes were now on Su He.
They expected her to lose her temper—or maybe even cry.
Instead, she smiled.
Radiantly.
“You think throwing money on the ground insults me or the China nation? Shall I remind you that the $50 bill bears the face of your 18th President on the front and your Capitol Hill on the back? What you just threw on the floor wasn’t just poor manners—it was your country’s dignity. You don’t want it? Fine. I’ll have someone bring a broom and dustpan to sweep your money into the trash.”
Seeing that the waitress was actually fetching a broom and dustpan, both Daniel and Brown scrambled to pick up the bills, their faces pale and flushed.
They had meant to humiliate Su He—yet now found themselves utterly disgraced.
Su He’s smile faded.
“No matter where in the world this happened, we would still be the party in the right. The more unreasonable you act, the more damage you bring to yourselves—and your country’s reputation. Yes, China treats foreign guests with respect. But that respect is based on mutual courtesy. Even if this incident were escalated, you’d find no special treatment—on the contrary, you’d likely be deported. So if you want to avoid that, apologize sincerely to our waitress and pay the fine respectfully. Oh, and Mr. Brown, I didn’t notice earlier—but now I see you’ve wasted quite a bit of food too. That’ll be a $50 fine.”
Brown: “…”
If I had known, I would’ve stayed out of this mess entirely!
