Chapter 149: In the End, She Was Misplaced Loyalty
Section Chief Wei was stunned for a moment before chuckling. “Little Su, we’re old acquaintances—I wouldn’t scam you! This production line you’re looking at would be a money pit if you bring it back. Even though it’s a second-hand line developed by us and cheaper than imported ones, it still costs around 100,000 yuan. To be blunt, I don’t think a small food factory in An County could afford it.”
Su He nodded. “You’re absolutely right—it is a bit expensive. But I think it’s still worth a try. Our An County Food Factory is urgently looking to produce a new product. Canned luncheon meat is too pricey and has a small domestic market. Instant noodles are also costly, but there might be ways to bring the cost down.
An County is a major wheat-producing region, so our raw materials are cheaper. Labor costs are also much lower than in S City. And the most important thing is that neighboring provinces like Jingbei prefer eating noodles. So I believe instant noodles will sell well. Of course, that’s just my personal opinion. If your side is open to transferring the line, I’ll call back after this gift box business is settled and discuss it with them. If it works out, our factory director, Director Tian, can come negotiate with you.”
After all, she was just a salesperson who could make introductions—decisions would still be up to Director Tian.
And even he would need to get approval from the county officials.
In short, it was going to be a drawn-out process, not something that could be settled in a few days.
Seeing that Su He wasn’t joking, Section Chief Wei thought for a moment and replied, “Then I’ll ask the factory about it first. Once it’s settled, you can contact An County. Little Su, if this really goes through, you’d be doing us a big favor…”
Principal Chen: “…”
What could he even say?
You’ve been sold and you’re still helping the seller count the money!
Though, to be fair to Chief Wei, who would’ve guessed that Su He had her eye on the instant noodle production line?
She hadn’t given even the slightest hint before.
Who would imagine a small county-level factory could have such ambition?
By 8 p.m., the packaging factory finally delivered the revised samples.
The original samples were already well-received. Now, with the improvements, the factory reps were blown away.
Section Chief Wei felt that even if Brown wasn’t satisfied, this new packaging would absolutely be loved by domestic and international consumers.
Clearly, appearances matter—a well-dressed product really does sell better.
Su He was pleased too. Given their current technology and production capacity, this was already an impressive result.
“Section Chief Wei, I’ll return to the hotel and talk to Mr. Brown. We’ll see when he’s available to come view the samples.”
“Perfect! Just give me a call anytime.”
…
Su He returned to the hotel around 9 p.m., so she didn’t bother Brown that night.
The next morning over breakfast, she explained everything to him.
“Su, I have no other plans today. Let’s visit the factory right after breakfast!”
Su He nodded. “Great, I’ll ask them to send a car to pick us up.”
Daniel chimed in, “Su, I’d like to see my ten boxes of samples too.”
Su He: “…”
You little tag-along, you just have to be involved in everything!
With Daniel speaking up, the other foreign guests also wanted to visit the factory.
Helpless, Su He called Section Chief Wei.
Section Chief Wei had been waiting in the office early that morning, afraid of missing her call.
The food factory occasionally hosted foreign delegations, so upon hearing Su He’s request, Section Chief Wei said, “I’ll send two large buses to bring the guests over.”
As soon as Director Qu arrived at work, he saw Su He holding a small flag, leading a bunch of foreign guests onto the buses.
Director Qu: “…”
Since when did Little Su become a tour guide?
The factory worked efficiently. A welcome banner for the foreign guests had already been hung at the gate.
Section Chief Wei and the factory’s leadership team greeted them warmly at the entrance.
The factory had translators for its overseas business.
But Brown insisted on Su He as his interpreter—he didn’t trust anyone else.
In the conference room, samples were already laid out on the table.
Daniel immediately favored the red lantern packaging. “Su, I want all ten of my boxes in this design!”
Everyone had their preferences, but the most popular choice was the mass-producible, traditional Chinese-style packaging.
It stored well, was convenient, and came with a high-end-looking gift bag.
Brown was very pleased. Next came the price negotiations.
After some back and forth, both parties settled on six dollars per box.
That was much higher than Section Chief Wei’s expectations—he’d thought five dollars was the ceiling.
No wonder ancient people valued fancy boxes over the pearl inside. Packaging really matters!
Brown even added 5,000 more boxes, bringing the total order to 15,000.
The other foreign guests also made purchases, bringing the total to over 16,000 boxes.
Principal Chen did the math—16,000 boxes at $6 each was $96,000?!
She just chattered a bit and made a deal that big?!
Meanwhile, Section Chief Wei was practically over the moon.
Not just because of the deal, but because he saw huge potential in the overseas market!
After signing the agreement, Su He escorted the guests back to the hotel, then returned to the factory to discuss the production schedule and shipping logistics with Section Chief Wei.
He smiled and said, “Little Su, interested in joining our factory full-time? S City household registration is hard to arrange, but if you’re willing, I’ll try to get it done.”
Principal Chen’s face changed instantly!
You little weasel—you’re poaching my people?!
Then came the dread. Compared to An County, S City was leagues ahead in every way.
Even he, a veteran, would be tempted—let alone a young woman like Su He.
Maybe this had been her goal all along, taking the part-time gig as a stepping stone!
The thought of losing his “shared subordinate” made Principle Chen feel like his heart was being squeezed.
Without Su He, who would help him beg for resources?
Who would take him on free business trips?
Who would let him eat fresh winter melons?!
Just as Principal Chen was preparing to mourn the loss of his treasured subordinate, Su He said:
“Section Chief Wei, thank you for your appreciation. But compared to S City, An County needs me more. It’s still poor, and my fellow villagers are barely scraping by. I want to help lift them out of poverty. Call it sentimental, but while S City is prosperous, An County is my home—my roots. I could never abandon it.”
Principal Chen’s heart, once dangling on the edge, settled back with a thud, his eyes even turning misty.
He knew it! Little Su was a loyal and conscientious comrade—she’d never abandon An County, the night school, or him!
And then—
He heard Su He say, rubbing her hands together: “But Section Chief Wei, although I can’t come full-time, I can work part-time! How about I go back and forth between An County and S City? I can handle business negotiations, draw design blueprints, do translations—and even join international trips when needed.”
Principal Chen: “…”
In the end, he’d misplaced his loyalty.
The shared subordinate’s share… just shrank again.
