Chapter 335: Where to Find Justice
Old Master Gu hung up the phone, and the sheer feeling of stifled frustration in his heart was simply beyond words!
He had originally wanted to listen to Old Elder Gu rattle on and on about Su He’s glorious achievements, just to satisfy a little bit of the unspoken pride he couldn’t openly declare. After all, Old Elder Gu had absolutely no idea about the relationship between Su He and the Gu family. Hearing that kind of objective praise from an outsider was always far more satisfying!
Yet, as it turned out, Old Elder Gu didn’t have the slightest clue about the matter!
Old Master Gu began shifting his irritation onto Su He, thinking to himself: You usually call so frequently, so how is it that you don’t even know to give me a call to report your safety after arriving in Guangzhou?
On the other side of things, Su He was still sound asleep.
She suddenly dreamed of a large, shimmering golden carp blowing a bubble right at her. With a jolt, she woke up.
Only then did she remember that she had forgotten to report her safety to Gu Chiyan.
The critical issue was that she hadn’t stopped to rest for a single moment since arriving in Guangzhou, causing her to completely slip up on this matter.
She washed her face with cold water, then headed downstairs to the front desk to place a call to Gu Chiyan’s work unit.
She had given Gu Chiyan a heads-up beforehand, telling him that she would call once she settled down in Guangzhou, so calling now wasn’t considered too late.
The moment the call connected, Gu Chiyan’s voice came from the other side: “Hello, who are you looking for, please?”
Su He hurriedly said with a beaming smile, “Chiyan, it’s me!”
“I’ve arrived in Guangzhou, and the journey was incredibly smooth. The local customs and culture here in Guangzhou are vastly different from our north; I’ve really broadened my horizons this time.”
Gu Chiyan said with a smile, “Little He, I’m not very familiar with Guangzhou. Why don’t you give me a brief introduction to the local customs and culture there?”
Little Wang, who had just walked to the doorway: “…”
Engineer Gu, didn’t you go on business trips to Guangzhou multiple times?!
Su He rattled on for a good while before saying, “Chiyan, I hope you can come over for the next session of the Canton Fair so we can wander around in our spare time. By the way, this is the phone number for the guesthouse front desk. Take it down and call me if there’s any emergency.”
Once Gu Chiyan noted down the phone number, Su He hung up.
After all, it was the guesthouse’s front desk phone; chatting for too long wasn’t ideal, and it wasn’t very convenient to talk either.
The system popped up: [Host, aren’t you going to give Old Master Gu a call as well? To flaunt your glorious achievements!]
Su He replied casually, “System, what you don’t understand is that some things have a much better effect when spoken through the mouths of others. Besides, how can a humble person like me praise her own wares like Wang Po selling her melons!”
The system: … As if you’ve never done exactly that before!
After everyone finished dinner, Luo Dongchuan gathered everyone together to hold a political mobilization meeting.
The core message was to rigorously enforce discipline, remain mindful of one’s speech and behavior at all times, and avoid bringing any shame upon Northern Liao Province or China.
He refrained from mentioning the uniform markers, however, because that required requesting instructions from Director Xiao first.
Once the meeting concluded, the straw hats were distributed to everyone, introduced as a selfless donation from the Anxin County Handicraft Factory where Su He worked.
A few quick-witted individuals guessed Su He’s underlying motive, but no one voiced any objections.
One reason was that Su He and Luo Dongchuan shared an exceptionally good relationship, and the other was that Su He’s capabilities were plain for all to see. Everyone wanted to stay on her good side, hoping they might hitch a ride on her success down the line.
Early the next morning, the members of the Northern Liao Province delegation made their way toward the Canton Fair venue in groups of two or three.
The large shuttle bus Su He had booked was scheduled to start from the official opening date of the exhibition, meaning everyone had to handle their own transportation during the three days leading up to it.
The public buses were nearly impossible to squeeze into, so basically everyone walked over.
The straw hats Su He had gifted ended up coming in exceptionally handy.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the venue, they first had to register and collect their swallowtail ribbons, which served as entry passes, before they were permitted inside.
Although the volume of people arriving was massive, over a dozen service counters had been set up at the venue entrance, so it didn’t take too long.
The moment they stepped into the venue, the eyes of Director Tian and the other three went completely wide!
The interior was simply grander than anything they had imagined!
This was the brand-new venue that had just been put into use for the spring session of the Canton Fair this year. Not only was the area much larger, but the zoning layout was also far more logical.
The exhibition booths in each zone had already undergone preliminary setup. Aside from the display spaces, a round table and four chairs were provided for business negotiations.
Massive enterprises like the Steel Mill brought along their own translators. However, some small exhibitors faced language barrier issues.
To address this, each specialized section was equipped with a common negotiation area, staffed with dedicated translators and service personnel to provide assistance to both negotiating parties.
Su He and her group twisted and turned, finally managed to locate their exhibition booth in a tiny, obscure corner: Booth No. 5358.
The digit 5 represented the food zone, 3 stood for the third row of the food zone—which also happened to be the innermost row—while 58 served as the specific sequence number.
With one look, the hearts of Director Tian and the others sank halfway down. Not only was this booth situated deep within the interior, but a massive pillar also stood right in front, completely blocking the view.
If someone wasn’t paying close attention, they wouldn’t even realize a booth existed back here.
It hadn’t looked very obvious on the floor plan previously, but seeing it in person now, it looked exactly like a mouse hole!
They deeply suspected this spot hadn’t originally been intended as a booth at all, but had been forcefully squeezed in.
Su He, however, wore a thoroughly satisfied expression, saying with a bright smile, “I think this spot is quite nice. I’m going to wander around for a bit, and you all should take a look around as well. Let’s gather back here at twelve o’clock.”
Director Tian’s eyes rolled. “Little Su, I have a terrible sense of direction and I’m afraid of getting lost. I’ll go along with you!”
Principal Chen and the others: “…”
Who was the one bragging just a while ago that his sense of direction was the absolute best?!
Su He didn’t decline either, taking Director Tian along as she strolled around the venue.
The vast majority of the exhibition booths had already begun setup. Particularly some veteran exhibitors—they possessed ample experience and had brought all their materials along when they arrived.
Director Tian felt as though his eyes weren’t enough to take everything in. Although there were still many restrictions during this period, quite a few people had exercised flexibility within the boundaries of the regulations, arranging their displays with considerable novelty.
Director Tian felt a bit of trepidation in his heart. It was true that Little Su was formidable, but the venue was just so vast, and there were so many powerful enterprises around; he feared her capabilities might find no room to shine here!
After wandering for a while, Su He accidentally bumped into a male comrade.
Su He hurriedly apologized, “Comrade, I am truly sorry! I was so entirely focused on looking at the booths just now that I accidentally bumped into you. Are you alright?”
The man was also very polite. “No problem.”
Logically speaking, that should have been the end of the matter, and the two would have gone their separate ways.
Regrettably, he had run into a master of manufactured encounters.
“Oh, you must be a staff member of the Canton Fair, right?”
“I notice quite a few people wearing the exact same uniform as you. To be selected to serve the Canton Fair, you must be a top performer in your line of work!”
When Su He said this, her tone and expression carried a distinct touch of envy and admiration.
The male comrade felt a bit embarrassed for a moment. “It’s nothing, really. It’s all about serving the people!”
Su He unleashed another round of extravagant flattery, then inquired curiously, “I see you carrying a toolbox. What kind of work do you do?”
“I’m mainly responsible for the maintenance and installation work around the venue. A signage board over there had loosened, so I just went to reinforce it.”
…
In less than ten minutes, Su He was already calling this male comrade, named Liu Yongsheng, Uncle Liu.
Then, under the pretext of borrowing some paste, she followed Liu Yongsheng straight to the venue’s maintenance department.
Wherever there were people, that was Su He’s stage.
Claiming to borrow supplies, she stubbornly stayed inside chatting for over an hour.
Director Tian hadn’t stood idle either, taking a broom to help them sweep the floor and using a rag to wipe down the tables.
When the old and the young finally walked back out, Su He was holding a glass jar—a gift of sweet potato syrup from a veteran artisan inside.
When Director Tian walked out, he was holding a bald, discarded broom that they had thrown out.
Director Tian: “…”
I worked myself to the bone just to get a crummy, broken broom. Meanwhile, Little Su just rattled her tongue for a bit, managed to claim several new relatives, and walked away with a jar of sweet syrup.
Where on earth can a man find justice in this world?!
