Director Sun wasted no time, immediately issuing the order. Xu Ying, meanwhile, was back on the phone, her fingers flying across the dial. Director Sun watched, utterly bewildered. What enchanting words did this young woman utter to these foreigners? How did she, with such ease, transform duck products into braised pig products? He himself hadn’t even tasted this new creation; its flavor was a mystery. What if their foreign clients found it unpalatable?
Yet, he mused, this young girl truly possessed the courage of a newborn calf facing a tiger. She exhibited no fear of breach of contract. His thoughts then drifted to the duck meat factory, and a fresh wave of anger washed over him. Once this crisis was averted, he resolved, he would terminate their contract. At worst, they’d find another duck factory to partner with. If all else failed, he would establish their own. If only Xu Ying knew his thoughts, she would undoubtedly cheer him on, urging him to build that duck meat factory.
After concluding her call, Xu Ying, with characteristic boldness, began another. “Hello, dear **,” she chirped, “it’s me, Xiao Xu. Our food factory has recently developed a new product, braised pig. Mr. Anthony has already converted half of his braised duck order to braised pig. Although braised pig products are more expensive than braised duck, you are among our first foreign cooperators. Our food factory values sincere collaboration and is willing to support your exchange without any additional cost. If you are willing, you can modify your order now.”
The ** on the other end of the line, upon hearing of Anthony’s change, didn’t hesitate. Anthony, after all, was infamous for his temper and cunning. He never moved without profit and possessed a certain renown in the food industry. If he was willing to change his order, it had to be a well-considered and advantageous decision. The foreign businessman on the phone immediately agreed to Xu Ying’s proposition, unconcerned with any extra cost.
Xu Ying hung up and proceeded to the next call. Of course, not all foreigners could be swayed by the same tactic. Those who lived closer to Yu County and were privy to local gossip, Xu Ying wisely omitted from her call list.
Xu Ying spent the entire afternoon on the phone, the same persuasive words convincing one person after another. Secretary Zhang watched, dumbfounded, periodically refilling Xu Ying’s water glass. Finally, the last call ended, and Xu Ying stretched, a weary sigh escaping her lips. Her waist ached from sitting all afternoon.
“Secretary Zhang,” Xu Ying inquired, a touch of curiosity in her voice, “have the factory director and my uncle settled on their cooperation?” She wondered why there was no sound.
Upon hearing her question, Secretary Zhang recalled his duty. He quickly smiled. “The factory director signed the contract ages ago! I don’t even know where he is now.”
Indeed, a certain factory director was now storming through various factories, his voice booming with indignation. “How can you conduct business like this? You sign a contract, and then you deliberately make things difficult for us! If me old Sun hadn’t, with my sharp eyes, found a good subordinate like Xiao Xu, our food factory would have been completely ruined this time!”
The director of the department store looked at Director Sun, nodding woodenly, and echoed, “These people are so ungrateful. It was indeed Director Sun who had the foresight to find such a capable person as Xu Ying.”
When Lao Sun was praised, his face lit up, a wide grin stretching from ear to ear. “Heh, that’s right. I’ve truly brought in a talent like Xiao Xu.”
The department store director looked at Lao Sun with thinly veiled disgust. This old man was truly insufferable. In the past, their department store had far outshone the food factory, but now the food factory had surpassed them. And here was this old man, shamelessly flaunting his success. “Director Sun, do you have anything else to discuss? If not, I need to get back to work.” The department store director issued a thinly veiled eviction notice. If only he had known that this old man was still the same tiresome braggart, he would never have rekindled their acquaintance.
Director Sun, beaming with pride, addressed the department store director triumphantly. “Director Wang, don’t worry. As long as my old grandson can eat, you, old Wang, can drink. Xiao Xu has recently developed braised pork products. If your department store wants it, I’ll sell it to you first.”
Director Wang was speechless. Yet, he couldn’t deny it: the delicacies developed by that girl Xiao Xu were undeniably delicious. He forced a smile. “Let me think about it. After your food factory makes the actual product, let us taste it. Then we can choose whether to cooperate.”
Lao Sun chuckled, nodded, and left the department store in high spirits. He then embarked on a tour of other smaller factories, boasting about his triumph, finally leaving them with looks of utter disgust. Still not satisfied, Lao Sun, thinking of Lao Niu, hurried to his factory. Before Lao Sun could even begin his bragging, Lao Niu, seeing him, erupted with excitement.
“Director Sun, oh, why do you think Xiao Xu is so good?!”
Lao Sun, assuming Lao Niu was referring to the duck meat factory incident, mentally acknowledged Lao Niu’s surprisingly quick access to information. But what Lao Niu said next left him dumbfounded. “Director Sun, look! This girl Xiao Xu is amazing! She even appeared in the newspaper wearing our factory’s hat and mask!” At the bottom of a page, a few eloquent paragraphs directly promoted the importance of food safety, showcasing the masks and hats designed by the textile factory.
Only then did Director Sun realize that the mask and hat had been designed by Xiao Xu herself. He was so shocked he couldn’t speak. Was there anything Xiao Xu couldn’t do? Looking at Lao Niu, Lao Sun’s heart swelled with a touch of melancholy. “Hey, you guys are even in the newspaper! Your textile factory will be famous now, and you’ll definitely have a lot of orders.”
Lao Niu looked at Director Sun with feigned humility. “Director Sun, please don’t tease me. How can our textile factory compare to your food factory? People depend on food. How can anyone live without it, let alone such delicious food? Your food factory’s business will certainly get better and better. Our textile factory will simply follow behind you, handling necessary logistical work and providing masks, hats, and so on.”
Lao Niu’s words pleased Lao Sun immensely, satisfying his vanity. He chuckled, looking at Lao Niu with a disapproving air. “Director Niu, we are all people striving to contribute to the country. There’s no one more powerful than the other. It’s simply about ensuring our employees earn higher wages and solving the employment problem for the people in the county. We are all working for the country, regardless of our individual roles.”
Lao Niu secretly cursed Lao Sun for being so self-congratulatory, but he maintained his pleasant expression. He grew happier and happier as he reread the newspaper. This girl, Xu Ying, truly never ceased to amaze him. Fortunately, he had seized the opportunity and not missed out on such a remarkable talent.
“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right, Director Sun. I still have work to do, so I’ll be busy now. We’ll talk another day.” Secretary Yang arrived in a hurry, whispering a few words into Director Niu’s ear, prompting Director Niu’s hasty departure. Director Sun looked on, a surprised expression on his face, his curiosity piqued.