A wave of relief washed over Xu Ying as she heard her third uncle’s words. Huo Chen, always a man of questionable dealings, always found a way to escape. The fact that he hadn’t been caught meant he was simply in hiding. This revelation was the best news she could have received. Her spirits visibly lifted.
Third Uncle Xu, leaving Xu Ying behind, launched himself into a whirlwind of activity around the department store. He cornered passersby, a wide smile plastered on his face. “Sister, do you know that the department store is about to partner with the food factory? They’re launching a new product called ‘All-Purpose Fried Delights’! I hear it’s so delicious it’ll make your mouth water. Have you ever tried the braised duck products?”
“Who hasn’t eaten braised duck? Isn’t that from the state-owned restaurant?” scoffed an uncle, his voice dripping with disdain.
“What’s made in state-owned restaurants has always been a food factory creation!” Uncle Xu declared, undeterred. “My niece, she’s a chef at a state-owned restaurant and also a research and development whiz at the food factory! She’s developed a whole new batch of All-Purpose Fried Delights, and they’ll be in department stores soon! You should go early; the first customers get discounts!”
“What kind of discount?” a man asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Buy one, get one free for the first batch!” Uncle Xu announced loudly.
The words “buy one, get one free” acted like a siren call. A crowd quickly gathered. Who would pass up such a deal? Whether they were just passing by or heading into the department store, everyone loved a spectacle. Seeing the growing throng by the entrance, they flocked closer, drawn by an irresistible urge to know more.
“What’s all this commotion about?”
“You haven’t heard? The department store is cooperating with Master Xiao Xu, the one who makes those incredible braised duck products! They’re going to sell a new ‘All-Purpose Fried Delight’ here. They say it’s even more delicious than the duck, and the first ones to buy get a ‘buy one, get one free’ deal!” Third Uncle Xu no longer needed to actively promote; the eager crowd had become his unwitting spokespeople, excitedly sharing the news amongst themselves. After all, what’s joy in it if not shared?
“When will this new product be released?” a voice from the crowd demanded.
“Indeed!” another chimed in. “After all that talk, you haven’t mentioned the release date! How are we supposed to know when to go? What if we’re late and it’s all snatched up?”
Third Uncle Xu, beaming, waved his hand to quiet the excited murmurs. “For the new product launch date, you’ll have to ask the manager of the department store!”
At this, the crowd surged, a mad rush into the department store, which was instantly transformed into a sea of clamoring voices. Everyone demanded to see the manager.
The sales clerks within the department store exchanged panicked glances. Why did these people want to see the manager? Were they here to complain? Their service was usually poor, but everyone else’s was too, and the state-owned restaurants were even worse! If these people filed a collective complaint, would the manager be furious? Their nerves were frayed.
When the department store manager finally emerged, he was stunned by the sheer number of people. His heart thumped wildly as he ran towards the agitated crowd. “Everyone, please quiet down. What’s happened? You can tell me if you have any demands.” His voice was stern, but laced with apprehension.
“Are you the manager of the department store? We heard your department store is getting a new product, ‘All-Purpose Fried Delights’! When will it be available?”
“Yes! You talk about new products but don’t mention a date! You can’t do that!”
The department store manager was utterly bewildered. New product? How could he, the manager, not know about this?
“As a manager, you don’t know this, do you?” a shrewd voice from the crowd remarked, a note of disgust in its tone.
The manager bristled. How could he possibly be ignorant of new products in his department store? Yet, he truly knew nothing of this. But the entire crowd seemed convinced of this new product. It might not be true, but if he admitted his ignorance, they would surely mock him. Taking a deep breath, the department store manager forced a dry smile. “Everyone, please be patient. The launch date for the new products hasn’t been set yet. Once it is, our department store will inform everyone as soon as possible.”
Disappointed, the crowd slowly dispersed, heads bowed in despair. The department store manager watched them leave, letting out a long, shaky sigh of relief.
As soon as they were gone, the salespeople rushed over, eyes wide with curiosity. “Manager, are we really launching new products? Why haven’t we heard anything?” Usually, news of a new product launch spread quickly throughout the building. How was it that outsiders knew, but the staff didn’t?
The manager was just as confused, but to preserve his authority, he snapped, “We haven’t agreed on a date yet, so of course I couldn’t tell you! Now hurry up and get back to work.” He turned and marched off to find the director.
“Director Wang, is our department store getting some new ‘All-Purpose Fried Delights’? What are they?”
“What ‘All-Purpose Fried Delights’?” Director Wang, seated in his office chair, looked up at Manager Zhang, utterly bewildered. He had no idea about any fried goods coming soon!
Hearing Director Wang’s response, Manager Zhang’s heart sank. He was in deep trouble. What had he done?
“Director Wang,” Manager Zhang stammered, abandoning all pretense, “just now, there were a lot of people outside saying our department store was getting some new ‘delights.’ They were shouting about wanting to buy them!” If these “delights” didn’t materialize, the crowd would surely raise a ruckus and blame him. Instead of facing such a massive problem and the director’s wrath, he decided to quickly convince the director to order these mysterious fried goods.
“Our department store was packed with people, Director! Are these ‘delights’ really that good? Why don’t we order some? You didn’t see the crowd! If these fried goods are launched in our department store, they’ll definitely sell like hotcakes!” Manager Zhang said, his voice dripping with flattery.
Director Wang frowned. Why was he completely unaware of these “delights”? And the higher-ups hadn’t mentioned any new sensation recently. However, the braised duck products from the food factory had become a craze. If that old Sun had provided such popular duck products to their department store, they would have been thrilled. That old fox was truly sly, selling the bad stuff to them and keeping all the good stuff for the state-owned restaurants. The more Director Wang thought about it, the angrier he became. His frown deepened, and he slammed his palm onto the table, a loud thwack echoing through the office, a raw release of his frustration.
Manager Zhang flinched at the sudden sound, his already hunched back almost sending him to his knees in fear.
“Find me some of these ‘All-Purpose Fried Delights’ right now! If they’re truly good, quickly buy a batch and sell them in our store. If this goes well, a reward will definitely be yours!” Director Wang commanded, suppressing his anger and looking up at Manager Zhang.
Manager Zhang’s face instantly broke into a wide smile. He nodded enthusiastically. “Hey, Director, don’t you worry! I’ll definitely handle this for you!”