Chapter 101: You Truly Are a Fairy After All

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Moreover, Zhang Lanzhi was quite bold; she took off her military jacket and returned it, revealing the plaid shirt buttoned all the way to the collar underneath. Her original intention was to reduce the imposing professional distance, but instead, the allure of the uniform transformed into an intellectual beauty. Without a word, the university professor was nearly ready to hand over all his academic achievements. Having Wei Dong turn over and sleep here to quietly listen and take notes, it truly felt that if Zhang Lanzhi became a female spy, gathering intelligence from various research institutions, she would undoubtedly excel remarkably.

By dinner time, when they found that no more questions could be asked, she put the military uniform back on with an aloof demeanor, urging Wei Dong to eat. It was a mystery how she had managed to digest the fish-flavored shredded pork and twice-cooked pork after sitting all afternoon. At dinner, feeling accomplished, she proactively ordered braised shark’s fin and wine! This made Wei Dong’s heart ache… but wait, it wasn’t as expensive as the Empress Restaurant after all, so he let it go with a secret smile while sharing the wine from the beer bottle. He felt that bringing this woman on business trips was quite fitting.

The two lingered in the dining car, only sneaking back to sleep when the cleaning staff arrived, thus saving the trouble of chatting with the professor. Despite carrying such a small bag, Zhang Lanzhi was still fussing about washing her face and feet, applying perfume. She even called Wei Dong to guard the washroom while she complained behind his back about how rushed she had been leaving Rongdu, not even bringing pajamas or slippers, nor any change of clothes. Given the wealth of intelligence gathered, Wei Dong restrained the urge to leap in excitement at his temples’ throbbing capillaries and said, “Alright, alright, when we get to Echang you can buy those things, claim them on the business trip expenses, but don’t disturb me while I’m doing sales.”

A fragrant determination wafted from her as she declared, “The factory director gave me the introduction letter to assist you with the sales department work you’re responsible for. I’m your person, and I’ve made up my mind.” This unexpectedly made Wei Dong’s heart flutter. It must have been a trick of the nose. Anyway, the throbbing in his temples had vanished.

After the secretary’s lengthy grooming routine, they climbed back into bed, separated by more than a meter, yet in the dim carriage, he could still see her fair face turned toward him. The rhythmic clatter of the train tracks, the memories of the last time in the sleeper car opposite that graceful figure, and the rabbit hopping in the shadows kept invading his dreams. It was maddening.

But the next day, avoiding the enthusiastic invitations of the professors, they quietly arrived at Echang University. Zhang Lanzhi didn’t shop for clothes as expected; she stayed close to Wei Dong, carrying a camera to watch him engage in “basketball socializing.” Damn, it turned out the secretary had better social skills after all.

When Wei Dong finally finished sweating on the court and managed to gather a few familiar guys to have a drink and talk about classmates interested in photography, he saw Zhang Lanzhi surrounded by a crowd beneath the cherry blossom trees, with many people taking photos of her! To be fair, Dong Xueqing’s features were more lively and charming than the secretary’s, but Zhang Lanzhi’s elegance won out; the Phoenix Chick still had the demeanor of a naïve child. Unlike the voluptuous maturity of Dong Xueying, Zhang Lanzhi was a pale, beautiful, elegant, and quiet presence. This kind of aura was especially rare in the southwest, found only in scholarly families.

In fact, she wasn’t very cultured, often caught between worlds. For example, when wearing a soft military cap, her hair was slicked back in thick waves, tucked perfectly under the hat to present a serious demeanor. Without the hat, she appeared exceptionally dignified and graceful. Mainly, it was that indescribable intellectual pallor.

After drinking wine in the dining car the night before, she admitted that growing up with parents who had come down from Shanghai and the sea to the countryside influenced her deeply. Though she had never returned and reportedly had no relatives left there, the refined small-bourgeois air of the Shanghai family was ingrained and unchangeable. Because of this, her parents had suffered quite a bit, and growing up in the factory, she always felt out of place among peers.

Now, blending the maturity of a working adult with the cautiousness of limited worldly experience, and a touch of military pride, she carried a unique beauty.

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This drew university students to flock around her. The key was that the campus scenery was stunning. This was the actual filming location for last year’s hit movie “Female University Dormitory,” a pilgrimage site for literary youth and intellectuals nationwide. After discovering several movie scenes, Zhang Lanzhi was so delighted she forgot she was supposed to be doing sales. She fully immersed herself in the sightseeing tour, and her own aura became a beautiful subject for others’ cameras.

Only then did Wei Dong recall that Echang’s cherry blossoms had become extremely famous online. Several basketball players also mentioned that the bloom period was slightly longer this year; usually, the blossoms would be gone before May Day. Thus, the sales work proceeded smoothly.

Echang University’s extraordinary beauty had cultivated a strong photography tradition. Zhang Lanzhi carried a copy of the May Day Sunshine Daily, which served as excellent advertising proof. She effortlessly secured a pre-order for fifty Ex cameras from the photography association, with two male students eager to take charge of the sales.

Wei Dong skillfully took them several kilometers to the train station’s freight point to familiarize them with cargo collection. With experience from Pingjing and Rongdu, Wei Dong could now reduce the sales commission to two yuan per unit, but if a team was established and sales reached a certain volume, bonuses could be earned. Thus, the single-unit five-yuan sales fee became a carrot.

Initially, shipments were sent free of charge; payment would be wired back after sales, gradually increasing shipment volumes. The intelligence from the professor was accurate; Echang City indeed had many engineering colleges with high value, so there were many university students.

Even though Echang’s cherry blossoms faded quickly, the nearby parks, lakes, and surrounding universities enchanted Zhang Lanzhi. Staying in the campus guesthouse, she urged Wei Dong, who had infiltrated the male dormitory, to roam the campuses, play basketball, and take photos daily, promoting the cameras along the way.

Only after the first batch of 200 cameras arrived and sold out instantly, did they reluctantly set off for Yuezhou. By then, the “sales staff” in Echang numbered eight. The style here differed from Pingjing’s; the team was quite aggressive, taking cameras into the city, selling in neighboring counties, and even some going to universities in neighboring provinces on weekends.

It seemed Echang’s location in central China made it a strategic hub, facilitating easy outreach in all directions. Zhang Lanzhi had not met these sales students at all; even the orders were placed by Wei Dong calling the factory, requesting 7,000 units weekly to be delivered to the Hongguang Factory’s storefront. Then, Gou Dan drove the team to deliver everything at once to the train freight department.

Weekly shipments were planned as 3,000 units to Zhezhou, 2,000 to Pingjing, 1,000 to Rongdu, 200 each to Jibei oil merchants and Echang. Clearly, Echang University would soon exceed a thousand units in sales volume.

This was Wei Dong’s reflection while riding the sleeper train to Yuezhou, chatting with the secretary. Currently, Rongdu was far from the future super trendy tourist city; its consumption power was low and couldn’t compare with Pingjing. He didn’t mention Zhezhou, but Rongdu might not even surpass Echang.

The key was the growth of sales teams locally, as these people would likely play roles in upcoming tape recorder and vacuum snack sales.

However, the secretary seemed distracted, lacking the emotional support that the Phoenix Chick could provide. It wasn’t even mealtime yet.

They had dinner in Echang before boarding, then only lunch in the dining car the next day. The secretary complained that the braised fish segments, lean pork, and stewed ribs lacked flavor, nearly prompting Wei Dong to throw her out the train window to shut her up.

They finally arrived in Yuezhou before dinner time.

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Most long-distance trains nationwide did not run directly to Pengzhen at this time, all transferring through Yuezhou. This city served as a hub for almost all migrant workers, fortune seekers, and restless adventurers heading south. Exiting the train station was a plaza many times larger than Jiangzhou Station, which Wei Dong had heard about online when working as a security guard at the tax bureau; it was known to be dangerous, so he quickly hurried away.

Originally carrying two thousand yuan, Wei Dong had collected over five thousand in camera payments in Echang. Before getting off the train, his legs were loaded with parcels, leaving only two thousand yuan, which he had to stash in the secretary’s bag, reminding her to wear the military uniform to intimidate petty criminals.

But the biggest shock was how thoroughly reformed and open the city had become. Upon exiting the station, they saw fleets of taxis, and Wei Dong quickly pushed the secretary into one. However, traffic soon came to a standstill. Recently, driving big trucks in Jiangzhou had been smooth and empty, which delighted Wei Dong as if he glimpsed prosperity thirty years ahead.

The backseat’s Zhang Lanzhi frowned at the chaotic scene, not understanding why this usually calm person was so excited. The driver, barely able to speak Mandarin, explained that the Yue Trade Fair was underway; today was the last day, so the surroundings were packed to the brim. This disorder happened twice a year.

Wei Dong realized he had heard about it — many African visitors came during the trade fair and never left? The driver was surprised at his imagination: no, the Yue Trade Fair brought many foreign merchants and orders, which made business so prosperous.

Wei Dong hadn’t yet grasped the trade fair’s leading role in the reform and opening-up era; it was almost the only large-scale commercial channel for foreign trade before reform. Yuezhou’s status as the frontier of reform was largely due to this trade fair model, which had continued since the 1950s.

Still, adopting the attitude of “since we’re here, might as well take a look,” Wei Dong asked the driver to turn in. The modest yet expansive glass curtain building bore the permanent golden letters “National Import and Export Commodities Fair,” which caught his attention. Usually, such fairs just hang a temporary banner, but this edifice was named after the event itself—a bold statement.

Once again, the military uniform proved invaluable. Inside the packed and tightly controlled international exhibition, Zhang Lanzhi’s uniform and their military factory work IDs, supplemented by the Sunshine Daily, allowed Wei Dong to boast that they were here to inspect the quality of foreign cameras and films. This enabled them to bypass multiple checkpoints without an invitation letter.

The locals and old security guards were amazed. The massive domed space was divided into huge exhibition halls, showcasing the best products nationwide and the various goods the world sought to sell. Everything was meticulously categorized.

After mingling with students in Echang, Wei Dong couldn’t help but complain in dialect, “I told you to leave the day before yesterday, but you said to take another look at the lake view, giving me an extra day—how nice!” It was already four or five in the afternoon, and the halls were closing and clearing out.

Having only seen a small part, Wei Dong was frustrated. Zhang Lanzhi displayed her classic look of aggrieved but defiant pride: “You’ve made money; you need to appreciate and experience life.” She even lectured him.