Chapter 26: The Art of Salted Fish Drying

In just three minutes, Sun Qiyang had thoroughly assessed Shi Ying’s background.

The man standing before him was neither the mastermind of an industry giant nor a poor relative of a billionaire. His only redeeming feature was his polished appearance and a Vacheron Constantin watch that served as a status symbol.

While looks might equate to scarce resources in certain circles, they were never Sun Qiyang’s criteria for judgment. He only cared about who could bring him tangible profits.

Thus, he ceased even mocking Shi Ying, completely sidelining him.

From just after 3 PM until the public exhibition ended at 5:30 PM, Shi Ying had been helping with translations at the Banshan wine booth. Despite introducing numerous local customs and facilitating business card exchanges for the town and homestay, whenever he tried to introduce the winery’s wines, Sun Qiyang skillfully diverted the conversation to Vice President Ma.

If Shi Ying had never experienced being marginalized as a child, today he fully understood the agony of a live fish being hauled ashore, heavily salted, and left to dry under the scorching sun.

Shi Ying hadn’t checked his watch, but time around him had evidently slowed.

Two hours felt like two centuries. By the time the exhibition center closed its public entrance, he suspected wrinkles had formed from his forced smiles. His entire demeanor was worn down, as if he had died a hundred times over.

On the expo’s final day, after tomorrow’s closing ceremony, staff would dismantle the booths. The wine merchants had signed over ten substantial long-term domestic supply agreements thanks to this year’s booth. That evening, they hosted a banquet with over a dozen tables at Manyuan Hotel.

Shi Ying was still busy helping move wine for Vice President Ma’s subordinates when Chairman Sun and his entourage hastily picked up their briefcases to head to a dinner appointment in the old city.

One of Ma’s salespeople took pity on him, nudging Shi Ying’s lower back with an elbow and urgently whispering, “Bro, have you been volunteering all afternoon? Everyone’s leaving, and you haven’t even handed out your business cards. Hurry up and follow them!”

Taking the advice, Shi Ying straightened his tie, not bothering to wipe the sweat with his elegant pocket square, and strode quickly to catch up with Chairman Sun.

Chairman Sun, short-legged and slow-walking, couldn’t keep up with Shi Ying’s long strides. As this persistent annoyance clung to him again, Sun Qiyang snapped, “Xiao Shi, what are you doing? If someone is too clueless, it becomes meaningless.”

Shi Ying nodded, aware that Sun found him bothersome. Did he enjoy this? But there was no turning back now. He had endured the afternoon; the gifts in the car couldn’t return to Banshan.

“You have plans next, I know, and I won’t disturb much. Coincidentally, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the day after tomorrow. I brought some special wines the winery has been working on recently. Just wait a moment, and I’ll fetch them for you.”

Outside the exhibition center, the orange sunset still hung in the sky.

With the city management off duty, small stalls sprouted around the parking lot like mushrooms after rain. Entering this bustling scene, Sun Qiyang turned back through a haze of cumin-scented smoke and said, “What special wine? I dare not drink anything without quality inspection. Old Zhao’s stuff is crude and poorly made—don’t blind my eyes.”

“Haha, you’re so humorous,” Shi Ying gritted his teeth, brushing aside two balloons shaped like Pleasant Goat that floated into his face. “It’s crab season. Besides the wine, I also prepared crab vouchers, wishing you a joyful family gathering. Consider it an additional dish for the festival—a token from me and Mr. Zhao.”

Upon hearing “crab,” Vice President Ma glanced back and asked, “Is it from Chengyang? Male or female?”

“Seven pairs. All 8888 models.”

The crab vouchers were worth about three thousand yuan, which Ma considered quite valuable. He leaned over to Sun Qiyang, suggesting, “Should I go get them and put them in your trunk?”

Besides being the head of the Xicheng Wine Chamber, Sun Qiyang was also a part-time professor at two agricultural technology colleges and the honorary chairman of a Xicheng United Investment Company. A few thousand yuan was trivial to him.

He almost ran toward his parking spot.

“No, no! I’m allergic to crabs.”

This was a complete refusal and denial.

Amid the crowded flow of people, Shi Ying’s heavy footsteps lagged slightly, causing Sun Qiyang’s group to disappear from his sight. Overwhelmed by failure, he was about to raise the white flag when a sudden turn of events occurred. About ten meters away, Sun Qiyang’s voice broke through like a burst balloon, causing passersby to turn their heads.

Following the sound, Shi Ying walked a short distance and soon found Sun Qiyang beside a Maybach S-Class.

Besides the Maybach, there were Manager Qian’s G-Wagen, Ms. Zhou’s BMW, and Vice President Ma’s Land Rover. Most eye-catching, however, was a string of old-style electric scooters sprawled in front of these luxury cars.

“Whose damn cars are these! Can’t they see this is the VIP internal lane?”

“So much time wasted already, damn it! I’m going to be late for my speech!”

“Call them!” Sun Qiyang lost all composure, his face turning green as he shouted at those around him, “Call them! Call the traffic police! Illegal parking—tow them all away! Tow them all!”

The old scooters didn’t even have license plates, let alone contact numbers left inside. Vice President Ma, agitated by Sun Qiyang’s shouting, approached one scooter and tried to open the door by hand. Failing that, he angrily slapped the rearview mirror.

The onlookers gasped softly, anticipating a dramatic “nano-rescue.” They gathered around, phones ready to capture the explosive video of them manually destroying the scooter.

Ms. Zhou and Manager Qian tried to calm things down, one blocking between Ma and the scooter, the other searching for a ride-hailing app on their phone.

However, with the exhibition dispersing and traffic at its peak, the parking lot was jammed with blocked cars, and hundreds of people were hailing rides on the roadside. The outcome wasn’t what Chairman Sun wanted, but he had no choice but to follow Shi Ying to the construction site where he parked.

The rickety Xiali, dodging congested roads, smoothly drove along the bypass highway toward Manyuan Hotel.

Eating someone’s food makes one indebted; riding in someone’s car even more so. Chairman Sun sat in the passenger seat, fidgeting as if sitting on nails. After much squirming, he finally convinced himself to turn and speak to Shi Ying: “Xiao Shi, let me test you. Both in the same business, do you know the difference between making a million a year and making ten million a year?”

What difference could there be? One person’s business thrives, while another’s doesn’t.

Success or failure depends on effort and luck, right? Like when Shi Kaiji’s luck propelled him to great heights, but once his luck ran out and he neglected diligence, he plummeted. Could any of the billionaires on Forbes confidently claim they hadn’t benefited from the era’s red packets and trends?

Though Shi Ying had his thoughts, he wasn’t sure if this was the answer Sun Qiyang sought.

“Effort and luck? I really don’t know. Please enlighten me.”

After Shi Ying spoke, Sun Qiyang glanced at Ms. Zhou in the rearview mirror and said, “Zhou Rong, explain it to him. What’s your understanding?”

Ms. Zhou smiled, her voice calm and confident. “A business earning a million a year may rely on personal effort and luck, but a business earning ten million absolutely does not. Earning over ten million requires continuously replicating the success of a million. Without scaling and leveraging opportunities, a million is the ceiling one can achieve through individual effort.”

Sun Qiyang greatly appreciated Zhou Rong’s insight. Watching the green belts blur past outside the window, he pondered, “Not to be harsh, but Chixia Winery, Old Zhao, and you—none of you can manage a business earning a million a year, let alone think about ten million.”

“It’s simply a pipe dream,” Manager Qian commented indirectly, glancing at Shi Ying through the rearview mirror. Vice President Ma couldn’t help but sneer audibly.

Every small sound pierced Shi Ying’s fragile nerves like needles.

His fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel. In the confined car space, he couldn’t escape these jeers and jibes. Then, Chairman Sun’s voice rang clearly in his ears.

“Xiao Shi, let me give you some heartfelt advice. My eldest son is about your age. If I were to offer you young folks a suggestion, try pursuing a career through talent introduction programs. A municipal position pays thirty to forty thousand a month and provides a welfare apartment in the new district. The work isn’t demanding, and later you can marry the daughter of a leader, saving twenty years of struggle. Isn’t that better than anything?”

“You’re so young. What future is there following someone like Zhao Fugui? That’s just a pit.”

Twenty minutes later, Shi Ying delivered everyone to the main entrance of Manyuan Hotel. When getting out, Chairman Sun was in a good mood and ultimately took the gift Shi Ying had given him. Not only him, but the other three also carried baskets of gifts from Chixia Winery.

Before leaving, Chairman Sun asked Shi Ying, “Not coming up? Join us for a bite?” Seeing Shi Ying shake his head, he laughed and nodded, walking into the revolving door with Vice President Ma.

Manager Qian offered Shi Ying a cigarette but didn’t accompany him, instead smoking on the high steps.

Ms. Zhou, lagging behind, glanced more at Shi Ying standing beside the Xiali. Under the setting sun, a gentle breeze blew. Though tall and poised like a fashion model, somehow Shi Ying didn’t exude elegance now. Instead, he resembled a withered tree.

Perhaps because she had once been like Shi Ying herself, Ms. Zhou paused momentarily before walking back to him, pulling out her business card holder.

Meanwhile, Cheng Simin, escaping home after noon, felt lightheaded and heavy-footed.

Even an eagle-like woman couldn’t endure consecutive days of rain exposure. Coupled with the shock she’d experienced, her mind racing with thoughts, she stumbled into her home, eyelids drooping, panting as she threw her wet clothes on the floor.

Her feet headed toward the bedroom, but her eyes felt weighed down by a thousand-pound scale. Halfway there, she swayed and closed her eyes.

When she woke again, the room was pitch black. She was curled up on the lower bunk of a bunk bed, her head buried in a dog blanket, shivering uncontrollably.

The distant ring of her phone mingled with the barking of her dog, clear by her head.

Cheng Simin’s head throbbed painfully. She reached out to silence the dog, but Beibei, seeing her awake, whimpered louder.

He first licked her face, then ran to the living room door, snorting and scratching at the door seam, trying to stand on two legs. After this series of body language, Beibei, seeing Cheng Simin hadn’t emerged, ran back and barked at her.

Cradling her head, Cheng Simin finally heard clearly—someone was knocking outside.

She vaguely recognized Shi Ying calling her name.

Dazed, Cheng Simin vaguely remembered agreeing to cook dinner for him that night. Now, having slept until this hour, he must be hungry and anxious.

Barefoot, her face flushed, she walked directly past the clothes she had discarded in the afternoon. Her mind foggy, she didn’t consider how exposed her body might be.

“Shi Ying.” Her voice rasped, barely audible as she covered her lower face and coughed a few times.

The door opened, vision blurred. Cheng Simin noticed several people standing outside. Before she could make out their faces, Shi Ying reached in and pulled her close by the shoulder blades.

His fingertips brushed her skin, palm resting on her protruding shoulder blades. Cheng Simin inhaled sharply, her body numb, feeling no intense reaction. Only the cool fabric of Shi Ying’s suit against her skin comforted her feverish cheek, which she pressed against his chest.

Blinking, the world spun. When she opened her eyes again, Shi Ying had shielded her entirely within the doorway.

Before losing consciousness from fever, Shi Ying’s voice was faint, like a mountain spring in the distance. He seemed to be apologizing to someone.

As for who that person was, she had no idea.