Chapter 79: Mrs. Ye

Cheng Gang and Huzi were terrified that Xie Zhao would run off.

The two of them hauled Xie Zhao along, only stopping once they had walked two li.

“Phew!”

Xie Zhao was a grown man, after all, and he was no lightweight. The moment his feet touched the ground, Cheng Gang and Huzi bent over, panting heavily.

“Brother Cheng?”

Xie Zhao looked at him with amusement. “Do you need something from me?”

Cheng Gang wiped the sweat from his forehead, rested his hands on his knees, and looked up at Xie Zhao, finally catching his breath.

“Yeah! Kid, you’re slipperier than an eel! I staked out the Dance King Dance Hall for half the day, and I almost turned all of Hudong County upside down looking for you!”

After saying this, Cheng Gang pointed at the Tobacco Bureau behind them. “If you hadn’t shown up, I really wouldn’t have been able to report back.”

Xie Zhao narrowed his eyes.

He was sharp, and it took him only a split second to figure out what was going on.

“The person backing you?”

Xie Zhao asked.

Cheng Gang nodded, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a low voice, “I owe you one for this. A life-and-death favor, I’ll remember it. Thanks.”

Xie Zhao waved his hand.

He followed Cheng Gang inside and was immediately met by a young man waiting at the entrance.

He looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a ready smile and an exceptionally warm demeanor. The moment he saw Xie Zhao, he quickly reached out and said enthusiastically, “You must be little brother Xie! You look young and capable, definitely not your average guy!”

Cheng Gang introduced them, “This is Xiang Jiefang, the section chief of the Tobacco Bureau’s Allocation Section. He handles all the tobacco distribution in our county.”

The Allocation Section?

Tch.

A lucrative post.

If someone held this position, especially with backing from above, the post was truly worth its weight in gold!

Xie Zhao smiled and shook his hand. “Section Chief Xiang, you’re too kind. To hold such a position at your age, you’re the one who’s truly young and capable. Your future is bound to be limitless!”

These words struck a chord right in Xiang Jiefang’s heart.

The smile on Xiang Jiefang’s face grew much more genuine. He stared at Xie Zhao, quietly sizing him up.

Seeing him, this young man was neither servile nor overbearing, showing not even a hint of nervousness or panic.

He had clearly seen the world!

At that moment, he began to think even more highly of Xie Zhao.

He smiled and made an inviting gesture. “Little brother Xie, our Deputy Director Ye has been thinking about you! You’ve finally arrived today. Otherwise, he’d be nagging us subordinates again.”

Deputy Director Ye?

Xie Zhao’s eyelid twitched.

Tch.

It seemed the power backing these two was quite formidable!

He followed quietly, all the way to the office at the end of the third floor of the Tobacco Bureau.

Xiang Jiefang knocked gently on the door.

But the voice of a somewhat indolent middle-aged woman came from inside. “Who is it?”

Xiang Jiefang quickly said, “Are you in, Sister-in-law? It’s me, Little Xiang!”

“Oh, Little Xiang? Come on in, then! The door’s unlocked.”

Xiang Jiefang pushed the door open and turned to Xie Zhao. “Deputy Director Ye only wants to see you.”

He gave an apologetic smile, then looked at Cheng Gang. “Gangzi, why don’t you go sit in my office for a bit? Have some tea?”

Cheng Gang let out a massive sigh of relief.

Heaven knew he did not want to go in there!

Cheng Gang nodded vigorously, then looked at Xie Zhao and patted him on the back. “Brother, when you get out, I’ll buy you roast chicken!”

With that, Cheng Gang grabbed Huzi and fled as if running for his life.

Xie Zhao: “…”

When I get out.

Why does that sound so wrong?

Xiang Jiefang led Xie Zhao inside and closed the door behind them.

Inside the room was a broad mahogany desk. A few pieces of calligraphy hung on the wall, two mahogany armchairs sat nearby, and a Pixiu ornament rested on the desk.

Xie Zhao swept his gaze over the room and reached a conclusion: wealthy.

It was common knowledge that the Tobacco Bureau was a place dripping with wealth.

A single glance confirmed this. If he wasn’t mistaken, just this solid mahogany desk alone would cost tens of thousands of yuan in this day and age.

At the moment, a middle-aged woman was leaning against the mahogany desk.

She glanced at Xie Zhao and Xiang Jiefang, then said, “There’s a minor issue with a batch of goods. He went to handle it and will be back shortly. Make yourselves comfortable.”

Having spoken, Mrs. Ye waved her hand. The secretary, who had been standing by, immediately went to brew some tea.

Xiang Jiefang quickly stood up and said, “Sister-in-law, I still have things to do in my section, so I won’t stay for tea. This is the person Brother Ye wanted to see. Just let him know when he gets back.”

Mrs. Ye gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, and Xiang Jiefang quickly slipped out.

The secretary brought the tea and placed it beside Mrs. Ye and Xie Zhao.

Holding her cup, Mrs. Ye sat down across from Xie Zhao. She sized up the young man before her.

He was tall and handsome, looking so young that he practically radiated youth.

“How old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

“What do you do for a living?”

“I run a small business. Right now, I’m planning to get into women’s handbags.”

Xie Zhao answered in all seriousness.

Women’s handbags?

Mrs. Ye was somewhat skeptical.

She propped up her chin, looking Xie Zhao up and down. “You?” she asked dubiously.

The young man before her really did not look like someone in that line of work.

Though he was handsome, his clothes were far too ordinary.

He looked rather poor.

How could someone like him be dealing in fashion?

Xie Zhao, however, remained perfectly composed under her scrutiny.

He stood up, looked at Mrs. Ye, and began to pitch himself with quiet confidence.

“Why don’t you let me put together an outfit for you? You can be the judge of whether it looks good or not!”

Oh?

She found herself admiring his confidence a little.

“Well, that’s perfect timing. Mrs. Wang is hosting a banquet the day after tomorrow. Pick out an outfit for me. If it looks good, I’ll make sure to bring plenty of business your way in the future.”

Having said that, she reached over and picked up a manila folder from the desk.

Xie Zhao stood up and took it. Opening it, he found a stack of photographs inside.

They showed various coordinated outfits, with the official stamp of a department store in the bottom right corner.

It looked like clothing from a department store.

And it was merchandise specially reserved for the wives of high-ranking officials.

After all, the rivalry among high-society wives was an art form in itself.

While their husbands compared official ranks, the wives of equal status compared their outfits, their taste in fashion, their styling, and their jewelry.

These venues were, of course, the private gatherings hosted by the wives themselves.

The ones who dressed beautifully and styled themselves fashionably became the center of attention, bringing honor to their husbands.

Who wouldn’t pull out all the stops to dress up?

And Mrs. Ye’s worries stemmed from exactly this.

Her husband and Mrs. Wang’s husband were both deputy directors, and the two women had been at odds for years. At the last banquet, Mrs. Wang had dressed up to the nines, looking incredibly beautiful.

She had completely outshone her!

Now Mrs. Wang was hosting another gathering and had even gone out of her way to invite her. No matter what, she could not lose again!

So today, she had specially gone to the department store to buy several outfits. But after picking and choosing, she felt they all looked more or less the same, which instantly deflated her spirits.

Her subordinates could only have others send over photos of other options; once she made a selection, they would go to the provincial capital to buy it.

No matter what, she had to choose the absolute best one!

Xie Zhao quietly sized up Mrs. Ye.

She had a plump figure, and her hair was permed into the most fashionable tight curls, pinned at the back of her head. She wore a fox fur coat, which made her already short neck look even shorter.