"Here!" Just as Zhao Chen was comforting the girl named Zou Wenwan, Xiao Ji handed Zhao Chen the dress Ji Xingmi had just tried on and turned to leave.
As for Ji Xingmi, she had already changed and walked out with Mushroom. When Zhao Chen took the dress to look for her, he only saw Ji Xingmi's back. He looked at her receding figure, a smile forming on his lips, but it quickly vanished. He then said to the still noisy Zou Wenwan, "Here~ She doesn't want it anymore!"
Zou Wenwan had thought she had won, but hearing Zhao Chen say this, she felt like she was picking up something someone else had discarded. She looked at the dress in her hand, unsure whether to buy it or not.
Since everyone around had heard her say she wanted to buy it, if she didn't buy it now, they would surely say she couldn't afford it. But if she bought it, she felt it would be beneath her dignity. Zhao Chen, unaware of her inner turmoil, considered the matter perfectly resolved. He returned to his original seat and continued to sit. He figured Zou Wenwan wouldn't be leaving anytime soon and would spend some time making a decision. He wondered how she would handle it if the situation were reversed. However, given her personality, she probably wouldn't cause such a scene. Zhao Chen smiled at the thought.
Zou Wenwan was currently agonizing over the dress in her hand, but soon her attention shifted to other clothes. At worst, she could buy a few more to compensate for her mood today. She could give this dress to someone else as a gift; after all, it wasn't as if she couldn't afford it.
When Ji Xingmi got back into the car, she glanced back at the Overseas Chinese Store not far away before telling Xiao Ji to drive back. The reason Ji Xingmi gave up the dress was that she recognized Zhao Chen. At first, she just found him vaguely familiar. It wasn't until she saw him talking to the woman, Zou Wenwan, from the side that she remembered why she found someone she had never met before so familiar. That person should be from the Zhao family, yet he was so close to a girl from the Zou family.
"Interesting!"
After returning home, Ji Xingmi asked Xiao Ji to retrieve the files on the Zou and Zhao families. Ji Xingmi reviewed them and found no issues. However, it was precisely this lack of any problems that made her even more intrigued. It was almost unbelievably clean that such prominent families had no skeletons in their closets.
"This is getting more and more interesting!"
Ji Xingmi had Xiao Ji return the files. For the next few days, she rarely went out, only occasionally visiting the warehouse and bringing back items each time.
Gu Jingyi, who had gone out with Elder Hua, was also extremely busy. Ostensibly, this was an economic exchange conference, but everyone who attended had different intentions. From the moment they boarded the plane, everyone was on high alert, fearing any potential accidents.
On their first day there, the "Little Sun Country" (Japan) prepared a show of force. Fortunately, Ji Xingmi's preparations were sufficient, and Gu Jingyi reacted quickly, crushing one of the pills. That night, all the leaders attending the banquet, including those from the "Little Sun Country" itself, suffered from severe stomach problems.
By the time of the breakfast banquet the next day, only a few people managed to attend. Of course, as the host, the "Little Sun Country" had to be present, but their complexion was not good, and their smiles were forced. They made excuses to leave several times. Elder Hua and his group, knowing the inside story, struggled to suppress their laughter. Those who were unaware of the situation, however, thought that the hosts were deliberately being difficult.
By noon, the Foreign Minister of the "Little Sun Country" had not appeared, and someone else was sent to host. This made everyone much more cautious. Other countries, lacking replacements, were enduring the ordeal with their ailing bodies. The "Little Sun Country," having already lost face, couldn't afford to make another mistake.
After three days, everyone had finally recovered. However, the economic exchange conference also began on this day. Initially, both the "Eagle Country" (USA) and the "Little Sun Country" were proud of the new products they had developed, expecting a significant influx of income.
They walked at the forefront as they entered the venue, their pride evident on their faces. However, upon entering the hall, they discovered that their own exhibition areas were sparsely populated. Everyone was gathered around the Hua family's booth, with designers from their own countries also mingling there.
When they approached and looked closer, they realized that the Hua family's exhibit was filled with items, even things they had not yet developed. At this point, the people from the "Eagle Country" and the "Little Sun Country" began searching for Elder Hua, but he was already surrounded. They couldn't push their way in, and they had no idea what was being discussed.
Thus, Elder Hua became the star of the exchange conference, and they also secured numerous orders. Representatives from the "Eagle Country" even approached, wanting to speak with Elder Hua, but he had no time, enraging them to the point of smashing things.
Failing to achieve their goals through open means, the "Eagle Country" and the "Little Sun Country" decided to resort to underhanded tactics. However, they hadn't anticipated that the chief designer of the products exhibiting was nowhere to be found, and even the attending staff had no idea who the chief designer was. This left both sides feeling frustrated.