The other guests also noticed the photograph of the massive fish being flung into the air—it was the very bluefin tuna that had everyone gathered around it now.
The crowd’s interest in the bluefin tuna only grew, and Orlen’s boasting clearly worked. Many foreign guests were envious of his luck in acquiring a gift supposedly delivered by an orca.
Orlen was as proud as a peacock, showing no regret for the money he had spent. On the contrary, he felt it was entirely worth it.
After everyone had admired the fish enough, Orlen instructed the chefs to take it away and start preparing it.
During this time, the guests engaged in small talk and social dancing.
Song Wei, who didn’t know how to dance, simply found a seat to indulge in the high-end snacks, desserts, and candies.
She enjoyed herself thoroughly, leaning back in her chair as she watched Lin Zhen and Song Jing interact with other attendees or listened to their conversations.
Most of the Chinese attendees were factory directors from major companies or leaders of collectives and communes who sold specialty products from their local areas. All these individuals had been carefully selected, passing rigorous evaluations to earn the opportunity to trade with foreign guests and earn foreign exchange.
Lin Zhen, though rough around the edges, was clever, attentive, and a quick learner.
He had a clear plan in mind ever since he decided to secretly trade electronics on the black market. This evening only served to expand his knowledge.
Song Jing wasn’t particularly interested in business matters, but he still managed to forge valuable connections during the banquet.
“Young lady, why don’t you mingle with the others?”
A man, a bit older, with an authoritative yet kind demeanor, sat down next to Song Wei. He was accompanied by two well-trained security personnel.
Song Wei quickly realized that this man’s identity was far from ordinary.
However, since she hadn’t done anything wrong, she didn’t feel guilty or feel the need to curry favor.
“I’ve been listening in, and my brother and fiancé seem to be doing well enough with the networking,” she replied casually.
For an occasion like this, she figured it was best to leave it to the career-driven attendees.
“What do you think of this banquet, young lady?”
“It’s wonderful, though I haven’t been to any others to compare it to,” Song Wei said honestly.
The older man chuckled. “Your English is quite good, and your personality is impressive too.”
Song Wei’s mind clicked—this man must have seen her exchange with Jack earlier.
“Thank you for the compliment,” she said with a smile. “But really, that guy had such a foul mouth that keeping quiet felt like it would dirty my mind. Speaking up made me feel cleaner.”
The older man burst into hearty laughter, clearly amused by her reasoning.
The two of them naturally fell into conversation, chatting about various topics, from current events to desserts.
“Speaking of good food, our brigade really does have some excellent produce, though it’s a pity we couldn’t bring any here.”
“Oh? Do tell,” the older man said, intrigued.
“Vegetables, of course. During winter, fresh greens are a treasure compared to all the dried and preserved foods,” Song Wei explained.
“You’re talking about cabbage?”
Song Wei shook her head. “No, I mean off-season vegetables. By creating a suitable environment for the soil, crops that typically grow only in warm weather can also thrive in winter. Our brigade recently harvested its first batch of off-season vegetables, which I think must be sold out by now.”
The older man’s interest piqued. “Crops grown in winter? I’ve heard of hot spring regions producing vegetables year-round.”
Song Wei nodded. “It’s not exactly groundbreaking technology. Even in ancient times, off-season vegetable cultivation existed, but it was never done on a large scale or made widely available.
“Our brigade is experimenting with greenhouse farming to grow vegetables in winter. By the time I left, many of the crops were ready for sale.”
The older man seemed genuinely interested in the concept of greenhouse farming and continued discussing it with Song Wei.
Although greenhouse farming wasn’t particularly advanced technology—those with agricultural expertise could easily figure it out—Song Wei mentioned it to spark his curiosity.
She wasn’t sure how much interest he’d take in it, but if it was enough, perhaps professionals might visit her brigade to study and refine the process.
Currently, their greenhouse farming efforts were entirely self-taught. If they could get proper guidance from experts, it would undoubtedly benefit the brigade.
Of course, Song Wei had an ulterior motive.
She hoped to use the greenhouse farming technique as leverage to negotiate a small favor.
There was a plot of sandy land in the brigade that she had been eyeing for a while, and she wanted permission to use it for other types of crops.
Though the sandy land was vast, it wasn’t fertile, and the crops grown there were often poor, wasting labor.
With its ample sunlight, the land would be perfect for growing watermelons.
In the scorching summer, Song Wei often craved the sweet, refreshing taste of watermelon. Unfortunately, watermelons were scarce due to restrictions on large-scale cultivation.
She admitted it was partly greed, but the sandy land was currently underutilized.
If the older man didn’t show interest, she’d consider other ways to achieve her goal.
When the bluefin tuna was finally served, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the dish.
Song Wei sampled a bit of everything, ultimately eating so much that her stomach felt uncomfortably full.
As the event concluded, she bid farewell to the older man, Orlen, and the others.
With their letter of introduction nearing its expiration, it was time to return home.
Just like when they arrived, Song Wei didn’t have to worry about logistics. Lin Zhen managed to arrange transportation on a truck headed north.
Leave a Reply