Chapter 443: Chapter 443: Receiving Foreign Experts
"Honey, it’s time to get up for breakfast." Gu Jiaojiao was sleeping soundly when a man’s voice drifted to her ears.
"Let me sleep for five more minutes." She wanted nothing more than to swat him away, but she also cherished these moments of being woken up by someone every day.
The moment she finished speaking, it fell silent. A few minutes later, she opened her dazed eyes to the sight of a face so handsome it was out of this world.
"Hehe, I thought you’d left~"
"I was afraid you’d oversleep, so I decided to wait here while you got your five more minutes."
The man’s deep, mellow voice was like a mountain stream—clear and captivating.
"Look at you, still drooling after waking up." Su Shuochi dotingly wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth.
He looked perfectly serious, but inwardly, ’it felt like fireworks were exploding. My wife wakes up, sees me, and starts drooling!’
’Good thing I shaved my stubble before coming to wake her up. I even combed my hair in the mirror. Another day, another dose of my irresistible charm.’
"Honey, you take your time getting ready. I’ll go downstairs to dish out breakfast." He then leaned in and kissed her on the lips.
Gu Jiaojiao pressed her lips shut and pushed him away; she hadn’t rinsed her mouth yet. Fortunately, he didn’t insist and left.
After breakfast, Su Shuochi walked her to school, then returned home to drive to the appliance factory in the suburbs.
The appliance factory was a joint venture between Su Shuochi and Mu Ziquan. Currently, the Mu Family’s daughter and son-in-law, along with Mr. Wang and his two sons, all worked at the appliance factory.
Mr. Wang, who had prior work experience, was the factory manager overseeing all operations. Mu Qingtong managed the canteen.
The Wang Family’s younger son was a junior at a third-rate university nearby, while their adopted daughter, Wang Yuting, was singing the jailhouse blues.
Mr. Wang had originally wanted to send her back to the countryside, but Wang Yuting felt that staying in prison was better. She figured that once she was reformed, she would still be the Wang Family’s adopted daughter.
The technical staff were, for the most part, Su Shuochi’s people—several members of the younger generation from the Han family and the Xiao Family.
The head of the technical department was Han Jinglin. He had majored in electrical engineering, and with Su Shuochi’s guidance, his skills were improving by leaps and bounds.
Xu Haifeng, a grandson of the Han family, also brought his unemployed paternal cousins from the Xu Family to work at the factory.
Xu Haifeng was a skilled speaker, so Su Shuochi appointed him head of the sales department. The members of the Xu Family were proud but also willing to endure hardship, so they were all assigned to suitable technical positions.
Those who lacked formal education were assigned to packing and boxing. In any case, the salary was ten yuan a month higher than at a state-owned enterprise.
The factory also provided room and board. With such great benefits, everyone who was even remotely related to the Xu Family or the Wang Family wanted to work there.
Mr. Wang, however, no longer dared to recommend any relatives. He was still reeling from the trouble his adopted daughter had caused.
Mu Qingtong, on the other hand, hadn’t learned her lesson. After being pestered relentlessly, she caved and recommended a few women for jobs at the factory.
Her bleeding heart was a sickness that would cause endless trouble later on, though for the time being, those women had yet to stir up any problems for her.
Although Gu Jiaojiao hadn’t yet had time to visit the appliance factory, she knew exactly who was being hired.
Su Shuochi would tell her everything when he came home. As for the ordinary workers, Su Shuochi didn’t pay them much mind.
But Mu Shan and Mu Wu knew, and they would secretly relay the information to Gu Jiaojiao.
They even knew that Mu Qingtong had brought in a couple of troublemakers, but they didn’t dare tell Gu Jiaojiao.
They just told their boss to be on his guard. Mu Shan and his men had already run a thorough background check on everyone in the factory.
Even troublemakers wouldn’t be able to cause any real waves. At most, they would serve as a lesson for Mu Qingtong.
Gu Jiaojiao had even less to worry about with their medical equipment factory, as Geng Haoyi and Fu Junyuan were there to keep things in check.
So, aside from her studies, Gu Jiaojiao spent her days saving patients and earning money. Her life was busy but fulfilling, and she was living quite comfortably.
In the blink of an eye, it was Friday again. Early that morning, the school announced an assembly for everyone on the main athletic field.
A loud announcement over the PA system informed the students that a delegation of foreign medical experts would be visiting the school that day.
The school had been preparing for this visit for a long time. Each class in the medical program was to select a few English-speaking students to go on stage and interact with the foreign experts.
The head teacher of Class 33 unhesitatingly chose two students to go on stage: Xu Bo and Gu Jiaojiao.
As a result, Gu Jiaojiao had also dressed up carefully for the occasion. She wore a white long-sleeved T-shirt with a pair of tight-fitting jeans, topped with a long, black woolen coat.
Xu Bo went a step further, wearing a custom-tailored suit that had a distinct feel of the era, making him look even more handsome than usual.
There were no suitable candidates from the sophomore class, and initially, there were none from the junior class either. Shen Ling, however, had his sources.
When he learned Gu Jiaojiao would be on stage, he immediately had his grandfather pull some strings to get him a spot up there as well.
His English was terrible, but it didn’t matter. Even if he didn’t say a word to the foreign experts, he could still be close to Gu Jiaojiao.
Two female students were chosen from the fourth-year class: one was Xu Lin, whom Gu Jiaojiao knew, and the other was a stranger to her.
Two male students were chosen from the fifth-year class, and one male and one female from the sixth-year. In total, there were nine students on the stage.
Onstage and off, teachers and students alike buzzed with excitement at the news of the foreign experts’ arrival.
Before the experts arrived, the students gathered in small groups, murmuring in discussion as they waited with eager anticipation.
By early November, the weather in the Imperial City had grown cold, and everyone was dressed in autumn attire.
The wind was strong on the field, but everyone was so fired up with excitement that no one felt the chill.
「About an hour later」 Several black cars pulled up at the edge of the athletic field. The doors opened, and three men and one woman stepped out.
The men had fair skin, sharp eyes, and high-bridged noses. Dressed impeccably in suits, they didn’t seem particularly old, but it was difficult to pinpoint their ages.
The only woman among them appeared to be in her forties. She was tall and slender, with deep-set yet delicate features and a cool, proud air about her. Her hair was a cascade of large, golden-blonde waves.
She wore an autumn-style dress beneath a yellow woolen coat.
A crystal necklace adorned her neck, accentuating her fair skin and lending her a sensual, beautiful air.
She wore a faint smile that would make anyone feel a pang of admiration, but what truly sparked envy was the sight of her arm linked with a middle-aged man’s.
The man was also exceptionally handsome, dressed in a crisp gray suit.
"Wow... The female expert is gorgeous! I wonder if they’re married."
"They have to be. Look how close they are. They’re a perfect match."
"Look! They’re both wearing rings on their ring fingers. They have to be wedding rings!"
A ripple of discussion went through the crowd below. Others might not have been able to hear clearly, and the foreign experts likely wouldn’t have understood anyway, but Gu Jiaojiao heard every single word.
A teacher led the students from the stage down to greet the visitors. The one in the lead was an English professor.
He stepped forward to greet them. "Hello, and welcome."
"Hello, everyone," the lead expert replied, giving the professor a warm embrace.
The students behind the professor were all nervous, holding back timidly. Only Shen Ling and Gu Jiaojiao stepped forward and bowed to the experts.
The students in the audience and the foreign experts alike saw only the polite smiles on Gu Jiaojiao and Shen Ling’s faces. Their movements were graceful and composed.
In unison, they all had the same thought: ’Those two are so impressive!’
Gu Jiaojiao felt no fear, but Shen Ling was merely faking it.
