"Oh, you used to be with He Fuming. Has he not come out yet?" Xia Baozhu asked.

“No, he might have to stay inside for a few years or longer,” Chen Wenbin said honestly.

"Let me make this clear beforehand: no fighting or violence is allowed when working in my shop."

"Don't worry, Sister Xia, I'll do whatever you ask me to do," Chen Wenbin said earnestly.

"As for this person, ask him about his situation, write down his home address, workplace, and ID number. Ask him several times. If there are no problems, let him go; otherwise, send him to the police station."

Chen Wenbin nodded and wrote down Xia Baozhu's words.

The next day, Chen Wenbin came to the store to report for duty. He first went to the kitchen to do odd jobs, while Jia Hongying guided him and kept an eye on the counter.

Xia Baozhu took her design drafts and drawings and found an old acquaintance who had decorated her shop before to decorate the new shop.

Meanwhile, the article "A White Dress" in the first newspaper sparked heated discussion.

Xia Baozhu saw the article, which vividly described Manager Xue's guilt and self-blame. He wanted to give her the white dress directly, and he had already paid for it.

Xia Baozhu thought it was too grandiose, and there were many people like her. She was neither the one who did the most nor the one who did the best.

Xia Baozhu naturally ignored the contact number in the newspaper.

"Sister Xia, how come the person in this picture looks so much like you? The profile is so similar."

San Gou was very perceptive. He came over with a newspaper and pointed to the enlarged photo of the flood relief efforts inside.

"It's me," Xia Baozhu admitted.

San Gou jumped up excitedly: "I knew it was you! I'm going to make the call."

“Stop,” Xia Baozhu called out to him, “Don’t go, I don’t need any more dresses.”

"Sister Xia, this isn't about the dress, it's about honor!"

"I know what you mean, but don't make the call, and don't tell anyone."

San Gou was so anxious he almost jumped up again: "Sister Xia! You—hey!"

Xia Baozhu smiled slightly as she watched San Gou stomp his feet in frustration and return to the kitchen.

Song Yaoyang called to ask if she had read the newspaper.

"I saw it."

Didn't you call?

"No, there's no need," Xia Baozhu said calmly, as if she were talking about a trivial matter.

Song Yaoyang guessed that this was how she would act. He reported what he did in the name of the group and was too lazy to show his face. He just submitted the photos of the supply trucks and that was it.

They share the same idea: they do these things not for fame or fortune.

Song Yaoyang hung up the phone, let out a barely perceptible sigh, and thought about how well they were in sync, how unified their actions were, and how well they suited each other.

Unfortunately, the person on the other side couldn't see it.

Xia Baozhu was eventually found.

She went to the hotel reception desk with a magazine cover signed by Xia Baozhu and found Manager Xue.

Manager Xue recognized Xia Baozhu at a glance and clapped his hands, exclaiming, "Yes, that's her! She's exceptionally beautiful!"

By contacting Luming Clothing Company, Manager Xue learned the address of Xia Baozhu's fried chicken shop.

Xia Baozhu was explaining the location of the water and electricity lines to the renovation workers at the new shop when San Gou rushed in.

"Sister Xia, they're here!" San Gou exclaimed excitedly, waving his arms and legs.

Who's here?

"It's that manager from the newspaper, and the reporter too. You should go back quickly; they're all in the store."

"Okay, I'll be right there. You can go back now," Xia Baozhu said unhurriedly.

After she finished speaking, she continued to mark the locations of the sockets on the wall with a pencil.

San Gou was so anxious that he wanted to pick her up and run away, but knowing her temper, he wiggled his hips and rode his bicycle back home.

He needed to appease the two reporters first.

Back at the store, San Gou saw one of the reporters interviewing a customer with a notebook.

"Old comrade, do you often come to this store to buy things?"

"Yes, the food at this shop is cleaner and more hygienic than what we make at home, so I feel safe eating it. I especially love their boneless chicken feet."

The old man, who had retired from the publicity department, was no stranger to interviews and remained remarkably calm.

"Sir, you and the shop owner must be very familiar with each other, right?"

“We know each other very well, we’re neighbors, she lives in the alley behind our house.”

"Did you know she wasn't in the store for a while?"

"We know, we know. Xia is very capable. Besides this shop, she also takes on other jobs. We regular customers all know that."

The old man wondered to himself, "Why ask this? Did Xia do something wrong?"

"Old comrade, have you seen this newspaper?" The female reporter took out the newspaper with flood relief pictures from her bag.

The old man took the newspaper and nodded: "I've read it, I read the newspaper every day."

"Do you recognize the people in this picture?"

"She looks familiar." The old man picked up the newspaper and stared at it intently. He rarely looked at a picture so carefully when reading a newspaper. "She looks like Xia."

Manager Xue, who was standing next to him, smiled and said, "They've come to the right place."

"We came here specifically to interview Comrade Xia. She went to the disaster area to help with flood relief. Can you tell us what kind of person she is usually?"

"You mean she went out for more than a month to help with flood control?" the old man asked incredulously.

"Xia went to help with flood relief? Really?"

Other customers nearby also chimed in with their questions.

She's a woman, and she went so far to help with flood control?

How is that possible?

Where did she get the courage?

Men usually travel in groups when they go on long trips, but she went alone like that?

Why isn't she telling anyone? What's she after?

Two people who once thought it was improper for Xia Baozhu to become a model lowered their heads in shame.

"Old comrade, you mean she's been gone for more than a month? Not just a few days?" The reporter was also shocked.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!