...
After we finished discussing this matter, we had all drunk quite a bit. Before leaving, Bai Lu called me aside and said, "I went to talk to Sun Jiwei about the investment today."
"What did you say to him?"
"I certainly wouldn't say that everyone was unwilling to let him invest... I just told him that there are only a few inns that have resumed operations, and the competition is definitely watching very closely. Since he works for the Environmental Protection Bureau, someone might use this as an excuse to make trouble, and if the inn gets dragged into it, it would be a loss... I suggested that he wait until this storm passes before considering investing. Besides, our inn will definitely expand, so it's not too late to invest then."
I can't help but admire Bai Lu; this is the art of speaking. If either of us, Coach Ma or I, were to say these words, we would never have been able to.
I then asked Bai Lu, "Is he unhappy?"
On the surface, no; but what they really think is another matter...
I sighed softly, then felt exhausted. I knew this was my weakness, because I'm really not good at handling complicated interpersonal relationships. Although I also knew in my heart that, from a self-interested perspective, Sun Jiwei was indeed someone worth befriending.
...
Before we knew it, it was early November, and thanks to everyone's hard work, the guesthouse was finally ready to reopen. To ensure efficient check-in for our guests, we even hired three cleaning ladies to clean the rooms, even though we only have ten.
In addition, we rented a farmhouse near the guesthouse, did some simple renovations, and then Ma, Tie Nan, Tao Zi, and I moved there to make room for business purposes. So, only Yang Sisi, who works at the front desk, stayed at the guesthouse.
...
Midnight was the time the "government" would announce the first batch of hotels and guesthouses to reopen on its official website. A few of us sat in front of our computers early to wait...
Although I had been notified beforehand, I still felt a little uneasy until the official list was released.
Among us, Yang Sisi was the most impatient. Just after 11 o'clock, she kept refreshing the official website page and complained that the "government" was not humane enough. She felt that the result should have been announced earlier, or even during the day.
Little did we know that no matter when the results came out, we would have to endure the torment of waiting.
After 11:30, the men in us never stopped smoking. We were all very tense, our attention completely focused…
I believe this night was sleepless and complicated for the owners of the seaside guesthouses in Dali, because it not only determined the fate of one guesthouse but also whether the livelihoods of many people in the industry could be guaranteed... Not to mention, during the period when all the seaside guesthouses were closed, many cleaning ladies also lost their jobs, and many factories that originally specialized in cleaning bedding for hotels and guesthouses went out of business...
Midnight marks the beginning of the industry's recovery in Dali, but also the beginning of disappointment and despair for most guesthouse owners, as only a handful of guesthouses and hotels are able to resume operations.
In the deep darkness of the night, I seemed to see hands holding cigarettes, trembling again and again, filled with anxiety, yet burning with hope...
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