Chapter 50
Thomas made his final appearance, taking Hu Zhenzhen's hand and walking forward again.
After the designer bows in farewell, there will be a brief interview session.
Hu Zhenzhen was so nervous that she forgot Thomas was going to be interviewed and stood on the stage with him.
"Thomas, what inspired you this season?"
When the reporter started asking questions, Hu Zhenzhen realized she should step down, but she had only taken one step when Thomas pulled her back.
"Of course, it's my dear friend Hu, and the snow-capped mountains of Ataska."
The flash of the camera made Hu Zhenzhen almost unable to open her eyes.
The number of flashes here is less than half that of a celebrity red carpet, yet it's already so dazzling. It seems that being a celebrity really isn't something anyone can do.
Hu Zhenzhen's thoughts briefly drifted away for a few seconds.
By the time I came to my senses, the reporter's questions had already strayed from the theme of the show.
"There are rumors circulating about your relationship. Are you two currently dating? Or do you plan to become dating in the future?"
“Hu and I are just good friends, oh wait,” Thomas explained halfway, then suddenly changed the subject, “Now she’s not just my friend, she’s my boss.”
The two of them stood together, but they didn't even look at each other; there was clearly no romantic atmosphere between them.
Unable to uncover anything, the reporters focused their attention on Hu Zhenzhen.
"Ms. Hu, is it true that you are about to settle in Country F?"
"Hu! After taking over from Mr. Ji, will you change the brand's previous tone?"
Do you think Mr. Ji can maintain the current stock price?
The reporters had an endless stream of questions, their voices mingling together, giving Hu Zhenzhen a headache.
She had limited patience and wasn't prepared to answer all of them.
He simply stated, "Mr. Ji will still be Mr. Ji; it's just that the boss has changed. The brand remains the same, and the designers and employees are all the same. Please don't have any unnecessary worries."
Of course, not all journalists are friendly.
In some people's eyes, Hu Zhenzhen's purchase of Mr. Ji's property was tantamount to stealing their precious treasure.
"Miss Hu, if you don't intend to become a citizen of Country F, could you please return Mr. Ji to Thomas?"
That's a mild way of putting it.
"Hey, you can't steal F Country's century-old treasure! Mr. Ji's item belongs to us, it belongs to F Country, you have no right to it!"
Some radicals voiced their opposition, their words mixed with insults, but they were quickly pulled away by security guards and prepared to be taken away from the scene.
Hu Zhenzhen's eyes swept around and she noticed that besides him, there were many other people whose eyes held indignation, clearly sharing the same thought.
She took the microphone and spoke calmly.
"It's actually very simple for me to return Mr. Ji to me. Please name your price. I own 70% of the shares, so each share will be worth 200 million. I'll give you a discount and give you 13 billion. I can sign the contract right now."
"By the way, I only accept one-time payments."
After Hu Zhenzhen finished speaking, the scene immediately fell silent.
Hu Zhenzhen said "13 billion" as casually as if she were cutting melons and selling vegetables.
The men who had been shouting earlier fell silent for a moment.
Just before he was dragged out, he angrily said, "But you only spent 8.5 billion to buy the shares!"
“I’m a businesswoman,” Hu Zhenzhen replied casually.
The man had already been dragged out, but Hu Zhenzhen wasn't speaking to him alone; she still finished the second half of her sentence.
"If you want me to vomit up what I've eaten, you have to give me some interest."
Hu Zhenzhen spoke lightly, but instantly silenced everyone present, with the media only following up with questions a beat later.
"Ms. Hu, are you really willing to sell for 13 billion?"
"If someone can actually pay..."
There are many problems. Hu Zhenzhen has already left the catwalk under Thomas's cover, so even if the media wanted to ask more questions, there is no protagonist left.
Viewers watching the live stream were all silent for half a second when they saw this.
[Sister Hu, you're awesome!]
After a comment broke the silence, the screen suddenly became lively.
Is Sister Hu really going to sell? She could make a net profit of 4.5 billion yuan with just one resale!
I bet a dime, Sister Hu won't sell!
Did you see the expression on the face of the person who was just dragged out? It was truly spectacular.
Suddenly I feel like I'm no match for Sister Hu; she's worth billions in no time.
[Did a billionaire just put on a fashion show for me? Seriously, I'm so happy!]
Putting everything else aside, Mr. Ji's popularity has indeed completely overshadowed that of Coco Chanel during this period, making him the most popular luxury brand in China.
The 13 billion yuan that Hu Zhenzhen mentioned became a hot topic for a while.
Netizens omitted the 3 billion yuan figure and simply photoshopped Hu Zhenzhen's face onto the panda's head, adding the caption "10 billion yuan, are you convinced?"
She was still on the plane back to China, but her memes were already flying everywhere.
The plane was relatively quiet at night.
Chen Kai is a light sleeper and wakes up every now and then to check on the young master and the boss.
He was the only one accompanying his boss abroad, so he always had to be careful afterward.
Even with the strongest security measures on airplanes, the chances of an accident are not zero.
When Chen Kai woke up again, he went to see the young master first, as usual.
On the way, I unexpectedly overheard two flight attendants chatting.
It was late at night, and they were speaking very softly. Chen Kai stood still and remained completely silent so that he could hear what they were saying.
"The control tower just sent a message that S City is about to experience a severe rainstorm, and we need to be prepared for it to potentially land in B Province."
Chen Kai returned to his seat and kept the news in mind.
At that moment, no one associated the torrential rain with disaster.
Country Z has been peaceful for a long time; the biggest disaster was the large-scale locust plague that occurred two years ago.
Five hours later, the plane landed smoothly in S City, and Chen Kai forgot about the little incident.
The moment he was able to use his phone, he sent a message to Liu An.
[Landed at the airport; the weather outside is bad, remember to be prepared.]
Liu An understood what he meant. Before driving the car out of the garage, he put the oversized umbrella and the shoes that the boss's young master might need to change into in the car.
The rain was so heavy that he specifically chose a car with the highest chassis to pick up his boss.
Even so, when they actually got on the road, Liu An couldn't help but frown and make a phone call to Dean Lou.
"Headmistress, I think it's going to rain heavily today. Don't worry about the trouble, take your water bottle and sleep on the second floor."
Every child who came out of Fubao Orphanage learned from Director Lou the virtue of never underestimating disasters.
The building manager on the other end of the phone chuckled, "Xiao An, you're the most thoughtful. Don't worry, I moved to the second floor as soon as it started raining."
"Also, remember to remind Miss Zhenzhen not to neglect her work and to keep a close eye on things!"
Liu An hadn't been nagged by her in a long time, and he smiled helplessly.
"I work hard every single day!"
Liu An was relieved to learn that the dean had moved to the second floor.
The terrain around Xijingmen Street is very low, and the Fubao Orphanage is located on the downhill side of the street.
Every year during rainy seasons, the ground floor of the orphanage is always damp.
Sometimes, when it rains heavily, the water on the first floor can even reach ankle height.
Because of this, whenever it rains, the headmistress pays extra attention and makes the children stay on the second or third floor early, even bringing up food like instant noodles and bread.
Liu An was raised by her and was naturally influenced by her, so he paid special attention to rainy days.
The rain was really heavy today. When he went out, it was still a moderate rain, and there was shallow water on the ground.
Halfway there, the rain had become so heavy that the windshield wipers had barely cleared the view for a moment before the windows were blurred again by the pounding rain.
This can no longer be called heavy rain; it's a downpour.
Liu An wanted to get to the airport as soon as possible, but due to the heavy rain and poor visibility, he could only drive slowly.
It was more than half an hour later when he finally arrived at the airport.
As soon as he got out of the car and opened his umbrella, the rain soaked his clothes.
The heavy rain mixed with wind made it difficult for umbrellas to protect the people underneath.
Even though the umbrella he was using was a specially made, extra-large one, it still couldn't protect the boss and the young master completely.
Hu Zhenzhen inevitably got wet, but fortunately there were spare shoes in the car, so she didn't have to endure wearing soaking wet shoes.
"Xiao Chen, are you alright?"
Hu Zhenzhen dried his wet hair with a towel and asked a question.
The rain was so heavy today that the raindrops hitting her calves felt like being hit by stones.
Jiang Chen was short, and even though he was wearing a raincoat, his hair was still wet, and it looked like he had been hit hard by the rain.
Jiang Chen shook his head. "I didn't get wet in the rain."
His hair was all wet, but he said he hadn't gotten wet in the rain.
Hu Zhenzhen was both amused and exasperated. She rubbed his face and said, "I think we shouldn't call you Xiao Chen anymore. We should just call you Little Duck. You're so stubborn."
Jiang Chen pouted, but he wasn't really unhappy.
Hu Zhenzhen teased her son, but without listening to what she was doing, she quickly dried his hair until it was half dry.
"Liu An, it's raining heavily, drive slowly and be careful."
She added a special note, looking out the window with some emotion, "I haven't seen such heavy rain in many years. I wonder how many hours it will last before it stops."
Too little rain is bad, and too much rain is also bad.
Such a heavy rain, if it only lasted half a day, could be said to have nourished the earth and brought life to all things.
If it rains for two days, it might cause a disaster.
Fortunately, S City is located by the sea, and such heavy rain, according to usual practice, will not last more than two days and will not cause any major disaster.
Hu Zhenzhen returned to the villa, washed off the rain, changed into her pajamas, and quietly watched the rain from the window for a while.
The villa is situated on a high hillside, so even if it rains heavily, the water flows towards the lower areas and has little impact on the area.
Hu Zhenzhen looked out the window. The rain on the stairs looked like a small waterfall, flowing even faster than a regular tap.
She couldn't help but frown.
It wasn't just raining in S City; it also rained in several surrounding cities.
S City's overall terrain is relatively high, but it's unclear whether other cities' drainage systems can handle such a large amount of rainfall.
Hu Zhenzhen's concerns were not unfounded.
The situation in H City, which is adjacent to S City, is not optimistic.
H4 has a flat terrain, mostly plains, which is suitable for farming and building cities.
This gentleness, which is usually considered an advantage, becomes a disadvantage when heavy rain falls.
The clothing store owner closed early and wore three hats before daring to walk home in the pouring rain.
The water was already up to their calves, and people walking on the street could not see the road under their feet. They could only walk slowly, step by step, to avoid accidents.
In this situation, the biggest fear is that the manhole cover will be lost.
If you accidentally step into a well filled with water, it could be a fatal accident.
The clothing store owner had seen this news and understood the danger, so he took every step with extra caution.
The rain was so heavy that not many people dared to go out.
The clothing store owner never expected to see a little girl holding an umbrella alone in the rain.
"ah!"
The rain was so loud, but the clothing store owner still heard the exclamation.
The little girl seemed to trip over something, lost her balance, and fell into the water.
He remembered that section of road, which happened to have a flight of stairs.
In just two seconds, the little girl who fell into the water was swept downstream by the current.
The clothing store owner's heart trembled; if this person had really been swept away, it was uncertain whether they would survive or not.
Without thinking, he dropped the umbrella and rushed over.
Fortunately, the stairs weren't very long, and although the current was rapid, the water wasn't too deep. The clothing store owner grabbed the little girl and had enough strength to pull her back.
Although he saved someone, he was not at ease.
It's only just started raining. If it continues to rain for a while, people who collapse in places like this might not be able to be saved.
On television, the scheduled news broadcasts were all postponed and replaced with emergency warnings for torrential rain.
It is essential to ensure that all citizens are informed of the situation and evacuate to higher ground in a timely manner to avoid danger.
Both S City and H City belong to Province A. Under such dangerous circumstances, the province issued a red alert directly, and rescue teams rushed over in the heavy rain, ready to deal with any emergencies.
Hu Zhenzhen didn't sleep well all night.
The thunder in this rain wasn't loud, but it was more worrying than a thunderstorm, keeping me awake at night.
The first thing Hu Zhenzhen did when she woke up in the morning was to look out the window.
Fortunately, the rain has lessened today, leaving only a light drizzle. The water on the ground is constantly flowing downhill, and everything seems to be getting better.
However, while eating breakfast, Hu Zhenzhen casually turned on the TV and listened to the news for a while, and her mood, which had just eased up a little, became serious again.
"H City is expected to experience continuous torrential rain. Citizens are advised to exercise caution when traveling and to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary."
Even the news is reporting this, so it seems the situation in H City is not optimistic.
Hu Zhenzhen opened her phone and casually scrolled through a few short videos.
She didn't need to search; big data had already automatically recommended information about City H.
A boy swept away by the torrential rain, a mother and daughter hiding on a dining table in a flooded low-rise building, and a dog struggling to swim in the water but unable to return to the shore.
Most of the videos were shot from a distance at high altitude.
The recorders were all residents living in higher floors, in slightly safer areas.
Even so, the video still couldn't help but express concern for everyone in danger.
Every video is filled with tears, and every Chinese citizen is paying attention to the situation in the disaster-stricken areas, trying their best to do their part.
Hu Zhenzhen was deeply moved after reading it.
In this situation, she naturally wanted to lend a hand if she could.
"Chen Kai, take all the money in that card and use it to buy disaster relief supplies. Contact the officials in H City and see if you can send them over."
S City and H City are right next to each other, so transporting supplies from here is always easier than from elsewhere.
"Okay, boss."
Chen Kai sprang into action the moment he received her order.
He knew he couldn't contact them all by himself, so he brought along his brothers and the people from Baihua Ranch, with each of them contacting a number of shop owners.
This is not difficult.
Baihua Milk is now available in major supermarkets and stores, and there are many ways to contact the retail outlets.
It just takes time to call each person individually to communicate with them and get them ready to buy the supplies.
In such torrential rain, every kind of supply is important.
Food, clean water, and warm clothing.
As Hu Zhenzhen sat at the dining table listening to Chen Kai order supplies, something equally important suddenly came to mind.
In this time of unity and solidarity, food and water are undoubtedly the primary donation targets for disaster relief efforts.
On the contrary, few people would think of donating items like lifebuoys and kayaks that can be useful in heavy rain.
Kayaking.
Fortunately, S City is a coastal city, which is why there are plenty of places to buy kayaks.
Seeing that Chen Kai was busy, Hu Zhenzhen simply found a local marine products company and called to place an order.
"Hello, what do you need?"
"I would like to ask how much stock your company has of kayaks and swimming rings?"
Upon hearing her words, the person on the other end realized it was a big order and immediately became excited.
"We have a hundred kayaks, and plenty of swimming rings. You can have as many as you want."
The priority for disaster relief should be kayaks; swimming rings are secondary.
Hu Zhenzhen said directly, "I want all of these 100 kayaks. A car will come to the company gate around noon to pick them up. I also need ten large, fast-inflating devices, which will be loaded onto the truck together. One hundred swimming rings will be enough, and I also need fifty small inflating devices."
The person on the other end of the phone was the company's boss, who immediately sensed that the quantity Hu Zhenzhen wanted was unreliable.
"Girl, are you planning a kayaking competition?"
“No,” Hu Zhenzhen said, ignoring the doubt in his voice. “The money will be paid together when you pick up the goods. Remember to have the POS machine ready.”
This boss is even stranger.
"Are you in such a hurry? It takes time to prepare the goods from the warehouse, and you need a considerable amount. We also need to hire temporary workers."
"It's urgent." Hu Zhenzhen didn't care about anything else, only that the sooner the better.
"This batch of goods needs to be sent to H City. How about this, I'll find some workers to move the goods, and you can try to prepare the goods in advance."
The boss immediately understood when she mentioned H City.
He made a mark on the bill and silently rounded down Hu Zhenzhen's price by zero.
"You don't need to find workers. The truck will arrive at noon. I'll take care of everything. You just need to make sure the truck arrives on time."
The boss suddenly became much more agreeable and didn't waste any time. He hung up the phone and immediately dialed the temporary worker's number.
Many kind-hearted people in society donated supplies in response to the disaster.
The once abundant porters have suddenly become a scarce resource, with prices rising and them being virtually impossible to find.
The boss made five phone calls but only managed to reach two people.
These goods are definitely too much for two people to carry.
He was so anxious that he forgot about the shop, took off his short-sleeved shirt, and took charge himself.
The proprietress, who had just finished preparing breakfast, came out, saw that no one was inside, and called out.
"Old Duan, where did that guy go?"
"Busy!" His voice came from outside the door. The proprietress peeked out and saw him at the warehouse door.
"He's usually such a lazy bum, how come he's suddenly become so diligent?" the proprietress muttered, but her eyes betrayed her concern.
The boss is already overweight, and in this hot weather, after working for a while, sweat pours down his head like water.
She couldn't help but call out, "Come back and eat noodles first, the goods can't be moved later."
"This can't be delayed!"
The boss wiped his face with his short-sleeved shirt, saying, "This stuff needs to be sent to the disaster area, the sooner the better!"
His words immediately reminded the proprietress of what had happened back then.
When the two were dating, the landlady was drawn to his kindness.
Being overweight can be overcome by losing weight, and being broke can be earned back, but kindness is a quality that is ingrained in one's very being.
Over the years, the two of them went from being penniless to becoming wealthy bosses. Although their lives had changed and the boss was still overweight, at that moment, the boss's wife seemed to have traveled through time and saw the boss when he was young.
"Old Duan, let me help you move it!"
Normally, the boss would definitely refuse.
This is hard work. Even in the early stages of starting a business when they couldn't afford to hire workers, the boss would carry everything himself.
However, Hu Zhenzhen's order was time-sensitive, and it was a matter of life and death that required immediate action. He hesitated for a moment and did not stop the shop owner.
"You go get the swimming ring, I'll handle the kayak!"
The proprietress knew this was out of concern for her, so she smiled and responded, quickly getting to work.
Hu Zhenzhen hung up the phone, glanced at Chen Kai, and then contacted the officials in H City.
Many people wanted to donate money and goods, but the phone was busy three times before it was finally connected after ten minutes.
"Hello, this is the H City Municipal Hotline."
"Hello, I'm currently in City S and would like to donate a batch of kayaks and food supplies to City H. How can these supplies be transported to City H?"
Upon hearing the word "kayak," the operator became noticeably more excited, and her voice became much louder.
"How many kayaks do you have? The kayaks can use the special channel, and we can send someone to pick them up."
"I have a hundred kayaks, and I'll arrange for them to be inflated at the border between S City and H City."
Do you also have inflatable equipment?
The operator became even more excited, her voice choked with emotion, "Thank you, these are exactly what we need right now, and a special disaster relief police force will come to pick you up."
The telephone operators working in H city were originally children of H city themselves.
They were the ones who suffered the most when their hometown was in trouble.
"Don't mention it, getting through this is the most important thing," Hu Zhenzhen comforted her, then asked.
Where should the food and water be sent?
"Food supplies will be collected by designated personnel, but we are short-handed right now, so we can only prioritize saving lives."
Hu Zhenzhen felt a pang of sadness upon hearing the operator's words.
Rescue workers are still arriving from all over the country, but food and basic water supplies cannot be guaranteed under these circumstances.
Only when you are truly in the midst of a disaster can you feel the insignificance of human beings.
Sometimes, even if you have money, you can't—
No, it seems like the problem can still be solved.
Hu Zhenzhen suddenly had an idea and asked the operator, "If I have a way to get food and water in, can you tell me the location where the supplies need to be received?"
The operator didn't question her; at that moment, any act of kindness was invaluable.
“Bishui Township in H City is currently severely affected by the disaster, and it is relatively close to S City. If you can send supplies there, please prioritize sending clean water and food there.”
"Okay," Hu Zhenzhen readily agreed, and did not continue to occupy the hotline.
The solution she came up with was simple, but it would require a lot of manpower and resources to implement.
After thinking for a few seconds, Hu Zhenzhen quickly found someone on WeChat who could help her.
Xiang Wei.
She dialed the number, and it was answered after only two rings.
"Busy guy, is there something you need?"
Since becoming friends at the auction, Hu Zhenzhen would occasionally chat with Xiang Wei, but both of them were busy with work and didn't contact each other much, and they rarely called each other.
That's when Xiang Wei teased her.
"There really is something," Hu Zhenzhen said without any politeness.
“I remember the Xiang family had a furniture business in N province, specializing in bamboo furniture.”
Xiang Wei raised an eyebrow on the other end of the phone, twirling a pen in her hand. "It's definitely true. Are you interested?"
"Interested. Do you have a factory in S City? How much bamboo do you have?"
Sensing the urgency in her voice, Xiang Wei didn't beat around the bush and directly explained the situation.
"The factory in City S is still under preparation and construction has not yet started. The bamboo is currently stored in the warehouse."
Hu Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief on the other end of the phone, "Great, your big client has arrived."
"I need an urgent order, to customize an extra-large bamboo raft."
Xiang Wei had also been following the news and understood it immediately.
She was in the bamboo business and didn't immediately think of bamboo rafts.
"Okay! I'll get the factory up and running immediately, and then send a car to H City."
Even before Hu Zhenzhen could speak, Xiang Wei chimed in.
The two hit it off immediately, understanding each other's thoughts without needing to say much.
"The supplies will be transported to Liangshan Station at the border, where they will be gathered!"
Hu Zhenzhen only said this much before hanging up the phone, feeling reassured.
On the other side, Xiang Wei couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips, "You really trust me, don't you? You didn't even tell me the time."
"Then I can't let this trust down."
As she spoke, her fingers never stopped, quickly issuing the instructions one by one.
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