"Sister Wei, this is the material distribution market," Xue Fu said, wiping a cold sweat. She had almost blurted out the wrong address.
Now that she knew Zhan Mohan's intentions, she was willing to protect their relationship and had no reason to expose him at this point.
She glanced at Wei Yumeng, who was focused on the market and didn't notice her slip.
Wei Yumeng looked around, finding it similar to many large markets back home, and the people seemed even friendlier.
She had a premonition that she would accomplish more than she expected today.
"Hello, I am the project manager for Zhan Group. I'd like to inquire about your material procurement today. Perhaps we can cooperate," Wei Yumeng said, choosing a stall and clearly stating her purpose.
Xue Fu then translated for her in the local language.
Thanks to Wei Yumeng's thorough preparation, she knew the reputation and quality of each stall, which allowed her to find the right partner on her first try.
The stall owner, looking honest, eagerly introduced his products upon hearing Wei Yumeng represented a large corporation. He even presented samples to Wei Yumeng.
Wei Yumeng's eyes lit up at the samples; they were far superior to those she had seen at the previous company. It seemed she had taken a long detour.
"This one," Wei Yumeng declared, looking at the owner. "What is your price?"
The owner instinctively glanced at Xue Fu, who winked playfully.
He then stated his price.
Wei Yumeng was slightly taken aback. She knew prices were cheaper here, but she hadn't expected them to be this inexpensive.
It perfectly fit within her limited project funds.
A strange feeling arose in Wei Yumeng, as if someone was controlling everything behind the scenes.
She subconsciously looked at Xue Fu, who simply smiled at her.
Wei Yumeng sighed, knowing it was impossible for Xue Fu to have orchestrated this. She had used Xue Fu's laptop and knew she was just an ordinary international student, incapable of such influence.
However, with this opportunity before her, she decided to seize it, regardless of what lay behind it.
Thus, the raw material procurement concluded smoothly.
"That's great, Sister Wei! Your efforts have paid off. Honestly, I was worried we'd come back empty-handed when I agreed to accompany you," Xue Fu said, letting out a sigh of relief.
Wei Yumeng shook her head. "Why do I feel like you were more worried about this than I was?"
Xue Fu gave an awkward laugh. She couldn't afford to fail; Zhan Mohan had bought her cooperation with her most desired merchandise.
"Sister Wei, of course I was nervous. It's my first time doing this kind of work, and I was worried I wouldn't do a good job," Xue Fu offered as an excuse. Fortunately, Wei Yumeng didn't suspect anything.
As they were chatting and about to leave the market, a group of people blocked their path.
"Ladies, I saw you selecting materials at that stall. Why not take a look at ours?"
Wei Yumeng frowned. While she wouldn't mind visiting other shops, the men in front of them looked suspicious.
They resembled robbers more than merchants.
Xue Fu stepped in front of Wei Yumeng. "We've already bought what we needed. We don't require anything else."
But the men persisted. "I guarantee our products are better than what you've seen and more suitable for you."
Wei Yumeng whispered to Xue Fu, "Don't confront them directly. Find a way to get past them."
Xue Fu looked at Wei Yumeng helplessly. "Sister Wei, you don't understand this place. There are people like this in almost every market who engage in forced sales. Once you fall into their trap, it's hard to get away unscathed. We need to be firm."
Wei Yumeng had heard about such situations in some countries, often targeting outsiders.
In some places, it had become a common occurrence, and even the police were ineffective.
"Ladies, you should reconsider. We won't disappoint you," one of the men said, reaching out to grab Wei Yumeng.
Xue Fu unceremoniously slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me!"
The man rubbed his sore hand, his attention shifting to Xue Fu.
"Don't be stubborn. If you cooperate, we won't harm you. It's just a matter of paying to avoid trouble. But if you resist, who knows what we might do."
Saying this, the men clenched their fists, ready to fight.
Seeing the situation, Wei Yumeng quickly interjected, "I apologize. My sister was a bit impolite just now. I apologize on her behalf."
Worried they wouldn't understand her, she bowed to the men.
The men's anger subsided slightly.
Xue Fu glared at them. "Sister Wei, you don't need to apologize to them. These people are beyond the law."
A stalemate ensued.
Neither Wei Yumeng nor Xue Fu could back down, or they would truly become victims of this forced sale.
The men were convinced that the two women couldn't escape their grasp, so they pressed their advantage.
What should they do? Wei Yumeng's mind raced with possible solutions.
She didn't want Xue Fu to get involved in this; Xue Fu had helped her immensely and shouldn't be put in danger because of her.
"Ladies, please come with us. We only wish to conduct a transaction. Delaying won't change the outcome."
As the man finished speaking, market security guards rushed over.
Before the men could react, they were surrounded by the guards.
"What are you doing?"
The men were no match for the guards.
Wei Yumeng and Xue Fu exchanged bewildered glances. What was happening?
Had the guards just discovered the situation?
But on second thought, it didn't make sense. They had seen guards pass by many times without intervening. This was highly unusual.
"My apologies, Miss Wei, for causing you distress."
Wei Yumeng was surprised when the guard spoke to her in fluent Chinese.