Chapter 196 Sugar-Coated Bullets? No, it's a work requirement!

A private room on the second floor.

A massive crystal chandelier cast a soft glow, and the round table was covered with a snow-white tablecloth.

However, the dishes were not as extravagant or wasteful as Secretary Zhang had feared.

There was no abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, or fish maw.

On the left were several exquisite Cantonese-style stir-fries and steamed grouper.

On the right were hearty portions of braised pork belly and stir-fried meat strips.

In the middle, there were even two large, steaming platters of dumplings.

This combination that catered to both Northern and Southern tastes instantly warmed the hearts of these men from the North.

"Come now, I'll use tea in place of wine," Lin Xi said as he lifted his teacup and stood up.

"This toast goes to our 'anchor,' Director Zhu, and our 'housekeeper,' Sister Zhang."

"Without you holding down the fort in the rear, Red Star wouldn't dare to charge so aggressively on the front lines."

Director Zhu smiled and raised his cup.

Even Secretary Zhang's tense face softened slightly under the teasing of Lin Xi's "housekeeper" comment.

The atmosphere gradually grew lively.

The livestream comments scrolled by:

【Tearing up. Going abroad for inspections back then really wasn't a luxury trip; it was suffering.】

【Look closely at what they're wearing under their suits—it's not shirts, it's sweaters and long johns! It's so hot, they must be soaked through!】

【That's not all. Some people even just bought fake collars to wear underneath; the moment they took off their jackets, the ruse was exposed.】

【Exactly! I heard that back then, to save foreign currency, they ate plain noodles with pickles for every meal, walked everywhere, drank hot water as tea, and came back a size thinner, carrying only a pile of documents and empty pickle jars.】

【Really? That's too grueling.】

【It's true, it's written in many news reports.】

The translator, Xiao Wu, was sitting opposite Lin Xi, struggling with a shrimp.

Lin Xi glanced at her and teased:

"Xiao Wu, on this trip to Hanover, we'll be talking about parameters and manufacturing processes."

"Don't worry, as long as you don't translate 'torque' as 'twisted strength.'"

"I'll be grateful."

"I definitely won't test you on the five elements."

"Pfft—"

Xiao Wu couldn't help but laugh, nearly spitting out the shrimp.

The people around them joined in the laughter, and the initial stiffness vanished without a trace.

After three rounds of tea and tasting the dishes, just as everyone was preparing to leave, the private room door opened.

Several waiters pushed in two carts covered with red cloth.

Secretary Zhang's radar instantly activated.

She stood up abruptly, her gaze sharp as a knife:

"Lin Xi! What is this?!"

"I emphasized the rules before we left!"

"We must not take a single needle or thread from the masses, let alone accept any form of gift!"

"This is a matter of principle!"

The whole room went silent instantly.

Zhou Jianjun put down the teacup he had just picked up.

Lin Xi, however, remained unruffled.

He waved his hand, signaling the waiters to uncover the red cloth.

There was no gold, silver, jewelry, or high-end tobacco and alcohol on the carts.

Neatly stacked were rows of well-packaged white shirts and a pile of black leather briefcases printed with the "Red Star Technology" logo.

"Sister Zhang, you've misunderstood."

Lin Xi picked up a shirt, shook it out, and showed off the stiff collar:

"This isn't a gift."

"This is the work uniform for Red Star Technology."

Secretary Zhang was stunned: "A work uniform? What kind of work uniform uses such high-quality material?"

"That's where you don't quite understand," Lin Xi said, dropping his smile and looking serious.

"Although the Ministry issued us suits for the trip, the shirts worn underneath aren't uniform, are they?"

"I saw several comrades wearing sweaters and long johns earlier."

"We are going to Germany this time, representing the face of Chinese industry."

"If foreigners see that our inner clothing is old or tattered, that would be a loss of face for our country."

Lin Xi picked up one of the briefcases and patted it:

"As for these bags, they aren't gifts either."

"They are labor protection supplies."

"Everyone is carrying so many technical documents and drawings."

"The original cloth bags aren't waterproof or theft-proof."

"These leather bags are sturdy and printed with our Red Star logo."

"By carrying them, everyone is helping me promote in Hanover."

"This is all within our Red Star marketing budget, compliant and legal."

Lin Xi's reasoning was tight and airtight, escalating from national image to essential labor protection, and landing on commercial promotion.

Secretary Zhang opened her mouth but couldn't find a point to refute.

She looked at the washed-out canvas bag beside Tu Zhi, then at the finely crafted leather bag.

Tu Zhi's fingers were unconsciously rubbing his pant seams, his eyes filled with longing.

"...Since they are labor protection supplies."

Secretary Zhang took a deep breath, her tone softening:

"Then... let this be an exception."

"Once you receive them, take care of them; this is for work!"

"No one is allowed to resell them!"

"Understood! We'll listen to Sister Zhang!"

Lin Xi laughed and waved his hand, and the waiters immediately began distributing them.

The technicians who received the new bags and shirts had hands that were slightly trembling.

They stroked the delicate leather as if caressing a lover's hand.

This wasn't just a bag; this was dignity!

But it wasn't over yet.

As if performing a magic trick, Lin Xi brought out a large box from the second cart.

"Clatter—"

A pile of imported chocolates wrapped in gold foil, along with bundles of Kodak film and Nanfu batteries, were dumped onto the table.

"And this is..." Secretary Zhang's brow twitched.

"Combat rations and technical inspection consumables," Lin Xi answered quickly.

He picked up a piece of chocolate and stuffed it into Xiao Wu's hand:

"The exhibition in Germany requires standing for the whole day."

"Everyone might not be used to the breakfast there."

"If someone faints on the booth due to low blood sugar, that would be a serious diplomatic incident."

"This is to ensure combat effectiveness; it must be brought."

Next, he shoved several boxes of film into Tu Zhi's arms:

"Engineer Tu, it's true that you are a human camera, but a good memory is not as good as a bad pen."

"Some complex structures need to be photographed."

"Use this film and these batteries freely; if it's not enough, I have more."

"When we return, these photos will be filed, so this is also about preserving technical data for the country."

Tu Zhi held the expensive Kodak film, his eyes instantly turning red.

He had only brought enough money to buy two rolls of film for this trip.

He had even planned to skip breakfast to save money for film.

He had already calculated it in his heart: only photograph the most important things, and rely on his brain to memorize the rest.

Now, Lin Xi had given him an entire ammunition depot!

"Thank you... thank you, Manager Lin," Tu Zhi pushed up his glasses, his voice choked with emotion.

Just as everyone was immersed in the touching atmosphere, Lin Xi unleashed his final big move.

He pulled a thick stack of envelopes from his suit pocket.

Each envelope was thin but exuded an alluring scent of ink.

Lin Xi walked up to each person and handed them an envelope with both hands.

Xiao Wu curiously opened it and nearly gasped.

It was full of US dollars—$1, $5, and $10 bills.

It added up to a full $100!

"This won't do!"

Secretary Zhang was truly anxious this time; she stood up abruptly:

"Lin Xi! What are you doing?!"

"We could argue the supplies were a work requirement."

"But this cash... the nature of this has changed!"

"This is bribery! This violates the foreign exchange control regulations!"