In reality, things did not go as they wished.

When Shen Jiaci and Wang Shumei went to consult the others, the response they received was, "These are our factory’s products. We’ll sell them for whatever price we want. We don’t need you to tell us what to do!"

Some even felt that Wang Shumei’s success last year was mainly due to the element of surprise, along with Xie Changning’s help.

Of course, there was also a contingent who felt they couldn’t keep groveling forever.

Who could claim they weren’t green with envy at last year’s Autumn Trade Fair when they heard Xie Changning had earned a hundred million?

"I suggest we all sign an agreement to prevent anyone from backing out on the day! You have to remember, Mr. Xie withstood three days of pressure to succeed back then!"

"That’s right! We need to learn from Mr. Xie!"

They wanted to make money!

She was the spark that had successfully ignited the flame of desire in the hearts of the many factory managers. They wanted to make money, and they no longer wanted to grovel at the feet of those foreigners!

When some spoke of learning from her, others naturally threw cold water on the idea.

"Get real. They were just lucky last year. Can you guarantee we’ll be as fortunate?"

"I don’t know if they were lucky or not. What I do know is that you’ve been on your knees for so long, you’ve forgotten what it feels like to stand up!"

Still, the majority hoped to sign an agreement and present a united front.

As long as they all held firm, so what if they didn’t make a single sale at the Spring Trade Fair? Did that mean they wouldn’t make any at the Autumn Trade Fair either?

As long as they held strong, they could succeed!

In the end, because so many insisted, the dissenting minority had no choice but to sign the agreement. After all, if word got out that they refused, it would damage their reputation.

Xie Changning heard about this the next day.

It wasn’t just the porcelain factories; factories from the entire light and heavy industry sectors had signed on. All the managers were holding in a collective, determined breath. This time, they had to withstand the pressure and make those foreigners cough up more money!

They refused to believe they could be strong-armed every single time!

This time, all the factories in China were united, determined to fight those foreigners to the very end! They would earn foreign currency, and they would do it in style!

They couldn’t let a young girl show them up!

The foreigners, still on their way, had no idea that this time they wouldn’t be facing a group of factory managers who could be divided and conquered, but the united comrades of China!

Xie Changning was delighted when she heard the news.

She was grateful that she could be that spark. It also meant that the fire in the hearts of the Chinese people had always been burning, just waiting for the right moment to ignite!

That day, Xie Changning was so happy she had a few drinks with Xie Changyi.

Seeing the drunken flush on her younger sister’s cheeks, Xie Changyi was in high spirits as well. "It’s so rare to see you like this."

Her sister had always been hardworking and ambitious, but Xie Changyi had never seen much personal emotion from her. Her happiness always stemmed from professional success and was always expressed with decorum.

To see her lose her composure like this, to truly be like a younger sister, Xie Changyi would be lying if she said she wasn’t happy.

Xie Changning nodded.

"Yeah. I didn’t dare to relax for even a second before..." No one knew the pressure she was under, living here in someone else’s place. So, she channeled all that stress into her career.

She strived to be someone useful to the nation.

Now, with so many people standing up, she felt that she had finally found her "comrades" here. From being doubted to being acknowledged, from being recognized by the nation’s factory managers to seeing them all fight to protect their own interests—all of this was telling Xie Changning:

’You did a good job!’

’This transmigration wasn’t for nothing. I wasn’t just a freeloader. I didn’t waste this ’stolen’ time.’

Xie Changyi didn’t understand Xie Changning’s thoughts, but she could feel that, in this moment, her sister was truly relaxed.

A mental and spiritual release.

"Who knew you could drink so well? A dark horse, are we?" Xie Changyi glanced at the half-empty bottle of erguotou in front of Xie Changning and gently poked her sister’s forehead with a smile.

Xie Changning rubbed her own forehead and jutted her chin toward Xie Changyi.

"Look who’s talking! You drank more than I did!"

It wasn’t that the two sisters hadn’t been close before. Rather, whenever Xie Changning was with Xie Changyi, she always felt a sense of awkward guilt (though that never stopped her from asking for her sister’s help with business matters).

After this night of drinking, much of the awkwardness in Xie Changning’s heart melted away.

Afterward, their interactions were more like those of best friends who also happened to be sisters. They chatted away until they’d both finished their erguotou, and Xie Changyi ended up sleeping in Xie Changning’s room.

The aftereffect of their binge was a pounding headache for both Xie Changyi and Xie Changning the next day.

Neither of them looked well. Yu Chunhe’s gaze darted back and forth between them, as if to say, ’Did you two go out and have fun behind my back?’

Xie Changyi rubbed her forehead and said with a sigh, "Stop staring. We sisters just went out for a meal, that’s all."

She didn’t reveal that they had gone out drinking.

She was afraid that if people found out, they would pressure her sister to drink at business dinners in the future. That wasn’t a good custom, so it was better that no one knew.

Since Xie Changyi didn’t say anything, Xie Changning naturally kept quiet as well.

Her thinking was the same as Xie Changyi’s: it was best if people didn’t know she could drink.

It was perfectly normal for two sisters to whisper to each other, and no one would be so tactless as to interrupt and ask what they were discussing.

Once the little episode was over, the group began preparing the exhibition booth for the day.

Xie Changning was participating in the latter half of the Spring Trade Fair, commonly known as the second phase. This time, she was exhibiting daily chemical products and wood products.

The printers and water heaters wouldn’t be displayed for another five days.

Therefore, Xie Changning was focusing on these two product lines for now.

However, because the organizers felt Xie Changning hadn’t brought enough products—and the ones she did bring were unfamiliar—they didn’t give her any preferential treatment. Instead, they assigned both of her booths to a spot in the corner.

Xie Changning had no objection to this.

Good wine needs no bush. Those foreigners wouldn’t just stop at any random booth, so Xie Changning wasn’t worried.

Fortunately, her two booths were directly facing each other, which made it convenient for her to direct the setup.

This time, the daily chemical factory brought three main products: facial cleansing soap, portable facial cleansing soap, and scented candles.

Each product came in two scents: rose and gardenia.

The two fragrances targeted different preferences.

The rose scent was strong, while the gardenia was light and delicate, catering to two different customer bases.

The two booths were decorated to the brim.

After the displays were arranged, Xie Changning had her team cover them with white cloths, to be unveiled when the fair officially opened the next day.

With that all done, she led her team back to rest.

She didn’t look worried in the slightest.

"Did you see how she decorated her booth just now?"

"I saw, but we don’t have the materials she used!"

"Then buy them!"

Many of the other managers slapped their thighs in frustration, trying to recall the details of Xie Changning’s setup so they could replicate it.