Fang Chenyi had already noticed this yesterday. Imported cars were a rare sight here; most were domestically produced.

It had to be said, they were quite impressive on this front.

Just then, the driver in the front seat chimed in:

"Heh, that’s exactly right. It’s a necessity given their national circumstances. We all know this is an island nation with limited resources, which is why Japanese cars prioritize fuel economy and being environmentally friendly. So, the streets here are mostly filled with hatchbacks and MPVs. They save gas and can handle the tight parking spots—it kills two birds with one stone!"

"Also, a survey found that foreign brands account for less than 4% of the market share. This is partly due to national policies that limit the entry of too many foreign brands. On top of that, the performance of their domestic cars is genuinely good, which all leads to the current situation."

"To be honest, the locals would love to own an imported car, but most imports don’t perform as well as domestic models. And as for the ones that do, well, they can’t afford them."

The driver was quite chatty and clearly knew his stuff about this place. He managed to explain the whole situation in just a few sentences.

Qi Xiaotian, Fang Chenyi, and Principal Wang nodded after listening. ’So that’s how it is.’

They chatted and laughed the rest of the way, and over half an hour later, the car pulled up to the entrance of the convention center.

Seeing the staff bustling in and out, Fang Chenyi checked the time. 8:50. ’Looks like Principal Wang’s timing is pretty spot-on,’ he thought.

He took the lead and walked toward the entrance of the comic con. Even before they went inside, he could see a few young women in cosplay outfits at the door, welcoming the attendees.

As Fang Chenyi and his two companions drew closer, the young women immediately bowed and murmured words of welcome. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Principal Wang, for his part, fished three invitations out of his bag and handed them over.

Stepping into the anime convention, they saw that many people had already arrived and were milling about, visiting the various booths.

Most of these people were from anime companies from all over the world. Many were here to observe and learn, but of course, a large number were also here to participate in the convention itself.

"Brother Fang, what do you think? Plenty of chicks here, huh."

Fang Chenyi rapped him on the head. "Plenty of what?" he said, annoyed. "Are we here to gawk at women?"

Principal Wang rubbed his head, looking aggrieved. ’If we’re not here to look at the pretty girls, then what’s the point of coming?’ he grumbled under his breath.

Fang Chenyi shot him a sharp look, and Principal Wang immediately backed down. He let out an awkward chuckle and said:

"Heh heh, we’re respectable gentlemen. Why would we be looking at pretty girls? We’re here for the convention! Come on, Brother Fang, let me show you our company’s booth."

’That’s more like it.’

The girls were certainly easy on the eyes, but Fang Chenyi didn’t pay them much attention. ’It’s never good for a man to get so engrossed he can’t pull himself away,’ he thought. ’After all, I have a wife now.’

"Brother Fang, this way. Our booth is farther in. The opening ceremony starts at 9:30. The convention isn’t open to the public this morning—everyone here is from the various anime companies. It’ll open to the public in the afternoon."

Fang Chenyi followed Principal Wang, listening to his explanation as they headed deeper into the convention hall.

Finally, in a corner at the very back of the hall, they found the booth for Principal Wang’s anime company.

Staring at the secluded corner, Fang Chenyi was at a loss for words. ’This location is way too remote,’ he thought. ’Aside from those five or six booths even deeper in, this has to be the most isolated spot here...’

Principal Wang seemed just as resigned about it:

"Sigh, what can you do? Our company is small, and we don’t have any hit anime to our name, so this was the best we could get. It’s not all bad, though. Look, all the way at the back—that’s Xuanji Technology. They’re a pretty well-known anime company back in Huaxia, and they’re stuck in the farthest corner too, aren’t they?"

Following Principal Wang’s finger, Fang Chenyi saw a booth tucked away in an inconspicuous corner at the very back. Three women and one man were sitting inside. On the banner hanging above the booth were the words ’Xuanji Animation Technology Development Co., Ltd.’

Fang Chenyi froze. ’Holy shit,’ he thought, ’my own company is here too? And not only that, but they got the worst placement in the entire convention.’

’This is just plain bullying.’

He ignored Principal Wang, his expression darkening as he turned and walked straight toward the corner.

Principal Wang and Qi Xiaotian were both taken aback by his sudden movement. Confused, they hurried to follow him.

"Brother Fang, what’s wrong?"

Qi Xiaotian stuck close to Fang Chenyi’s side, his eyes warily scanning their surroundings as he spoke.

Fang Chenyi just shook his head and said it was nothing.

At that moment, the dejected-looking staff from Xuanji Technology saw someone approaching. They quickly wiped the gloom from their faces, replacing it with welcoming smiles as they stepped forward.

The leader of the group, a very cute, round-faced girl, smiled and offered them a flyer while murmuring a welcome.

But when the girls saw Principal Wang standing behind Fang Chenyi, they did a double-take. Their expressions immediately shifted to delight, and one of them pointed at him and asked excitedly:

"Whoa, are you Principal Wang?"

’I can’t believe my own employees recognize Principal Wang,’ Fang Chenyi thought, exasperated. ’And the worst part is, they’ve completely ignored me, their actual boss.’

Still, he could understand. After all, they didn’t recognize him as their new boss.

When Principal Wang saw how excited the three girls were to see him, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride. He shot a smug look at Fang Chenyi, thinking with a self-satisfied chuckle, ’Heh heh, see that? Your bro’s still got the charm, huh?’

But before he could even finish reveling in his smugness, the cute, round-faced girl glanced at her companions, then looked back at Principal Wang and said, almost as if to herself:

"Hee hee, I finally get to see you in person. You seem pretty average, though."

Before Principal Wang could even react, she hit him with a question:

"Principal Wang, can I ask you a question? Where does all your family’s money come from?"

PFFT—

Fang Chenyi, who was standing off to the side, almost spat out a laugh. This adorably clueless girl was really something else. First, she acted all excited, then hit him with a "you’re pretty average," and topped it all off with a question of epic proportions.

As for Principal Wang, he was left completely dumbfounded by the three-hit combo...

[To be continued...]

PS: Chapter 252 got blocked, but don’t worry, everyone. I’ve already submitted the edited version to get it unblocked. I’ll be posting an extra Chapter today to make up for it!