Ch. 1311..1320
Chapter 1311: 1310 J country’s Prince
“It’s not a matter of money…” Tan Rou found an excuse, “Because we haven’t tested if our robots can work properly abroad, we can’t sell you our robot yet.”
“No problem, I can help you test it.” The foreigner pledged, patting his chest: “My family also has researchers. They can do the testing, and then I will send the feedback to you.”
Tan Rou gave the foreigner a careful look. He was dressed very simply, in a white shirt and black trousers, appearing to be an ordinary person. Unexpectedly, his family had researchers. Could he be a prince? Or did Tan Rou misunderstand, and he actually meant that he would hire someone to perform the tests?
Just as Tan Rou was pondering what he had just said, Hang Wei made a phone call to her, which gave her a feeling of rescue, as she wasn’t getting through to this stubborn client and needed someone to save her.
“Hang Wei, what do you need me for?” Tan Rou’s tone was a bit cheerful, “Is there something you need me for? I’ll be right there… What? The prince of Country J got lost in our mall? Now his friends and bodyguards are looking for him, asking us to help find him? Why don’t you just make an announcement…”
As she spoke, she suddenly remembered the foreigner in front of her, who seemed to be speaking the unique language of Country J. Because it was relatively obscure, Tan Rou only remembered the pronunciation and meaning, forgetting which language it was exactly.
Tan Rou asked, “Ask them what their prince’s name is.”
Hang Wei replied, “I can’t pronounce that tricky name very well, you’d better listen for yourself.”
Then, an extraordinarily long name came from the phone. If it weren’t for Tan Rou’s good memory, she might not have been able to remember such a lengthy name.
“Okay, I’ve got it.” Tan Rou massaged her forehead and said, “Wait a moment, I happen to have a person from Country J here who has lost his friends. I’ll ask him what his name is.”
Tan Rou asked the man in the language of Country J, “Hello, sir, may I ask if you are Mr. Alaca Busonis Kuliya Amorland?” After saying the name, Tan Rou felt as though her tongue was tied in a knot.
“Oh, how do you know my name?” Alaca was extremely surprised, “Could you be a fairy from this country? I’ve heard that your country has gods who are very powerful and know many things!”
Tan Rou was curious about what exactly Alaca’s friends had told him. Why was his mind jumping so quickly? Didn’t he see that she was just on the phone?
Meanwhile, Alaca kept muttering, “Oh, my god, I’ve encountered a real god, she’s pretty and knows my name!”
Tan Rou had to interrupt him mercilessly, “Mr. Alaca Busonis Kuliya Amorland, please calm down, I have something to tell you.”
Alaca said, “Beautiful fairy, you can call me Alaca, only that is my name; the rest are my grandfather’s and my father’s names.”
“Very well.” Tan Rou felt this made things much easier, “Mr. Alaca, your friends and bodyguards are looking for you. Please come with me now, I’m going to take you to them.”
Alaca asked, “Can I take this cute robot with me?”
Tan Rou was puzzled. What was up with this prince? Had he never seen a robot before? She had already said their robots were not for sale, so why was he being so stubborn?
“Mr. Alaca, let’s go find your friends first,” Tan Rou said, exhausted.
Alaca was still looking at the robot, emphasizing, “You believe me, I will treat it well.”
Tan Rou listened to his tone and felt he was not looking at a robot, but at someone he loved.
“Mr. Alaca, we’ll come back to see it later. I understand your intent to buy,” Tan Rou said patiently, “But we have more important matters to attend to right now. Would you please come with me to meet your friends?”
Alaca replied, “My friends said that if we got separated, I should stay put and not move; they would come to find me.”
Tan Rou didn’t want to waste any more words with him, so she called Hang Wei, asking him to quickly bring the friends of Mr. Alaca, the prince, over to take this stubborn prince away.
Chapter 1312: Mr. Lin 1311
Fifteen minutes later, Hang Wei finally brought Prince Laka’s friends and bodyguards over.
As soon as they saw Laka, the bodyguards kneeled down, expressing deep self-reproach, “Your Highness, we are sorry, it was our negligence, we failed to take good care of you, please punish us.”
Tan Rou was shocked by their behavior. It was the 21st century; how could people still kneel to their employer?
Moreover, Laka’s demeanor also changed. When he had just been speaking to Tan Rou, he was very gentle and affable, but upon seeing his bodyguards, his expression became extremely stern, “Your duty is to ensure my safety, yet you did not notice when I wandered off; this is dereliction of duty. If such a situation arises again, you will no longer need to stay by my side!”
The bodyguards, their faces pale with fright, admitted their mistakes while kneeling with their hands together in front of Laka, “Your Highness, we know we were wrong, please forgive us!”
Laka nodded slightly, speaking very coldly, “Hmm, get up and stand aside, don’t block my way here.”
The bodyguards quickly got up and stood aside.
Laka’s friend said, “Laka, this is not your country, don’t handle things according to your habits here. In our country, there is no distinction between master and servant, only between employer and employee, so don’t make them kneel here anymore.”
Laka’s expression changed instantly, and he said with a laughter, “Lin, I am really sorry, I forgot about that again.”
The man known as “Lin” pressed his brow and said with a weary tone, “Laka, what did I tell you before? I asked you not to wander off at random. If you wanted to visit other places, you had to inform me so I could accompany you. But you left without telling us, and you didn’t even bring the communication equipment. What if an accident happened to you here and it led to diplomatic issues?”
Overhearing someone questioning the security of the TR commercial center, Tan Rou interjected, “Please rest assured, Mr. Lin, our mall is absolutely safe. As long as Prince Laka is within our premises, there will definitely be no accidents.”
Lin smiled and explained, “Miss Rou, what I mean is that if Laka steps out of here, it would become very troublesome. I didn’t say he would encounter problems within your mall. In my view, your mall is very secure, otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought Laka over.”
Tan Rou heard Lin say her name without much surprise. If Lin was accompanying a foreign prince, he must have investigated the security of the mall, given Laka’s sensitive status. If Laka had an accident in this country, it wouldn’t just be trouble for Lin; it could also cause serious diplomatic issues for their nation.
“Mr. Lin, are you a native?” Tan Rou asked.
Lin adjusted his glasses and then said, “I’m a native, but I’ve lived abroad for many years, only recently returning to the country. My assistant told me there was a technology exhibition here, so I had him grab a few tickets for me to see the level of technological development in our country.”
Tan Rou nodded and then asked, “Do you still want to tour the mall, Mr. Lin?”
Lin spoke with certainty, “Of course, I’d only just arrived and had visited only a few exhibits when this guy Laka disappeared. Looking for him gave me a headache. If I hadn’t run into Mr. Hang Wei, I really wouldn’t have known how to find him.”
Hearing Lin mention Hang Wei’s name, Tan Rou immediately turned to exchange glances with Hang Wei, who whispered, “Mr. Lin approached me. I also just arrived a little while ago. I was planning to check out some new shops upstairs, but before I could head up, Mr. Lin stopped me. He said his friend had gone missing and asked for our help in searching.”
Tan Rou looked at Mr. Lin, feeling that he was no ordinary person. How would a man who had settled abroad for so many years know her and Hang Wei? They were very low-profile and hardly appeared in public. How could Mr. Lin recognize them?
Chapter 1313: I’ve known since 1312
Could it be because she appeared on a live broadcast last time? But that doesn’t seem right either. During the broadcast, Hang Wei didn’t appear, he was always working behind the scenes…
“Miss Rou, you don’t need to be nervous,” Mr. Lin interrupted Miss Rou’s thoughts. He explained, “You must be wondering why I would know you and Mr. Hang Wei, right?”
Although that’s what Tan Rou thought, she couldn’t show it. She just smiled lightly and did not answer Mr. Lin’s question.
Mr. Lin didn’t mind, he continued, “Because I had done some research on Miss Rou and Mr. Hang Wei before. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come to this exhibition. After all, tickets for the TR Mall exhibition are not easy to get. My assistant asked many people to help us get tickets, but in the end, we only managed to get seven tickets.”
Tan Rou jokingly said, “If we had known each other earlier, Mr. Lin wouldn’t have had to spend time getting tickets. You could just make a call, and I would immediately bring the tickets to you. As many as you need.”
Mr. Lin laughed heartily, “I had heard Miss Rou was a very serious person and rarely see you smile. But after meeting you today, I think you’re very approachable, not at all aloof as the rumors suggested.”
Tan Rou said, “I am very serious when dealing with strangers, but if I am with friends, I am very approachable.”
She spoke very skillfully. Originally she and Mr. Lin didn’t know each other, but Mr. Lin knew of her, and she also wanted to make friends with Mr. Lin, so she gave him a hint.
It seemed Mr. Lin also came with a purpose. Hearing Tan Rou mention “friend,” he immediately extended his right hand, “It’s an honor to make friends with Miss Rou like this.”
Tan Rou shook his hand and they mutually flattered each other, “To be friends with someone like Mr. Lin is my honor indeed.”
“Actually, I had seen you several years ago,” Mr. Lin suddenly said. “You were attending a certification meeting for senior scientists. The project you submitted back then amazed me. I originally wanted to get to know you right after that meeting, but as you know, there were some issues at that certification meeting…”
No one knew better than Tan Rou what had happened then, “Yes, that incident was indeed quite unfortunate.”
After that bribery scandal, many scientists voluntarily gave up their certification, not just because they didn’t trust the officials but also because they feared it would affect their reputation. If outsiders thought their certification was obtained through bribery, who would hire them? So, the best way was to leave.
“I also tried to find out about you, but there was too little information,” Mr. Lin said regretfully. “By the time I finally learned about your identity, you had already returned to your country, and the person accompanying you was from the Zhuang family. I didn’t dare to approach easily, so I lost an opportunity to get to know you.”
Tan Rou laughed, “Getting to know each other now isn’t too late.”
Mr. Lin said, “Good, since that’s the case, we are friends from now on.”
He shook hands with Tan Rou again.
Laka couldn’t understand the language Tan Rou and Mr. Lin were speaking. He could only understand and speak the language of Country J, so he was very anxious while Tan Rou and Mr. Lin were talking, “What are you talking about? Can’t you tell me?”
Mr. Lin had been chatting with Tan Rou just a moment ago, then he switched his language mode to the language of Country J, “We’re talking about the exhibition. There are many exhibits at this exhibition, and we’ll visit some more in a while.”
Hearing about the exhibits, Laka got excited again. He pointed to the robot he had fancied earlier and said eagerly, “Lin, ask this beautiful lady for me, what should I do to take this cute robot home with me? Tell her, I have a lot of money, and as long as she’s willing to sell the robot to me, I can pay a lot.”
Mr. Lin followed the direction Laka was pointing, and he saw a robot about half a meter tall with a very cute design that indeed was very likable.
“Miss Rou…” Mr. Lin intended to help Laka inquire about the price, but he was interrupted by Tan Rou before he could ask.
Chapter 1314: Prince 1313 with money
“Mr. Lin, there’s no need for translation; I can speak the language of Country J,” Tan Rou said to Mr. Lin in the language of Country J, “Regarding the issue with this robot, I had just discussed it with Prince Laka. It’s not that I don’t want to sell the robot to Prince Laka, but the robot has just been developed and doesn’t have an overseas version designed yet. So even if I sold the robot to Prince Laka, he wouldn’t be able to use it.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay!” Laka said, shaking his head, “I don’t need it to be functional, as long as it can stay in my house.”
Tan Rou couldn’t quite grasp Prince Laka’s thinking and asked, “Prince Laka, if you want to buy this robot, you would have to pay me hundreds of thousands in our national currency. Are you sure you want to buy a robot that you can only look at and not use?”
However, Laka laughed and said, “Don’t worry, I am very wealthy. I get a hundred million every month as pocket money, and I usually don’t even know how to spend it, so I can only buy some things I like. But there are very few things I like, so I can’t even spend all my pocket money.”
Mr. Lin interjected to explain a bit, “That hundred million is not in our country’s currency. If converted into our national currency, it would be five hundred million.”
Tan Rou guessed this prince was rather wealthy, but how many people in the whole world have several hundred million as monthly pocket money?
“His Highness the Prince is indeed very wealthy,” Tan Rou said with a smile.
Mr. Lin laughed and said, “Miss Rou, just sell the robot to him. After all, he is wealthy and won’t mind such a small sum of money. To him, as long as it’s something he likes, any price is worth paying.”
Hang Wei walked up behind Tan Rou and said, “Country J’s science and technology are not as advanced as ours. They rely on importing most high-tech products. The royal family of this country is very wealthy. If we can break into the market of Country J through Laka, it would be beneficial for us and not harmful in any way.”
“If Miss Rou needs help entering the market of Country J, I can also lend a hand,” Laka didn’t understand what Hang Wei said, but Mr. Lin did and immediately offered his help upon hearing Hang Wei’s intention to introduce TR’s products into the market of Country J.
Hang Wei almost forgot that Mr. Lin understood their conversation. Now that Mr. Lin was aware of his intention, there was no need for him to speak softly to avoid others.
“Mr. Lin, we are businesspeople, and sometimes, to maximize our benefits, we speak quite directly. I hope you won’t take it personally,” Hang Wei said.
“Since we are friends, helping a friend out with a small favor shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Mr. Lin retorted.
Hang Wei initially wanted to nod in agreement with Mr. Lin’s statement, but then he thought it through carefully: wasn’t Mr. Lin being a bit too enthusiastic? Why would he help them break into the market of Country J?
Cooperating with foreigners is no small matter, so Tan Rou must be careful not to get cheated.
“Mr. Lin, what benefits do you expect to gain from this?” Tan Rou asked straightforwardly. She felt Mr. Lin wouldn’t help them for no reason; either he wanted to gain some benefits, or there was something at TR that he wanted.
“I don’t need you to give me any benefits,” Mr. Lin said, shaking his head, “Because I truly just want to help you out, money is not very important to me. Whether I am wealthy or not, it won’t matter to me.”
Tan Rou thought Mr. Lin was a very strange man.
Although Mr. Lin said he needed no benefits, Tan Rou wouldn’t really give him nothing in return. She wasn’t someone who liked to take advantage of others, and in business, trying to take advantage can lead to a lot of trouble.
“Then many thanks to Mr. Lin,” Tan Rou said politely, “Just to clarify, Mr. Lin, would Prince Laka agree with your decision?”
Mr. Lin replied, “Miss Rou, don’t worry. I will explain it to Prince Laka, and he will surely be very happy to help you out.”
Tan Rou and Mr. Lin looked at Laka together. Laka didn’t understand why they were looking at him and just stood there with a silly smile.
Chapter 1315: Visit together 1314
Tan Rou wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt that this Prince seemed a bit silly. However, when she saw him scolding his bodyguards, he was quite stern.
“Prince Alaka, Mr. Lin, welcome to my mall,” Tan Rou invited, “I just heard that you haven’t finished touring the TR mall. I’m also here, so why don’t we go for a tour together?” She spoke in the language of Country J, so both Alaka and Mr. Lin could understand her.
After listening, Mr. Lin simply smiled and nodded, his face devoid of any extra expression.
But Alaka was different. When he heard that Tan Rou was going to join them on the tour, he became very excited, “Really? Beautiful fairy, are you really going to tour with us? If you are with us, I think our tour will be very pleasant.”
Tan Rou smiled and said, “Prince Alaka, Mr. Lin, this way, please.” She gave Hang Wei a look, signaling him to follow along.
Thus, their group grew to nine people and became very conspicuous wherever they went.
“This is the first product our company produced,” Tan Rou explained. “When we were producing it, our company had very few people, and everyone made great efforts for it. At that time, we dared not sleep day or night, for fear of encountering problems during the development process.”
As Tan Rou spoke, Hang Wei remembered the early days when the company was founded. Back then, the company wasn’t in a large building but a small office building instead.
The environment there wasn’t very good. Many other companies were also in that office building, and every day they argued over the elevator. There were many people who came to use the elevator, but there were only two of them.
Looking at the present, the entire office building belonged to their TR company, equipped with ten elevators and many staircases. They had their own cafeteria, their own leisure room, their own meeting rooms, and each department had its own office. They no longer had to squeeze with people from other departments inside one office.
Recalling those difficult days, Hang Wei felt a bit nostalgic because everyone was there then, including the boss. Later, when the company was at its most promising, the boss suddenly disappeared. Hang Wei searched for a long time but couldn’t find a trace of her. In the end, he had to lead the team and keep the company running by himself.
Although the company was doing well, a small group of people left. They thought that without Tan Rou, and with Hang Wei not knowing about research and development, the company would eventually go bankrupt. So, despite Hang Wei’s opposition, they decisively left the company.
However, Hang Wei didn’t let the company go under. Instead, he increased many collaborations and managed the company very well. Those who had left saw the company’s condition was not bad and wanted to return to work at TR company, but at that time Hang Wei refused them.
Thinking of the past, Hang Wei still felt a bit of heartache, but fortunately, the boss had returned. As long as she was back, TR company would never fall.
“What are you thinking about?” Tan Rou asked, waving her hand in front of Hang Wei’s eyes. “Someone is asking you a question, didn’t you hear?”
Hang Wei snapped back to reality and asked, “Ah, what question do you want to ask me?”
Mr. Lin said, “Miss Rou mentioned that this scanning pen is the first product your company produced and has great commemorative value, so she gave each of you one with your names on it. But her pen has disappeared long ago. Do you still have yours?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not going to sell that scanning pen,” Hang Wei said firmly. “Even if the boss asked me to sell it to you, I wouldn’t do it.”
Hang Wei no longer needed to use that scanning pen to scan things, but to Hang Wei, that scanning pen held great significance. No matter how much money was offered, he would not sell it.
“Pfft—” Tan Rou couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Hang Wei, don’t get distracted when introducing things. What I meant was for you to show the scanning pen to Mr. Lin, not to sell it.”
Mr. Lin nodded, “Mr. Hang Wei misunderstood. I wanted to see the first product produced by TR company, not to buy it, because I know you wouldn’t sell it to me.”
Chapter 1316: 1315 this friend is very good
Hang Wei was beyond embarrassed, he swiftly used a cough to explain his discomfort, “Cough cough, the scanning pen, right? I’ve put it in my company’s office. If you want to see it, I can have my assistant bring it over now.”
Mr. Lin didn’t find it bothersome at all and said cheerfully, “Then I’ll have to trouble Mr. Hang Wei.”
Hang Wei internally complained, “You really don’t consider yourself an outsider, fully knowing how troublesome it is, yet you insist on seeing the scanning pen. What’s so interesting about it anyway?”
Tan Rou could tell from Hang Wei’s expression that he must be criticizing Mr. Lin in his mind. Not only did Hang Wei feel like complaining, but Tan Rou also really wanted to criticize Mr. Lin’s behavior.
She casually mentioned that she had distributed a scanning pen to each employee for them to keep as a souvenir. This caught Mr. Lin’s attention, and his curiosity suddenly soared, as he insisted on seeing what this legendary first pen looked like.
Tan Rou said that all the scanning pens were the same, except that the ones from that year were a bit rougher in appearance and not as good-looking as the current ones; Mr. Lin only needed to see the new product.
Mr. Lin and his friend Prince Laka were just as stubborn; no matter what Tan Rou said, he was set on seeing that keepsake.
As for the friend she had just made, she couldn’t be too harsh, so she could only pass this trouble onto Hang Wei. Then she caught Hang Wei zoning out.
However, seeing the way he defended the scanning pen, Tan Rou was quite reassured. Many people had left, but Hang Wei had always remained at his post and had managed the company well; if it weren’t for him, TR Company probably would have ceased to exist by now.
Tan Rou felt lucky to have a friend like Hang Wei.
Hang Wei ordered someone to fetch the scanning pen, and Tan Rou continued to tour the mall with the group. At each exhibition hall, Tan Rou gave introductions in the language of Country J to Prince Laka—she had no choice, as she was the only one among them who spoke the language of Country J.
Mr. Lin could speak the language of Country J also, but he didn’t know how to describe the products.
Prince Laka was interested in all of the products; he looked at robots one moment and massage devices the next. At every exhibit, he would express his amazement and then ask Tan Rou if it was possible to buy them and bring them back.
Here, only a very small portion of the products were available for sale abroad, but none of them were suitable for the electrical current and voltage of Country J; Tan Rou had never even considered opening up the market in Country J before meeting Prince Laka and Mr. Lin.
Her original plan was to venture into countries with good scientific and technological development, because such countries would have infrastructure that complemented their products. As for Country J, it wasn’t a good place to deploy their products.
When they got tired from walking, Tan Rou arranged for lunch to be prepared, planning for them to come back and continue after eating. But Prince Laka disagreed, insisting on eating right in the exhibition hall, as he didn’t want to part from the exhibits for a moment.
Tan Rou misspoke; she shouldn’t have said that the robot was Prince Laka’s beloved; she should have said that every single exhibit in the entire mall was Prince Laka’s beloved, because he liked each and every one of them.
Having no choice, Tan Rou had some food packed and brought to the mall for them to eat there.
“Mr. Lin, how did you get to know Prince Laka?” During the meal, Tan Rou chatted with Mr. Lin.
“Actually, Prince Laka and I were classmates,” Mr. Lin said, a smile he couldn’t suppress on his face, “It’s hard to imagine, right? Prince Laka can’t speak a word of a foreign language, yet he went abroad to study.”
Tan Rou was indeed surprised; if you go abroad for studies, the first thing is to learn the language of that country. Otherwise, you can’t even manage basic communication, let alone live there.
“Prince Laka might have a bit of a learning disability when it comes to languages,” Mr. Lin explained, “No matter how much he tries, he just can’t learn a foreign language. Even his own country’s language took him a very long time to learn.”
Tan Rou was quick to respond, “So Prince Laka hired you as his translator?”
Mr. Lin replied, “It was Prince Laka’s father who hired me as a translator. I was taking part in a school debate competition when I unintentionally showed my ability to speak many languages, and then I was taken away for that.”
Chapter 1317: Mr. Lin is interested in recruitment 1316.
Tan Rou chuckled and said, “This story sounds a bit scary.”
Mr. Lin spread his hands, looking very helpless, “Indeed, it’s a very scary story. When I got kidnapped, I was trembling all over. Because I had never provoked anyone, and I’ve always been low-key. I never showed off my family’s wealth in front of others, so I didn’t think I would have conflicts with anyone.”
Tan Rou could also tell from Mr. Lin’s attire and manner of speaking that his family was well-off. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone abroad to study, let alone have the time and money to learn multiple languages.
“What happened next?” Tan Rou asked.
Mr. Lin answered with a smile, “They drove me to a place, and then they took off the black cloth over my head. When I opened my eyes, I saw about a dozen burly men surrounding me. They looked like gangsters, very intimidating.”
Tan Rou imagined such a scene. If she had been kidnapped and opened her eyes to so many people surrounding her, she probably would have been scared, too.
“At the time, I was so terrified that my face turned pale. I was just short of kneeling down and begging them to let me go.” Mr. Lin, recalling the incident, couldn’t help but press his temples, “I have to say, the way people in J country handle things is really simple and crude. When they set their sights on someone, they just kidnap them. They don’t give a damn about the laws of other countries. If I hadn’t understood the J language, I probably would have called the police on them.”
Tan Rou found it hard to evaluate Mr. Lin’s decision. If Tan Rou had been kidnapped out of the blue and then forced to translate, she certainly would not have taken it well, and she would have made them pay a price.
Mr. Lin’s thought process was also quite peculiar. He was so calm about being kidnapped and ended up happily translating for them. It can only be said that one was willing to kidnap, and the other willing to be kidnapped. No one should speak ill of the other.
Tan Rou and the other two were sitting at the table eating, but Laka couldn’t sit still. He ran around with a takeout box, admiring the exhibits while occasionally communicating with his bodyguards.
Tan Rou was afraid he would drip the soup from his meal onto her exhibits. She wanted to call Laka back to eat properly, but she felt that such behavior was a bit excessive, like a mother calling her disobedient son.
Mr. Lin sensed Tan Rou’s intention and said, “Miss Rou needn’t worry. If Laka dirties any of the exhibits inside your store, he will definitely buy them.”
This time Tan Rou was startled by Mr. Lin’s words. She felt that Mr. Lin could no longer simply be described as smart, because he seemed to be able to read minds, instantly picking up on her every new thought.
“Mr. Lin, can you read minds?” Tan Rou couldn’t help but ask.
Mr. Lin replied, “No, but Miss Rou’s thoughts are very easy to guess. Your facial expressions have already betrayed your thoughts, which is why I could easily tell what you were thinking.”
Tan Rou immediately composed all her emotions, and she showed a serene demeanor, “Mr. Lin is truly amazing.”
Mr. Lin explained, “In college, I studied psychology for a while, and I was very successful at it, so I can easily interpret people’s thoughts from their facial expressions and actions. If Miss Rou minds, I will refrain from guessing your thoughts in the future.”
Tan Rou had never met someone so impressive. It was a waste to have such a person working as a translator. He should be involved in criminal investigations, especially solving very difficult cases. She was sure Mr. Lin would be very good at it.
“Why is Miss Rou looking at me like that?” Mr. Lin asked with a slight smile. “Do you think I was too impolite?”
“Not at all,” Tan Rou shook her head and said, “I was just wondering when Mr. Lin might consider changing jobs.”
Mr. Lin was startled but then replied, “I don’t have such plans at the moment. First, I really like my job, and secondly, I’m not short of money, so I’m not thinking about resigning to change jobs.”
Tan Rou really wanted to hire Mr. Lin for TR Company, but she wouldn’t insist if he was unwilling, “Okay, if Mr. Lin ever considers changing jobs, please think about us at TR. TR’s doors will always be open for you.”
Chapter 1318: 1317 is very awesome
After dinner, Tan Rou had a conversation with Mr. Lin, and the two hit it off well. Mr. Lin had many unique insights, which pleased Tan Rou because talking to Mr. Lin wasn’t tiring at all; she just had to pose a question, and he could immediately provide an answer.
While Tan Rou was talking with Mr. Lin, Hang Wei could only stand by as part of the backdrop, feeling for the first time that his own mouth was clumsy, unable to say a word.
But it wasn’t just him who was at a loss for words; inside there were several other people looking bewildered, too bad they didn’t speak the language. Even if Hang Wei wanted to chat with these brothers, it wasn’t certain they would understand what he was saying.
“Lin, what are you talking about that’s so amusing?” Laka came back with a cheerful stride after browsing around; he was holding a very delicate metal ornament in his hand, “Lin, take a look. This is from a pretty girl over there, and even though I didn’t understand her, she was very kind.”
Shang Jin came down from the escalator and said to Tan Rou, “My goodness, it’s so hard to understand these foreigners; he babbled on and on, and I couldn’t understand a word. But fortunately, we were able to communicate through sign language, and it seemed he liked the metal ornament in my hand, so I gave it to him.”
It wasn’t until she got closer that she saw there were so many people, “Huh? Why are there so many people here? Are you having a party or something?”
Tan Rou introduced, “This is Mr. Lin, a local here. As for the foreign friend you just gave the gift to, his background is quite significant.”
Jokingly, Shang Jin said, “What, is he a prince from some country?”
Tan Rou nodded, “Indeed, he is a prince.”
Shang Jin’s smile froze on her face. She’d never seen a prince this big in her life. In her understanding, princes only existed in fairy tales. Seeing a live prince for the first time, she was a bit curious.
So Shang Jin ran over to Laka’s side and looked up at the prince, thinking although he was quite handsome, his clothes were very ordinary, not at all like a wealthy prince.
Oh, maybe his country is poor, because not all princes are rich.
“Prince, can you ride a white horse?” Shang Jin asked with a raised eyebrow.
Laka didn’t understand what Shang Jin was saying, but since she had just given him an ornament, he still felt kindly toward her. Shang Jin smiled at him, and he smiled back, only Laka’s smile was so ingenuous it made him look both adorable and a bit silly.
This made Shang Jin laugh. Covering her mouth, she said with mirth, “Tan Rou, don’t you think his smile is a bit like a Shiba Inu?”
Tan Rou coughed seriously and said, “We shouldn’t describe our friend like that.” Even if it’s accurate, Shang Jin shouldn’t say it aloud—Laka might not understand, but Mr. Lin might and could end up translating for Laka.
“A friend?” Shang Jin questioned, “Since when did you have such a foreign friend?”
Tan Rou replied, “We just met.”
To prevent Shang Jin from saying anything that might disrupt the peace between the two countries, Tan Rou quickly changed the subject and spoke in the language of Country J to Laka and Mr. Lin, “Prince Laka, Mr. Lin, this is our TR designer, Shang Jin. The relaxing massage equipment you saw earlier was developed by her.”
“Wow!” Laka exclaimed in astonishment, “The girls in your country are amazing! Lin told me you are a very outstanding scientist, and then your employee is also a girl and a very powerful scientist, so the girls in your country are not only pretty fairies but also fierce scientists!”
After speaking, he gave Tan Rou and the others a “thumbs up.” This was something Mr. Lin had taught him: whenever someone is impressive, Laka could give them a thumbs up—a way of praising that would never be wrong.
As Tan Rou had learned the language of Country J and understood its culture, she knew Country J was a monarchy, and their king was the supreme ruler, usually succeeded by men. It was rare for women in Country J to work, so Laka found Tan Rou and her colleagues incredibly impressive, not just for working but also for being exceptional, truly worthy of admiration.
Chapter 1319: 1318 discusses cooperation
“What is he talking about?” Shang Jin scratched his head, asking with considerable puzzlement, “Tan Rou, were you just speaking their national language? And why is he giving me a thumbs up? Does it mean he really likes the ornament I sent him?”
Before Tan Rou could speak, Mr. Lin began to translate, “Laka is praising you and Miss Rou for being very impressive. He said the products you’ve designed are all fantastic and that being women doesn’t make you inferior to others. On the contrary, you are even better than many men, and he admires that about you.”
Tan Rou’s eyes widened slightly, she indeed hadn’t misjudged Mr. Lin; the man’s mouth really could weave wonders. Laka’s statement had conveyed little substance, but after Mr. Lin’s translation, it instantly morphed into a lavish rainbow of compliments.
She silently gave Mr. Lin a mental thumbs-up, then said, “Mr. Lin is really overqualified to be just a translator with such eloquence, you should consider becoming a diplomat.”
Mr. Lin countered, “Isn’t the work I’m doing now somewhat like that of a diplomat?”
Indeed, he was a translator, and not just any translator—he worked for the royal family of J country and accompanied Prince Laka to activities, visiting various countries. How could that not be considered a special kind of diplomat?
If it weren’t for the fact that he still held his own country’s nationality, perhaps Mr. Lin could indeed become an official diplomat for J country.
Tan Rou felt that such talent should be retained by the country and not allowed to run off elsewhere. However, judging by Mr. Lin’s attitude, he still seemed to love his motherland, otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought Laka here privately to have fun.
Upon hearing Mr. Lin’s translation, Shang Jin’s heart blossomed with joy, “Worthy of a prince, his words are so pleasing to hear; no wonder so many princesses like princes—it must be because the princes are so skilled at speaking.”
“Not only skilled in speaking but also extremely wealthy,” Tan Rou added, “Just now during dinner, Mr. Lin, on behalf of Prince Laka, expressed an interest in cooperation. What do you think about that?”
“What do I think?” Shang Jin said, puzzled, “You’re the boss, if you want to cooperate with them, then let’s do it. My opinion isn’t that important. Surely I wouldn’t stop you from making money, would I?”
Tan Rou chuckled, “Prince Laka took a fancy to the massage chair you designed, saying he wants to order 100 units to take back to his country. So do you think it concerns you now?”
For TR, 100 units were just a small amount, but for Shang Jin, it was huge—it was Laka’s endorsement of Shang Jin’s designed product. Someone personally buying 100 units surely meant great satisfaction.
“This prince really knows his stuff!” Shang Jin beamed, unable to conceal her smile, and said to Tan Rou, “Tan Rou, help me translate. Tell Prince Laka that if he’s willing to order 100 massage chairs, I’ll throw in 100 small ornaments for free!”
Tan Rou snorted with laughter, “I thought you were going to offer him a discount. I didn’t expect you to just give away 100 small ornaments—you’re really stingy.”
Shang Jin said sheepishly, “I would like to give him a discount, but I only designed the product, I don’t assemble or sell it, how could I have the nerve to offer a discount?”
“Don’t overlook me though, the boss is still here. If I want to give someone a discount, would anyone have an objection?” Tan Rou pointed out.
Shang Jin’s response was quick, she smiled sweetly at Tan Rou saying, “Tan Rou… no, my dear boss, could you possibly offer me an employee’s internal price? Let’s give them a 10% discount on each machine, what do you think?”
Tan Rou glanced at Mr. Lin and inquired, “Mr. Lin, do you think this order is acceptable?”
Mr. Lin, still wearing his nonchalant expression, stated, “I’m just a translator; I don’t have that much influence. The one buying the massage chairs is Prince Laka, and you are the sellers, so in the end, you should discuss it amongst yourselves. Besides, Miss Rou also understands the language of J country, you won’t have much trouble communicating.”
“In my view, Mr. Lin’s opinion is also very important, because he was the one who initially proposed the cooperation,” Tan Rou contended.
Mr. Lin fell silent for a moment, then said, “Alright, then let me also join in the discussion.”
Chapter 1320: 1319 no problem
Mr. Lin brought over Prince Laka, who had been wandering all around, “Laka, Miss Rou said she wants to talk with you about cooperation. Please sit here for a while, and we’ll go check out your beloved machinery later.”
Laka was somewhat reluctant to part with the machinery, but he obediently sat down. His first question was, “When can I take these treasures home?”
Tan Rou had some doubts that Laka was not there to visit her mall, but rather as a corporate spy, intending to steal their company’s secrets, and then return to his country to conduct research and advance their national science and technology.
However, science and technology are not something that just anyone can master; if they could be so easily grasped by a nation, Tan Rou and her team would not have needed to strive so hard in their research for many years. Although they had other countries as references, those nations would not hand over their core technologies. Without core technologies, all the imitation in the world would be futile; even if they sold the machinery to them, they would not be able to produce quality products.
Realizing this, Tan Rou no longer worried that Laka was there to steal secrets, because the real core secrets could not be stolen.
“Does Prince Rake really like these items?” Tan Rou asked.
Laka immediately nodded, “Yes, I’ve loved mechanical things since I was young, but my abilities are limited. No matter how much I study, I can’t understand how these machines are made, so I had to give up learning technology and turn to buying finished products with money.”
Tan Rou’s mouth twitched twice, thankfully Shang Jin and Hang Wei couldn’t understand Laka’s words, otherwise they would certainly be shocked by his flamboyant statements.
“That’s a really good method,” Tan Rou commented, “Simple and effective.”
Mr. Lin said, “Miss Rou, regarding the machinery purchase project, we need to discuss it further. I also took a tour just now, and I found that although there are many mechanical products here, not many are sold overseas. In my view, the products our company produces are completely capable of being sold internationally, not just domestically.”
Tan Rou understood Mr. Lin’s point, saying, “We are currently focusing on the domestic market, and as for the international market, we’ve only just started selling products there. Although we’ve made some profit, it’s very little, so we’re not in a hurry to expand the market.”
Tan Rou had originally wanted to quickly penetrate international markets. Last time Shang Jin and Lang Yue took their products overseas, they indeed attracted a lot of attention, and they also received some orders, but Tan Rou declined those orders.
TR company didn’t have a factory abroad yet, and producing products domestically before shipping them overseas was too costly, which greatly reduced TR company’s products’ competitiveness internationally, and was not conducive to the future development of TR company abroad.
“And as you know, each country has different voltage standards. If we want to sell our products overseas, we need to consider each country’s actual situation and then design suitable products,” Tan Rou said. “We have not had any trade dealings with Country J before, so if we want to cooperate, we need to start a new area just for them.”
Mr. Lin said very confidently, “Miss Rou, you surely won’t regret collaborating with Country J.”
Tan Rou hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Shang Jin, “Designer Shang, what do you think?”
Having listened for a long time, Shang Jin finally had the chance to speak; she said with a very determined tone, “As long as you want it, we can make the products, I guarantee there won’t be any problems!”
Mr. Lin smiled at Tan Rou, “Miss Rou, your employee seems to have much more confidence than you do.”
Tan Rou was not upset, she said indifferently, “Of course, after all, she is the chief designer of this project. If she’s not confident, what are we supposed to do with this new project?”
Shang Jin was stunned for a moment, then finally realized what Tan Rou had said, “Tan Rou… I mean, boss, are you really going to let me be in charge of this project?”
Tan Rou said, “Mhm, you have experience with international projects, so this new project is perfect for you. Do well, and I will increase your salary.”