「The Rice Expo parking lot.」
A jet-black car, its front grille inlaid with a custom, hand-carved golden phoenix logo, slowly pulled up next to Wu Jun’s Mercedes-Benz GLS.
The car’s emblem was rarely seen in Huaxia, and most people wouldn’t recognize the name, but in Japan, it was the symbol of aristocratic vehicles—the Toyota Century.
It was said that only one existed within Huaxia, belonging to the Japanese embassy.
The Toyota Century, like Huaxia’s own Hongqi L5, was the pinnacle of its nation’s luxury sedans. Although a civilian version was released, it sold poorly, and very few were on the road.
Seeing one on the street felt rarer than spotting a giant panda.
Inside the car, the driver’s seat was occupied by a young man in a sharp suit, sporting a small mustache. In the back sat a sweet-looking girl with medium-length hair, dressed in the latest pink suit from Chanel’s summer collection. She looked as if she had stepped right out of a manga.
The man with the mustache steadied the car, then turned and spoke in his native language, "Miss Ueshiba, Mongzhalong will definitely not disappoint you. The convention hall is a chaotic mix of people. I don’t think it’s necessary for us to go in. We can just have the distributor meet us at a restaurant to discuss the contract. You’ve already seen and tasted the samples."
"Mr. Ogami, you know I’ve always been very interested in rice. Since we’re already here, why not go in and have a look?" Ueshiba Komaruko smiled, revealing two deep dimples, and then opened the door to get out herself.
Ogami Shin let out a frustrated sigh and got out of the car to follow her.
A few days ago, He Qingfeng had made it perfectly clear: all he had to do was bring Ueshiba Komaruko here, and his job would be done. After the order was signed, he would receive a 3 million commission.
Ueshiba Komaruko’s family was a renowned sake-brewing dynasty in Japan, controlling nearly half the high-end sake market. Good sake not only requires high-quality water and yeast, but is also extremely demanding when it comes to raw materials.
Japan’s own Ying Zhiguang and Hitomebore were excellent raw materials for sake, but to enrich the flavor profile and develop even better products, the Ueshiba family was currently searching for superior ingredients.
Through his connection with Ogami Shin, He Qingfeng had managed to get a sample of Mongzhalong into the hands of Ueshiba Komaruko, who was visiting Huaxia as a tourist. She had approved of its quality, and if nothing better was found, she would place an initial order for 1,000 tons of Mongzhalong Rice.
Japan and Tai Country had a good relationship; on the surface, everything was harmonious, and there were no major issues. However, when it came to grain imports and exports, there was some friction and numerous restrictions.
Importing directly from Tai Country was less cost-effective than taking a detour through Huaxia, which was how He Qingfeng had stumbled upon this huge opportunity.
After stalling the certification for Hongyun Rice, He Qingfeng had repeatedly assured Ogami Shin that his Mongzhalong would undoubtedly dominate the Rice Expo, crushing all other contenders. He told him to relax, guaranteeing that there would be absolutely no surprises.
Ogami Shin had believed him, feeling that the 3 million was in the bag. But that confidence only lasted a few days before He Qingfeng suddenly contacted him again. The situation might have changed, he said, telling him to do his best to keep Ueshiba Komaruko away from the Rice Expo and just take her to a restaurant to negotiate the contract.
’Internally, Ogami Shin cursed He Qingfeng’s entire family.’ He was just a minor representative, whereas Komaruko was the young lady of a major Japanese conglomerate. The difference in their status was immense.
Although Ueshiba Komaruko usually seemed harmless and was easy to talk to, he couldn’t—and wasn’t qualified to—control her decisions. He could only offer suggestions carefully from the sidelines.
An hour ago, He Qingfeng had called again, desperately telling Ogami Shin to stop Ueshiba Komaruko at all costs. He absolutely, positively could not let her enter the convention hall. ’How was he supposed to stop her? With his life?’
After getting out of the car, Ogami Shin hurried to catch up with Ueshiba Komaruko. Just as he was about to try persuading her again, He Qingfeng and He Qiang came up to greet them.
The two greeted her with effusive warmth, acting more affectionate toward Ueshiba Komaruko than they would be to their own mothers. They said they had already booked the best hotel in the city and arranged a welcome banquet of the highest standard, urging them to drive straight there.
"You’ve gone to too much trouble, Mr. He," Ueshiba Komaruko said with a smile, her Chinese a bit halting. "Please give me one hour. It’s rare to come across such a grand event. It would be a shame not to go in and see it."
"Miss Ueshiba, there’s really nothing to see inside." He Qingfeng was so anxious his forehead was sweating. "It’s packed with people, all rough and uncultured types. A noble lady such as yourself is truly not suited for such a venue."
A hint of displeasure crossed Ueshiba Komaruko’s face, and her smile vanished.
’All I want is to take a quick look around. It’s such a small request, yet I keep getting blocked. The more you try to stop me, the more I want to go in.’
Seeing Ueshiba Komaruko’s smile disappear, Ogami Shin, who was standing to the side, quickly shot a look at He Qingfeng. He Qingfeng glared back. The two men stared at each other, each with his own unspoken difficulties.
"Where I go is my own choice," Ueshiba Komaruko stated flatly before turning and walking toward the convention hall.
Seeing that he couldn’t stop her, He Qingfeng sighed in despair. ’It looks like today’s order is probably a lost cause.’
Not only would he lose a huge order, but the restaurant he had booked was also top-tier, with a menu and drinks of the highest standard.
’I tried to pull a fast one and ended up losing everything. Talk about suffering a double loss... all that effort for nothing!’
"He, what exactly is going on in there?" Ogami Shin asked, his expression displeased as he thought about his commission.
He Qingfeng was too busy wallowing in his misery to answer. Ogami Shin cursed in his native language and strode off after Ueshiba Komaruko.
As soon as he entered, Ogami Shin saw her standing near the entrance, gazing toward the crowd in the northwest corner with an enchanted expression on her face.
Ogami Shin froze as well. A strange, wonderful fragrance was wafting directly into his nostrils, coming from that same northwest corner. Moreover, in that exhibition area stood six towering men, built like Optimus Prime, who were incredibly eye-catching.
Ogami Shin was under 1.7 meters tall. Seeing these giants who were over two meters tall, he couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of inferiority.
"Mr. Ogami, I think I know why Mr. He was trying to stop me from coming in," Ueshiba Komaruko said, then started walking toward the Hongyun Rice exhibition area.
Shaking off his feelings of inferiority, Ogami Shin now also understood why He Qingfeng had wanted him to stop Ueshiba Komaruko. A powerful competitor had emerged at the expo!
"It’s too expensive. I’d like to see what sucker would buy their rice today."
"A rice brand with no reputation whatsoever dares to take the high-end route like Mongzhalong and Ying Zhiguang. They’ve been dealt a good hand and are playing it terribly."
"I could import some foreign rice and it would definitely sell better than this Hongyun Rice."
Ueshiba Komaruko’s spoken Chinese was average, but her comprehension was excellent. She heard every word of the discussion among the group of people in front of the exhibition area.
Hearing that everyone was complaining about the price, her curiosity was piqued. She walked up and picked the person who looked the most approachable to ask a question.
"Hello, sir," Ueshiba Komaruko asked Wu Jun. "Excuse me, what is the unit price of your rice per kilogram?"
Hearing Ueshiba Komaruko’s somewhat clumsy Chinese, Wu Jun’s spirits lifted. ’The little fat lamb has finally delivered itself to my doorstep.’
Wu Jun said with complete confidence, "Thirty for half a kilo, and the price is non-negotiable."
"Is that 60 RMB per kilogram?" After hearing Wu Jun’s price, Ueshiba Komaruko automatically converted it to kilograms and asked with a look of astonishment, "Is this rice from your own country? Are you sure you didn’t state the price incorrectly?"
"Yes, you heard correctly, that is the price," Wu Jun said with a smile. "And it is 100% authentic, Huaxia-grown rice."
After receiving Wu Jun’s firm confirmation, Ueshiba Komaruko’s curiosity grew even stronger.
Good news rarely travels, but bad news spreads far and wide. Huaxia’s severe soil pollution was infamous, and the quality of its grain products had long been criticized by the international market, consistently relegated to the low-end consumer sector.
She was very curious what gave this merchant the confidence to set such a high price for his rice.
Ueshiba Komaruko asked, "May I see your rice’s inspection certificates and its nutritional analysis report?"
"Of course. This way, please." Wu Jun turned to lead the way, guiding Ueshiba Komaruko toward the part of the booth where the certificates were displayed.