20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 802 Miss Huang

The commotion in the corridor was quite loud, with arguments escalating, which quickly attracted other guests to open their doors and watch.

Not knowing the reason, Hu Xiaoyan asked Wang Zhengnan and the others to go out and ask about the situation.

By this time, the situation had become quite awkward.

Mrs. Chen and her family of four were forcibly dragged out of their room by hotel staff before they even had time to pack their luggage.

The suitcase was thrown on the scarlet carpet, the brass clasp loose, revealing a corner, and many of the undergarments spilled out, a truly humiliating sight.

Despite Mrs. Chen's insistence that she had prepaid for the room, it was to no avail.

Mr. Chen remained expressionless throughout, seemingly resigned to his fate, neither arguing nor defending himself, appearing submissive and accepting his fate. Even if he harbored some resentment, he vented it all on his wife.

The onlookers stopped to watch and whisper among themselves, but no one stepped forward to uphold justice.

The hotel staff's explanation was also very simple:
After investigation, it was confirmed that Mrs. Chen made some inappropriate remarks about Japan last night, which made her an "unwelcome guest" of the Nantetsu Hotel, and the hotel decided not to accommodate her.

Everyone was indignant, but upon closer reflection, they felt that the hotel's actions seemed somewhat understandable.

No one forced the Chen family to seek refuge at the Nantie Hotel.

Since we're here, we should do as the hosts do. We can't just eat our fill and then complain about the cook, hiding in the concession enjoying peace while loudly proclaiming that the Japanese devils are no good, can we?
If anyone is to blame, it's Mrs. Chen for being too outspoken and not knowing how to feign compliance, thus expressing the true feelings that everyone wanted to say but dared not.

Everyone cheered for her in their hearts, but it was no use. The Chen family was still expelled from the Nantie Hotel, looking as pathetic as stray dogs.

We went up the stairs to the hotel lobby.

As I passed by the banquet hall, by sheer coincidence, I ran into Ms. Huang as she slowly walked out.

"Oh, Mrs. Chen!"

Miss Huang let out a surprised cry, her whole body instantly perking up. She rushed over in a few steps, smiling before even speaking, and said, "Are you leaving already? Don't be in such a hurry. The situation in the city is still unclear. What's wrong with staying a few more days? I still have so much to tell you!"

After regaining her composure, Mrs. Chen understood everything upon hearing this. She immediately pointed at Miss Huang's nose and cursed, "You filthy bitch, you've messed with me!"

Having said that, he pounced on her, ready to scratch and lash out.

But Miss Huang was young and slender, and reacted quickly. She immediately took two steps back and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, everyone come and see! What's wrong with Mrs. Chen? She's gone mad!"

"You bitch, shut your mouth! I'm going to kill you today!"

"My God, I just came over to say hello, and you want to kill me? This is outrageous!"

Miss Huang was sharp-tongued, but her body was already shaking with laughter, like a monkey being teased, wantonly provoking Mrs. Chen's anger.

Mrs. Chen was determined to fight her, but the hotel security personnel were not just for show. Seeing this, they rushed forward to stop her, and the scene immediately became chaotic again.

Everyone saw this and couldn't help but purse their lips in silence.

The impotent rage of bystanders is always a great source of amusement, and the air suddenly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Finally, Mr. Chen grabbed Mrs. Chen and scolded her in a low voice, "Alright, what's all this fuss about? Aren't you embarrassed enough already?"

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Chen felt wronged and immediately burst into tears, saying, "So, when I'm bullied outside, you don't stand up for me, and you even think I'm a disgrace!?"

"How do you want me to speak up for you?"

"We've already paid three times the rent! Why are you kicking us out? There has to be some reason in everything!"

"This isn't a place for reasoning!" Mr. Chen frowned, pulling his wife towards the door as he spoke, "You can't fight city hall. Who told you to mess with her?"

Mrs. Chen desperately needed someone to speak up for her. Seeing her husband's stance, she felt hopeless and heartbroken. She immediately shouted, "Mr. Chen, are you... are you even a man?"

The crowd burst into laughter.

Mr. Chen's face flushed red instantly, and he couldn't help but mutter curses, "You spendthrift woman, if you don't leave, I will!"

After saying that, he forcibly dragged his two children away from the Nantie Hotel.

Mrs. Chen was caught between a rock and a hard place, feeling utterly humiliated that she had lost all face that day.

Ms. Huang walked to the counter, crossed her arms, and said with a smile, "Sister Chen, hurry up and chase after him, lest your man divorces you when he gets home."

These days, apart from exceptionally talented women, the vast majority of women have to rely on men to make a living.

Left with no other choice, Mrs. Chen had to admit defeat, abandoning the last shred of her dignity, and hurriedly ran out of the hotel to chase after her husband.

Miss Huang became increasingly smug, then took out a silver cigarette case from her handbag, lit a cigarette, and thoroughly enjoyed watching Mrs. Chen's defeated expression.

Suddenly, someone walked up behind me; it was Mrs. Gao, who was in the trading business.

She moved closer to Miss Huang and said in a serious tone, "Girl, to tell you the truth, I've disliked her for a long time. Luckily you're here today, so you can help us vent our anger."

Miss Huang was indeed vain and petty, but she wasn't stupid. She could see that Mrs. Gao was an opportunistic and sycophantic woman, so she only glanced at her briefly and said coldly, "Hmph, this is what happens when someone offends me!"

Mrs. Gao nodded quickly and said, "Yes, yes, it's all because of the spoiled children. She should learn her lesson this time."

There's no way around it; Miss Huang is currently riding high, and when it's time to flatter her, one has to say a few words—climbing the social ladder is simply a businessman's nature.

Moreover, thinking about it carefully, it's quite frightening.

The Chen family in Fengtian, although not among the top-tier wealthy families, were still prominent figures. And what happened?

Just because a stray chicken got involved with a Japanese military officer, a single phone call was enough to get the Chen family kicked out of the South Railway Hotel.

The allure of such power is arguably deadly for ordinary people.

Just then, a Japanese man dressed in a suit and tie walked into the banquet hall with a smile, rubbing his hands together. Suddenly, he raised his arms and said in broken Chinese, "Ladies and gentlemen, please be patient!"

Everyone stopped talking and looked in his direction.

The Japanese man in front of me is the lobby manager of the Nantetsu Hotel.

He smiled and said, “Friends, please don’t worry. With the current chaos in Fengtian, we are honored to have the opportunity to host you. Staying here will also give you the protection of the Great Eastern Empire. However, I need to make one point clear: the Nantie Hotel only welcomes friends of the Empire, not enemies of the Empire.”

Everyone remained silent.

Before they knew it, the guests at the scene had gradually split into two factions.

Some people nodded repeatedly, their eyes filled with gratitude.

The others remained silent, exchanging glances with their close friends, their expressions slightly complicated.

The lobby manager, as if he had prepared his speech in advance, continued: "The prosperity of Fengtian is the common prosperity of our two countries, and we will never allow anyone to undermine this hard-won stability. Therefore, we are preparing to host a reception tonight, and we hope everyone will participate actively to celebrate the enduring friendship between our two countries!"

After he finished speaking, applause rang out sparsely.

Mrs. Chen's fate was looming, and everyone applauded, some gleefully, others reluctantly. The applause lasted for a while.

Wang Zhengnan and the others were also following suit at the entrance of the banquet hall when they suddenly felt someone pat them on the shoulder from behind.

"Hello--"

The hotel staff called him over and asked, "Are you Mr. Wang Zhengnan?"

Wang Zhengnan was taken aback, then nodded and said, "Yes, that's me. What's wrong?"

"Here is your phone number."

The hotel staff led Nanfeng to the counter area.

Wang Zhengnan was a little surprised. He picked up the receiver and asked, slightly confused, "Hello, this is Mr. Wang. May I ask who you are... Oh, Mr. Takeda, hello, hello..."

He subconsciously lowered his voice, walked around the counter, and listened very carefully, occasionally responding, "Okay, okay, please go on... Is that so? Then it seems nothing serious should happen in Fengtian... After all this time, it was just a misunderstanding... That's right, that's right, if Old Zhang sneezes, we all catch a cold... Oh, thank you for remembering me... That's good, that's good, there's a cocktail party tonight, are you planning to come too..."

Wang Zhengnan's eyes gradually brightened.

The Japanese have decided to fully support Marshal Zhang in his fight against Guo Degang.

That means the current war probably won't last much longer, and we need to find a way to sell the various supplies we've stockpiled as soon as possible.

While Wang Zhengnan was on the phone, Zhuang Shuning also started to take action.

She walked to Huang Xiaoting's side and called softly, "Miss Huang?"

Huang Xiaoting turned around in response, looked Zhuang Shuning up and down, paused for a moment before recognizing her, and said with a light smile, "Oh, it's the third concubine of the Jiang family!"

"No, just call me Shuning!" Zhuang Shuning asked, feigning curiosity, "What were you doing with Mrs. Chen just now...?"

"Ugh, don't even mention it. That old hag was trying to bully me. I'll teach her a lesson she won't forget!"

"You too, she's getting old and loves to gossip behind people's backs. Why bother arguing with her? If she had actually scratched you just now, you would have been the one who suffered."

"She dares!"

“When a person goes crazy, they are capable of anything, so you have to be careful.”

Zhuang Shuning said a few nice words insincerely, then asked, "By the way, are you planning to attend the banquet tonight?"

"Of course!" Huang Xiaoting still crossed her arms.

Zhuang Shuning then suggested, "Hey, look how rushed I am this time. I don't even have a decent outfit for the banquet. How about we go out for a stroll? I'm always out of touch with fashion these days. Can you give me some advice? I'll treat you to a meal while I'm at it."

The allure of department stores for women is indescribable; they offer something new every time, and one can never get enough of them.

Huang Xiaoting hesitated slightly.

But her hesitation wasn't about whether to go shopping; rather, she was silently weighing in her mind whether the third concubine of the Jiang family was worth associating with.

At this time, she was unaware that the Jiang family had suffered a severe blow the previous night.

Miss Huang had already put in a lot of effort to join the circle of upper-class wives. When Zhuang Shuning took the initiative to invite her, even though it was just a concubine, it wouldn't be a waste of her time. After thinking about it, she agreed.

"That's fine, wait for me to go upstairs and change my clothes."

Not long after, the two left the Nantetsu Hotel together, crossed a small alley, and went along Chiyoda-dori Street, visiting several foreign shops one by one.

Fearing that he might alert the enemy, Zhuang Shuning didn't dare to directly mention the Independent Garrison's autumn training this year. Instead, he would occasionally say a few words about Mrs. Chen, advising Huang Xiaoting not to take their words to heart. He also followed Miss Huang's lead and denounced Mrs. Chen and the others for being jealous and unable to bear seeing others do well.

So-called close female friends are mostly formed gradually in the process of criticizing others together.

Helping your friends regardless of right or wrong is the primary principle among best friends, and it should never be trampled on.

When Miss Huang saw that Zhuang Shuning was speaking up for her at every turn, she gradually lowered her arms and said, "I know they all look down on me!"

"Don't say that, they're just jealous!" Zhuang Shuning said against her will. "I've seen plenty of people like that, you have to calm down!"

"Don't try to comfort me with those cheap words. I know what they're thinking, but I don't care. I just love seeing them dislike me but can't bring me down!"

"Girl, you have such a great attitude. I need to learn a lot from you."

"Originally, they were all rich young ladies who had been pampered since childhood. Although my family was not bad, it was incomparable to theirs. They were born superior, so of course they could talk without thinking. If I had their conditions, I wouldn't have to work so hard."

"Sigh, I can see that. You've had it tough too."

"Sister, this is so hard for me!" Huang Xiaoting suddenly sighed. "My family used to be in business, but they didn't manage it well and ended up with a lot of debt. So my family wants me to get married as soon as possible, to marry someone... how should I describe it?"

"The landlord's foolish son?" Zhuang Shuning asked.

"Yes, that's the kind of person he is! Why should I pay off my family's debts? Rather than marrying an idiot, I'd rather sell myself... I'd rather socialize. Who knows, maybe I'll bump into a rich young master, then I'll finally make it! Times have changed, people now value free love!"

"Girl, your hardships have finally come to an end. You've chosen the right person. That Japanese officer has treated you well, hasn't he?"

Zhuang Shuning outwardly flattered Huang Xiaoting, but inwardly he was also skeptical of her claims.

After all, the backgrounds of free-roaming chickens are pretty much the same, making it hard to believe.

Upon hearing this, Huang Xiaoting immediately said smugly, "Mr. Kawada is very good to me. My family didn't agree at first, but guess what's happening now? Because of my connection, my family's business is getting better and better. My eldest uncle and third uncle work as night watchmen for the Japanese, and my second aunt and fourth aunt work as nannies for the Japanese. The whole family depends on me for their livelihood. Now when I go home, they treat me like a goddess and don't dare to utter a sound. They even tell me that I must serve Mr. Kawada well. Look, this is the necklace he gave me the other day!"

Zhuang Shuning looked at it carefully, then praised it earnestly, saying exactly what Miss Huang wanted to hear.

Huang Xiaoting was quite pleased to hear this, and without hiding her background, she briefly recounted how Mr. Kawada had made extra money, just like the night before.

Zhuang Shuning pretended not to be interested, but boasted, "Girl, it seems you've got him wrapped around your little finger. He even tells you things like this?"

Huang Xiaoting waved her hand, but said, "He didn't intend to tell me at first. I overheard it and forced him to buy it for me."

"You can still understand Japanese?"

Zhuang Shuning was surprised. Since Miss Huang could understand Japanese, she must know more information.

Huang Xiaoting replied, "Of course, what's with all the fuss... You talk to whoever you're dating. I know a lot of Japanese, and he taught me all of that!"

"Could you say a few words?"

"Yamete, this country is so powerful, one ku after another, it's beyond compare..."

Zhuang Shuning didn't understand, so Huang Xiaoting explained it to her with a smile, which made her blush.

In this world, it's not easy for anyone in any industry!

It seems Miss Huang has put in a lot of hard work...

(End of this chapter)