Because Zhou Huaijing had made arrangements, the people who met with her were quite cordial. At first, she thought Hu Lin needed help, but it turned out Hu Lin just happened to be in the area and wanted to share a meal to get acquainted. Because of this courtesy, Hu Lin made a positive first impression on him—a far cry from the resentful experiences he’d had in the past, where people were recommended to him only to be used as tools. After returning, he wrote a letter to Zhou Huaijing, speaking highly of Hu Lin.
After that meal, she realized that this person worked in a state-run foreign trade department and had connections in other areas as well. It was exactly as Zhou Huaijing had said: once she reached each location and found the right person, they would help her. The level of these contacts, however, was still beyond what she needed at the moment. She went on to visit Qinhuai, Jiangcheng, Yangcheng, Pengcheng, and other places, meeting everyone Zhou Huaijing had introduced. Afterwards, she traveled through the Central-South, Southwest, and Northwest regions, finishing in North China before circling back to the Northeast.
The entire trip took nearly five months. Since it was her first time driving the route, she spent quite a bit of time familiarizing herself with the roads, meeting contacts, and surveying the markets. On this trip, her gross profit was over five thousand; after expenses, she netted more than three thousand.
Chapter 195