Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 250 Planning is up to people

She paused, then spoke calmly, "Don't beat around the bush with me. Just give me a straight answer. How much 'sincerity' do you need to get past your boss?"

Or... how should I convey this "sincerity"? Should I deliver it directly to him, or... could I also ask you to help "pass it on" or "deliver the message"?

These words have torn away all pretense of policy consultation, laying bare the unspoken rules that were kept hidden beneath the surface.

After saying that, without waiting for his reaction, she placed her backpack on the center of Director Wang's large desk with a "thud," pressing it down on the application form.

"Director Wang, to be honest, my family has tried every possible means to get this opportunity. This little bit of stuff..." She grabbed the bottom of the backpack with both hands, lifted it up sharply, and flipped it over!

With a clatter, the contents of the backpack were dumped onto the shiny tabletop, making a dull and chaotic sound.

The first thing to roll out was four intact packs of cigarettes, the same brand as the previous two, with brand-new packaging.

Next came dozens of palm-sized, transparent, sealed bags that tumbled open—upon closer inspection, they contained two cigarettes tied side by side, and some contained small, individually wrapped pieces of chocolate.

Finally, eight dry, rough-looking biscuits rolled out, packed in simple plastic bags, standing out conspicuously among the cigarette and chocolate bags.

These things piled together are very impactful.

The moment Wang Jianguo saw the pile of things spill out, his pupils contracted slightly, and his hands, which had been resting steadily on his abdomen, suddenly clenched, his knuckles turning white.

The calm mask on his face finally cracked, his breathing suddenly stopped, and then became noticeably disordered and heavy.

His gaze was fixed on the pile of odds and ends on the table, sweeping from the four packs of cigarettes to the densely packed white bags, his eyes darting around in shock.

Perhaps there was also a very faint tremor, one that even he himself was unwilling to acknowledge.

The office fell into a deathly silence, with the pile of "belongings" lying quietly on the desk that symbolized power and order.

Wang Jianguo opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

For the first time, in this room that seemed to control everything, he felt a sense of unease that bordered on being out of control.

His previous rhetoric about authority, procedures, and superiors suddenly seemed incredibly pale and weak in the face of this pile of things.

After a long silence, Wang Jianguo finally took a deep breath.

He didn't look at Xu Xiaoyan, but instead reached out and pushed the eight pancakes in the plastic bag back to the edge of the table in front of Xu Xiaoyan.

Then, he opened the drawer on his right, took out a black leather briefcase, placed it on the table, and unfastened the clasp.

First, he neatly arranged the six intact packs of cigarettes into the inner pocket of his briefcase.

Then, he reached out and began to count the small white bags containing cigarettes, then put them, along with the thirty-eight bags of chocolates, into the spacious main compartment of his briefcase.

After doing all this, he closed his briefcase, the clasp making a crisp "click" sound that was particularly clear in the silence.

He then raised his eyes and looked at Xu Xiaoyan, who had been standing still. His face regained its previous businesslike calm.

"I'll accept the things for now, but I have to make this clear beforehand. I can only say that I'll try my best to communicate with my superiors and let them know that you've applied for expedited processing."

As for whether it will work out, whether the approval will be issued, and when it will be issued, I really can't guarantee it, and it's hard to say. They have their own considerations and rules over there."

He picked up the black briefcase and stood up.

"You wait here for news, I'm going out for a bit." He didn't say where he was going or who he was going to see, but the meaning was clear.

He walked to the door, opened it, and disappeared outside.

Xu Xiaoyan was the only one left in the office, along with the eight dried biscuits that had been returned.

She tossed the eight dry biscuits back into her backpack and then sat down in the chair next to where Li Xiaoli had been sitting.

Time passed by, second by second, and no one knew how much time had gone by.

Li Xiaoli returned and saw that only Xu Xiaoyan was sitting there, her face showing no surprise or questioning expression, as calm as if she had just left to go to the restroom.

Without a word, she walked back to her seat, sat down, put the folder away, faced the computer screen again, clicked the mouse, and immediately immersed herself in creating spreadsheets, the steady click of the keyboard ringing out once more.

Xu Xiaoyan stared at her focused profile for a while, then, as if just remembering something, reached into her coat pocket and pulled out two lollipops wrapped in colored cellophane.

She gently placed a lollipop next to the keyboard beside her, a smile spreading across her face.

She changed her address to "Sister Li" and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry to bother you. I'm just sitting here waiting. I wanted to ask you something, just out of curiosity."

She paused, observing Li Xiaoli's reaction. Li Xiaoli continued typing, but seemed to glance at the lollipop out of the corner of her eye.

"It's this food truck. Just in case... I mean, just in case the application gets approved," Xu Xiaoyan said casually, as if chatting.

"Is its activity limited to these designated areas in our C zone, or... can it also go to the neighboring B zone?"

"I heard that the cost of living is a bit higher in Area B," she asked cautiously, packaging her inquiry as a naive vision of future business.

Li Xiaoli's fingers completed the last few keystrokes on the keyboard before finally stopping.

She reached out, flicked the lollipop closer with her fingertips, looked at it, and then naturally picked it up and put it into her handbag hanging on the back of her chair. Her movements were fluid, without any hesitation or reluctance.

After finishing this, she turned her face away and said, "According to regulations, if the application is approved, the scope of the operating license is strictly limited to the few convenient service points designated in Zone C, and cannot be outside the zone."

She noticed the subtle change in Xu Xiaoyan's eyes, but then smoothly shifted the subject, as if simply adding a well-known fact.

"However, in theory, if the business performs well in the later stages, meets the higher-level evaluation standards, and is willing to pay the corresponding 'Regional Expansion Management Points' to apply for an upgrade."

It is possible to extend the scope of permission to the BC area's interconnected general locations, but this falls under the management scope after operation.

She leaned back slightly and asked, "How exactly do I apply for this upgrade? What are the terms and conditions? What are the specific requirements for redeeming points? Which management department do I need to contact? What procedures do I need to follow?"

She rattled off these key questions in a row, then shook her head. "These are not under the jurisdiction of our approval department. We are only responsible for the initial qualification review and the issuance of the initial business license."

"The approval department and the management department are two completely independent systems. Their business does not overlap, and their personnel do not move around. They basically have no work contact on a regular basis," she said very clearly.

To put it bluntly, all I can tell you is that there is only one theoretical, potential path: "spending points to upgrade to Zone B".

This lollipop, in exchange for a small, but not excessive, expansion of information.

But where this road starts, what its condition is, and how much "toll" needs to be paid are matters for another temple and another set of rules, and have nothing to do with me.

Xu Xiaoyan understood. The smile on her face did not disappear; on the contrary, it seemed more genuine because she had obtained this limited but crucial information.

She nodded, her tone sincere, "So that's how it is. There's such a thing as an upgrade. Thank you for telling me this, Sister Li. I... have a general idea now."

About ten minutes later, footsteps finally sounded outside the door, growing louder as they approached. The door was pushed open, and Wang Jianguo walked in.

He was still carrying that black briefcase, but Xu Xiaoyan could tell at a glance that the bag had obviously deflated and no longer had the bulging shape it had when it was filled with cigarettes and chocolates.

Wang Jianguo's face showed little expression as he walked back to his seat.

Instead of sitting down immediately, he first pulled out a folded piece of paper with a red heading from a hidden compartment inside his briefcase.

He turned around and handed the paper to Xu Xiaoyan.

"Ms. Xu," his voice was calm and unwavering, "the matter is settled, here is the approval document."

Those eight simple words sounded like heavenly music to Xu Xiaoyan's ears.

She almost immediately sprang up from her chair, respectfully extending both hands to accept the thin piece of paper.

The paper is crisp and sturdy, with the words "City C Urban Convenience Service Management Office" printed at the top.

Below is a line of printed approval number and the handwritten words "Approval for Issuance of Operating Permit for Special Convenience Catering Service Vehicles," with a bright red official seal at the end, the ink seemingly not yet completely dry.

She clutched the approval slip tightly, looking at the crucial words and seal twice, as if afraid it was an illusion.

But then she remembered what Li Xiaoli had just said about the "management department," remembered the layers upon layers of "government offices," and remembered the old saying, "It's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings."

I've got the approval slip, but how do I collect it?

Could some unexpected trouble arise in the last stage?

The joyful smile on her face hadn't faded, but the light in her eyes had already subsided.

She quickly turned around, picked up her deflated backpack, and rummaged around in an inconspicuous little pocket on the side.

Then he took out four small transparent bags, each containing two cigarettes.

She paused for a moment, clutching the four small bags of tobacco.

His gaze quickly swept back and forth between Wang Jianguo's calm face and Li Xiaoli's profile as she faced the computer, his mind racing with calculations and weighing options.

Then, she took two steps forward and respectfully placed three of the bags on the edge of Director Wang's freshly cleaned desk, near his elbow.

Then, she walked to Li Li's table and gently placed the remaining bag next to Li Xiaoli's keyboard.