Holiday Inn, the most upscale establishment in Donghai City, has 32 floors and is the best choice for business people to stay, dine, and hold meetings. However, the Holiday Inn was undergoing renovations on its exterior before the Spring Festival, so the scene looked a bit dirty and messy. But this did not affect the luxury inside, and all business was operating as usual.
Across from the Holiday Inn was a high-rise office building, more than 100 meters apart. On the ground floor of that building was an internet cafe, which was said to be beautifully decorated and staffed with women who had undergone plastic surgery in South Korea. Zhao Qiang didn't have a chance to go inside, but he did see several young people braving the cold to set off fireworks on the street in front of the internet cafe. The Christmas Eve atmosphere was quite strong. Nowadays, people have money and time, so they have to celebrate any holiday they can get their hands on.
Zhao Qiang took the elevator directly to the eighteenth floor, where there was the largest banquet hall in Donghai City. When Zhao Qiang walked in, it was noisy inside, with about two hundred people standing around in various parts of the banquet hall. For a moment, it was difficult for Zhao Qiang to find Xu Xiaoya. He could only take out his phone to call Xu Xiaoya. Soon, Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei came out to greet him.
When Zhao Qiang first saw Xu Xiaoya, he almost froze on the spot. He was completely unprepared. Xu Xiaoya's attire shocked him. She wore a purple evening dress without shoulder straps, with only two strips of fabric extending from the front of her chest and wrapping around her neck. These two strips of fabric were wider at the front of her chest, barely covering her vital parts. As she walked, her full breasts were faintly visible through the deep V-neck, and half of her back was exposed. Fortunately, she had a fluffy shawl draped over her shoulders, otherwise, she would have been completely exposed.
Compared to Xu Xiaoya, Luo Xiaowei was more conservative, wearing only a simple black cotton dress. Although the neckline was quite low, Luo Xiaowei was petite, so it didn't have a strong visual impact. However, Luo Xiaowei's dress only reached 15 centimeters above her knees, exposing almost all of her long, fair legs, which still looked very charming.
"Hey, why are you so late? The backstage staff are getting really worried." Xu Xiaoya called out as soon as she saw Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang didn't reply for a while. Xu Xiaoya followed his gaze and naturally understood that he was attracted by her outfit. For a moment, Xu Xiaoya was a little proud. "How about it? Isn't this outfit we bought beautiful?"
Zhao Qiang wiped his drool and said somewhat displeasedly, "If I were your father, I would scold you to death if I saw you dressed like this!"
Xu Xiaoya glared at her: "You old-fashioned, old-fashioned, and blockhead! Haven't you seen how celebrities dress on the red carpet? They're dressed much sexier than us. We always wear those school uniforms at school. Finally, we have a chance to show off our feminine charm. Don't discourage us, okay? We were planning to give you a surprise when we got home tonight."
Since they weren't his wife or girlfriend, Zhao Qiang couldn't say much. However, seeing the men around him glancing at the two girls made him uncomfortable, so he hurriedly said, "Take me to see the equipment."
Xu Xiaoya led the way, with Luo Xiaowei following behind. She seemed a little uneasy, probably because she didn't often wear such sexy clothes, especially since there were mostly men present. However, as Zhao Qiang walked, he observed the female guests in the banquet hall. To be honest, they were all dressed to the nines, and there were many who were even sexier and more revealing than Xu Xiaoya. But there was only one woman as beautiful and alluring as her. Compared to Xu Xiaoya, Luo Xiaowei lacked the strong visual impact and temptation.
Zhao Qiang's discomfort was probably mainly due to his unfamiliarity with such things.
There were quite a few people behind the scenes, and Zhao Qiang even ran into an old acquaintance, Zhang Chunjiang. Calling him an old acquaintance was inappropriate; he should be called an enemy! Xu Xiaoya probably didn't know Zhang Chunjiang was here. She was stunned when she first saw him, her eyes filled with flames of anger. Unfortunately, Zhang Chunjiang was completely oblivious; his gaze towards Xu Xiaoya was full of lust.
"I think you'd better find a spare set. I refuse to believe that such a big hotel doesn't have a spare sound system. If I, Zhang Chunjiang, say I can't fix it, then I definitely can't fix it." Zhang Chunjiang was as confident as ever, but in Zhao Qiang's eyes, his confidence was just arrogance and deserved a beating. Last time, Zhao Qiang punched Zhang Chunjiang and knocked out several of his teeth, so he still had a slight lisp. He saw that Zhao Qiang's ability to refrain from hitting him showed he was quite shrewd.
Xu Xiaoya snorted and said, "Who do you think you are, Zhang Chunjiang? You think you can just say it can't be fixed? Who do you think you are! Get lost." Xu Xiaoya was still the same hot-tempered Xu Xiaoya, and even when she wore a sexy dress, she found it hard to be gentle.
Zhang Chunjiang was both ashamed and angry, but he was alone and knew that he might not be a match for Zhao Qiang in a fight. Besides, the other men present probably wouldn't watch him lay a hand on Xu Xiaoya. There would be too many people trying to save the beauty in the end, so a good man doesn't fight with a woman, lest he lose a few more teeth in the process.
Zhang Chunjiang snorted: "Fine, I'd like to see how you embarrass yourselves. Instead of wasting time, you might as well accept my suggestion sooner rather than later!"
One of the staff members also wavered, saying, "The hotel really doesn't have a spare machine. Why don't we go out and borrow or buy one right away? If we delay any longer, the guests outside will complain even more."
Zhao Qiang replied, "Five minutes. If you can't fix it, then you can think of another way."
Volume 2 [098] Repairing Audio Equipment
After saying that, Zhao Qiang picked up the needle-nose pliers on the ground and started working. While Zhang Chunjiang was speaking, he had already adjusted his X-ray glasses to scan the circuit of the workbench and found several breaks. Regardless of whether the cause was there, Zhao Qiang decided to reconnect the wires first and then further investigate the fault.
Because of the support of the two beautiful women, the staff didn't say much and could only wait until Zhao Qiang couldn't handle it before thinking of other solutions. However, when they saw Zhao Qiang skillfully and accurately find the line break, they all felt hopeful.
Zhao Qiang reconnected the three hidden breaks in less than two minutes. A staff member said in surprise, "That's amazing! How did you see that these wires were broken inside? They were covered with plastic, so you couldn't even tell."
Xu Xiaoya boasted, "I told you that Engineer Zhao can fix anything, and he's always right, but you didn't believe me. You insisted on finding someone who doesn't know anything to meddle. Now you're convinced."
A foreman said, "Please ask this Engineer Zhao to leave his phone number later. We can call him again if there are any problems in the future. Don't worry about the repair costs. Holiday Inn is never stingy with these expenses. The key is not to delay things."
After plugging in all the power and turning on all the machine switches, inserting the background music CD, and pressing the Play button, the numbers started to jump forward. However, there was still no sound outside. A staff member went out to listen and came back looking dejected, saying, "Still no sound. I think we should go out and borrow or buy a set as soon as possible, instead of wasting any more time."
Zhang Chunjiang finally found a reason: "I warned you before not to waste your time. You didn't listen to good advice, and now you're suffering the consequences!"
Zhao Qiang first turned on the microphone on the control panel and tried it out. "Hello, hello," echoes came from outside. The staff member was surprised: "Oh, the microphone is working. It wasn't working at all just now! This at least means that the line is working."
Zhang Chunjiang's expression changed slightly. He hadn't even been able to fix the microphone function before, but Zhao Qiang had managed to do it. At this point, even if Zhao Qiang used this excuse as an achievement, he could save face and get out of the way.
Zhang Chunjiang thought indignantly: Zhao Qiang was originally his apprentice, but he knows more than he does!
Zhang Chunjiang was unwilling and angry. What made him even angrier was that Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei kept following Zhao Qiang. One had a beautiful chest and the other had beautiful legs. They were far superior to the female guests that night. Zhang Chunjiang's heart was pounding with envy. If he could be among these two beauties, he would be willing to die at their feet.
Zhao Qiang put down the microphone. Now that he could confirm that the amplifier system and speakers were not the problem, the issue must be with the player's output. Either the DVD player's output was broken, or the amplifier's input line was faulty. Zhao Qiang began to examine the connection cable between the DVD player and the amplifier. Upon inspection, he realized that it was still using optical fiber, not a regular RCA cable.
Optical fiber is a fiber made of glass or plastic, with an outer plastic sheath. In audio equipment, it is responsible for transmitting digital audio signals. Amplifiers that use this transmission method are required to have an independent decoder. Zhao Qiang looked down to check the amplifier. Judging from its markings, it should have this function. Moreover, the fact that it worked normally before further proved that the decoding was not a problem.
The optical fiber was wrapped in a layer of plastic. Zhao Qiang looked through the optical fiber output port of the disc player and found a break near the optical fiber input port of the power amplifier. Someone may have pulled on the optical fiber, breaking the internal glass fiber strands. Normally, as long as there is no obstruction in the middle of the break, the optical signal can still be transmitted normally. It is possible that because the optical fiber was too short, someone had pulled it hard, causing it to bend 180 degrees near the power amplifier input port. The optical signal does not bend automatically in the air, so the signal was interrupted at this point.
"Get a new fiber optic cable. This one is broken. Be careful when moving the equipment in the future. Fiber optic cables are quite fragile inside, and they can be damaged if bent too hard." Zhao Qiang unplugged the fiber optic cable from the disc player and amplifier.
One of the staff members glanced at Zhang Chunjiang and said, "He must have broken it when he was moving the machine. I clearly saw that the wire wasn't broken at first. Honestly, if you can't fix it, just stay away. You're just causing us trouble."
Zhang Chunjiang blushed. He had indeed moved the player and amplifier earlier for easier inspection and had felt that one of the wires was not long enough. However, in his haste, Zhang Chunjiang simply pulled hard without considering the consequences.
The foreman said, "We don't have a spare fiber optic cable, and we don't even know if the audio equipment stores are open at this hour. Besides, going out to buy one would take too long. Is there no other way?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Of course there is. Just take a few ordinary RCA audio/video cables and connect them to the analog signal output. However, the sound quality will be slightly lower if you use a disc player to decode it, but it won't affect the use. Hehe, besides, your music disc doesn't have any special requirements for audio equipment, and the analog signal is sufficient for your needs."
The foreman said, "That's fine then. We'll make do for tonight and buy the fiber optic cable tomorrow. Go find the cable now."
One of the staff members immediately searched and said, "We have plenty of these kinds of cables; we can provide as many as you need."
Since the source material was a two-channel CD, Zhao Qiang only connected the analog outputs of the left and right main speakers of the CD player. However, there was still no response after plugging in the cables. An employee said anxiously, "It's not working. It doesn't seem to be the reason."
Zhang Chunjiang's confidence returned, and he snorted, "They really know their stuff! They think they're so knowledgeable."
Zhao Qiang ignored Zhang Chunjiang and asked with a smile, "Where is the input selection on the power amplifier?"
A staff member looked down and checked, "It should be on digital audio source 1. It's always been on this and hasn't been changed."
Zhao Qiang bent down to find the input source selection option, then changed it to DVD input. This was the audio source input port on the back panel of the amplifier that he had connected. After confirming the selection, everyone was disappointed again. The DVD player was working, but there was no response even when the amplifier volume was increased. Even Xu Xiaoya was a little unsure and quietly approached Zhao Qiang to ask, "Can it be fixed or not? We still can't figure out what's wrong?"
Fortunately, Zhang Chunjiang didn't rush to conclusions this time, fearing that Zhao Qiang would embarrass him again. However, even without saying a word, the smug look on his face was unmistakable.
Zhao Qiang glanced at Xu Xiaoya's snow-white breasts. When Xu Xiaoya asked him a question, she leaned forward, which allowed Zhao Qiang to see almost half of her breasts. He touched his nose and whispered a reminder: "Stand up straight, be careful not to let others see."
After being reminded by Zhao Qiang, Xu Xiaoya hurriedly covered her chest with her hands, but chuckled and said, "It's okay that you saw it. Who told you to be the boss? Just don't let other men take advantage of you. What's the reason? I've never seen you make such a fuss when repairing machines before."
Zhao Qiang said unhurriedly, "If you ask what the reason is, I think it's just showing off. If he doesn't show off, things will get out of hand."
Xu Xiaoya glared at Zhao Qiang: "Are you making veiled accusations? Don't you also like looking at my clothes? Don't think no one knew you were peeking at me just now!"
Zhao Qiang was taken aback by someone's words and remained silent, but Xu Xiaoya softened. "Alright, don't wear it like this again, okay? Hurry up and fix it."
Earlier, Zhao Qiang noticed that the men around him were staring at Xu Xiaoya's chest and Luo Xiaowei's legs, which made him feel strange. They were his employees, and it was more appropriate for the boss to look at them. So, he couldn't help but make a joke about Xu Xiaoya. Unexpectedly, Xu Xiaoya actually admitted her mistake.
Seeing Zhao Qiang and Xu Xiaoya whispering to each other, Zhang Chunjiang felt a surge of jealousy and finally couldn't help but say, "Can't fix it, huh? I knew it. All that pretense, thinking you're something special just because you know a little about audio equipment? You're still too green!"
Xu Xiaoya was very anxious, "Zhao Qiang, are you even capable? Don't embarrass me and Xiaowei, okay?"
Zhao Qiang smiled calmly: "Didn't I say it couldn't be fixed? Bring the DVD remote control."
A staff member hurriedly found and presented it. Zhao Qiang's confidence gave them a glimmer of hope. Zhao Qiang turned on the 14-inch TV on the control panel and then connected the DVD video signal. Zhang Chunjiang saw his actions and scoffed: "Let me remind you, this is a CD. What good will it do you to connect a video?"
As Zhao Qiang opened the DVD settings, he said, "It's not a good idea. Just change the audio output to analog signal."
Volume 2 [099] A Glimpse of the World
As Zhao Qiang pressed the confirmation button, music filled the long-silent banquet hall. To the average person, there was little difference between optical fiber and analog signals, but if you listened carefully, you could tell that the clarity of the sound was different. However, this slight distortion did not affect the use of the background music at all.
The foreman gave Zhao Qiang a thumbs up: "Amazing! You're a real expert, much more knowledgeable than us."
A middle-aged man who had been standing silently to the side said, "Not bad, young man, your skills are superb."
Xu Xiaoya introduced Zhao Qiang: "This is Director Wang from the municipal government, who is in charge of this New Year's business reception."
Zhao Qiang nodded and greeted Director Wang. Director Wang then said to Xu Xiaoya, "President Xu, you and President Luo not only stole the Best Newcomer award at this party and earned the admiring glances of all the men, but the talent under your company is also admirable. I think you can definitely make a name for yourselves in the municipal government's office supplies procurement next year!"
Xu Xiaoya smiled very ladylike: "Thank you for your kind words, Director Wang." In fact, Xu Xiaoya is very tactful in business situations.
Director Wang gestured to Zhao Qiang, saying, "Engineer Zhao, would you do me the honor of joining us for the reception?"
Zhao Qiang hesitated. He was wearing his work uniform, and besides, he had never been to such an occasion before, so it was probably best not to go. But Xu Xiaoya rushed to accept for Zhao Qiang, "Zhao Qiang, thank you, Director Wang."
Zhang Chunjiang had disappeared without anyone noticing. His sarcastic remarks only emboldened Zhao Qiang, who became even more arrogant. It seemed Zhao Qiang truly was his nemesis; even when Zhao Qiang tried to smash up the shop, Qian Gang suffered a major loss. This not only offended many officials he knew in the entertainment industry but also earned him the title of "corruption nemesis." Almost every official who had been his friend was found to have corruption issues. In reality, this was entirely Shan Hongfei's doing, targeting Qian Gang. These days, which official isn't greedy and corrupt? They might not investigate you, but once they do, they're sure to find fault! Therefore, Qian Gang is now practically isolated; no one dares to get too close to him for fear of falling victim to Shan Hongfei's schemes.
Upon entering the banquet hall, Zhao Qiang first looked around to see which corner was the quietest. However, even in the seemingly deserted corner, there were always small groups of people chatting, presumably about business matters. It seemed that this business reception was indeed very effective.
Finally, Zhao Qiang found an empty table, which was piled high with fruit and snacks. He sat down and, seeing that no one was paying attention, started eating the fruit. No one had mentioned payment for fixing the sound system. Damn it, did they think that inviting him to this party would make up for the repair fee? What a loss! He might as well eat more and earn more.
Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei naturally didn't have time to accompany Zhao Qiang, and Zhao Qiang didn't want them to follow him around either, because that would make him the most eye-catching focus tonight, the focus of resentment from all the men present.
After dealing with another wave of men asking for her business card, Luo Xiaowei said wearily to Xu Xiaoya, "Senior sister, aren't our clothes a bit too much? We're still students, it's not appropriate to dress like this."
Xu Xiaoya said with dissatisfaction, "Junior Sister Luo, look at you, is it because Zhao Qiang is unhappy that you said that?"
Luo Xiaowei chuckled: "No, that's not it. Although he's our boss, we're not his girlfriends. He can't control our work and our clothes."
Xu Xiaoya said, "That's fine then. But if you're interested in the boss, junior sister, I can help you two get together."
Luo Xiaowei blushed: "Senior sister, I think you're the one who's interested in him. You've been in the same class for over three years, you're childhood sweethearts. It's just that you used to be his boss, and now he's your boss."
Xu Xiaoya pouted: "He can't lead me. Didn't we agree beforehand that he wouldn't have to worry about the business? By the way, you have to help me tonight. Let's team up and get him drunk!"
Luo Xiaowei appeared dignified, but deep down she was just a little girl. Especially in front of Xu Xiaoya, whom she knew well, there was no need to suppress herself. She chuckled and said, "Okay, but what if he gets drunk and acts crazy?"
Xu Xiaoya clenched her fist: "I refuse to believe that the two of us can't subdue him!"
The two women stood together, excitedly whispering to each other, completely unaware that someone had arrived beside them. "Xiaoya, Xiaowei, you're here so early." It was Liu Yiyi. She had been frequently coming to Shunfeng Technology to purchase office supplies lately, so she had become quite familiar with Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei. Beautiful women befriending other beautiful women is a classic case of like attracts like.
"Sister Yiyi, your outfit is too serious. This is a relaxed occasion." Xu Xiaoya looked Liu Yiyi up and down. Apart from the fact that the neckline of the women's suit jacket was slightly wider and deeper than before, there was no other difference.
Liu Yiyi smiled and looked at the two women's clothes: "It's good to be young. I wouldn't dare to dress like this. You two are just being beautiful even though it's freezing. I'm thirty years old. I don't have that kind of style."
Seeing that no one else was around, Xu Xiaoya, who usually loved to joke, said, "Sister Yiyi, you're mistaken. Your assets are much greater than mine, at least a size larger. Imagine you wearing my outfit, I'm sure some people's eyes would pop out of their sockets."
As she spoke, Xu Xiaoya deliberately glanced in Zhao Qiang's direction, presumably referring to Zhao Qiang among those she said "certain people".
Liu Yiyi possesses considerable assets as a woman; her bust size is indeed one size larger than Xu Xiaoya's. As a mature young woman, her aura of maturity surpasses that of Xu Xiaoya and Luo Xiaowei combined. Her taut breasts, slender waist, and round, pert buttocks exude a strong mature womanly charm that radiates outwards.
"Zhao Qiang is here too?" Liu Yiyi just noticed. "Why did you leave him all alone in the corner?"
Xu Xiaoya pretended to sigh and said, "There's nothing I can do, he's angry."
Liu Yiyi was taken aback: "Zhao Qiang is angry? I always see him smiling even when you guys bully him. Would he dare to go over there and sulk by himself?"
Xu Xiaoya chuckled. That was true. As the boss, she had to listen to her two employees in everything. For a moment, she and Luo Xiaowei were both smug, their vanity swelling to the extreme.
The moment of triumph was fleeting, and Xu Xiaoya immediately put on a pitiful act: "The boss said that the two of us have problems with our conduct and he's angry."
Liu Yiyi was very surprised, "What? Zhao Qiang would say such a thing?" You know, the word 'style' is a very serious issue.
Xu Xiaoya shook the hem of her clothes. "He got angry because we wore the clothes out before they were approved."
This was clearly a joke at Zhao Qiang's expense. Liu Yiyi was thoroughly amused, and her giggles and trembling breasts attracted the attention of the men nearby. The three beautiful women were all captivating: one exuded mature charm, one had her breasts subtly revealed, making her sexy and alluring, and one had long, slender legs that were eye-catching.
Xu Xiaoya regained her serious expression. "I think it's about time, Xiaowei. It's time to launch our product. This opportunity was earned by having Zhao Qiang come all the way here to fix someone's audio equipment. We must make sure that the Qimingdeng fast charger is a resounding success in Donghai City!"
Luo Xiaowei's already serious expression became even more serious. She nodded. There was a box in the corner, full of fast chargers. So Xu Xiaoya picked up the box, and Luo Xiaowei walked towards the stage in the banquet hall, where there was a microphone. Their stage was about to begin.
(This is an extra chapter. Thank you to He Shi=Disciple, Shufengzi, and lyf5201314 for their donations!)