"Hello! Is this Mr. Zhou of Nanyang Trading? I'm calling from the Friendship Store. We'd like to verify some information with you!"
An affirmative answer came over the phone.
Song Ning hurried forward and said with a smile:
"Manager! Could you let me report to my boss first before you ask your questions?"
The manager looked displeased, but still handed her the receiver.
As soon as she took it, she said in English, "Mr. Zhou! I know where your family is! I can also resolve the difficulty you're facing right now! Please tell me where you're staying. I'll come see you shortly!"
The person on the other end was clearly stunned by her words.
But after a moment of silence, he quickly rattled off an address.
"Mr. Zhou! To find out where you were staying, I had no choice but to pretend I was your interpreter. I hope you can help back up my story!"
After a moment's hesitation, a quiet reply came from the other end:
"All right! Um... when can you come over?"
"As soon as I finish up here!"
Then Song Ning handed the phone back to the manager.
The manager took the receiver and asked Mr. Zhou a few questions about the interpreter accompanying him.
Clearly, the answers confirmed her story.
After hanging up, the manager said, "All right! Your identity checks out! But we really don't have a precedent for this. You can take the goods you've selected with you for now! Please make sure you remember to bring us the foreign exchange certificates."
"Of course! Thank you, Manager!"
Song Ning smiled. "Actually, there's a simpler way! I'm willing to buy foreign exchange certificates from you privately at twice their face value. Would that work? It would save me another trip back."
The manager tacitly