The deputy chairman of the Apothecaries’ Association responded with a serious look on his face. “Since he can’t even be on time, can we trust him to be a professional?”
He turned to look at Chairman Wang and said, “Are we going to continue entertaining him?”
Chairman Wang sat quietly with his back straight. He did not feel angry about his guest’s tardiness. Instead, he picked up his teacup and sipped its contents calmly. “No need to get anxious. It’s not even 10:00 am yet.”
The deputy chairman pursed his lips. “If he really wanted to work with us, he should be here by now.”
Did he think he was some kind of bigshot? He should have known better and come early as a sign of respect.
Right then, the receptionist happened to walk into the conference room with a man in his fifties.
The man was of average height and was dressed in a well-worn traditional Chinese costume. Judging from how faded the outfit was, he must have washed it countless times. He seemed completely ordinary and was no different than an average farmer.
The man entered the room at 10:00 am sharp.
The deputy chairman simply glanced at him briefly before veering his eyes immediately.
Chairman Wang stood up when his guest arrived. He looked at the man and smiled. “You must be Mr. Mi, right?”
The man paused briefly before nodding politely. “That’s right. I am Mi Wei.”
Chairman Wang pointed at the seat by the side. “Please have a seat.”
“Uh huh.” Mi Wei pulled out the chair unhurriedly and placed his tobacco pipe on the table.
The tobacco pipe was made of bamboo and clearly looked old and well-used.
The assistant poured Mi Wei a cup of tea before standing behind Chairman Wang again.
Mi Wei tapped his fingers on the table gently before taking a sip of tea unhurriedly. He did not attempt to make any small talk. Also, he was completely unperturbed in the presence of highly revered men like Chairman Wang and the deputy chairman of the Apothecaries’ Association.
It felt as though the top brass of the Apothecaries’ Association were just common men in his eyes. He was completely calm.
Chairman Wang was slightly surprised. Then again, since Mi Wei lived in the countryside and worked as a Chinese herb farmer, he might not have a complete grasp of differences in social status.
Chairman Wang cleared his throat and started speaking. “Mr. Mi, are you really able to cultivate the mi orchid?”
The moment he finished his sentence, the deputy chairman raised his head and looked at Mi Wei.
“Yes, I can,” acknowledged Mi Wei softly.
He cleared his throat. Perhaps owing to his tobacco smoking habit, his voice sounded a bit hoarse and he seemed to have a persistent cough.
The deputy chairman frowned. He was a very particular man, so he automatically raised his hand to cover his nose.
When Mi Wei kept coughing, the deputy chairman felt as though the air was filled with germs. He could no longer bear it, so he got up and said to Chairman Wang, “Chairman Wang, I have some work to handle. It completely slipped my mind. My apologies! You have to handle the Chinese herb farm matter on your own.”
He did not even want to wait to find out whether the man was able to cultivate mi orchid.
Chairman Wang glanced at him. He naturally noticed his actions, but simply nodded. “Fine. Go ahead.”
The deputy chairman frowned before quickly leaving the conference room. It seemed as though he could not bear lingering there even for a second longer.
Chairman Wang shook his head slightly and turned to glance at Mi Wei again. Chairman Wang pondered before telling his assistant beside him softly. “Go fetch some lozenges for him.”
The assistant instantly knew what the chairman wanted. He looked at Mi Wei before he nodded and replied. “Yes, Chairman Wang.”
After the assistant left, Chairman Wang poured Mi Wei another cup of tea. “Smoking is bad for you.”
Mi Wei thanked Chairman Wang for his concern. He did not feel worried by the deputy chairman’s departure. He simply picked up the cup of tea and took a sip before responding. “I simply can’t quit smoking.”
Chairman Wang smiled. “Oh yes. Where are you from, Mr. Mi? You don’t sound like a Northerner.”.
