Chapter 33: When the Strategy Doesn't Work

Today was possibly one of the biggest news events the student union of the Humanities and Social Sciences Department at the College of Finance had faced in many years. Here's a brief summary:

**Parties involved:** Freshman and class leader of Public Administration Class 2, Chen Hanxing, and Deputy Director of the External Relations Department, Zhou Xiao.

**Event:** A public competition to raise sponsorships for the Freshman Gala.

**Location:** Yiwu Commodity Center, Jiangling University Town.

**Judges:** Zuo Xiaoli, Qi Wei, and other student union officials from the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, along with a large number of freshmen as spectators.

This competition was brought about by a combination of factors—freshmen egging on the situation, Zhou Xiao's pride, Chen Hanxing's pressure, and the escalation of words. It was an unexpected yet logical development.

Although the student union is essentially a civil organization, it has been tainted by many bureaucratic practices. The "government" may be small, but the conduct is poor, with the few departments fighting among themselves, even splitting into several factions.

Zhou Xiao was clearly aligned with Zuo Xiaoli, but the other department heads didn't necessarily share the same loyalties. They merely adopted an attitude of "not my business" and enjoyed watching the spectacle.

The freshmen who were watching were unusually united—wherever there was oppression, there was resistance. It was absolutely true.

"All the businesses sponsoring the Humanities and Social Sciences Department are in Yiwu Commodity Center. I don't think we need to approach every shop individually; that would be a waste of time and energy. Let's just randomly assign each person a business and see who can get more sponsorship," announced Zuo Xiaoli, the vice president of the Humanities Department, at the center's square.

Zhou Xiao definitely agreed, though it was labeled as "random," he knew exactly which business was easier to negotiate with and which would be difficult. Zuo Xiaoli would certainly make sure everything was arranged.

Sure enough, Zhou Xiao got assigned a newly opened barbershop, its front covered in leftover firecracker scraps, with a young boss in his 20s; while Chen Hanxing got a stationery shop, run by a middle-aged man in his 40s.

Seeing this, Zhou Xiao thought, "What's there to compare? The barbershop needs publicity since it just opened, and the young owner is easy to talk to. I can easily get a few hundred yuan in sponsorship. As for the stationery shop owner, he's rich but stingy. He's more into wholesale than retail and doesn't need excessive promotion."

"Just wait for me!" Zhou Xiao thought as he shot a glance at Chen Hanxing. The face he had lost earlier would be regained here.

Excited, Zhou Xiao pushed open the door to the "I Show" barbershop. At first, the young boss was delighted to see potential customers, especially since there were many students outside. However, after hearing Zhou Xiao's proposal, his expression slowly turned cold.

"We just opened, and business isn't that good," said the barbershop owner reluctantly. Yiwu Commodity Center was a hotspot for university external relations departments, and sometimes multiple waves of students would come to ask for sponsorship every month.

"Exactly because you just opened, you need publicity. Our department is preparing for the freshman gala. You can sponsor a banner and a little cash, and all the freshmen will see it. If you throw in a few small gifts, your shop will become well-known in our department," Zhou Xiao said, following the typical sponsorship pitch. It didn't require much brainpower, but the results were usually poor—small amounts of money, but no big sums.

Chen Hanxing stood silently in the shop, lighting a cigarette and watching Zhou Xiao and the barber discuss.

After a while, Zhou Xiao's tone became more and more ingratiating. Qi Wei, standing beside Chen Hanxing, shook her head and sighed, "This is the reality in our external relations department. Raising sponsorships is like begging. It can be good training, but even this shop owner is relatively easy to talk to. The stationery shop will be even worse."

Zhou Xiao, relying on his backing from Vice President Zuo Xiaoli, didn't care much for Qi Wei, the department head. What happened earlier was Zhou Xiao's own decision, and now he had to drag the whole external relations department down with him.

Chen Hanxing remained silent, quietly exhaling smoke.

After half an hour, the young barber finally agreed, sponsoring a 200 yuan banner and 300 yuan worth of haircut coupons as prizes for the freshman gala.

"Thank you, thank you," Zhou Xiao repeatedly bowed, although the barber's face remained cold with minimal response.

"Well, it's not easy, but at least we got something," Zhou Xiao sighed in relief, his earlier humility now replaced by a smug expression, and he provocatively glanced at Chen Hanxing.

Chen Hanxing flicked his cigarette away and walked towards the stationery shop, only to be met with an unexpected turn of events.

The stationery shop owner, who had been talking with a neighbor at the door, saw Zuo Xiaoli and Qi Wei and immediately shut the glass door without saying a word.

Qi Wei was slightly embarrassed and angry. Zuo Xiaoli had clearly set up Chen Hanxing with this difficult business owner—it was too obvious that this was meant to be a trap.

As for Zhou Xiao, he felt quite pleased. If he were the stationery shop owner, he would make Chen Hanxing kneel and call him "father."

"I'll get you started, the rest is up to you," Qi Wei said, walking forward and opening the glass door. "Hello, Mr. Feng, sorry to disturb you again."

"If you really think it's a disturbance, then don't come," came the immediate response from the shop owner, Feng Jihua. He was in his 40s, bald, wearing glasses, and had a sharp face that made him look difficult to deal with.

Hearing Feng's mockery, Qi Wei felt awkward but continued, "Our department is preparing for a freshman gala. We were wondering if you could sponsor us…"

A loud thud echoed as Feng Jihua slammed a thick ledger onto the counter, silencing Qi Wei.

"I'm not unwilling to support, but I still have a lot of debts that haven't been collected. I don't have the money to sponsor you," he said, flipping through his ledger and showing an IOU.

Among the crowd, some student union members whispered complaints: "Here we go again, every time we ask for sponsorship, he pulls out the same old story about unpaid debts."

From a business perspective, Chen Hanxing understood. After all, money doesn't come easily, and if it's not useful, why bother sponsoring?

But in the context of the competition, Chen Hanxing thought to himself, "Zuo Xiaoli really knows how to set a trap. People like Feng Jihua would never spend money."

"I'll say it again, you students are capable. If you can help me collect my debts, I'll treat it as sponsorship," Feng Jihua said, staring at the group of students who had little real-world experience, who were left helpless when their usual tactics for raising sponsorship didn't work.

Zhou Xiao, however, was thrilled and gestured to Zuo Xiaoli to announce the results of the competition. He was eager to deliver a final blow to Chen Hanxing.

Seeing Zhou Xiao's excited expression, Chen Hanxing suddenly stepped forward and asked, "Mr. Feng, are there any businesses nearby that owe you money?"

Feng Jihua was momentarily surprised. Usually, when he used this tactic, students would give up immediately, but this time someone dared to ask.

"Are you planning to help me collect the debt?" Feng asked.

"I can't go too far, but I need a result by this afternoon," Chen Hanxing replied.

Feng Jihua sized up Chen Hanxing, noticing he was tall and quite handsome, though there was a hint of a bad-boy vibe around his eyes. He smiled with a bit of a mischievous grin but spoke steadily.

"There is one nearby," Feng said after flipping through his ledger. "It's the fruit shop across the street."

"Do you have the IOU?" Chen Hanxing asked.

"That's the problem. The IOU was originally made in duplicate, but I lost my copy. When he found out, he denied it. Otherwise, I would have collected the money by now," Feng said.

Chen Hanxing thought for a moment and then asked, "How much does he owe you?"

"2,500 yuan," Feng replied.

Chen Hanxing nodded and, after thinking for a moment, suddenly shouted, "Lao Yang, Shao Qiang, Zhu Chenglong, want to come collect the debt with me?"

"Of course!"

"Don't underestimate me, Lao Si!"

"Class leader, I'm with you!" said one of his companions.

Without hesitation, Chen Hanxing grabbed three of his friends and headed to the fruit shop across the street. The crowd of onlookers immediately followed, leaving Zhou Xiao standing there dumbfounded, asking Zuo Xiaoli, "Shouldn't I have won?"

Zuo Xiaoli, who had been confident of winning, was now frustrated by the unexpected turn of events and replied irritably, "Don't ask me, who the hell am I supposed to ask?" 

...