Chapter 33 (1/2)

Chapter 33

There was finally some exciting and big news for the students’ union after many years – a competition had commenced:

Parties involved: Chen Hansheng (freshman and class president of Public Administration Class 2) and Zhou Xiao (deputy officer of students’ union external relations committee).

Mission: Attract sponsors for the freshmen party

Location: Yiwu Business Center of Jiangling University Town

Judges: Zuo Xiaoli, Qi Wei, and other officers of the students’ union; the group of freshmen who had played witness

The competition was a sudden event that had culminated due to the egos of two students’ union officers and a freshman.

Although the students’ union was meant to serve the students, it had been tainted by a large number of bad bureaucratic habits. The governing body was not big, and its governance style was very bad.

Zhou Xiao might have been close to Zuo Xiaoli which was probably why the latter was willing to stand up for the former. But the other officers could not be bothered.

The freshmen, on the other hand, were unusually united. Wherever there was oppression, there would be resistance. And there was nothing wrong with that.

“The sponsors of the event are all in the Yiwu Business Center. I don’t think there’s a need to ask every single one of them. It’s a waste of time and energy. Why don’t we just randomly assign a merchant to each of the participants and see who can get a higher sponsorship?” Zuo Xiaoli, the vice president of the students’ union, announced the rules at the student activity center.

Zhou Xiao agreed. Although it was ‘random’, they already knew which merchants were familiar with and close to the external relations committee, and those who weren’t. So Zuo Xiaoli should act accordingly.

As expected, Zhou Xiao was assigned to a barbershop that had just opened as it still had the remains of firecrackers and confetti at its entrance, and was owned by a young man in his twenties. Chen Hansheng, on the other hand, was assigned to a stationery shop that was owned by a middle-aged man in his forties.

When Zhou Xiao heard the assignments, he smugly wondered if there was a real point in the competition. The shop he was assigned to had just opened, so it definitely needed publicity. Young people were easy to talk to so just a casual conversation should get them a few hundred dollars in sponsorship.

As for the stationery shop owner, he was rich, but he was also stingy. Moreover, he was in the wholesale business and did not have much interest in retail, so there was no need for excessive publicity.

This was Zhou Xiao’s chance to redeem the honor that he had previously lost.

Zhou Xiao excitedly pushed the glass door of ‘My Show’ barbershop open. The owner beamed with happiness as he had initially thought that the crowd of students outside was going to be his new customers. But after hearing Zhou Xiao’s purpose of visit, his face gradually turned cold.

“We have just opened and business has not been very good either.”

The barbershop owner was very reluctant to be a sponsor. Yiwu Business Center was the hunting grounds for sponsors by all university external relations committees in Jiangling University Town. Sometimes, several waves of students would approach the merchants in a month.

“It’s precisely because you have just opened that you need publicity. Our team is going to hold a freshman party soon. If you sponsor a banner to be put up at the event, the freshmen will be able to see it. If you sponsor a little gift, that will boost your publicity at our university.”

This was one method to persuade sponsors. It was one of the easiest but not the most effective, which meant it was usually meant to be used for smaller sponsors.

Chen Hansheng was also present but he simply observed while lighting a cigarette as Zhou Xiao and the owner, Tony, talked it out.

Qi Wei stood next to Chen Hansheng and shook her head with a sigh. “This is the reality of external relations. Getting sponsorship is basically like begging. But it’s a great way to develop communication skills. This owner may actually be one of the easier ones to talk to. The stationery shop will be even worse.”

Zhou Xiao was so engrossed with the thought that Zuo Xiaoli had his back that he forgot about Qi Wei, his direct supervisor. As such, his failure would result in the failure of his committee, not just himself.

Chen Hansheng continued to observe silently despite Qi Wei’s words.

Half an hour later, Tony finally relented. He agreed to sponsor a two hundred-yuan banner and a three hundred-yuan haircut coupon as a prize at the freshmen party.

“Thank you, thank you.”

Zhou Xiao bowed respectfully at Tony but his ego was about to fly sky high. Tony, on the other hand, looked cold and indifferent as he barely responded.

“That was difficult, but at least we succeeded.”

Zhou Xiao took a deep breath as his expression changed from modesty to arrogance. Then, he looked at Chen Hansheng provocatively.

Chen Hansheng threw away the cigarette butt and walked directly to the stationery store. But little did he expect an incident to occur from the get-go.

The stationery store owner was talking to his neighbor at the door. When the former saw Zuo Xiaoli and Qi Wei walking over, he closed his glass door without another word.

Qi Wei was a little embarrassed and angry. Zuo Xiaoli had deliberately chosen this kind of shop for Chen Hansheng. His intention to bully others was too obvious.