HPDBC Chapter 85: The Olympics are Approaching, and the Whole Nation is Anticipating Them
Chapter 85: The Olympics are Approaching, and the Whole Nation is Anticipating Them
Lin Bei smiled, took a sip of beer, and turned to look at Lao Gao: "Being a volunteer is not bad; it can really improve yourself."
Old Gao waved his hand: "What improvement? I've gotten several shades darker."
Lin Bei raised the bottle in his hand and laughed, "Enough with the nonsense, let's have a drink first."
……
Su Qianqian hasn't gone out during this time; her life has remained as quiet and regular as ever.
I read books in my study at home every morning, and in the afternoon I turn on my computer to check the stock market and financial news.
I'll text my husband again tonight and we can chat for a while.
In the past few days, the two of them have been communicating much less than usual.
But Su Qianqian didn't think so, because she had already made up her mind that it didn't matter if they didn't contact each other as much recently, as they could meet again when university started.
At that time, we can be together every day.
However, Song Qingning was worried that Su Qianqian would be too bored by herself, so she would drag her shopping every few days.
On one occasion, they even visited the offline pickup point of Linbei's online store.
It was actually just a small temporary shed set up in front of Mr. Wu's clothing factory, specifically for local customers to pick up Fuwa dolls and Olympic T-shirts.
Su Qianqian stood outside the shed, watching Lin Bei bustling about inside.
He was checking orders amidst a pile of parcel boxes, his forehead covered in sweat.
Wu Xiaoxun, who was standing next to her, was helping to put the Fuwa dolls into the express delivery bag one by one.
Her ponytails were stuck to her cheeks with sweat as she muttered, "This customer wants a full set of five plus three T-shirts. Can you check if the T-shirt sizes are correct?"
Su Qianqian watched for a moment, then turned to Song Qingning and asked, "How long is he going to be busy?"
Song Qingning shook her head: "Who knows? When people get busy, they don't even eat."
"I was the one who bought the instant noodles from their shop last time."
Su Qianqian didn't say anything more.
Then, Song Qingning also joined in the work.
She had always wanted to compete with Wu Xiaoxun, and now that she finally had a chance to make her presence known in front of Lin Bei, she naturally wouldn't miss it.
Su Qianqian originally wanted to leave, but seeing Song Qingning start helping Lin Bei, she couldn't just leave directly.
And so, Su Qianqian and Song Qingning became Lin Bei's labor force for free.
During this period, Wu Xiaoxun became an unofficial employee of Linbei's online store.
Ever since she posted Lin Bei's shop link on her QQ space, a bunch of her classmates and friends have flocked to it.
The buyer's show section was almost flooded with photos of her classmates.
Every day, in addition to helping Lin Bei pack and ship orders, Wu Xiaoxun would also argue with strangers in the buyer review section of the store who said her classmate's photos were overly photoshopped.
Despite her seemingly gentle and weak appearance, she is incredibly fierce in online arguments, capable of taking on seven or eight people single-handedly.
Once, when Mr. Wu came to deliver goods, he saw his daughter squatting in a pile of express boxes, sealing them with a tape gun, her movements faster than the skilled workers in his factory.
He stood at the door for a while, then turned to Lin Bei and said something meaningful:
"Lin Bei, if your online store kidnaps my daughter, you'll be held responsible."
Lin Bei laughed and said, "Brother Wu, you're exaggerating."
"Serious?" Boss Wu said helplessly, "Have you ever seen a rich young lady squatting in the warehouse sealing cardboard boxes in the sweltering heat?"
Lin Bei didn't reply, and continued to check the orders with his head down.
……
Time flies, and before we knew it, it was August 6th.
There are two days left until the opening of the Olympic Games.
Lin Bei switched the backend of his online store to "Olympic Special Offer" mode and hung a countdown banner he designed himself on the homepage.
There was no promotional information above, only one line of text:
[48 hours until the opening of the Beijing Olympics, free shipping on all orders.]
He spent an afternoon photoshopping this banner himself; the background is a silhouette of the Bird's Nest, and the font is red regular script.
After posting the banner on the store's homepage, Lin Bei also posted an update on QQ Space.
The accompanying image is a countdown page on a computer screen, with only four words of text:
[Ready to go.]
Song Qingning liked the post instantly.
Su Qianqian replied with: 【Keep it up.】
Lao Gao commented below: "We need to get up at 4 AM tomorrow to meet at the venue."
Wu Xiaoxun sent a string of clapping emoticons.
Lin Bei leaned back in his chair, looking out the window at the Olympic rings lights on the office buildings in the distance. He picked up the glass of water on the table, which had gone cold, and took a sip.
He missed too much in his past life, and this time he wants to see it all from beginning to end.
……
On August 8th.
When Lin Bei opened his eyes in the morning, there were already several messages on his phone.
Lao Gao sent the message at 4:30 a.m., saying that he had arrived at the sports center and there were people everywhere outside the security checkpoint. The line was hundreds of meters long and it was not even dawn yet.
Song Qingning posted at 6 PM, with only one sentence: 【Finally, today has come!】
It was followed by a long string of exclamation marks, so many that they took up half the screen.
Su Qianqian's message was sent at exactly 7:00 PM, without any exclamation marks or emojis, just two words:
【arrive.】
Lin Bei had just finished washing up and came out of the bathroom when Lin Jianjun turned on the TV in the living room.
CCTV-1 is currently broadcasting a special Olympic program.
In the scene, Tiananmen Square is packed with people, the five-star red flag is unfurled under the blue sky, and the sound of drums and music pours out from the screen, making the enamel mug on the coffee table tremble slightly.
Su Ruolan came out of the kitchen with a bowl of freshly made soy milk in her hand, and stood in front of the TV, so engrossed in watching it that she forgot to put the bowl down.
"Don't go to the factory today, watch the opening ceremony at home tonight." Su Ruolan said this without taking her eyes off the screen.
"I made plans with Qingning and the others to go out for dinner tonight and watch some movies while we eat."
Lin Bei took the soy milk and took a sip. "Do you guys want to join me?"
"You young people can have your fun, your dad and I will stay home and watch," Su Ruolan said, then added, "Don't drink too much."
Lin Jianjun, who was flipping through the newspaper next to him, suddenly interjected, "The Olympics is a once-in-a-century event, so a little drink is fine."
Lin Bei left his house and walked along the street toward the bus stop.
This second-tier city, which usually has a slow pace of life, seems to have a different face today.
All the shops along the street had national flags hanging in front of them, some shops had two flags, symmetrically placed on the left and right sides, and even the roller shutters had stickers of the Olympic rings on them.
A new slogan has been painted on the roadside wall: "One World, One Dream".
The red background with white lettering, the paint not yet completely dry, and a faint scent of pine resin wafted in the air.
The electronic screens at the bus stops usually display ads for infertility clinics and plastic surgery hospitals.
Today, the posters feature the Bird's Nest and the Fuwa mascots.
The bus was painted with a huge Chinese seal, and a small national flag was hung on the front of the bus. The driver had placed a small national flag in front of the windshield from the driver's seat.
While waiting at the red light, I even wiped the flag with a cloth.