Puzzle Madness

Chapter 199 The First Dream War (Part 5)
DouDou pushed open the glass door, and casually, with a little force, gently poked it open—
噗：
With a muffled thud, countless cracks suddenly appeared on the entire glass door, as if it had turned into a mosaic; but it did not shatter or scatter. And DouDou's fingertips were already peeking out from the other side of the glass.

[It looks like bulletproof glass? There's some kind of polycarbonate interlayer in the middle, and it didn't shatter into pieces.]

DouDou withdrew her hand, raised it, and waved it:

"Hello, hello, have you been waiting long? This door is of poor quality."

The woman in the pencil skirt shuddered, like a game character stuck in time, her gaze averting from the nearly shattered door. Then she abruptly bent over and bowed deeply; she bowed several times in succession, the creaking sound of her lumbar spine almost audible.
"Welcome, welcome, warm welcome!"

"Not at all, not at all! Please forgive me for not visiting in person. Um, my name is Inoue Marie. I currently work as the assistant manager of the Southeast Asia branch of Asia-Europe Post, and I was in charge of receiving you this time."

Although he was making a statement, his words carried more questions than anything else, as if he wasn't even sure about his own name; it was unclear what he was hesitating about.

The woman raised her hand, holding the bouquet high above her head; the lilies, symbols of friendship, trembled.

DouDou took the bouquet from her and shook it in her hand. Then she squinted, examining it to see if there were any foreign objects hidden inside.
"Oh! There weren't any bombs or anything inside, you're being so polite. You said you're the assistant manager—where's the manager? Still at the branch? Is your branch in Saigon or Bangkok? I don't think it's in Kuala Lumpur."

The costs of negotiation and public relations should be lower than the costs of fighting.
DouDou thinks this is the right thing to do—Asia-Europe Post is not a security company, nor is it involved in military business; at least not on the surface.

The Yellow Pages do not contain the specific location of the Southeast Asian branch, and I could not find it at the provincial library either.

As soon as the question was posed, Marie Inoue gave an immediate and unequivocal answer:
"--Address: 7th Floor, Building 15, Bang Phut Industrial Park, Samut Prakan Province, Thailand. Look for [Donglian Fruit Cold Chain Logistics Cooperation Station]."

This is the most fluent sentence she has ever uttered; it sounds like she has recited it countless times.

"what!"

But then, Marie Inoue let out a terrified scream. She covered her mouth and bent over again.

"Uh! No, sorry, that's a spoofed address used externally?"

The woman named Inoue Marie was still bent over, her face towards the ground. But you could see her ears were red, her shoes were shifting nervously, and her collar was soaked through with sweat.

"Um, actually, our branch locations? Well, the liquidity is constantly changing."

DouDou scratched his nose and decided to believe her updated version; at least it sounded cooler. Of course, he also remembered the address she first mentioned; although both versions seemed a bit contrived and didn't sound real.
[A mobile branch? Like a campervan? Maybe even an airplane or submarine? A hot air balloon-like airship would be pretty cool too.]

Marie Inoue's speech became increasingly slurred, while DouDou turned her neck 360 degrees to look around from behind to in front; the skin on her neck folded and wrinkled from the retraction.

The sales office was much larger than it appeared from the outside, and even had a mirror on one wall to add a sense of depth; but that was about it. It was unlikely that troops or "assassins" could be ambushed here.

Inoue Marie didn't look up, otherwise she probably would have fainted from shock at what she saw. [This office lady is so clueless. A bit of a fool, is it just acting? Surely not, she's an assistant, after all.]

Is she just someone who sits in an office all day? Is that why she's so stressed? Why send a purely clerical staff member here—I don't think she's that simple.

DouDou tucked the bouquet under her arm and pointed to the television on the shelf next to Inoue Marie:
"Ah, you can turn on the TV now. There must be some leader who wants to make a remote call or something, it can't be that they want me to watch a recording."

Maintain a safe distance, have a trusted assistant present, and receive real-time feedback via phone.

DouDou thinks that Asia-Europe Post is probably negotiating based on this plan. That's normal—a wise person doesn't stand under a crumbling wall, and even the boldest leader wouldn't come in person under such circumstances; that brave aunt from last time is probably still sitting in some bottle of formaldehyde.

Before Marie Inoue could make a move, the television suddenly turned on by itself with a "beep." Before she could even see the pixelated picture, a gasp came from inside:

"My God! He's incredibly insightful, absolutely brilliant!"

"Mr. DouDou, seeing is believing! You look so majestic and imposing! A simple, ordinary children's raincoat looks like a general's battle robe on you—no, it should be called an emperor's dragon robe. I can only describe it with four words: awe-inspiring and magnificent!"

"If it weren't for my poor literary skills, I would have loved to compose a poem for you on the spot, so that I could be a tiny star beside your radiant light, adding a little embellishment!"

The middle-aged man on the screen was overweight, with frizzy, gray hair; there was dandruff on the shoulders of his suit. He sat upright at the table, rubbing his hands together like a fly standing still; his face was scrunched up with a smile.

After hearing such a non-stop stream of words, DouDou was a little dumbfounded:
[So obsequious? The flattery is so forced, it almost feels sarcastic. Oh dear, are you secretly criticizing me?]

This guy, who seemed to be the supervisor, took a deep breath (DouDou saw a piece of dandruff being swallowed):

"I originally intended to sincerely invite you to join our company, and even create a special consultant position for you; you would have all the power, no obligations! I would offer you a high salary every month, simply because it would be an honor to work with you!"

"However, money cannot bind a free spirit, and material possessions are merely a desecration to you; moreover, they cannot affect your studies, so I will not presume to say anything here. In addition, Asia-Europe Post abides by the law, and child labor is absolutely unacceptable."

"I, your younger brother—although I am a few years older than you, only after meeting you did I realize that I have wasted all these years; you are like an elder brother I have never met! Ah no, your courage and charm are such that you could be my father—but they say that a tiger father will not have a dog son, and I am afraid I can only be considered an ant at your feet!"

“I apologize and I want to apologize to you: I failed to share the information with you in a timely manner, and I have troubled you to make this trip in person.”

"Fortunately, it's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost. I've prepared some video footage for you so you can understand the current situation in Mong Cai: just give the order, and I'll be there immediately."

The bloated middle-aged man's voice grew softer and softer as DouDou leaned closer, pressing her cheek against the screen.

(End of this chapter)