Chapter 1371 Became a DudIf a student could adopt such a learning attitude and put in so much effort, how could she fare badly in her studies?
Deng Wenchang, this proud overseas student, had become a dud after looking at Qiao Nan’s notes. It was already lit up with fire but did not explode. It was extinguished in the end instead.
“But, Xiao Qiao, why have I not seen the book that you mentioned in your little pieces of notes before? Where did you buy it from? I will get one too. It’s never too old to learn. The more you read, the more you learn. It will benefit our department.” One who knows his own strength and that of the enemy is invincible in every battle.
Otherwise, if they could not even accurately decipher what the other party was trying to convey and argued based on their own reasoning, they might even embarrass themselves. It would not go wrong to pick up more knowledge.
“This book is not on sale locally. If you really wish to get one and you know some people overseas, you can ask them to go to this address and buy it.” Qiao Nan copied an address on a piece of paper and passed it to the other party. She explained clearly that this was most probably the only bookstore that sold the book.
As he held the address, the other party felt more curious and strange. “Xiao Qiao, you didn’t go overseas to study, right? Why are you so clear about the situation overseas? Have you traveled to this place for a holiday before? Is that why you know the situation there?”
Qiao Nan shook her head. “In order to clarify this knowledge point, I have researched a lot before knowing that this is the only book that has the record and explanation. Hence, I spent a lot of effort and asked many people. I then found out that this shop sells it.”
“How did you find out?” There were many bookstores in the local market, let alone overseas. It was not an easy feat to check the books sold by each bookstore. How did Qiao Nan, who had always stayed in the country, know that this was the bookstore overseas that sold the book?
It was too illogical.
“…” Knowing that today’s matter was not going to end and these people were prepared to get to the bottom of the matter, Qiao Nan did not wish to hide anything either. “I think you should know that many people overseas use the MSN program to chit-chat nowadays. I have downloaded one and made some online friends over it. My friends told me about it.”
Of course, the matter was not so simple.
Speaking of it, it was all thanks to her social practice of being a voluntary tour guide in the Palace Museum.
During that period of time, although Qiao Nan worked mostly on public holidays, she had taken care of many overseas tourists. Qiao Nan was also a daring one. After fulfilling the work responsibilities as a tour guide, Qiao Nan loved to chit-chat with these tourists in English.
The other parties were willing to tolerate her lack of familiarity with the language, and Qiao Nan was never afraid of embarrassing herself. She chatted enthusiastically with them. The more she chatted, the more she put the language to practice. Naturally, as Qiao Nan had practiced more, she was able to grasp the usage of the various foreign languages faster than typical people.
That was not purely the case. Qiao Nan also met a few people that she could get along with. These overseas friends were from various countries. They were warm, cheerful, friendly, and generous.
Within a short time, Qiao Nan had become good friends with them. After exchanging MSN details, they became online friends.
As such, Qiao Nan would seek these friends of hers to help when she could not find a book.
Qiao Nan had many senior brothers all over the world but they were all busy people. They held jobs in the overseas embassies and could not possibly cast aside their jobs on hand just to help Qiao Nan find a book that she wished to buy.
If Qiao Nan could accurately tell them the details of the book that she needed, and they could find time to get someone to buy and send it to Qiao Nan, it was already considered very good.
Qiao Nan was not someone who would feel conceited because she was in someone’s good grace. Knowing that her senior brothers were busy, she would do her homework first before sending them the details of the book that she needed so that the other party’s job would not be affected and they would not spend too much time looking for the book.
She had such a wide social circle of friends. It was still possible to do this given some time.
Hence, Qiao Nan utilized both means. First, she requested her overseas friends to check on the book’s information. If it was convenient for them to buy, Qiao Nan would not bother her senior brothers then. Otherwise, she would send the verified information to her senior brothers for them to settle.
This was the reason that Qiao Nan, despite not being overseas, could get her hands on books whose existence was not even known to some people.
Deng Wenchang said jealously, “Qiao Nan, you’re quite formidable. You not only have friends all over the country but also in the northern and southern hemispheres of the world. That’s capable.”
“Well, it’s not a big deal to know a few friends. Most importantly, we share the same interests and can get along well. There will be happy memories then.” It was a sheer waste of breath to talk to someone like Deng Wenchang with whom she could not see eye to eye with. Hence, she would not be friends with him no matter what.
Qiao Nan’s words had widened the horizons of these ‘old-fashioned’ guys in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Friends could actually be made in this way? Qiao Nan went for a social practice initially just to gain credit and grades for college. Unexpectedly, such a simple matter could bring out and extend to so many more meaningful things. How did Comrade Xiao Qiao grow her brains? Could it be that she was born with a special nerve that was very enlightening?
Otherwise, the gap between humans was too great.
An ordinary acquaintanceship could develop into such a wide network. Comrade Xiao Qiao was a solid expert in making friends.
Qiao Nan relied on her own capability without the help of others to establish herself in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and received the affirmation of the seniors. At the sight that these older colleagues were looking at Qiao Nan in a different light, He Yi felt very proud of Qiao Nan. “Certainly, it’s quite good to make more friends. Youngsters are youngsters. They have more flexible minds than old folks like us. The progress of the country will require more of such good comrades like Xiao Qiao.”
Regardless of the initial intention of recruitment, it could not subdue Qiao Nan’s stellar performance at the later stages.
The Deng family boasted all the time that Deng Wenchang was an overseas gifted student with a bright future. In particular, the Deng family thought that he was a fool and could not tell that Deng Wenchang had his eyes on the seat below his bottoms.
Sooner or later, he would have to retire and pass the baton to the next generation. He hoped that he could pass his role to a capable young individual. However, it was a different matter to be targeted or forced to retire from that position.