What did this mean?
It meant that the moment the Fuhai team stepped off their plane, a dedicated transport was already idling and ready to receive them. Meanwhile, the pharmacists from Wu City had been left standing on the damp, oil-streaked tarmac for over half an hour, their breath hitching in the cold while nobody paid them the slightest bit of attention.
Was this really how the Capital's coordination team treated their guests?
"President Jing, what do we do? It's freezing out here, and there's absolutely nowhere to get out of the biting wind," one of the pharmacists whispered, their teeth chattering.
"President, we don't mind the cold for ourselves, but some of our delicate medicinal herbs aren't being escorted by a climate-controlled vehicle. If they stay out here much longer, the frost will kill them! All that work will be gone!"
Jing Shu rubbed her hands together, the friction doing little to warm her numb fingers. She exhaled a cloud of white mist and gave Wang Danai a sharp, focused look. "I will go check with the Medicinal Herb Association's staff up ahead. The rest of you stay close together and wait here just a little longer."
She watched as one transport truck after another was loaded with various crates of herbs and pulled away into the haze. Just looking at the volume of the manifests, the amount of material being moved was impressive for the end times. It was clear that Fuhai was a powerful provincial association, perhaps even tipped off by some inside information to bring such a specific variety of goods.
Around twenty people climbed onto a large, sturdy bus with "Medicinal Herb Association" painted in bold letters on its side. The engine rumbled, puffing out a cloud of diesel exhaust as the doors began to hiss shut.
Jing Shu ran over, her boots splashing in a shallow puddle of slush. She stuck her hand into the closing gap of the door and stepped in with one foot, forcing it back open. "Wait, please! Wait a moment!"
Inside the bus, the driver turned in his seat and frowned, his eyes narrowing. "What do you want? This is the association's private vehicle. Strangers aren't allowed to approach, let alone board."
The rest of the passengers glanced over from their seats, but most were too busy chatting excitedly about their arrival to pay her any real mind.
Jing Shu showed her work ID with a calm smile, the plastic cool against her palm. "May I ask if the Imperial Capital Medicinal Herb Association's head is here? I'm the team leader representing Wu City in this competition."
"Team Leader Zhang, the Wu City association is looking for you!" the driver called out toward the back of the bus.
At the very rear, someone shifted. A middle-aged man with a refined, scholarly look rubbed his sleepy eyes. A brief flicker of impatience crossed his features before he pulled his face into a polite smile. He stood up and walked down the aisle toward her.
"I have read the reports. I already knew that Wu City's team leader was impressive, but seeing you in person confirms it. Representing an entire city at such a young age is no small feat. I have long admired President Jing! I'm Zhang Xian, the lead in charge of transportation and coordination for this event. I don't know what you need from me, but anything I can do to help, I will."
As he spoke, he reached out enthusiastically to shake her hand, his eyes lighting up as he took in her appearance.
Jing Shu ignored the gesture. Instead, she pointed a finger toward a large batch of supplies sitting outside under the flickering airport lights, her smile remaining light but firm. "Hello, Team Leader Zhang. When exactly will the medicinal herbs from Wu City be transported to the competition venue? We have been waiting in this freezing weather for over half an hour. Isn't it supposed to be first-come, first-served? Why do the later arrivals receive a dedicated vehicle while we are left on the tarmac?"
Zhang Xian awkwardly withdrew his hand and looked down at the floor for a second. Then he smiled again. "Ah, that's not really my decision to make. You should call the scheduling department for those specifics. We follow their orders exactly. If you want, I can make a call to the office for you right now."
"All right, please help me ask," Jing Shu said, raising an eyebrow as she watched him.
Zhang Xian pulled out his phone and made the call, turning slightly away as he quietly asked about her concern. After hanging up, he turned back with a broad, apologetic grin. "It's like this: because your arrival report came in later than the Fuhai Association's report, they are ahead of you in the queue. Once their herbs are safely delivered, we will come back to get you. A round trip is only five or six hours. You see, a bite teaches a lesson. Next time, make sure to report faster."
Jing Shu squinted at Zhang Xian, her gaze piercing. The person on the other end of the line hadn't said a word. She had been watching his reflection in the bus window; it had been an empty call. He was putting on a performance.
So, this man had established connections with the Fuhai group, which was why their goods went first. Even in the middle of the apocalypse, there were still insiders playing favorites.
"All right. I see the bus still has a lot of empty seats. Could our pharmacists participating in the competition ride with you first to get out of the cold?"
She decided it didn't matter for the moment. Priority was priority, even if they had been unfairly cut in line. They were on someone else's turf, and she knew it was best to keep a low profile, note the slight mentally, and deal with the consequences later.
Zhang Xian forced a polite expression and glanced toward a middle-aged woman seated in the front row. "I can't decide this on my own. President Wang from Fuhai will have to make the call. After all, this vehicle is technically reserved for their delegation. President Wang, what do you think?"
The woman adjusted her thin-rimmed glasses and leaned back in her seat, her expression turning serious. "Competition rules strictly forbid pharmacists from different districts from gathering to discuss competition matters before the event begins. President Jing, please return to your station and oversee your herbs while you wait for the next vehicle."
Jing Shu frowned at their synchronized, rehearsed response. Her suspicion deepened. No one hated her or Wu City without a specific reason. Using obscure competition rules as an excuse was far too obvious. The transport vehicles had been preempted, and her people weren't even allowed to sit in the empty seats of a warm bus. On her very first day in the Imperial Capital, they had already hit intentional obstacles, and she didn't even know who they had offended.
Zhang Xian glanced at Jing Shu's small, ungloved hands and made a dismissive gesture of invitation toward the door. "I'm sorry, President Jing. Please wait for the next vehicle. I will make sure it comes for your team as quickly as possible."
Jing Shu let out a soft sigh. "Do we really have to do this?"
Zhang Xian blinked, looking genuinely confused for a moment.
"The person on the phone didn't say anything. You staged that entire conversation yourself. Yesterday, we confirmed the pickup time and place with the central office. Even if Fuhai was prioritized for some reason, there's no logistical reason to leave our people standing around in the mud. Are you trying to give us the cold shoulder? Just to make us stand in the sludge for a few hours?" Jing Shu's expression showed utter disbelief. The tactic was so crude and petty that it seemed almost impossible.
Zhang Xian's face changed drastically. His eyes darted around the bus. Normally, smart people would notice he was scheming, bite their tongue, and find a way to retaliate much later through official channels. Both sides would keep a polite smile while maneuvering secretly in the dark.
But he hadn't expected this young woman to call him out publicly in front of the driver and the other team, turning a potential secret rivalry into open, messy hostility. With Jing Shu's words hanging in the air, there was no turning back to polite pretenses.
President Wang seated elegantly in the front smiled thinly. "Youth, after all, was often impetuous. She wondered how Lao Zhou had ever chosen such a person as a successor."
Her smile faded, and she said seriously, "Since you have seen through this, then wait for the next vehicle. The association is a place of strict rules and merit. You are out of line here."
Jing Shu was genuinely surprised by the lack of shame. "Aren't you afraid I will file a formal complaint about this behavior?"
Zhang Xian shifted nervously from one foot to the other. President Wang merely shook her head calmly, her smile returning. "You still don't understand what rules are."
The bus remained lively behind her, the other pharmacists from Fuhai laughing and talking, nobody paying any attention to the would-be hitchhiker standing in the doorway.
After a long moment of silence, Jing Shu nodded slowly. "All right. I suddenly changed my mind. I will be a little reckless this time. Good luck, President Wang."
"Recklessness could cost Wu City a whole shipment of supplies. Think carefully." The middle-aged woman waved her hand, seeing Jing Shu off.