Up to this point, Song Hongbing realized that this young girl was truly skilled.
He pondered this issue, his mind becoming unsettled.
He had been expecting to take over Fu Guoyang's position after Fu Guoyang retired, but this suddenly appearing Su Xiaotian was clearly more capable than him.
Could it be that the higher-ups allowed Su Xiaotian to intern at the Translation Department precisely to replace Fu Guoyang in the future?
Fu Guoyang was due to retire in three to four years, and Su Xiaotian joining now would allow her to grow into the role perfectly by then.
If that were the case, what should he do?
Would he be suppressed by others his entire life?
No, he couldn't accept that outcome.
Translators should be fully focused and exert their utmost effort during translation; otherwise, errors are inevitable.
As a seasoned translator, he should understand this principle.
However, Song Hongbing, the seasoned translator, made this fatal mistake.
His mind was in turmoil, and he was also handling content that was not his forte, making errors unavoidable.
Fortunately, Dong Yuanzhong and Minister Chang were seated next to each other, and Fu Guoyang was beside Song Hongbing. After subtly resolving several issues, his expression also changed slightly.
He glanced at Song Hongbing and realized that Song Hongbing's eyes were frequently darting towards the young girl, Su Xiaotian.
He frowned.
Minister Chang naturally noticed Song Hongbing's repeated mistakes.
He was also dissatisfied with such an unprofessional translator.
However, in front of the foreign delegation, he couldn't say anything and could only suppress his displeasure.
He even felt fortunate that this was merely a welcome banquet, and a few mistakes wouldn't matter much. If errors occurred during the actual talks, it would be truly disastrous.
He would have to speak with the leaders of the Translation Department later; they needed to assign a professional translator for negotiations.
Thinking of a professional translator, Minister Chang couldn't help but glance at Su Xiaotian!
The dinner concluded amidst these minor crises.
Compared to Song Hongbing's absentmindedness and repeated errors, Su Xiaotian performed admirably, earning everyone's admiration.
The leaders of the Translation Department naturally observed everyone's performance.
They were all surprised by Song Hongbing's subpar performance.
"Xiao Song, what's going on with you?" Fu Guoyang asked directly after everyone else had left.
He was a straightforward person who never minced words.
Song Hongbing had initially thought that if Su Xiaotian performed poorly, Fu Guoyang would not spare her and would surely reprimand her.
He never expected that he himself would end up being the joke.
But Song Hongbing was not someone who readily admitted his mistakes.
"Old Fu, it's not like that. I was just not feeling well today!"
He quickly retorted, but his defense sounded weak and unconvincing.
Having already performed poorly, saying this now was no different from making excuses.
Fu Guoyang's expression worsened.
He had thought Song Hongbing was doing well, but how had he become like this now?
"Xiao Song, after you go back, organize yourself properly. Tomorrow is the formal meeting, and the aspects you are responsible for are critical. Even a small mistake could cause huge losses to the country!" Su Dan Novel Network
Fu Guoyang's words were considered earnest advice, given out of consideration for Song Hongbing being a veteran of the Translation Department. If it were another young person, he wouldn't have had such patience!
However, Song Hongbing couldn't even accept this kind of criticism.
But he knew Fu Guoyang's personality, so he accepted it outwardly.
"Xiao Song, you kept staring at that little girl Su Xiaotian today. As translators, we must avoid distractions."
A moment of distraction could mean missing what the leader said entirely.
"I was just worried that the young girl is young and this is her first time participating in such a reception event. I was afraid she would make a mistake!"
Song Hongbing couldn't possibly admit that he wanted to see Su Xiaotian make a fool of herself.
Unexpectedly, Fu Guoyang looked at Song Hongbing with a strange expression, making Song Hongbing feel embarrassed.
"Xiao Song, don't you know that Xiao Su has participated in several such reception events before?"
Although the scale wasn't as high as today's, she had participated before. She wasn't lacking in basic common sense, etiquette, or rules. What was there to worry about?
Moreover, the young girl's translation skills were excellent. Even Fu Guoyang, who had been a translator for a lifetime, felt that the young girl's skills might not be inferior to his own.
Song Hongbing: "..."
He was the clown all along?
When did Su Xiaotian become qualified to participate in foreign guest reception events?
Wait, Su Xiaotian was only seventeen or eighteen years old, it was even debatable if she was an adult.
She had participated several times before; at what age did she start translating?
"Xiao Song, you don't know Xiao Su well. Have you ever considered that she might not be as rumored?"
After saying this, Fu Guoyang turned and left, leaving Song Hongbing stunned on the spot.
Fu Guoyang had also worked in this field for most of his life, so he could see through Song Hongbing's little thoughts.
At the same time, Su Xiaotian had also left the Great Wall Hotel and was outside.
She had been thinking that it was already late and wasn't sure if she could catch the bus.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she stepped out, she saw a car parked nearby.
Su Xiaotian didn't pay much attention; cars were not uncommon at the entrance of the Great Wall Hotel.
However, what was unusual was that when she came out, this car honked at her.
Then, Su Xiaotian saw the car window being rolled down.
Inside the car were Dong Yuanzhong and Fan Shufang, the couple.
"Xiaotian, come, Second Grandpa will give you a ride home!"
Dong Yuanzhong looked at Su Xiaotian, liking her more and more.
How could one not like such an outstanding child?
"Second Grandpa, is this convenient?" Su Xiaotian was still hesitant.
After all, Dong Yuanzhong was a busy man; wouldn't it be inconvenient to delay his time?
"Let's go, you little girl, you worry too much. It's just on the way!" Fan Shufang said with a smile.
She had seen Su Xiaotian's performance today and thought she was excellent, having improved a lot from the previous two years.
This child's progress was truly rapid!
Su Xiaotian had no choice but to get into the car.
On the way, they chatted casually, with Dong Yuanzhong asking if Su Xiaotian's work at the Translation Department was going smoothly.
Su Xiaotian answered each question.
She felt that her work at the Translation Department was going quite smoothly.
As for those who disliked her, Su Xiaotian didn't take them to heart at all.