Chapter 18: A Small Witness to History

"Here we are, let's get off. We need to buy a tent and some lighter fluid for the lighter. In case we end up not reaching the city at night, we'll have a place to sleep."

After leaving Douglas via Highway 75, Carter arrived at the first stop of his journey, Atlanta.

Atlanta was the eighth-largest metropolitan area in the future United States and one of the largest cities in the southeastern region. The only city that could compare to it in the future was Miami.

However, Carter had never been here in the future, so he had no concept of which city was better or worse. Arriving in Atlanta for the first time, Carter felt like he had returned to the future. In Douglas, the streets were filled with old cars, small shops, and low-density residential areas, exuding a nostalgic atmosphere. However, Atlanta's style was completely different.

With its towering skyscrapers, tree-lined city streets, and convenience stores located beneath some high-rise buildings, Carter found Atlanta increasingly familiar. Contrasting with the leisurely lifestyle in Douglas, the hustle and bustle of Atlanta's streets might be the lifestyle that Carter truly preferred.

Entering an outdoor equipment store with his sister, Carter was greeted by a wide array of products. From tents, hiking boots, and lighters to semi-automatic rifles and yachts, everything was available. However, due to the economic downturn, the store was sparsely populated, and the salesperson, who was feeling bored, greeted Carter warmly upon seeing him enter.

"Hello, sir and madam, are you planning a trip? Our Hoff Outdoor Equipment Store has the most complete range of products in Atlanta. Whether you want to picnic in the park, hunt in the mountains, or go fishing at sea, we can provide you with the most professional and suitable products for your needs."

"Thank you, we only need a tent. We don't need anything else for now. By the way, do you sell lighter fluid? My lighter needs some refilling."

"Sure, the tents are over there. You can choose the style you like. As for the lighter fluid, come to the counter later, and I'll refill it for you. It won't cost anything. Wish you a pleasant journey, and if you need anything else in the future, please consider our Hoff Store."

Upon hearing that Carter's only goal was to buy a tent, the salesperson's expression was extremely disappointed. When he saw Carter's flashy blue Mustang GT parked outside, he thought Carter would buy a lot of things.

After all, driving a flashy sports car and bringing a beautiful girl, there was no way they were going hiking. But for a picnic in the park, wouldn't you need to buy a picnic mat, a barbecue stove, and other items? He didn't expect Carter to lack such interest and only want a tent.

Despite feeling disappointed, the salesperson maintained a faint smile on his face and politely bid farewell. Carter found the salesperson very pleasant. Especially when he offered to refill the lighter for free, despite the obvious reasons for doing so, he did it so naturally that Carter didn't feel repelled by his commercialism.

After politely thanking the salesperson, Carter led Melissa towards the area where the tents were displayed. In this area, in addition to tents, there were also some outdoor camping essentials such as folding tables, folding chairs, and sleeping bags. Having brought their own bedding, Carter's initial focus was only on the tents, so he quickly scanned through these miscellaneous items without paying much attention. However, unexpectedly, among these items, Carter discovered a surprise.

The surprise was a folding chair that looked ordinary and even a bit rustic. Whether it was the support frame made of steel or iron, or the cushion and backrest covered with bright red leather, everything about it stood out amidst the group of outdoor folding chairs predominantly in shades of dark green. It was like a red flower in a cluster of green leaves, catching the eye!

Carter's attention was immediately drawn to this chair, and unlike most Americans, he recognized its origin almost instantly. The unique angle of the backrest, combined with the striking red color, clearly indicated that this was a product from China.

"Hey buddy, can you come here for a moment?"

Thinking about the recent establishment of diplomatic relations, Carter was a bit uncertain. He turned his head suspiciously, intending to call the salesperson and ask about the origin of this chair.

"Sure, please wait a moment."

Hearing Carter's call, the salesperson immediately left the black father and son he was attending to and hurried over to Carter.

"Sir, how can I help you?"

"I want to ask about this chair. Is it an imported product? From China?"

"Yes, sir, you're quite knowledgeable. This is a product we just received from China about a month ago, from a company called... Tian-something Furniture Company, I think. Don't be fooled by its appearance; it's actually quite comfortable to sit on. It's only $3, and you can take it with you. It's also very cost-effective!"

Hearing the salesperson's pronunciation of "Tian," Carter confirmed that this was indeed the famous 7469 folding chair from Tianan Furniture Company! Speaking of the 7469 folding chair, many people might not be familiar with it, but recalling China's manned space missions, didn't the astronauts sit on a red chair for every launch ceremony?

Yes, that chair was this very thing! Moreover, not only was it popular in domestic households in the 1970s and 1980s, it even earned foreign exchange through exports. Among China's earliest export products, it was one of them.

Previously, Carter had only heard about it, but never would he have expected to witness the history of Chinese exports today. Although it was a very small witness to history, the feeling was truly wonderful. Moreover, Carter had sat on this chair many times before; it was full of nostalgia and patriotic sentiment. What else was there to say? Buy it! Buy it! Buy it!

"How many of these chairs do you have? I'll take them all! Keep two for me to take away, and please arrange for the rest to be sent to Douglas later. I'll write down the address for you in a moment."

"Did you say you want them all? Don't you want to try sitting on one first? Are you sure you want them all?"

Hearing Carter's request to buy all the chairs, the salesperson's initial reaction was not excitement but rather bewilderment. To Carter, this chair was so familiar that he didn't need to try sitting on it. But to others, he was just someone who had seen this product for the first time.

Without even trying it out, he was asking to buy them all. If it weren't for the flashy Mustang GT parked outside, the salesperson would have felt like scolding Carter: Are you playing with me?

Even Melissa looked at her brother in surprise, quietly pulling on Carter's sleeve.

"Bro, why are you buying so many chairs?"

"What else can you do with chairs? Sit on them, of course. When we send them to the bank later, if there's a line, we can let the customers sit and wait. Melissa, you have to understand, if our Blake Bank wants to stand out, we must excel in every aspect. We must be considerate of our customers. On a hot day, making them stand in the sun, how cruel is that?"

Carter earnestly spoke nonsense, causing Melissa to silently mock him: If you have such spirit, why don't you buy parasols instead of just chairs?