Zhang Zihan secretly gave the man who was toasting her a thumbs up, then whispered, "He's about to collapse, everyone give him a push."
The man offering the toast closed his eyes, picked up a glass of baijiu (Chinese liquor), and started chugging it down. At this point, Zhao Qiang had finished his first glass, then picked up the second glass and gulped it down in one go, as if he were drinking beer instead of baijiu.
"I can't take it anymore, I can't take it anymore," Zhao Qiang pretended to lose his balance and sat down on the chair. At this moment, the man who had offered the toast also sat down with a pained expression. He had drunk half a jin of baijiu in one go. This was the first time he had ever done something so intense.
Zhao Qiang stood up and said, "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."
One man said, "Oh dear, throwing up after drinking isn't enough. If everyone drinks one glass and then throws up the next, what a huge waste that would be for the country."
Zhao Qiang said, "I... I'm not vomiting, I just have a bloated stomach and need to urinate." Zhao Qiang started to pretend to be drunk, so it was only natural that he was stuttering.
Zhang Zihan said, "Two people, help Zhao Qiang to the toilet. Be careful not to let him fall."
Chen Xinyu was too embarrassed to accompany Zhao Qiang to the men's restroom, so she had two young men help him leave. Zhang Zihan secretly followed, planning to have someone beat Zhao Qiang up in the restroom if he was truly drunk, and then claim he had accidentally fallen when they came out. However, Zhao Qiang became much more sober once inside the restroom, went into a stall to urinate, and the three men listened to the rushing water. Afterwards, Zhao Qiang emerged looking refreshed.
"You didn't throw up?" Zhang Zihan was a little puzzled. It was impossible for you to sober up; the effects of the alcohol might not even have kicked in yet.
Zhao Qiang retorted, "Did you hear me vomit?"
Zhang Zihan naturally shook her head: "I didn't hear it."
Zhao Qiang challenged, "Then do you still dare to drink it?"
Zhang Zihan thought to himself that he had a lot of allies, and he refused to believe that he couldn't outdrink him in the fight for a woman. He had temporarily gained the upper hand, but if he were to lose to him again in the drinking contest, what would become of his dignity as a man?
Zhang Zihan roared, "Whoever doesn't drink today is a dog!"
So everyone returned to the table, and Chen Xinyu asked Zhao Qiang with concern, "Are you alright?"
Zhao Qiang said, "It's like he sobered up after taking a piss."
A chorus of disdain erupted from the crowd; how could someone use such rude language at the dinner table?
Zhang Zihan rallied everyone, saying, "Friends, it turns out our friend Zhao Qiang is a true champion of drinking! We, so many Beijingers, can't be outdone by him. Let's all raise our glasses and toast our esteemed friend!"
"You...you're despicable!" Chen Xinyu couldn't help but shout. How dare they use such a tactic as a war of attrition!
Zhang Zihan said, "Xinyu, you've really misunderstood us. As the host, we should make sure our guests have a good time, but we're no match for Zhao Qiang individually. So we need to express our gratitude individually. Besides, Zhao Qiang agreed to this, right, Zhao Qiang?"
Zhao Qiang pretended to rub his forehead and said, "Yes, yes, come on, let's keep drinking, I'm not drunk."
The crowd roared in response: "Keep drinking, keep drinking! Zhao Qiang, I'll toast you one cup... I'll toast you two cups..."
Chen Xinyu was starting to be dumbfounded. She couldn't remember how many bottles of baijiu Zhao Qiang had already drunk—three or five? This wasn't beer; it was 52-proof baijiu! Three of those shameless guys who were using a drinking contest had already collapsed, but Zhao Qiang was still standing strong, occasionally staggering to the toilet, and then continuing to drink afterward.
Volume 2 [555] Drunk
[555] He drank himself into a stupor.
Geng Qiuhan offered three toasts, and Zhang Zihan also offered three toasts. Each of them had already drunk almost a pound of liquor. Although they were both seasoned veterans, drinking so much liquor in such a short time had made them feel dizzy and their heads were throbbing. The two of them sat together and discussed the enemy situation.
"Brother Geng, are you still holding on?" Zhang Zihan asked with concern.
Geng Qiuhan said, "If Director Zhang can hold on, I can hold on too." Geng Qiuhan was quite strong-willed. Although she had been outdone by Zhao Qiang, she did not want to fall behind Zhang Zihan.
Zhang Zihan said, "I can't drink anymore. What's going on? Zhao Qiang has such a high alcohol tolerance, he must have drunk at least six or seven jin by now."
Geng Qiuhan said, "I think we should stop now. Let's not force him to drink anymore. Half of our people are already drunk. If we keep going, we'll all be finished." Geng Qiuhan was even more distressed about the cost of the drinks. These people were all from well-off families, so of course they wouldn't drink cheap liquor that cost five yuan a bottle. Every time he forced them to drink, Geng Qiuhan would have to take out nearly a thousand yuan. Although Geng Qiuhan wasn't short of money, he didn't want to be seen as a penny-pincher, paying for the woman he liked and her lover to drink. What kind of nonsense was that?
Zhang Zihan snorted: "Brother Geng, if you can't afford to pay the bill, you can let me do it."
Geng Qiuhan said angrily, "Who can't afford the bill? I just don't want to keep going like this. Look at the people you brought. How many of them are still sober? Four or five of them have already thrown up. What's the point of continuing like this?" Of course, Geng Qiuhan wouldn't admit to Zhang Zihan that he was worried about the money. That would be too embarrassing, and he couldn't bear to lose face.
Zhang Zihan was even more furious: "Damn, how come Zhao Qiang is completely unharmed? There's no way someone could drink that much!"
Geng Qiuhan said, "You've kicked a hornet's nest, that's why I'm advising you to stop. There's no need to keep drinking."
Zhang Zihan chuckled: "Since we can't beat him, let's take this opportunity to humiliate him again."
Geng Qiuhan said, "Humiliate him? How do you humiliate him? Let me tell you, if you offend Chen Xinyu too much, you will not have a good outcome. She is famous for reporting negative news and is a war correspondent. Once she catches you doing something wrong, you will be ruined."
Zhang Zihan asked, "How much more do you think you can drink?"
Geng Qiuhan said, "He'll be out of commission after just one cup."
Zhang Zihan said, "Alright then," and as he spoke, he grabbed the wine bottle on the table, poured half a glass of wine for Geng Qiuhan, then added half a glass of water, and handed it to Geng Qiuhan, saying, "Go and toast him."
Geng Qiuhan's eyes lit up: "Adding water? That's a good idea, but it's a bit late. Almost all of our people have fallen. If we had added water and fought Zhao Qiang from the beginning, we would have seen him fall."
Zhang Zihan cursed, "I added water so you wouldn't throw up. You'll have to get drunk after you drink this. Don't worry about anything else. I'll find two sober people to take you away. Don't concern yourself with anything here."
Geng Qiuhan didn't quite understand: "What? I don't care? Does that mean you're not even going to pay the bill? Why are you being so kind today, planning to treat me yourself?"
Zhang Zihan said, "Don't worry about that, I have a brilliant plan."
Geng Qiuhan wasn't stupid, and quickly realized, "You're planning to have Zhao Qiang pay for this meal?"
Zhang Zihan said, "That's right. Since we can't drink him out of the water, then he should naturally pay for the meal himself."
Geng Qiuhan said, "Don't forget that Chen Xinyu isn't made of clay." Although this meal was quite expensive, he believed that Chen Xinyu could afford it. However, if he made her pay for Zhao Qiang's meal, Chen Xinyu would naturally be very angry, and in the end, she would vent her anger on Geng Qiuhan.
Zhang Zihan said, "Didn't you notice that Chen Xinyu didn't bring a bag at all? Could she possibly hide her credit card with those clothes? Besides, I don't really intend to make Chen Xinyu pay. Let's all find an excuse to leave first, and then step in to resolve the situation when they're cornered. That way, Chen Xinyu won't have any excuse to complain, and we'll have saved her from a crisis."
Geng Qiuhan said, "You politicians are really insidious." After saying that, Geng Qiuhan, holding his cup, staggered toward Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang was drinking heartily when Geng Qiuhan patted him on the shoulder and said, "Zhao Qiang, you have to treat Xinyu well." As she said this, Geng Qiuhan's heart was bleeding. "Xinyu is our little sister, and we all like her very much. But since she chose you, you have a responsibility to take good care of her, understand?" Geng Qiuhan looked like an old man.
Zhao Qiang said, "Thank you for reminding me, Boss Geng. I will definitely treat Xinyu well." Chen Xinyu grabbed Zhao Qiang's hand at the right moment. The two of them looked very affectionate, which made Geng Qiuhan feel heartbroken. A strong sense of loss welled up in his heart.
"I'll toast you again." Geng Qiuhan decided to drink this cup and then leave. What about cleaning up the mess later? Screw it. Zhao Qiang reaped the most beautiful fruits, so why should he have to bear the consequences? Why should he pay for their enjoyment?
Zhao Qiang glanced at Geng Qiuhan's cup: "Boss Geng, you didn't add water, did you?"
Geng Qiuhan felt a pang of guilt, his face flushing slightly. However, he had already drunk quite a bit, so this behavior was simply taken as drunkenness. "Watered down? How could I possibly water down my drink? Zhao Qiang, I'll drink this first as a sign of respect." Glug glug, Geng Qiuhan downed half a glass of wine and half a glass of water. This was called striking first; even if you suspected watering down his drink, it was useless—you couldn't tell even if he spat it out.
Zhao Qiang smiled and finished his drink as well. Geng Qiuhan swayed and almost fell to the ground. His tongue was already slurred, and he couldn't speak properly: "Zhao, Zhao Qiang, you, you have such a high alcohol tolerance. I, I need to go to the toilet to throw up for a while." After saying that, Geng Qiuhan left the private room with the help of two relatively sober friends.
Chen Xinyu quickly realized something was wrong. Apart from the few people lying on the ground, it seemed that everyone who was conscious had left, and even Zhang Zihan was nowhere to be seen. Chen Xinyu shook Zhao Qiang's arm: "Zhao Qiang, are you alright?"
Zhao Qiang still had a smiling face, making it hard to tell what he meant. He said, "What do you think?"
Chen Xinyu patted her chest: "I should be fine, right? You really are something else. You made me worry for so long. Hehe, their scheme failed and they even drank their own people away. You single-handedly withstood their relentless attack. I admire you so much."
Zhao Qiang said shamelessly, "You're right to admire me. I'm not just a legend, I live in your world."
Chen Xinyu nestled against him like a little woman, saying, "What you said is so poetic and scholarly." It was blatant flattery, but neither of them blushed at all; that's how couples in love are. "By the way, something's not right. Some of them are lying down, others are running away. What are we going to do about this meal? Hopefully, Geng Qiuhan has already paid the bill," Chen Xinyu said worriedly.
Zhao Qiang looked around and said, "I'm afraid he might not pay the bill. He'll just have to wait and see what happens to us."
Chen Xinyu asked, "You mean they intentionally left?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I guess that's how it is. Apart from embarrassing me when they first came in, they haven't won a single game tonight. Zhang Zihan and Geng Qiuhan won't give up so easily."
Chen Xinyu gritted her teeth: "I will never let these two get away with this. What do we do now? It will be troublesome if the waiter comes to urge us to pay the bill. We didn't consider this when we came. I didn't even bring my bag. Maybe we should pretend to be drunk too?" Chen Xinyu was very clever.
Zhao Qiang said, "Of course I carry the money with me, but it would be too boring to settle the bill like this. You should call Xu Xiaoya and make some arrangements. I reckon the show is about to start. They will definitely have someone secretly recording it and then try to smear me online. In that case, I'll slap them back."
Zhao Qiang's prediction was correct. Zhang Zihan arranged for two unfamiliar friends and a waiter to film the next scene on their phones. He did indeed intend to expose Reporter Chen's boyfriend online, letting everyone know how this toilet repairman had made such a fool of himself. Of course, Zhang Zihan also reminded the hotel manager to make sure Zhao Qiang was thoroughly humiliated.
Zhao Qiang ate his food voraciously, standing up to eat the dishes that were too far away to reach. He felt it would be a waste to waste so much food; he'd rather let it all be converted into energy. Chen Xinyu, meanwhile, continued to serve Zhao Qiang tea and water, displaying the virtuous demeanor of a dutiful wife, much to the chagrin of Zhang Zihan and Geng Qiuhan, who were observing from the shadows.
Zhang Zihan said, "Shameless guy, how could Chen Xinyu possibly like him?"
Geng Qiuhan said, "She must have lost her virginity to this guy on her first night. Many women have this kind of complex; they are especially fond of their first man. Tell me, is she a virgin or not?"
Zhang Zihan's face flushed red: "No, it's not like that." This wasn't an angry remark. Zhang Zihan could tell from Chen Xinyu's walking posture and subtle changes in her face that Chen Xinyu had already been taken by Zhao Qiang. This made Zhang Zihan's heart ache. Chen Xinyu's figure wasn't the extremely voluptuous type, but a 34C was considered quite large-breasted. It was just that Chen Xinyu dressed conservatively. The thought of such perfect breasts being played with by another man made Zhang Zihan's heart bleed.
Geng Qiuhan's lips twitched. He was filled with resentment and heartache. He didn't know how many times he had fantasized about Chen Xinyu at night, and how many times he had imagined Chen Xinyu while playing with other women. His perfect buttocks and breasts had been touched in his mind countless times, but in the end, it was all in vain. That beautiful woman had actually thrown herself into the arms of another man. This was something Geng Qiuhan could not accept.
"Go ahead and implement your plan," Geng Qiuhan said, eagerly anticipating seeing Zhao Qiang make a fool of himself.
Zhang Zihan took out her phone and made a call, then said to Geng Qiuhan, "The show is about to begin."
While Zhao Qiang was still eating and drinking, Chen Xinyu patiently served him. A waiter came in and saw several drunkards lying on the floor, while a man was fighting on the table. She found it strange; she had never seen such a big eater and drinker before.
"Sir, is there anything else you need?" the waiter asked, as it was getting late.
Chen Xinyu said, "No need."
The waiter then asked, "So, can you settle your bill now?" Sure enough, the bill arrived.
Chen Xinyu glared at the waiter with disgust, believing that the waiter was in cahoots with Zhang Zihan and Geng Qiuhan.
The waiter lowered his head somewhat guiltily and said, "I'm sorry, sir and madam. It's only right that you pay for your meal. You don't want me to get scolded by the boss, and there are only two of you sober here right now, so I have to settle the bill with you."
"Where is Geng Qiuhan?" Chen Xinyu asked.
"Boss Geng, he was drunk and had to be helped away. He didn't mention paying the bill when he left," the waiter said.
Chen Xinyu then asked, "What about Zhang Zihan?"
The waiter said, "Director Zhang, he also left drunk, without saying a word." So this is how he managed to cling to Zhao Qiang, who wasn't actually drunk.
Volume 2 [556] I Can't Afford to Lose Face
【556】I can't bear to lose face.
"We didn't bring any money," Chen Xinyu said calmly, as if it were none of her business.
The waitress looked surprised: "Ah, no money? How dare you come to a place like this to eat if you have no money? Don't you know that paying for food is a matter of course? Or are you just trying to dine and dash?" The waitress stared at Zhao Qiang with disdain, but Zhao Qiang didn't even look at her, which made her feel like she had punched empty air.
The story continues as more waiters are summoned in, along with two security guards and several chefs. The plan is to use sheer numbers to control the situation and prevent Zhao Qiang and Chen Xinyu from dominating the scene.
"Who dined and dashed?" a security guard shouted as he entered the room, his head held high in an arrogant manner.
The waiter pointed at Zhao Qiang and said, "It's him. I asked him to pay the bill and he said he didn't have any money. This meal cost more than 90,000 yuan. If you don't have money, why are you pretending to be poor?" These words were actually hinted to the waiter by Zhang Zihan beforehand. How else could they humiliate Zhao Qiang?
Another pretty waitress in uniform stepped forward: "Yes, at first I thought he was some important person, so I treated him very well. But do you all know what he does? I overheard him outside, and it turns out this man repairs toilets, haha..." The waitress in uniform laughed very unladylike, causing the others to laugh along.
Zhang Zihan watched all this from the shadows, smugly saying, "Boss Geng, weren't the people I arranged doing alright? If this video gets uploaded online, do you know the pressure it will put on Chen Xinyu? Will she still dare to stay with Zhao Qiang?"
Geng Qiuhan was somewhat worried: "But I'm afraid it will put pressure on us as well. Chen Xinyu will hate us to death."
Zhang Zihan gritted her teeth and said, "You still think she can change her mind?"
Geng Qiuhan said, "It is indeed difficult."
Zhang Zihan said, "So we must do everything we can to get Zhao Qiang away from her before we talk about our own business."
Inside the private room, Chen Xinyu said sternly, "Please be mindful of your word choice and its impact."