“You deserve to do this,” Zhou Tong said, making a very impressive statement.
"A scholar will die for one who understands him. Since I, Li Yang, have said I would join the National Security Bureau, I will certainly make my greatest efforts and contributions for it. Please rest assured, Director Zhou." Li Yang suddenly felt a certain fondness for this guy. His methods were indeed clever, and he had a knack for dealing with people. Even though he knew the guy was subtly trying to win him over and deliberately flattering him, listening to his words still felt pleasant and satisfying. Naturally, Li Yang wanted to reciprocate.
"Hahaha... Great! Today is a good day, let's all drink until we drop!" Zhou Tong was very happy and pulled Li Yang into the private room.
The food and drinks were served in a continuous stream, and it was indeed a very lavish meal.
"Come on, let's raise a glass to Li Yang and welcome him to our big family!" Zhou Tong said happily, raising his glass.
"Thank you all for your kindness. I'm new here, so I hope you'll help me out in the future," Li Yang said calmly as he stood up.
He was facing Wang Gui, a tall, hot, and sexy section chief whose impressive breasts almost burst out of her clothes, directly in front of Li Yang, extremely alluring. Li Yang felt a surge of thirst at the sight. Wang Gui noticed his burning gaze, glared at him fiercely, but did not retaliate.
Everyone drank it all in one gulp.
After that came some polite small talk, the usual bureaucratic drinking culture. Li Yang handled it with ease. But Fan Xian was seething with anger and couldn't stand looking at Li Yang.
"Please forgive me, everyone. I really have a very low alcohol tolerance and rarely drink. Once I drink, I drink too much, and then I get drunk and act crazy," Li Yang hurriedly stopped Shu Yi from offering him a toast, saying apologetically.
"That won't do either, otherwise you're not giving me face. Drink!" Shu Yi persisted, drinking with Li Yang without batting an eye, clearly a seasoned drinker. To say these guys couldn't drink would be a lie; with their high martial arts skills and incredibly strong bodies, suppressing this alcohol reaction was a piece of cake.
"Okay, I'll drink. But you'd better spare me now, I'm allergic to alcohol~" Li Yang emphasized again. Damn, although they were all acting like family on the surface, the undercurrents beneath the surface were quite turbulent. Li Yang had to be careful, especially with that scoundrel Fan Xian.
Fan Xian was drinking alone, wanting to teach Li Yang a lesson but unable to find a reason. Upon hearing that Li Yang was allergic to alcohol and couldn't drink, he was immediately overjoyed. "Damn it, you can't drink, huh? Allergic to alcohol, huh? Then I'll get you drunk and see what you do then!"
Just as he was about to stand up, Wang Gui suddenly stood up and said, "Li Yang, now that you've joined the National Security Bureau, let bygones be bygones. I'm not one to hold grudges, so don't take it to heart either. Let's drink this glass, and we'll be colleagues who will never abandon each other!"
Without waiting for Li Yang's reply, she tossed her head back and downed the drink in one gulp, quite boldly. Her fair neck was very sexy, and the open neckline of her dress even slightly revealed her sexy collarbone. Her chest appeared even more surging due to the tilt of her head back, almost as if it would pop out.
Li Yang smiled wryly and said helplessly, "Alright then, since Director Wang has said so, I'll keep him company and drink this cup!" He then downed the drink in one gulp, but his face showed a pained expression, letting everyone know that he truly couldn't drink—he was allergic to alcohol.
"Could it be that this guy really can't drink?" Shu Yi hesitated, unsure whether to offer a toast or not, since Director Zhou's order was to drink until one was completely drunk.
Before he could even recover from his daze, Fan Xian had already stood up. He picked up a large wine cup and quickly filled it to the brim, revealing a good three ounces of wine. He handed one cup to Li Yang, saying, "Li Yang, welcome to the team! I'm very happy. We've had some misunderstandings in the past, but let's drink this cup down today and let's forget about it with a laugh!"
After saying that, he was forced to drink first, like a duck on a shelf, and downed his drink in one gulp. Li Yang felt a headache coming on. Damn it, was that forearm injury on purpose? He knew I couldn't drink, so he was just messing with me like that. Zhou Tong, however, watched without showing any emotion, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents swirling around the table.
Chapter 871: It finally erupted!
"Okay, I'll drink!" Li Yang hesitated for a moment, then tossed his head back and downed the drink in one gulp. After eating a few mouthfuls of food, he circulated his internal energy slightly, and his face immediately turned bright red, almost as if it were dripping blood. He gave off the impression that he was genuinely allergic to alcohol, as if to say, "Everyone saw that, right?"
He chuckled, his tongue slurring, "This wine is really good today! Everyone, make sure you enjoy yourselves to the fullest! Let's drink until we're drunk!"
"Come, Director Wang, let me toast you." Li Yang stood up and swayed slightly as he walked over, insisting on a toast with Wang Gui. Wang Gui, true to her reputation as a woman of great character, a formidable figure who had served in the military, remained unfazed, clinking glasses with Li Yang and downing her drink in one gulp. Li Yang secretly glanced at her alluring cleavage; it was incredibly tempting. After finishing his drink, he went to toast Zhou Tong.
"Ladies first. Director Wang has already drunk, now it's Director Zhou's turn. Come on, cheers!" Li Yang walked over with red eyes and put his arm around Zhou Tong's neck. Zhou Tong chuckled and downed his drink as well. Li Yang didn't peek at his chest; he wasn't gay.
Then came Shu Yi, who also drank it all in one gulp.
"Li Yang, if you can't drink, then don't. Drinking too much is bad for your health." Shu Yi could tell that Li Yang really couldn't drink anymore. He was also puzzled. Li Yang's martial arts skills were so high, and he was a cultivator; one would expect him to have a high alcohol tolerance. But things in this world are hard to explain. Sometimes you have to admit that people in this world are peculiar. Maybe Li Yang is just that kind of person?
"Hahaha... What did you say? You dare to look down on me! Let me tell you, I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. I'm not drunk. I can drink another jin or two and I'll be fine." Li Yang waved his arms clumsily, his eyes wide as he shouted, though his stutter was already somewhat unclear.
Shu Yi smiled wryly. He really couldn't hold his liquor; he'd already drunk too much. The guys at the table who loudly proclaimed they couldn't drink were actually the ones who could drink the most, and the guys who kept saying they were drunk were the ones who weren't. On the contrary, the guys who loudly proclaimed they weren't drunk, who dragged everyone to toast them, and who drank heavily from everyone were the ones who were truly drunk.
"Hahaha... I'm in a good mood today, let's eat and drink well, everyone eat some vegetables, why aren't you eating vegetables?" Li Yang swayed and walked to Wang Gui's side, stumbled, and put his arm on Wang Gui's shoulder. The smooth and soft shoulder felt very comfortable. Li Yang casually grabbed it for a while, and then let go and stood up.
Wang Gui quickly helped him up, assuming he was drunk, and didn't mind him touching her, even though she had never been touched by a man before. However, during military training, she often sparred with male soldiers, but she always beat them to a pulp, never giving them a chance to get close. She assumed Li Yang was drunk and didn't think much of it.
"Hehe...Director Wang, you look so beautiful today, like a fairy descended from heaven!"
"How about we share a toast?" Li Yang leered at Wang Gui, chuckling. Wang Gui's expression immediately darkened; he glared at Li Yang and said, "Li Yang, you're drunk!"
"What did you say? I'm not drunk~ I'm not drunk. Drink, you have to drink~" Li Yang said stubbornly, his neck stiff and his bloodshot eyes wide.
"You, you're being ridiculous! If you keep this up, I'll hit you!" Wang Gui, unaccustomed to such a display, blushed instantly and hurriedly looked at Zhou Tong, who ignored them, drinking and eating with his head down. He thought to himself, "Wang Gui, you're not getting any younger. Don't always be so cold. It's time to find a man and experience the things between men and women." Sometimes he couldn't stand Wang Gui's temper either, hoping a man could tame her and make her gentler. He, Zhou Tong, had a shrewish wife; he was far from being able to handle her. He'd heard that Li Yang was a womanizer with a ton of women. He should be able to deal with Wang Gui, right?
If Wang Gui heard Zhou Tong's true feelings, she would never respect him as the bureau chief again, but would instead violently attack and beat him to a pulp. Of course, that's assuming she could defeat this world-class master, a national Arhat.
Li Yang continued to pester him, and Wang Gui, unable to bear it any longer, grabbed a water glass and smashed it. Although Li Yang was drunk, his martial arts skills had surpassed the limits of ordinary people. Without any apparent movement of his head, he simply swayed it slightly and dodged the attack. His eyes widened in surprise, and he exclaimed, "There's murderous intent!"
"Pfft..." Zhou Tong almost spat out his drink. Although Shu Yi...
He felt a pang of jealousy and resentment, after all, he had a crush on Wang Gui. But hearing Li Yang's words, he was both annoyed and couldn't help but chuckle. Li Yang shook his head, and after confirming that everyone basically believed he was drunk, he finally left Wang Gui and staggered towards Fan Xian.
Wang Gui breathed a sigh of relief, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. Her breathing became rapid and shallow, the veins on her neck standing out clearly. She was sweating profusely, and she glared at Li Yang with a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance before finally sitting back down.
Li Yang knew the time was right, so he stopped hesitating and putting on an act, heading straight for his final target—Fan Xian. Everything he had done just now was for this moment to deal with Fan Xian. Of course, they would never suspect that Li Yang had such a purpose. Moreover, their intelligence certainly didn't include the fact that Li Yang was a particularly heavy drinker, a real heavy drinker. Because opportunities for him to display such prowess are extremely rare, and only when he is inconspicuous.
When Fan Xian saw Li Yang approaching, he felt a surge of excitement. "Since you can't drink, and you've already had too much," he thought, "I'll just force you to drink until you're drunk, ideally, you'll get alcohol poisoning." Li Yang saw the ruthlessness and cunning flash in his eyes, but remained unmoved.
"Brother Fan, we hit it off immediately! Come on, drink!" Li Yang shouted, waving his empty glass with a slurred speech. Fan Xian also stood up, smiling seemingly sincerely, "Li Yang, welcome to the National Security Bureau! With you here, our strength will be greatly enhanced. I'll toast you!" Fan Xian said a few empty words, deliberately filling Li Yang's empty glass with baijiu, and then filling his own glass to the brim. He wasn't stupid enough to pull such an obvious trick, after all, they were all watching.
"Okay. Cheers!" Li Yang gulped it down like he was drinking water. Fan Xian also finished his without hesitation.
"Brother Fan, don't hold it against me for what happened in the past. You know how I was back then, young and impulsive. Just like you, always acting rashly." Li Yang spoke with a slurred tongue, trying to sound sober, but everyone knew he was just rambling drunk.
"Yes, I'm also prone to impulsiveness. Don't take it to heart, brother," Fan Xian said, putting on an act.
"Back in Jiangdong City, with you opposing me, I felt things were difficult. But in Jiangnan City, I have no one to oppose me, yet I still find things challenging. I've been working myself to the bone in Jiangnan City, my brothers are risking their lives. I spent a fortune trying to get things sorted out. But for some reason, things suddenly went wrong. Some idiot betrayed me, ruined my plan, and caused it to fail. It cost me so much manpower, resources, and money. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that the plan failed, and those two idiots, Chicken Head and Long Snake, are smart enough not to fall for it again. And since that idiot betrayed me, Long Snake and Chicken Head definitely know I'm the one targeting them. Damn, now it's even harder for me to deal with them. Brother, don't you think that idiot deserves it?"
Li Yang was practically insulting Fan Xian, knowing full well that Fan Xian was the one who did it, yet he still cursed him in front of him. Fan Xian's face was very ugly, because he had a guilty conscience and knew that Li Yang was cursing him. Of course he was unhappy, and he had almost never seen anyone dare to curse his mother to his face like that, making him even more furious and unable to tolerate it.
But he couldn't admit it. He forced a laugh and said, "Li Yang, you've had too much to drink. You shouldn't drink anymore." At this point, he started to persuade Li Yang not to drink.
"Damn it, I'm not drunk~ I just can't swallow this~ If I find out who did this, I'll fucking kill that bastard~" Li Yang roared, smashing his wine glass on the ground, shattering glass everywhere.
Zhou Tong frowned as he looked at Li Yang, remaining silent. Shu Yi and Wang Gui also frowned as they looked at Li Yang. Zhou Tong gestured to Shu Yi, who nodded slightly and got up to try and persuade Li Yang.