So Gao Jianfei stood up.
Across a dining table, Gao Jianfei and Zhang Liang stood facing each other, sparks flying between their eyes!
"Everyone, I'm from a small city, that's true, but I'm treating you all to dinner from the bottom of my heart. So, today, as long as you're all happy, I don't care! Order whatever you want, however much you want, I'll gladly pay the bill, I absolutely won't say a word! I hope you'll all give me face and have a good time, okay?" Gao Jianfei's gaze swept over his female colleagues, "Just be happy, okay? Just give me, Gao Jianfei, face!"
Gao Jianfei's words were sincere, and Huang Cuiyun and the others didn't know what to say. They wanted to lash out at Zhang Liang, but Gao Jianfei stopped them with a look.
Then, Gao Jianfei looked up at Zhang Liang and said, "Zhang Liang, as I just said, as long as everyone is happy, you can order as much food as you want, I'm happy to accept it, but... I have one request!"
Zhang Liang was genuinely happy!
"This kid's been provoked! He's just putting on a brave face! Haha! Alright, tonight I'll give you a real treat!"
"Xiao Gao, what are your requirements?" Zhang Liang asked with a smile.
"I don't care how much food you order, but whatever is served, Manager Huang, Miss Qin, Miss Chen, and Xiao Yanzi, we'll eat as much as we can, until we're full and satisfied. Zhang Liang, you'll be responsible for finishing the rest! My only requirements are: no waste, no returning dishes, eat what you order, and finish everything clean, okay?" Gao Jianfei said earnestly.
"Uh..." Zhang Liang choked for a moment, then chuckled inwardly... "This country bumpkin is pretty cunning. I put him in a difficult position, and he immediately put me in a difficult position again! Does he mean that if we can't finish the food I ordered, I'll have to finish it all by myself? He's trying to make me back down... Heh, these little tricks, he's going to embarrass himself in front of my brother Liang? When the food is served, after we've eaten for a while, I'll just tell him the bill for tonight. Won't he be terrified? Won't he cry and beg me to return the food? What an idiot!"
“Okay! Order as much as you want, eat as much as you want, absolutely no returns, absolutely no waste! I’ll finish what you can’t eat, alright?” Zhang Liang said with a smile.
"That's fine then, I have nothing more to say." Gao Jianfei sat down, and then he smiled, a genuine smile. He said to his female colleagues, "Did you all hear what Zhang Liang said just now? If he wants to go back on his word later, you can all be witnesses."
“Okay! We’re all notaries!” The female colleagues all nodded in agreement.
Afterwards, Zhang Liang ordered a large number of dishes and secretly asked the waiter to open two bottles of Guojiao 1573, which cost over a thousand yuan, and two bottles of red wine, which cost several hundred yuan.
Before long, plates of dishes were brought out by the cheerful, beaming waiters.
The food was served non-stop, and it took almost half an hour to finish.
A rough count showed that Zhang Liang ordered about 400 plates of various dishes.
"Hehe, tonight's expenses will be tens of thousands of yuan. Xiao Gao... you'll be crying in front of me later! Hehe, how interesting! It feels so good to play with people!" Zhang Liang chuckled to himself.
"Hehe, hundreds of dishes, Zhang Liang, you can eat them all later! I'll stuff you to death! Damn, I guess tonight's bill will only be tens of thousands of yuan. Spending tens of thousands of yuan to put a disgusting guy in the hospital is really worth it! Playing with me? Whatever..." Gao Jianfei was actually quite happy.
Chapter Forty-Three: Uncle Dong, Uncle Song
Chapter Forty-Three: Uncle Dong, Uncle Song
The golden, thick pot of shark fin soup was boiling, and the rising white steam carried a rich aroma! This aroma was unlike anything Gao Jianfei had ever smelled before; it was different from chicken soup, duck soup, and pig's trotter soup—delicious yet with a strange smell. On the surface of the pot, shark fin, shrimp, scallops, and other things were bubbling… “Is this what seafood soup tastes like?” Gao Jianfei's nostrils twitched, filled with curiosity and a strong urge to eat.
Each person has their own soup pot to cook their own food, whatever they want to eat.
The large dining table was piled high with plates, offering a wide variety of dishes in incredibly generous portions... Over 400 plates filled almost the entire table! As a result, everyone had layers upon layers of plates stacked around their left and right sides.
Seeing that everyone was subconsciously looking at him instead of starting to cook, Gao Jianfei knew that as the host, he had to be proactive and enthusiastic to create a pleasant dining environment for everyone. So, Gao Jianfei picked up a plate of sliced beef from the side, poured it into his pot, and said sincerely, "Everyone, please eat whatever you want! Don't try to save money for me, haha, let's eat!"
As soon as Gao Jianfei spoke, everyone began to cook. Zhang Liang chuckled and poured several plates of food into his soup pot. At that moment, the waiter brought in the opened drinks.
Two bottles of Guojiao 1573 and two bottles of red wine, worth several thousand yuan. All four bottles were already open. Zhang Liang gestured to the waiters, "Pour the wine."
After saying that, Zhang Liang smiled and said to Gao Jianfei, "Xiao Gao, this is the first time you've treated your colleagues to a meal. As a member of our Alice Planning Department, this meal marks your official joining us and is also our way of welcoming you. So, celebrating with drinks is a must. I ordered a few bottles of wine. You don't mind, do you?"
"Yes, no problem, absolutely." Gao Jianfei put a piece of hot, fatty beef into his mouth and chewed it a few times. Hmm, the taste was quite good, very fresh. Afterwards, the waiter poured him a glass of baijiu (Chinese white liquor). It was one of those tall, stemmed glasses that hold about 100ml, and it was filled to the brim.
Everyone's glasses were filled to the brim. Gao Jianfei and Zhang Liang naturally filled their glasses to the brim with baijiu (Chinese white liquor). Among the female colleagues, Huang Cuiyun and Chen Xian also filled their glasses to the brim with baijiu. Zou Yan and Qin Leshi, on the other hand, poured themselves red wine.
At this moment, Gao Jianfei put down his chopsticks, stood up, raised his glass, and said, "Dear colleagues, it's truly fate that we can sit here and have dinner together today. I've just joined the planning department and don't know anything. My work these past few days has relied entirely on your guidance and support. I, Gao Jianfei, will remember this kindness and friendship! In the future, I hope you will continue to teach me, and if I make any mistakes, please forgive me. Well, enough with the unnecessary pleasantries. Here, I'd like to propose a toast to everyone!" With that, Gao Jianfei tossed back his head and downed the entire two ounces of baijiu in his glass! One gulp! "I've finished mine, everyone else, please feel free to drink as you please!"
He speaks appropriately, neither servile nor arrogant, and drinks with straightforwardness and grace!
Gao Jianfei performed quite well!
In fact, when Gao Jianfei was working in his hometown, he had participated in gatherings with his colleagues. Although he had never made a speech like the one he gave today, he had seen how things worked, and after listening to others talk about it, he could easily imitate their style at crucial moments.
Everyone saw Gao Jianfei down two liang (100ml) of baijiu in one gulp, which was quite refreshing. So, everyone smiled and raised their glasses to Gao Jianfei, each returning the toast.
Like Gao Jianfei, Chen Xian downed her two ounces of baijiu in one gulp without batting an eye. Huang Cuiyun also had baijiu in her glass; she had only drunk a third of it, but seeing Chen Xian finish it in one go, she smiled at Gao Jianfei and also finished the rest of her baijiu! Qin Leshi and Zou Yan both finished their glasses of red wine.
They all gave Gao Jianfei plenty of face!
Now, only Zhang Liang was in a somewhat awkward situation... He held his wine glass, smiling as he took a small sip, about a quarter of the glass. But when he saw the women all finish their glasses in one gulp, his smile froze slightly.
"Hehe, Zhang Liang, do as you please. No pressure to drink. We'll 'feel our way across the river' (a Chinese idiom meaning to learn by doing). Drink as much as you can, don't force yourself." Gao Jianfei smiled sincerely.
However, Gao Jianfei's seemingly comforting words were, to Zhang Liang, nothing less than a sharp, sarcastic remark!
The women all downed their drinks in one gulp. If Zhang Liang didn't finish his drink today, would he still be a man?
"I'll drink it all!" Zhang Liang said, his face dark, as he downed the entire glass of wine. The smell of alcohol hit him immediately, and he quickly ate a few bites of food to suppress it. He thought to himself... "You've got guts, you country bumpkin, trying to mess with me? Fine, I'll secretly tell you what I spent tonight, and then we'll see if you're crying to me!"
After a glass of wine, everyone's spirits were quickly lifted. The women's faces were flushed with an alluring blush, and they started talking freely. They took turns toasting Gao Jianfei, their faces beaming with smiles, thanking him for his hospitality that evening. Of course, the drinking wasn't as vigorous afterward; everyone just drank a little.
"Gao Jianfei," Qin Leshi said softly, sitting down next to Gao Jianfei and holding a wine glass, "Thank you so much for what happened yesterday. I'd like to toast you!"
"Miss Qin, these are all minor matters, please don't take them to heart." Gao Jianfei picked up his wine glass and clinked it with Qin Leshi's. "Speaking of which... um... um... I hope Miss Qin won't mind my abruptness yesterday, I really didn't mean it." Fueled by the alcohol, Gao Jianfei couldn't help but mention the rather ambiguous kiss.
Qin Leshi blushed, quickly took a sip of wine, then lowered her head and murmured "Mmm," looking incredibly cute.
After a pause, Qin Leshi said to Gao Jianfei, "Gao Jianfei, don't worry, we can't possibly finish all this food. We can just return it later. If... if you don't have enough money, I... I have a bank card here, I can lend it to you. I specifically brought the card with me today because I know Zhang Liang is up to no good. You're too naive to play these tricks; you can't outsmart him! Gao Jianfei, listen to me, don't go head-to-head with Zhang Liang. He has good connections in the flower market, and his family has some influence... um, do you understand what I mean?"
Perhaps because she had drunk too much, Qin Leshi said some comforting words to Gao Jianfei, and her eyes also held a hint of concern.
Suddenly, Gao Jianfei felt a surge of warmth in his heart… Since coming to G Province from his hometown, he had met a fair number of people, but only Tang Bao and Qin Leshi had truly made him experience the feeling of being cared for! Tang Bao's care was somewhat rough, while Qin Leshi's care was delicate and touching…
"I understand, Miss Qin, thank you! Well, don't worry about me, eat your food!" Gao Jianfei picked up a plate of baby squid and poured it into Qin Leshi's soup pot.
If we disregard Zhang Liang's consistently sullen and unnatural expression, then this meal should have been very pleasant and enjoyable.
After eating and drinking for more than an hour, everyone's stomachs were almost full, and only about 80 of the more than 400 dishes on the table were eaten by the six people.
In other words, even though everyone's stomachs were almost full, there were still 320 dishes left. As agreed beforehand, Zhang Liang was responsible for finishing all of them!
Zhang Liang, however, had already finished eating. He observed Gao Jianfei... "This kid, how come he's been so calm? Talking and laughing, not nervous at all about paying the bill later, what's he thinking? I don't believe for a second that he can pull out tens of thousands of yuan to pay off today's entire bill!"
At this moment, Gao Jianfei patted his stomach and said to Zhang Liang, "Hey Zhang Liang, we're all full. Now, you finish all the food on the table! I won't return any of it. You eat it, and if it's not enough, you can order more." After saying that, Gao Jianfei took out a cigarette, lit it, and started smoking.
Zhang Liang chuckled coldly a few times, then continued cooking in his pot. He ate another serving of baby squid and a serving of country-style fatty beef. Zhang Liang felt he couldn't hold on any longer. He couldn't help but look up at Gao Jianfei.
Gao Jianfei blew a smoke ring, then threw the cigarette butt on the ground. "Don't look at me, Zhang Liang, hurry up and eat."
Seeing Zhang Liang's disheveled state, Huang Cuiyun and the others felt no sympathy for him; instead, they looked at him with a hint of schadenfreude. It wasn't that these women were mean-spirited; the key issue was that Zhang Liang's arrogant attitude when he served the food had already thoroughly disgusted his female colleagues. Now, seeing Gao Jianfei punish Zhang Liang, they naturally felt a secret sense of satisfaction.
Everyone put down their chopsticks and cups, and looked at Zhang Liang with smiles.
"Waiter, please move all the dishes to this gentleman's side," Gao Jianfei said with a smile to the waiter in the private room.
"Uh..." The waiters looked at each other, somewhat stunned.
"Gao Jianfei, what do you mean?" Zhang Liang slammed down his chopsticks and snorted.
"I... when we were ordering the food, everyone agreed that you, Zhang Liang, ordered all the dishes today, and you have to finish them. You promised that, and all the ladies here can witness it. Now you're asking me what I want to do? This... is a bit inexplicable." Gao Jianfei looked at Zhang Liang with an innocent expression.
Xiao Yanzi, ever outspoken, said, "Zhang Liang, are you even a man? You were saying that so clearly just now, and now you want to go back on your word?"
Huang Cuiyun also sighed and shook her head.
Zhang Liang was so angry he felt like his lungs were about to explode. His hands trembled as he cooked himself another serving of "pissing" beef balls. After they were cooked, he struggled to pick one up and put it in his mouth, then chewed it with gritted teeth.
Gao Jianfei stood up with a smile. "I'm going to the restroom first. Everyone, please sit down for a bit, I'll be right back!"
Gao Jianfei walked briskly into the restroom, found a toilet, closed the wooden door, and went straight into the haunted house.
As soon as Gao Jianfei entered the haunted house, the voice of the intelligent program rang in his ears... "Dear user, the soul of the Masterful Scholar Zhu Cong has been 83% pieced together. At this rate, you will see Zhu Cong in 3 hours!"
"Okay, I understand." Gao Jianfei entered the den of thieves mainly to get money.
He walked up to the canvas bag full of cash, unzipped it, counted out five stacks of bills, put them in his trouser pocket, tied them under his belt, making himself look bulging, and then, in a flash, left the den of thieves.
"50,000 yuan should be enough, right?" Gao Jianfei smiled, then came out of the latrine and went outside to wash his hands.
At this moment, Zhang Liang also walked in. Gao Jianfei saw Zhang Liang in the mirror; his belly was already bulging out, and he was burping incessantly, clearly having eaten too much.
"Heh... you country bumpkin!" Zhang Liang walked over to Gao Jianfei, struggling to turn on the tap and suck his hands. "What the hell are you doing to me?"
He spoke extremely rudely!
Gao Jianfei felt a bit like laughing and crying at the same time... Damn it, if you don't mess with me, I'll mess with you?
"Heh, rather than saying I messed with you, you're just asking for trouble!" Gao Jianfei said nonchalantly. "Alright, I'm going back to the private room now. Come back and eat later, all the beauties are watching you!"
After saying that, Gao Jianfei turned and left.
"Wait!" Zhang Liang called out from behind. "Let me tell you the truth, I already had the waiter settle the bill. If we finish all the food on the table, plus the drinks and the private room fee, the total bill for tonight is... 36,567 yuan! Listen carefully, you country bumpkin, it's over 30,000 yuan! Not 300 or 3,000! Your family couldn't earn that much even if they farmed for a year! Haha, damn it, you think you can mess with me?"
"Phew..." Gao Jianfei took a deep breath. "Luckily, it was only a little over 30,000 yuan. Otherwise, I would have had to go back to the den of thieves again." Gao Jianfei returned to the private room without looking back.
Gao Jianfei's nonchalant attitude was tantamount to slapping Zhang Liang several times across the face! His face turned completely black, utterly black, absolutely black...
Just then, a few people walked into the restroom from outside.
The leader was a tall, thin, and seemingly refined middle-aged man wearing glasses. However, a narrow-minded glint would occasionally flash in his eyes behind his lenses, revealing that he was a two-faced person.
Walking next to the tall, thin man was a short, stout, and sturdy middle-aged man. Although he was not tall, he had a solid build, a dark complexion, and bright, piercing eyes.
Following behind were three middle-aged men with fawning smiles, dressed impeccably and looking well-maintained.
"Uh? Secretary Song!" Zhang Liang turned around abruptly, took a step forward, and greeted the thin man with glasses very warmly, "Secretary Song! You're dining here too? What a coincidence!"
When the skinny man saw that it was Zhang Liang, he forced a smile and said, "Oh, Zhang Liang! Hello, hello!"
The two immediately shook hands, indicating that their relationship was fairly good.
"Who is this?" Zhang Liang asked, noticing that the short, stout middle-aged man next to Secretary Song looked familiar.
Secretary Song chuckled and introduced, "Come, Zhang Liang, let me introduce you. This is Director Dong, the deputy director of our Huashi Public Security Bureau." After a pause, he continued to introduce "Director Dong," "Hehe, Director Dong, this is Zhang Liang, the son of Huang Yue, the head of our Municipal Party Committee's Propaganda Department! His father is the head of the Municipal Sanitation Station. You could say that Zhang Liang's parents and I have a good relationship; we often visit each other."
"Oh! It's Huang Yue, Sister Huang's son? Good! Good! The young man is very handsome, not bad!" Director Dong smiled and shook hands with Zhang Liang. "Young man, your mother Huang Yue and I have known each other for a long time. We were even classmates at the Party School! Haha!"
“Yes, yes, my mom often mentions Uncle Dong to me!” Zhang Liang seized the opportunity and changed his address from “Director Dong” to “Uncle Dong”.
Director Dong didn't mind and treated Zhang Liang very well.
At this moment, Zhang Liang's eyes lit up. "Secretary Song, Uncle Dong, I've booked a private room for a get-together with my colleagues. Why don't you come over with me for a few drinks?" Zhang Liang glanced at Secretary Song. "Secretary Song, there are four female colleagues in the room, and only one man, hehe..."
Secretary Song's eyes behind his glasses lit up, and then he smiled and said, "Okay, Zhang Liang, let's go to your private room, have a few drinks."
Director Dong laughed heartily, "Alright! Anyway, we haven't had enough to drink tonight, we're not in the mood yet! Let's go to Xiao Liang's private room!"
After saying that, Secretary Song and the others went to the restroom, washed their hands, and then walked towards the private room with Zhang Liang.
"Secretary Song," Zhang Liang called out to Secretary Song on the way, and said in a low voice, "So, your nephew was bullied. It was that guy in the private room, the only male colleague tonight, a country bumpkin from the countryside, whose attitude was extremely rude. Uncle Song, could you please do me a favor and put that guy's arrogance down?" He also started calling him Uncle Song directly.
"A kid from the countryside?" Secretary Song smiled indifferently. "Alright, let's go into the private room first!"
Chapter 44 Who Dares to Touch Him!