Inside the private room, everyone was chatting and laughing, making it exceptionally lively.
The Zhenfu Division's Deputy Commander, Chen Ping'an, was all smiles, completely unaware of anything amiss.
"He's just a child after all!"
Watching Chen Ping'an's demeanor, the Chu Family elder, Chu Dingkang, felt a sense of relief.
After this probing, the representatives of the various forces present understood the situation: it seemed this New Vice Commander was weak and easily bullied! There was much to be gained in future power struggles!
Just as everyone was clinking glasses, a message came from outside the door.
"Liusha Gang Protector, Uncle Gu, has come to pay his respects!"
"Oh? Uncle Gu is here!?"
Chu Dingkang put down his wine cup and looked towards the door with a smile.
"It's Uncle Gu?"
"Hahaha... the Liusha Gang certainly has ideas!"
"Interesting!"
The others present also looked on with interest at the scene that was about to unfold.
Upon hearing that the Liusha Gang's representative had arrived, Cheng Renjing and the other Zhenfu Division members' expressions grew increasingly grim.
Uncle Gu, Protector of the Liusha Gang!
He was considered a high-ranking member of the Liusha Gang, but he wasn't part of the core hierarchy!
Most crucially, Uncle Gu hadn't even stepped into the Inner Qi Realm!
Although the leaders of the other forces present hadn't personally come to pay their respects, the representatives they sent were, at the very least, martial arts masters who had entered the Inner Qi Realm!
And this Liusha Gang, not only were they late, but the representative they sent was merely in the Qi Blood Realm!
This was truly a painful slap to the Zhenfu Division's face.
Outside the private room, a short, stout middle-aged man entered; it was precisely Uncle Gu, the Liusha Gang's Protector.
After entering the private room, Uncle Gu did not immediately greet Chen Ping'an. Instead, he looked at the representatives of the various forces present and greeted them one by one.
"Elder Chu!"
"Elder He!"
"Elder Song!"
"......"
Uncle Gu's reaction amused the representatives of the major forces present.
This Liusha Gang was truly arrogant!
Their own attempts at probing were already somewhat excessive. They never expected the Liusha Gang to come up with something even bolder.
This was getting interesting!
They were curious to see how the New Vice Commander would react.
After greeting all the force representatives, Uncle Gu finally stood straight, cupped his fists, and gave a slight bow to Chen Ping'an.
"Uncle Gu greets the Deputy Commander!"
Uncle Gu hadn't even finished his bow, nor did he wait for Chen Ping'an's response, before hastily retracting it.
"You!"
Cheng Renjing couldn't help but slam the table and stand up.
"Uncle Gu!"
A Zhenfu Division Squad Leader named Pang, sitting next to Cheng Renjing, also couldn't help but shout out.
The bow was sloppy, the demeanor casual, and there was no mention of being late!
Uncle Gu's actions clearly showed he didn't put the Zhenfu Division in his eyes.
"It's fine!" Chen Ping'an waved his hand at the two of them.
"Lord!" Cheng Renjing was furious, but seeing Chen Ping'an look at him without speaking, he could only sit back down, feeling stifled.
Chen Ping'an looked at Uncle Gu with a benevolent smile: "A guest is a guest! Have a seat first!"
"Thank you, Deputy Commander!" Uncle Gu gave a perfunctory fist-cupped salute, showing no sign of respect, and casually found an empty seat to sit down.
"Hahaha, Commander is indeed magnanimous! I, Chu, admire you!" Chu Dingkang said with a beaming smile, giving a symbolic salute with an empty hand.
"Indeed! Commander is not bothered by trivial matters; he is truly a role model for our generation!"
"With Lord Chen in our Baishi City, we will surely be able to deter all the petty scoundrels and ensure peace and tranquility!"
"Hahaha... that's right! That's right, Lord Chen's character, I, He, truly admire it!"
"With such a broad mind, Commander, we can't help but feel reverence in our hearts."
Representatives from other families praised him one after another, though it was unclear whether they were mocking him or genuinely praising him.
Cheng Renjing and the others' expressions grew increasingly grim, especially Cheng Renjing himself, whose face was almost alternating between green and pale, clearly suppressed to the extreme. If not for Chen Ping'an still being present, he would have almost slammed the table and left.
"You're too kind, too kind." Facing everyone's praise, Chen Ping'an accepted it with a smile.
"Come, Commander, I toast you!" The atmosphere in the room was as usual, as if nothing had happened. A representative from a force raised his cup to toast, with a beaming smile, but his heart was full of disdain.
Presumably, after tonight, the various major forces within Baishi City would reach a consensus: that the New Vice Commander was weak and easily bullied, and could be molded as they pleased.
For the new appointment of a Zhenfu Division Deputy Commander, according to usual custom, each Family would naturally present a congratulatory gift. As the banquet drew to a close, the representatives of the forces present also presented their gifts one by one.
The preciousness of the gift often represented the degree of importance placed on the host. For a welcoming banquet for the Zhenfu Division's second-in-command, a city's magnate, in the specific context of a first meeting, if the value of the gifts presented by these forces was less than five hundred taels, they would simply be too embarrassing to give. In other places, if they encountered a particularly powerful Zhenfu Division, it would be perfectly normal to present heavy gifts worth thousands of taels.
However, when it came to Chen Ping'an, most of the gifts presented by the various force representatives present did not exceed three hundred taels. The gift presented by Uncle Gu of the Liusha Gang was even somewhat insulting.
It was an ordinary folding fan; its only value came from the jade beads adorning it.
But no matter how you calculated it, its value did not exceed one hundred taels!
"Deputy Commander, with your delicate and frail appearance, this fan suits you perfectly! If you weren't wearing a fish-scale uniform, I'd have thought you were just a scholar."
Uncle Gu wore a smile, subtly tinged with mockery.
Deputy Commander?
Pah!
The Liusha Gang doesn't recognize you, so what are you worth?!
Even if I only give you a folding fan, you still have to accept it happily!
After Uncle Gu finished speaking, several people standing beside him couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Listening to Uncle Gu say that, it really does suit him!"
"Commander, if you carry this folding fan, you'll look like someone who is both literary and martial!"
Their words were full of mockery.
"Commander, this folding fan is good! Look at the landscape ink painting on it, it's truly full of Concept!" Chu Dingkang said with a smile.
Tonight's events had completely shattered the prestige of this New Vice Commander!
Judging by Uncle Gu's reaction, the Liusha Gang's provocation was almost explicitly laid out.
The task the Chu Family gave him was to adapt to the situation, with the main goal of probing the New Vice Commander's reaction without excessively harming the harmony between the Chu Family and the Zhenfu Division.
He had prepared three gifts tonight: one worth three thousand taels, one worth one thousand taels, and one worth four hundred taels.
The gift he presented tonight was the latter!
Chen Ping'an leaned forward, listening to Chu Dingkang speak: "Oh, really? Let me see!"
Chen Ping'an's gaze fell on the folding fan in Uncle Gu's hand. At the same moment, a cold gleam suddenly flashed.
Swish!
Uncle Gu's head suddenly flew into the air, and after reaching its highest point, it plummeted, rolling on the ground. The rolling head still retained traces of disdain and mockery.
Chen Ping'an's expression was calm. He took the folding fan from Uncle Gu's still-warm hand, examined it for a moment, and nodded to Chu Dingkang: "Hmm, it really does have a lot of Concept. Elder Chu has good taste!"