Li Jian saw the atmosphere growing increasingly tense and looked at Lin Chuxia with concern.
He saw that she was fearless, smiling slightly, “Director Liu, you’re joking. As you said, how could a small individual like me have such a big appetite? I’m just trying to make a living, and the formula is my capital for eating. I rely on it to eat. You wouldn’t deny me even this, would you?”
Director Liu’s eyes darkened as he looked at Lin Chuxia. A factory director personally coming to meet a small individual like Lin Chuxia was already giving her enough face.
Vice Director Feng was also someone he had invited. Was she not afraid of offending the Market Management Bureau and having a difficult path ahead?
“Is Mr. Lin indeed intent on embarrassing me, Mr. Liu?”
He almost spat out each word, clearly indicating the suppressed anger in his heart.
Lin Chuxia continued to maintain a polite smile, “Where on earth, Director Liu? I was hoping you would be generous to give me, a small individual, a way to survive…”
“Smash…”
The wine glass shattered as it hit the ground.
Director Liu stood up with a face full of anger and coldly dropped a sentence, “Truly ignorant of the ways of the world, unappreciative of kindness.”
He left the private room without regard for anyone else’s face, leaving straightforwardly.
Gao Hui immediately stood up, gave Lin Chuxia a cold glance, and followed Director Liu.
The atmosphere in the private room reached freezing point the moment Director Liu slammed the glass. Su Wensong immediately stood up and shielded Lin Chuxia behind him.
Lin Chuxia toyed with the wine glass in her hands, listening to the footsteps fading away, carelessly chuckled lowly, and looked at the other two people.
“I’ve embarrassed Director Feng and Brother Li today with poor hospitality. Let’s change places and I’ll make it up to Director Feng with a few good drinks.”
Li Jian spoke suitably, “Lin, this situation really isn’t good. It’s our first time sitting together with Director Feng, and this was indeed inappropriate. You deserve some punishment for this, Director Feng, don’t you think?”
Feng Kaiwei indeed wasn’t pleased, but he was displeased with Director Liu.
He had merely come today as a favor to the food factory from the bureau’s side. And there he was, storming off in a huff, completely disregarding the face of the mediator.
That’s the thing with state-owned enterprises; these people have lived too comfortably in the past.
Even with policy changes, they fail to see the situation clearly.
Still acting like they’re the lords.
Instead, the two young people here, whether it’s the woman Lin Chuxia or the young official Li Jian, were deft and adaptable.
He nodded, “Alright,” finding a new interest in these two.
Lin Chuxia’s eyes brightened, gratefully glancing at Li Jian. Her brother really proved his strength today.
Without the lowering of status Li Jian facilitated today, she would truly not be in a position to invite Vice Director Feng.
She signaled Su Wensong to make arrangements.
The group moved to a small privately-owned restaurant. It wasn’t a big place, but the owner was very hospitable and the food tasted great.
Lin Chuxia and Su Wensong flattered Vice Director Feng, with Li Jian coordinating by their side. It was evident that Vice Director Feng was pleased with the meal.
After a fulfilling meal, Lin Chuxia had Su Wensong accompany Vice Director Feng for a while.
Watching him disappear into the night, Li Jian still felt a lingering fear and sighed, “Let’s try to have fewer of these situations in the future.”
With Director Liu’s demeanor, if Lin Chuxia had shown any weakness, they really might not have been able to keep the formula.
And indeed, Lin Chuxia was astute; if it wasn’t for her perceptiveness, today could have not only offended Director Liu but possibly Vice Director Feng as well.
Now, not only did they not offend anyone, but from the conversation over the meal, Vice Director Feng actually seemed quite impressed with Lin Chuxia. This proved the woman was indeed very capable.
Lin Chuxia drank a bit too much alcohol. In this sort of situation, among the few gathered here, she had the least clout, so she could only show sincerity through drinking.
Of course, it’s not like you can simply drink more alcohol to get things done; it’s all about seizing the opportunity.
If seized, one might soar to great heights in the future, or at the very least, catch a favorable wind.
If missed, such opportunities won’t come easily again.
She steadied her forehead but didn’t forget to thank Li Jian, “As long as Brother Li is here, I hope for more events like this one.”
Seeing Li Jian look back at her, Lin Chuxia smiled genuinely and honestly, “Brother Li, I’ll be counting on you to take me along in the future, just like today. Help me out with things, and when Brother Li gets promoted, you’ve got to include me in your fun.”
Li Jian just felt she was drunk and speaking nonsense, “Which eye of yours sees me getting promoted?”
“Sister can tell fortunes, remember?”
She playfully patted Li Jian’s shoulder as if slightly intoxicated.
“Believe it or not, I believe you will be promoted. Let’s set this straight, when Brother Li gets promoted, you can’t leave me behind.”
Li Jian chuckled without much heart, “Alright, because of what you said, whether or not I get promoted, I won’t forget you. Wherever I can take care of you, I will.”
Lin Chuxia was satisfied, “See, if I say you can, then you can.”
“Okay, are you all confused from being drunk now?”
Li Jian pointed at Lin Chuxia and spoke to Su Wensong, who had just returned, “Hurry and take your boss home, and you too, being her assistant and not knowing how to hold her drink.”
Su Wensong quickly supported Lin Chuxia and nodded, “Got it, Director Li, you be careful on your way home, I won’t see you out.”
“I’m fine, you guys go ahead.”
“Brother Li, you go first; I’ll watch you leave, then we’ll head off,” said Lin Chuxia again.
Helpless, Li Jian saw that they really wouldn’t move until he left, so he had to ride his bicycle away first.
Once they could no longer see his figure, Su Wensong supported Lin Chuxia back, “Mr. Lin, let me bike you home,” then ride another bike back home.
Lin Chuxia directly pulled her arm back and pushed the bicycle, “I’m fine, let’s walk together.”
Su Wensong looked at her in surprise, nowhere was the drunkenness from earlier; her gaze was as clear as if she hadn’t drunk at all.
“Mr. Lin, you aren’t drunk?”
“I drank quite a bit, but not enough to get drunk.”
Su Wensong saw she truly didn’t seem drunk and realized why she didn’t fend off the drinks herself at the table.
Their Mr. Lin really could hold her liquor.
Lin Chuxia didn’t quite think that way; in such a setting, she was a small business owner still needing the protective wings of the two big shots at the dinner table. Could she afford to let an assistant drink for her?
She didn’t really agree with the mentality that drinking reveals true intentions, but born in this era, she also had to go with the flow.
The culture of the drinking table, you have to understand it too; this is also the foundation for their survival as businessmen.
When they got home, Qin Han and his wife hadn’t slept yet and came out when they heard noises.
Worried they’d disturb Mr. Qin and Mrs. Qin, Qin Han spoke in a very low voice, “How is your sister-in-law? Is she alright?”
He had guarded the entrance of the State-Owned Restaurant with Jia Liang and Hou Xiaobao, and was truly shaken when he saw the food factory director and Director Gao storming out.
Just as he thought to rush in to check on his sister-in-law and the others, he saw his sister-in-law and Su Wensong coming out laughingly with Li Jian and Vice Director Feng.
His sister-in-law signaled they were fine and told them to go back first, but he was still anxious to know what exactly happened.