The venue, meals, and accommodations for the provincial semi-annual meeting were all at the Navy Guesthouse in Wanghai City. So, on their first day there, Director Xiang and Manager Wang took a few neatly dressed group purchasing managers to toast the leaders from the military, thanking them for their support for Yuan Chuan Qianjiang Province’s office, and so on. That day, Sasha drank a bit too much, got tipsy, and had a heart-to-heart talk with Lu Nan and poured out a lot of her feelings. 

But now, due to the sudden typhoon, more than one hundred people from the provincial office had to stay at the guesthouse for at least one extra day—of course, the expenses would definitely be covered. However, the unplanned meals and accommodations for so many people undoubtedly added to the workload and unnecessary trouble for the guesthouse. 

So, General Director Xiang indicated that they would arrange another cocktail party in the evening to provide convenience for the leaders. 

Sasha said it’s a tough battle because… the people in the Navy can really drink. 

Originally, General Director Xiang intended to ask the city manager of Wanghai City to find a more upscale place for people to sing, with the expenses reimbursed by the provincial office. 

But as soon as he mentioned it, the city manager of Wanghai City shook his head repeatedly. “Director Xiang, the recent political trend is to promote integrity. Even if you make arrangements here, the leaders of the navy will not come.” 

“What should we do then?” 

Chen Xiao suggested from the side, “The guesthouse should have an activity center, right? We can use the activity center, keep the lights bright, we’ll provide the alcohol, and then let the guesthouse help procure some cold dishes, melon seeds, peanuts, and fruits. They can play some games like passing the drum and singing duets. This should be fine; we can still promote in a more positive way…” 

Chen Xiao’s implication was understood by the Director and several city managers. After thinking for a moment, the General Director said, “Young people are quick-witted and have many ideas. Let’s do it this way. I’ll go talk to the leaders.” 

Later, when selecting tonight’s alcohol, there was a small issue. General Director Xiang insisted on using Yuan Chuan Harmony Wine, saying that the company had been promoting this new wine for many years, but its popularity had never been built up, so they must seize every occasion to promote it. 

However, Manager Wang didn’t agree. For many years, Yuan Chuan Group had used Yuan Chuan Classic Wine as a gift to the troops during the August 1st visit. If they rashly changed the product line and the flavor, it would be bad if the leaders had some thoughts in their minds…” 

Chen Xiao was speechless about the nonsense between the two of them, but he had too patiently mediate. In the end, a compromise was reached for tonight’s drinks: there would be both the classic 20-year vintage “Dreams of Han and Tang Dynasties” (as per Manager Wang’s suggestion) and the 12-year “Unity of Heaven and Man” (insisted upon by General Xiang). 

After settling the matter, Chen Xiao nodded to follow General Director Xiang’s instructions and went with the Wanghai City Manager to the reserve warehouse to fetch the drinks. He glanced at He Manlin, the internal affairs clerk, who followed along, and nodded, “Let’s handle it as Director Xiang wishes. We’ll use the drinks from the Wanghai reserve warehouse first and replenish it from the provincial reserve warehouse later.” 

When nobody was paying attention, Xiao He replied with a helpless smile. 

Shortly after, Chen Xiao received a message from He Manlin. “You’re really stuck between Director Xiang and Manager Wang. It must be tough.” 

Chen Xiao glanced at his WeChat but didn’t reply and just put his phone back in his pocket. 

Over half an hour later, He Manlin received a message. “Sorry, I was busy just now. Sister Lin, remember to send me the list from Wanghai, including the tasting bottles from the classic series meaning the unpackaged bottles with the labels ‘tasting’ and ‘not for sale’ in them. We’re running low, so I’ll need to request more from the warehouse.” 

He Manlin felt a bit disappointed but promptly replied, “Sure, don’t worry. I’ll send it right away. The list is as follows: Two items of the 20-year-old classic wine totaling twelve bottles, and two items of the 12-year Harmony wine totaling sixteen bottles. All together, twenty-four bottles.” 

“Received, thank you.” 

Although the tone was strictly professional, He Manlin still saved this exchange along with several day’s worth of chat records with Chen Xiao, carefully reviewing them again, feeling a mix of sourness, bitterness, and a hint of sweetness inside. 

Having a secret admiration is quite humbling; just a random message from the person can make you incredibly happy, but if they don’t reply for a long time, you’ll be filled with anxiety and insecurity. 

… 

After talking to Sasha, Manager Wang also informed a few newcomers in the work group about tonight’s arrangements. Since it wasn’t a visit to an entertainment venue, he didn’t just inform female colleagues but also approached several experienced male colleagues—those who could hold their liquor and had good looks. 

Regardless of whether the invited individuals were willing or not, everyone responded actively in the group. 

The guesthouse’s activity room already had sound systems and LED screens ready. With a bit of setup, it would look quite impressive. 

Roughly speaking, there was a gap between Dong Hui’s vision of a lavish event and what they actually saw. Unable to contain herself, Dong Hui blurted out, “Can they really do it like this?” Wang Xiaoxue quickly pulled her aside and quieted her. 

The music was a mix of military songs and old songs, and it created an atmosphere of a military-civilian friendship gathering. 

For a group of young women whose ideas of “socializing” mainly came from movies and imagination, this scene was quite shocking. 

Li Li instructed Liu Yang and others, “Take care of the newcomers.” She then said to the newcomers, “Find a place to sit on your own, don’t just stand there dumbly. Sit apart from each other—don’t huddle in a corner.” 

Sasha pulled Lu Nan aside and whispered, “This isn’t our territory in Wanghai City, no need to show off, got it?” The semi-annual meetings rotated through different cities within the province, meaning they wouldn’t be back in Wanghai City for another three to five years unless their work brought them here. So why try so hard? 

Lu Nan nodded understandingly; she knew this already but appreciated Sasha’s reminder. She sat inconspicuously with Sasha, and soon Yan Kai joined them. 

“Just in time—let’s play a game,” Sasha said as she took out the dice and a cup. 

Sitting idly would draw more attention in this kind of gathering. 

But whether they seek attention or not, there will always be a time when you’ll be asked to make a toast, and there’s no way to avoid it. 

“Director Xiang will definitely pull us all out for a stroll. Especially the two of us, we’re probably in the top three in terms of looks in the office…” Sasha whispered softly, and Yan Kai couldn’t help but smile. 

Sasha glared, “What, did I say something wrong? Or do you have a different opinion?” 

Yan Kai shook his head, raised his glass, and signaled to take a sip. 

Only then did Sasha nod contentedly, “I’m just speaking the truth.” 

On the leadership side, Director Xiang, of course, first brought Li Li and Zhou Tian. The two of them were group purchasing managers of the provincial office. Given their age and experience, they were indeed the most capable people in the entire provincial office in terms of business and social skills. Their toast gestures and speeches were just right—respectful but not flattering. 

Comparatively speaking, Liu Yang’s makeup is a bit too heavy with powder, and her posture is a bit too lazy. No matter how many times she sees it, Lu Nan is unwilling to call the girls who do group buying ‘dusty.’ Chen Lu, on the other hand, seems more restrained and overly cautious. 

The rest of the newcomers might as well have “inexperienced” written directly on their faces. 

Sasha and Lu Nan were indeed the most youthful and beautiful presence in the whole scene.