Zhang Fei had just transferred to Qianjiang Province not long ago. 

After arriving, he had only heard of Lu Nan—knowing that she was very capable, recognized by the leadership, and well trusted and liked by distributors. 

In short, this young lady had some real skills. 

However, he was dismissive of these rumors in his heart: What kind of real skills could a girl who had just graduated from college possibly have? 

When he saw Lu Nan in person for the first time this morning, Zhang Fei felt a stir in his heart. 

He had a thing for obedient-looking girls. 

Teasing them verbally, watching them show embarrassment and shame, gave Zhang Fei a sense of satisfaction in his heart. 

It was just a pity that the city he was in charge of, Jujiang, didn’t have any group purchasing personnel, and even more unfortunate, Lu Nan had already become the city manager. 

Otherwise, he could have applied for assistance with group-purchasing staff, claiming that Jujiang had potential medium-sized distributor clients, or even small distributors with a contract amount of two million. With this reason, he might have been able to arrange for Lu Nan to be transferred to Jujiang. 

But it was too late to think about these things now, Zhang Fei felt regretful. 

The young lady was right in front of him, and if he didn’t tease her, he would feel uncomfortable, so after the monthly meeting, he called Lu Nan over. 

Based on the saying “the face reflects the heart,” he speculated that Lu Nan’s temperament must be relatively gentle. 

So Zhang Fei approached her with the usual flirtatious attitude he used with new campus recruits. 

The kind of remarks that weren’t explicit but still ambiguous. 

Zhang Fei had used this method many times before and it always worked. 

To his surprise, Lu Nan responded calmly, without hesitation, and even turned the situation to her advantage. 

If it weren’t for the mysterious background and current position of Chen Xiao, Zhang Fei would have definitely walked out of the meeting room and made a sarcastic joke about both Chen Xiao and Lu Nan. 

However, not provoking Chen Xiao didn’t mean that Zhang Fei was willing to let the slight of Lu Nan disrespecting him go. 

Wasn’t the banquet a good opportunity? 

Zhang Fei was sure that tonight, most of the city managers would go find Lu Nan for a drink. 

They might not want to make things difficult for a girl, but a newcomer who had only been in the job for half a year—especially a woman—now had the same position as everyone else. 

Even if she was a university graduate, this would make most of the city managers, who had worked their way up from the grassroots level, feel somewhat uncomfortable. 

Once the banquet began, Zhang Fei thought: “You dared to offend me, an outsider city manager, but do you dare to disregard the faces of all the city managers in the province? There are twelve prefecture-level cities in the province, and apart from you, me, and Manager Wang, there are nine other city managers and the still-serving Hua’an city manager. Each one of them will toast you. Ten toasts with a two-coin wine glass equals two liang. What’s more, they won’t stop at just one toast. How much can you drink? Four liang? Six liang? Or one jin?” 

He smiled innocently, despite the malicious thoughts brewing inside him. 

Zhang Fei was willing to be the first one to “test the waters.” 

He took the wine decanter, filled his glass, and walked to Lu Nan’s side: “Manager Lu, we’re both newly appointed, it’s fate, we should have a drink.” 

The phrase “fate” really was like a brick—wherever it was needed, it could be moved. 

Somehow it always came out of the mouths of people she disliked. Lu Nan felt like blacklisting the word altogether. 

That said, she had already anticipated Zhang Fei would pull something like this. 

She stood up from her chair, took a half-step back, maintaining a distance of about 60 to 70 centimeters, and said, “Manager Zhang, you are too polite. You are the senior here, I can’t accept you coming over to drink with me. How about this, I’ll toast you instead. Please drink as you wish.” 

She filled her own glass, lightly clinked it against Zhang Fei’s—slightly lower than his—and downed it in one go. 

Her actions were bold, and the other seated city managers cheered. 

It was clearly an attempt to stir things up. 

Zhang Fei was stunned for a moment, but immediately drank his own glass in response to their cheering. 

His goal was to get Lu Nan drunk. If he only sipped, he wouldn’t achieve that—and might even be mocked by the other city managers. 

What Zhang Fei didn’t expect was that before he could say anything to push for a second round, Lu Nan had already taken the initiative to speak. 

She filled her glass for the second time and said, “This glass is for you, Manager Zhang. I appreciate the advice you gave me at lunch about how to develop channels. Although the situations in Hua’an and Jujiang are completely different, your experience probably isn’t suitable for Hua’an. But I still appreciate your thoughtful gesture.” 

The other city managers seated around the table looked at each other, their gazes wandering: Guidance? It didn’t sound like genuine guidance. But the way Lu Nan said it didn’t seem grateful either—it sounded more like she was slapping him in the face on purpose. 

Zhang Fei felt a flash of embarrassment and anger, quickly trying to smooth things over: “Manager Lu is exaggerating. It’s not about guidance, just that we can learn from each other and progress together.” 

Lu Nan smiled faintly with one side of her mouth, as if saying, “Fine, I don’t agree with what you said, but I’m not going to argue with you. I’m just giving you face at the drinking table.” 

It was hard to say how a simple smile could carry such complex emotion—and look so good doing it. Proud and beautiful. No wonder— 

First, she was good-looking; second, the sarcasm wasn’t aimed at them. 

So the other managers thought. 

Lu Nan and Zhang Fei drank the second round. She showed her empty glass, then poured herself a third glass: “This one is for you, Manager Zhang. I wish you great success in Jujiang and may your performance hit new highs.” 

Zhang Fei clenched his teeth and filled his own glass. 

After three rounds, if Zhang Fei continued to drink with Lu Nan, it would seem excessive—she had proactively drunk three glass, and as a grown man, it would clearly look like he was taking advantage of his seniority to bully her. 

Before stepping back, Zhang Fei didn’t forget to stir the pot: “I have to admit, I’m really impressed by Manager Lu. Truly a woman of great ability, not losing to any man. Brothers, the rest is up to you. Drink big and strong, after all, we can’t let Manager Lu outshine us.” 

Chen Xiao gripped his chopsticks a little tighter, ready to step in. 

Lu Nan, anticipating his move, casually shifted her gaze toward him and subtly shook her head. She had to handle this situation herself! 

Chen Xiao pressed his lips together, glanced at his watch in frustration, and held back his urge to speak. 

Soothing Chen Xiao only took a second or two—just enough time for Lu Nan to smile and say, “Manager Zhang, stop stirring things up here, trying to make trouble. None of the seniors had this intention, but after you mentioned it, now I have to compete with you in drinking.”  

There was both a hint of annoyance and reproach in her words. Though her tone was sweet, if you listened closely, there was an undercurrent of mockery. 

Hearing Lu Nan’s words, Zhang Fei gritted his teeth in anger. However, since she was a girl and she said this with a smile, if he took it seriously, it would make him seem unable to take a joke. 

When had Zhang Fei ever suffered such a subtle loss? In the past, it was always him, relying on his silly image and honest appearance, who made fun of others. 

Although Zhang Fei had bad intentions, the competitive spirit of the other city managers was also stirred up at the table. 

Isn’t she just a girl in her early twenties? 

This was the thought in the minds of most of the city managers present. 

So, the city manager of Hua’an, who was about to be transferred, came over to toast Lu Nan, which seemed like a natural thing to do. After all, they were about to do a handover as colleagues, and it was a form of connection. 

For reasons unknown, after drinking a glass with Lu Nan, the other person refused to leave. 

Lu Nan didn’t mind and smiled, drinking three glasses with him. 

Then came the third city manager… 

Wang Xinglong noticed the situation was not right. He secretly glanced at Chen Xiao and saw that after putting down his chopsticks, the knuckles of his clenched right hand under the table were turning white. He understood the situation, so he cleared his throat a few times to draw everyone’s attention: “What are you all doing? Trying to bully our people from Hailin City office?” 

Zhang Fei couldn’t figure out Chen Xiao’s background, but he wasn’t afraid of Wang Xinglong. “Brother Wang, Manager Lu isn’t working under you anymore. She’s out there handling things on her own now. Sooner or later, she’ll have to go through stuff like this. We brothers are just helping her gain some experience.” 

It sounded reasonable, but anyone present could understand the emphasis in Zhang Fei’s words, right? 

All that “working under,” “brothers,” and “helping gain experience.” 

These were all words with ulterior motives. 

Wang Xinglong caught a glimpse of Chen Xiao relaxing his fist, placing his hand back on the table and tapping rhythmically. After working together for a year, he knew that Chen Xiao’s mood was not good at this moment. 

Wang Xinglong silently cursed Zhang Fei and all eighteen generations of his ancestors. How could he say something so disgusting and insidious? Not to mention, Wang Xinglong’s own principle was never to mess with people close to him. Besides, someone like Lu Nan wasn’t even his type. Most importantly, with how much Chen Xiao looked after Lu Nan—if he dared to have any bad intentions, how could he keep working in Yuan Chuan? 

Wang Xinglong, feeling choked, wasn’t sure whether he should continue speaking up for Lu Nan. 

Zhang Fei was the type to think vulgar jokes were funny. 

Lu Nan noticed Wu Chuan frowning slightly too and made her judgment. She pretended not to understand and said, “I’m from Hailin City. Manager Wang, Brother Xiao, and Sister Li were all my supervisors. They really looked after me when I was just starting out. Thank you for the reminder, Manager Zhang. I should definitely give them a proper toast. But first, let me thank you for the heads-up. Let’s have a drink.” 

Lu Nan downed her drink first. Zhang Fei had no choice but to follow. 

Right after that, Lu Nan added, “Manager Zhang, you only mentioned Manager Wang, but you left out Brother Xiao and Sister Li. That’s a bit of a slip-up, don’t you think? Shouldn’t you drink one as a penalty?” 

The young girl held her empty glass with a hint of provocation in her eyes. Zhang Fei felt displeased, but with everyone egging him on, he had no choice but to drink the second glass. 

“You deciding whether this self-punishment is enough is not up to me; it’s up to those you’ve overlooked,” Lu Nan turned to Chen Xiao and Li Li, adding a bit of weight to her words. 

Chen Xiao didn’t speak, but his expression clearly showed agreement with Lu Nan’s words. 

Li Li was even more direct, smiling as she said, “I also think Manager Zhang’s self-punishment is not enough. After all, it’s the two of us, me and Manager Chen.” 

Manager Chen. 

Zhang Fei couldn’t find a way to respond and drank a third glass. 

At that point, he had already drunk six glasses at Lu Nan’s instigation. 

As for Lu Nan, she had drunk less than him, and still calmly said, “Manager Zhang, don’t let your glass become a fish tank.” Her attitude was quite infuriating. 

The other city managers were now sure: Although Manager Lu is young, she’s not simple at all! 

That only made them more eager to challenge her. 

*** 

Sitting beside her, Chen Lu noticed that Lu Nan had already drunk more than ten glasses and was starting to worry about her. 

Chen Lu quietly said to Lu Nan, “Maybe you should spit a bit into your tea cup. Later, I can help you change the cup.” 

Spitting into the tea cup, soup bowl, or towel was one of their common tricks, and spilling alcohol on the carpet was another, though the latter required a bit more skill. 

Lu Nan gently shook her head, thanking Chen Lu for her kind suggestion. 

Who were the people present today? 

Wu Chuan, the general director of the provincial office—Lu Nan speculated about his personality. He probably appreciated people who directly admitted they couldn’t drink anymore, rather than those who tried to fake it. The other city managers were all experienced veterans of the drinking scene. They would easily see through tricks like fake drinking or spitting out alcohol. 

Lu Nan had known for a long time that when facing these people, the only way out was to really drink. 

If you hold the alcohol in your mouth after a toast without swallowing, they won’t directly expose you. 

They’ll just say a few more words after the toast, words that require you to respond. At that point, you won’t be able to use those tricks—because you can’t speak with alcohol in your mouth. You’ll have to swallow before you can reply. 

In her past life, Lu Nan had never been afraid of these people thanks to her decent natural tolerance and later practice. This life, however, had given her an inexplicably useful “golden finger,” so she wasn’t backing down. 

The 20-year-old classic liquor was undoubtedly of excellent quality, and Lu Nan thought to herself, It’s a shame I’m destined to be like Zhu Bajie eating ginseng fruit tonight—unable to taste the flavor. 

After all the city managers, except for Wang Xinglong, had gone through their rounds of toasting with Lu Nan, she smiled and tapped her glass on the glass table: “Manager Wang, this one’s for you.” 

Wang Xinglong had no idea how he managed to finish the drink. He was troubled—he hadn’t noticed before that Lu Nan had a bit of a temper. 

Everyone at the table could tell that Lu Nan toasting Wang Xinglong wasn’t the end, but just the first round. 

Soon, Lu Nan stood up, holding the wine decanter. 

It was time for her to take the initiative. 

Of course, she started with Wu Chuan. 

Wu Chuan didn’t expect this young Manager Lu to dare do such a thing. He nodded slightly, drank the wine in his glass, and said to Lu Nan, “Manager Lu, just do your best, don’t force yourself.” 

Wu Chuan meant well. He thought Lu Nan’s insistence was a poor decision. After all, she had to take on more than ten people—how could she possibly drink them all? If she lost control in the end, no one would remember the initial advantage she had gained, only that she had overestimated herself. 

Lu Nan “humbly accepted but didn’t listen,” and turned to smile at Wang Xinglong and Chen Xiao. 

These two were the ones she genuinely didn’t dislike, so they deserved the first glass in the second round. 

Chen Xiao’s eyes were full of disapproval. 

But Lu Nan, very determined, held her glass and filled it with wine for him. 

Chen Xiao had no choice but to drink it down. 

Lu Nan smiled and turned to the next person. 

She took the initiative, drank from three pitchers of wine, and calmly returned to her seat. 

Zhang Fei estimated that Lu Nan had drunk about half a kilogram of alcohol by now. 

He thought that no matter how good a woman’s drinking ability was, it must have limits, right? This was 53-degree white liquor, not beer or rice wine. 

Lu Nan had likely reached her limit by now, right? 

Zhang Fei, confident in his own drinking capacity, didn’t stand up this time. Instead, from across a few people, he called out to Manager Lu and raised his glass to toast her. 

Lu Nan lightly tapped her wine glass on the glass table to respond and drank it down with ease. 

After a while, Zhang Fei came again. 

Lu Nan frowned and said, “Manager Zhang, that’s not very generous. What’s the point of these little sips? If you really want to toast me, you should drink from the pitcher.”