Zhang Fei was only about 30–40% drunk at this point, but Lu Nan’s words still ignited his temper. 

What did she mean by “If you really want to toast me”? A newcomer daring to say something like that? Arrogant! 

Zhang Fei had always looked down on university graduates from campus recruitment. He felt that aside from their impressive academic qualifications, they had no real practical skills, especially the female university students, who acted pretentious and overly aloof. 

Now, when Lu Nan said such things, it reminded Zhang Fei of the humiliation he had felt in Su Province. He had tried to get close to some of the campus-recruited group-purchasing managers, but was rejected multiple times. So, Zhang Fei decided to take a step back and said, “Manager Lu, I’m doing this for your good. After all, I’ve been in the industry a few years longer than you. I’m not highly educated, so if we’re talking about theoretical knowledge, I probably can’t match you. But when it comes to drinking—no offense to you ladies—you probably aren’t my match.” 

After saying this, Zhang Fei stood up, patting his stomach, thinking he was being humorous. “These are all my battle results! As far as body size goes, Manager Lu, you’ve already lost to me. After all, your stomach isn’t as big as mine.” 

The people at the table started laughing. “Manager Zhang, is that a beer belly or a liquor belly?” Of course, some were subtly looking at Lu Nan’s face and figure. 

Lu Nan’s expression darkened, but she didn’t get angry as Zhang Fei had expected. Instead, she said slowly, “Manager Zhang, when you say things like that, it makes it seem like you’re just putting on a show. First, you bring up gender, then body size, and you keep hesitating without actually drinking. It’s really not impressive.” Anyone can talk like that, right? Normally, Lu Nan wouldn’t lower herself to talk like that as a young woman, but facing someone like Zhang Fei, she figured she could afford to lower her standards a little. 

Zhang Fei knew that Lu Nan was trying to provoke him, but he fell for it because he didn’t believe in such tactics. 

He didn’t believe that after drinking about half a liter of liquor, Lu Nan could continue drinking. 

“Using a decanter, huh?” Zhang Fei stood up and grabbed the decanter in front of a city manager, poured the liquor into his own decanter, filling it about 80% full, and provocatively looked at Lu Nan. “Manager Lu, how’s this?” 

Lu Nan reluctantly nodded, then used his method of provocation, jokingly saying, “Manager Zhang, now you’re starting to look a bit like a man.” She wasn’t afraid of angering Zhang Fei. 

It was just an 80% full decanter, and Lu Nan didn’t pour more or less, just the same amount. 

Both of them stood up, raised their decanters to each other, and drank. 

There were more eyes on Lu Nan now. 

She tilted her head slightly, revealing a delicate chin, and after a few swallows, her decanter was empty. She looked as calm as if she were drinking water. 

Zhang Fei drank slower than Lu Nan. After finishing, he looked at her, incredulously watching her pour the last drop from her decanter, standing there completely composed as if to say, “You’re not up to it.” 

Zhang Fei, still not convinced, or perhaps angered by Lu Nan’s expression, turned the table, grabbed the bottle, and began pouring more liquor into the decanter, filling it to the top. 

“Manager Lu, do you dare?” he challenged. 

By now, the atmosphere had shifted. After they had both finished their first round with the decanter, some people could already sense the tension. Seeing Zhang Fei looking so fierce, someone tried to mediate, “Manager Zhang, we’re all colleagues here, let’s just have fun and not take it too seriously.” 

But Zhang Fei wouldn’t take the hint, instead, he turned to Lu Nan and said, “I wonder if Manager Lu is having fun yet?” 

Lu Nan looked at him indifferently. “Manager Zhang, that’s a strange question. Whether I’m having fun or not isn’t up to me, it depends on timing, location, and people. As for today, let’s see if I’m satisfied after I finish drinking…” She glanced at the bottles on the floor and continued, “I think I’ll need two more bottles of Dream of Han and Tang.” 

That day, He Manlin had taken six bottles of wine from the backup stock, and four had already been opened, leaving exactly two bottles on the floor. 

Zhang Fei thought Lu Nan was bluffing—she had already consumed more than one and a half jin (750ml) of liquor, how could she drink two more bottles? 

But when he saw her face unchanged, her eyes still clear, he started to doubt: maybe today I’ve really met my match. Is Lu Nan one of those people with an exceptional capacity for alcohol? 

Zhang Fei’s expression changed, but in the end, he decided to give it another try, thinking that Lu Nan was just forcing herself. 

Seeing his change of expression, Lu Nan silently thought, He’s really stubborn. 

She turned the table, bringing the bottle closer, poured half into the decanter, then realized it would soon be empty, so she turned to He Manlin and said, “Please pass me a bottle, Manlin.” 

He Manlin, still stunned, complied and picked up an unopened bottle. When she handed it to Lu Nan, she inadvertently caught Chen Xiao’s concerned gaze—but it wasn’t directed at her. 

“Manlin?” Lu Nan called gently, noticing He Manlin’s dazed state. 

Startled, He Manlin quickly withdrew the bottle, “Manager Lu, maybe it’s better to stop. It’s not good for a girl to drink too much…” 

Her voice became softer under Lu Nan’s gaze. 

Lu Nan stared at He Manlin, and when she saw He Manlin hesitating, she reached out and took the bottle, saying, “I know Manlin’s trying to be considerate. I believe drinking too much harms the body, but it has nothing to do with gender. Everyone is different, and for someone like me, drinking moderately is fine. But I wonder if Manager Zhang has already exceeded his limit?” 

On the side, Wang Xinglong couldn’t help but chuckle softly. This girl, Lu Nan, is so clever and knows how to hide her true abilities. After working with her for more than half a year, I had no idea she could drink like this! 

Zhang Fei, unsure whether Lu Nan was bluffing, impatiently replied, “Of course not! I’ve been in the liquor business for seven years, I know my own limits. It’s just that Manager Lu is pouring too slowly.” 

Lu Nan took her time, saying slowly, “Pouring slowly is fine, drinking fast works too. Li Li, could I borrow your decanter?” 

Li Li made a gesture, and Lu Nan quickly filled two decanters to the brim. “A little tea, a lot of wine. Let’s start with a toast.” 

She picked up one decanter, drank it in a few gulps, and before anyone could react, raised the second decanter she borrowed from Li Li. “Manager Zhang, this speed won’t work.” 

She finished that one off as well. 

After drinking, Lu Nan lightly shook the ceramic bottle with her thumb and forefinger, saying, “What a pity, drinking too quickly, I can’t savor the twenty-year-old flavor. I’ll slow down with the rest—don’t worry, Manager Zhang, take your time. If you can’t handle it, just stop.” 

With that, she calmly poured the remaining liquor into the decanter, filling it to the top again. 

Everyone—both tables in the private room—were stunned. 

If Lu Nan’s earlier amount of alcohol was typical for a Yuan Chuan employee, drinking three decanters in a row and filling a fourth—this was beyond even seasoned drinkers’ limits. 

Zhang Fei, determined to compete, drank his decanter too quickly and nearly choked. If he hadn’t turned his head to cough, most of the dishes on the table would have been ruined. 

Seeing Zhang Fei choking and rushing outside to vomit, Lu Nan kindly turned to the city manager beside him, saying, “Manager Tang, please take the wine away from Zhang Fei. Although I’m not quite satisfied yet, we can’t let a colleague get too drunk. After all, we’re all on the same team. No need to take it too far, right?” 

Being called out, Manager Tang immediately followed her instructions and removed the unfinished wine from the table. 

When Zhang Fei returned after vomiting, he awkwardly apologized, “Sorry, I lost my composure.” His gaze kept drifting to Wu Chuan, trying to ease his embarrassment by making a joke. 

Wu Chuan remained stoic, simply saying, “Manager Zhang, you should learn from Manager Lu. Wine is for savoring, not for competing.” 

Lu Nan smiled faintly at Wu Chuan. 

She glanced at Zhang Fei, and found his expression quite amusing. 

Having already won over everyone with her drinking, Lu Nan quickly lost interest in Zhang Fei. She turned to Chen Lu and began whispering to her. 

*** 

As the banquet drew to a close, Zhang Fei became lively again. Of course, he no longer overestimated himself by trying to pick on Lu Nan—instead, he turned his focus to sucking up to Wu Chuan. 

It seems that the brief moment outside helped him sober up a little. 

Zhang Fei was like a leech. 

Ha, if Zhou Lei were a false gentleman, then Zhang Fei was a true villain. 

Lu Nan knew that Zhang Fei had bad intentions toward her, but she was no longer the person she once was. They were now at the same rank, and she had also brought Chen Xiao into the picture. As long as the tiny bit of brain cells left in Zhang Fei’s head wasn’t completely impaired by alcohol, he wouldn’t dare to provoke her. 

After the meal, Wu Chuan suggested that everyone go sing karaoke. 

The venue was also pre-arranged by He Manlin, according to Wu Chuan’s instructions, and they had booked a luxury room at a standard KTV. 

Inside the room, several of the girls sat together, while other city managers came over to invite them for drinks. However, the lowest-ranked administrative staff member, He Manlin, was someone they couldn’t afford to offend, so the atmosphere remained comfortable. 

Chen Lu asked Lu Nan, “Are you okay?” while picking some small tomatoes from the fruit platter for her. 

Lu Nan picked one and ate it, saying, “No problem at all.” 

“Lu Nan, are you a person who never gets drunk?” Chen Lu said, almost envious. With Lu Nan’s alcohol tolerance, it would truly be a waste for her not to be in this line of work. 

Lu Nan smiled awkwardly. She couldn’t exactly say she had a golden finger, could she? 

However, her smile was interpreted by the girls around them, who had been secretly listening to the conversation, as an implicit admission. 

Xu Yao said to Lu Nan, “Lu Nan, I believe you’ll do great in Hua’an City because you can definitely drink all the distributors and lower-level staff into submission.” 

“Thank you for the compliment, Yao Yao.” Lu Nan didn’t want the conversation to revolve around her, so she shifted the topic. “What do you all want to sing? I’ll go pick a song.” 

Zhu Lingling said she was completely tone-deaf and wouldn’t sing; 

Li Li requested two classic old songs, and Chen Lu picked a sweet female vocal track; 

Xu Yao kept nudging He Manlin with her elbow, then finally said to Lu Nan, “Pick ‘Little Dimples’ for us.” 

Lu Nan noticed that He Manlin seemed a bit distracted tonight. Then she thought: Ah, the mysteries of love. 

She gave an “OK” gesture and said, “Is that it? Then I’ll pick a few songs from the chart, and if anyone wants to sing, just grab the microphone when the time comes.” 

After Lu Nan walked away, Xu Yao said to He Manlin, “The songs have been arranged for you. The rest is up to you.” 

He Manlin hesitated and seemed a bit timid. “I…” 

“You’re really killing me here. What’s with you? Brother Xiao is leaving in a couple of days. You’ve been dragging your feet, and you haven’t shown any sign of affection yet. Do you want to regret it after he leaves? Tonight’s a great opportunity. Start with a love song duet to set the mood. Afterward, when the event ends, you can confess to him! If it works out, great! If not, then we’ll all move on. What do you think?” 

After hearing Xu Yao’s words, He Manlin looked at Chen Xiao, who was chatting with Wu Chuan on the other side of the room. She gritted her teeth and said, “Alright, I’ll do it.”