Chapter 25: Undercurrents at the Banquet Table

  After everyone sat down, two factions naturally formed.

  The people in the Secretariat Department followed Qi Daguang's right hand and were Zhao Pingyuan, Zhang Guoping, Wan Peng and Huang Li.

  The members of the comprehensive group are Qian Meihua, Fan Yibing, Liu Chunna and Zheng Xiaomin, in order from left to right, following Chu Tian Shu.

  Right in between was Driver Lao Miao and Little Zhu.

  The dishes and wine are all ready.

  As everyone's cup was filled with liquor, Chu Tian Shu said: "Qi Ke, give the instructions."

  "Hehe, Chu Ke, it's your turn to speak, it's your turn to speak." Qi Daguang didn't take the opportunity this time. He sat in the main seat, and if he still made a opening remark, then according to the convention at the wine table, the person sitting in the main seat would have to pay the bill.

  Chu Tian Shu understood Qi Da Guang's meaning and stood up with his wine cup.

  Chu Tian Shu said: "Today, entrusted by Qi Ke, I invite everyone to gather together. First of all, thank you for your presence. This cup, I'll first toast to everyone." After finishing speaking, he immediately flipped the wine cup over.

  Everyone stood up with a loud cheer and downed their drinks together.

  Refilling the wine, Chu Tian Shu said to Qi Da Guang: "Come on, Qi Ke, I'll toast you a glass. From now on, our whole office will still be troubling you to take care of us."

  "There's nothing to say about it. However, Chuko, you're the dark horse of our office and have a wide range of connections, so the comrades in the secretarial department also hope you'll take care of them more, hehe." Qi Daguang said with a sarcastic tone, and deliberately glanced at Zhao Pingyuan and others.

  "Zi Ko, our comrades in the office are all looking forward to your rapid advancement, and the younger brothers below can also bask in your glory, haha." Chu Tian Shu glanced at Zhao Ping Yuan and Fan Yi Bing, and immediately said with a smile.

  Zhidaguan forced a smile and clinked glasses with Chutianshu.

  "Chu Ke, Qi Ke has been promoted, and the only ones who can bask in his glory are dark horses like you. As for us old-timers, there's no hope left, we can only ask our leaders to take care of us more. Come on, let me toast Chu Ke with a cup." Zhao Pingyuan immediately picked up where Chu Tian Shu left off.

  It can be heard that Zhao Pingyuan is unhappy in his heart, but Chu Tian Shu still smiled and had a drink with Zhao Pingyuan.

  Zhao Pingyuan had just sat down when Zhang Guoping stood up and shouted: "Chu Ke, this old slippery fellow also wants to toast you a cup, won't you give him some face?"

  Chu Tian Shu listened to these words and understood in his heart that the several people from the Wen Mi Department had been harboring resentment towards their own promotion, wanting to gang up on him at the wine table.

  However, since they're offering a smile and a toast, Chu Tian Shu couldn't very well refuse in public, so she gritted her teeth and clinked glasses.

  Zhang Guoping sat down, and Wan Peng stood up again with a cup in his hand.

  With Chu Tian Shu's capacity for liquor, the first round of attack was more than enough, but what he feared most was that Wen Mi Ke would not give up easily, launching wave after wave of rotating attacks, determined to make Chu Tian Shu lose face in public.

  As expected, after a few people from the Secretarial Department finished paying their respects, Qi Daguang started to provoke Fan Yibing again: "Old Fan, now that Xiao Chu has become your superior, do you have any opinions about it?"

  This made Fan Yibing very embarrassed, but he couldn't show it on his face, so he said: "Qizhi, our comprehensive department can have someone become the head of the department, I'm happy and haven't had time to react yet, how could I have any opinions? No opinion, no opinion."

  "Ha ha, no objection! Why haven't I seen you toast your department head's wine?"

  Oh no! Zhi Daguang has finished mobilizing the people from the Wenmike Department and is now starting to mobilize the masses from the Comprehensive Department.

  Fan Yibing helplessly raised his wine cup.

  "Chu Tian Shu smiled and said: 'Fan Ge, you mustn't get the direction wrong. Qi Ke is our office's biggest leader, if we want to show respect, it should start from Qi Ke.'"

  "Right, right, right! Chu Ke is absolutely right!" Fan Yibing stood in front of Qi Daguang with a cup in his hand.

  Zi Daguang refused to get up and excused himself: "I am the head of the Wenmi Department, Chu Ke is your leader. You should pay respects to your leader first."

  Against the four marshals of the Secretariat, Chu Tian Shu was still not confident, and if he let Qi Da Guang mobilize the people in the Comprehensive Department again, today would be a complete loss of face. Seeing this, Chu Tian Shu quickly shifted the direction of the struggle and said loudly: "Qi Ke, your words are unfair! The Secretariat and the Comprehensive Department are both working under your leadership, isn't that right?"

  Who dares to say no?

  Everyone followed suit and echoed in agreement.

  Zhidaguan was extremely pleased, holding up his wine glass and standing up, laughing: "Haha, thank you for your appreciation. Since Xiao Chu has said so much, I'll just have to obey, first toast everyone a cup. From now on, our office is one family."

  Zhao Pingyuan immediately said: "Right, we are all Qi Ke's people."

  After finishing this cup, Qi Daguang sat down and turned his head to ask Zhao Pingyuan: "Little Zhao, what did you just say? Are we all my people?"

  Zhao Pingyuan saw that Chu Tian Shu was being very accommodating everywhere, and he also felt very pleased in his heart. He casually said: "Right, working in the office under your leadership, if it's not your person then whose person is it?"

  "Haha, is Huang Li one of mine?"

  Zhao Pingyuan was taken aback, he and Zhang Guoping both had some feelings for Huang Li, not long ago they had gained the upper hand in the competition, Huang Li had just agreed to be his girlfriend, Qi Daguang knew this, how could he suddenly ask such an embarrassing question?

  Zhang Guoping followed with a shout: "Little Zhao, say, is Huang Li Qike's person?"

  Qida Guang raised an eyebrow and winked, although Zhao Pingyuan was not very pleased in his heart. He remembered that Qida Guang had instructed him before leaving the house, and when they got to the wine table, he must listen to his unified command. Looking at him smiling so slyly, he knew he had bad intentions, so he gritted his teeth and replied: "Yes, Huang Li is a person of Qi Ke, everyone here is a person of Qi Ke."

  Huang Lihong's face turned red as she lowered her head and kicked Zhao Pingyuan under the table.

  Zi Daguang laughed loudly and turned his head to say to Chu Tian Shu: "Little Chu, I really appreciate one of your phrases."

  Chu Tian Shu smiled and said: "Hehe, Qi Ke, I'm not very particular about minor matters, sometimes I like to talk nonsense, please criticize me more in the future. Come, let me toast you another cup."

  Zhidaguan pushed away Chutianshu's cup and continued: "Xiao Chu, I'm not talking nonsense. I really appreciate that sentence of yours - 'My people, even the king can't move.' It's so bold! The leader chose you as the head of the comprehensive department, it was a great choice." After finishing speaking, he still couldn't help but sneak a glance at Liuchunna.

  Zhao Pingyuan finally came to his senses, clapping his hands and shouting: "Yes, that's the kind of leader Qi Ke is. Whatever happens in the secretarial department, he takes care of it for us, it's really great!"

  Zhang Guoping also said: "Right, everyone will follow Qi Ke in the future, it's definitely okay."

  Driver Lao Miao and Xiao Zhu hadn't turned the corner yet, but they stood up with a smile and chimed in: "That's right, from now on we're people of Qizhou, if there's anything wrong at work, please forgive us."

  Qī Dàguāng put on an air of superiority, holding up his cup and laughing: "No problem, no problem. As long as everyone looks up to me, Qī Dàguāng, then everyone's business will be my business. Come, let's toast."

  Everyone took another swig.

  Zhao Pingyuan sat down, grinning at Liu Chunna: "Hey, little Liu, why aren't you toasting Qi Ke's wine? You're not unwilling to be Qi Ke's person, are you?"

  This joke is a bit too straightforward, its purpose is obviously to embarrass Chu Tian Shu.

  Zhidaguan gazed at Chutianshu with a drunken expression.

  Huh, didn't you say Liu Chunna was your person and even the king of heaven couldn't touch her? Now Zhao Pingyuan says she's my person, what do you have to say about it? If you agree, you'll lose face; if you disagree, that's publicly slapping me in the face.

  Chu Tian Shu could only pretend he hadn't heard.

  Liu Chunna sat on the chair, seeing Chu Tian Shu's embarrassment, her face turned red, holding a wine glass and walked to Qi Da Guang's side, saying loudly: "Qi Ke, come, I'll also toast you with a cup. In the future, please give me more guidance." After finishing, she raised her wine glass, her small mouth opened, and the wine glass was already empty.

  "Xiao Liu, good capacity for liquor! Haha." Qi Daguang smiled complacently and clinked glasses with Liu Chunna.

  Liu Chunna poured another cup of wine and said to Chu Tian Shu: "Chu Ke, you are also a leader, I'll toast you with a cup too."

  Chu Tian Shu also didn't say another word and clinked glasses with Liu Chun Na.

  After drinking, Liu Chunna didn't go back to her seat, but pointed at Huang Li and said: "Hey, Little Huang, do you have any opinions about the leaders? Why haven't I seen you toast the leaders?"

  Chu Tian Shu nodded secretly, although Liu Chunna was not usually bold, at the critical moment she did not hesitate. Not only did she calmly resolve Zhao Pingyuan's provocation without making a sound, but also bluntly defeated his girlfriend Huang Liyi.

  "Little Liu, sorry about this, Huang Li really can't drink." Zhao Pingyuan hastily stepped in to make excuses for Huang Li.

  Qian Meihua couldn't bear it anymore and said discontentedly, "Xiao Zhao, what is Huang Li to you? Why are you so protective of her? The beauties in our comprehensive department can toast the leaders, why shouldn't the beauties in your secretarial department do the same?"

  Fan Yibing was also not lenient at this time, holding a wine glass and saying: "Yes, Qi Ke, I'll toast you another cup, and by the way, please say something. The office is all one family, can't be thick and thin, right?"

  Chu Tian Shu shifted the spearhead, and Qi Da Guang was momentarily excited. He was toasted by everyone for several cups in a row. At this moment, he was slightly drunk. After clinking glasses with Fan Yi Bing, he sat down to criticize Zhao Ping Yuan: "Little Zhao, that's where you're wrong. If Little Liu can drink, why can't Huang Li?"

  Zhao Pingyuan suddenly discovered a new continent and pointed at Zheng Xiaomin, saying: "The comprehensive department also has a little beauty, why hasn't she expressed her opinion?"

  Qian Meihua said: "Others are still young and inexperienced."

  "Haha, just now Little Fan said that we are all colleagues in the office and can't be partial. Zhao Pingyuan grasped the lifeline and put his arm around Huang Li's shoulder, looking at Zheng Xiaomin with a pleased expression: "Zheng Xiaomin drinks, our Huang Li also drinks."

  Zheng Xiaomin is a temporary employee, not an official member of the organization. This was her first time attending such a gathering, and she had never seen a scene like this before. She kept to herself, lowering her head and blinking her eyes as she looked around at the commotion. Unexpectedly, Zhao Pingyuan shifted the blame onto her in order to give Huang Li an excuse, causing her to become flustered and anxious.