"He looks a bit unfamiliar—whose friend's kid is he, Charles?" Neil Ping raised his wine glass, smiling broadly at Evan Lin. "Judging by his age, he must still be a student. Now, I know students aren't really supposed to drink, but my own son Ryan Ping is a student too. Besides, today we're celebrating Manager Sheng's recovery, so a little wine is fine. What do you think, Charles?"
Neil Ping smoothly shifted the topic away from Evan and onto Charles Chen, giving him a polite smile.
Everyone at the table turned their attention from Evan to Charles. Charles cursed inwardly, but since Evan had come with him, he couldn’t just cut ties at a moment like this.
Charles poured himself a glass of wine, put on a smile, and stood up. "He's a friend's kid—never learned to drink, and he's pretty introverted. If he does anything wrong, I'll apologize to Manager Sheng for him. I’ll drink this cup on his behalf."
Charles downed the wine in one go, feeling his throat burn with heat.
"Oh, Charles, one glass isn’t nearly enough! Everyone knows you can hold your liquor. At the very least, you should do three. And since Manager Sheng is our host today, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to disrespect him."
"Here, let me fill you up." Leo Liu stood up, talking as he refilled Manager Sheng’s glass without waiting for a response.
"This is my private stash—sixty-two percent proof. Charles, if you can't handle it, don't push yourself." Haiyang Sheng watched Charles, a faint smile on his face. Though his words sounded casual, his eyes never left the wine glass in Charles’s hand.
Sharon Lu looked worried, but Charles gritted his teeth and forced a smile. "No, no, it’s fine. Today is Manager Sheng’s recovery banquet. Leo’s right—I should drink a few more cups."
"Besides, Manager Sheng only recovered thanks to Manager Ping bringing in Doctor Wu the Miracle Healer. I’ll drink all three." Charles drained his glass, and Leo Liu immediately refilled it.
After three straight cups, Charles was already feeling dizzy, his face flushed red.
"Yes, that's true. This time we really have to thank Neil, and of course, Doctor Wu the Miracle Healer." Haiyang Sheng didn’t spare a glance at the dizzy Charles, instead turning to Neil Ping and Doctor Wu, then raising his own glass. "Come, let me toast you both first."
"Oh, not at all. I’m just repaying a favor to Manager Ping. If you really want to thank someone, Manager Sheng, it should be him. Without his request, I wouldn’t have stepped in." Doctor Wu the Miracle Healer smiled faintly, looking mysterious and inscrutable.
As he spoke, Doctor Wu was sizing up Haiyang Sheng. He found it odd—his prescription should have made Sheng’s condition worse, not let him get out of bed.
But seeing how lively Sheng looked now, Doctor Wu couldn’t help feeling a bit suspicious. Still, he kept up the polite act.
Neil Ping went along with the situation. His original plan was for Sheng to stay sick and step down, so he could take over as general manager.
But things weren’t so bad now. At least Sheng was starting to favor his side and drifting away from Charles—which was exactly what Neil wanted.
"Well, you can’t put it all on me. It’s Doctor Wu’s skill, plus Dean Victor Lu and the doctors from Brightsea City General Hospital, that made this happen." Neil Ping laughed and raised his glass, toasting Dean Victor Lu.
Susan Pang smiled warmly. "Neil, you’re too modest. Our Haiyang only recovered thanks to everyone here. Thank you all so much."
Charles drank four cups on an empty stomach, his face growing redder and his head spinning.
But at the banquet table, Haiyang Sheng kept ignoring him on purpose, which left Charles feeling bitter inside.
"You should drink less," Sharon Lu whispered, worried as she watched Charles.
"It's fine, really." Charles shook his head and tried to clear it, then stood up with his glass, smiling at Haiyang Sheng. "Manager Sheng, you see, Neil Ping has been doing all the work lately. I’ve been a bit careless, so I’ll punish myself with a drink."
"Well, Charles, that’s not quite true. When Haiyang had his accident, weren’t you the first one to get him to the hospital?" Haiyang Sheng didn’t reply, but Susan Pang nodded at Charles as he finished his drink, though she didn’t reach for another glass herself.
Charles had barely swallowed the wine when Leo Liu came right up, grinning. "Come on, Manager Sheng can really drink—three cups at least!"
Before Charles could say anything, Leo Liu topped off his glass again.
Staring at the freshly refilled glass, Charles felt his mind go blank.
Sixty-two percent baijiu, on an empty stomach, and drinking fast—he’d already had over six taels. Charles felt his head slipping out of control.
For a moment, Charles just stood there with his glass, while everyone at the table stared at him.
Neil Ping gave a fake smile. "Charles, don’t tell me you’re done already? That won’t do—a man can’t just give up. Or are you planning to disrespect Manager Sheng over a few drinks?"
Sharon Lu got anxious and stood up. "Charles isn’t feeling well today—let me drink for him instead."
As she spoke, Sharon tried to take the wine glass from Charles’s hand.
"Hey, that won’t do, Sharon. You’re a woman—since when do women drink in place of men at the table? No way, no way." Henry Shen cut in, leaving Sharon red-faced with embarrassment.
"It’s all your fault!" Lynn Chen had never seen her father treated this way before.
Whenever they ate out before, people always toasted her dad, Charles Chen, and he’d never been forced like this.
Seeing her father humiliated, Lynn’s eyes reddened and she glared at Evan Lin. In her mind, it was all because Evan refused that drink earlier.
And at this moment, Evan was still eating!
Hearing Lynn’s words, Evan glanced at Sharon Lu, whose face was full of embarrassment and worry, and sighed softly.
"Stop it. Sit down. I’ll drink—of course I’ll drink!" Charles pressed Sharon back into her seat, staring at his glass, his vision swimming and his stomach churning.
Neil Ping sneered, while Leo Liu was already set to refill Charles’s glass yet again.
Lynn Chen’s eyes were red with tears, and the looks around the table were full of meaning.
Charles grit his teeth, ready to down the drink, when suddenly a hand reached out from beside him.
"I’ll drink this one for Uncle Charles."
"And I have a proposal."
Evan Lin suddenly stood up, took the glass from Charles, and stared straight at Neil Ping. "Since we’re celebrating Uncle Sheng’s recovery, as the younger generation, it’s only right for me to drink a few more cups."
"Uncle Sheng has just recovered, so he shouldn’t drink too much. How about you, sir—would you like to drink with me instead?"
"For every cup you drink, I’ll drink three. We’ll keep going until the wine is gone or someone falls."
"How about it?"