Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Ignoring it
But faced with such a situation, what could she do?
At the dinner table, it’s often impossible to refuse something if you don’t want to accept it.
And to some extent, Huang Haoxiang was her boss.
So at this moment, she really had no choice.
It was just that Liu Zheng was unaware of the relationship between them.
Huang Haoxiang saw the usually inconspicuous Liu Zheng make such a move at this time, and his face instantly darkened.
The smile hooking his lips seemed forced.
Then, he immediately gave a look to the few brothers beside him.
If he were to stop it himself, it would look somewhat unsightly, so he wanted to let others speak these words for him.
Sure enough, after those people caught Huang Haoxiang’s glance, they immediately stood up and began to speak.
"We’ve just started the year, and as we all said, this is a game. If you drink for her like that, it’s a bit too sly for a newcomer."
"Yeah, yeah, Liu Zheng, I think you shouldn’t do this. Just now Huang Haoxiang did it, and now you’re doing it too. What exactly are the two of you trying to imply?"
"Indeed, if you really can’t play, then you shouldn’t have joined the game from the start."
"Hey, by doing this you’re making Chen Xiaoxiao, our beauty, feel awkward. She never thought about having you drink for her; you acting this way is kind of hilarious."
...
Each person had something to say, and their tone was full of blame, clearly intending to discourage Liu Zheng from proceeding with his action.
Hearing these words, Liu Zheng found them laughable. Did their logic really make sense?
He couldn’t fathom what kind of nonsense was in their minds, but to help cover for Huang Haoxiang, they could recognize such absurd words as true, which indeed broadened his horizons.
In truth, he could have ignored all this, but now, with the situation having escalated to this point, he was well aware of what the outcome would be if he didn’t stand up for himself at this moment.
"Is that so?"
He asked with an enigmatic smile playing on his lips.
Wang Yong had been bragging and drinking with others just a moment ago, but now, sobered by the turn of events, he quickly stepped forward to Liu Zheng’s side, ready to pull him away from in front of Chen Xiaoxiao.
"Hey, don’t take it too seriously, everyone. Liu Zheng has never been to such a gathering before; he might not understand our customs. Don’t mind him too much."
After speaking, he immediately turned his head to look at Liu Zheng.
"Alright, alright, buddy, that’s enough. Better return to your seat now."
Then he whispered into Liu Zheng’s ear.
"Don’t mess with them. Lately, Huang Haoxiang has been on a roll inside, with both money and power—he’s someone we can’t afford to offend."
"I’ve been struggling with my real estate business, but they still manage to carry on just fine, which shows their status is no ordinary matter."
He spoke softly, and Liu Zheng obviously understood what he was trying to convey.
Liu Zheng was no fool. Even without Wang Yong’s words, he knew Huang Haoxiang’s current status was likely not something he could provoke.
Perhaps others felt the same way.
Nobody wanted to add fuel to the fire.
And he understood even better why Wang Yong had advised him to leave at this time.
It was simply because Wang Yong was in the same industry, and business dealings were inevitable. A direct confrontation could become quite ugly.
But he was completely different.
He didn’t need any opportunities from them nor did he have to cater to their whims, for he wouldn’t benefit from them in any way.
And at the moment, he simply couldn’t stand such behavior. How could he possibly remain silent and do nothing?
But he also knew that Wang Yong really wanted to extricate him from this situation, and since that was the case, he wouldn’t drag Wang Yong down with him.
"Fine, go do your thing. Who considers you a brother?"
After saying this, he pushed Wang Yong away.
At that moment, Wang Yong stood completely stunned, mouth agape, unable to utter a single word in the face of the situation, truly at a loss for what to say.
At this moment, Liu Zheng also slowly addressed the people before him.
"You say I don’t understand the rules, but nearly all of you are forcing someone to drink. Is this your understanding of the rules? A bunch of grown men bullying a weak woman, do you think you’re more aware of the rules than me?"
"What kind of rule is this? I’d like to hear your reasoning."
After hearing these words, a hint of shock appeared in everyone’s eyes. They were indeed astounded, having never expected Liu Zheng to openly say such things in front of so many people.
And Huang Haoxiang’s complexion had become extremely ugly, like shit.
He had thought it impossible for anyone to defy him at the dinner table, but he had completely underestimated Liu Zheng, who was a thorn too hard to dislodge.
The brothers who appeared to want to say something hesitated for a long time, uncertain of how to respond.
They knew all too well how despicable their own actions were, merely trying to ingratiate themselves with Huang Haoxiang.
Seeing that no one else spoke up, Liu Zheng just smiled.
"What’s the matter? Weren’t you quite eloquent just now? You were quick to speak; why can’t you counter me now?"
He didn’t stop attacking but continued in a sarcastic tone.
He was curious to see how these people would react.
He had already made himself perfectly clear.
If they continued to force drinks, that would be truly ridiculous.
And now, a fire of anger was burning in Huang Haoxiang’s heart—he had not expected Liu Zheng to dare spoil his plans.
No matter what, he could not let Liu Zheng off easily.
Quickly, he once again gave a signal with his eyes to the brothers beside him.
No matter what, he couldn’t make a move himself.
And when the brothers beside him saw that look, they clearly understood what he wanted them to do.
Although they were rather helpless in the situation, and even reluctant to continue speaking, since Huang Haoxiang had already made his position clear, they couldn’t refuse.
