Green tea was certainly good.
But it couldn't hold a candle to Maotai when it came to bringing people closer.
"They should be here soon."
Jiang Hongfei understood Section Chief Guo's hint, of course, and replied quietly. He was anxious too. After preparing the tea set, he'd hurried straight over, afraid that arriving late would keep him from joining the drinking session from the start.
He'd thought that delivering a bottle of Maotai would be a simple matter, and that Jiang Shu and the waiter would already be waiting at the door.
He hadn't expected there to be no sign of them at all, even now!
What would be the point of bringing out the Maotai after the dishes had already been served?
Unable to hold back, Jiang Hongfei opened Weixin and sent Jiang Shu a message: "Why aren't you here yet? Hurry up, hurry up! Bring it straight in!"
The message sank like a stone into the sea. There was no reply.
As the people around the table chatted and laughed, Jiang Hongfei grew more and more impatient. His scalp even started to itch.
"Knock, knock, knock."
At last, someone knocked on the door.
Jiang Hongfei, who'd been watching the entrance, immediately stood and hurried over.
The waiter pushed open the door and came in. On the tray he carried was a bottle of Maotai.
Jiang Hongfei let out a long sigh of relief. Beaming, he took the Maotai from the waiter. He didn't even spare a glance for his younger cousin still standing at the door, instead turning straight toward the dining table, ready to pour Director Zheng the first glass.
By the entrance, Jiang Shu's lowered eyes remained calm.
His cousin really was getting more and more calculating.
If his grandparents hadn't both been there tonight, wanting to see their eldest grandson, Jiang Hongfei, he wouldn't have followed him all this way.
But this was where it ended.
"Head back soon. Grandpa and Grandma are waiting."
After giving Jiang Hongfei one last reminder, Jiang Shu didn't care to see who the so-called big shot was. He turned to leave.
With a cousin like this, there was no getting through to him.
If Grandpa and Grandma really wanted to see someone, they could have Jiang Yongren come instead.
"Jiang Hongfei's cousin is so ill-mannered!"
Section Chief Guo, who had just lifted his teacup for a sip, nearly dropped it as a thought flashed through his mind.
This wasn't some ordinary dinner between friends!
No matter how low Jiang Hongfei's status was, he was here to keep Director Zheng company!
Could his family really be more important than Director Zheng?
This was utterly outrageous!
He hurriedly stood up, ready to reprimand the boy.
Just then, a voice rang out beside him. "Jiang Shu?"
The familiar voice carried across the small private room and reached Jiang Shu as he turned away.
Jiang Shu looked back. The middle-aged man in the seat of honor was smiling at him.
A hint of awkwardness appeared on his face.
"Uncle Zheng, what a coincidence."
It was over.
The moment Jiang Shu spoke, that was the only thought in Jiang Hongfei's mind.
He never should have let Jiang Shu stay!
He knew Jiang Shu had come to call him home, yet he'd still asked him to run an errand.
What an idiot he was!
Now that Jiang Shu had spoken, should he go home or stay?
Leaving would show disrespect to Director Zheng.
But if he stayed, would Director Zheng think he was unfilial?
Jiang Hongfei's scalp prickled, and his steps froze. The joy vanished from his face, which flushed red.
He had absolutely no idea what to do.
And yet, at that moment—
In his eyes, Director Zheng was an untouchable presence, high above the clouds. But Director Zheng had actually called his cousin by name.
And his cousin had even called him Uncle Zheng.
What was happening to the world?
His cousin Jiang Shu was still in high school, wasn't he?
His second uncle was just a retired worker who drove for Didi, wasn't he?
His aunt was just running a little clothing shop, wasn't she?
With a family like theirs—
How could Jiang Shu know Director Zheng?!
Section Chief Guo, who had stood up at the dining table and was about to say something, also changed expression. If the boy could address Director Zheng as Uncle Zheng, could he have some kind of background?
A dozen thoughts ran through his mind. Looking at Zheng Yanbo, he said obsequiously, "Director Zheng, you know this young student? Come, come, young man, have a seat over here. Make yourself comfortable and have something to eat."
As he spoke, Guo left his seat and started ushering Jiang Shu over.
He changed faces in the blink of an eye, bending without breaking. A man who'd climbed to his position was hardly comparable to a hotheaded greenhorn like Jiang Hongfei.
"Mm. If you're not in a hurry, Jiang Shu, come sit for a while. I have something that might need a little help from you."
Only after Zheng Yanbo spoke did Jiang Shu take a few steps forward and enter the private room.
In this world of reality, there weren't many people who had truly helped him.
Zheng Yanbo was one of them.
Those few words in the principal's office had been genuine guidance.
Though Jiang Shu had worked out quite a bit on his own, what he'd deduced was only the broad direction, not the details.
A single word from a true master could be worth a thousand books.
Only after learning about Heaven and Earth Precious Medicine and Exotic Beast Meat had his goal truly become clear.
On Mystic Star, he would cultivate his martial arts far beyond those of his peers and obtain as many martial resources as possible.
Then, using all kinds of resources, he would rapidly increase his strength in another world where resources were monopolized!
A virtuous cycle!
"Uncle Zheng, just tell me what you need."
Jiang Shu walked over to Zheng Yanbo, keeping a few steps of distance from Ye Zhenzhen beside him, and spoke.
"Let me introduce you. This is the immensely popular star among you young people, Miss Ye Zhenzhen. You've heard of her, I'm sure. She'll be filming a martial arts promotional video in Ji City soon. Since you're both young, you can share some pointers about Horse Stance."
"Even if it's only a promotional video, a little extra rigor is a good thing. And since it's a promotional video, it makes sense to have one man and one woman. I was wondering earlier which star we could bring in. But looking at you, you're every bit as good-looking as those male celebrities—if not better."
Zheng Yanbo set his teacup aside. "Of course, it's your decision. You're taking the college entrance exam, so your schedule is tight. If you have time, you can set a few days aside to film. It'll do you more good than harm. Besides earning a decent fee, you'll build up some popularity."
"These days, popularity means money. You can't practice martial arts without money."
Zheng Yanbo thought highly of Jiang Shu.
He'd given him another timely favor. If Jiang Shu's future really took off along with Xia Kingdom's rising tide, then what Zheng Yanbo had done today, just a few months later, would bring him immeasurable benefits.
Of course, beyond the investment, he genuinely liked Jiang Shu's temperament.
He was straightforward, repaying kindness with kindness and grudges with grudges.
That was the sort of person who was most suitable to deal with.
"I should have time recently."
Jiang Shu replied immediately, without much thought.
In Pingling County, he'd already become a formal disciple of the Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School. He only needed to grind the three methods—practice, nurture, and combat—to perfection, and he could smoothly master Roaring Tiger Mountain Strength and become a Skin Grinding Realm martial artist.
In reality, his Full Body Vital Energy Circulation was underway. If he spent a little more time bringing Horse Stance to perfection, he'd be absolutely certain to get into the academy.
Setting aside a few days to film a martial arts promotional video wouldn't be a problem.
Before you continue