The company get-together

They had only been in the car a short while when Liang Hong glanced at Chen Hao in the rearview mirror. Disdain immediately filled his eyes, and he suddenly asked, "Chen Hao, Sun Jiaqi told me you're delivering takeout these days?"

Chen Hao could naturally hear the mockery in his voice, so he replied, "I stopped doing that ages ago."

Liang Hong thought little of it, but Sun Jiaqi frowned in confusion beside him. "Huh? Why did you stop? What have you been doing these past few days, then?"

Chen Hao hurriedly explained, "I found a job with great prospects. Trust me, in six months at most, I'll have saved enough for our wedding."

"Really?" Sun Jiaqi's eyes lit up, and the gloom on her face vanished.

But Liang Hong sneered and poured cold water on her excitement. "Please, Chen Hao. Do you know how much it costs to get married in Zhonghai City? At least put some thought into your bullshit."

Those words instantly irritated Chen Hao. "Listen, Liang Hong, nobody's going to think you're mute if you keep your mouth shut."

Hearing his harsh tone, Sun Jiaqi immediately punched Chen Hao's shoulder and softly scolded him. "Chen Hao, what are you saying?"

Liang Hong remained unruffled and continued driving. "If you're talking about marriage, a home is a must. Do you know how much a home costs in Zhonghai City now? You can save enough in six months? Go on, tell us what kind of job will earn you ten million in half a year."

"Just because you can't earn that much doesn't mean nobody else can. Stop judging everyone by your own narrow little worldview. It's ridiculous, you know that?" Chen Hao shot back without hesitation.

Even the usually even-tempered Liang Hong finally began to lose his patience. Still, he held his temper and continued sarcastically, "Fine, fine, you're the best. I don't want to argue with you. I only said all that to help Sun Jiaqi face reality."

"Face what reality?" Chen Hao was no fool. He heard the implication in Liang Hong's words, and his temper flared.

"Enough!" Sun Jiaqi, who was sitting beside Chen Hao, finally shouted. She turned her face away and fell silent.

Chen Hao hurriedly tried to comfort her, but it was no use.

At that moment, Liang Hong's and Chen Hao's eyes collided fiercely in the rearview mirror.

Neither said a word, but the hostility in their eyes was unmistakable.

Chen Hao knew perfectly well that the bastard Liang Hong had deliberately said those things for Sun Jiaqi's benefit. He wanted to drive a wedge between them so he could swoop in.

Still, Chen Hao had plenty of faith in Sun Jiaqi. She would never change her mind over a few words from Liang Hong.

But nothing was absolute.

Since entering the workforce, Chen Hao had seen far too many people do things that went against their own wishes, worn down by social pressure and circumstances beyond their control.

So, for the sake of his own happiness, Chen Hao had to pick up the pace.

Otherwise, with a boss like that around Sun Jiaqi, he really was afraid something might happen.

Soon, the car stopped outside an entertainment club called Nightlife.

Once they got out, Sun Jiaqi wore a stony expression. No matter how Chen Hao tried to coax her, she barely responded, leaving him looking unhappy too.

Liang Hong watched from the side, looking unbearably smug. If Sun Jiaqi hadn't been there, Chen Hao would have gone over and slapped him twice.

When they entered the private room, it was already packed. People were singing, drinking, smoking, and shaking dice, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Seeing Liang Hong and the others arrive, a crowd immediately gathered around them.

Despite her sour mood, Sun Jiaqi had to force a smile in front of her friends to keep up appearances. She joined a circle of close female friends, some singing and others drinking.

Chen Hao, however, felt rather awkward. Apart from Sun Jiaqi, he knew practically nobody there, so he sat alone in a corner of the sofa and smoked in silence.

After just two songs, Liang Hong suddenly took the microphone and addressed everyone. "Quiet down, everyone. I'd like to say a few words."

Liang Hong had grown up well-off and was now a department manager at a large company, so he carried considerable weight in this circle.

"I'm glad we could all get together again today. Everyone's usually busy with work, so make sure you enjoy yourselves tonight."

As soon as Liang Hong finished, a suck-up loudly chimed in, "That's right! Our very own Manager Liang Hong is treating us today. This room alone costs over four thousand—that's half a month of my salary! Let's all thank Manager Liang."

Following the suck-up's lead, everyone applauded Liang Hong's generosity.

A few female admirers also began gushing among themselves.

"Wow, Manager Liang is such a catch. If only he were my boyfriend."

"Keep dreaming. He owns a home and a car in Zhonghai City, and he's already the marketing manager at Zhongtian Technology at his age. He has an amazing future ahead of him. Why would he be interested in you?"

Listening to the chatter around her, Sun Jiaqi unconsciously looked at Liang Hong with a trace of envy.

Only after thoroughly enjoying everyone's flattery did Liang Hong speak again. "Thank you for your enthusiasm. I'd also like to take this opportunity to formally introduce a new friend."

The moment Chen Hao heard that, he had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, Liang Hong raised his hand and directed everyone's attention straight toward Chen Hao.

"This is Chen Hao, Sun Jiaqi's boyfriend. Let's give him a warm welcome."

As everyone applauded him, Chen Hao could only stand up with a smile and give them a perfunctory wave.

But just as he stood, Liang Hong added, "I forgot to mention, Chen Hao delivers takeout. Next time you order something, remember to support his business."

The moment those words left his mouth, the applause was drowned out by mocking laughter.

Chen Hao's expression darkened at once. Sun Jiaqi, who was sitting on the sofa, also flushed bright red with embarrassment.

The corner of Chen Hao's mouth twitched as he locked eyes with Liang Hong. Once again, sparks seemed to fly between their clashing gazes.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned strange.

At that moment, one of Liang Hong's close buddies stepped forward to smooth things over. "Liang, don't let some delivery guy spoil the mood. Come on, let's play three-card brag."

At the mention of three-card brag, a group of men immediately gathered around, finally easing the tension in the room.

But Liang Hong clearly had no intention of letting Chen Hao off the hook tonight.

"Chen Hao, want to play three-card brag?" Liang Hong called to him with a smile.

Chen Hao was seething. That bastard really had some fucking nerve, acting as though he could still talk to him.

When Chen Hao remained silent, Liang Hong twisted the knife. "Don't tell me you don't even know how to play? Or are you broke? That's fine. I can lend you some money."

This is fucking outrageous!

Chen Hao couldn't take it anymore. He stood and walked straight over. "Fine, let's play. You think I'm scared of you?"

Seeing Chen Hao take the bait, Liang Hong immediately gave a malicious smile and picked up the cards to begin.

Just then, a female coworker said to Sun Jiaqi, "Jiaqi, the stakes in three-card brag can get pretty high. The little money your boyfriend earns delivering takeout wouldn't even cover one hand. You'd better go talk him out of it."

On the surface, it sounded like a kindly warning, but even an idiot could hear the mockery in her words.

The reason Sun Jiaqi had kept this gathering from Chen Hao in the first place was that she feared his presence would cause unnecessary embarrassment.

And now he was trying to look like a big shot by playing three-card brag with them. Wasn't he practically handing them his money?

Flushing red under her female coworkers' comments, Sun Jiaqi stood with a stony face, walked over to Chen Hao, and tugged at him. "You actually know how to play three-card brag?"

It was only a simple question, but after all their years together, Chen Hao understood what she really meant.

He gave her a faint smile. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

"What do you know?"

Sun Jiaqi said it so loudly that almost everyone in the room heard her.

Chen Hao remained seated, unmoved.

Seeing his indifference, Sun Jiaqi gave a cold laugh, shook her head, and stormed out of the room.

In the past, Chen Hao would certainly have chased after her. But today, he had to teach Liang Hong a lesson for belittling him.

"Deal!"

Three-card brag wasn't like Fight the Landlord or Run Fast. There was no limit to how much you could win or lose. Two or three thousand in a single hand was a small amount. Skill accounted for only twenty percent of the game; the other eighty percent came down to bluffing.

Chen Hao had played a little before, but he knew only which hands beat which. He had practically no actual playing experience.

Normally, Chen Hao would never have fallen for Liang Hong's trap. The result would have been exactly what everyone expected—he might as well have handed them his money. But things were different now.

As Liang Hong shuffled, he glanced at Chen Hao and smiled contemptuously. "Do you know the rules? Want me to explain which hands win and how to play?"

"Who do you think you're looking down on? I'll have you crying and calling me Daddy soon." Chen Hao couldn't even be bothered to look him in the eye.

Liang Hong didn't argue further. He merely exchanged glances with a few of the others.

Half the men playing three-card brag were Liang Hong's regular card-playing buddies. A glance or a gesture was enough for them to understand one another. They were clearly setting Chen Hao up.

Soon, the cards were dealt. The players made their calls in turn, tossing hundred-yuan bills directly onto the table.

Chen Hao didn't rush to look at his cards. Instead, he silently said to himself, Heavenly Eye, activate!

Almost immediately, everything before him changed astonishingly. Every player's cards on the table were laid bare before Chen Hao's eyes.

His mouth curled into a crooked smile. "Liang Hong, let the show begin. Today, I'll make you lose even the pants you're wearing!"