Liu Xinyu picked up the liquor bottle and filled Huang Xueli's and Wang Xiaoliang's glasses first. When it came to his own and Zhou Qiang's, he switched to soda water.
The rich aroma of liquor mingled with the scent of grilled meat, forcing its way into their noses and instantly whetting everyone's appetite.
"Come on, let's have a drink first." Liu Xinyu raised his glass.
The four glasses met in the air with a crisp clink.
Wang Xiaoliang drank half of his. The fiery liquor slid down his throat like a trail of flame, kindling a burning heat.
Huang Xueli, however, didn't do things by halves. He tipped his head back and drained his glass, then smacked his lips. "Good stuff! Liquor only really hits the spot when you drink it with your brothers!"
Liu Xinyu grabbed a big handful of lamb skewers and handed them around. Keeping two for himself, he tore off a hefty mouthful, chewing until his mouth was slick with grease.
"Fuck, now this is a goddamn meal!" he muttered through his food. "What the hell was that at Hongbin Tower? We spent over ten thousand and still didn't get full. That owner's a real crook!"
Huang Xueli grabbed a skewer of grilled chicken hearts, equally indignant. "Exactly! Those portions-were they feeding cats? If I didn't know their boss, I wouldn't have let it slide today!"
Zhou Qiang burst out laughing and pointed at Huang Xueli. "That place is a rip-off, if you ask me. Whoever wants to go can go. I sure as hell won't be going back!"
Wang Xiaoliang quietly gnawed on a chicken wing, listening to their complaints, and couldn't help laughing too. He set down the wing and wiped his mouth. "To be fair, Hongbin Tower's old owner was pretty decent. Back