Luo Yang was a little bewildered by the situation too. He asked, "May I ask your name? Have we met?"
The middle-aged man smiled. "My surname is Zhou-Zhou Xinfu. To be honest, Mr. Luo, this is our first meeting."
"Then, Mr. Zhou, what's all this for...?" Luo Yang was puzzled. Why would a complete stranger treat him so lavishly?
Zhou Xinfu explained politely, "Our boss just called and said you were having drinks here, Mr. Luo. She told me to take good care of you. With orders from the boss herself, how could I neglect you? These are two bottles of fine liquor from my private collection. Please enjoy yourselves, you and your friends."
All four classmates turned their eyes toward Luo Yang. How could a junior doctor who had been kicked out of his hospital know some big-shot boss?
Something occurred to Luo Yang, and he asked, "Was it Mr. Liu?"
Zhou Xinfu smiled. "It was Ms. Ye."
It was actually Ye Zi.
Now Luo Yang understood, and he smiled too. He should have thought of Ye Zi. Before he left, she had asked whether he was going far, and he had told her the restaurant's name. But Zhou Xinfu's manner had such an underworld flavor that his thoughts had gone to Liu Youshui instead.
"Mr. Luo, is there anything else you need?" Zhou Xinfu asked.
"No, this is more than enough. Thank you for the liquor. Don't let us keep you from your work," Luo Yang said.
Zhou Xinfu replied respectfully, "Enjoy your meal, Mr. Luo, and your friends too. Just give us a shout if you need anything."
Zhou Xinfu left.
The lavish meal was served.
Yet, looking at the table full of expensive dishes and fine liquor that was hard to get even with money, the three male classmates had completely lost their appetites.
They had invited Luo Yang over to feel superior to him, only for him to upstage them instead. How were they supposed to eat or drink after that?
"This wagyu is really good! Why aren't you eating?" Wu Shenglan, on the other hand, was enjoying the food.
Han Shaokun gave a quiet snort and said dismissively, "These days, every piece of beef gets called wagyu. This is Sichuan. Where would they get any real wagyu?"
Zhang Bai's tone was snide too. "Luo Yang, when did you get to know this Ms. Ye? Why not invite her over and introduce her to everyone?"
Luo Yang smiled faintly. "I doubt she wants to meet you."
Zhang Bai's expression immediately soured, and anger crept into his voice. "Luo Yang, what's that supposed to mean?"
"I didn't mean anything else," Luo Yang said evenly. "Say you knew Ma Huayun, and I asked you to call him over to meet us. Would he come?"
Zhang Bai's face turned thunderous, but he could not refute what Luo Yang had said.
His family did have some money-twenty or thirty million in assets. That put him ahead of ninety-nine percent of his classmates, but to the truly wealthy, his family's fortune might amount to nothing more than pocket money. They belonged to different social classes and moved in different circles. How could they get to know each other?
Sensing something wrong with the atmosphere, Wu Shenglan picked up the bottle of aged liquor and poured drinks for the four men. "We hardly ever get together, so let's enjoy ourselves. Come on, have a drink."
"I'm going to the restroom." Han Shaokun left the private room. Just looking at Luo Yang made him angry now. He was in no mood to drink with him.
Yang Long took a sip and found another topic. "Luo Yang, did that Ms. Ye bring you here?"
"No," Luo Yang said. "I was at home when you called. It's not far from here, so I walked."
Yang Long smiled. "What a coincidence. Are you renting a place nearby?"
"No, I'm not," Luo Yang said evenly.
"Staying with relatives?" Zhang Bai cut in. Without waiting for Luo Yang to answer, he slipped smoothly into dispensing life advice. "Luo Yang, don't take this the wrong way, but even if you know that Ms. Ye, what good does it do you? A man has to rely on himself in the end. I understand. Living under someone else's roof isn't easy. I have an apartment in the new district. Why don't I rent it to you? You'd only have to pay a token amount."
"Not that either. I bought a villa in the residential complex next door. I only moved in today," Luo Yang said.
"Pfft!" Yang Long sprayed out the thirty-year-aged Jiannanchun he had just taken into his mouth.
Zhang Bai stared at Luo Yang, his face expressionless. He looked every inch the poor sucker.
We only wanted to feel a little superior and show off. Did you really have to slap us in the face over and over again?
"Luo Yang, I never would have guessed. You've only been out of college for a year, and you've already bought a villa. What did you do to make so much money?" Wu Shenglan looked at him differently now.
Luo Yang had a fairly good impression of Wu Shenglan, so he answered with a smile. "Didn't I just tell you? I resigned from Wise Heaven Hospital, but I'm still a doctor. Naturally, I make money by seeing patients and treating them."
"What kind of doctor makes that much?" Without waiting for Luo Yang to answer, Zhang Bai reached his own conclusion. "Don't try to fool us. Both my parents are doctors. My dad is head of the infectious diseases department, and my mom is a chief physician, on the same level as a professor. I don't believe you earn more than they do."
Luo Yang could not be bothered to respond. He raised his glass and took a sip.
"Luo Yang, I'm talking to you," Zhang Bai said, irritated.
Luo Yang set down his glass. "What did you just say?"
"You..." Zhang Bai was furious.
Luo Yang stood up. "I have something to take care of. Enjoy your drinks. I'll head out first."
Wu Shenglan hurried to her feet and came over to stop him. "Luo Yang, we're all classmates. We can talk things out. Don't be angry."
"I really do have something to do. Carry on without me," Luo Yang said.
"Then add me on WeChat." Wu Shenglan took out her phone and quickly opened her WeChat contact card. "Scan my code."
Luo Yang could hardly refuse. He took out his phone, scanned it, and sent a friend request.
Yang Long and Zhang Bai exchanged a look. Each could see that the other felt just as utterly screwed.
"I've accepted it. Let's keep in touch. Don't ignore me," Wu Shenglan said with a smile.
Luo Yang nodded, but before he could leave, the private room's door suddenly splintered. With a crash, someone came flying through it and slammed hard onto the floor.
It was Han Shaokun.
Three people stood in the doorway. The man in front had a full-sleeve tattoo and an arm around a provocatively dressed young woman. Beside him stood a young man with his hair in a bun, his right leg still held out in a side kick.
He had clearly kicked Han Shaokun into the room.
Seeing that there were only two men on the other side, Zhang Bai slapped the table and sprang up, emboldened by the alcohol. "Who the hell do you think you are? You dare attack us without even finding out who we are?"
His words had barely left his mouth when the man with the bun lunged into the room. Planting his right leg, he snapped out a side kick with his left and struck Zhang Bai square in the chest.
Zhang Bai flew backward, hit the wall, then bounced off it and crashed heavily to the floor. With a retch, he vomited up everything he had just eaten and drunk.
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