Chapter 19: Sparring (Part 5)

At a gesture from Teng Deming, the restaurant waiter steadily placed the massive candelabra right in front of the tiered cake. As the warm and romantic candlelight flickered to life, everything in the room was instantly suffused with a tranquil yet subtle mystique. This peculiar ambiance drifted slowly through the private dining room like a rising mist...

Teng Deming clapped his hands rhythmically, cleared his throat with extra emphasis, and announced:
"Now, it is my great honor to declare that today's intimate candlelight party officially begins! Let us all extend our sincere and enthusiastic hands, open our warm embrace, and welcome our mysterious guest who has traveled from afar—make his grand entrance!"

Clap, clap, clap...

Teng Deming and the three young women by his side applauded in unison.

At this moment, a bewildered Zhang Maolin also subconsciously raised his hands and clapped mechanically in a gesture of compliance.

Zhang Maolin was beginning to form some conjectures about the unfolding mystery. He could be certain that tonight's occasion was extraordinary, and that everything had been meticulously arranged or directly orchestrated by Teng Deming. Right now, what he anticipated most was the identity of the person capable of arousing such tremendous enthusiasm in Teng Deming.

——Could this guest be Yin Sen?

Before Zhang Maolin could dwell on the thought, the surging, climactic strains of the music swelled, and the gazes of Teng Deming and the female companions all turned toward the same direction—

Just then, a tall man walked slowly out from the side lounge. Though the distance was only a dozen meters or so, the room's dim lighting prevented Zhang Maolin from making out the man's facial features. However, his crisp and striking white suit stood out prominently, almost glaringly so!

The stranger's attire genuinely puzzled Zhang Maolin. Although the building was as warm as spring, it was the dead of winter, and dressing up in an out-of-season white suit struck him as rather unappealing no matter how he looked at it.

"Which deity has deigned to descend upon Songyang this time?"

Zhang Maolin pondered inwardly.

The overhead light of the "Mandarin Duck Destiny" private room featured a rather creative umbrella-shaped design. The sapphire-blue rim of the shade undulated in streamlined curves, resembling an exquisite inverted trumpet. A cluster of miniature LED spotlights within fully demonstrated high photoelectric performance, enveloping the entire hall in a fervent atmosphere. The tall man's moving figure remained consistently bathed in just the right amount of diffused light until his upper body was fully exposed beneath the spotlight. It was then that Zhang Maolin, to his utter astonishment, discovered that the newcomer was none other than Liu Dong.

Before Zhang Maolin could utter a word, the other man had already stepped forward, bowing slightly two meters away and extending his arm for a handshake:
——Hello, President Zhang! Congratulations on your promotion, my friend.

"Oh, oh, thank you! I never expected to run into you here, brother! How have you been? Is business still thriving?!"

A flustered Zhang Maolin responded somewhat incoherently.

"Thanks to your blessing, everything is fine, just fine!"

Liu Dong appeared radiant and full of vitality.

"Well, well, Boss Liu, you certainly have a sharp eye! That move of yours was brilliant. Does this mean an outsider like me should make myself scarce? Tonight is less about celebrating President Zhang's promotion and more about two brothers getting together to reminisce. Hahaha..."

Teng Deming stepped between Zhang and Liu, throwing his arms around their shoulders and speaking in loud, hearty greetings:
"Let's drink less and chat more today. As for drinking parties, I no longer just dislike them; I despise them! The ancients said that alcohol is a poison that eats at the intestines, and I am increasingly realizing how profound that truth is. Alcohol is essentially a 'soft blade' that can destroy everything beautiful in a man's nature!"

"My dear Bank President, I am the host footing the bill tonight. If you've only just decided to issue a prohibition order now, that would be tantamount to pulling the rug out from under me! Hehe..."

Liu Dong said with a smile.

Amidst the slick banter traded between Liu Dong and Teng Maolin, Zhang Maolin appeared somewhat dull-witted and even awkward. He could clearly sense that Liu Dong's sudden appearance tonight would fundamentally alter the original flavor of this banquet.

Looking at the lavish spread of food and wine before him, Zhang Maolin seemed to have lost his appetite!

Zhang Maolin was not adept at dinner table repartee. Out of courtesy, every time Teng Deming and Liu Dong rose to offer a toast, he merely offered a dry, symbolic compliance.

Zhang Maolin constantly reminded himself not to rush into speaking. He silently resolved to find an opportunity later that evening to speak with Liu Dong in private, as he seemed to have many questions he wanted to ask him directly. This urge grew stronger by the moment following the unexpected sight of Liu Dong.

Given Zhang Maolin's limited drinking experience, he truly had no idea how potent this strangely flavored foreign wine was. As he drank, a bizarre, almost exploratory greed began to linger on his palate. Compounded by the sincere and repeated toasts from Teng Deming and Liu Dong, Zhang Maolin stopped declining and raised his glass more and more frequently.

...

Zhang Maolin could no longer tell at what point his mind had begun to blur and his vision had suddenly grown hazy. Vaguely, he felt the charming young woman standing beside him continuously bowing and offering him toasts. He had initially tried his utmost to refuse, mobilizing almost every defensive instinct in his subconscious! However, he could clearly feel that resistance rapidly turning limp and feeble. That spontaneous impulse of rejection was quickly swallowed whole by another deep-seated craving within his body.

At last, Zhang Maolin could feel the flames in his chest rapidly sweeping through his entire body; he was powerless to resist such unprecedented temptation. A fierce, parched thirst originating from the depths of his mind and body drove him to swallow the liquid—which tasted strangely like warm blood—cup after cup, until his physical body gradually grew weightless and floated upward like a wisp of cotton.

In that dreamlike, illusory state, Zhang Maolin clearly saw his own body spinning rapidly and erratically around the room......