North Alley Street was a food street, lined with various snacks from all over the country, sold by workers who had come from every corner, each offering their local specialties.
Lu Ansheng was clearly a well-known figure here.
Along the way, many people nodded and greeted him, which made Lu Liang click his tongue in amazement.
No wonder Lu Ansheng was such a social butterfly—the extent of his connections was impressive.
This was also one of the reasons Lu Liang valued Lu Ansheng.
A team could be free of social anxiety, but it absolutely could not lack a social butterfly.
Someone noticed Lu Ansheng had brought so many people and teasingly said, “Ansheng, are you treating your bros to a meal again today? Come eat at my place! I’ll make sure the portions are generous for you all!”
Lu Ansheng obviously knew the man. After hesitating for a moment, he politely declined.
Then, quietly, he told Lu Liang:
“This boss isn’t honest. The dishes are freshly cooked and priced accordingly, but the taste is like reheated pre-made food.”
It seemed that although he greeted everyone warmly on the surface, in his heart he held a clear scale—he knew exactly who was good and who was bad.
Lu Liang nodded solemnly. Since he wasn’t familiar with the good food spots in North Alley Street anyway, he decided to leave everything to Lu Ansheng.
As long as it wasn’t pre-made dishes, it was fine.
They arrived at the reserved open-air stall. Lu Ansheng called out to the boss:
“Boss, the usual old dishes!”
“Alright! Want some wine?”
Everyone looked to Lu Liang, since he was the one paying.
Lu Liang thought for a moment and said, “Bring a case first, we’ll settle up later.”
Having acquired the Great Good Citizen Certificate and backed by the Police Department, Lu Liang now harbored ambitions to monopolize the sewer cleaner market.
The people here were the core team he planned to rely on in the future.
The first impression absolutely couldn’t be a miss.
He then looked at Bai Wanqing beside him and asked, “Can you drink juice?”
Bai Wanqing blinked and nodded.
Lu Liang went to pick a large bottle and handed it to Bai Wanqing, then went to arrange seats for Lu Ansheng and the others.
When he returned to check on Bai Wanqing, he noticed that she had somehow put the large bottle back on the counter and picked up a smaller one instead.
“Don’t like this flavor?” Lu Liang asked, puzzled.
“No… it’s not that. The big bottle… is a bit expensive,” Bai Wanqing said, a little embarrassed.
Lu Liang clicked his tongue but didn’t say anything more.
He pulled Bai Wanqing aside to sit down.
At first, everyone was a little reserved.
After all, it was their first time meeting Lu Liang.
On the way here, Lu Ansheng kept boasting about how many big shots at the Police Department favored Lu Liang, and about his exploits as the Black Glove.
Everyone feared he might be hard to get along with, but seeing Lu Liang’s generosity in paying for the meal gradually won them over.
The initial awkwardness quickly vanished without a trace.
When the dishes arrived, everyone relaxed.
Lu Liang ate while observing the group. It’s often said that people reveal their true personalities when drunk.
He wanted to find a group to work with, but he didn’t want to recruit troublemakers.
If any of Lu Ansheng’s men started causing a scene after drinking, Lu Liang wouldn’t hesitate to cut them out of his plans.
This was also a test for Lu Ansheng’s group.
To Lu Liang’s relief, though their drinking abilities varied, they were all surprisingly well-behaved.
When drunk, they usually just quietly rested their heads on the table for a while or nodded with a smile as if listening intently.
None of them got red-faced and started yelling.
Of course, some had good tolerance.
For example, a few got cheerful and tried to toast Lu Liang.
Lu Ansheng saw this and worried that Lu Liang might not be able to keep up.
He stood up, about to block the toast, but saw that Lu Liang had already poured himself a full glass.
Without any pretense, he clinked glasses with the guy and drank it all down.
In the end, it was the one who had insisted on toasting Lu Liang who got drunk instead.
Lu Liang carried on eating like nothing happened.
Seeing this, Lu Ansheng slowly sat back and smiled to himself, recalling the scene.
His new bro was down-to-earth when drinking, completely unlike the ruthless figure he cut in the Police Department’s reception hall.
During the drinking, Lu Liang also shared his plan with the young men: he intended to build a team.
The risks were high, but the rewards would be great.
He asked if they were interested in joining.
Because Lu Ansheng had already given them a heads-up, and Lu Liang’s team-building tactics were flawless, not a single person objected.
Some who noticed Lu Liang never got drunk tried to trick him by taking turns to toast repeatedly, hoping to pull him down.
Lu Liang only responded that they were too inexperienced!
Back when he was a small-time thug, he frequently drank with his gang brothers.
After going straight and entering the company, he often attended banquets, known for being able to drink endlessly without getting drunk.
The open-air stall boss watched Lu Liang’s group drinking during his free time.
He noticed that after Lu Liang toasted someone, he would never ignore anyone; he always toasted back.
However, he treated people differently depending on their drinking ability.
For those who drank poorly, he’d barely touch his glass or let them substitute tea for alcohol.
For those who drank well, he’d drink full glasses.
If someone looked unwell, he’d tell them to take a break or go outside for some fresh air to sober up, so they wouldn’t mess up his shop.
Seeing this, the boss sighed, “This young man’s really something. He understands how the world works. He’ll definitely make it big someday.”
A regular customer overheard and scoffed, “Old Liu, what about me? I can drink well too!”
“You?” The boss glanced at him with disdain.
“If you puke here, it’s 200 bucks fine, no credit.”
While eating, Lu Liang suddenly felt his clothes tugged and instinctively turned to look. It was Bai Wanqing.
Bai Wanqing was shy. During the drinking, she hadn’t said much, just sat quietly beside Lu Liang, curling up in the corner and eating silently like a quail—small and pitiful.
At this moment, she sat on a chair, and as she settled, the hem of her school uniform stretched tight across her hips, revealing the curve of her rear clearly—quite a sight for Lu Liang.
Hmm… a well-shaped rear indeed.
He quickly looked away and casually asked, “What’s up?”
“Can you… not drink anymore?” Bai Wanqing said weakly, then froze.
She didn’t really know why she asked him not to drink.
She wasn’t the kind to meddle, but seeing Lu Liang drink so much made her chest feel tight and uncomfortable.
Blushing, as if trying to justify herself, she added, “Drinking… is bad for your health… you’ll get stomach problems later.”
Lu Liang was silent for a few seconds, staring at Bai Wanqing, then suddenly flicked her on the head.
The sound wasn’t loud, and he didn’t use much force, but it still startled Bai Wanqing.
She covered her head, looking aggrieved:
“Damn… what are you doing? You’re bullying me again.”
“Just bullying you, just bullying you, you dummy.”
Lu Liang was teasing, but after that, he stood up and told Lu Ansheng, “I’m not joining you anymore. It’s late, I’m taking this dummy home first.”
“Oh! Good! Bro, you go ahead. I’ll take care of my brothers here!”
Lu Ansheng was busy patting the back of a dizzy drunk.
Lu Liang paid the boss for the table, then called out to the still dazed Bai Wanqing:
“Let’s go! White Dummy! If you don’t keep up, I’ll sell you to human traffickers!”
Bai Wanqing obviously knew Lu Liang was joking, but seeing him actually walk away, she panicked and hurried after him, quietly following the sound of his footsteps.
“White Dummy, are you mad?”
Sensing Bai Wanqing’s odd behavior, Lu Liang asked casually.
“No, I’m not.”
“Then keep up.”
Lu Liang grabbed Bai Wanqing’s small hand. Her soft delicate hand struggled a bit against the rough grip of the big bully, then obediently lay in his palm.
“Ah!”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.