I have ten trillion licking dog gold

For some reason, Tie Jun, who was stumbling along, eventually overtook Fang Qing and Fu Zili, two able-bodied people, and walked in front.

As they approached, Li Shurui stood up with a smile.

Tie Jun stopped in front of the table, a helpless smile on his face. "I'm sorry for neglecting you."

Li Shurui extended her hand, "Boss Tie, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Tie Jun's wry smile deepened. He raised his hand and gently shook hands with him, saying, "Seeing is believing."

"You're too kind. If you really heard me all the time, wouldn't you recognize me?"

Li Shurui let go of her hand.

"It's not Tie Jun's fault, you didn't tell him his name either. If you had told him his name, he would have definitely seen through it."

Fu Zili, who arrived two steps behind, chimed in with a beaming smile, "Long time no see."

Having met him before, Li Shurui wasn't so particular about him and didn't reach out. "Brother Zili is becoming more and more manly."

Even if you know they are just flattering you, what difference does it make?
Not quite overjoyed yet.

"Look at what you're saying, you're just getting old, you're the one who's becoming more and more mature and beautiful."

Even though it had been a long time since their last meeting, Fu Zili showed no signs of awkwardness. After all, he was a seasoned veteran who had worked his way up from the bottom, and he spoke with ease and composure.

In terms of social status, he was not on the same level as them. Just look at the difference between the two cities of Shacheng and Donghai and it will be obvious. But in this situation, it would be incredibly foolish for him to care about status.

"They came to Shacheng without giving us any advance notice."

"I don't have Zili's contact information either."

Li Shurui's response amused everyone, creating a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere.

"I probably don't need to introduce you anymore."

Fang Qing, who organized the gathering, spoke up.

"Don't stand, everyone sit down."

Tie Jun took on the role of the boss and greeted them.

"I'll go get the groceries."

Fu Zili was about to go to the vegetable cabinet when Tie Jun grabbed his shoulder and said, "I know what you like to eat. I'll get it for you."

"Row."

Fu Zili glanced at him, smiled and nodded, and had no choice but to sit down. He sighed, "Princess Qing, you always have such a good eye for picking places. The boss serves you personally, how wonderful!"

"I've already taken a lot, why don't we order more after we've eaten?"

"fine."

Fu Zili said, "With the boss here, any leftovers won't go to waste. We can reprocess them and serve them to other customers."

Li Shurui smiled.

"Screw you."

Tie Jun looked around and said, "If you ruin my reputation and ruin my business, I'll live at your house every day."

"Go ahead, why not bring Wen Rong along too? I live alone anyway, it'll be more lively with more people."

Fu Zili looked at Li Shurui, "Wen Rong, Junzi's wife. They just got married this year. Jiang Chen should have mentioned it to you, right?"

"I just saw her. Just like he said, a good girl."

"...I didn't know. Otherwise, I would have let her take the day off," Tie Jun said apologetically.

"It's okay, work is the priority, there will be other opportunities in the future."

Our distinguished guest from the East China Sea is truly approachable and has no airs whatsoever.

Putting aside subjective opinions, if it weren't for Qing Gege, he would highly approve of his good friend's judgment.

While time reveals true character, sometimes the first impression is enough to tell a lot.

"What are you still standing there for? Weren't you going to get the vegetables?"

Fu Zili tilted his head and urged him on.

"Okay, you guys talk first."

Tie Jun walked away.

"He is exactly what I imagined."

Li Shurui watched Tie Jun standing in front of the vegetable counter.

"Yeah."

Fu Zili asked with a curious smile, "How did Jiang Chen introduce him to you?"

He said that no matter how big a mess their gang made, Tie Jun would always be the one to cover for them.

Fu Zili chuckled, then asked, "So what did he say about me?"

Li Shurui turned her gaze to him.

Fortunately, Fu Zili is a man of strong nerves; otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to withstand the other person's gaze.

To put it nicely, this is my brother's girlfriend.

To be honest, she is a new generation of businesswomen who has been featured in authoritative journals and magazines. It is not an exaggeration to say that she "visited" a small city like Shacheng.

The so-called local brass from the county town with its knives, guns, and cannons is really not enough to justify this kind of extortion.

He said that Zili was responsible for stabbing people.

"Oh."

Fang Qing laughed out loud, showing no mercy to Fu Zili.

Fu Zili felt embarrassed, then forced a smile to save face, "That was in the past, when I was young and impetuous. I've long since reformed."

"I can tell."

Li Shurui nodded, looking at Fu Zili, who was wearing a wristwatch, brown leather shoes, and a formal casual outfit, exuding a business-like aura. "Why didn't Brother Zili bring his secretary with him today?"

Fu Zili chuckled. Although his memory of their first encounter was a bit hazy, he vaguely remembered that the other party wasn't this humorous back then.

"You must have learned it from Jiang Chen. He's always been the life of the party in our group since he was a kid. He's got a knack for making people laugh."

What about Fang Qing, the only female comrade?
What role does he play in this gang?
Li Shurui didn't ask.

Fu Zili didn't say anything either.

"Just arrived today?"

Fu Zili poured water for the group.

"Ah."

"Since you've come all this way, stay a few more days. I'll make the arrangements."

"I've arranged everything."

Fang Qing spoke up at the right time, saying that she shouldn't leave her "guest" to someone else and make things difficult for them.

"That's fine."

Fu Zili nodded and placed the water in front of the two women one by one.

"Has Zili found a girlfriend?"

Li Shurui was chatting casually with her friends; it was just catching up on everyday things.

"No. Isn't this because I'm wholeheartedly focused on my career?"

"Zili is more ambitious."

Fu Zili raised his hand, putting his index finger to his lips, "Shh, if Tie Jun hears this, he'll be unhappy."

Li Shurui smiled and lowered her voice as well, "Well, my question is, everyone has a different philosophy of life. A hundred years of fame, a thousand years of glory, and eternal renown are not as good as living a life in a way that you love."

"despair!"

Fu Zili snapped his fingers and nodded vigorously. “Insightful. Look at this society. Some people are divorced, some have both a son and a daughter, some travel and enjoy life, some are going through a difficult time due to illness, some are rising to prominence, and some are still living in poverty. So life has no fixed meaning. What matters most is how you feel in the moment.”

"If Zili had studied hard back then, he might have become a pillar of the country."

"Haha."

Fu Zili laughed heartily, "Am I not now?"

"Sorry."

Li Shurui raised her water glass in greeting.

Fu Zili continued rambling, "A long-awaited reunion, a joyous occasion, shall we have a couple of drinks today?"

"sure."

Li Shurui readily agreed, "But I can only drink beer."

"I drove the car."

Before Fu Zili could ask, Fang Qing spoke first. Whether she was preparing for a rainy day or not, it was indeed a very good excuse.

"I drive one too, I can just use a designated driver."

"Do you think a designated driver would dare to drive your car?"

After Tie Jun finished adding the food, he returned and did not continue to hide.

"I'll call someone to open it. If all else fails, just leave it here. Besides, a little beer won't hurt." Fang Qing shook her head. "You guys drink."

Fu Zili found it a bit strange; Qing Gege wasn't the type to spoil the fun.

"No pressure to drink alcohol. If you don't want to drink, just have fruit juice."

Li Shurui's words successfully shut Fu Zili up. He shifted his gaze from Fang Qing and said, "Okay, Junzi, bring over a case of beer."

"Why don't you call a waiter?"

Iron Army's complaints.

“Isn’t your boss right here?” Fu Zili said matter-of-factly.

Li Shurui's amusing laugh.

Tie Jun, whose legs were not very nimble, sighed to her, a visitor, "They never treat me like a disabled person, nor do they treat me like a human being."

"Disabled person?"

Fu Zili sneered, "Don't try to extort money. You dare to claim you're disabled for such a small problem? Do those truly certified disabled people agree with that?"

Tie Jun didn't argue with him, but instead took action and went to fetch the wine himself.

"Left behind when I was in the army."

After Tie Jun left, Fu Zili explained to Li Shurui, "Jiang Chen should have told you, right? If it weren't for this reason, he would definitely have made a name for himself if he had stayed in the army."

"Then he might not have returned to Shacheng, stayed by your side, and met his current lover."

Fu Zili was slightly taken aback, then smiled and nodded with emotion, "So, it really is the best arrangement."

"I just saw it. He and his lover are very much in love and very happy."

"Yes, he is a truly good man. We've known him since he was little, and he's proven it to be true as he's grown up. He doesn't smoke, doesn't drink, doesn't gamble, and has no bad habits. I'm not just praising my brother, but Wen Rong is really lucky."

"I think his partner must be quite good too. The two of them must be compatible to have gotten together."

"That's true."

Fu Zili smiled and said, "Wen Rong is also very good. Among the girls in our Shacheng, she is one in a million."

"The girl from Shacheng? What happened to the girl from Shacheng?"

Li Shurui asked curiously.

"The girls in Shacheng all love playing mahjong, going to bars, eating, drinking, and having fun; they're selfish and self-serving..."

"real or fake?"

Li Shurui was surprised and couldn't help but look at Fang Qing.

Fu Zili realized what was happening and quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "I was referring to the majority. There are also those who remain untainted by the mud, like Qing Gege and Wen Rong."

Fang Qing remained silent and did not offer any comment, acting more like a listener. It would have been even better if she had been given a plate of melon seeds.

"Bang."

A case of beer fell to the ground.

"Thank you for your hard work. Please have a seat."

Fu Zili waved.

"Princess Qing, you don't need to take such good care of me. President Fu owns many high-end properties. You can choose from his properties in the future."

"Look at you, it's not like you're not going to pay. Princess Qing favors your food, isn't that a testament to your skill?"

"Watch out, make way." The waiter started bringing out the barbecue, which had a heating plate underneath because of the cold weather.

Fu Zili bent down to get the wine and distribute it, while instructing the waiter, "Get a bottle of beverage."

What drink?

"What to drink?"

Fu Zili asked Fang Qing.

"Grapefruit juice."

"Grapefruit juice, in a large bottle."

"By the way, I have some Shaoxing wine here, want some?" Tie Jun said.

"When did you serve the Shaoxing wine?"

"It's newly arrived, and there's a wide variety of options."

"You know how to make money," Tie Jun said with a smile.

"Do as you please. I'm fine with some beer. Yellow wine makes me drunk too easily."

"It's okay, I'll take you."

Fang Qing said.

"Don't talk while drinking juice."

Li Shurui rolled her eyes at her, then picked up a skewer of chicken legs and put it in her bowl.

Upon seeing this, Fu Zili and the other man did not exchange glances, but they both had the same idea.

These two seem to have a pretty good relationship.

They definitely had to drink beer, since they were there to entertain guests. Fu Zili picked up the beer bottle and poured the beer into a disposable plastic cup.

This is the situation.

It seems like they're just one character away from a happy ending.

But he didn't dare mention it.

"We were just talking about how you and Wen Rong are a match made in heaven."

Tie Jun understood and didn't mind the topic being brought up to him. He smiled modestly and said, "We wouldn't call ourselves a perfect couple, but it's the kind of marriage I envision."

Is there a difference between dating and marriage?

The two grown men were speechless for a moment, then turned to look at Li Shurui, who had asked the question, and were immediately drawn to the barbecue she was holding.

That is--

Grasshopper?

Most girls would scream if they saw this thing.

Tie Jun's lips moved, but he didn't know how to answer this very ordinary question for a moment.

He was worried about accidentally saying the wrong thing.

Under the table.

Fu Zili's expensive leather shoes were stepped on, leaving a footprint on the otherwise clean surface. But that wasn't the key point. Fu Zili clearly sensed it and knew that his good brother was sending him a distress signal, but he was powerless to help.

He's a single man, without even a girlfriend, so what right does he have to answer this kind of question?

So he pretended to be deaf and dumb, and kept his head down eating his skewers.

"I don't think there's much difference."

With no one to help him, Tie Jun had to deal with it all by himself. He couldn't talk nonsense, nor could he let the other party feel that he was being perfunctory. So he could only try his best to find the right balance. "It's still just the two of us. Things will probably be different when we have a child."

The two women showed no unusual expression.

Li Shurui chewed on the high-protein grasshopper, nodding silently, seemingly quite agreeing with the answer.

"Wen Rong isn't here today, so tell us secretly, between you and Wen Rong, who was pursuing whom?"

It wasn't that he was abandoning someone in distress; Fu Zili was certainly a righteous person, and within his capabilities, he immediately stepped in to change the subject once again.

"Going in both directions."

Tie Jun smiled. As the boss, he naturally took the initiative and raised his glass, "Let's have a drink together."

"drink."

Besides the three beer drinkers, Fang Qing also raised her grapefruit juice. She's really not a spoilsport; if she hadn't been driving, she would have definitely stayed with them.

"Stop trying to evade the issue. There are no outsiders here, so why are you afraid we'll go around telling everyone?"

Fu Zili downed the drink in one gulp and continued pouring more wine.

"No one pursued anyone; if you have to say, it just happened naturally."

Tie Jun put down his empty cup.

"I believe."

Li Shurui, who also downed her entire glass in one gulp, smiled elegantly and brightly, saying, "Some men aren't very good at expressing themselves, so expecting them to pursue love passionately is unrealistic."

She gazed at Tie Jun, "Tie Jun should belong to the traditional Eastern male."

"There's a distinction between East and West?" Fu Zili blurted out.

"Of course. The underlying nature of civilizations is different. The West is a maritime civilization, where every departure could be a final farewell, so to avoid regrets, people always express their love aloud."

The East, on the other hand, is an agrarian civilization.

People wait to till the land, to sow the seeds, to receive the rain, to reap the harvest; they spend their whole lives waiting. And so love, too, is a gentle rain, falling softly and silently.

The dining table fell silent for a moment.

The three remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts. (End of Chapter)