I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

The jeep drove along Chang'an Avenue, turned into a relatively quiet alley, and stopped in front of an inconspicuous restaurant. Li Jing'an looked up at the sign and understood. It wasn't open to the public; it catered exclusively to government agencies and organizations, and ordinary people couldn't get in.

The driver led him upstairs and pushed open the door to a private room. Five or six people were already seated inside, the air thick with smoke, the aroma of tea mingling with the smell of cigarettes. Seeing the door open, everyone stood up, and upon seeing Li Jing'an, their faces showed expressions of confusion—he was too young and unfamiliar.

At that moment, Sun Mingyuan walked in from behind, and everyone immediately turned their attention to him, greeting him: "Director Sun!" "Director Sun, you've arrived!"

Sun Mingyuan smiled and shook hands with everyone, then pulled Li Jing'an over: "Let me introduce you all. This is my right-hand man from when I was in the army, Li Jing'an. He now works at the steel mill's guesthouse."

Li Jing'an smiled modestly and shook hands with everyone. Sun Mingyuan introduced them to him one by one: Manager Wang from the department store, Director Liu from the First Food Factory, Manager Zhang from the Sugar, Tobacco and Alcohol Company, and two other heads of subordinate units of the Second Commerce Bureau.

Everyone sat down again, and Li Jing'an naturally sat next to Sun Mingyuan. The waiter began to serve the dishes, cold dishes and hot stir-fries, not luxurious, but each one was exquisite. Li Jing'an glanced at them and saw his favorite braised beef, cold jellyfish salad, and stir-fried shrimp, which was rare in this season.

The liquor was Moutai; two bottles were opened, and the aroma immediately filled the entire private room.

Sun Mingyuan raised his glass: "No official business today, just a get-together with old friends. Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, so let's celebrate in advance. Cheers, first toast, everyone, thank you for your hard work!"

Everyone raised their glasses and drank them down in one gulp. Li Jing'an drank it cleanly; the liquor went down his throat, and a warm rush went straight to his stomach, but his face remained expressionless.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere became lively. Manager Wang from the department store began to complain about the unreasonable allocation of goods, while Director Liu from the food factory complained about the shortage of raw materials. Sun Mingyuan listened, occasionally interjecting a word or two, but mostly smiling and remaining silent.

Li Jing'an understood his role—Commander Sun had brought him here for several reasons: first, he genuinely needed someone who could drink; second, he wanted him to meet some people; and third… He glanced at the people at the table and understood. These people seemed to be complaining, but in reality, they were all trying to find out what preferential policies were in place for the Mid-Autumn Festival supplies and what benefits they could gain.

After a few rounds of drinks, Li Jing'an took the initiative to stand up and offer toasts. He started with Sun Mingyuan: "Commander, I toast you! Thank you for your guidance and support over the years!" He tilted his head back and downed the drink.

Sun Mingyuan smiled and nodded at him, then drank it too.

Next up was Manager Wang: "Manager Wang, I've heard so much about you! From now on, I'll just go directly to you when I buy things at the department store. Don't pretend you don't know me, okay?" And another drink.

Manager Wang quickly stood up: "Director Li, you're too kind! If you need anything in the future, just come to me!"

After toasting everyone in the table, Li Jing'an remained unfazed. The others exchanged glances—this kid can hold his liquor.

After sitting down again, Li Jing'an casually chatted with Director Liu to his right: "Director Liu, your First Food Factory is quite a place. Right now, our factory wants to get some mooncakes, but we don't even have a way. Mooncakes are really in high demand; even with coupons, it's hard to buy them. I was thinking of giving some mooncakes to my relatives for the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Factory Director Liu, a portly man in his fifties, rolled his eyes upon hearing this and lowered his voice: "Director Li needs mooncakes? No problem! The factory recently trial-produced a batch of new varieties and needs feedback. I'll have someone send you a few boxes tomorrow."

Li Jing'an quickly waved his hand, lowering his voice, "Director Liu, this won't do! I was just saying it casually, please don't take it seriously. If others find out, they'll think I'm deliberately trying to get something from you!"

"What's the big deal!" Factory Manager Liu leaned closer. "Taste samples are something the factory does every year. Director Li giving us feedback is helping us with our work!"

After a few rounds of polite refusals, Li Jing'an finally said, "Well... I'll have to trouble Director Liu. But it's a promise, just a few pieces, just to try the taste."

"Don't worry!" Factory Director Liu patted his chest, raised his glass, and said, "Come on, Director Li, let's have another drink!"

Although the conversation was not loud, Manager Zhang from the sugar, tobacco, and alcohol company on the left overheard the gist of it. He thought to himself: Director Sun brought this young man here specifically; their relationship must be quite special. Old Liu from the food factory has already taken action; I can't fall behind.

After Li Jing'an and Factory Director Liu finished their drinks, Manager Zhang immediately raised his glass and leaned over: "Director Li, let me toast you! You're young and promising!"

Li Jing'an smiled and raised his glass: "Section Chief Zhang, you're too kind."

The two drank it all in one gulp. Manager Zhang didn't sit down; instead, he leaned closer and said mysteriously, "Director Li, our company just received a batch of fine tea these past few days, top-grade jasmine. I'll send you some to try another day. Would you like to sample it?"

Li Jing'an was secretly pleased, but on the surface he put on an embarrassed expression: "Manager Zhang, how could I possibly accept this..."

"What's the big deal!" Manager Zhang mimicked Factory Director Liu's tone. "We also need customer feedback! Director Li works at the guesthouse and comes into contact with many people, so your opinion is very important to us!"

After some polite refusals, Li Jing'an "reluctantly" agreed, and even specifically asked, "What is Manager Zhang's full name...?"

"Zhang Jianshe! Jian as in construction, She as in construction!" Manager Zhang said hurriedly, his face beaming with joy. The fact that Li Jing'an asked his name showed that he cared about him.

"Great name!" Li Jing'an drank another cup with him.

Just as this round ended, Manager Wang from the department store also raised his glass. Li Jing'an accepted all the toasts without hesitation. He spoke with tact and offered each toast with a reason, neither being overly enthusiastic to the point of fawning nor overly cold to the point of arrogance. After several rounds, the people at the table began to look at this young man with new respect.

After several more rounds of drinking, the two bottles of Moutai were empty. Factory Director Liu was flushed and slurring his words. Manager Zhang was still relatively sober, but his eyes were glazed over. Manager Wang leaned back in his chair, repeatedly saying, "We're all drunk, we're all drunk."

Although Li Jing'an's face was also flushed, his eyes were clear, and he spoke logically. Sun Mingyuan glanced at him, his eyes full of pride—his soldiers hadn't disgraced him!

After the dinner, Sun Mingyuan's driver first took the few who had drunk too much home, and only then did he take Li Jing'an home. In the car, Sun Mingyuan closed his eyes to rest, then suddenly said, "You did a good job today."

Li Jing'an smiled and said, "As long as you didn't embarrass the commander."

"Those guys are all shrewd." Sun Mingyuan opened his eyes. "When you deal with them, you have to be careful. You can accept gifts, but don't forget to do favors for them. In this world, there are no free lunches."

"Understood." Li Jing'an nodded.

When the car arrived at the entrance of Nanluoguxiang, Sun Mingyuan told the driver to stop: "Let's stop here. Don't drive in; it's too conspicuous."

Li Jing'an got out of the car, bent down and said to the people inside, "Commander, please drive carefully."

Sun Mingyuan waved his hand, and the car drove away.

Li Jing'an turned and walked into the alley. The night wind blew, and the effects of the alcohol made him feel unsteady on his feet. He glanced at his watch; it was almost nine o'clock. The alley was quiet, with only a few dim streetlights. When he reached the gate of courtyard number 95, the gate was ajar—in these large, tenement courtyards, the gates were usually left unlocked at night.