I couldn't take it anymore; when I went home for Chinese New Year, the family genealogy book ha

Squad leader Zhou Qiang was also taken aback, then chuckled twice and quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Yes, yes, yes! Luxury cars need regular maintenance! Unlike our beat-up cars, we can just drive them around casually."

"Come on, everyone, let's start eating! Don't just chat! I specially asked the hotel manager to arrange these dishes today; they're all signature dishes!"

He greeted us warmly, trying to quickly turn the page on this awkward situation.

As the clinking of glasses grew more frequent, the atmosphere in the private room gradually intensified.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

The real theme of this class reunion—a competition of boasting and showing off—has officially begun.

The first to fire the shot was Zhao Dabao, who ran a small renovation company.

His face was flushed from drinking, and he unzipped his jacket, which had the Jack & Jones logo on it, revealing his large beer belly.

"Brothers, I'm not up to it this year!"

Zhao Dabao said "no" but his chin was raised so high it almost touched the ceiling.

"The market's bad. I work myself to the bone all year round and only earn a couple hundred thousand! I just bought a 130-square-meter apartment in the newly opened 'Zhuangyuanfu' residential complex in the county, paying in full. Sigh, money really doesn't last!"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone immediately chimed in with a joke.

"Wow! Brother Da Bao is amazing! Paying in full! That must be over a million!"

"The top scholar's residence is in the best school district in our county! Brother Da Bao is paving the way for the next generation!"

Zhao Dabao waved his hand smugly, his mouth grinning like a gourd.

"Oh, not at all, just small-time stuff, barely making a living!"

With Zhao Dabao leading the way, others joined the fight.

"I just bought a Passat last month. It cost almost 200,000 yuan to get everything done. It's alright to drive."

"You guys are all awesome, but I'm no match for you. I just got married this year, and my wife's family asked for 188,000 yuan in dowry, which almost bankrupted me!"

"That's nothing! My wife is beautiful! It's a real status symbol to take her out!"

For a moment, the private room was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Some people flaunt their houses, some their cars, some their wives, and some even flaunt that their children got perfect scores on their exams.

It's as if everyone is living a glamorous, successful life.

Jiang Chen barely spoke from beginning to end.

He simply ate the steamed sea bass in front of him quietly.

The fish was steamed to perfection, tender and juicy, much better than all the boasts they made.

He would occasionally look up at his group of "old classmates" whose faces were flushed and who were spitting as they spoke, and a faint smile would appear on his face.

The feeling was like watching a stage play that had been rehearsed for a long time, but the acting was still very poor.

His quiet and relaxed demeanor contrasted sharply with the surrounding noise.

This also made those who were performing feel a little inexplicably uncomfortable.

Finally, Zhou Qiang, the class monitor and director of the party, decided to put all the spotlight on Jiang Chen.

He cleared his throat, picked up his wine glass, stood up, and struck the pose of a successful person giving a year-end summary.

"Brothers, calm down, calm down!"

The noisy private room fell silent instantly.

All eyes were on Zhou Qiang.

Zhou Qiang was very satisfied with this feeling of being the center of attention.

He said with no small amount of pride, "To be honest, brothers and sisters, my performance at the company this year was pretty good. By sheer luck, I won the annual sales champion title in our city branch!"

"Wow! Qiang Ge is awesome!"

"Top salesperson! That's amazing!"

Amidst the chorus of praise, Zhou Qiang gestured with his hand and put on a forced, humble smile.

"The year-end bonus isn't much."

He slowly extended six fingers and waved them in front of everyone.

"That's about the number."

Zhao Dabao immediately understood, and shouted at the top of his lungs in an exaggerated tone, "Sixty...sixty thousand yuan?! My God! Brother Qiang! Your year-end bonus alone is almost as much as my profits for half a year! It's true what they say, comparison is the thief of joy!"

A year-end bonus of 60,000 yuan is indeed a huge sum for an ordinary office worker in this small county.

Inside the private room, another chorus of gasps and sounds of envy and jealousy rose up.

Even Li Jing, the class beauty, couldn't help but glance at Zhou Qiang a few more times, her eyes filled with admiration.

Zhou Qiang, having enjoyed the praise from everyone, finally sat down contentedly.

Then, he turned his scrutinizing and provocative gaze directly to Jiang Chen, the only one in the room who showed no surprise or envy.

"Jiang Chen, it's your turn!"

Zhou Qiang's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

"You work in an international metropolis like Shanghai, or at some high-tech company, your year-end bonus must be much higher than mine, right?"

"Why don't you tell us, so the brothers can broaden their horizons and learn something?"

All eyes were once again focused on Jiang Chen.

They wanted to see what this seemingly profound young man could come up with.

Faced with this scene that was practically a public execution.

Jiang Chen finally put down his chopsticks.

He picked up a napkin and slowly wiped his mouth.

Then, amidst everyone's expectant gazes, he smiled.

That smile was serene and nonchalant.

"It's alright."

Jiang Chen's voice remained as calm as ever.

"Our company is a little different; we don't pay cash very often."

He paused, then uttered a word that most of the people present had never heard of.

"They mainly issue stock options."

"That thing is just a piece of paper. If the company doesn't go public, it's worthless."

"You wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you, it's meaningless."

These words were spoken.

Zhou Qiang and Zhao Dabao immediately exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with disdain and contempt, as if to say, "I knew he was showing off."

What a load of rubbish! Options are just another way of saying you're broke!

And you think we wouldn't understand? Stop pretending to be so high and mighty!

Zhou Qiang was about to speak, using remarks like "cash is still the most reliable" to mock Jiang Chen.

But just then...

A waiter pushed open the door and walked in, holding a long bill in his hand and wearing a professional smile.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

"Who's paying the bill?"

The bill is here!

The atmosphere in the private room instantly became subtle.

The group of people who were just calling each other brothers and bragging loudly now all lowered their heads in tacit agreement.

Some pretended to be playing on their phones, some pretended to be picking up food, and some pretended to be whispering to the people next to them.

Nobody looked at the waiter.

As the organizer, Zhou Qiang's face flashed with a hint of heartache.

Today's meal, including drinks and dishes, cost a total of 1,988 yuan.

Even if it's AA (average sales), he, as the "top salesperson," still has to take the lead and contribute more.

His eyes darted around quickly, and a "brilliant" idea popped into his head.

Sudden.

"Ouch!"

Zhou Qiang let out a painful groan and suddenly covered his head.

He swayed, and as if he had no bones, he collapsed onto the dining table with a "thud."

The plates on the table rattled loudly when he bumped them.

He slumped over the table, his face buried in his arms, mumbling incoherently.

"I can't take it anymore... I can't take it anymore..."

"I'm...I'm happy today, so I drank...drank too much..."

"My head is spinning... Let me lie down for a bit..."

His clumsy acting and his empty groans plunged the entire private room into an awkward situation.