"Please, have a seat, have a seat. I've heard Old Pan singing your praises to me for days now, so today, let's you and I have a good chat!"

His manner of speaking didn't sound like a local's, but according to Pan Ge, Dou Mingde had hardly ever left Magic Capital in his life, which was quite an interesting fact.

Besides, Dou Mingde wasn't overly formal with Pan Ge.

"Annie, tell the waiter to bring the food. Today, you're just accompanying us; we plan to drink to our heart's content!"

It was clear they were very close.

And his manner was starkly different from the reserved ways of traditional Magic Capital locals—especially the highly educated ones, who generally don't smoke or drink heavily. They might occasionally enjoy beer or yellow wine, as heavy drinking is considered ungentlemanly and uncultured.

But Dou Mingde declared, "I don't care for appearances; I'm a man of spirit!"

Han Lie had assumed that dealing with a local would require some restraint. Instead, he found himself utterly bewildered as his glass was filled to the brim with alcohol.

Today's liquor wasn't Maotai or Wuliangye but Yanghe Daqu, its outer packaging tattered.

Dou Mingde enthusiastically introduced it, "Back in '84, when Yanghe Daqu won the gold medal, Old Zhou specially gifted my father a few bottles. After tasting it, my father couldn't put it down and made sure to buy ten cases every year to store. Today, we're drinking from the '93 batch—a genuine 20-year, specially aged liquor. It's mellow and refined, with a pure fragrance. Little Han, come and try it!"

Good heavens, pushing drinks on me right from the start? What kind of strategy is this?!

Han Lie didn't understand, but he wasn't intimidated.

Isn't the newly acquired Trait [Liquor Barrel] meant for exactly these kinds of situations?

He immediately raised his glass cheerfully. "Thank you for your generous hospitality, Uncle Dou, and Uncle Pan. As the junior member here, I'll drink first to show my respect!"

He tipped back his head and downed the one and a half liang of 55-proof baijiu in a single gulp, looking thoroughly bold and unrestrained.

Old Pan watched with a smile, while Pan Ge grew anxious.

"Hey, slow down! What are you doing?"

What am I doing? Just playing along with my future father-in-law's test, of course!

When you don't understand, it's best not to guess wildly. If I can drink them both under the table, I'll figure everything out.

Sure enough, Old Pan and Dou Mingde cheered him on enthusiastically, but when it was their turn to drink, they were much more restrained, taking three sips to finish a single glass. They cleverly tricked Han Lie into drinking three full glasses to their one.

After the first round of drinks, the atmosphere became lively and boisterous. Only then did Dou Mingde begin to chat casually with Han Lie.

"Little Han, you hold your liquor well. Do you enjoy a drink often?"

Han Lie smiled innocently. "I hardly ever touch a drop usually."

"Oh? Then how did you develop such a tolerance?"

"I don't really have much tolerance; I just rely on my youth to power through. Today, since Uncle Dou and Uncle Pan are in such high spirits and wish to drink, I must accompany you properly!"

Bluffing. Just keep bluffing!

Still, it was a good thing for a young man to be a sweet-talker, and both Dou Mingde and Old Pan were quite pleased.

So, they began the second round.

After they finished drinking and were eating, Dou Mingde finally started to discuss the stock market with Han Lie.

"I consider myself quite steady. I don't chase achievements or act rashly. So why can't I make any money?"

Han Lie remained very clear-headed and didn't presume to judge Dou Mingde's skills.

"Perhaps the timing isn't right yet. Your style might be better suited for buying during a bear market and holding for the long term. It's possible you're just one complete bull market away from making a fortune."

"Hahaha!"

Dou Mingde laughed. "So, when do you think I'll finally see that bull market?"

Han Lie became even more circumspect. "I wouldn't dare speculate on that. However, I believe that with your patience, you'll definitely see it and make a fortune effortlessly."

"You're not being entirely honest!"

Dou Mingde pointed at Han Lie, criticizing him with a chuckle.

"I didn't make much money in the last bull market. My initial few million doubled, but then I invested tens of millions more and ended up losing 20%... Amateurs truly can't compete with those damned market manipulators!"

"Don't worry, those market manipulators will face a reckoning sooner or later."

Han Lie's strategy was to follow the conversation's lead and resolutely avoid bringing up the topic of managing accounts himself, not even leaving the slightest opening for it.

Dou Mingde was in even less of a hurry and started pouring Han Lie a third round.

After this round, Han Lie himself had consumed a jin and a half, while Dou Mingde and Old Pan had each drunk over half a jin.

Yet, Han Lie seemed completely unaffected, while the two older men were red-faced and clearly tipsy.

"Damn! Little Han, your alcohol tolerance is incredible..."

Old Dou started to let loose, and Old Pan was equally enthusiastic.

"See? That's my son-in-law for you! Could he be anything less than outstanding?"

Pan Ge blushed at this sudden remark, pretending not to hear, and kept her head down without a word.

Dou Mingde clutched his forehead, shaking his head. "Your son-in-law is just like Annie—cunning to the core! Just now he was spouting all that nonsense about 'risking life to accompany gentlemen,' but it turns out he was just pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger!"

Hearing this, Han Lie immediately beamed and raised his glass.

"Uncle Dou, it seems you haven't had enough. Let me toast you again. I'll finish mine, and you only need to drink half, how about that?"

SWISH!

With a tilt of his head, he downed his drink, putting the dumbfounded Dou Mingde in a bind—truly forcing him onto Liangshan.

After finishing this half-glass, Old Dou completely let go of his inhibitions.

He slapped Han Lie on the shoulder, laughing heartily. "Alright, kid! You're someone who can get things done! Entrusting my money to you, I can finally rest assured!"

What on earth did I do that makes you rest assured?! We've barely discussed any serious business, have we?!

Old Pan, however, wasn't surprised at all, seemingly quite accustomed to Dou Mingde's unconventional assessment methods.

He chuckled and advised Han Lie, "Little Han, just manage Old Dou's stock account the same way you manage mine. The commission and everything will be the same as mine. Go ahead with confidence; a small short-term loss is no big deal!"

Han Lie subconsciously glanced at Dou Mingde.

Old Dou smiled. "You should be able to handle ten million, right? That's all for now. Once you've truly proven yourself, we'll discuss more!"

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