Sitting down in the empty space between Liang Jinjiang and Cao Xu, a few people around exchanged pleasantries with Chu Ge, chatting about everyday topics, and the atmosphere was quite pleasant.

However, what left Chu Ge feeling somewhat helpless was that, whether it was Shi Tong's arrangement or a tacit understanding among everyone, the two tables in the room were clearly divided.

The table he was at consisted entirely of people who were doing relatively well now; some were public servants eating government meals, some were doing quite well in business, and some had found wealthy partners. In short, they all either had some money or some power.

Even though Chu Ge paid special attention to his attire today, he still seemed a bit shabby compared to the others at this table.

At the other table, which appeared somewhat crowded, were those getting by in an average or not-so-good way.

In simple terms, those at that table were the kind without any decent jobs or significant income. It seemed like most of them were visiting a five-star hotel for the first time, with even their postures appearing a bit restrained.

Although Chu Ge found it rather dull, whether he liked it or not, this was the reality.

After a few drinks with Liang Jinjiang and Cao Xu and some talk about old times, Chu Ge quietly sat there, listening to the people at this table engage in grand discussions.

Once partners in crime, making mud pies and stealing scrap metal, squabbling over a few marbles, now seemed like economists, political scientists, humanists, and sociologists.

Every conversation began and ended with international situations, trends triggered by certain phenomena, political hazards of certain countries, spoken with dazzling eloquence, exuding an air of literary flair.

Although to Chu Ge, what they were saying often sounded completely nonsensical, he simply smiled quietly and listened.

After all, for orphans without much background like themselves, achieving today's success was indeed no easy task. In such a setting, they naturally wanted to show off their knowledge to win more attention.

For many people, outward pride actually stems from inner insecurity or even inferiority.

Back and forth, a graduate with a master's degree named Guan Rui, who was both working at a research institute and pursuing a Ph.D., brought up a topic — whether a drop of water in free fall from a great height could fatally or seriously injure a person. The few people who had barely spoken all night but were eager to express themselves finally got their chance and immediately began chiming in enthusiastically.

Various formulas, various hypotheses, resistances, gravity, and acceleration were all brought to the table, and they were having a ball discussing it all.

Perhaps they'd been holding it in too long, but as they got into the topic, they became so engrossed that they didn't even notice the odd looks others were giving them.

Sensing the atmosphere growing awkward and genuinely entertained by them, Chu Ge finally murmured, "Uh... may I interrupt? Have any of you ever been caught in the rain?"

As Chu Ge's voice fell, the previously heated discussion instantly vanished, leaving the entire private room in deathly silence.

A few seconds later, Cao Xu spat out a mouthful of wine, the first to burst into laughter.

When Cao Xu broke the silence, others who had been holding back laughter also erupted, turning their gaze back to Chu Ge. The question he asked was spot on.

At this point, Guan Rui, who first raised the topic, and the others who had joined in the discussion, all fell silent.

Everyone laughed, and Guan Rui forced a reluctant smile, but in the way he looked at Chu Ge, there was a hint of anger hidden.

Since childhood, Guan Rui had harbored a deep dislike for Chu Ge. Back then, he thought Chu Ge was just a troublemaker who frequently got into fights and had poor grades, incomparable to himself, who was second only to Situ Ying, the academic star.

Even after so many years, he still couldn't figure out why the goddess he had always secretly admired, Situ Ying, liked spending time with Chu Ge. What was so good about this guy?

At this gathering, when Chu Ge and Shi Tong introduced themselves, Guan Rui felt a wave of revulsion, yet Cao Xu and Liang Jinjiang were so enthusiastic towards Chu Ge that he felt forced to greet him insincerely.

He thought they'd be like parallel lines, without any more overlap after the gathering, but never expected Chu Ge to embarrass him so publicly. Wasn't this intentionally making him lose face?

Unbeknownst to him, Chu Ge was not as petty as he was; he didn't bear any grudges against him, not even as a child.

If not for Chu Ge's timely interruption, leaving him to ramble on about that topic would have made his situation much more awkward. Chu Ge wasn't trying to embarrass him; he was actually helping him out.

Looking at Chu Ge, Guan Rui cursed inwardly before everyone's laughter died down, and he finally felt a bit restless.

Guan Rui picked up his wine glass and, under the guise of having a drink with Chu Ge, said somewhat sardonically, "Chu Ge, we've been chatting for so long, and yet you haven't said much. After all these years, where are you working now? I'm sure there are interesting stories about you, right?"

Upon hearing Guan Rui's question, the others in the room continued eating and drinking as usual but couldn't help pricking up their ears. They really wanted to know how this Chu Ge, who never liked playing by the rules and whom even the three big shots at the orphanage couldn't control, was doing now.

Before coming to the gathering, Chu Ge had already anticipated this question. He clinked glasses with Guan Rui and said with a smile, "I wouldn't call it a prestigious job; I'm just a driver for a boss."

As Chu Ge finished speaking, the looks in people's eyes changed once again. Some appeared slightly sentimental, some disdainful, while others seemed smug, as if hearing that Chu Ge was just a lowly driver somehow elevated their own status.

Guan Rui breathed a sigh of relief and smiled superficially, taking a symbolic sip of his drink, "With your skills, that's a bit of a waste, isn't it?"

The subtext was, weren't you the hotshot back then? Turns out, you're not doing so great now, huh?

Chu Ge could naturally hear the implied sarcasm in Guan Rui's words and smiled slightly, not wanting to argue over this matter.

If he cared about such things, he could easily reveal his CEO status, and then Guan Rui wouldn't have that subtly smug look on his face.

Again, it's just not worth it.

Although Guan Rui only took a sip of wine, Chu Ge downed his glass.

To put it bluntly, but honestly, after this reunion, everyone would go back to their busy lives, and it might be hard to have any intersections in the future. It's like each meeting might be the last, so even if Guan Rui's words were veiled in sarcasm, Chu Ge couldn't be bothered to mind. Instead, he remembered their childhood bond from living in the same orphanage.

After putting down his glass, Chu Ge's gaze caught sight of a slightly overweight man, wearing a dress shirt and slacks, holding a cigar in his mouth, his hair slicked back, walking arrogantly from the entryway of the private room.

Seeing this man, Chu Ge recognized him at once. This was Zhu Youcai, someone he particularly looked down upon as a child. This guy often bullied younger kids, stealing their stuff and threatening them not to tell anyone, or else.

Since Chu Ge had caught him a few times doing this, he had beaten him up several times, which made Zhu Youcai slightly restrain himself.

As Chu Ge scrutinized Zhu Youcai, tomorrow's groom, Shi Tong, hurried over to greet him, much more enthusiastically than when he greeted Chu Ge. Most people at the two tables stood up and greeted, "Section Chief Zhu."

Although Chu Ge couldn't stand Zhu Youcai as a child, so many years had passed. Naturally, he wouldn't view him through his childhood lens or ignore him for old grudges.

However, just as Chu Ge was about to greet Zhu Youcai, his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw it was Chen Jiatong calling, so he stayed seated and casually answered.

"Is it Young Master Chu? This is Chen Jiatong."

Being a former internet beauty streamer, Chen Jiatong's voice was, unsurprisingly, very pleasant. Coupled with her intentions towards Chu Ge, her voice carried a hint of sultriness, making it even more appealing.

"Haha, Ms. Chen, hello. Is there something I can help with?"

A soft laugh came through the receiver, "Young Master Chu, I'm with Jingyuan, and I wonder if we could have the honor of inviting you to dinner?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Ge immediately understood. It seemed that these two women hadn't received his call and decided to take the initiative. The dinner invitation was just a pretext; they likely wanted something more to happen.

Moreover, these two women were evidently smart, knowing that inviting him together would be more appealing than going individually, which was why Chen Jiatong made a point of mentioning it over the phone.

But even if Chu Ge wasn't busy at this gathering, he wouldn't have gone to their dinner. He smiled and said, "Ms. Chen, it would be my honor for you to treat me to dinner, but I'm a bit tied up right now and really don't have the time."

On the other end of the line, Chen Jiatong faintly heard the clinking of glasses and instantly realized that Chu Ge was, unfortunately, at a dinner party now, feeling a bit disappointed.

"I see, then I won't disturb Young Master Chu any longer. If there's anything you and Jingyuan need from us, please don't hesitate to ask, okay?"

Chu Ge chuckled in response before directly hanging up the phone.

"Chu Ge, impressive, huh? From the sound of it, it wasn't the girl from last time, right? And it seems she's interested in you too?"

Liang Jinjiang hadn't joined the others in greeting Zhu Youcai but sat beside Chu Ge. Although he couldn't clearly hear the conversation, he could tell it was a woman with a lovely voice and teased him with a smile.

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