Although Chu Ge stood up neither quickly nor slowly, and his face didn't show any sign of anger, the moment he got up, Zhu Youcai was genuinely startled, afraid that Chu Ge might suddenly make a move. Instinctively, he stepped back two paces until he suddenly realized that there were so many people watching around him, only then did he barely stop his very strong urge to continue retreating.

Not only Zhu Youcai, but Shi Tong was also a bit on edge at this time. Even if he thought Zhu Youcai was really going too far, if Chu Ge actually did something extreme, it would be really troublesome for him.

"Chu Ge..." With this concern, Shi Tong quickly spoke up, wanting to say something to smooth things over.

However, he had just called Chu Ge's name, and before he could say anything else, Chu Ge, who had left his seat, walked over to Zhu Youcai, neither quickly nor slowly, and suddenly extended his hand towards him.

Zhu Youcai's pupils shrank, "You... you... what do you want to do?"

Cao Xu, with a mocking smile on his lips, also stood up with a swift motion, ready to give his long-unused fists some exercise.

The others were also conflicted and uneasy at this moment. They wanted to hold Chu Ge back but were afraid he might still have that fiery temper from his childhood. If he got stubborn, no one but Situ Ying could calm him down, and they might accidentally get hurt.

Just then, Chu Ge's right hand fell, and under the concentrated gaze of everyone, he patted Zhu Youcai on the shoulder.

When Zhu Youcai's shoulder was patted by Chu Ge, the corner of his eye twitched, his scalp tingled, and his body shuddered a little.

However, at this moment he realized Chu Ge's hand wasn't heavy at all, just like a very casual gesture between friends, accompanied by a light smile on his face.

Then, Chu Ge said in a very polite tone, "Section Chief Zhu, if you feel crowded there, why not take my seat."

"Ah?"

Zhu Youcai was taken aback, Cao Xu frowned, and Shi Tong and the others were a bit dumbfounded.

This... is this really the Chu Ge they knew? The one who spoke straight with his fists when he got mad?

Was this a hidden threat? The next second, or perhaps when Zhu Youcai actually sat over there, would Chu Ge suddenly turn hostile and throw a punch?

As everyone was thinking this, Chu Ge glanced at the frowning Cao Xu and Liang Jinjiang, giving them a look not to act impulsively, then smiled and made a gesture of "please" towards Zhu Youcai.

Seeing the smile on Chu Ge's face, Zhu Youcai was stunned for several seconds before coming back to his senses. After observing for a while and confirming that Chu Ge didn't seem to have any intention of turning hostile, he felt reassured and quite smug.

"Haha, Chu Ge, it seems you've really grown a lot over the years. You actually listened to what I said earlier. Seeing your sincerity, I won't stand on ceremony with you, hahaha."

With a loud laugh, Zhu Youcai sat down in the seat that Chu Ge vacated, feeling immensely pleased. This feeling was even more exhilarating than when he had just become a section chief.

As for the unfriendly gazes from Liang Jinjiang and Cao Xu?

Doesn't matter, since they are not in the same system anyway, even if they are upset, they won't have the chance to help Chu Ge out of this situation.

After giving up his seat to Zhu Youcai, Chu Ge grabbed an additional stool and sat at the already quite crowded table, smiling at a couple of his old friends with strange expressions, as if nothing had happened.

Even though at this moment Chu Ge not only found Zhu Youcai laughable but also felt a bit disgusted by his behavior, he still thought, since Shi Tong is getting married tomorrow, and it's rare for everyone to gather like this, he didn't want to bicker with him in such a setting.

Seeing this scene, everyone's expressions subtly changed again.

Some sighed quietly, thinking that Chu Ge had fallen from grace, some had been jaded by society, thinking it was none of their business, some were relieved that the confrontation didn't turn into a real fight, and some had a look of disdain, feeling that Chu Ge had completely lost his spirit.

After stepping over Chu Ge a few times, Zhu Youcai was satisfied, feeling highly esteemed, and didn't continue to make things difficult for Chu Ge. After taking his seat, he began engaging in pretentious small talk with everyone.

Sitting in Chu Ge's former seat and feeling the warmth from everyone around, Zhu Youcai felt like he was being adored like the moon surrounded by stars. With a sidelong glance at Chu Ge sitting at another table, his thoughts began to wander again.

After drinking a toast from Guan Rui, Zhu Youcai crossed his legs, lit a cigarette, cleared his throat, and intentionally brought the topic back to Chen Jiatong and Xu Jingyuan.

Even though everyone could see that Zhu Youcai was being a bit of a drunk not actually interested in the wine, and wanted to continue mocking Chu Ge with this topic, since he's doing so well now, naturally, they wouldn't let the topic he brought up fall flat.

Besides, with their status as local celebrities, there were indeed many topics to discuss, so they all chimed in and started chatting.

Some talked about the live streaming shows they did online before, while others mentioned a television drama they both acted in together.

Seeing everyone so cooperative, Zhu Youcai sneakily glanced at Chu Ge at another table and said, "By the way, do you know why Chen Jiatong and Xu Jingyuan came back to Lidu to develop their careers?"

"Why?" Guan Rui immediately chimed in, and the people at the table all turned curious gazes to Zhu Youcai.

Once the words were out, they immediately caught everyone's attention, and Zhu Youcai felt even more pleased, saying with a smirk, "I heard it's because of a connection with a very influential person, and it's not just them; even big stars like 'Brother Fat' and 'Star Lord' came to Lidu because of this person's influence."

Actually, Zhu Youcai only heard some baseless rumors about this matter, but just with that, he felt he already had enough to boast about, after all, the vast majority present were grassroots and had no intersection with things happening in high society.

Sure enough, when he finished speaking, most people at the table showed the expression of astonishment he expected, and Guan Rui nodded energetically, "I see, I was wondering why so many big stars would all come to Lidu. Section Chief Zhu, what kind of powerful person is it exactly?"

Zhu Youcai shook his head mysteriously, "I heard it's a woman, but what her exact background is, even I don't know. But thanks to this influential person, Chen Jiatong and Xu Jingyuan should be developing in Lidu long-term. When I get married, no matter what, I have to invite at least one of them to host my wedding."

A girl named Lin Fang asked curiously at this time, "Section Chief Zhu, inviting them to host a wedding must cost quite a bit, right?"

Zhu Youcai smiled smugly, "A few tens of thousands should be enough, I can afford that."

Upon hearing this figure, most of the people at the table with Chu Ge paused, secretly shocked, looking at Zhu Youcai with even more envy. Tens of thousands would require them to work hard for a year, but from Zhu Youcai's mouth, it sounded like he didn't even care.

The same words, when they reached Lin Fang's ears, made her heart stir. Her boyfriend was also a rich man, and if a few tens of thousands could invite Chen Jiatong or Xu Jingyuan, that would truly be worth it.

Lin Fang hesitated for a moment, then raised her glass to toast Zhu Youcai, smiling and saying, "Section Chief Zhu, I know you have skill and dignity, so look, when I get married, can you help me contact them too? Having them help with the wedding would really be such a blissful thought."

Zhu Youcai was waiting for someone to ask just that, feeling proud inside, but on the surface, he shook his head with difficulty, "Lin Fang, it's not that Brother Zhu doesn't want to help you, but this matter is not just about money. After all, their status is what it is; if they hosted any random wedding, wouldn't that make them seem quite ordinary?"

When Zhu Youcai finished speaking, Lin Fang's hand holding the wine glass paused slightly, and her expression turned somewhat awkward. Not only her, but others also felt somewhat uncomfortable inside, thinking Zhu Youcai's words were really over the top.

The feeling was clearly that he was putting others down to raise himself up, as if in this room, only Zhu Youcai was remarkable and everyone else was nothing. People like Cao Xu, who are doing better than him, don't go around boasting like he does.

However, although everyone felt quite displeased inside, no one said anything. Lin Fang awkwardly smiled and still finished her drink.

After all, Zhu Youcai is indeed doing well. At his young age, he became a section chief in charge of individual management at the Industry and Commerce Bureau, so his future is certainly promising.

By then, someone who truly considers Chu Ge a brother and has been tolerating Zhu Youcai for a while, Cao Xu finally somewhat couldn't hold back.

He lightly put down his chopsticks with a "plop," turned his head, squinted his eyes, and said, "Section Chief Zhu, at your level, inviting Chen Jiatong or Xu Jingyuan doesn't seem that easy either, does it?"

Since Zhu Youcai always carried an official tone, Cao Xu naturally wouldn't be polite with him either, and his words weren't pleasant.

"Brother Cao, this is where you're mistaken. If it were just me alone, it might be difficult, but I have a good relationship with our bureau chief's son, Jiang Shao. If I get married, Jiang Shao will definitely help me with this task; with his influence, it won't be a problem."

Facing Cao Xu, who's already become the bureau chief of the electric power bureau in Qinggang City, Zhu Youcai didn't act with such arrogance, but his words still carried strong pride. When he noticed another layer of envy in people's eyes, he felt even more pleased.

Although there was quite a bit of exaggeration in his words, he wasn't worried at all. Could anyone in this room actually go to Jiang Shao to verify?

Cao Xu snorted from his nose, his gaze seemingly accusing "flattery by association," but he didn't say anything more.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, "thud, thud, thud."

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