"What's this about? It's my birthday, and I don't remember inviting you. Oh well, let's just go inside. I can't be bothered with him." Miss Chu's cutesy yet straightforward manner was on full display. With just one sentence, she made Director Zhang's face flush then pale, utterly humiliating him.

The host of the birthday party hadn't invited him at all, yet here he was, shamelessly scurrying over. What is this if not shameless? Absolutely humiliating.

He was the Deputy Director of the Office of the Northern Mountain City Health Bureau, for crying out loud. Countless young, beautiful women usually threw themselves at him, trying to get into his good graces. But now? He was being dismissed by a 'mere' flight attendant as if he were an annoying fly, not even worth her attention. It was downright mortifying. His heart instantly filled with bitterness and gloom.

Seeing this, Zheng Yan and Director Ge exchanged a hesitant glance, but in the end, neither of them spoke up to defend Director Zhang.

Logically speaking, a Deputy Director in his thirties from the Health Bureau Office held a rank comparable to a Deputy Department Head and wielded significant power. But on the other hand, Chen Fei was so young and driving a million-dollar luxury car. They didn't dare offend either side, so they simply played dumb and stayed neutral.

"Miss Chu, you haven't formally introduced us yet. Is this gentleman your friend?" Director Zhang asked, turning his gaze to Chen Fei with a threatening smile.

Clearly, he hadn't given up. He deliberately framed the question to imply Chen Fei wasn't Chu Yan's official boyfriend. After all, girls are often shy about these things and too embarrassed to admit it directly. As long as she hasn't admitted it, I still have a chance!

But the next moment, his smile froze on his face. Chu Yan casually took Chen Fei's arm and said impatiently, "This guy is so annoying. Ignore him. Let's go in and eat."

Her action was a complete slap in the face, like dealing with an irritating, buzzing fly. Though annoyed, she couldn't even be bothered to swat it away.

"Let's go, then," Chen Fei chuckled, turning to walk into the hotel.

"Wait!"

Just then, Director Zhang suddenly blocked their path. A stiff, humorless smile was plastered on his face as he addressed Chen Fei. "My friend... Mr. Chen, is it? I don't believe Little Yan has ever mentioned you. May I ask what line of work you're in, Mr. Chen?"

"Zhang Fugui, have some self-awareness. I'm not close to you, so please don't call me Little Yan like we're intimate. It's disgusting to hear," Miss Chu cut in before Chen Fei could answer. The look of disgust on her face made Director Zhang's face flush and pale once more.

"Hey, little lady, don't steal my lines," Chen Fei said with some dissatisfaction, tapping her on the head.

Wasn't I supposed to be the shield here? If you steal all my lines, how am I supposed to do my job and put this guy in his place?

"Ouch, you big jerk!" Chu Yan's cute little head suffered another 'heavy blow', and she cried out in protest. But then she obediently fell silent. This stunned her colleagues and friends, who knew her well.

Hey, wait a minute. Is this the same fearless Miss Chu we know? Why didn't she fly into a rage after getting tapped on the head? If anyone else dared to do that, all hell would break loose... Wait. Don't tell me... she's actually in love?

Observing this scene, the already humiliated Director Zhang felt a fire of jealousy ignite within him, twisting his features. Yet, he still managed to maintain a gentlemanly smile as he said to Chen Fei, "Mr. Chen, you look so young. Don't tell me you just graduated?"

In the short time he'd been mocked, his mind had been racing, and he'd finally found what he believed was a winning angle: Chen Fei's age. The kid looked way too young, like a fresh graduate. Even if he was the same age as Chu Yan, what could a rookie who just left school possibly have? Money? Status? In today's society, nothing was more important than money and status. What right did a young punk who looked like he'd just graduated have to compete with a social elite like him for a woman? He was destined to be nothing more than a minor supporting character!

With this thought, the shame on his face was replaced by pride. He looked down at Chen Fei with a condescending and disdainful sneer.

She's just a flight attendant, isn't she? He, Zhang Fuquan, refused to believe that with his status and the precious 'Sugar-Coated Bullet' he'd offered, he couldn't win her over.

He seemed to have completely forgotten that he was the most embarrassing person here, as shameless and annoying as a fly.

"You're asking me? For now, I'm just an unemployed bum. I certainly can't compare to you, Director Zhang," Chen Fei finally said, a sly smile playing on his lips.

Although his personality was similar to Miss Chu's and he could have just fired back with a direct insult, he was in the mood to play around a little. With a bit more buildup and contrast, the eventual slap would feel that much more satisfying. Besides, he didn't like this hypocritical guy anyway. Since he was here to be a shield, he might as well put on a show. Time for an Oscar-worthy performance!

"Unemployed? Heh. Don't you think you're unworthy of Little Yan? I advise you to be smart and leave her now, to save yourself the embarrassment." Hearing Chen Fei admit to being jobless, Director Zhang, who had been thoroughly mocked, finally dropped his facade. He looked at Chen Fei with utter scorn.

"Zhang Fuquan, don't you go too far..." Chu Yan's expression hardened. She'd naively thought that bringing Chen Fei as a shield would be enough to make the man give up and leave her alone. She never expected him to say something so insulting.

Perhaps she hadn't even realized it herself, but if someone else had been in the same situation, she might have gotten angry, but not *this* angry. Her usual cute, carefree expression suddenly turned icy and hostile.

However, before she could finish, Chen Fei, standing beside her, waved a hand to silence her. He stared into the other man's eyes and smiled. "Director Zhang, is it? Reaching the rank of deputy director at your age is quite an achievement."

"Of course." Though Zhang Fuquan didn't understand why Chen Fei was complimenting him, he immediately puffed out his chest, his face showing the smug satisfaction of a petty man who'd gotten his way.

"Of course? Alright. But Director Zhang, a man in your position, a Deputy Director of the Health Bureau Office, should at least keep up appearances, right?" Chen Fei glanced at the man's smug face, then nonchalantly touched his chin and pointed to a nearby Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan. "That little piece of junk... is that really the best you can do?"

"What did you say—" Director Ge began, instinctively angered at the insult to his car, but then he remembered that Chen Fei was driving a million-dollar road beast—a GL400. In front of that kind of luxury vehicle, his car really was just a piece of junk. He shut his mouth, embarrassed.

"What did I say? Kid, don't blame me for teaching you a lesson: if you don't know what you're talking about, you'd better keep your mouth shut," Director Zhang snapped, oblivious to Director Ge's strange reaction. "Do you have any idea what kind of car Director Ge drives? That's a Mercedes luxury car worth over four hundred thousand. Could you even afford one of its tires?"

"One tire? I wonder how many of that junker's tires my car could buy?" Chen Fei replied with a mocking laugh. He took out his car key and pressed a button, aiming it into the parking lot.

BEEP! BEEP!

Among the vehicles, the towering and imposing Mercedes-Benz GL400 chirped as its doors unlocked, instantly causing Director Zhang's face to turn a deep, ugly red.

He truly hadn't expected it. The young man in his eyes, dressed in what looked like cheap, street-stall clothes, a rookie fresh out of school, was driving such a luxurious car.

As a government official at the deputy director level, he and his colleagues often chatted about luxury cars. He knew of this Mercedes-Benz GL400. It was hailed as an incredible vehicle, worth a million, second only to the legendary G-Series all-terrain vehicles.

I wonder how many of that junker's tires my car could buy?

Chen Fei's mocking words echoed in Director Zhang's mind. His expression grew uglier and darker by the second, until finally, he couldn't hold back any longer. He glared at Chen Fei and spat, "Kid, don't get too cocky. Pride comes before a fall!"

"Did that guy, Zhang Fuquan, really... really just leave?"

Seeing Zhang Fuquan actually walk away, everyone present looked at each other in disbelief.

It was hard to process. Zhang Fuquan might have a rotten personality, but he was still a deputy director in the Health Bureau, a rank comparable to a Deputy Department Head. It was a remarkable achievement for someone his age, and very few people could ever humiliate him like this.

And now... none of them had expected a lively birthday party to end up like this. In their eyes, Chen Fei was just an ordinary-looking guy in cheap clothes—handsome, perhaps, but that was it. The fact that this same man was driving a million-dollar Mercedes SUV and had managed to chase off Zhang Fuquan felt completely unbelievable.

Of course, alongside the disbelief, almost every one of them also felt a sense of relief and exhilaration.

They all had a poor impression of that Zhang fellow. He was always acting so arrogant and superior, which made interacting with him extremely unpleasant.

If it weren't for his position as the Deputy Director of the Health Bureau Office, who would have bothered with him?

Even Director Ge and Zheng Yan, who were so keen on setting him up with Chu Yan, were only doing so because their families ran restaurants. They really had no choice but to act against their conscience.

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