"Comrades, all this time, the county has failed to notice the situation in Kuzhu Town, which is our dereliction of duty. On behalf of the county committee, I’d like to apologize to you all. I’ll drink a bowl as a gesture of apology."
Ji Yang seemed to carry a hint of drunkenness as he poured a bowl of wine and then downed it in one go.
"Please don’t say that, Secretary Ji; after all, you’ve only just become aware of the situation in Kuzhu Town. It’s not your fault," Huang Song quickly interjected.
"Old Huang, you and your team have persevered in working here. It has been tough, and on behalf of the county committee, I salute all of you team members with a bowl. I’m drinking it now."
Ji Yang downed another bowl in one gulp.
Huang Song and the others exchanged glances, all insisting that it shouldn’t be , but they too felt compelled to finish the wine in their bowls.
Looking at the team members present, several of the men were already showing signs of inebriation, as the alcohol began to take effect.
Huang Song was known for his drinking capacity. He had planned to get Ji Yang drunk, but to his surprise, Ji Yang could really hold his liquor, which was giving him a headache.
Although they were also capable drinkers, they usually used small cups, and had intentionally brought out bowls to drink from today, hoping to get Ji Yang drunk. Now they couldn’t switch to smaller cups, as they had already proclaimed themselves to be big bowl drinkers. They had no choice but to tough it out and keep drinking.
Fortunately, it appeared that Ji Yang was also getting tipsy; a few more toasts should bring him down.
Huang Song had devised some tactics, and once Ji Yang fell into the trap, he would be at his mercy.
After finishing the bowl, Huang Dayong got the hint and knew it was time for the drinking showdown.
"Secretary Ji, there is actually a tradition here of playing a finger-guessing game with visiting comrades. You’re the only one left now!"
Huang Xiaoling said with a laugh, "Secretary Ji, how about we, the female comrades, join you in a battle against the male comrades?"
Ji Yang replied with a smile, "Sure, let’s all take them on together."
Finger-guessing was nothing difficult for Ji Yang; he had his fair share of tactics, having often played the game in his early days. After familiarizing himself with the local rules upon his arrival, he knew what to expect.
Shortly, everyone split into two teams: Ji Yang and the women on one side, and Huang Song and the male comrades on the other.
This time they switched to small cups filled to the brim. The losing side had to drink a cup each.
With the drinks poured, they all started to play the finger-guessing game and drink.
These women were all quite adept at the game, matching the men in skill.
The sound of the finger-guessing echoed around, and the atmosphere grew increasingly merrier.
Ji Yang observed secretly and saw that his side seemed to be losing more, but overall, everyone had consumed a fair amount of alcohol.
After a few rounds, several men had already collapsed.
The sky had long turned dark, but the place was bright with light, and the sounds of voices carried far.
One after another, people were so drunk they lay down, some even vomiting on the spot.
Except for a few trips to the restroom, Ji Yang felt quite unaffected.
Looking at Huang Song and Huang Dayong, both seemed almost at their limit.
Several of Ji Yang’s female comrades had also fallen.
"Secretary Ji, I’d like to offer you a bowl just for you."
As many had already been beaten by the alcohol, and it was impossible to continue the contest, Huang Song, his speech slurred, insisted on offering Ji Yang another bowl.
"I’ll also offer you a bowl, Old Huang. I’ll drink first." Ji Yang had no issues with this and immediately finished the wine in the bowl.
Without concerning himself with whether Huang Song drank or not, Ji Yang poured another bowl and said to Huang Dayong, "Dayong, you should consider some further training. It’s time to take on a heavier load."
Huang Dayong was already quite drunk, but Ji Yang’s words suddenly made him feel recognized and valued. He hurriedly replied, "Sec... Secretary Ji, I’ll drink."
After he spoke, he drained the contents of his bowl.
Ji Yang poured again and addressed the other cadres with foreign surnames, "Comrades, I’ll drink to all of you now."
Seeing Ji Yang actually finish the drink, Li Mingchang and others had no choice but to drink as well.
"To all the women comrades, you are no less than the men. I also salute you all with a bowl each. I’ll drink first; you can follow at your leisure."
"Secretary Ji, I’ll also drink." ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ NoveIꜰire.net
"We must finish the drink."
Faced with Ji Yang’s handsome appearance and the charisma he exuded, these women were already delighted. Now that Ji Yang was toasting them, none wanted to let him down, each indicating they would finish the drink in their bowls.
With that bowl downed, Ji Yang felt bloated and uncomfortable in his stomach, a consequence of drinking too much water. He stood up and said, "I need to use the bathroom."
By this time, Huang Song and the others were completely muddled by alcohol, sitting there dazed or even lying down.
Ji Yang made his way to the restroom.
The facilities were located toward the back, a place Ji Yang had already visited several times. Once there, he began to relieve himself.
That’s when he noticed the mess from others who had vomited, and a cadre, whose name he didn’t recall, sitting on the ground.
Observing the man’s condition, Ji Yang deduced he was simply drunk and not in any real trouble, so he left him be.
There was no telling what Huang Song’s intentions were, having drunk so much. Now it was time for Ji Yang to pretend to be drunk!