Chapter 140 Taking Turns in Succession

"Come on, comrades from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, have a taste of the liquor brewed right here in our Kaiyang County."

Song Sifeng stood up, wearing a broad smile as he warmly played the host. Naturally, he was in attendance, representing Secretary Tan. He also bore the responsibility of steering the flow of the luncheon and fostering a harmonious atmosphere.

He picked up a white porcelain wine bottle from the table and unscrewed the cap. Instantly, a rich and fragrant aroma of liquor filled the air.

"Director Song, is your stomach feeling better today? Is your blood pressure no longer high?"

Lü Yanqing looked at Song Sifeng with a smile, teasing him openly. A few days prior, he and Yang Dong had specifically traveled to Kaiyang County to invite Song Sifeng for a drink, but Song Sifeng had flatly refused on the grounds of a bad stomach and high blood pressure, completely abstaining from alcohol. Lü Yanqing's banter now was a playful jab at Song Sifeng's inconsistent behavior.

"Ha-ha, I truly apologize. My blood pressure was indeed high a few days ago, and my stomach was acting up. But after taking some medicine and recuperating, I'm practically back to normal."

"Besides, since several leaders from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection have come down to our county, how could I not accompany you properly? Even if it costs me my life, I must accompany gentlemen!"

Song Sifeng showed no trace of embarrassment. He answered Lü Yanqing with a beaming smile, while showering Lü Yanqing and the others with flattery by calling them gentlemen. By doing so, he subtly signaled to Lü Yanqing: Since I compare you to gentlemen, as gentlemen, perhaps we shouldn't dwell on past unpleasantries. Slapping someone in the face openly is simply not done in official circles.

Lü Yanqing gave a faint smile and decided not to push Song Sifeng any further. It was enough to express his dissatisfaction and keep the matter within proper bounds.

"Come, Director Yang, let me fill your glass first. You're the guest of honor today!"

"Secretary Zhao, County Magistrate Zhao, if I don't pour drinks for the two of you first, you won't blame me for showing a lack of respect to our superiors, will you?"

Song Sifeng walked over to Yang Dong while casting a glance at Zhao Yufei and Zhao Guojun, the two deputy-division-level leaders. By rank, he ought to have poured drinks for the two senior officials first. Yet, he chose to pour for Yang Dong first, and naturally felt the need to make a polite explanation to the leaders.

"Of course not. Go ahead and fill Comrade Yang Dong's glass!" Zhao Yufei waved his hand at Song Sifeng, showing that he minded not a bit.

Yang Dong wore a pleasant smile and made no move to decline Song Sifeng's offer. He was curious to see what this group was really up to today, and whether this luncheon was truly a Feast at Hong Gate.

Yang Dong's glass was filled to the brim. People from the Northeast did not use half-tael cups or small one-tael wine glasses when drinking Baijiu. This overflowing glass held at least two taels of liquor.

"Director Lü, you criticized me just a moment ago. Today, the two of us must have a few good drinks, and I must make amends to Director Lü."

Song Sifeng then walked over to Lü Yanqing and personally poured him a drink. Seeing that Yang Dong hadn't refused, Lü Yanqing calmly accepted the pour.

Song Sifeng walked over to Jiang Hu with the wine bottle next. However, Jiang Hu immediately turned his glass upside down and waved his hand at Song Sifeng.

"I'm not drinking!" Jiang Hu stopped Song Sifeng in his tracks. Before coming here, Yang Dong had given him strict instructions that he was not allowed to drink. He needed to keep a clear head at all times—or at least leave one designated driver—just in case an emergency arose requiring transport while everyone else was dead drunk, which would otherwise ruin important matters.

"Director Song, take a seat and let them pour their own drinks." Yang Dong smiled and signaled to Song Sifeng.

Following Yang Dong's lead, Song Sifeng walked back to his seat. Hou Shuangquan, Hou Donglai, Xiao Li, and Li Ziheng all poured their own glasses full. In official circles, being unable to drink was simply not an option. Generally speaking, Hou Shuangquan, Hou Donglai, and even Xiao Li all possessed a remarkably high capacity for alcohol. No matter what the purpose of today's luncheon was or what Kaiyang County intended to achieve, they—as cadres from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection—could not afford to lose face, nor could they lose their composure.

"Come, come, let us raise our glasses together to welcome the comrades from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection on official business in Kaiyang County!"

Zhao Yufei called out, taking the lead by raising his glass and proposing a toast without further ado. As a senior leader—the Deputy Secretary of the Kaiyang County Party Committee and the third-ranking official in the county—how could anyone refuse to give him face? Therefore, everyone, including Yang Dong, stood up and drank this toast with Zhao Yufei.

Swallowing a cup meant consuming two taels of liquor. As the fiery liquid burned its way down the throat and settled into the stomach, it left behind a searing warmth that quickly made the whole body feel quite comfortable.

This was indeed fine liquor. Although not nationally renowned, its quality was in no way inferior to famous brands like Moutai or Wuliangye.

"Since Secretary Zhao has proposed a toast, I shall propose one as well."

"On behalf of the Kaiyang County Government, I welcome all comrades from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection to our county on official business. Today, Kaiyang County will surely host you all properly. Cheers!"

Zhao Guojun, the Deputy County Magistrate of Kaiyang County, also stood up, raised his two-tael glass, and beamed as he toasted Yang Dong and his group. Along with Song Sifeng, Gong Hongyang, and Jin Hemin, all the Kaiyang County officials stood up to offer toasts.

Unable to decline further, Yang Dong and his group had no choice but to stand up once more and drink it down in one gulp. Without eating a single bite of food, they had already consumed four taels of strong liquor.

By this point, Yang Dong saw through their game. Kaiyang County clearly intended to get them all drunk by launching wave after wave of toasts.

Next up, without a doubt, would be Song Sifeng's turn to propose a toast. Although Song Sifeng's administrative rank was merely a high-ranking deputy section chief and he served merely as the County Party Secretary's liaison officer—far inferior in rank to the other officials present—he was, after all, the Party Secretary's confidential secretary. Thus, by reason and convention, he was entitled to be the third to propose a toast.

Sure enough, the moment Deputy County Magistrate Zhao Guojun lowered his glass and sat down, Song Sifeng immediately rose to his feet and picked up his cup.

"Director Yang and Director Lü and I already knew each other beforehand. While we might not be old friends yet, we certainly deserve to be called friends."

"Although I am here representing Secretary Tan today, at this very moment, I want to toast my friends in my personal capacity as a friend."

"Director Lü, didn't you take issue with me earlier? Today, let's drink until we drop, and I'll stay with you to the very end!"

"Come on, we're all true men of the Northeast, drink up!"

Song Sifeng shouted loudly, and regardless of whether Yang Dong and the others dared to match him, he downed his entire glass in one breath.

The most venomous part was his final phrase: "We're all true men of the Northeast." The heavy implication was simple: whoever refused to drink was no true man. This childish and tedious form of psychological goading remained the most effective tactic at any dining table. Its power in compelling others to drink was second only to the phrase "If you can't hold your liquor, don't drink at all."

With no other choice, everyone drank yet another cup.

Yet Yang Dong knew he could not let this continue. If things went on like this, they would inevitably end up thoroughly drunk—and getting drunk would surely derail their mission.

"You keep plying us with liquor without letting us touch the food. Could it be that the chef in your county committee's guesthouse isn't much of a cook?" Yang Dong asked with a smile, gesturing toward the table full of dishes before fixing his gaze on Zhao Yufei.

Zhao Yufei laughed heartily and replied, "Ha-ha, Comrade Yang Dong, you mustn't joke like that. Master Liao in our guesthouse canteen has been cooking for thirty years. The dishes he makes are of imperial standards—truly first-rate!"

"Is that so? Then we must certainly sample Master Liao's culinary skills." Yang Dong smoothly seized the initiative, leaving Zhao Yufei no chance to steer the conversation back.

Wearing a warm smile, Yang Dong signaled to the other Discipline Inspection Commission cadres and said, "Everyone, use your chopsticks. Kaiyang County is my hometown; you should all taste the flavors of my homeland."

"Take this sweet and sour pork, for instance. The tomato sauce poured over it is made from tomatoes grown right here in Kaiyang County."

"And this braised carp uses fish from Moon Lake, the premier lake in Kaiyang County. It's fresh, tender, and plump, with meat that is delicate and not greasy at all."

With just a few sentences, Yang Dong successfully wrestled back the initiative and effectively blocked the Kaiyang County officials' attempts to keep plying them with alcohol.