Li Jingjing, being a simple-minded person, heard everyone praising Jiang Shuo's greatness and decided to go along with the tide, saying a few nice things. These words made Jiang Shuo feel even more elevated, as he felt that deep down, even Li Jingjing wanted to get closer to him and benefit from it. He couldn't help but feel proud. How could a mere employee of a small company compare to a privileged child like him? Jiang Shuo realized he had been thinking too much and didn't need to oppress Yang Chen forcefully.
The more it reached this point, the more Jiang Shuo felt the need to be mature and composed, expressing the demeanor of a humble gentleman. Immediately, he greeted everyone, "Please, have a seat. Today, I will cover all the expenses, no need to be polite."
When Jiang Shuo saw Li Jingjing, he smiled gently and said, "Jingjing, you may not be familiar with this place. Why don't you sit beside me? I'll tell you everything about this place and make sure you have a pleasant time."
"Oh?" Li Jingjing quickly waved her hand and smiled, "No need, Director Jiang. Everyone, please enjoy yourselves. I don't know anything about singing or dancing. I'll just sit next to Brother Yang and watch."
Jiang Shuo's hopes were dashed, and he felt a bit annoyed. However, he assumed that Li Jingjing was just a naive and shy young girl, so he put on a show of magnanimity and smiled, "Alright, then sit next to Mr. Yang. If you need anything, feel free to ask, no need to be polite."
"No need to be polite, of course we shouldn't be polite to Director Jiang. That would be disrespectful, wouldn't it?" Yang Chen chuckled, "How about we start with a few bottles of red wine to liven up the atmosphere? It will give us more energy for singing."
Jiang Shuo felt a sense of disdain and muttered to himself that Yang Chen was only interested in taking advantage. But a few bottles of red wine were nothing to him. He casually waved his hand and said with a smile, "Of course, Mr. Yang, what kind of red wine would you like? Just go out and get a few bottles."
The teachers present were also excited. Although they were financially well-off, more free drinks were always welcome.
Yang Chen looked at Jiang Shuo with admiration, then immediately went out to call a waiter. After a brief conversation, he quickly returned to his seat and sat close to Li Jingjing, smiling, "Director Jiang is indeed a generous person. I ordered five bottles of wine. I hope it's enough."
Five bottles? Jiang Shuo sneered inwardly. Even if it were ten bottles, it wouldn't be considered a significant amount of money. "Mr. Yang, you're too kind. Five bottles are definitely not enough for everyone. We can order more later."
The efficiency of the waitstaff in the Land of Abundance was quite high. Just as they were talking, a bucket of chilled red wine was brought in. When everyone saw the five bottles of wine in the bucket, they were dumbfounded!
Five bottles of 1998 Château Haut-Brion from France! Anyone with some knowledge would understand that this wine is a renowned brand from Bordeaux, France, and it's one of the top-tier wines from a premier château. With over ten years of aging, it's worth more than a thousand dollars for sure!
Jiang Shuo was well aware of the price of these bottles of wine. He never expected that Yang Chen would order such a wine. He thought it would be a regular bottle of wine that cost around a hundred dollars.
He watched helplessly as six thousand yuan flew out of his pocket, feeling an urge to vomit blood.
"Thanks to Leader Jiang's generosity, we wouldn't even dare to think of such wine on ordinary days." Several clever teachers understood Yang Chen's intention and secretly mocked Jiang Shuo while praising him.
Jiang Shuo forced a smile and waved his hand stiffly, saying, "It's nothing. As long as everyone is happy."
His initially enthusiastic mood now felt as restless as an island battered by a thunderstorm. Jiang Shuo discreetly glanced at Yang Chen, who was chatting and laughing with the teachers, and he thought about finding an opportunity to teach this ignorant fellow a lesson.
The teachers in the private room paid no attention to such matters. They were already having a great time, taking turns to sing and dance without a hint of their usual dignified appearance. If their students saw them in this state, they would be astonished.
Li Jingjing sat quietly on the sofa, listening attentively while occasionally eating a piece of fruit. Her serene expression carried a faint smile, but she did not join in the singing.
Jiang Shuo composed himself and noticed that Li Jingjing was engrossed in listening to others sing. Immediately, an idea came to his mind. He took the microphone and said, "Today, we are having a welcome party for our teacher Li Jingjing. As the team leader, I would like to sing a song for Jingjing to express my sincere feelings at this moment..."
The other teachers knew what Jiang Shuo meant for Li Jingjing. They applauded and cheered in response.
Li Jingjing felt a little uncertain and looked at Yang Chen beside her. Seeing that Yang Chen showed no reaction, she relaxed a bit.
Jiang Shuo was now filled with deep emotions and chose a song, saying, "I'll sing 'Crazy Heart' for Miss Li Jingjing."
To be honest, Jiang Shuo's singing voice was decent. It was estimated that he had sung it seven or eight hundred times. If an ordinary young girl heard it, she would undoubtedly be deeply moved.
The teachers applauded and cheered loudly, and Li Jingjing also joined in, saying, "Thank you," while clapping her hands.
Jiang Shuo felt somewhat triumphant but suddenly noticed that Yang Chen did not applaud. Instead, he kept pouring himself wine and drinking. This made Jiang Shuo feel annoyed again. He chuckled and said, "Mr. Yang hasn't sung yet since the beginning. I wonder if you could sing a song for us and please our ears?"
"Uh..." Yang Chen frowned, put down his wine glass, and awkwardly smiled, "I don't think it's necessary. I'm not very good at singing."
"How can that be? Everyone has sung, and whether it sounds good or not is not the main point. It's about participation." Jiang Shuo finally had a chance to embarrass Yang Chen and immediately seized the opportunity, saying, "After Yang sings, let's ask Jingjing to sing a song as well. What do you all think?"
The teachers enjoyed food and drinks, all paid for by Jiang Shuo, so naturally, they agreed to his small request and enthusiastically shouted for Yang Chen and Li Jingjing to sing. Although Li Jingjing was not confident in her singing, she was eager to hear Yang Chen's voice. When a woman falls in love with a man, she wants to know everything about him.
"Yang Ge, why don't you sing a song? It doesn't matter if you don't sing well, let's all have fun," Li Jingjing couldn't help but encourage him, curious about his singing.
Yang Chen was helpless, scratching his head. He reluctantly took the microphone and stood up, saying, "Actually, I returned from abroad just over six months ago, If I have to sing, please allow me to choose a song from another country..."
"Mr. Yang is also a returnee?"
"No way! You don't look like it at all!"
"Don't brag too much!"
Several teachers immediately started teasing. They obviously didn't believe that the man in front of them was a hidden returnee. Otherwise, how could he be a employee in a small company?!
Jiang Shuo, even more smug, laughed and said, "It's not a big deal. Mr. Yang can choose a song in a foreign language. We are all English teachers here, after all, and we can understand."
"That's right!" The teachers became interested as well.
Yang Chen cleared his throat, selected a song on the computer, and played it. With a slight smile to the crowd, he said, "Sorry, I don't plan to sing in English. The next song I'm going to perform for you is a Spanish song called 'Quizas' by the Latin singer Enrique Iglesias.
The room was filled with soothing music and a strong Spanish atmosphere. Yang Chen's voice had a slight huskiness, perfectly interpreting the song as it began:
"Estás perdiendo el tiempo, pensando, pensando,
Por lo que más tú quieras.
Hasta cuándo? Hasta cuándo?
Y así pasan los días.
Y yo, desesperando..."
Almost everyone present couldn't believe their eyes. They stared wide-eyed, especially Jiang Shuo, who felt as if he had swallowed an egg.
The melodious music paired with the slightly unrestrained and indulgent vocals immersed everyone in a wonderful and moving scene. When the music stopped, everyone except Jiang Shuo applauded vigorously. Li Jingjing's eyes even welled up with tears as she revealed a blissful and enchanted smile.
Yang Chen felt a little embarrassed and declined the teachers' strong request for another song, saying he was tired of singing. This time, no one suspected that he was afraid of making a fool of himself. After all, they were all English teachers, and they understood that being able to speak a foreign language and being able to sing in that language were different levels of skill. Many times, you could judge a person's language ability by their ability to understand foreign songs.
The rest of the evening was still enjoyable, but Jiang Shuo had a forced smile on his face and kept cursing the women in Yang Chen's family in his heart. Unfortunately, he didn't know that even Yang Chen himself didn't recognize them.
As they had started the fun quite early and had to go to school the next day, they decided to head back home before 10 o'clock. By this time, their faces were slightly flushed, and their voices were louder.
Yang Chen and several male teachers were engaged in lively conversation. They were passing through a bend when Yang Chen caught a glimpse of a familiar figure entering a room.
How could he be here?
Li Jingjing, who had been paying attention to Yang Chen, noticed his frown and asked with concern, "What's wrong, Brother Yang?"
"Oh," Yang Chen smiled at her. "It's nothing. I thought I saw someone I knew, but it must have been a mistake."
Before leaving the Tianfu Kingdom, Jiang Shuo reluctantly paid the substantial expenses and then headed towards the parking lot. Despite feeling down the entire evening, Jiang Shuo hadn't forgotten his main objective. He briskly walked up to Li Jingjing and charmingly said, "Jingjing, why don't I give you a ride home? I just bought a new car, and I can take you for a spin."
Saying that, Jiang Shuo pointed to a brand-new silver-gray Toyota Camry not far away, which looked exceptionally beautiful under the streetlights.
Li Jingjing smiled in a dilemma and whispered, "Group Leader Jiang, I think it's better not to trouble you. Today's hospitality is already overwhelming. I'll ride back with Brother Yang. He's also familiar with where my house is..."
Jiang Shuo pretended to be curious and asked, "Oh? Mr. Yang came by car too? I thought he would take a taxi. I wonder where Mr. Yang's vehicle is?"
Yang Chen let out a burp, feeling uncomfortable with a stomach full of wine and fruit. He was still thinking about the figure he saw earlier. Hearing Jiang Shuo's question, he casually took out the BMW key from his pants pocket and pressed the unlock button.
Everyone turned their heads and saw a gleaming white car parked in an inconspicuous spot. The blue and white propeller-shaped emblem on the front of the car made everyone gasp in awe.
"Oh my god, isn't that an M3!?" One of the teachers, knowledgeable about cars, exclaimed with excitement. "This car sells for over 75000 dollars It used to be seen driven by the sons of wealthy businessmen. I didn't expect Mr. Yang to drive this car, and it's even the latest model!"
Although the other teachers didn't know what the car model represented, they understood that it was a BMW and realized its high status.
Jiang Shuo was also taken aback. His face turned pale and then purple. Even he, not the smartest person, wouldn't be foolish enough to believe that someone driving an BMW M3 was an ordinary company employee. Although he wondered about Yang Chen's true identity, at this moment, he only displayed a friendly smile tinged with flattery. "Mr. Yang is truly unpredictable. I, Jiang, am truly broadening my horizons."
Damn it! Rich people pretend to be poor, what's the point of playing the role of a small employee?
"Group Leader Jiang is quite generous." Yang Chen chuckled. "I've had enough to drink today. Thank you for the hospitality. Goodbye." With that, he took Li Jingjing's hand and walked back to the car.
The crowd of teachers gazed with envy as the white BMW started and drove away, leaving a sense of dreaming in their minds. Yang Chen's background became the biggest mystery in their hearts.
Once seated in the car, Jiang Shuo started the engine. As he looked at the dazzling interior lights, his initial excitement for the new car faded by half. He forcefully slammed the steering wheel, and his refined face took on a slightly sinister expression in the darkness...