Although Director Hao had strong opinions about Li Laifu, he was, after all, his junior. As a senior, how could he get angry over such trivial matters?
He simply cast a meaningful glance at Li Laifu.
The meaning was clear: Go back and think about it carefully.
Li Laifu had long noticed Director Hao's gaze. Regarding this look, he just wanted to say, What are you looking at me like that for? As if we have a good relationship.
Director Hao shook his head. If he had known Li Laifu would become so arrogant, he would have tripped him up on his way to becoming director, or made him stay put as deputy director.
Thinking back to the past… hearing him call him "Senior" respectfully was so satisfying.
If Li Laifu knew what Hao Ren was thinking, he would definitely rage, Bullshit! I, Li Laifu, am still the same domineering person I always was.
Soon, they reached Lin Fan.
Lin Fan smiled. "Welcome! I've prepared a private room, just waiting for you."
"Oh, how courteous," Li Laifu replied politely.
Hearing Lin Fan's words, Director Hao couldn't help but fall into deep thought. He had watched Lin Fan grow up; no one understood Lin Fan's mental state better than him. But judging solely from the current situation, if one didn't know beforehand, who would dare say that this person in front of them was a mental patient?
Suddenly, a word popped into his mind: Improvement!
Lin Fan's condition had improved in an unbelievable way. Even he, a seasoned veteran in the field of mental health, couldn't quite grasp the situation.
Director Hao looked at Old Zhang and found his condition wasn't clear, seemingly no different from before. This puzzled Director Hao. Logically speaking… since Lin Fan could improve, why couldn't he?
To verify his thoughts, Director Hao approached Old Zhang and smiled. "Old Zhang, how are you doing lately?"
"Pretty good," Old Zhang replied.
"Hmm, still enjoy watching ants move?"
"Yes."
A simple conversation clarified the situation. So… his condition hadn't improved; it was the same as before. He could be so certain because of his keen observation. He knew the habits of every patient in Qingshan Mental Hospital like the back of his hand. He could understand their condition from subtle clues in their responses.
"You all arrived early," One-Eyed Man said as he arrived.
His presence energized the atmosphere. This was inextricably linked to his participation in today's reception. He had stolen the show, praising the Special Department to the skies. If Li Guofeng knew, he would be furious again.
Lin Fan had invited him to dinner, and he couldn't miss it. Even if the sky were falling, he would come before it landed on his head. Don't ask why; it was thanks to Lin Fan that he could be so carefree now. Without Lin Fan, he couldn't imagine how exhausting his life would be.
With One-Eyed Man's arrival, Li Laifu seemed to have encountered his nemesis. He had been subservient to One-Eyed Man in the past. After all, One-Eyed Man was a leader, not someone he could offend.
And now, seeing Director Hao chatting and laughing with One-Eyed Man, Li Laifu felt a terrible sense of crisis.
At this moment, Zhang Hongmin arrived, riding his beloved electric scooter with his daughter on the back. For Zhang Hongmin, it was as if he had saved the world in a past life. After experiencing despair, the light of hope had shone upon him, magnified infinitely.
Now he worked at the Special Department, his livelihood guaranteed. Moreover, because of his work, his daughter's schooling was no longer a problem; it had been easily arranged.
When Lin Fan informed him about the dinner, Zhang Hongmin felt truly flattered. He still didn't know how to repay Lin Fan, yet he received another invitation. Even before arriving, he saw a group of important figures waiting.
He felt nervous. Such high-end circles were not something he could fit into.
Lin Fan approached Zhang Hongmin, greeted him softly, then squatted down and pinched the little girl's cheek. "Looks like you're doing well, you've even gained some weight."
"I haven't gotten fat!" The little girl liked Lin Fan very much. When she was sick, she had to endure the torment of pain every day. On that day, this big brother appeared, smiling at her. That smile was as warm as the sun. She liked him, she liked him very much.
Lin Fan smiled. "Right, right, you haven't gotten fat. You're still as cute as ever."
Then, he looked at Zhang Hongmin. "Let me introduce you to my friends."
Lin Fan held the little girl's hand, acting as if they had a close relationship, as if telling everyone, They are my friends.
Zhang Hongmin was just an ordinary citizen who happened to know Lin Fan. He knew who Lin Fan was and always felt like they existed in two different worlds.
If nothing unexpected happened, they would never have crossed paths.
But unexpectedly… this unexpected event had actually happened to him.
"His name is Zhang Hongmin, he's my friend, and this is his daughter," Lin Fan introduced them with a smile.
Director Hao said, "Hello, I'm Hao Ren."
He carefully examined Zhang Hongmin. His clothes were ordinary and simple. At a glance, one could see that he was very nervous. Based on his analysis, he was an ordinary father, nothing special. Being invited to dinner by Lin Fan was like entering another world for him.
"H…Hello, I'm Zhang Hongmin." Zhang Hongmin knew the person before him was an important figure. When shaking hands, he instinctively wanted to bow, but a hand gently pressed on his shoulder.
Lin Fan said, "We met at the hospital. Thinking about it, it's been a long time."
Zhang Hongmin smiled genuinely. He was truly grateful to Lin Fan. Especially when he thought about what had happened back then, he felt ashamed. He had been so afraid of Lin Fan.
He knew that this person was a mental patient. He was afraid that he would hurt his daughter.
But who would have thought that his daughter would eventually rely on this person to survive.
One-Eyed Man proactively extended his hand. "Hello."
He was Zhang Hongmin's superior, his leader.
But since Lin Fan introduced Zhang Hongmin so formally, even though they were already familiar, he had to be friendly. Otherwise, he would definitely leave a bad impression on Lin Fan. If he needed to ask Hao Ren for help later, who knew how he would be exploited.
Seeing that even his leader was so polite to him, Zhang Hongmin suddenly felt that he wasn't as insignificant as he had thought when he arrived.
He knew that all of this was because of Lin Fan. Without him, he would be nothing.
Xiaobao came to the little girl. "Hello, I'm Qian Xiaobao, Lin Fan's best friend. I go to a prestigious school. All the elementary schools in Yanhai City are my territory. If anyone bullies you in the future, just tell them my name, Xiaobao."
Xiaobao's greeting didn't attract much attention. He was just a child, easily overlooked.
Lin Fan didn't invite many people, just those he saw regularly. Yongxin, Liu Haichan, and Lin Daoming all came. He didn't invite the skilled female doctor. They hadn't spoken much and weren't very familiar, so he didn't invite her.
Inside the private room, everyone gathered together, putting down all their burdens and appearing relaxed. For One-Eyed Man, the most relaxing time was when he was with Lin Fan.
It wasn't that he had any ulterior motives towards Lin Fan. It was simply that Lin Fan was strong. He didn't need to worry about any strong opponents. As long as Lin Fan was there, nothing was a problem.
Mu Qing's status as Lin Fan's wife was now firmly established. She sat beside Lin Fan, feeling a bit bewildered by the situation, as if she had stepped into some strange routine, making her unable to react.
It was as if everything had fallen into place naturally.
Lin Fan hadn't drunk alcohol in a long time. During his time in the dream world, he was immersed in books and hadn't thought about such things.
Now that he was hosting a dinner, he naturally had plenty of alcohol prepared. Smelling the aroma of the wine, he felt a familiar sensation being rekindled.
Zhang Hongmin gradually relaxed from his initial nervousness. This was not only due to Lin Fan, but also because One-Eyed Man and the others weren't the type to show off. They were sincere and treated everyone equally. They didn't talk about work, let alone cultivation.
At any dinner party, as long as it wasn't a work-related gathering, the first person to mention work matters had only two things on their mind: showing off, or complaining while showing off.
Could One-Eyed Man talk about today's reception at this dinner? Could Master Yongxin talk about his discussions on Buddhist dharma with several nuns? Liu Haichan couldn't possibly talk about his enlightenment under the Dao Tree.
The only one showing off at the scene… was Xiaobao.
Xiaobao actively chatted with Zhang Hongmin's daughter. He started with his family history, mentioning that his grandfather was the richest man in the world, but his father was too prodigal, so by the time it reached him, he was only the son of the richest man in China.
He was very distressed, not knowing how to save his father.
These topics were a bit distant and unimaginable for the little girl, so Xiaobao started talking about school. He found studying a bit tiring, so he asked the principal to give all the teachers and students a holiday. The principal listened to him very well.
He rambled on and on. For Xiaobao, these were ordinary things, but for the little girl, she felt that Xiaobao was amazing…
After a few rounds of drinks, One-Eyed Man proposed that anyone who used their cultivation to suppress the effects of alcohol was a dog.
When he mentioned "dog," Lin Fan's expression darkened slightly. He thought of Xiao Huang. If Xiao Huang were here, he would definitely be barking.
The evil chicken squatted on the seat, the ginseng waved its tendrils, and stuffed food into the hen's mouth. "Eat more."
The evil chicken's mouth was stuffed with food, its cheeks bulging, tears of anger streaming from the corners of its eyes. It was controlled by the ginseng and could only endure the humiliation.
But in the end, it licked its face and smiled, even saying, "Thank you, Brother Ginseng, for the hospitality."
Gradually, One-Eyed Man and Director Hao exchanged glances. They noticed that after Lin Fan started eating, he looked at everyone with a smile.
That look… was like the love of an old father.