Li Dingshan guessed Xia Xiang's intention and deliberately advised, "Xia Xiang, don't be silly. Mixing white wine with beer will get you drunk easily. Governor Li is older than you; it would be bad if he drinks to the point of harming his health."
Li Kailin was not about to back down. Xia Xiang had dared to openly challenge his authority, which infuriated him. He was determined to drink Xia Xiang under the table. Li Dingshan's words were like pouring oil on fire. He slammed the table and shouted, "Mr. Li, if you respect me, don't try to stop me. I want to see how a young punk dares to challenge me in a drinking contest. He's out of line!"
His face was red with anger.
Li Dingshan smiled but said nothing. Jia He, seeing that Li Kailin's words were becoming unpleasant, felt uncomfortable and just folded his arms, watching the spectacle.
Xia Xiang wasn't afraid of things turning sour with Li Kailin. Since they had come this far, there was no need for politeness. He picked up his glass and drank it in one go, then put the glass down and said, "Big words are useless; let's see who has real skills in drinking."
This deep-water bomb was made of half a bottle of beer and three ounces of white wine.
In his previous life, Xia Xiang, due to running a company and dealing with various people, including those from the industrial and commercial tax authorities, had developed a good tolerance for alcohol. One and a half bottles of white wine plus four or five bottles of beer were no problem for him. Now, in the prime of his physical condition, he was confident that he could handle it.
Li Kailin, unwilling to fall behind, followed suit and drank a deep-water bomb, finishing it in one go. Then, he looked at Xia Xiang sideways, "What else do you have? Show me, and I'll match you all the way."
Xia Xiang didn't say much. He asked the waiter for a large glass, poured a whole bottle of beer into it, and then took a glass that could hold three ounces of white wine, filled it with white wine, and placed it in the beer glass. "This one is called a nuclear submarine!"
After saying that, he picked up the glass, tilted his head back, and finished it in an instant.
Li Kailin's face darkened, "Nuclear submarine? Even an atomic bomb won't scare me!" He also prepared a similar drink and drained it without hesitation.
After two mixed drinks, Xia Xiang felt a storm brewing in his stomach, and his stomach churned, almost making him vomit. He inwardly cursed, realizing that his body was more fragile than he had thought, or perhaps it hadn't fully adapted to the alcohol yet.
While Xia Xiang felt unwell, Li Kailin felt even worse. He had to suppress several urges to vomit, forcing the contents of his stomach back down. He couldn't throw up now; if he did, it would mean losing to this young man. Losing to Xia Xiang would be more painful than death. Li Kailin knew that Xia Xiang held a grudge against him and was intentionally picking a fight to defeat him and avenge past grievances.
Li Kailin stood up, swaying, and arrogantly said, "Young man, do you have any more tricks? Bring them on. If I show any fear, I'm a dog's son."
Xia Xiang pointed to the dishes on the table, "Governor Li, do you want to eat something to settle the alcohol?"
Li Kailin slapped away Xia Xiang's chopsticks, "Eat my ass! Drink! You're not leaving here unless you drink yourself to death."
Xia Xiang sneered, "Governor Li, what a big mouth! Save your energy for the drinks."
Li Kailin was furious and reached out to grab Xia Xiang, but Xia Xiang nimbly dodged. He grabbed a bottle of white wine, poured half a pound, and placed a small glass of beer in the white wine glass. He raised it to Li Kailin, "This one is called the Wine Immortal. Let's drink it together. Whoever doesn't drink is a coward."
"Drink? Do you think I'm scared of you? Damn, daring to challenge me, who do you think you are?" Li Kailin, fueled by the alcohol, swore as he poured half a pound of white wine, disregarding the small glass of beer, and raised his glass, clinking it with Xia Xiang's. "Do you know what clinking glasses means? When we clink, we must finish. Not finishing makes you less than a man, a dog, a bastard..."
Xia Xiang didn't bother to swear back, only grimaced and said, "I'll drink first as a sign of respect!"
Drinking half a pound of white wine in one go was unbearable for anyone. Xia Xiang felt like his stomach was boiling, and his whole body was burning. But when he saw Li Kailin gritting his teeth and finishing his half-pound of white wine, his eyes bloodshot, he didn't feel so bad anymore.
"Governor Li, you have a great capacity for alcohol, truly impressive. I admit defeat. But I wonder, with your generosity and capability, why haven't you been promoted to a higher position in the branch?" Xia Xiang noticed that Li Kailin was swaying, indicating he couldn't hold on much longer. Most people couldn't handle the combined effect of white wine and beer.
Li Kailin, already enraged by Xia Xiang, was further inflamed by the alcohol, losing most of his rationality. Hearing Xia Xiang's sarcastic remarks, he lost control and roared, "Who do you think you are, daring to criticize me, the governor? Let me tell you, Xia Xiang, I can crush you like an ant. Even if Li Dingshan tries to protect you, he can't stop me. I'm not being promoted? Hmph, I'll be the deputy governor of the branch in half a month. You're short-sighted and know nothing..."
The final straw that broke Li Dingshan's back came from Li Kailin's own mouth. Xia Xiang saw Li Dingshan's face turn ashen, struggling to contain his anger, with veins bulging on his neck.
Later, he couldn't remember much. Once he relaxed, the alcohol hit him hard, and he felt dizzy and passed out.
When he woke up, he was lying on Jia He's bed. Jia He was pouring water nearby. Seeing Xia Xiang awake, he laughed, "Awake? You were quite impressive yesterday, getting Li Kailin under the table. That old guy, cursing and swearing, don't mind him... How did you know Li Kailin was going to be transferred? It really upset Mr. Li. He cursed Li Kailin, saying he's not a decent person, keeping the transfer a secret, pushing Mr. Li into a trap."
Xia Xiang's head was splitting, and he struggled to sit up. Jia He quickly supported him. The hangover was excruciating, his head feeling like it was about to split in two, and his stomach still churning. The slightest movement made his head throb painfully.
"What did Mr. Li say?" After suffering so much and offending Li Kailin, wasn't it all for Li Dingshan's reaction?
"Mr. Li didn't sleep all night, smoking non-stop. He said to send you up to him once you woke up." Jia He was excited, asking, "Xia Xiang, if Mr. Li becomes the county party secretary, what position do you think I'll get?"
Xia Xiang didn't rush to see Li Dingshan. Instead, he drank a cup of strong tea and washed his face with cold water, feeling a bit more energized before heading upstairs.
As soon as he stepped out, Xiao Jia's concerned gaze met him. She opened her mouth to speak but noticed Wen Yang opening the office door, standing at the entrance, staring at her. Xia Xiang, understanding her thoughts, nodded at her and Wen Yang, then went upstairs.
Upstairs, the room was filled with smoke. Li Dingshan, unshaven and disheveled, sat behind a large desk, with a half-foot-wide ashtray full of cigarette butts. As soon as he saw Xia Xiang, he blurted out, "Xia Xiang, do you know what they say in the provincial committee?"
Xia Xiang shook his head, waiting for Li Dingshan to continue.
"Do you know how tough it is? Think of Song Chaodu in the provincial committee... Song Chaodu, originally a member of the provincial committee and the secretary-general, is about to lose his title and be reassigned as the minister of the Provincial Agricultural and Workers' Department. The Agricultural and Workers' Department? Huh... With him as the minister, what chance do his promoted subordinates have for advancement? Especially since the provincial party secretary is dissatisfied with him. You don't know, the provincial party secretary, Gao Chengsong, has very powerful backing, with connections reaching the top!"
Xia Xiang, of course, knew Gao Chengsong's name. In his previous life, even ordinary citizens who didn't care about politics knew the name of this "powerful secretary." Gao Chengsong, originally from the south, was short, a common trait for southerners, but he had a large, northern face and a fierce appearance, a genetic anomaly. Born into poverty, Gao Chengsong was reportedly favored by a county leader after frequently delivering pork offal, leading to his promotion to the county broadcasting bureau. From there, his career soared, and after decades of effort, he finally climbed to the position of provincial party secretary.
Gao Chengsong was a strong-willed and domineering individual. Anyone he disliked, he either trampled or eliminated. Since becoming the provincial party secretary of Yan Province, he turned the political scene into a mess, favoring those who aligned with him and punishing those who didn't. Countless officials were demoted or sidelined for various reasons, turning Yan Province into his personal fiefdom. Even the provincial governor, Ye Sheng, had to avoid his wrath and endure his arrogance. Only after Gao Chengsong's powerful backers in the capital fell, was he removed from office, stripped of his provincial-level benefits, and forced to return to his hometown in the south due to public outrage.
Although he was not further punished, he was placed under house arrest, never allowed to leave his residence. His son fled abroad, wanted by Interpol, but remained at large.
At this time, Gao Chengsong had just been transferred to Yan Province, serving as the provincial party secretary for less than half a year, already beginning to purge his opponents. Song Chaodu was among the first to be affected. Xia Xiang, of course, knew Gao Chengsong. Years later, even after Gao Chengsong's downfall, the people of Yan City still hated him deeply. During his tenure, Gao Chengsong reached the peak of his power, wielding his authority to cut off others' careers and ruin their livelihoods.
Xia Xiang also knew that Gao Chengsong, after two years of rampant behavior, gradually faded from the political stage. During these two years, although he couldn't recall where Song Chaodu was, he was certain that he remained in obscurity until Gao Chengsong's downfall, when he re-emerged as a rising political star.