26: Chapter 26 Ouyang Yang Acts Like a Scoundrel

Deputy Director Ouyang Yang had a mediocre tolerance for alcohol but enjoyed a drink. Secretary Ji Xuewen had instructed him beforehand to keep it moderate tonight, as the priority was taking care of the leaders.

Thus, he looked at Secretary Ji Xuewen with some difficulty.

Secretary Ji Xuewen naturally couldn't cover for him at this moment; it was just a glass of wine, after all, so he said, "I second that."

Deputy Director Ouyang Yang thought to himself, *It's just a small cup of wine, what's there to fear?* Then, his expression shifted, and with a face full of smiles and looking flattered, he said, "It is a great honor to have the opportunity to toast Secretary Zhang. Secretary Zhang, I toast you a glass."

As he spoke, he reached out to Lu Waner for the glass of wine.

Before Lu Waner could give him the glass, Zhang Huaijing suddenly raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Wait. Since that glass of wine has been offered, it shouldn't be taken back. It's a taboo at banquets; they call it 'spilled water is hard to retrieve.'"

With that, he reached out and took the small cup of wine from Lu Waner's hand. "I'll drink this glass."

"Good, good, then I..." Deputy Director Ouyang Yang was still beaming with smiles.

"Since you said it's a great honor, then drink a bit more to show your sincerity." Zhang Huaijing sounded like he was joking, yet he also seemed very serious and brooked no refusal. "Director Ouyang, I'm not being nitpicky, but I'm a genuine Northerner. In the Shangjing and Jin Province areas, toasting generally doesn't involve saying 'toast a glass.' The word 'glass' is unlucky; doesn't the popular slang mention 'glassware' being synonymous with 'tragedy'? Besides, the word for 'glass' sounds like the word for 'tablet' as in a tombstone. So, in my hometown, we usually say 'toast one.' Look, you happen to be holding a small decanter in your hand."

That meant he wanted him to drink a small decanter, which was a two-tael vessel. Although it wasn't full, it still held more than one tael.

Director Ouyang was immediately dumbfounded. The leader was using double standards; Lu Waner seemed to have said "toast a glass" just now as well. He hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Secretary, my tolerance is poor... this is too much, I can't do it, really..."

Minister Wang Ximeng interrupted him with a smile, "Director Ouyang, what did you say when you were drinking with me earlier? A woman can't say 'whatever,' and a man can't say 'I can't.' Bottoms up with the decanter!"

Zhang Huaijing said with a chuckle, "I believe no cadre from Wanghai County is incapable!"

There was nothing left to say; he just had to do it.

But Deputy Director Ouyang Yang hesitated, unwilling to "bottoms up the decanter." Secretary Ji Xuewen, feeling a bit frustrated by his lack of resolve, commanded, "Ouyang Yang, finish it!"

Deputy Director Ouyang Yang was already forty years old. Related to the County Head and serving as a rank-level deputy director of the County Party Committee Office, he was someone of consequence in the county who could summon the wind and rain. He hadn't expected to be given the cold shoulder and set up by Zhang Huaijing. *I have no grudge against him...* But a higher rank crushes those below; he had no choice but to steel himself and gulp down the decanter of wine in two swigs.

Everyone clapped and cheered.

"Good!" Zhang Huaijing gave Secretary Ji a thumbs up. "Secretary Ji, you lead your team well. There are no weak soldiers under a strong general!"

After finishing that tael or so of wine, Deputy Director Ouyang Yang soon felt a bit dizzy, and his face turned bright red.

Secretary Ji Xuewen smiled and said, "Secretary, they're all just country bumpkins who haven't seen the world. I've made a fool of myself before you."

Zhang Huaijing said happily, "Director Ouyang has a great tolerance! Very straightforward!"

Deputy Director Ouyang Yang had just shown a satisfied smile upon hearing the leader's enthusiastic praise when Zhang Huaijing's words came again: "Pour another decanter."

Secretary Jiang Tao, who was seated near the door next to Lu Waner, immediately picked up a newly opened bottle of Moutai from the table and deftly filled Director Ouyang's small decanter.

Director Ouyang looked at Zhang Huaijing in confusion, and the others were watching too, wondering what was wrong with Secretary Zhang.

Zhang Huaijing filled his own small wine cup, pointed at Lu Waner, and said, "Director Ouyang, just now you drank with me. Now, you must toast Lu Waner a decanter."

"I... I've already had too much to drink, Secretary, I really can't anymore..." Deputy Director Ouyang Yang said, but his tone was full of doubt. *Why should I toast her? She's holding black tea, and besides, my rank is much higher than hers.*

"There's a reason I'm asking you to toast," Zhang Huaijing said, still smiling. "I went to Cui Liming's home today. I heard he was a cadre in the County Party Committee Office, your subordinate. Before his accident, he had worked overtime for several days in a row. That night, he had already finished work and gone home, but you called him back to work overtime until after three in the morning. As a result, he was hit by a car and killed on his way back."

At these words, Director Ouyang's expression suddenly changed, showing fear and panic. Perhaps because he had drunk too much, he failed to hide it.

"What are you nervous about? Asking you to drink isn't asking you to take responsibility," Zhang Huaijing said. "I heard that Cui Liming was young Miss Lu's fiancé. They were originally set to marry during the National Day holiday, but now they are separated by life and death, and she is left all alone... Tell me, as Cui Liming's direct superior, shouldn't you toast a decanter?"

The topic had suddenly shifted to Cui Liming's death. It was heavy and left everyone puzzled. Zhang Huaijing was the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee; why would he suddenly help Lu Waner call someone to account? Was he drunk? Besides, that was an accidental traffic accident; it shouldn't have anything to do with Director Ouyang, right?

Of course, if Director Ouyang hadn't made him work overtime, the tragedy wouldn't have happened.

Lu Waner felt a bit embarrassed and didn't want to use this reason to force Director Ouyang to drink, but since these words came from Zhang Huaijing's mouth, they carried the weight of a legal decree, and she didn't dare to contradict him.

Director Ouyang felt extremely humiliated and at a loss.

Having spent so many years in Wanghai County, he had never bowed his head to a subordinate, let alone offered a toast as an apology, especially a whole decanter.

Secretary Ji Xuewen saw that things weren't quite right. Zhang Huaijing had acted unusually at Cui Yuejin's house today. He had already sent someone to investigate the relationship between Zhang Huaijing and the Cui family, but the result was that there was no connection at all. This was strange! Was Secretary Zhang really so benevolent? So meddlesome? Or was he trying to build a certain persona for himself?

Regardless, Secretary Zhang wasn't going to let Director Ouyang off the hook today, so he might as well let him be punished a bit.

Thus, Secretary Ji Xuewen spoke up, both helping him out and saving Secretary Zhang's face: "Ouyang, Little Cui's matter has nothing to do with you, but as his leader, there were areas where you didn't look after him well. Take this opportunity today to bottoms up the decanter as an apology."

"Fine... alright." Director Ouyang timidly looked at the small decanter in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and gestured to Lu Waner, "Little Lu, I'm really sorry about Cui Liming's matter. I'm sorry. I'll finish this; you... you drink tea."

These words sounded sincere. He did feel a bit of guilt in his heart, but he had always kept it hidden.

Deputy Director Ouyang Yang emptied the decanter of Moutai into his stomach in three gulps.

After he finished, Zhang Huaijing led the applause, finally letting him off.

However, Deputy Director Ouyang Yang was completely drunk. With Secretary Jiang Tao's support, he returned to his seat.

At this time, Minister Meng Zhaodi rose to leave the table. Minister Wang Ximeng hurriedly stood up to follow, but Minister Meng Zhaodi smiled and waved her hand, heading out on her own.

Minister Meng Zhaodi wasn't drunk; she just needed to go to the restroom, so Minister Wang Ximeng didn't accompany her.

A few minutes later, Director Ouyang felt as if his internal organs were being clawed by a dozen Monkey Kings—burning, cramping, with a wave of heat constantly surging upward.

He really couldn't hold it in and hurriedly got up to walk out. Secretary Jiang Tao wanted to follow, but he shouted back, "It's fine, I'm fine."

Thus, Secretary Jiang Tao sat back down.

Once outside, Deputy Director Ouyang Yang's feet tangled, and he nearly fell. As his body swayed, he caught a cold breeze, making him want to vomit even more.

He stumbled into the restroom and unleashed a torrent of vomit into the public sink.

After vomiting, he finally felt a bit better, but his head was still spinning. Because of the vomiting, his eyes were tearing up, and he couldn't see clearly.

At this moment, he felt a strong urge to urinate and had to release the floodgates immediately.

So, he plunged into the restroom, but upon entering, he saw no urinals, only three or four stalls, all with their doors closed.

He felt puzzled, but the alcohol had robbed him of his ability to think. He forcefully pulled open a door, and just as he unbuckled his belt, he heard a scream from inside: "What are you doing? You hooligan!"

Before Deputy Director Ouyang Yang could react, the woman inside instinctively pushed him hard.

Deputy Director Ouyang Yang lost his balance, his feet slipped, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

Immediately, a middle-aged woman ran out from inside, shouting toward the door, "Hooligan! Someone's being a hooligan!"

Two servers immediately rushed in, hauled up the unconscious Deputy Director Ouyang Yang, and dragged him out of the ladies' restroom.

The commotion was quite loud and alerted the people in the private room. Minister Wang Ximeng reacted quickly; sensing something was wrong, she was the first to run out, with Secretary Jiang Tao and the others close behind.

When they arrived at the scene, everyone was struck dumb. The one acting like a hooligan was Deputy Director Ouyang Yang, and the one who had been in the stall just now was the Head of the Municipal Organization Department, Minister Meng Zhaodi.