Chapter 18 A Moveable Feast

Wang Zixu's unit used the largest dining table in the cafeteria to entertain the inspection and acceptance team. When Wang Zixu arrived, the table was already full, with the inspection team members sitting alternately with their colleagues from the unit.

Lin Feng and the leader sat at the top, Guo Ranran sat below, and Zhang Cangnian was also there. When he saw Wang Zixu, he winked at him.

When meeting Wang Zixu, the leader said, "Comrade Xiao Wang attaches great importance to his personal image. It took him so long to come here."

His words were full of innuendo. If it was when Wang Zixu just started working, he would have been sweating profusely, but now he is an old hand and is no longer afraid of boiling water.

Wang Zixu said: "I'm sorry, I was delayed by something."

The leader waved his hand and said, "Forget it, forget it. Sit down. The seat is ready for you. It's just you."

Wang Zixu saw the empty seat next to Lin Feng and was a little surprised: "I sit there?"

The leader said, "Yes, General Manager Lin specifically asked you to sit next to him. You two can chat about literature."

"Yes, I had a brief conversation with Comrade Wang, Wang Zixu, this morning. He seems to know a lot about literature. This is a good opportunity for me to learn more from him."

Lin Feng smiled and nodded at him, but Wang Zixu was complaining in his heart. But the situation forced him to bite the bullet and sit down.

In his limited experience of dining at banquets, he had always sat at the lower table to serve, so he could just focus on eating, drinking and serving dishes without worrying about anything else during the banquet. This was the first time he sat at the upper table.

Sitting at the table and looking forward, everyone's eyes were focused on the center point beside him. Wang Zixu suddenly understood why his colleagues liked to go out for drinks whenever they had time.

But he didn't like being the center of attention. He preferred to sit at the bottom, just eating his meal peacefully, feeling relaxed and comfortable.

……

When Wang Zixu had to face the dinner, Ye Lan called Zuo Ziliang and said that she had found a new script writer. So the three of them met at a shopping mall.

When Zuo Ziliang arrived, Ye Lan and the new script designer were already sitting on the sofa waiting. The other party was a young man with a middle-parted hair, not outstanding in appearance, too young, carrying a crossbody bag and wearing Converse canvas shoes.

Ye Lan pointed at the boy and said, "This is Cheng Xing. He is still in college, but he has published many short stories on Douban, which have received very good responses. He has also published a book and has a large fan base. You can chat and get to know each other."

Zuo Ziliang stared at the opposite side. The boy was very polite. He nodded and said, "Hello, Mr. Zuo. You can call me Xiao Cheng."

Zuo Ziliang just nodded slightly, and then went straight to the point: "Xiao Cheng, right? What do you think?"

Cheng Xing asked, "What do you mean?"

"How did you come up with the idea of becoming our script writer?"

Cheng Xing said, "Oh, it's like this. I'm about to graduate from college and I want to be a full-time writer in the future, so I want to work in an industry related to writing as a means of making a living."

Zuo Ziliang said, "Why, you've published your book, but the royalties aren't enough to live on?"

Cheng Xing smiled politely: "I work in the traditional publishing industry, which is not comparable to those online writers. The royalties are only enough to live on for a while, definitely not enough for a lifetime."

Zuo Ziliang asked: "Did you bring your draft?"

Cheng Xing quickly opened his bag and said, "I have it. Please take a look. If you have any comments, please let me know and I can revise it." Zuo Ziliang lowered his head to read the manuscript. While he was reading the manuscript, Ye Lan smiled and said:
"He has publishing experience, a fan base, and our Cheng Xing is a graduate of a prestigious university. By the way, what literary competition did you win in junior high school?"

Cheng Xing said, "Mengya. I won the second prize. The first prize in my class was Guo Yueran."

Ye Lan said, "Oh, yes. How about this person I found? Is he more reliable than the previous script writer?"

Zuo Ziliang didn't answer. He frowned as he looked at the draft.

Cheng Xing lowered his eyebrows, picked up the water cup, and took a sip. His eyes were deep, and he didn't say anything, but his mind was already thinking about a hundred things.

……

The dishes were served, but no one at the table picked up their chopsticks. Lin Feng was the protagonist of the banquet, and only when he picked up his chopsticks could everyone start eating. This was the most basic table etiquette.

The leader leaned forward and said to Lin Feng, "Boss Lin, during the Chinese New Year, my father-in-law gave me a few bottles of rice wine. They are all aged wines, taste great, and the alcohol content is not high. I'm so happy today, how about opening some and having fun with everyone?"

Lin Feng likes literature and doesn't like white wine, but prefers rice wine. His boss naturally knew about his preference. When he heard about the aged rice wine, Lin Feng's mouth was a little salivating, but he frowned and said, "Isn't this bad?"

The boss said, "Look, first of all, this wine is my personal collection, so it won't be included in this account. Second, today is Friday, and it's not a workday after work. Third, the alcohol content of the wine is really not high, so it won't cause any problems. No matter from which angle, it does not violate the regulations. If it violates the regulations, I dare not even mention it. What do you think?"

Lin Feng played with his chopsticks, then turned around and asked, "How about some?"

"Go, go, go. Xiao Mao, go to my office, go to the cabinet under my desk and bring me the wine."

The rice wine was served on the table, and a young colleague from the company poured wine attentively. Lin Feng turned to look at Wang Zixu: "Would you like to drink together?"

The leader stared at him from behind Lin Feng. Wang Zixu knew that if he didn't drink today, he might not be able to survive in the company, so he nodded and said, "I can't drink much, I can only drink a few glasses with you, if I drink more, I might pass out."

The leader knocked on the table and said, "Xiao Wang, this won't do. You're already nervous before you even start drinking. You should show your courage and lead the charge!"

Lin Feng said: "Hey, we don't drink to get drunk, we just drink as much as we want. It's okay, brother Wang, drink to your heart's content, and go home when you're done. It doesn't matter."

Wang Zixu nodded, and the bright yellow and clear liquid poured into the glass, shining brightly under the light, with faint fragrance wafting out of the glass.

The leader raised his glass high and said, "We are so happy today that we have met a literary talent like General Manager Lin. Let's raise our glasses together and toast to this talent!"

After a glass of wine, the banquet officially began.

Lin Feng said: "Let me correct myself. I am essentially a layman. I love poetry, wine, and delicious food. I cannot bear the title of a literary talent. This time, not only me, but all members of our inspection team, including all comrades in your unit, have worked hard and deserve a toast. I toast to all comrades. Thank you for your hard work!"

The leader applauded: "Good! Come on, drink!"

Yellow wine is clear and softer than white wine, but it has a stronger aftertaste and is easy to get drunk. Wang Zixu hasn't drunk for a long time, so his alcohol tolerance has declined a lot. After just one glass, he felt a little dizzy.

Everyone ate. The chef in the cafeteria was specially invited by the leader from his hometown. His cooking skills were at the level of a top-notch cook. The dishes on the table were homely with a touch of special flavor. They were not overcooked and were all hard-core dishes. Lin Feng and other guests were full of praise for the food.

After eating two bites, Lin Feng leaned forward and asked, "Brother Wang, we talked about Hugo this morning. Which book of Hugo is your favorite?"

(End of this chapter)

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