Qiu Mang was slightly taken aback, then waved his hand and said, "Mr. Zhang, I'm really sorry, I don't drink alcohol."
Mr. Wu joined in the fun, saying, "How can this be? When you're out socializing, there's no reason not to drink."
Qiu Mang looked embarrassed and politely declined again: "I'm really sorry, bosses, I really can't drink alcohol."
Upon seeing this, Zhou Haitao's smile instantly froze. He then pulled Qiu Mang aside and said in a low voice, "Qiu Mang, these are all crucial clients. Just have a little drink and express your support. This is part of the job; we can't let our clients be unhappy."
Qiu Mang pursed her lips, glanced at Zhou Haitao, and then at the gazes of everyone at the table. She knew in her heart that she probably couldn't avoid drinking today.
Qiu Mang casually picked up a small wine glass, poured himself half a glass of wine, and smiled at everyone, "Gentlemen, I'm not a big drinker, but since you've all invited me so warmly, I'll have a sip."
After Qiu Mang finished speaking, he picked up his wine glass and took a small sip. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, and Qiu Mang felt extremely uncomfortable, so he coughed lightly twice.
"Hey, when your boss Zhou was toasting us just now, he kept downing one glass after another. Little girl, you should at least finish this one, right? Hahahaha..." The man seemed to be joking, but there was a hint of undeniable pressure in his eyes.
Qiu Mang took a deep breath and clenched her fists tightly. Although she didn't have much social experience, she knew how dangerous it was for a girl to be drunk outside.
She was always very clear about her alcohol tolerance; she could drink two bottles of beer, but this particular beer had a much stronger aftereffect than regular beer.
Zhou Haitao noticed the suppressed anger in Qiu Mang's eyes, frowned slightly, glanced at the other CEOs, and his expression immediately became respectful again.
"Everyone, please have your meal first. I still have some work to discuss with my secretary."
Several middle-aged men at the table sized up the two of them, nodded slightly, and waved to him, signaling him to go about his business.
Zhou Haitao led Qiu Mang out of the private room. A cool breeze blew by, and Qiu Mang immediately felt much more awake.
Zhou Haitao stood ramrod straight, showing none of the drunkenness he displayed in the private room. His tone carried a hint of reproach: "Qiu Mang, do you know how much effort I put into inviting those people?"
Qiu Mang, with her stubborn personality, said, "President Zhou, Minister Sun said you transferred me to this position because you valued my technical skills, and now you..."
Zhou Haitao sneered, "That's not contradictory. I do value your professional skills, but Shi Nan also told me that you need money. She came to talk to me about your salary when you joined the company, hoping I would give you a raise."
The man took a deep breath. "You've seen it too. Money isn't that easy to earn. As a boss, I have to beg people every day. You want a high salary but aren't willing to put in the effort? There's no such thing as a free lunch."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Mang lowered her eyes, but her clenched fist remained firmly in place.
Zhou Haitao's expression was somewhat unpleasant. He sighed softly, "Come with me!"
Qiu Mang followed Zhou Haitao to the door of another private room on the same floor. Through the half-open door, Qiu Mang saw Shi Nan sitting among a group of customers.
Shinan wore a beautiful red dress today and stood out among a group of men.
She wore exquisite makeup, but her smile was slightly stiff, and her eyes revealed a hint of fatigue. Her face was slightly flushed, indicating that she had drunk quite a bit.
Shi Nan held a wine glass tightly. A customer raised his glass to her, and she quickly picked up her own glass, lightly clinked it with the customer's, and then tilted her head back and drank the wine in one gulp.
The spicy liquor slid down his throat, and Shi Nan frowned slightly, but quickly regained his smile.
Another customer was saying something loudly, seemingly telling a joke, and Shi Nan joined in with exaggerated laughter, but there was little genuine joy in the laughter.
Then, another customer filled Shi Nan's glass with wine. Without hesitation, she picked up her glass again, gestured to the customers, and then drank it all in one gulp.
Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were somewhat unfocused, but she still persevered, continuing to interact with and drink with her clients.
Her body swayed slightly, but she tried her best to maintain her balance, not wanting to lose her composure in front of her clients.
The customers nearby were either laughing and talking loudly or clapping and cheering.
Suddenly, a jarring voice rang out, "Alright! Miss Shi is a very straightforward person. Then I won't beat around the bush. Here's the deal: if Miss Shi can finish all the drinks on this table, I'll give you all my orders for this year!"
After the man finished speaking, he looked at his assistant beside him.
Seeing this, the assistant understood immediately and quickly asked the waiter to bring ten transparent glasses, which were then placed on the table.
Then, with a "bang," a bottle of wine was opened, and the assistant poured wine into the glasses one by one. When all ten glasses on the table were full, he looked at Shi Nan and raised his eyebrows slightly.
"So, Ms. Shi, whether you can close this deal depends on your abilities!"
After the man finished speaking, he burst into laughter.
Qiu Mang looked at her through the crack in the door, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly, her fingertips turning slightly white from the force.
Shi Nan forced herself to stand up straight, managing a weak smile. She reached for her wine glass, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Does Mr. Liu's word count?"
The man crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair, and said casually, "I, Liu, keep my word!"
After saying this, Shi Nan smiled slightly, picked up his wine glass, and without hesitation, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
When Shi Nan drank the fourth cup, he suddenly stopped, covered his mouth with his right hand, and his face was contorted with pain.
Qiu Mang watched her from afar, her heart pounding. She was about to push open the door and tell Shi Nan to stop drinking when she was forcibly pulled back.
"What are you trying to do!" Zhou Haitao frowned as he looked at her foot, which had already moved a step.
"Of course we should bring her out and take her home. She's had too much to drink! If we don't leave, it will only hurt her!" Qiu Mang said anxiously.
"Going in now will only harm her!" Zhou Haitao hissed angrily in a low voice.
"President Zhou, are you even being reasonable? You saw it yourself, she's the only girl at the whole table, and everyone's watching her drink like she's a monkey, but no one's stopping her. What are you up to? Is it fun to play with people like this?" Qiu Mang's chest heaved with anger.
Zhou Haitao pressed down on her shoulders. "Going in now will ruin her plans. If she didn't want to come to these social events, and no one forced her, she could have easily focused on her HR work. She took on these projects because she wanted to earn more money. Do you know she's been working on this project for six months, and only now is the other party willing to meet with her? If this contract is signed, she'll get a commission of 150,000! Nobody turns down money. If you go in now, you'll only ruin everything for her, and she'll hate you!"
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