Mr. Tang's banquet
Shanghai's winters always have a certain arrogance. Just when you think it's easy to get along with, gentle and even a little warm, the cold wind that rushes out from the alleyways always catches you off guard, as if you're in a freezing lake, with every pore absorbing the biting cold, no matter how many layers you wear.
Gao Junxiao rubbed his hands together and shivered in the car. He felt his fingers were stiff. The cold wind in the alley at night couldn't even stop the car's metal body. When will they install a heater in the car? It's freezing! He'd better wear leather gloves.
Tsk, the windshield is fogged up again. Gao Junxiao quickly grabbed a cloth and wiped the fog off the windshield. Looking up through the car window, he saw that the lights on the third floor were still on. Do women take this long to put on makeup? He had thought He Qingcheng was different from ordinary women.
He glanced at his watch again. There was still plenty of time. He remembered reading about the new era's "Three Obediences and Four Virtues" in the newspaper a few days ago. However, those were new requirements for "civilized gentlemen." He clearly remembered that one of them was that his wife had to wait patiently while he put on makeup.
Men across the country are probably all this helpless, which is why someone would write an article to vent their frustrations. Chen Yao, while cursing it as utterly disgraceful and absurd, read it all with great relish, and even immediately wrote a letter saying he would argue with the author. To this, he only had one comment: "He's just bored and has nothing better to do."
Just as he was getting impatient, the sound of footsteps echoed across the stone-paved floor. Gao Junxiao was about to wipe the fogged-up glass to peek at the person when the passenger door suddenly opened, and a rush of cold air mixed with a fresh fragrance flooded into the car.
The aroma instantly cleared his head, and with just one glance, Gao Junxiao felt that the wait had been worthwhile.
He Qingcheng, wearing a beret and a white fur-trimmed coat, exhaled a cute puff of white breath as she urged him to drive. Her makeup was different from usual, and she had changed her perfume. She couldn't quite put her finger on what the changes were. Who knew He Qingcheng could be like this? Hmm, alluring!
"Wait a minute." Qingcheng suddenly unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over to the side. Gao Junxiao reflexively moved towards the car door. The faint fragrance from the woman's neck seemed to permeate his soul, and he couldn't help but swallow.
"How are you going to open the car window when it's like this?" Qingcheng said, taking a small spray bottle out of her bag and spraying it on the glass. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Do you have a cloth? Give it to me."
Faced with Qingcheng's outstretched delicate hand, Gao Junxiao's face flushed slightly, and his voice trembled a little: "Ahem, what are you giving me? I can do it myself."
"Here you go. I saw you wiping the windows a lot upstairs, so I quickly prepared some soapy water. The magazine said it can prevent fogging." Qingcheng smiled and handed over a perfume bottle.
"Ah, wow, that's thoughtful. Let's go." Gao Junxiao wiped his face a few times to cover up his embarrassment; it must have been too cold, and his brain had gone numb.
The car slowly drove away from the alley. Today was a charity ball hosted by Mr. Tang Bang at the Mao Hotel. Thanks to Mr. Tang's connections and influence, the attendees included business tycoons, government officials, academic authorities, and even some big stars.
"Ah Xiao, Ah Xiao, Gao Junxiao." Qingcheng suddenly called out, abruptly pulling Gao Junxiao back to reality. "Stop peeking, be careful."
"Hehe, can I whistle?" Gao Junxiao couldn't help but tease when he was caught out.
“No, that would make me seem like a hooligan, but you can just praise me directly,” Kiyosumi said sharply.
"You look beautiful today." Gao Junxiao said honestly. Faced with Qingcheng's frankness, he couldn't think of any other fancy words.
"Thank you, Zexiu, you look very handsome today too." Qingcheng praised Gao Junxiao generously without any shyness.
"How do you know my courtesy name?" Gao Junxiao suddenly realized that her way of addressing him had changed, and he didn't think he had told her that before.
"Never mind that. In formal settings, we should use more formal titles." Qingcheng seemed very interested in the origin of the courtesy name. "Is your courtesy name derived from 'Ze Xiuwen' in the Analects or 'Ze Xiuxing' in the Discourses of the States?"
“If distant people do not submit, then cultivate virtue and culture to attract them,” Gao Junxiao blurted out.
“If people from afar don’t submit, you must cultivate virtue and emphasize education to attract them. Your elders hope you can win people over with virtue.” Qingcheng looked at him with a smile, which made Gao Junxiao feel a little embarrassed.
"It's a pity that I live in a chaotic world where morality has collapsed, culture is ineffective, and only martial prowess can subdue people." Gao Junxiao was already tired of the world where power comes from the barrel of a gun, but that's how the world works: the strong prey on the weak.
"Then what do you think we young people should do in chaotic times?" Kiyosumi asked.
“When people’s hearts are corrupted, the way of Heaven changes. This is great chaos. Great chaos means that heroes fight among themselves. We young people should each do our own job and watch the show from the sidelines,” Gao Junxiao replied.
“You’re right. The way of Heaven is abnormal, but the human heart is not dead. As the saying goes, extreme order leads to chaos, and extreme chaos leads to order. In the end, we’ll create the one that the whole country likes.” Qingcheng listed classic Taoist rebuttals.
Taoism follows the cyclical laws of the world, such as the inevitable cycle of division and unification. But if the Chinese stop fighting, then foreigners come to fight, and fighting continues every day, how can there be a peaceful and prosperous world?
“It’s no use. Let’s not talk about the distant past. In recent years, Dr. Sun Yat-sen did win the hearts of the people, but unfortunately he didn’t have real military power. The country was still usurped by the traitor Yuan.” Gao Junxiao also spoke with facts.
“Mr. Sun Yat-sen was a pioneer of the revolution. I am not qualified to comment on his theories of governance, but can a revolution only happen once and not again?” Kiyosumi asked tentatively.
"Be careful what you say! You can tell me, but don't go spreading rumors outside. Even people with 'ideological critiques' are being investigated these days. If the secret agents arrest you as a member of the Communist Party, I can't protect you." Gao Junxiao said with an unusually serious expression.
"Don't just label me like that. How am I a member of the Communist Party? Mr. Sun Yat-sen proposed the Second Revolution! He himself advocated alliance with Russia and the Communists." Kiyosumi muttered under her breath, a hint of disappointment on her face.
"He is the founding father, and you are? You ignorant little brat, don't you know that loose lips sink ships!" Gao Junxiao felt that something was wrong. He probably had talked about too many taboo topics today, and he had to stop and not say any more.
"You always treat me like a child. I'm not a child anymore," Kiyosumi replied irritably.
"Thank goodness, you've finally realized you're not young anymore and can be my wife," Gao Junxiao said jokingly, trying to brush it off.
“Go away—” Kiyosumi retorted, “Shouldn’t the ideals of the Founding Father be carried forward?”
"This is because you are young and ignorant, and do not understand the ways of the court. What can be done in the court cannot be said, and what can be said cannot be done." Gao Junxiao decided to give her some pointers, so that she would not be too curious and speak recklessly, causing any trouble.
"Besides your words, don't let your editorials have any obvious political bias. Your recent stance has veered a bit to the left. If you want to continue being a good editor, be careful, or you'll be the first to stick your neck out," Gao Junxiao warned meaningfully.
"Oh, I see. I've learned something new." Kiyosumi seemed to be savoring the information, and soon accepted it with a smile.
"Don't smile like that. We have a special electric torture chair in our headquarters to 'relieve blood stasis' people. I can hear the heart-wrenching screams even before I reach the interrogation room door." Gao Junxiao described the cruel scene in the interrogation room, hoping to instill more awe in the young lady He next to him.
"Wow! That's amazing. This electric chair definitely isn't made in Hanyang, it must be imported, right?" To everyone's surprise, Miss He exclaimed excitedly.
"Hmm, it's imported from Germany. No, did you even hear what I said?" Gao Junxiao had a headache. Was the key point the electric chair's place of origin?
"Can you take me on a tour?" Kiyosumi tugged at his sleeve in a coquettish manner.
"No." Gao Junxiao's heart skipped a beat, realizing he had piqued Miss He's curiosity.
"Hmph! I'm going to find my godfather and have him take me." Qingcheng pouted to show her dissatisfaction.
"No." Gao Junxiao decisively stopped him.
"Then I'll ask my boss to apply for an interview according to the procedure." Kiyosumi seemed unwilling to give up.
"As long as I'm here, it won't matter who you go to." Gao Junxiao didn't want to argue with Qingcheng anymore and directly cut to the chase.
"Why?" Kiyosumi's damn curiosity is just too strong.
"No means no." Gao Junxiao regretted mentioning that unlucky place.
"Just take a look." Qingcheng's eyes were innocent, which made Gao Junxiao a little helpless. Silly girl, all blood and gore, aren't you afraid of having nightmares after seeing this?
Gao Junxiao's tone softened: "There's really nothing to see here. You should give up on that idea as soon as possible."
"Okay, okay, I got it. Focus on driving!" Qingcheng said dismissively, clearly not giving up on her investigation. Gao Junxiao shook his head; he'd have to find something more interesting to distract her later.
At night, the Bund is brightly lit, and the buildings of the World Expo complex appear dignified and beautiful in the interplay of light and shadow, complementing the Shanghai Bund, which is famous for its bustling streets.
After getting out of the car, Gao Junxiao had been thinking about what novel thing to do to distract Miss He, and here it was. The elevator in the Huamao Hotel was definitely the most fashionable thing at the moment, and there was even a dedicated waiter to operate it.
This was the first time such a thing had been used in Shanghai, or even in all of China. As expected, Qingcheng's eyes lit up when she saw the elevator, and she couldn't help but sigh that if such a wonderful thing were available in apartments, she would definitely rent one.
Only after taking off his coat did he notice that Miss He was wearing a yellow, pearlescent tulle dress. Her long black velvet gloves and exposed, slender white arms created a clear distinction, elegant yet playful, though perhaps a little too revealing of her back. Gao Junxiao glanced at her profile, smiled slightly, and said nothing. He was glad she liked it.
"What's so funny? Shouldn't something this practical be made more widely available?" Kiyosumi was baffled by his laughter.
"Of course, of course, do you have to try every new thing?" Gao Junxiao's smile widened. The ruby earrings on her ears complemented her complexion, and he had just noticed that Miss He's ears were large and well-proportioned, which meant she would definitely be blessed in the future.
"Of course, I love things I've never seen, eaten, or used before. You only know if they're good or bad after you've tried them." It seems that Qingcheng is very willing to be the first to try new things.
Gao Junxiao suppressed a laugh and said, "That's good, keep it up."
With a "ding," the waiter deftly opened the elevator doors, revealing a vibrant red flocked carpet that stretched from the elevator entrance all the way to the main hall door, creating a very grand atmosphere. The corridor was bustling with people attending the banquet; it was said that Mr. Tang had generously booked the entire 9th floor.
The overcoats and hats had already been taken away in the lobby. The men were generally dressed in suits or long gowns, or Zhongshan suits, nothing special. Only a one-finger-wide gold ring and a brightly polished gold watch indicated the person's status.
The ladies' outfits were even more varied. Some wore light and gorgeous Western-style dresses, while others wore elegant and exquisite long cheongsams. They wore bright red and green, yellow and purple, cream pearl pendants, and beer bottle green jade necklaces. Any one of these pieces could cost a poor family a year's living expenses, but none of them were as eye-catching as Miss He.
The two exchanged a smile amidst the crowd. Gao Junxiao consciously raised his arm and turned to He Qingcheng, saying, "Miss He, please."
He Qingcheng also consciously climbed onto the man's arm and said with a smile, "You're welcome, Mr. Gao, please."
They both laughed after speaking. It had been a long time since they had used such a polite form of address; today, it sounded rather witty and playful. Qingcheng took out a gold-embossed invitation from her green velvet bag and handed it to the waiter at the registration desk.
The waiter behind the registration desk respectfully took the invitation and handed it to his colleague, while also taking out a tray with a blue velvet lining, on which lay various kinds of fresh flowers. The waiter explained that there were too many guests today, and he was worried that it would be difficult to recognize people later, so he would like to ask the young lady to choose a corsage for her husband.
Kiyosumi casually picked up a half-open yellow rose from the plate, sniffed it, seemingly pondering something, then put the flower down and let him choose for himself.
"They're all beautiful. If Miss He is lucky enough to choose one, that would be the best." Gao Junxiao's words had a double meaning, and it was unclear whether Qingcheng understood them.
“You’re talking about yourself,” Kiyosumi replied, leaving no room for ambiguity.
Gao Junxiao said matter-of-factly, "Isn't that right? I've been completely transformed by Miss He from head to toe. Does Miss He have any doubts about her own aesthetic sense?"
"What, you think it's too expensive? There are two Shanghai dialect terms: 'gimmick' and 'awkward.' The gimmick is on your head, and the awkwardness is on your feet. To make you the most stylish man in the room, your hair has to be done, and your shoes have to be new. Don't complain, you'll see how good my taste is in a moment," Qingcheng said confidently.
Gao Junxiao wasn't sure what the tone meant; it was probably a compliment on his good looks. However, he felt something was missing. Suddenly, Gao Junxiao grabbed Qingcheng's hand and tucked the yellow rose into his pocket. Hmm, yellow flowers with a yellow dress—that would be perfect.
"Is Mr. Gao afraid of the roses pricking his hands? He doesn't even dare to pick them up himself," Qingcheng retorted.
Faced with Qingcheng's teasing, Gao Junxiao said seriously, "I'm scared. You brought me here, so you have to protect me."
Kiyosumi was amused and smiled with her lips pursed, her eyes curving like two new moons. Actually, after he finished speaking, he felt that he was being a bit pretentious, but it was still worth it to make the beauty smile.
Before entering the banquet hall, Qingcheng teased him again: "Oh, Mr. Gao, who is more delicate than a flower, watch your step, or you'll hurt yourself. I won't feel bad if you do."
However, Gao Junxiao wasn't angry at all, and even hoped that Qingcheng would say a few more words. That's probably what you call being a jerk.
*Snap!* A flash of white light streaked past, blinding the two unprepared. Gao Junxiao nervously turned Qingcheng's face towards him and asked with concern, "Are your eyes hurt? Let me see."
It turned out to be reporter Xiao Li, who had been frightened to the point of fainting last time, taking pictures of the two of them. When Qingcheng recognized the person, she angrily shouted, "You, Xiao Li, why are you taking pictures of me?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Editor He, I just wanted to say hello. Are your eyes alright?" Xiao Li said apologetically.
"Go, go, go shoot the big stars and big bosses!" Qingcheng threatened Xiao Li. "There's so much footage today, and you're still messing around here. If you don't get any good footage, I'll reject your draft. Go now!"
"Editor He, I promise to complete the task, please don't reject my manuscript." Xiao Li hurriedly ran into the meeting room in a panic.
At this moment, Gao Junxiao only had eyes for Qingcheng, while He Qingcheng patiently explained on his behalf, "It's okay, it'll be fine in a bit. He didn't do it on purpose."
"Gao Zexiu!" Gao Junxiao turned around habitually when she heard someone call her name. A striking wine-red outfit caught her eye; it was none other than Chen Yao. Every time he saw this red outfit, he felt that Chen Yao was going to get married. Coupled with Chen Yao's captivating eyes, damn it, it was so slutty it made his head spin.
"You little rascal, didn't you dislike red? Why are you suddenly wearing a brown plaid tweed with a velvet bow tie? Your taste has really improved." Chen Yao patted his shoulder with a grin and whispered, "Don't try to eat alone, introduce me to something."
He was just making conversation for no reason. It wasn't the first time he'd seen him in this outfit. Gao Junxiao pretended not to hear the second half of his sentence and rudely slapped Chen Yao away: "Oh my, isn't this that little Chen from the Chen family? You're no longer the only red flower in a sea of black?"
“Look, Miss He, look at him, what a stingy man. Don’t be too polite to him in the future, or he’ll take advantage of you and push his luck.” Chen Yao proudly raised his chin at Gao Junxiao.
"Ahem, Mr. Chen, right? I met you at my godfather's place last time." Qingcheng extended her hand in a friendly manner, and Chen Yao shook it excitedly.
"You brat, you dare to lay a hand on Miss He in front of him? You've really grown bold." Gao Junxiao grinned and gestured for Chen Yao to come over: "Come here, Chen Muqiu, come here. I have something to tell you."
"Bullshit, nobody believes you. Come with me and say hello to Commander Xiong and the others, there's something you need to discuss." Chen Yao put away his playful tone and said seriously, a rare occurrence for him.
"We'll be there shortly. We need to pay our respects to Mr. Tang first. Please make yourself at home." Gao Junxiao sensed that it was something important, otherwise Chen Yao, that shameless guy, wouldn't be so serious.
The chairs in the venue were arranged in a row and divided into several areas by aisles. Most of the seats were empty for those who arrived early. Some people had already taken their seats, while others were chatting in the corners before the event started. There were also media personnel setting up tripods and moving typewriters.
Tang Bang was sitting in the head seat in the first row, chatting with a gentleman in a Zhongshan suit, presumably a government official. Two aisles away, Gao Junxiao could see Commander Xiong and his colleagues taking their seats. He wondered why none of them had brought their families.
"Commander Gao, why are you still here? Commander Xiong is looking for you." Deputy Commander An's voice came from beside him.
"Tsk, let's not bother them while they're looking for a way out. Maybe Inspector Gao wants to take off his military uniform and go into politics." The sarcastic remark made Gao Junxiao stiffen.
"Deputy Commander An, Director Yan, good evening." Gao Junxiao forced a professional fake smile to deal with the two "clowns."
"Zexiu, who are these two?" Qingcheng tugged at his sleeve and asked curiously.
"One is Deputy Regiment Commander An from our 144th Regiment, and the other is Director Yan from the Military Law Department," Gao Junxiao introduced in a cold tone.
Kiyosumi politely shook hands with the two men, and said with a smile, "The Military Law Department sounds really impressive."
Before Director Yan could explain, Deputy Commander An interjected, "That's right. The main responsibility of the Military Law Department is to manage the military appearance and discipline within the army. All the captured CCP criminals are under Director Yan's jurisdiction. Even those of the same rank have to show Director Yan some respect."
Gao Junxiao sneered inwardly. This idiot forgot about seniority in front of a beauty. Look at Director Yan's dark face, it's almost as dark as the bottom of a pot.
"I thought your army was very hierarchical, but it turns out there are differences even among those of the same rank. Thank you, Deputy Regiment Commander An, for explaining it to me. You know so much." Qingcheng gave Deputy Regiment Commander An an admiring look. "I don't quite understand your army's organizational structure. Are you at the same rank as Director Yan?"
"Ahem, I am far inferior to Director Yan." An Fu seemed to realize his overstepping his bounds and silently retreated behind Director Yan.
"Zexiu, what about you?" Qingcheng turned to ask him, gently placing her hand on his, as if to comfort him, which made Gao Junxiao feel a little better.
"Same level," Gao Junxiao replied briefly.
"I dare not accept such praise. I am old, unlike Director Gao who is in his prime. Which of Shanghai's young masters can compare to your good looks? Oh, unless they are actors." Director Yan's words were laced with sarcasm, actually comparing him to those pretty boys, which was too insulting.
Gao Junxiao's eyes twitched a few times, but he still maintained his smile: "Director Yan, you're too kind."
Qingcheng, standing beside him, suddenly praised, "Hehe, Director Yan looks so imposing, even Zhong Kui can't compare to you. As long as you're in your position, you'll have no shortage of beautiful concubines who covet your power. So don't envy our Zexiu. He may be a bit handsome, but looks are given by one's parents, and there's nothing he can do about it."
Gao Junxiao pondered Qingcheng's words and almost burst out laughing.
"I wish he were born more ordinary, so he wouldn't keep attracting these unwanted suitors who are impossible to get rid of. It's so annoying." Qingcheng pretended to have misspoke. "Sorry, Director Yan certainly doesn't have this problem. Deputy Commander An should understand our Zexiu's troubles, right?"
After being called out, An Fu looked awkward, as if he wanted to admit it but was too embarrassed to offend Director Yan, making him seem more like a humble clown.
"Miss He, you're quite the sharp-tongued one. Aren't you afraid that Inspector Gao won't be able to handle it and will order a more virtuous and capable person to be chosen?" Director Yan mocked Qingcheng.
Before he could react, Qingcheng leaned softly on his shoulder and asked, "Ah? I'm so scared. Zexiu, can you still take it? Do you want me to change?"
"Haha, don't change it, I like you just the way you are." Gao Junxiao looked at Qingcheng and couldn't stop smiling.
"Zexiu, you're the best! Let me introduce you to the new mayor who's about to take office. He's from my hometown, you know." Qingcheng provocatively pulled him away, leaving behind only two surprised, grumpy faces.
After visiting Mr. Tang and the new mayor, even Gao Junxiao was quite surprised by Qingcheng's connections. The former mayor was supposed to step down at the end of the year, and the new mayor's appointment letter probably hadn't been issued yet, so how did she know them?
Moreover, the incoming mayor Zhang is not from her hometown; he is from Leshan, Sichuan, though their ancestral homes are both in Hubei. However, it seems that Mayor Zhang has also been swayed by her. He is quite fond of Qingcheng and plans to give Shenbao an exclusive interview opportunity after taking office.
At this moment, the young reporters who had been loitering to the side, especially the female reporters, rushed to the door to block it, and the crisp sound of camera shutters rose and fell. Qingcheng looked at the door and smiled even more brightly.
It turns out that two big stars, Zhang Lulu and Xu Xi, have arrived at the door...
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