Reborn as Zhao Ruilong of Handong, I will defy fate.

Chapter 564 He brought shame upon himself! Stupid beyond redemption!

"Wait a moment!"

Zhao Ruilong hurriedly called out to Liang Lu.

"This is baijiu, it must be at least 40 or 50 proof!"

"Are you really that good at drinking? You downed a whole glass in one go?"

Zhao Ruilong wasn't concerned about Liang Lu.

Instead, he was worried that she might get into trouble at Qi Tongwei's wedding banquet because of drinking.

What if she drinks baijiu like it's mineral water and gets drunk and acts crazy?

Moreover, if someone gets alcohol poisoning or even drinks themselves to death, the people at the table will be held responsible!

Therefore, to avoid unnecessary trouble, Zhao Ruilong naturally had to offer some advice.

As for why Liang Lu was so eager to toast herself and drink a large glass of wine right after the banquet started,

Isn't this just like the self-deprecating way people toast each other in drinking culture?

Liang Lu did this, of course, because her family had fallen on hard times, going from being a powerful and privileged family to struggling to survive. She couldn't accept the drop in social class and wanted to curry favor with others in order to change her fate.

If I were to actually feel compassion and lend a hand to her, then her drinking that full glass of baijiu would have been totally worth it!

But Liang Lu's mind was clearly too naive.

Flowers grown in greenhouses have stayed in ivory towers for too long.

Even after being in prison, I still don't understand that the adult world is very realistic and cruel.

Without an equal exchange of benefits, and risking offending Qi Tongwei, why should I extend a helping hand?

Just because we were neighbors in the provincial government compound and met a few times, is that all?

Such 'nodding acquaintances' are basically no different from strangers.

Moreover, your father, Liang Qunfeng, was once a political enemy of my father, Zhao Lichun!

After your father died, it was already quite kind of you not to go after everyone and let you three siblings spend your lives in prison.

Now that your attempt to play the victim has failed, you're rushing to be the first to offer a toast, hoping I'll step in and help you make a comeback. Isn't that ridiculous?

The key is……

Wu Huifen and Gao Yuliang have already helped you.

If you were to work as a highway toll collector, you wouldn't have to work from dawn till dusk, endure wind and sun, or run around.

Not only does it include free room and board and a guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood, but it also provides five social insurances and one housing fund, and you can receive a monthly pension upon retirement.

Such a good job is something that countless ordinary people dream of, but it is very difficult to obtain.

You, Liang Lu, are not young and have a criminal record. You should be secretly happy to get such a good job. What more could you want?

Do you want me to help you get a better job, a more relaxed job, where you can drink tea, read newspapers, or even skip work, and still earn a high salary?

If such a good company and job were available, wouldn't I recommend it to my own relatives and friends to enhance the Zhao family's standing, and instead recommend it to you, Liang Lu?

Are you crazy, or am I crazy?

therefore.

Having seen through Liang Lu's little scheme, he naturally had to stop her decisively.

"I'll drink a little bit, you can drink as you like!"

With a forced smile, Liang Lu was truly going all out for her future today.

"The feast has just begun, let's not drink so much, let's all just take a small sip!"

As he spoke, Zhao Ruilong took a small sip from his cup.

Given his current status and background, even if he doesn't drink a drop, no one would dare to say anything.

Just like now, Zhao Ruilong didn't pick up his chopsticks to start eating, so how could anyone else at the table dare to touch their chopsticks and start eating?

Giving you just a tiny sip now is already giving Liang Lu enough face.

"Okay, I'll listen to you!"

Liang Lu smiled broadly, holding the cup with both hands.

He said he would only take a small sip, but he ended up drinking a big mouthful.

Zhao Ruilong pretended not to see it.

He put down his wine glass and quickly picked up his chopsticks to start eating.

Not only because I was really hungry, but also because today's occasion meant I would inevitably face a 'relay race' of questions.

Without even thinking about it, I knew that I would be lined up to be toasted soon, and amidst all the flattery and fawning, I couldn't possibly refuse to drink.

Even if you only take a small sip each time, it's still impossible to handle so many people!

So make the most of your time to eat more, especially high-protein foods. This will prevent you from feeling uncomfortably hungry and will also slow down the absorption of alcohol, thus protecting your stomach and intestines.

As for Liang Lu...

Although she used to work in the system, she never drank alcohol.

With her powerful father, Liang Qunfeng, backing her up, no one dared to urge her to drink.

Even after just one sip, she felt a burning sensation in her throat and her eyes were about to well up with tears.

When she returned to her seat, her face was flushed with a wine-red hue, which even thick foundation couldn't conceal.

Wu Huifen, who was standing to the side, glanced at Liang Lu slightly.

I wanted to say something, and the words were on the tip of my tongue, but I held back in the end.

Liang Lu, who never drinks alcohol, actually bowed and toasted Zhao Ruilong in public.

In Wu Huifen's view, Liang Lu did not mature through hardships and setbacks, nor did she learn to bow to the powerful and wealthy.

On the contrary, the fact that Liang Lu was trying to please Zhao Ruilong proves that she is dissatisfied with the work that Gao Yuliang and I have arranged for her.

Since they are still so ambitious and dissatisfied, why bother trying to persuade them with kind words?

There are many people like Liang Lu in life.

When she was in a high position, she looked down on everyone; when she was down on her luck, she felt like the whole world owed her something.

When someone goes to great lengths to help you, instead of being grateful, you feel that it's their duty and that they didn't even try.

Once a more powerful person appears, they will pounce on them without hesitation, taking their vanity, materialism, and admiration for the strong to the extreme.

It's obviously pointless to reason with this kind of person!

After all, if one has a grateful heart and knows the rules of conduct, one will not fall from grace and squander all one's capital and reputation.

Thinking of this, Wu Huifen couldn't help but secretly admire her husband, Gao Yuliang.

When Gao Yuliang told Liang Lu he would introduce her to a good job, he said that even if he did his best, Liang Lu would still not be grateful.

No matter how good the job is, she will never be satisfied because it will always be different from when she was the deputy secretary of the law school at Handong University.

From frugality to extravagance is easy, from extravagance to frugality is difficult!

It's clear that Liang Lu can't simply fall to rock bottom and suddenly have a profound awakening and start anew.

If she truly had self-awareness and the courage to change her fate, she wouldn't have been released from prison and would still want a job as good as the one she had within the system.

Truly smart people choose to start their own businesses and companies. They don't need much capital; they can earn enough to achieve financial freedom by relying on their existing connections and working as intermediaries or brokers.

Many public officials, who are not even at the section chief level, have countless people trying to curry favor with them but to no avail. Liang Lu knows many powerful figures at the bureau level, yet she doesn't know how to utilize resources.

What else could this be but stupidity?

Wu Huifen recalled that her husband, Gao Yuliang, gave an example.

It is said that if Liang Lu is smart enough, she can register a small company, under the guise of business consulting, and act as a lobbyist for companies that want to undertake various municipal engineering projects.

Meanwhile, urban construction in Jingzhou is in full swing, with countless projects of all sizes being built, including subways, parks, expressways, and affordable housing.

If Liang Lu really came looking for me, wouldn't it be just a matter of making a phone call to help her business, considering that her father, Liang Qunfeng, had once promoted me?

Moreover, if handled properly, the business consulting fees that Liang Lu receives from the winning bidders are legitimate and compliant income. She could easily become a rich woman by securing just a few engineering projects.

But Liang Lu didn't think about turning her network of connections into economic benefits and enjoying a wealthy life. Instead, she wanted a stable, secure job. Isn't that incredibly stupid?

It's best to say as little as possible to someone so hopeless, otherwise she might think you're too talkative.

Reaching out to pick up some food, Wu Huifen stopped worrying about Liang Lu unnecessarily.

The banquet that Qi Tongwei arranged at the Huilong Hotel today wasn't particularly high-class, but the food was quite delicious.

With such delicious food, how could one not eat more?

As for Liang Lu...

He didn't eat a single bite of food, but instead drank a large gulp of baijiu (Chinese liquor).

When I first sat down, it burned my throat.

My whole stomach feels burning and uncomfortable right now.

I picked up my chopsticks and quickly ate some food, but it didn't improve my condition immediately.

Seeing some unopened juice, I quickly grabbed it and prepared to pour myself some juice.

But her glass still had a lot of liquor in it, so where could she pour it?

"Use my cup!"

Wu Huifen said softly, "You know I don't like drinking beverages."

Liang Lu was overjoyed and quickly unscrewed the bottle cap, pouring a large glass full.

After gulping it down, my stomach finally felt a little better.

"Do any of you want some juice?"

Liang Lu asked with a smile.

I looked around, but no one paid any attention to me.

Ouyang Jing, sitting next to Li Dakang, hesitated for a moment before speaking:

"I want to drink!"

As soon as Ouyang Jing finished speaking, Li Dakang gently kicked her under the table.

This immediately made Ouyang Jing frown and glare.

Before she could even utter a word of scolding, Li Dakang picked up a shrimp for her.

"These shrimp are quite fresh, you should try them."

Ouyang Jing gave a soft "hmm".

Just as she was engrossed in eating shrimp, Liang Lu came to her side.

"Sister Jing, is this cup yours?"

"Yes, give me the juice, I can pour it myself."

"It's okay, I'll pour it for you. It's been so many years since we last met. I didn't expect you to still be so beautiful."

Liang Lu picked up Ouyang Jing's cup and poured her some juice.

Where are you working now?

Ouyang Jing glanced at her husband, Li Dakang, and then gave an awkward laugh:

"I haven't found a better job, so I'm just working at a bank in Luzhou, just getting by!"

Liang Lu smiled enviously and said, "Oh, banks are great! The work isn't tiring, and the benefits are excellent."

"It's really not that bad. I just want stability and it's easier to take care of the kids!"

Ouyang Jing took the glass of juice that Liang Lu had filled, but didn't drink a drop.

"Thank you so much, you even poured me some juice yourself."

"It's alright, we sisters don't need to be so polite."

Looking at Liang Lu's fawning smile, Ouyang Jing was speechless.

I shouldn't have said anything!

Why did you provoke Liang Lu?

Now, I poured myself a glass of juice and said we were sisters...

Oh my god, when did we become sisters?

I, Ouyang Jing, work in finance, and I have a pretty good memory.

I remember clearly that the last time I met you, Liang Lu, was three or four years ago, when my daughter Li Jiajia and I went with my husband Li Dakang to pay New Year's visits to the Zhao family.

Since Li Dakang had served as Zhao Lichun's secretary for five years, Liang Lu's family believed he belonged to Zhao's faction.

So when they happened to meet in the courtyard, she not only greeted Liang Lu warmly, but her daughter also called out "Aunt Liang, Happy New Year!" but Liang Lu did not respond at all.

Ouyang Jing still vividly remembers that arrogant and disdainful look.

The reason why everyone else was silent while I said I wanted juice was simply because I was thirsty!