Chapter 73: Face

The first cup of wine had just been drunk, and Zeng Yi raised the second cup.

"I will drink this cup myself, toasting everyone present today. I won't elaborate on the reasons; too many words are just empty and false. I will only say one thing: if any of you need me, Zeng Yi, in the future, I will go through fire and water for you without hesitation!"

Zeng Yi tilted his head back and drank the wine in one go. He was very clear that he was just a doctor who could only treat illnesses, with no backing or background. The promotion to a department head today might make others envious, but in the eyes of these people, it was worth nothing.

One sentence: these people could not gain anything from him, nor did they have anything to gain. He had hit Yuan Wenjie's men, and others would avoid him like the plague. Yet they came to celebrate and support him, treating him as a friend. Perhaps some of them were motivated by gratitude, but it also showed that they were people who valued emotions and righteousness.

In the political arena, adding flowers to brocade was common, but bringing charcoal in the snow was rare. In times of hardship, true feelings were revealed. Zeng Yi was very grateful for their presence today. He was a man of heart, and by saying these words, he was treating them as his true friends.

"Damn!" Tang Weiguo slapped the table and said, "By saying this, you are cursing me, Old Tang! I ask you, is Xiangnan still your sister? Am I still your big brother?"

Zeng Yi laughed heartily, "Alright, I spoke out of turn. I accept the punishment. You decide the amount, and I will have no objections!"

Tang Weiguo's finger strength was astonishing. He reached out and unscrewed the cap of a bottle of wine, then took a large cup and filled it to the brim for Zeng Yi. "Drink this, and I'll pretend you didn't say anything!"

"Alright!" Zeng Yi didn't even frown, raised the cup, and drank it in one go. Then he inverted the cup and held it in front of Tang Weiguo, "Satisfied?"

"Much better!" Tang Weiguo laughed heartily, "Remember, you are my brother, Tang Weiguo. Whoever dares to bully you is bullying me. If they anger me, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Du Ruo raised an eyebrow. He didn't know how Zeng Yi had connected with the Tang Weiguo couple, but he was very clear about the kind of people Tang Weiguo had under him. They were all bloodthirsty warlords who would not hesitate to make someone disappear. If anyone provoked these demons, the consequences would be even more severe than one could imagine.

"Old Tang has forgiven you, but I haven't!" Du Ruo smiled at Zeng Yi.

"I accept the punishment. Du Bureau Chief, you decide the amount!" Zeng Yi knew that Du Ruo was trying to get closer to him and also wanted to take the opportunity to get him drunk. However, he was happy today and was prepared to go all out. He would not stop until he was thoroughly drunk. He hadn't expected that so many people would come to celebrate for him after the preparatory group members left.

Du Ruo looked at the cup in front of Zeng Yi and said, "You decide. This depends on how deep our friendship is."

Zeng Yi laughed heartily and poured another full cup, showing that his relationship with Du Ruo was as deep as with Tang Weiguo. He raised the cup and drank it in one go, "Is our friendship deep enough, Du Bureau Chief?"

Du Ruo smiled in satisfaction, "Good, deep enough. I am very satisfied." He stood up and drank a cup with him.

With Tang Weiguo and Du Ruo leading the way, the others followed suit, all wanting to make Zeng Yi drink. After just one round, Zeng Yi was already a bit dizzy.

The others finally let him off and started drinking on their own. Many of those present had not met before, and some knew each other but had never drunk together. This was a good opportunity to raise their cups frequently and build relationships.

In the end, almost everyone was drunk, especially Chen Long and Guo Penghui. They were determined to drink as much as possible, filling their stomachs with large cups of wine and constantly toasting the others. If they didn't perform well today, they would have wasted this golden opportunity.

As the drinking reached its peak, Chen Long, feeling dizzy, supported himself on the table and said, "On my brother's first day of promotion, someone dared to cause trouble! Damn it, I'm not drinking anymore. I'm going back to thoroughly interrogate these two bastards and get revenge for my brother Zeng Yi."

After saying this, he staggered out, but after a few steps, he collided with the wall and fell to the ground, unable to stand up.

The person with the best alcohol tolerance was actually the only woman present, Wei Xiangnan. She had drunk as much as anyone else but remained clear-headed and composed, living up to her upbringing in a military compound.

Seeing Chen Long in such a state, Wei Xiangnan knew that the night was almost over. She picked up the phone and called for help.

After putting these people in the car, Wei Xiangnan took out her phone again, "Baldy? Your Director Tang is drunk. Go help him with something..."

The next day, when Zeng Yi woke up, he found it was already late. He hurriedly washed up and rushed to the Health Department. At the entrance, he met Guo Penghui, who was also late.

"Director Guo, good morning!" Zeng Yi smiled.

"Ha ha, you are still drunk? It's not early anymore. Let's hurry up and go in!"

The two smiled at each other and walked into the Health Department building together.

Du Ruo arrived at his office, drank a cup of tea, and leisurely finished reading today's Nangjiang Daily before calling Chen Long, "It's about time. Release them!"

He didn't intend to confront Yuan Wenjie immediately. He wanted to use this method to tell Yuan Wenjie that he was very dissatisfied with his subordinates causing trouble in government offices. If it happened again, he would handle it officially. At the same time, this was a way to show Yuan Wenjie that he was on Zeng Yi's side.

After Yuan Wenjie called Du Ruo, he thought the people would be released immediately. However, even the next day, they were still not back. He then remembered that Zeng Yi and Du Ruo had a very good relationship.

"Damn!" Yuan Wenjie was furious. Du Ruo had actually dared to defy him for a mere doctor.

His people had been beaten and arrested, and even after he had called, they couldn't be released. If this news spread, he would be looked down upon by other officials. As the son of the vice-provincial governor, his face was so useless, which Yuan Wenjie could not accept and was the reason for his extreme anger.

These officials, when they went out, valued face above all. They would rather wear tattered clothes than lose face.

Yuan Wenjie stood by the window, his face dark, looking at the bustling crowd and traffic below. He decided to wait a bit longer. If Du Ruo really didn't release them, he would make Du Ruo pay.

Just as Yuan Wenjie was about to lose patience, Scarface and the thin, short man returned. Both were bruised and battered, with swollen heads. The thin man's arm was also injured. As soon as they entered, they began to complain, "Boss Yuan, this can't be left like this. The police are too unreasonable. They clearly don't respect you. We mentioned your name, but they still beat us up."

Yuan Wenjie was not stupid. He knew these two were deliberately stirring things up, trying to incite him to take revenge. Of course, he now understood Du Ruo's intentions.

"Slap!"

Yuan Wenjie turned around and slapped both of them, making them shut up, "Don't think I don't know what you did! I asked you to get medicine, not to threaten government officials!"

Scarface covered his face and didn't speak, but he was surprised. This wasn't like Yuan Wenjie, who had never been one to accept defeat.

Yuan Wenjie's anger had reached its peak, but he had to control it. He had to consider the consequences of confronting Du Ruo. Face was given by oneself and others. Du Ruo's intention was clear. Although Yuan Wenjie didn't believe Du Ruo would really confront him for a quack doctor, he had to give Du Ruo face. If he offended Du Ruo, who controlled the violent agencies, it would not be good for him.

Moreover, Yuan Wenjie couldn't afford to confront Zeng Yi yet. He still needed Zeng Yi to treat his illness, and Zeng Yi had some influence in the health base preparatory group. This project was something he was determined to get.

Yuan Wenjie glared at his subordinates, "If you don't get the medicine today, don't come back to see me."

The two shuddered. Yuan Wenjie's eyes were terrifying. They knew that if they didn't