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"I'd like to introduce you to my little brother, Zhang Yang, and these two, East Shao and Li Shao," Shen Zhiyu said as they were in the car.
Driving was East Shao, who chimed in, "Don't listen to Brother Lele's nonsense. I'm Qin Zhendong, and this is Guo Huanli next to me. We're partners in a small business. We used to live in the same compound as Brother Lele, just following him around."
"Driving a Maybach and calling it a small business? You guys must have made a killing last month when those warrants skyrocketed. How much did you earn?" Shen Zhiyu asked.
"Well, Brother Lele, you really are from the intelligence department; you know all this. Today, it's on us; we'll treat you both," Li Shao added.
"Stop talking nonsense about the intelligence department," Shen Zhiyu corrected him seriously.
"Brother Lele..." Zhang Yang laughed, "You still have that nickname?"
"Fish Head? Hahaha." East Shao and Li Shao laughed together. "Wow, Brother Lele has so many nicknames. He was really chubby when he was younger; everyone called him Fat Fish Head."
Zhang Yang pondered for a moment and said, "Brother Lele sounds better. After all, how can one know the joy of fish if one is not a fish?"
"Exactly. Hey, Brother Lele, didn't Divine Seven come back with you?" East Shao asked.
"He has a mission; the special forces are busy," Shen Zhiyu replied. Divine Seven naturally referred to Qi Shen.
Shen Zhiyu first needed to visit his grandfather. They dropped Zhang Yang off at the presidential suite of the Hilton Hotel to let him rest for a bit and agreed to meet for dinner later before leaving together. Zhang Yang immediately took out his phone and called Ding Weiwei to come over, then took a refreshing shower.
When Ding Weiwei arrived, the two naturally became intimate. Young men and women enjoying sweet moments found it hard to stop, especially after such a long time apart. By the time they got themselves together again, it was already past 5 PM. At that moment, Zhang Yang received a call from Shen Zhiyu to arrange dinner.
"Shall we go together?" Zhang Yang asked Ding Weiwei.
"I'm not going. You big guys eating and drinking will be boring for me. I'll just order room service and watch TV here; you come back early. Let's go out together tomorrow," Ding Weiwei replied.
Seeing this, Zhang Yang didn't insist. He gently kissed Ding Weiwei on the cheek and left the room.
East Shao was driving. "Hey? Isn't your girlfriend Xiao Ding coming? She should join us," Shen Zhiyu asked.
"She thinks it's inappropriate for a big man to drink while the girl is just sitting there," Zhang Yang replied.
"That's fine, I can arrange someone for you," East Shao said with a smile. Li Shao chuckled along, "Forget it, Brother Lele is here today, and we're discussing some private matters; it's not good to bring in outsiders." Hearing this made Zhang Yang's heart stir; it seemed they regarded him as one of their own. In fact, for East Shao and Li Shao, Shen Zhiyu's little brother was also their brother. Shen Zhiyu was very discerning about who he brought into this circle.
The vehicle stopped in front of an ancient-style courtyard. This courtyard was originally a three-entry compound, but a small door had been opened on one side of the third entry. Entering through the small door led to a newly built courtyard with a three-story traditional-style building.
In the center of the building hung a plaque: De Yue Lou.
"This is East Shao and Li Shao's property. Usually, Li Shao manages it while East Shao focuses mainly on financial investments. The courtyard and the extended area serve as a clubhouse. The building primarily offers dining services, and the courtyard also has a tea room, guest rooms, and a hall where occasional impromptu auctions are held, mainly for antiques," Shen Zhiyu introduced to Zhang Yang.
Such a clubhouse is generally not accessible to ordinary people; it operates on a membership basis. Those who can enter are either wealthy or influential, and just having a meal could easily cost thirty to fifty thousand. However, reservations are still difficult to secure. First, De Yue Lou has a high standard; dining there is considered prestigious. Second, during meals and leisure time, one can hear many things that are not available to the outside world. For instance, stock market information released by East Shao can lead to significant profits if acted upon quickly.
Upon reaching the top-tier Chang Gong private room on the third floor of De Yue Lou, Zhang Yang's eyes lit up. This private room was enormous, occupying almost one-third of the entire third floor. In fact, there were only four private rooms on that floor, with Chang Gong being the largest and most luxuriously decorated.
On the wall hung a landscape painting by Wen Zhengming, and in the corner stood a hat rack made from Qianlong Imperial Kiln porcelain. Next to the sofa was an exquisite jade sculpture about half a meter wide, which upon closer inspection was made from Hetian Jade Seed Material. Just these decorations alone were worth quite a fortune.
The waitstaff were all dressed in Tang Dynasty-style attire but wore delicate flat cloth shoes that did not hinder their speed.
Shen Zhiyu knew Zhang Yang's drinking capacity and directly opened a bottle of white liquor without asking. The white porcelain jug had no labels on it. "Come on, brother, try the special brew exclusive to De Yue Lou," Li Shao invited.
With two liang cups, before any dishes arrived, all four raised their cups and downed them in one go. Zhang Yang savored it; this special brew was indeed remarkable—smooth and fragrant upon entry, it flowed straight down with a surprisingly gentle yet lingering kick.
"Good liquor!" Zhang Yang exclaimed.
Then four vegetarian dishes were served—surprisingly ordinary home-cooked dishes: tiger skin peppers, sour and spicy shredded potatoes, braised eggplant, and tofu balls. Zhang Yang casually picked up a piece of tiger skin pepper; once he took a bite, he nearly swallowed his tongue.
So delicious!
Next, Zhang Yang tasted each dish and exclaimed, "Only Gourmet Chef can make such dishes!" Zhang Yang praised, "Take this shredded potato for example; all the pieces are of uniform thickness and length. If it's a bit undercooked, it's too crunchy; if it's a bit overcooked, it's too soft. The timing is perfect."
"Making exquisite delicacies is not a skill; making the most ordinary things taste great is what truly counts," Li Shao laughed and said, "This plate of shredded potatoes only costs 998. Not too expensive, right?"
"Bargain price, 998, just 998," Zhang Yang said with a serious face. Although he wasn't as hoarse as when General Hou used to shout, everyone still burst into laughter.
Li Shao had a high tolerance for alcohol, followed by Shen Zhiyu and East Shao. The bottles were two jin each, and by the end, three bottles were already empty. Li Shao wanted to open another bottle, but Shen Zhiyu stopped him, saying, "Zhang Yang has been in Beijing for several days; don't let him drink too much on the first day."
In fact, neither Zhang Yang nor Li Shao was drunk; Shen Zhiyu and East Shao were only slightly tipsy. However, Li Shao understood that Zhang Yang could hold his liquor well. If they kept drinking like this, he might end up being the one to pass out first, which would be disrespectful as the host. Plus, he was particularly attentive to Brother Lele, so he decided to stop.
The four of them left De Yue Lou. Except for Zhang Yang, everyone else needed to go to the restroom. Zhang Yang said, "I'll take a stroll around the courtyard myself; such a complete courtyard of this size is rare."
"Alright, after you finish your walk, just head to the tea room in the second courtyard with the Fragrant Tea sign. I have prepared some good tea and special snacks today; we can chat more," Li Shao said before the three of them headed towards the restroom.
As Zhang Yang reached the second courtyard and looked around, he walked back toward the first courtyard. Just before entering the courtyard, he heard a very familiar woman's voice say, "If it weren't for how delicious the food here is, I wouldn't come here to eat with you at all. Why drink tea?"
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