Chapter 175: Who Are You Calling a Clown?

Chen Erbao chuckled and said nothing, sipping his tea. But Wang Yong wasn't happy.

'Damn it, I'm the one who put this whole thing together. Why aren't they praising me?'

'So what if he's first-generation wealthy?'

'He's probably worth a few million at most. Even if he multiplied that by ten, he still wouldn't come close to my family!'

Wang Yong felt he needed to say something to make his presence felt, so he cleared his throat.

"Er Bao, you're doing pretty well, I'll give you that. How's business?"

Of course, Chen Erbao had no intention of revealing his true circumstances. Among this group, besides Zhang Yiyi and Zhao Hai, the others weren't worth talking to in detail. He gave a casual, noncommittal reply:

"It's just a small-time thing, nothing worth mentioning."

Seeing Chen Erbao being so low-key, Wang Yong smiled with satisfaction.

"That's okay. You're young, so it's normal to be just starting out... Take my family, for example. When my dad was starting out, he only had a few hundred bucks. And now, look at us—worth hundreds of millions!"

"..."

Everyone else was left speechless, except for the ever-oblivious Bai Ze.

'So you'd be nothing without your dad, is that it?'

But no one argued with him. After all, they all knew what kind of person he was.

'Just focus on having a good time.'

When Wang Yong saw that no one was backing him up, he felt a bit awkward. Luckily, Wang Qinqin chimed in just in time.

"By the way, Wang Yong, did you invite Teacher Han?"

At Wang Qinqin's words, a graceful and gentle image surfaced in everyone's mind.

Han Yingying had been their university counselor. She had been assigned to their class right after graduating herself.

Since they weren't far apart in age, they all got along well with her; she was like a teacher and a friend.

Wang Yong nodded. "I called Teacher Han, but she's in Binhai right now and couldn't make it."

"Oh... have you guys heard? Teacher Han resigned."

"What? Why did she resign?"

The topic immediately caught everyone's interest.

Wang Qinqin said indignantly, "She resigned right after we graduated. I heard that dean from the academic affairs office was always harassing her—that greasy, bald, middle-aged man!"

"Shit, that really happened?"

"Damn, that bastard baldy must be in his forties or fifties. He has some nerve!"

Bai Ze was the most furious. He slammed his hand on the table.

"I knew that old bastard was a piece of shit back then. Fuck! I caught him watching porn in his office, and if that wasn't enough, the next day he punished me by making me copy the student handbook!"

"Pfft..."

When the girls heard him mention porn, they exchanged strange looks before dissolving into giggles.

Everyone in Chen Erbao's dorm knew about this incident, and they all struggled to hold back their laughter.

Back then, a young and hot-headed Bai Ze had insisted on teaching the bald man a lesson. He'd nearly called his father to blow the whole thing up. In the end, Chen Erbao and the others helped him with some of the copying, and only then did he let it go.

"So what's Teacher Han up to now?"

Someone asked, concerned.

Wang Qinqin shook her head. "I'm not sure about that. I only heard about it from a classmate who stayed behind to study for their graduate exams."

Everyone sighed, a wave of complicated emotions washing over them.

This was especially true for Chen Erbao and the other guys.

Aside from Zhang Yiyi, Han Yingying had been the other goddess of their dorm's dreams!

But young guys are timid; none of them had ever dared to pursue their teacher.

Even someone like Wang Yong only dared to fantasize about her in his head.

After some idle chat, the dishes started to arrive.

A grand spread of dishes began to fill the large table: chicken, duck, fish, and all sorts of meats, along with delicacies like lamb trotters and beef steaks.

Once all the dishes were on the table, Wang Yong raised his glass and stood. "Everyone, we all got along well during our four years in college. Being able to get together again today is a testament to fate. To our everlasting friendship!"

"Cheers!"

While Wang Yong had his flaws, he wasn't a bad guy at heart. Everyone rose, clinked their glasses, and drained them.

After downing a glass of potent, 112-proof liquor, everyone's faces flushed as they began to dig in.

Chen Erbao, on the other hand, barely felt it. He just kept his head down and focused on eating.

Wang Qinqin took a couple of bites and quietly asked Zhang Yiyi, who was sitting beside her:

"Yiyi, are you dating anyone right now?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yiyi shot a subtle glance at Chen Erbao before shaking her head.

"No... The family business keeps me busy, so I don't really have the time. Besides, it's not as easy to meet someone after you've graduated."

"Well, who's to blame for that? Think of all the effort Wang Yong put into chasing you, and you just flat-out refused..."

Wang Qinqin muttered under her breath.

Zhang Yiyi shot her a look. "That's all in the past. Why bring it up?"

"Alright, alright. It's not me he was after, anyway... Hey, do you think Wang Yong will pull something again after dinner?"

"I hope not... We've been graduated for two years. It would be so awkward if he did something like that now!"

Zhang Yiyi was a little worried herself, which was exactly why she had asked Chen Erbao to come—to act as a buffer.

Of course, there were other reasons too—ones that perhaps she hadn't even realized herself.

"Chen Erbao has changed a lot, too. He seems like a good match. I never noticed before, but he's got real potential."

Wang Qinqin continued, gossiping.

Zhang Yiyi's heart leaped. She focused on her food and retorted, "Zhao Hai's a big guy. Aren't big guys supposed to have potential? Why don't you go 'invest' in Zhao Hai!"

"He's too ugly."

"..."

Good thing Zhao Hai didn't hear that, or he would have cried himself unconscious.

The girls, conscious of their figures, stopped eating when they were mostly full. The guys, however, had only just lined their stomachs before they started laughing and clamoring for more drinks.

Wang Yong was more than ready. He cracked open a bottle, and they all started trying to out-drink one another.

As per the customs in Jiangnan Province, Wang Yong had to drink first. After downing five glasses, his face was flushed, and the alcohol was clearly getting to his head.

"Er Bao, you're an entrepreneur now, a boss! Aren't you going to go around and toast your old classmates?"

Bai Ze, who loved a rowdy scene, goaded him on.

With a sigh, Chen Erbao downed five glasses himself, then went and toasted everyone individually.

He and Zhao Hai were both in good shape with high alcohol tolerance, so it was no problem for them. The others, however, were suffering. The liquor burned a path from their throats to their stomachs; it was a miracle they didn't throw up.

After two rounds of drinking, everyone took a break and started eating again.

"Er Bao, do you have a girlfriend?"

"I'm single."

Chen Erbao replied instantly.

"Stop bullshitting. We're all friends here. Just between us, do you still have a thing for Zhang Yiyi?"

Bai Ze whispered.

He thought he was whispering, but he was already a bit drunk, and everyone at the table heard him loud and clear.

Chen Erbao chuckled, cursing the man internally. 'This dumbass...' Seeing the girls looking over with strange expressions, he simply raised his voice and addressed everyone with a smile.

"Haha, what's there to even ask? Yiyi was our class goddess. Who didn't have a crush on her!"

"That's for sure! Brother Bao's got a point. Back in the day, was there any guy in our class who *didn't* like Zhang Yiyi!"

Zhao Hai chimed in.

Bai Ze nodded, still blissfully oblivious. "True. Why else would Wang Yong have chased her for four years without giving up?"

"..."

Wang Yong had been feeling like he'd drunk too much too fast and was taking a breather, but those words immediately set him off.

"Why the fuck are you bringing that up? At least I dared to chase her. You bunch of losers didn't even dare to say anything!"

"Shit, and what fucking good did it do you? You just ended up looking like a clown! At least we didn't make fools of ourselves!"

Bai Ze had no filter.

Wang Yong was getting worked up, not from the alcohol, but from Bai Ze's provocations. "Who the fuck are you calling a clown?"

"You know who I'm talking about!"

Bai Ze was a lightweight, and on top of that, the mood had already turned sour. He braced himself and shot back.

Normally, he would never have dared to confront Wang Yong. But it had been two years since graduation, and his wariness of Wang Yong had faded. Fueled by liquid courage, he decided to just be reckless.