Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 738 Drinking
After listening to Chen Chuan's description of how so-called virtual currency has harmed many families, Zhu Yiba, who had a strong sense of justice, stood up and looked in the direction the two girls had left.

"Old Zhu, with over a billion people in China, can you manage them all?" Chen Chuan picked up a bottle of amber-colored whiskey from the table and slowly refilled Zhu Yiba's glass. "Hey, maybe they think you're blocking their path to wealth."

Undeniably, whether it was the tulip mania of the past or the current cryptocurrency, they have indeed created many stories of overnight riches. However, few people truly understand how much family disintegration and darkness is hidden within them.

What people see is only what they selectively choose to see.

Those who fail early on will not receive any attention.

Zhu Yiba hesitated for a moment, then glanced in that direction a few more times.

Chen Chuan laughed and teased, "Hey Lao Zhu, you seemed like a pretty serious guy before, how come you're suddenly so chivalrous? If you're really short of women, when we get back to Dongzhou tomorrow, I'll take you to a KTV to broaden your horizons."

"Pah!" Zhu Yiba was amused by the other party and finally let it go. He sat back down and retorted, "It's a real shame you're not in the underworld, kid. What a waste of talent. But speaking of which, Chen Chuan, do you even have a normal view of love?"

"Heh, what are you thinking? I only go to legitimate KTVs, and I operate within the law. Look at how worried you were about those two girls, tsk tsk. If you get blinded by temptation and never need love again, it's not my problem, it's that you need to redefine love."

Chen Chuan's persuasive skills were impressive, and Zhu Yiba couldn't out-argue him, so he picked up his glass and downed it. After a round of back and forth, Chen Chuan backed down and changed the subject, but it still revolved around women.

Despite his disdain, Zhu Yiba subconsciously pricked up his ears to listen to the witty and charming Mr. Chen's insightful opinions amidst the booming music and intoxicating foreign liquor.

Chen Chuan, with his mouth agape, commented, "I still prefer the food from Guangdong."

"What, are the girls over there prettier?" With the two beautiful women who had been accompanying him leaving, Zhu Yiba felt the atmosphere was much more relaxed and started chatting normally.

“No, they greet each other with ‘handsome guy’ or ‘cool guy’ over there, which sounds much more pleasant than ‘boss’.” Chen Chuan smiled and tossed a special-edition yellow cigarette to Zhu Yiba.

Zhu Yiba took the cigarette, held it to his nose, and took a deep drag. It had a familiar taste. He had to admit that the most important factor in getting together with Chen Chuan, a person whose personality and style were completely different from his own, was this army-supplied yellow cigarette.

Chen Chuan flew over another ZIP lighter, made of metal, extremely heavy. In a dimly lit and cluttered place like a bar, only Zhu Yiba, a former special forces soldier, could catch it steadily, and even shake it twice as if there was background music when he put it down.

Chen Chuan was truly envious of that skill.

"Old Zhu, you're from the North, right? Next time I'll take you to Guangdong. The rice husks there are so sweet!" Chen Chuan wrinkled his nose and inhaled the air around him, clearly wanting more.

"What fine bran? Is the millet over there very sweet?" Zhu Yiba hadn't reacted yet.

Chen Chuan took out his phone from his pocket, opened Douyin, selected a female internet celebrity named "Little Pigeon," and handed it to Zhu Yiba to look at.

"Look at her, such a sweet girl, it's rare to see one like her. Listen to her."

The video features a girl who claims to be a musician, wearing headphones and singing "Night" in Cantonese. She has bright, clear eyes, red lips and white teeth, and her lips curve slightly upward as she sings. Her eyes are full of bright light, and her smile is sweet and playful, truly deserving of the title "sweet girl."

The small six-inch phone screen couldn't hide her sweet singing voice at all. Her beautiful voice and lovely smile could directly infect the audience, as if singing was truly the happiest thing in her life.

Such a lovely girl makes one's heart flutter.

"I think her tongue coating is still a bit thick and greasy," Zhu Yiba commented seriously, frowning. "What! What? Thick tongue coating?" Chen Chuan, who was admiring the sweet girl along with everyone else, didn't understand Zhu Yiba's focus or what he said for a moment, and his brain went blank for a few seconds.

He leaned over the table and got close to Zhu Yiba's head to examine him closely.

"It does look a bit pale." In the end, Chen Chuan sat back down in disappointment, feeling that Zhu Yiba had insulted his goddess. He retorted, "I told you to appreciate a beautiful woman, why are you staring at her tongue coating? Are you some kind of old Chinese medicine doctor?"

"It's probably caused by too much cold and dampness lingering in the body. Hmm, it could also be due to spleen and stomach deficiency leading to abnormal water metabolism." Zhu Yiba didn't catch Chen Chuan's sarcasm and actually kept rambling on.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Chen Chuan gestured for her to stop and said sarcastically, "Can you say something reliable? This is all nonsense. Who are you trying to fool? This woman is a big internet celebrity in Guangdong Province. I heard she comes from a very wealthy family and is considered a rich heiress."

Zhu Yiba, who came from a wealthy family in Beijing, stroked his chin and habitually began to question Chen Chuan, the son of a nouveau riche: "I don't know if she's a big internet celebrity or not, and I don't know her, but I can be sure that she's not a rich heiress with a deep background."

When it comes to police professional knowledge, Chen Chuan isn't particularly skilled; and in SWAT drills, he's no match for Zhu Yiba. However, when it comes to identifying wealthy families, Chen Chuan, who prides himself on his modest wealth, is certainly not going to lag behind.

How could he allow Zhu Yiba, a country bumpkin from a remote mountain village in Yunnan Province, to question his daughter so recklessly?

"Old Zhu, tell me, what's wrong with her?" Chen Chuan put one foot on the chair, picked up a freshly opened bottle of Jägermeister, and said defiantly, "The loser gets half a bottle!"

"What's the point of half a bottle? To rinse your mouth? We've never seen anyone dare to make a fuss with just half a bottle of wine," Zhu Yiba said with a chuckle, deliberately provoking him.

Chen Chuan's alcohol tolerance is considered enormous in Dongzhou, but compared to the northerners, it's just a warm-up.

Chen Chuan, having experienced several drinking contests with Zhu Yiba, was well aware of this point.

"Old Zhu, aren't you bullying me? Fine, say what you want, it's not like I'll lose a piece of my flesh. Anyway, it's only half a bottle!" Chen Chuan, who had been full of fighting spirit, shrank back and admitted defeat. They were all family, so there was no shame in it.

Zhu Yiba shrugged and pointed at the woman in the video, saying, "Chen Chuan, look at this girl's teeth."

Chen Chuan craned his neck and examined it closely: "It's quite white, no problem."

Zhu Yiba nodded again: "Look carefully."

Chen Chuan frowned: "Well, do my lower teeth look a little crooked?"

Zhu Yiba said with certainty, "That's right. In our area, families with a bit of financial stability will take their children to the hospital to straighten their teeth when they are young, instead of letting them grow up crooked. So, this girl's wealth is probably not as great as you say."

"Now that you mention it, it makes some sense. Luckily, my teeth have always been straight since I was little." Chen Chuan sighed, a little dejected. "But she's a very nice person. She's very gentle and enthusiastic towards her fans. She's also mentioned in her livestreams that she's donated a lot of money to Project Hope; she's a very kind person. And, in her livestream a few days ago, she said she was also in Kunming this time."

"Don't even mention coming to Kunming, even if you came to our bar to sing today, it has nothing to do with us." This time it was Zhu Yiba's turn to pick up the bottle and fill the two of them up, and he said loudly, "Drink up."

Chen Chuan stopped thinking about her and needed to release his pent-up frustration, so he put his arm around Zhu Yiba and they drank heavily again. Zhu Yiba didn't stand on ceremony and accepted as much as the drinks came in.

After the two had drunk quite a bit, they called over a waiter to pay the bill.

(End of this chapter)