s.h.i.+ Boren really did hold a celebratory party for Xia Lei - it was not in a luxurious hotel but in the cafeteria of Bureau 101. Only Xia Lei, Long Bing, Tang Yuyan, Ling Han and s.h.i.+ Boren sat at the table.

Ling Han’s alcohol tolerance was astonis.h.i.+ng and he was also the one who poured and toasted for Xia Lei the most. There was no refusing the toasts from Ling Han due to his status, and Xia Lei drank gla.s.s after gla.s.s of baijiu, so much that he was dizzy. However, he was still conscious and aware that he should stop or he would get dead drunk.

“Xia, Bro, it’s the nation’s great fortune to have a talent like you. You’ve not only raised our country’s intelligent lathe technology but made the most advanced sniper rifle too. Come, another toast. To you!” Ling Han raised his gla.s.s and gulped it all down.

“I… c, can’t drink any more…” Xia Lei felt like he couldn’t control his tongue.

Ling Han put on an unhappy look. “Bro, I’m treating you like a Brother. If you’re not going to drink then it means you’re looking down on me.”

People under the influence always have reasons for others to keep drinking with them.

s.h.i.+ Boren laughed and said, “You’re wrong there, Xia Lei. How can you not drink when Mr Ling is giving you a toast? It’s just alcohol, not poison.”

“I, I’ll… help you drink.” Long Bing was slurring worse than Xia Lei. She was already drunk but was still insisting on drinking on Xia Lei’s behalf.

“I’ll drink.” Xia Lei raised the gla.s.s and forced himself to down the alcohol.

The alcohol dropped down to his belly and his throat was set on fire. His gut was churning and his heart thumped quickly. His brain… it was long past coherence. Xia Lei was truly drunk with this gla.s.s, and he flopped on the table.

“He’s drunk,” said Ling Han. “Boss s.h.i.+, I’ll take him to rest in a room.”

s.h.i.+ Boren said, “How can we let you do something like this? I’ll get someone…”

Ling Han cut him short. “It’s fine. I’ll take him.”

s.h.i.+ Boren seemed to understand something and he did not say more.

Just then, Xia Lei’s brain cleared up all of a sudden. It felt like a cold force had spread from his brain and out to the rest of his body, sobering him. This power quickly nullified the effects of the alcohol.

‘This feeling…’ Xia Lei was stunned by his clear consciousness. ‘I had this feeling too when I was force to inhale the anaesthetic gas in that bas.e.m.e.nt, and I became immune to anaesthetic afterwards. I got drunk now and this power appeared again to wake me up. Does this mean that this power appears when my brain is not fully conscious?’

This situation was like his body had a type of super immunity - once his brain was not fully conscious and his body affected, it would awaken and help his brain and body recover normal functions.

Ling Han got up and reached out to support Xia Lei.

Xia Lei was about to say that he was not drunk but he quashed the thought. ‘Boss s.h.i.+ said he would call someone to take me to a room to rest earlier but Ling Han insisted that he would take me himself… Does he have some other motive?’

At that thought, Xia Lei went on pretending to be drunk.

“All right, all right, that’s it for today. Yuyan, you didn’t drink much. You send Long Bing off to rest,” said s.h.i.+ Boren.

Tang Yuyan supported Long Bing as she mumbled, “I st,still want to, to drink with Xia Lei.”

“Drink, my foot. You’re already drunk. I’ll take you to rest,” said Tang Yuyan.

Long Bing went on, “You… You’re actually getting married… You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”

Tang Yuyan paused.

Xia Lei heard this outburst too. There was a flicker of something in his heart, but he pretended not to have heard and kept up his drunk act.

Even if he was not drunk, what else could he do other than pretend not to hear Long Bing say something like this?

s.h.i.+ Boren sighed. “You kids. What’s with these messy relations.h.i.+ps? I don’t get it. Never mind, I’d better go home and sleep.”

Ling Han helped Xia Lei out of the cafeteria and into a room. He put Xia Lei on a sofa and observed him quietly.

Xia Lei’s brain and bodily functions were normal again but his face still had a drunken red flush. This red flush seemed to convince Ling Han of something and he watched Xia Lei for about a minute, then said, “Xia Lei, about the alloy… What have you found?”

He did have a motive.

Xia Lei thought for a bit and muttered, “It, It… Guh…”

“What did you say?”

“It, It’s a box,” said Xia Lei.

“What box?”

“N, No idea.”

“Have you a.n.a.lysed the composition of the ancient alloy? Can it be reproduced?”

“I… don’t know. This… Aren’t I doing this? What… What’s the rush? Who are y, you?” Xia Lei was fully into his drunken act.

Ling Han was silent for a bit. “You’re a mystery, aren’t you. Tell me - what secret do you have?”

“Heh heh heh…” Xia Lei laughed foolishly. “I d, do have a secret.”

There was excitement in Ling Han’s gaze. “Tell me what secret you have.”

“M, My…” Xia Lei pointed. “My d.i.c.k is very big!”

Ling Han was flabbergasted.

“Don’t believe me? Let’s compare!” Xia Lei made to remove his trousers as he said it.

“Go to sleep. Have a good rest. I’m going back.” Ling Han turned and left.

Xia Lei still lay on the sofa after Ling Han left, and a mean smile crossed his face. He knew the motive behind Ling Han getting him drunk and questioning him afterwards. A person’s defences and consciousness would not be at full capacity when drunk and secrets slipped from drunken lips fairly easily. It was quite normal that Ling Han would want to know his progress on the research on the alloy and also if he had any secrets.

Tang Yuyan and Ling Han’s voices came from beyond the door.

“Are you going back, Mr Ling?” said Tang Yuyan.

“Yes, I have to get back,” said Ling Han.

“Can you still drive? I can send someone to take you back if you can’t drive,” said Tang Yuyan.

“No need, no need. I can drive, thank you. That’s that, then. Goodbye,” said Ling Han.

Then there was the sound of footsteps and the door to the room was pushed open by Tang Yuyan.

Tang Yuyan came straight over with a dazzling smile on her face. Xia Lei had no idea what she was smiling about but lying on the sofa, he felt like a fish on a chopping board.

‘What’s she planning to do by coming over at this time?’ Xia Lei asked himself.

Tang Yuyan walked to the sofa and reached out to pinch Xia Lei’s face without warning. “You rascal. You kicked my b.u.t.t in Jerusalem and peeked on me showering in Amman. You’re taking advantage of me but not taking responsibility. You think I’m a great target to bully?”

Xia Lei kept his eyes shut and pretended he couldn’t hear.

Tang Yuyan pinched his face.

This ‘abuse’ was not very hard; Xia Lei had greater trouble fighting his male instincts than his pain.

Just as Xia Lei was about to open his eyes and stop Tang Yuyan’s ‘violence’, he saw her take a marker out of her bag. He was curious. ‘What is she planning to do?’

Tang Yuyan put her arms around Xia Lei’s waist and turned him over. She used the marker to write something on his body.

After she was done, she put Xia Lei’s trousers back on and turned him back again.

“Ay, I’ll be a good person to the end, hm? I’ll get someone to send you home.” Tang Yuyan chuckled evilly. “Send you back to Shentu Tianyin, yeah?”

Xia Lei guessed that she had drawn something on his back, maybe a turtle or something else.

Tang Yuyan helped Xia Lei to his feet and spoke in his ear, blasting her hot breath, “I wrote something on your back. Tang Yuyan was here. I wonder what expression Shentu Tianyin will have when she sees it. Hahaha…”

Xia Lei then knew what Tang Yuyan had written on him and what she was up to. This was not your regular prank!

If he’d really been drunk and unaware of what was going on and was sent back to Shentu Tianyin’s home, Shentu Tianyin would surely take care of him if she saw him drunk. Then she would give him a bath or something and see ‘Tang Yuyan was here’ doodled on his back… What would she think then?

‘This girl! I really didn’t expect this of her…’ Xia Lei felt very much like kicking her.

Sure enough, Tang Yuyan called one of her subordinates over and got the agent to send Xia Lei to Shentu Tianyin’s home.

Xia Lei was not going to bother exposing her plot. It was best to pretend to know nothing about this sort of thing.

Half an hour later, the agent brought Xia Lei to Shentu Tianyin’s neighbourhood. As the agent was about to help Xia Lei from the car, Xia Lei ‘woke up’ on his own and told the agent to go back, and that he was fine on his own. That agent did not know of Tang Yuyan’s ulterior motive, and, seeing that Xia Lei was able to walk normally, drove off.

Xia Lei did not dare to go straight to Shentu Tianyin’s home after he entered the neighbourhood. He went to a public toilet and cleaned himself in there before he went to Shentu Tianyin’s home.

Fu Mingmei opened the door for Xia Lei. She smelt the alcohol on Xia Lei and wrinkled her brows. “Dang, why did you drink so much? Tianyin hates drunkards the most.”

Xia Lei laughed. “I’m not drunk. And how do you know that Tianyin hates it when I drink? She drank with me before.”

Fu Mingmei pursed her lips. “Yeah, yeah impressive. She’s yours now so you’re starting to let loose? You men are all the same, so very nice when you’re in courts.h.i.+p and then showing your true colours when you get the girl.”

Xia Lei did not want to debate with her. “Is she asleep?”

“Not yet. She’s still up in the study working. I’ll go let her know,” said Fu Mingmei.

“No, no, I’ll go take a shower, then go to her.” Xia Lei felt like he had washed for nothing.

Fu Mingmei then smiled faintly. “That’s more like it. Wash yourself clean and fresh, then she’ll be in the mood to make little persons with you.”

Xia Lei was speechless.

“Work hard, okay? Get her pregnant as soon as possible. The Old Master is looking forward to holding his grandchild.” Fu Mingmei smiled more brightly now.

Xia Lei was speechless again.