Xiao Xun was just about to speak when the old president enthusiastically greeted someone else, "Old Liu, haha, you're here."
"President, how have you been!"
Xiao Xun looked at the women sitting on the sofa. He hadn't expected that the former 'ugly ducklings' had all transformed into 'swans'. Their skin had become fairer, their demeanor had improved, and they were all wearing designer coats. Some wore mink, and the bags in their hands were all worth over ten thousand yuan. They were chatting about fashion.
Sensing Xiao Xun's gaze, they all sniffed unconsciously.
Xiao Xun awkwardly turned his head away, searching for Zhang Ming. Many people greeted him along the way, but he had forgotten the names of quite a few of them.
Of course, many had also forgotten his name.
Finally, he saw Zhang Ming at the hotel entrance. Zhang Ming and some classmates were welcoming students into the hotel. A huge inflatable archway above read "XX Academy Class Reunion."
Seeing Zhang Ming's enthusiastic smile, Xiao Xun didn't go over to join the crowd. Since the incident with Shanshan, he felt Zhang Ming had changed a lot.
He turned back to the resting area, genuinely uninterested in these matters.
During school, he was only close to Wang Pinggang. Others were merely acquaintances. Moreover, Zhang Ming had invited most of these people, and he didn't even know many of them, so there was little to talk about.
He had come this time purely to show respect to Zhang Ming and to see his former roommate.
"Do you know? Zhang Ming is doing incredibly well now. He was a cyber-police officer back then, a good job! Now he's quit being a cyber-police officer and has become a director at Saint Roman. Isn't that impressive?"
"Back in school, I knew his family had connections."
"I heard he arranged this reunion, and he's already paid for it."
"If only I had such a good father."
"You can't envy this; it's all fate."
"Did you see the car he drove when you arrived? He just got a new one for over 300,000 yuan."
"That amount is pocket change for him!"
Hearing this, Xiao Xun felt something was off. Zhang Ming had only been working for a little over a month; where did he get so much money? Perhaps it was a loan or installments. After all, he was a director, and it would be unusual not to have a car.
Just as he was thinking, a group of people stood up. Xiao Xun, not knowing why, also stood up. Only then did he see that it was Zhang Ming and a group of classmates escorting someone inside.
This person was none other than Lu Qiaoya, who had studied abroad and was the pride of their alma mater.
Zhang Ming asked the president, "Are most of the classmates here?"
"Pretty much. Only Wang Pinggang from your dormitory hasn't arrived. Everyone else is here."
Zhang Ming hummed. He knew Wang Pinggang disliked such gatherings. He didn't even have Wang Pinggang's phone number and felt embarrassed to ask Xiao Xun to contact him.
"Since most people have arrived, shall we move to the private room and chat while we eat?"
Everyone responded in unison, "Good!"
Upon entering the private room, Lu Qiaoya, as the most distinguished guest, naturally took the main seat. Zhang Ming, as the organizer who had paid for the entire gathering, sat to Lu Qiaoya's left, with the president on his right.
Besides these three, everyone else sat casually. As soon as Xiao Xun sat down, he saw all his classmates taking out their phones, some recording, some taking pictures, and then exchanging phone numbers and adding each other as friends.
Xiao Xun sat there like an insulator, starkly contrasting with Zhang Ming, who was surrounded by classmates.
"Classmates, everyone please quiet down."
The president stood up. "Everyone, please be quiet."
As expected, the president's words carried weight, and everyone quietly looked at him.
The president raised his wine glass. "I am very happy that we can all reunite and meet again after so many years. Although many years have passed since graduation, it always feels like yesterday. Tonight..."
Then came a string of clichés and official remarks, delivered like a speech for a full half hour. He was indeed the former student council president.
Xiao Xun secretly marveled, thinking if it were him, he'd be lucky to get through one sentence completely.
Finally, the president finished speaking and turned his glass towards Lu Qiaoya, "To the pride of our college, the pride of our nation, cheers!"
Lu Qiaoya quickly stood up and waved his hands. "President, you flatter me too much. I am just an ordinary person. Come, everyone, let's drink this glass together, cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The private room echoed with the clinking of glasses and cheers.
The president's face flushed slightly. "Everyone, please refill your glasses. For this second round, everyone toasts Zhang Ming. Without him, this gathering wouldn't be possible. You are all scattered across the country, and he went to great lengths to contact all of us old classmates."
Zhang Ming also stood up, holding his wine glass. "Old President, you are too kind. This is what I should do! Mostly, I just missed everyone. It's been so long since graduation; except for those in this city, I haven't seen others. I truly miss our university days!"
Someone shouted, "Clink!"
After everyone finished drinking and sat down, a voice from the corner flew out, "I propose we all toast the president, alright?"
Many people agreed, "Good!"
The president waved his left hand, "Ah! Why toast me." With his right hand, he very honestly raised his wine glass. "You are too kind, too kind."
The drinking today was as if money was no object. Everyone took turns toasting Lu Qiaoya, who consistently used water instead of wine, taking only a sip.
His arrogance did not evoke any resentment from anyone present, including Xiao Xun.
The waitstaff began serving the dishes. As everyone was busy making friends and toasting, the room was chaotic with wine. The waitstaff could only try to avoid them, finding gaps to place the dishes.
After toasting, one woman turned back without looking and stepped on a waiter's foot. The waiter cried out in pain, loosened his grip, and the entire plate of food fell onto the white mink coat of another woman, which was placed on the back of her chair.
That woman stood up and slapped the waiter, shouting, "Are you blind? Do you know how much this coat cost? Call your manager."
The waiter covered his face. "Please wait, I'll call the manager."
Soon, the manager, accompanied by the waiter who had just been slapped, walked in. "Hello, madam, is there anything I can help you with?"
The woman grabbed the white mink coat. "Look, your waiter spilled food on my clothes."
The manager smiled. "Yes, our waiter has explained the situation to me, and we've seen the video surveillance. It was this lady." He pointed to the woman who had stepped on the waiter. "She stepped on our waiter, which caused the food to spill on your clothes."
Hearing this, the other woman's face changed color. She stood up. "What do you mean by that? Are you blaming me because your waiter couldn't hold the plate steady?"
The manager extended his hands. "In that case, our hotel has excellent dry cleaning facilities. We can help you clean this garment. What do you say?"
The woman crossed her arms. "No."
The manager cupped his right hand with his left. "Then how about this, you specify a dry cleaner, and we will pay for the cleaning. What do you think?"
The woman glared and said decisively, "No."
"Then how do you want this handled to be satisfied?"
The woman said, "You must pay the full amount and compensate me for this coat."
The manager shook his head. "That is not possible."
The woman's eyes widened even further. "Not possible? Then call your highest-ranking leader here."
She then looked at her classmates. "If you don't call them, I'll call the police."
The manager certainly wouldn't call the owner for such a small matter. If he did, his position as manager would be over.
"Well, if that's the case, then you should call the police to handle it!"
Upon hearing that the hotel wouldn't get involved, the woman shouted, "Do you know who is sitting here? Do you think your hotel doesn't want to operate anymore?"
Everyone was speechless. How dare she drag us into her attempt to extort?