Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 422 - 403: Celebration Banquet

Chapter 422: Chapter 403: Celebration Banquet

Gao Yi came upon invitation.

Although Russia is vast, hotel rooms in Moscow are quite small. With five people in the room, it already feels crowded. When Gao Yi arrived, space had to be squeezed out for six.

There weren’t enough chairs. A small round table was set between two single beds, and people could sit on both beds. There were also two chairs, the outermost one reserved for Gao Yi.

On the small round table were a box of grilled meat, a large bowl of vegetables, and a bag of green boiled edamame packed in a plastic bag.

The drink was baijiu, not vodka. Four paper cups were laid out, and the rest were cans of beer piled up on the bed, to be taken and drunk as needed.

The beer was from Qingdao, and the baijiu was Baijiu.

Gao Yi had never drunk in this manner in his entire life.

He had never drunk like this; he wasn’t allowed to drink when he was young, and when he grew up, he never drank in such tough conditions.

The one who opened the door was Luo Changyou, and the young sonar soldier was sitting on the other chair, while the elderly expert sat on the bed. Upon seeing Gao Yi enter, everyone stood up.

"Mr. Gao has arrived, please have a seat," they said.

Boss Huang, Huang Haisheng, was the one who spoke, warmly beckoning Gao Yi to sit. Gao Yi was perplexed and said, "Why are you calling me ’teacher’?"

Huang Haisheng replied without hesitation, "Because calling you ’classmate’ wouldn’t be fitting, so you must be Mr. Gao. Professor Qiao, do you think Little Gao can be a teacher?"

"Sure, sure, definitely, absolutely. You saved us ten years with a single lesson. You’re absolutely qualified to be a teacher."

The enthusiastic old expert invited Gao Yi to take a seat, laughing and gesturing, "Mr. Gao, please have a seat, we’ve been waiting just for you. A big hero, please take the seat of honor."

It was neither sarcasm nor implying anything else. Gao Yi believed that this Professor Qiao truly appreciated him and truly regarded him as a big hero.

"Isn’t that a bit inappropriate..."

Gao Yi had intended to be modest, but Huang Haisheng pushed down on his shoulder, saying, "Take a seat quickly, no one else can take your place. Come on, do you prefer baijiu or beer?"

"Baijiu, beer bloats the stomach."

Gao Yi sat down and reached for the bottle, but the young sonar soldier got to it first, starting to pour it into the paper cups.

Hmm, a man who just made a deal worth over a billion US dollars was crammed together, drinking thirteen-yuan baijiu. This was very Northeastern University.

Professor Qiao, holding a paper cup and trying to hide his laughter, said, "I’ll have baijiu too, just half a cup for me. I’ll pour it myself... I’ll do it myself..."

While saying he would do it himself, the young sonar soldier still filled up his cup, and Professor Qiao, who had insisted on ’half a cup,’ didn’t move his cup, eventually grinning and saying, "Then I’ll have a bit more, I’ll sleep it off on the way back, haha."

All three paper cups were filled with baijiu. The young sonar soldier hesitated for a moment, then looked at Huang Haisheng.

Huang Haisheng nodded and said, "Pour as much as you can handle."

Without a word, the sonar soldier poured the remaining baijiu, filling the four cups with one bottle just right.

Luo Changyou opened two beers, handed one to Huang Haisheng, and then said, "Let’s drink to celebrate... Happy birthday, Mr. Gao!"

What’s this ’happy birthday’?

Gao Yi took a sip from his paper cup, finding the drink quite pleasant.

The young sonar soldier seemed a bit uncomfortable.

"Mr. Gao, there’s no special reason for today’s drink. By rights, we shouldn’t be drinking, but after we leave here, we’ll be strangers to each other, unlikely to ever meet again in this lifetime. So, I think it’s against the rules, but we should still have a drink," he said.

Boss Huang was leading the drinking. Holding a beer with a smile on his face, he said, "I want to thank everyone here. Come on, let’s have a drink."

The group raised their glasses again and took another drink.

As soon as the cups were set down, Luo Changyou said, "Being far from home makes you a guest. As half your host, I welcome everyone. Let’s drink to that."

Another round went by.

After three sips, the young sonar soldier had already finished the baijiu in his paper cup.

An older sonar soldier whispered, "Can you still drink? If not, have some beer instead."

The way it was said made it clear there was some problem. The younger sonar soldier hesitated as if wanting to speak, but Huang Haisheng laughed and said, "It’s okay, speak up if you have something to say."

So the young sonar soldier whispered, "It’s fine, I can drink. I’m about to leave the submarine."

"Oh? Are you leaving? Not going back?"

The sonar soldier, with a look of regret and reluctance, nodded and murmured, "No more."

With a serious expression, Huang Haisheng said, "Xiao Chen left the submarine and came ashore half a year earlier just for this trip. But that’s a good thing, a good thing."

Xiao Chen whispered, "Can I say it?"

"Sure, it’s fine. I have an idea, don’t worry," Huang Haisheng reassured.

Huang Haisheng was quite bold. Addressing Xiao Chen, he said, "Fill it up if you can drink. This is to welcome you ashore."

Xiao Chen has a promising future.

Gao Yi sincerely said, "Then congratulations to Xiao Chen."

Everyone raised their glasses once more. Xiao Chen, who had appeared somewhat subdued and restrained, also smiled. He hurriedly opened a bottle of Baijiu and refilled his cup.

The drinks were flowing, but Gao Yi still had no idea about Huang Haisheng’s real intention for inviting him to drink because with so many people around, were certain topics appropriate to discuss?

Huang Haisheng still steered the conversation, and he looked at Gao Yi with a smile, saying: "Mr. Gao, our meeting is serendipitous, I toast to you."

Gao Yi and Huang Haisheng clinked glasses and drank together. Then, Huang Haisheng continued: "Today, everyone here is actually meeting for the first time, but we have come together for the same purpose, the same mission."

Luo Changyou stretched his neck, turned his head; he seemed like he wanted to stop Huang Haisheng from continuing, but he was unsure if he should intervene, hence he looked somewhat awkward.

Huang Haisheng kept smiling and said: "After we go back, we won’t meet again, and it’s not possible to meet again."

Luo Changyou coughed softly, looking conflicted as he said: "Brother Huang, you’re talking drunk without even drinking."

Professor Qiao seemed hesitant, as he looked at Huang Haisheng and whispered: "Should we... step aside for a moment?"

"No need, no need, it’s fine!"

Now, Huang Haisheng was truly being careless.

But, Gao Yi was certain that amongst all present, Huang Haisheng had the sharpest eye.

And the one with the most ingenious methods.

Why? Because of Gao Yi’s personality, because of Gao Yi’s principles.

This was just a business deal, a transaction.

Never mix in any personal feelings, don’t have them, definitely don’t have them.

However now, Huang Haisheng had gathered so many people, speaking words that shouldn’t be spoken, doing things that shouldn’t be done, yet he easily destroyed the barriers that Green had repeatedly fortified in Gao Yi’s heart.

If Huang Haisheng treated Gao Yi as an outsider, then for Gao Yi, everyone was an outsider.

If Huang Haisheng treated Gao Yi as one of his own, then Gao Yi could be one of his own.

Everything depended on how Gao Yi thought, how he chose.

Therefore, Huang Haisheng was the true expert; he understood everything, he knew everything.

Why could Gao Yi figure it out? Because what he had seen and learned these past few days had advanced his understanding.

Even to the extent that Gao Yi understood why Huang Haisheng called him Mr. Gao.

Because Gao Yi had referred to the person who originally connected him as Teacher Mu.

Mr. Gao should be a code name, and only Huang Haisheng knew the deep meaning behind this code, just as simple as that.

Gao Yi took a breath, and with a smile, he said: "No worries, once out of this door, nobody knows anybody, there won’t be issues."

Huang Haisheng smiled, "Mr. Gao sees things very clearly, I toast to you, Mr. Gao."

Gao Yi, holding his glass, drank with Huang Haisheng once more.

Then, Huang Haisheng smiled and said: "Mr. Gao runs a big business, and you do it well, I really admire that, sincerely."

Gao Yi let out a sigh, saying: "Hey, I’m like a duck driven onto a perch; somehow just got into this line of work. How to put it, found a bit of success, it’s all luck, all thanks to my friends looking after me; in the end, I adhere to one principle: with more friends, paths become easier to tread on."

"Yes, yes, that’s right."

Huang Haisheng agreed offhandedly, and then he said seriously: "Now, we shall be friends from now on, and in the future, Brother, you must take care of me, Mr. Gao."

Gao Yi, very gravely, said: "I toast to everyone here."

The group raised their glasses simultaneously, and after drinking, Gao Yi sincerely said: "Today we’ve truly got to know each other; in the future, we’re all friends, if you need anything just come to me, if I can help, I will, and even if I can’t, I’ll offer some advice."

The atmosphere was very lively, very harmonious.

Huang Haisheng picked up a few edamame beans, and said very casually: "Mr. Gao, at such young age you’ve achieved so much, I really admire that. Have you thought about building a villa back in your hometown? I have connections, getting land is no problem, I’ll handle all the procedures for you."

"Building a villa?"

Gao Yi fell into thought.

Of course, building a villa was just a metaphor. It was asking if Gao Yi had plans to go back; if he did, Huang Haisheng would take care of it.

After pondering for a moment, Gao Yi said: "No, I’m not going back. Why should I? There’s nobody at home, it’s a waste to build a big house with no one living in it, I’ll consider building a big house back home when I retire. For now, it’s better for me to earnestly make money outside."

Huang Haisheng immediately said: "Right, right, you should strive while you’re young."

Gao Yi, looking at Huang Haisheng with meaningful eyes, said: "I’ll have to rely on Boss Huang a lot in the future. Doing business with Boss Huang is always straightforward, even if I don’t make money, I’m willing to do it. Not for anything else, just for that straightforwardness. So, it’s all about opportunity, if there’s one, we must cooperate again."

What Gao Yi meant was that in the future they should just keep to doing business, and not to bring up matters outside of business, but this business can be done even if it’s not profitable, it’s all about the opportunity.

Huang Haisheng had no intention to make anything official with Gao Yi either.

When Huang Haisheng calls Gao Yi Mr. Gao, it already implies the notion of a professional appointment, but teachers can also be in private schools, so the meaning of this ’teacher’ is for Gao Yi to choose.

Why does Gao Yi call Huang Haisheng Boss Huang, not Brother Huang, not anything else? That’s because they will do business in the future, so Huang Haisheng is not a boss, not a colleague, nor a leader.

Huang Haisheng knew that Gao Yi understood his intentions, and he also grasped Gao Yi’s intentions, so he said very seriously: "Since Mr. Gao said so, shall we exchange contact information?"

Gao Yi nodded, smiling: "Sure, I’ll contact you if anything comes up, Boss Huang, take good care of your younger brother at that time."

That settled it, a relationship was established, and they would keep in touch regularly for business.