"Welcome to Kentro gentlemen, I'm your host Han Yue. What would you be having this evening?"
A good-looking young man in his mid-twenties walked up to greet two men in office attire. Dressed in white shirt with a black bow tie secured at his neck. Black pants with dark loafers on his feet. Like the rest of the other attendants at the bar Kentro, he had a nice clean cut and no facial hair. The atmosphere at the bar was one of relaxed ambience with soft music playing in the background.
"I'll have 5 bottles Malmore IX cognac. Secretary Lan what would you be ordering?"
Duan Chengyu sat on a spacious leather couch which encircled a posh table made from clear cut blue glass. Lan Tuo sat beside his boss keeping a respectful distance between the two of them. At first, the bar attendant thought he had heard wrong this prompted him to ask the man that placed the order. His eyes grew bigger in surprise at the outrageous request.
"Excuse me Sir, but did you say Malmore IX cognac? 5 Malmore IX cognac?!"
"Secretary Lan, can you tell the host that I want 5 bottles of Malmore IX?!!! Has the standard of bar Kentro fallen so low that you don't have the Cognac that I want?!!!"
The look in the eyes of Duan Chengyu said it all, he was livid that a mere minimum wage employee at a bar dared to question his order. Eyeing the bar attendant that stood across from his table mortified at the exchange.
Lan Tuo cringed inside, he understood where the anger was coming from, his boss who happened to be fed up with his mother's antics was looking for an outlet for his frustration. Unfortunately, the host that they had was the scape goat for the pent-up anger grew inside his boss.
Squaring his shoulder as though preparing to go for war. Lan Tuo fix a smile on his face to speak with the host.
"We will very much like to place an order for 5 bottles of Malmore IX Cognac and a glass of "petite dry Martini" for me because I'll be driving my boss home once we leave here."
Lan Tuo deliberately laid emphasis on how he wanted his drink, letting the other man know that he wanted his drink so watered down that it would almost taste like water.
"Are these people for real?! I get the glass of martini! But to ask for 5 bottles! I mean a whole 5 bottles of Malmore IX Cognac! That is C-R-A-Z-Y!!! Do they know how much one bottle cost?! A single bottle is a whopping 7.102.000 Yuan! Let me ask them if they want to check the price on the menu! Maybe when they see how much it actually costs then they would choose a different drink!"
"Please allow me to show you our menu, we have a fine array of drinks that you could appeal to you and are budget friendly. If you don't mind, let me bring one to your table so that you both can look through it and make your selection."
At that point Lan Tuo felt the ground at his feet shift, he suddenly felt the need to remove himself from the bar. Without looking at his boss's face he sensed the fury at the words spoken by the host.
"I guess someone would be out of a job tonight. I'm out! Sorry Mr. Han Yue but I don't think I can help you this time!"
The secretary of Duan Chengyu averted his face from the host and began looking around the bar at other patrons.
"Where is the owner?! Get me the owner! Now!!!"
The Chairman of Cinopec Group's face became red with rage, while the unfortunate host quivered in fear from the heat of the other man's ire.
"I... I didn't mean to offend you.... please don't involve my manager...."
"Then you should have thought about that before making such useless suggestions! What are you waiting for! Get me your manager or do you want me to find him myself?!"
Han Yue's mouth trembled; his eyes shook as he furiously fought back tears of humiliation from his eyes.
"Good evening! Are my eyes deceiving me?! Isn't that Chairman Duan?!"
The Vice President of HongSheng Holdings left his table to meet men that sat across the room from him.
"And you are?!"
Duan Chengyu looked at the smartly dressed charming young man in front of him with a look of greater displeasure which said he was not happy at the interruption.
"Don't be like that, my face isn't the type that people forget so easily. Let me introduce myself, I'm Hong Lian the Vice President of HongSheng Holdings. We've met in the past on at a financial seminar hosted by Wang Corp. It's understandable if you don't remember since it's been a long time since then. 8 years goes by in a flash! Do you mind if I join your table?"
Hong Lian smiled pleasantly at the men, while Lan Tuo turned to see how his boss would react to the newcomer.
"Do I have a choice? You already barged to my table. If I say no, I doubt if you'll just go like that. You don't strike me as the type that takes no for an answer!"
On hearing the backhanded comment of Duan Chengyu. Hong Lian threw his head back and gave roared in laughter.
"You got me there, Chairman Duan. I'll take you up on the offer. Have you already ordered? I heard you call for a manger, did the host make a mistake?"
Hong Lian made his way to sit adjacent from Duan Chengyu on the curvy chair.
"I told him to bring me some bottles of Malmore IX Cognac, but this dimwit is telling me to look at the menu! Does he think that I don't have the money to buy what I want?!"