My cousin-in-law helped me achieve my ambitions.

Coach Gao, his face burning, still had Su Ming gripping his collar. His heels were slightly off the ground, and he looked like a rooster being held by the neck, his face flushed red, but his eyes still darting around. He gritted his teeth and forced out a few harsh words: "Let go of me right now and apologize! Otherwise, you're dead! Let me tell you, this driving school is owned by my own brother. He has connections and knows people in the underworld! If you don't apologize today, this isn't over. One phone call from me and you'll be in big trouble!"

Upon hearing the other party's boastful tone, Su Ming didn't panic; instead, he couldn't help but laugh. He released his grip, and Coach Gao staggered back a step, his back hitting the chair before he awkwardly grabbed the edge of the table to steady himself. Su Ming, however, acted as if nothing had happened. He pulled out his chair, sat down again, picked up the teacup on the table, blew on the tea leaves floating on top, took a sip, and smiled at Coach Gao, saying, "Alright, then we'll wait here. You can make the call."

Coach Gao was taken aback. He had expected Su Ming to be terrified by his words, or at least show some panic. After all, he had done this before; mentioning his brother's name usually made most people cower, offering cigarettes and apologizing. But Su Ming, instead of panicking, sat down and crossed his legs, looking as calm and collected as if he were waiting for a dish to be served.

At this moment, several diners at the next table, eager for a good show, put down their chopsticks and turned to join the commotion. A shirtless man in shorts slammed his hand on the table and laughed, "Dude, hurry up and call some guys! Didn't you say your brother knows some gangsters? Hurry up and get them over here, we're waiting to see!"

Another tall, thin guy yelled, "Yeah, with such a powerful background, we have to call some guys over to beat this kid up! Hurry up and get some people, we want to see the show!"

Even the proprietress standing behind the counter leaned out halfway, clutching a handful of sunflower seeds in her hand, cracking them open as she looked over, her face clearly saying, "Why not watch this show?"

Coach Gao was being roasted over a fire by everyone. His facial muscles twitched a few times, and he gritted his teeth, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number with trembling fingers. As soon as the call connected, his previous arrogance instantly turned into a pitiful sob. He shouted into the phone, "Brother, I got beaten up! Right here at Tianfu Sichuan Restaurant in town! This kid is so rude, you better come over right now, call a few more brothers, and beat him up!" As he said this, tears were about to fall, and his voice was shrill and hoarse, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Seeing his pitiful, tearful act, the crowd couldn't help but burst into laughter again. The shirtless, burly man slapped his thigh with a laugh: "Hey buddy, weren't you all tough just now? Why are you crying the moment you get on the phone?"

Coach Gao hung up the phone, wiped away his tears with the back of his hand, and angrily swept his gaze across the crowd before pointing at Su Ming and coldly warning, "You're dead. My brother will be here with his men soon, and you're completely finished this time. Let me tell you, apologize to me now, kneel down and kowtow three times, make amends, and have your girlfriend accompany me to offer a few toasts, and maybe I can forgive you. But once my brother arrives with his men, you're truly finished, and begging won't do you any good!"

Su Ming picked up his teacup, took a leisurely sip, put the cup down, waved to the waiter who was standing in the corner watching the commotion, and called out, "It's alright, bring the food. Bring out the dishes we just ordered. Also, bring two more bottles of Feitian Moutai."

Coach Gao's lips twitched. He hadn't expected that this kid would not only not run away, but also start drinking Moutai. He pointed at Su Ming, opened his mouth, but didn't know what else to say. He could only angrily throw down a "You wait," then plopped down on the chair next to him, crossed his arms, and glared at Su Ming with the eyes of someone looking at a dead man.

Lin Shumei, however, was getting restless. She moved closer to Su Ming, gently tugged at his sleeve, and whispered in his ear, "Forget it, let's leave before they come. If we don't leave now, and they really do send reinforcements, we won't be able to leave. This isn't the factory, it's not your territory. If a fight breaks out, you'll be the one who suffers."

Su Ming smiled dismissively, put his arm around her slender waist, and gently patted her side, comforting her, "It's alright, we've already ordered food and drinks, let's eat slowly and watch the show. It's good if things get out of hand, someone will eventually clean up the mess."

Seeing Su Ming's calm demeanor, as if he already knew what was going on, Lin Shumei didn't press him further. Having been with Su Ming for so long, she had personally witnessed him dealing with Vice President Liang and seen Factory Director Gu groveling before him. She knew that although this young man was young, he was never reckless, and his composure must stem from some underlying strength. She nodded, picked up the teapot on the table, poured Su Ming a cup of tea, and said softly, "Okay, I'll keep you company."

After a while, the waiter brought over a tray and placed the dishes on the table one by one: two servings of twice-cooked pork, one serving of boiled fish, a plate of spicy chicken, and several stir-fries, filling the table to the brim. Finally, the waiter carefully placed two bottles of Moutai on the table, giving Su Ming a meaningful look, his eyes clearly asking, "Are you sure you want to open this?" Su Ming nodded, and the waiter deftly unscrewed the caps and poured the liquor.

Su Ming and Lin Shumei calmly ate their food, occasionally clinking glasses. They didn't look like they were about to be beaten up by a group of burly men at all; they looked more like a young couple on a weekend date.

The people in the restaurant were all worried for them. The shirtless burly man who had started the commotion earlier stopped smiling and muttered to his companion, "Is this guy really brave or just stupid? They've sent reinforcements, and he still has the leisure to eat with a pretty girl."

Someone nearby made a sarcastic remark: "Young people like him, they don't know what's good for them. They'll know how painful it is when a steel pipe hits their head."

Coach Gao, who was standing to the side, saw that Su Ming not only did not leave, but actually ate food and drank wine. His expression changed from annoyance to smugness, and then from smugness to ferocity.

He crossed his legs, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table, and pointed at Su Ming with a confident tone, shouting, "Eat up, eat more, so you can get on your way. You're finished. Someone'll come and deal with you soon, and then we'll see how you're laughing!"

Su Ming picked up a piece of spicy chicken, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and replied with a smile, "Okay, I'll wait for you."

He genuinely wanted to see what kind of amazing people Coach Gao could summon.