One person said: The essence of Wuhou Qimen lies not in Qimen, but in Wuhou.

Xu Si looked at Dou Le's face, which was full of despair, and then at the four empty Erguotou bottles on the table. Suddenly, a sly and meaningful smile appeared on his face.

He pulled his chair forward, lowered his voice, and leaned closer to Dou Le, saying in a tone as if sharing the true meaning of life, "Brother, you're too repressed."

My dear brother, I feel your pain.

You should relax occasionally and support the service industry for ordinary people.

There has to be someone to support you.

The service industry is also an important part of the tertiary sector, and it's like the capillaries of the national economy.

Dou Le frowned slightly upon hearing this.

He knew Xu Si too well. This tone, this expression, this hushed way of sharing secrets usually led to the same destination.

He leaned back in his chair, giving Xu Si a look that said, "You're about to start bluffing again," and asked casually, "Brother—you mean your favorite, the foot massage parlor?"

Upon hearing those three words, Xu Si visibly perked up.

He put the steamed bun he had just picked up back down, placed his hands on the table and leaned forward slightly. His expression changed from a sneaky look to a serious one, as if a life coach was sharing the secrets to success.

When he spoke, his voice was still very low—after all, it was a public place, and they were already quite conspicuous drinking at a breakfast shop early in the morning. If they were to give a lecture at a foot massage parlor, they would probably be filmed by passersby and posted on Douyin (TikTok)—but the enthusiasm and determination in his tone were not diminished at all: "Brother, that's how it should be! Let me explain in detail."

This is the current situation, and we need to compare it with the basic conditions of today's society.

For example, what's that word again—love.

He pointed a finger in the air, as if writing something on a blackboard, and then said in a tone of finality, "In my opinion, dating is not as good as washing feet."

Why? Because no one has ever gone bankrupt because of foot massage—but many people have lost both their money and their partner because of a relationship.

Fools fall in love, but what do the wise do? They get foot massages.

Fools dwell on the past, while wise men rush to the present.

Giving one person twenty chances is not as good as giving twenty people one chance.

Remember this: if love can leave you battered and bruised, then a masseuse will only offer you relaxation and freedom.

Dou Le leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and stared blankly at Xu Si.

After a long silence, he snorted contemptuously through his nostrils and uttered a few words in a tone that said, "Keep making things up and let's see what you can come up with": "Keep fooling around—keep fooling around."

Xu Si was not defeated by Dou Le's indifference.

Instead, he leaned forward even further, interlacing his fingers on the table. His expression shifted from that of a life mentor to a more solemn, heartfelt, and precious summary, as if he were passing on a family heirloom.

He took a deep breath and said, slowly and deliberately, in a tone that said, "This is the most valuable experience I've ever had: my friend. This is the path I've walked for forty years, and it's truly a profound truth."

The key takeaway is this: Listen up, buddy.

He held up one finger and lowered his voice so low that only two people could hear him: "When you go for a foot massage, don't touch the people inappropriately if it's a service under two hundred yuan—that's hard-earned money, you have to respect it."

If it's 599—or more than 599—and she dares to dodge even a little, you should immediately call the manager up.

Did you hear that? Nobody's money comes from thin air!

Dou Le also kept his voice very low, but the anger and speechlessness in his tone were almost impossible to suppress.

He stuck a finger into the table, as if he wanted to punch a hole in it: "Xu Si—are you fucking never going to stop? I'm sober now! You're not done until you've ruined me, are you? You've already quit drinking, and you're still trying to drag me into this mess? What are you up to?"

Xu Si quickly shrank back, a sheepish smile on his face after being exposed. He put his hands in front of his chest in a soothing gesture, and his tone seamlessly switched from a life coach to self-reflection and sincere apology: "Brother, calm down, calm down."

This is just saying goodbye to the past, it's all irony! I was just trying to lighten the mood by joking with you because I was worried you were feeling too down.

Besides, I'm a section chief and a Party member now, how could I go to a place like that?

I was just testing your composure, and you certainly did. You passed the test, full marks!

Dou Le leaned back in his chair, snorted heavily through his nose, pointed at Xu Si with his finger, and his tone was no longer furious, but instead showed a helpless and frank jealousy after being amused by his anger: "Hmph—you're just pure luck."

If your ancestral graves aren't emitting smoke, then they're on fire.

The kind where you can't get a signal when you call 119.

And you still have the nerve to show off here.

He picked up the bowl of cold rice noodles on the table and stirred it vigorously with his chopsticks, as if he were stirring Xu Si. His tone was filled with undisguised envy, jealousy, and hatred, but it didn't make people feel disgusted. Instead, it had a kind of frankness and directness that only brothers could have: "Your achievements? Your work? That was all fed to you by two big leaders, bite by bite."

You're just a middleman, running errands, submitting reports, and signing documents.

And yet you still managed to become a section chief.

I could do it too! Tell me, in what way am I worse than you? I have more seniority than you, I'm no less capable than you, and in terms of jurisdiction area, your North China region is only half the size of my East China region.

Why did you get promoted first? Why?!

Xu Si immediately put on his standard "Brother is right, brother is right, brother is right" sincere expression, raised the wine glass in front of him with both hands and raised it to Dou Le, his humility and respect practically overflowing from the table: "Brother is right."

Compared to you, my brother, I, Xu Si, am like a firefly compared to the bright moon—utterly insignificant.

The burden on your shoulders is that of seven provinces and one municipality! To put that into perspective, it represents the area with the highest concentration of supernatural sects in the country, all carried on your shoulders alone.

That's incredible, amazing.

If you're free, brother, then there's nothing for me to do.

He put down his wine glass, his expression shifting from flattery to a more sincere, almost heartfelt, earnestness. He leaned forward, his voice becoming more earnest and gentle: "But brother, I still want to say—since I, Xu Si, followed Director Zhuge, my life has been quite extraordinary."

Under the leadership of the Party and the country, we are on a broad and prosperous road, which gives us peace of mind.

Listen to me, buddy—your work ability is recognized by your superiors.

What did Director Zhuge say? His exact words were: "If you encounter any difficulties, report them to the organization."

These weren't just polite words or official jargon; they were spoken by Director Zhuge himself.

Think about it carefully.

Dou Le was silent for a moment, then picked up the wine glass in front of him and took a sip. He put the glass down and said in a tone that sounded like he had been coaxed but was unwilling to be subdued: "Hmph, I think I've figured it out."

You, Xu Si, climbed up the ranks by flattering and bootlicking.

I must say, you do have some ability.

It's just a little bit.

What else is there? I haven't figured it out yet.