Chapter 2023: The Cards
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Yan Ci smiled faintly as she sipped her tea and thought to herself.

If Lin Yi were the one dining here, the restaurant owner might clear the place just to welcome him alone.

“Is being a civil servant really that beneficial?” Tang Li asked.

“I’ve always thought the biggest advantage was job security.”

“That’s such a narrow view,” Zhou Xinyu chirped in.

“To be honest, I don’t know much about these things, but you’ll understand in the future. No matter where you go, people will look up to you, and they’ll be much more polite.”

“That does sound pretty good,” Tang Li replied, somewhat understanding.

At this moment, the restaurant manager approached with a smile, and Chen Teng asked:

“Is something the matter?”

“Well, our Ms. Yun mentioned that the dining environment on the first floor isn’t the best, so she’s arranged for you to move to a private room on the third floor.”

“A private room?” Chen Teng was surprised.

“Yes, because it’s too noisy on the first floor.”

Chen Teng hesitated for a second, then smiled and said:

“Ms. Yun is too kind. We’re just here for a family meal; there’s no need to go to such trouble.”

“Ms. Yun insisted that you are esteemed guests, and dining on the first floor would be too disrespectful.”

“Then please thank Ms. Yun on my behalf.”

“Of course.”

The manager gestured invitingly. “Please, follow me.”

“Thank you.”

Chen Teng stood up with a smile, turning to Yan Ci and Tang Li.

“Cousin, Auntie, the owner of Furong Xiang is giving us special treatment by offering us a private room. Let’s head up now.”

Zhou Xinyu’s eyes lit up. Even though they weren’t married yet, she felt a sense of pride in such a situation.

“They’re really giving us a private room?”

The people at the neighboring tables were surprised to see Chen Teng and the others being moved to a private room.

“What’s going on? Furong Xiang is reservation-only; once you’ve got a table, how can they just move you mid-meal?”

“You don’t know, do you? Furong Xiang always reserves three private rooms for high-ranking officials and wealthy people. I bet they’re going to one of those special rooms.”

Hearing this, everyone’s attention turned to Chen Teng.

They realized that the group was heading to one of those exclusive private rooms upstairs.

“Who would’ve thought? This guy must be someone special, really impressive.”

“You can’t judge a book by its cover, nor measure the sea with a bushel. You should never judge people by their appearance.”

“Exactly, I need to be more careful in the future. You never know when you might offend someone important.”

Hearing the murmurs around him, Chen Teng instinctively straightened his back, feeling a surge of pride.

“Mom, did you see that? Your son-in-law has quite the connections,” Zhou Xinyu said.

“It’s hard to keep a low profile.”

Tang Li was truly impressed now.

She never expected that a civil servant could wield such influence, enough to make others eager to curry favor.

But the most surprised person was Yan Ci.

She had been around long enough to understand some of the dynamics at play here.

Civil servants did indeed have good jobs, but there were certain unspoken rules within their ranks.

The smaller the locale, the more valuable the civil servant. In contrast, in a city like Zhonghai, they weren’t particularly special—one might even say they were ordinary.

Take company managers, for example.

If a billboard falls and kills ten people, nine of them are likely managers, and the remaining one is probably a vice president.

But why was the owner of Furong Xiang showing so much respect by offering a private room?

Chen Teng shouldn’t have that much clout.

Soon, the group was led to the private room on the third floor.

Compared to the first floor, the environment here was on a completely different level—extremely refined, and the decor seemed even more luxurious.

Led by the manager, the five of them entered the private room on the third floor.

As soon as they walked in, Zhou Xinyu was captivated by the opulent decor.

The private room was over a hundred square meters, adorned with antique screens, jade ornaments, each worth a fortune!

And even more astonishing, there was a small artificial mountain with running water and koi fish—a flawless setup!

“Please take a seat. I’ll head downstairs to check on your order and make sure the kitchen speeds things up,” the manager said politely.

“Alright, thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

The manager gave a slight bow before carefully closing the door and leaving.

To Zhou Xinyu, this scene was the epitome of humility.

They were intimidated by her boyfriend’s status.

“Teng, you’re amazing! You didn’t even have to do anything, and they moved us to such a grand private room. You’re really something,” Zhou Xinyu said excitedly.

Chen Teng was a bit bewildered as well, as the private room was so luxurious that it felt unreal.

“It’s nothing, really,” Chen Teng said, trying to appear calm.

“When I dine out with my superiors, the venues are all about this level.”

“I’m thinking of quitting my job and studying for the civil service exam so I can enjoy this kind of treatment in the future.”

Zhou Xinyu said. “It’s much better than struggling out there.”

“That’s doable, and with my connections, as long as you pass the written exam, the interview will just be a formality.”

After saying this, Chen Teng looked at Yan Ci. “Cousin, have you ever considered it? You could give it a try too.”

“My current job pays well, so I haven’t thought about it,” Yan Ci replied with a smile.

“Cousin, you have to understand that this is a lifetime opportunity,” Zhou Xinyu said.

“You may feel your job is fine now, but in ten or twenty years, who knows? You need to plan for the future.”

“Alright, I’ll think about it.”

“If you decide to go for it, let me know. I can’t promise everything, but I can definitely help with the interview part.”

“Okay.”

Yan Ci sipped her tea, not wanting to continue the topic, but she couldn’t help but smile inwardly.

With Lin Yi’s status in Zhonghai, he could easily arrange for her to be placed anywhere she wanted with just a word.

And even if she didn’t want to work anymore, it seemed like she wouldn’t need to.

All she had to do was mention it, and he could effortlessly throw a few million her way—why work at all?

However, in Zhou Xinyu’s eyes, Yan Ci’s attitude meant something else.

She had backed down and was jealous of her for having such a great boyfriend.

Knock, knock, knock!

“Come in.”

Soon, the door to the private room was knocked on, and the male manager entered with several waitstaff.

One by one, they placed over twenty dishes on the table, along with two bottles of red wine.

There was barely enough space on the table for everything.

Seeing such a lavish spread, both Chen Teng and Zhou Xinyu were taken aback.

“Why are there so many dishes? We didn’t even order many of it.”