Soon, servers brought over beautiful fruit platters, snacks, and boxes of beer, filling the entire table and dazzling the eyes.
This scene immediately attracted the attention of many people in the ballroom. Many eyes cast envious glances at Qin Chuan's table.
Among them, the most eye-catching were the two bottles of foreign liquor, engraved with the English name Brandy.
Such high-end consumption was not affordable for ordinary people, especially with two bottles of foreign liquor, which were absolute luxuries.
One bottle was equivalent to an ordinary person's monthly salary, sparking much discussion. Many people wondered who this nouveau riche was, so wealthy as to order two bottles of foreign liquor at once.
However, some quickly recognized the identities of Qi Chao, Zhang Bingshan, and Boss Ge. After all, these three could be considered celebrities in Yongnan County, belonging to the most influential people in the county town.
"Boss Qin, generous!"
"Awesome!"
In the VIP seats, even Qi Chao, Zhang Bingshan, and Boss Ge were surprised by Qin Chuan's lavish display.
They usually spent money, but they rarely drank expensive foreign liquor. Qin Chuan, however, ordered two bottles at once. Aside from anything else, his generous attitude alone was highly commendable.
"Alas, it's just two bottles of foreign liquor. Since I'm treating today, I naturally have to entertain the three bosses well!"
Qin Chuan waved his hand nonchalantly, "Money is like a bastard. If it's gone, we'll just earn more!"
"Don't you all agree?"
As Qin Chuan spoke, the eyes of Qi Chao, Zhang Bingshan, and Boss Ge lit up. His words were music to their ears.
"Haha, yes! You've said it perfectly!"
"I truly didn't expect Boss Qin, at such a young age, to be so enlightened. I'm impressed!"
"Come, let's all have another toast together!"
The sound of clinking glasses echoed again, the atmosphere at the table was extremely lively. In a blink of an eye, Qin Chuan and the three bosses had hit it off, calling each other brothers.
This scene, observed by Qin Yang and Qin Gang sitting nearby, caused complex expressions to surface on their faces.
Especially Qin Yang, it was his first time seeing his younger brother socializing outside. He was almost dumbfounded. He never knew Qin Chuan was so eloquent, able to resonate with others with just a few words.
Qin Yang secretly sighed, realizing he had much to learn from his younger brother, at least in terms of eloquence.
He considered himself quite eloquent, but compared to his younger brother, the difference was stark.
"Come, my three elder brothers, let's taste this foreign liquor!"
After setting down his glass, Qin Chuan casually picked up a bottle of brandy, skillfully opened it, and poured a glass for each of them.
"Oh, be careful! Be careful! This foreign liquor is very expensive!"
During this process, Boss Ge showed great distress when he saw Qin Chuan spill a little.
Qin Yang and Qin Gang were also excited because this was their first time drinking foreign liquor. After tonight, they would have something to boast about when they met acquaintances in the future.
"Brother Qin, do you recognize the name on this foreign liquor?"
Suddenly, Zhang Bingshan asked quietly.
"Don't blame this old brother for being ashamed. The English on this foreign liquor recognizes me, but I don't recognize it. I can't help it, I had little education since childhood, I didn't even finish primary school!"
"Director Zhang, you speak as if we had much education. In our era, graduating from primary school was already quite good!"
Boss Ge chimed in, his words resonating widely.
They were all in their forties and fifties, born in the late 1940s or early 1950s. That period was truly the most difficult and chaotic in China. Let alone studying, being able to eat one's fill was a blessing.
Many people couldn't even eat enough, and many died of starvation. Studying was simply the most luxurious thing in the world.
"The names of these two bottles of foreign liquor are Brandy, the English name is Brandy!"
Qin Chuan pointed to the English name on the bottle and explained. When he said the English word Brandy at the end, his pronunciation was clear and standard.
This immediately elicited gasps of surprise. Even Qi Chao was astonished. He was the most educated person there, yet he didn't know English. Qin Chuan, however, pronounced it so perfectly.
"Brother Qin, you know English?"
Qin Yang and Qin Gang's eyes widened. As brothers who grew up together, they had never known Qin Chuan to know English.
How many secrets did their younger brother hide?
Qin Chuan smiled humbly, "Self-taught! Everything is self-taught. I apologize if I've embarrassed you three elder brothers!"
"Alas, there's no need for modesty. Knowing English is truly remarkable!"
"Many people can't learn it, it's like listening to heavenly scriptures!"
"I'm so impressed. Boss Qin, at such a young age, not only develops real estate himself but also knows English. Your future is bound to be limitless!"
The way Qi Chao, Zhang Bingshan, and Boss Ge looked at Qin Chuan this time completely changed.
If before, everyone was just going through the motions at the dinner table, this time they were genuinely impressed by this young boss who had suddenly appeared.
Although they had little education, it didn't mean they lacked intelligence. When it came to the art of social interaction, they were all shrewd.
Qin Chuan completely overlooked the adoration and yearning for English in this era.
In the year '98, regardless of whether you wanted to admit it or not, many, many people in China had a tendency to idolize foreign things, as China's development was indeed lagging far behind other countries.
This led to people who knew English having a significantly higher status, and being sought after was extremely normal.
Qin Chuan also realized something. Suddenly, a lightning bolt flashed in his mind, and he remembered something very important.
He recalled that it was around this year, '98 or '99, that China experienced a surge in English learning, which allowed many people to become instantly wealthy.
The reason for this was precisely this English craze!
Due to the explosion of the English fever, all electronic products and books related to learning English sold out.
Among them, a device called a "repeat player" became the most sought-after. Any factory or merchant that produced or sold repeat players made a fortune.
"English fever! Repeat players!"
"Repeat players! Yes, it's repeat players!!"
"No, I need to quickly ask Li Ya to help investigate the current market for repeat players. Also, have there been any policy changes from the Education Bureau?"
"If it hasn't exploded yet, then it's another shortcut to getting rich!"
Qin Chuan's thoughts raced. As a reborn person, he understood too well how a trend could create immense wealth. He didn't need to take it all, nor did he have the capacity to.
Just taking a small bite would make him incredibly rich.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. Qin Chuan couldn't help but raise his glass and call out, "Come, let's all have a toast together!"
"Cheers!!"
"Cheers!!"
Everyone stood up together, the crisp sound of clinking glasses was pleasant to the ear. Everyone, with excited hearts, carefully savored the foreign liquor in their glasses.
"Good wine, worthy of being foreign liquor, it's really strong!"
"Indeed, I've only had a small sip, and I feel it rushing straight to the top of my head!"
Zhang Bingshan and Boss Ge both spoke, and Qi Chao also smiled.
But Qin Chuan frowned. After tasting carefully for a few seconds, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter, and finally, he slowly put down his glass and said, "This brandy is fake!"