5: Chapter 5: Did I strike up a conversation with a colleague?

10:15 PM.

The eight of them had finished eating and drinking, and everyone had consumed quite a bit of alcohol.

Especially Cao Mo; as the newcomer, he was naturally the main target of attention.

Of course, 798 didn't have those rigid workplace customs; there was no need to toast formally. Everyone drank however they wanted, fully embodying the dynamic between peers, friends, and brothers.

The atmosphere was truly great.

During this meal, Cao Mo had drunk at least six bottles.

Yet, to Cao Mo's surprise, he didn't feel the slightest bit drunk.

It seemed that after transmigrating, not only had his appearance and physical fitness improved, but his alcohol tolerance and appetite had also increased.

Cao Mo had already noticed the issue with his increased appetite; when eating pork trotter rice, he had to ask for extra rice twice, filling it up each time—the equivalent of eating five or six bowls of rice in one sitting.

Today, all the barbecue and dishes had been polished off by Cao Mo.

Watching Cao Mo finish the last red willow beef skewer, Zhilong looked at the five beer bottles behind him, plus the empty one on the table, and couldn't help but complain: "My God! Cao Mo, you can really eat!"

"He really can eat. Six bottles of beer, and he ate a third of the food on the table. Isn't your stomach full?" Tian Jiu chimed in.

"I do have a pretty big appetite," Cao Mo replied with an embarrassed smile.

"Being able to eat is a blessing. I don't dare to eat too much even if I want to," Tong Jingchen said.

"What do you think? Shall we head out?" Ying Xiaojie asked.

"Let's go, let's go!" Tong Jingchen replied.

The eight of them left the barbecue restaurant and arrived on the main street.

Just then, Zisheng saw a girl with long hair and a rather elegant temperament walking over from a crosswalk at the three o'clock position, so he called out: "Yo! A beauty!"

The other seven people heard him and looked over.

The girl was wearing a mask, a black tank top, and denim shorts. Her long, shapely legs seemed to glow white in the dark night.

Tong Jingchen immediately aimed his Livestreaming phone camera at the beauty; he never kept beauties to himself—he had to let his brothers take a look.

"She's wearing a mask, how do you know she's a beauty!" Xiao Er retorted.

"She's definitely a beauty! Based on my years of experience, I won't be wrong," Zisheng replied.

"That's hard to say! It's not like there aren't ugly women with good figures and good temperaments," Zhilong also chimed in to refute.

Tong Jingchen, who had the intention of grooming Cao Mo, immediately said to him: "Do you dare to go get her contact info? And while you're at it, ask her to take off her mask so we can see if she's really a beauty."

"Of course, no problem!" Cao Mo replied.

As he spoke, Cao Mo ran directly in the direction the girl was walking.

Very quickly, Cao Mo caught up to her.

The girl's figure was impeccable. Cao Mo quickened his pace, got in front of her, then turned around and said: "Hey! Beauty, can you do me a favor?"

The girl stopped and looked at Cao Mo, a flash of surprise and admiration passing through her eyes.

"What favor?" the girl asked.

"Can I add you on WeChat? Let's be friends?" Cao Mo took out his phone.

Cao Mo was extremely direct. In his view, there were no pickup lines; as long as you had the courage to ask, that was all that mattered.

If you could get it, it meant there was a chance; if not, there wasn't. Why would you need any tricks?

"So direct?" The girl looked at Cao Mo with wide eyes.

"Well, for making friends! It's definitely better to be direct," Cao Mo replied.

The girl took off her mask at this moment.

"Oh, holy crap! Sorry!"

Seeing her face, Cao Mo's eyes widened in disbelief. His catchphrase slipped out, and then he immediately apologized, preparing to leave.

Seeing the young man who had just hit on her prepare to leave the moment she took off her mask, the girl was immediately annoyed: "Stop right there!"

Cao Mo stopped as told.

"What's the meaning of this? You leave as soon as I take off my mask? Do you think I'm ugly?" the girl asked indignantly.

"No, of course you're a beauty. Who would dare say that the famous Princess Badanmu isn't a beauty?" Cao Mo replied.

That's right, the girl in front of him was none other than Princess Badanmu, one of the three great goddesses of Douyin, with over seven million followers.

"Since you recognize me, why are you leaving?" Badanmu continued to question him.

"I feel unworthy in your presence! I feel like I'm not good enough for you, so I didn't dare to have too many thoughts," Cao Mo replied.

Cao Mo couldn't help but sigh. Hangzhou really was a city where internet celebrities gathered. He just happened to hit on one, and it turned out to be a big internet celebrity with over seven million followers.

Badanmu didn't believe a single punctuation mark of what Cao Mo said. If someone who looked like Cao Mo felt unworthy, then no man in the world should bother living.

"Do you often hit on girls like this at night?" Badanmu asked.

"No, this is my first time," Cao Mo replied.

"I don't believe you for a second," Badanmu said.

"It's true! I'm actually a very shy person, but after seeing you, even though you were wearing a mask, I don't know why, but a voice inside me told me that I had to come over and get your contact info, otherwise I would regret it for the rest of my life," Cao Mo said with a smile.

"You sure can spout nonsense!" Badanmu rolled her eyes.

"So, can we add each other on WeChat?" Cao Mo unlocked his phone again.

"What's your profession?"

Badanmu wanted to know what Cao Mo did for a living, given that he was so handsome. She seriously suspected that Cao Mo was a peer.

"Uh... alright! I'm a newcomer who just joined Dahai Xingchen. Brother Tong and the others are right over there!"

Cao Mo simply admitted it and pointed to the 798 group not far away.

Badanmu looked in the direction Cao Mo pointed and spotted a group of men.

"Oh! Did they encourage you to come and hit on me?" Badanmu asked again.

"No, I really felt that your temperament struck my heart in an instant," Cao Mo replied.

"Cut it out! Come on, let's go over there." Badanmu prepared to go find Tong Jingchen to settle the score.

As for Tong Jingchen, Badanmu certainly knew him, and they had even been in contact and collaborated before.

"Before we go over, can we add each other? Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't want to give it to me once we get there," Cao Mo said again.

"Fine! Let's add on WeChat." Badanmu took out her phone and opened WeChat.

After both parties added each other, Cao Mo led Badanmu over to the 798 group.

At this moment, Tong Jingchen and the others didn't know it was Badanmu. From afar, they saw Cao Mo ask the girl to take off her mask, and they had even taken out their phones; they must have exchanged contact information.

Seeing this, Ying Xiaojie said: "Getting contact info is a piece of cake for Cao Mo. That was too easy."

"Hey! Why is he bringing the girl over!" Tian Jiu said.

"Something's not right, something's not right! This girl seems to be a peer," Wang Ziyan said.

"It's not 'seems to be,' she IS a peer! Holy crap, that's Badanmu."

As Cao Mo and Badanmu walked closer, Zhilong immediately recognized her.

"Damn! What a coincidence! To run into Badanmu like this," Tong Jingchen said.