Chapter 14: Will sparing your life suffice?

The second day arrived quickly.

That old geezer Li Zhengtao arrived in a grand fashion. To welcome this veteran of the entertainment industry, the director had specially booked a banquet at the best winery in town.

When Jiang Nanxi saw Li Zhengtao, she stared at his facial features for a moment, only to discover that this guy not only engaged in "casting couch" misconduct with female students, but also carried the debt of a human life on his shoulders!

The guests entered the private dining room.

One by one, they greeted Li Zhengtao enthusiastically. Especially those two, Song Wanwan and Shen Lan, who hovered around him, calling him "Elder Li" with sickening sweetness.

Even after the food was served, they remained standing at the door, chatting and smiling.

Jiang Nanxi led the way into the room, immediately finding the best seat to sit down and prepare to feast.

As soon as she sat down, she noticed that Liu Qingyan hadn't gone to greet Li Zhengtao either.

He sat at the opposite end of the table, looking at the food with an expressionless face. His aura was detached, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.

"Finally finished chatting!"

After a long while, Li Chu ran over and sat down next to Jiang Nanxi.

Li Zhengtao hadn't taken his seat yet, so even though the others had sat down, no one dared to pick up their chopsticks.

Li Chu saw that Jiang Nanxi was already peeling nuts to eat, and then, with a reach of her hand, she grabbed the fattest hairy crab on the table and placed it in her bowl, ready to devour it.

"Nanxi."

Li Chu couldn't help but remind her, "Put the crab back quickly. Elder Li hasn't sat down yet; we can't touch the food on the table. The director just said that today's tasks will be assigned by Elder Li. We need to leave a good impression, otherwise, it won't be good if he gives us difficult tasks!"

*Assigning tasks? Since when does that fall to an old geezer like Li Zhengtao? It might not be long before this old man ends up behind bars!*

With a *clatter*, Jiang Nanxi grabbed a second, equally plump crab and dropped it into Li Chu's bowl.

"Just eat yours. Who cares about him."

At that moment, both Li Zhengtao and the director looked toward them. Li Chu's face turned pale with fright, and she didn't dare touch the crab in her bowl.

"Elder Li, we... we..."

Seeing Jiang Nanxi gnawing on the crab, Li Chu stammered, trying to explain, but Li Zhengtao's voice cut in, "This girl is a new face. I haven't seen her before. A newcomer?"

The director replied, "Yes."

Li Zhengtao continued, "Since she's a newcomer, let her introduce herself to everyone, and while she's at it, have her propose a toast to everyone."

Jiang Nanxi: "I can't drink."

She dropped this sentence out of nowhere, causing the atmosphere to freeze instantly. Li Zhengtao's expression turned ugly.

Perhaps not expecting a newcomer to dare refuse him, Li Zhengtao said, "Why can't a young person drink? What's the harm in one glass? Everyone here today is a big figure. I'm asking you to propose a toast to foster everyone's friendship."

The director also tried to smooth things over, saying, "Nanxi, Elder Li is a veteran of the industry. He's friends with many great directors and famous producers. If he asks you to propose a toast, just do it. He might even introduce you to some resources later."

This wasn't the first time she had been pressured to drink at a banquet. In her past life, to get resources and to help Shen Lan rise in status, Jiang Nanxi would have scrambled to offer toasts.

But Jiang Nanxi harbored an extreme disgust for this "drinking culture" in the entertainment industry. To put it nicely, it was for networking; to put it bluntly, it was an excuse for people to act like hooligans and tyrants under the influence of alcohol.

If she were her past self, she might have simply raised her glass with low emotional intelligence and said

*Thank you, Director, for introducing me to a senior like Elder Li. It is an honor to meet him today. I am Jiang Nanxi, and I hope for everyone's support and guidance in the industry in the future.*

But in this life, as a high-EQ malevolent spirit who had spent thousands of years in hell, Jiang Nanxi held up her empty wine glass and said directly to Li Zhengtao, "Elder Li, I'm not very good at proposing toasts. How about I propose your dog's life instead?"

Li Zhengtao:???

The Director:!!!

The viewers watching the livestream were stunned.

【My god, what is Jiang Nanxi doing! Does she not want to stay in the industry anymore?!】

【Li Zhengtao is the Dean of the Beijing Film Academy; he has so many connections and resources. How does a little nobody like Jiang Nanxi dare?!】

Upon hearing Jiang Nanxi's words, the director's pupils shook with shock. He hurriedly stood up and said, "Jiang Nanxi, how can you speak like that? Come here immediately and pour a glass of wine for Elder Li to apologize!"

Jiang Nanxi looked bewildered. "Huh?"

The director: "What do you mean 'huh'? Elder Li is giving you face as a newcomer by asking you to toast. How can you say such things to him!"

Jiang Nanxi continued to look bewildered. "Huh?"

The director was going crazy, saying with a look of frantic desperation, "Jiang Nanxi, what is wrong with you? Are you having an episode again!"

Jiang Nanxi: "I don't understand, *sumida*."

The director:???

As the director was on the verge of a breakdown, Shen Lan seized the opportunity to crowd around Elder Li. "Elder Li, please don't lower yourself to her level. She's just a lunatic. Let me toast you. It is truly an honor for us to meet you today!"

Li Zhengtao's face was extremely grim; even with Shen Lan toasting him, he was in no mood to drink.

Shen Lan drank her glass and poured one for Li Zhengtao. Instead of drinking, Li Zhengtao sneered, "I'm old and useless. I won't drink."

Shen Lan stood there awkwardly, holding her glass.

Jiang Nanxi spoke up again. "Elder Li, look at what you're saying—just like your wife said. But I don't think you're old and useless; I think you're just useless and old!"

"What did you say!"

This time, Li Zhengtao felt like killing Jiang Nanxi. His face flushed deep red as he lunged to his feet.

【Jiang Nanxi has truly gone mad. How does she dare say anything?!】

【It's over now. She has completely offended Elder Li!】

【That idiot Jiang Nanxi, she might as well wait to be blacklisted!】

The audience and the guests on-site were in disbelief. They hadn't expected that not only would she be disrespectful once, but she would continue to attack Li Zhengtao point-blank every single time.

The director was even more despairing.

He had invited a famous director and university dean like Li Zhengtao to build a connection, but now everything had been ruined by Jiang Nanxi!

Instead of making a connection, he had made an enemy!

The atmosphere in the private room was exceptionally oppressive.

No one dared to speak, yet Jiang Nanxi stood up and walked toward Li Zhengtao.

"Elder Li, I'm sorry. I'm a bit blunt. Let me pour you a glass of wine to apologize!"

The director felt a temporary sense of relief, thinking that Jiang Nanxi wasn't completely insane after all—she still had moments of normalcy!

He hoped Jiang Nanxi would apologize properly so that the magnanimous Elder Li wouldn't hold a grudge and make things difficult for him in the future!

Jiang Nanxi approached Li Zhengtao to pour the wine, but just as she began, the glass tipped over.

Jiang Nanxi looked surprised. "Elder Li, how did this happen? The glass just fell over on its own. Wine spilled on the floor is for ghosts to drink, not humans. I heard a female student from the Beijing Film Academy jumped from a building last week. Is her ghost following you around, wanting a drink too?"

Everyone else:!!!

The Director:???

Haha, his heart, which had been hanging by a thread, finally died.

He and Jiang Nanxi were finished together!

(End of Chapter)