Does the hadith "The one closest to Allah is the one who initiates the salam" conflict with the rule "The smaller group greets the larger group"?

Question:
May Allah reward you. Honorable Shaykh, this questioner says: My companion and I disagreed when we were walking in a group, and there was another group in the other direction, but they were fewer in number than us. My companion initiated the salam to them, so I said that what was reported is that the smaller group greets the larger group. Then my companion argued with me using the hadith that the one closest to Allah is the one who initiates the salam to them. Is this correct?

Answer:
There is no contradiction between them. Initiating the salam is one thing, and the other thing is that if they are a group, they have this ruling in one case and that ruling in another case. Yes.