Chapter 425: Drinking is harmful to health; being too confident is, too

"Just give it to him; I don't need a menu."

After smoothing the hem of her bright red, high-waisted, tight-fitting dress and sitting down gracefully by the restaurant window, the red-haired woman—who was several shades more vibrant than the sunset lingering on the horizon—waved away the menu offered by the waiter and directly "called her shots" with practiced ease:

"Start with a dozen Bass Pale Ales to whet the appetite. While we're at it, uncork a bottle of dry red from Château Margaux to cleanse the maltiness of the beer. Then, bring me a bottle each of the affordable classic whiskies: Bowmore, Talisker, and Glenfiddich.

Finally, wait until I... until we've had enough to drink, then bring a bottle of Macallan sherry cask whisky to finish, and throw in a bottle of Captain Morgan black rum for takeaway.

Hmm... that'll be all for now. Oh, and put the bill under the name Hearing Li Ang, and send it to the Cleaning Bureau under the Police Department. I'll pay it on payday."

"..."

Watching the red-haired woman finish the menu—or rather, the wine list—in under five seconds, and even manage to put the bill on credit, Hearing Li Ang, who was holding another menu, felt his heart skip a beat. He forced a smile and reminded her:

"Director, everything you ordered is alcohol. Shouldn't we order some food?"

"Oh, it's fine. You eat your fill; don't worry about me. As long as I have something to drink, I'm set."

"..."

Not eating a single thing, just drinking? Are you trying to drink yourself to death here?

Opening the alcohol section of the menu and finding the types she had ordered, Hearing Li Ang looked at the five or six glaring dark "spirits" labels and felt his scalp begin to tingle.

According to the Kingdom's Ministry of Commerce standards, varieties with an alcohol content above 30% must be labeled as spirits, but these weren't just spirit labels—they were dark spirit labels, meaning the alcohol content was at least 40%.

I... I must be out of my mind, treating her to drinks!

Looking at the menu, where the prices weren't exactly cheap but certainly not expensive either, Hearing Li Ang, regretting his decision so much his guts were turning green, hesitated for a long time but couldn't bring himself to spend too much money.

After picking and choosing, he finally selected only a shepherd's pie made of lamb, mashed potatoes, and lettuce, and ordered a plate of vegetable-braised veal for after the meal, intending to pack it up for his younger siblings at home. Then, he began to watch his Director's "performance" with trepidation.

"Mmm~ How nostalgic~"

After downing half a dozen pale ales with a speed Hearing Li Ang couldn't fathom—elegant yet wild—Olivia, amidst the whispers of others in the restaurant, tucked her red hair behind her ears. Ignoring everyone else, she leaned down and took a light sniff at the opening of the decanter, a charming flush immediately rising to her pretty cheeks.

"Raspberry, toasted bread, a very, very mellow coffee scent, and a hint of faint truffle aroma~ It's been so long since I've had such exquisite wine~"

"..."

Is it really that impressive?

Bluffed by the red-haired woman's look of enjoyment, Hearing Li Ang quietly wrinkled his nose and sniffed, but he only smelled a slightly sour and sweet fruity aroma; he didn't smell anything else. He couldn't help but frown in suspicion.

Where is there any bread or coffee... She's lying, right?

"What? You don't believe me?"

Glancing at Hearing Li Ang's expression, the red-haired woman took a glass, poured him half a glass of the bright red liquid, and handed it over with a smile.

"Want to try?"

"Mmm..."

Smelling the slightly pungent alcohol, Hearing Li Ang, who didn't drink, instinctively frowned and wanted to refuse.

But thinking that he had spent money on this wine—and quite a bit of it—his hand uncontrollably took the glass. He followed the method the red-haired woman had taught him, took a large gulp, swirled the wine around his tongue with his cheeks puffed out twice, and swallowed it in one go.

"How is it?"

Watching Hearing Li Ang, who was gasping from the acidity, the red-haired woman rested her chin on her hand, observing his flushed face while smiling.

"For someone just starting with wine, sweeter types are actually more suitable. This kind of stronger, sharper dry wine is probably a bit too early for you... Hehe, little one, do you still want to drink?"

"Sss..." After taking a few slow breaths and feeling the slightly uncomfortable astringency around his teeth, Hearing Li Ang's eyes involuntarily lit up.

"Drink! And I want a glass of the others too!"

The reason for his sudden change in attitude wasn't that Hearing Li Ang had realized the beauty of alcohol, nor was it because he was provoked by the red-haired woman's teasing attitude toward him like a little brother, but because...

【First time tasting "craft" level fine wine, you have successfully activated the Iron-rank badge "Newcomer to the Wine Nation"】

【Newcomer to the Wine Nation: No need to persuade me, I know it. Loving it will damage my life, but the very thing that makes me unable to be happy is the long and boring life itself.】

【Wearing effect: For a period of time after consuming alcohol, the impact of negative emotions such as fear, timidity, and panic on you will be weakened.】

【Advancement route: After tasting ten types of "craft" level or higher fine wines, this badge will automatically advance to the Bronze badge "Wine Connoisseur." Current progress: 1/10.】

【Hidden trait (no need to wear): Your alcohol tolerance has been significantly increased.】

I really didn't expect you to have such a talent for drinking...

Looking at Hearing Li Ang, whose eyes were shining and who was clearly excited, the red-haired woman, who had originally just wanted to tease him, also perked up. She raised her hand to pour him a glass of high-proof whisky, tapped the golden liquid through the glass, and explained with a smile:

"This is a single malt whisky aged in barrels for over 10 years. The scent is very similar to cinnamon and vanilla. Although it's very strong, it's very smooth if you savor it."

"Drink it like this... Here, if your tongue is sensitive enough, you should be able to taste the ripened flavors of dried fruit and oak... Alright~"

Watching Hearing Li Ang, who hadn't even waited for her to finish her introduction before picking up the glass and downing it, only to cough repeatedly and have his eyes filled with tears, the red-haired woman couldn't help but shake her head, then said with amusement:

"You drank it too fast. The proof of this glass was more than four times that of the previous one. Did it burn you? You... hmm? You want more?"

"Yes!"

After blinking his eyes and slowly recovering, Hearing Li Ang looked at the entry about significantly increased alcohol tolerance under 【Newcomer to the Wine Nation】. Holding onto the thought of grinding as many badges as possible, he nodded confidently.

"I feel like my alcohol tolerance is actually okay. Even if it's not as good as yours, it shouldn't be too far off... Hmm, but I'll only drink one glass of each."

Oh? Not too far off?

As if Pandora's box had been opened, once Hearing Li Ang said this, the red-haired beauty, who had originally only intended to have a small drink, raised her eyebrows and smiled as she signaled the waiter again.

"Then let's drink to our heart's content today~ Don't worry, I'll treat the rest; no need to spend your salary~"

By the time the new round of drinks was carried over by six waiters, panting, the sight of the red-haired beauty smiling as she poured the drinks became the last image in Hearing Li Ang's memory for the night...

"Mmm... Why is the sun up again?"

Clutching his head, which felt like it was splitting, and waking up hungry from his small bed at home, Hearing Li Ang looked at the sunset that had strangely climbed back above the horizon outside the window, and his eyes widened in shock.

The sun had just set when we started drinking! Did I sleep for a whole day?

When he tremblingly summoned the badge panel and saw the golden 【Wine Nation Martyr】 in the slot, he was completely stunned, his lips trembling involuntarily.

Iron—Bronze—Silver—Gold... Gold?

Jumping three badge ranks in one night? How much did I drink?!!!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 426 =====