Chapter 425: Drinking Is Bad for Your Health—Too Confident Is Also

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

Straightening the hem of her bright red high-waisted body-hugging dress, the red-haired woman sat gracefully by the restaurant window, her radiance outshining the lingering twilight glow, and waved off the waiter's menu with a dismissive gesture, naming her order with effortless fluency:

"Start with a dozen Bass pale ales to open the appetite, then open a bottle of Château Margaux red to cleanse the malt from the beer, followed by one bottle each of Bowmore, Talisker, and Glenfiddich's affordable classic whiskies."

Finally, when I—when we've drunk enough, bring a single bottle of Macallan aged in sherry casks to finish, and add a bottle of Captain Morgan black rum to take away."

Hmm… that's all for now. Oh, and put the bill under 'Li Ang Lyne,' and send it to the Clearance Bureau under the Police Department—I'll pay on payday."

"…"

Watching the red-haired woman finish ordering—no, drinking—within five seconds, even settling the bill on credit, Li Ang felt a chill in his chest and forced a laugh as he reminded her:

"Director, you've ordered nothing but alcohol. Shouldn't we get some food too?"

"Oh, don't worry about me. Eat whatever you like—I only need my drinks."

"…"

You're not eating a single bite, just drinking? Are you planning to drink yourself to death right here?

Opening the menu's alcohol section and finding the spirits she'd ordered, Li Ang stared at the half-dozen glaring dark "Spirits" labels and felt his scalp prickling with numbness.

According to the Kingdom's Commerce Force's alcohol classification standards, any drink over 30% ABV must be labeled as a Spirit—but these weren't just Spirits, they were dark-labeled Spirits, meaning their ABV was at least 40%.

I… I really am an idiot for inviting her to drink in the first place!

Glancing at the menu prices—modest, but far from cheap—Li Ang hesitated for a long while, ultimately refusing to spend too much.

After careful deliberation, he settled on one shepherd's pie layered with lamb, mashed potatoes, and lettuce, plus a side of braised veal with seasonal vegetables to take home for his younger siblings, then watched his director's performance with trembling nerves.

…

"Mmm~ How nostalgic~"

With a speed Li Ang couldn't follow, she elegantly yet wildly downed half a dozen pale ales, then, amid the murmurs of other diners, swept her red hair behind her ear, leaned over the decanter, inhaled deeply at its rim, and blushed a delicate rose hue across her lovely face.

"Raspberry, toasted bread, rich, rich coffee notes, and just a whisper of truffle aroma~ I haven't tasted such a refined wine in ages~"

"…"

Is she really that good?

Dazzled by the red-haired woman's expression of delight, Li Ang cautiously sniffed—but all he caught was a faint sweet-tart fruit scent, nothing else. He frowned skeptically.

Bread? Coffee? … She's making this up, right?

"What? Don't believe me?"

Glancing at Li Ang's expression, the red-haired woman picked up a glass, poured him half a glass of deep red wine, and smiled as she handed it over.

"Try it?"

"Mmm…"

Catching a faintly sharp alcohol scent, Li Ang—who never drank—automatically wrinkled his nose and instinctively wanted to refuse.

But remembering how much he'd paid for this wine, his hand moved on its own to take the glass, gulped it down in one swallow as she'd shown him, swirled it around his tongue twice with his cheeks, and swallowed with a gulp.

"Well?"

Watching Li Ang, who was now sucking air through his teeth from the sourness, the red-haired woman propped her chin on her hand, studying his flushed face with a smile:

"For someone new to wine, sweeter varieties are better suited. This dry, intense style is probably too much for you… Hehe, kid, want another?"

"Sss…" After slowly inhaling twice, feeling the slight astringency around his teeth, Li Ang's eyes suddenly brightened.

"Yes! And I want a glass of everything else too!"

His sudden change of heart wasn't because he'd tasted the alcohol's beauty, nor because he'd been provoked by her teasing, little-brother tone—it was…

【First taste of a "Craft"-grade fine wine: You've successfully unlocked the Black Iron badge "Newcomer of the Alcohol Realm"】

【Newcomer of the Alcohol Realm: No need to persuade me—I know drinking harms my life, but what truly makes me miserable isn't the alcohol—it's my long, boring existence.】

【Effect: While worn, fear, timidity, panic, and other negative emotions will be weakened for a period after consuming alcoholic liquids.】

【Upgrade Path: After tasting ten "Craft"-grade or higher fine wines, this badge will automatically upgrade to the Bronze badge "Veteran of the Alcohol Realm." Current progress: 1/10】

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

…

Didn't expect you'd actually have a talent for drinking…

Watching Li Ang, whose eyes sparkled with clear excitement, the red-haired woman—who'd only meant to tease him—suddenly perked up, poured him a glass of high-proof whiskey, tapped the golden liquid through the glass, and smiled as she explained:

"This is a single malt whiskey aged over ten years in casks. Its aroma resembles cinnamon and vanilla—very strong, yet surprisingly smooth when savored."

"Drink it like this… See? If your tongue is sensitive enough, you should taste notes of dried fruit and oak aging… Hmm~"

Watching him snatch the glass and gulp it down before she'd even finished speaking, then cough violently, tears welling in his eyes, the red-haired woman shook her head and chuckled:

"You drank too fast—that one's more than four times the strength of the last. Burned, huh? You… hmm? You want more?"

"Yes!"

Blinking slowly as he recovered, Li Ang glanced at the "Alcohol Tolerance Increased" line beneath his "Newcomer of the Alcohol Realm" badge, thinking he might as well grind more progress, and nodded confidently:

"I think my tolerance's actually decent—even if I'm not as good as you, I doubt I'm that far behind… Yeah, I'll just have one glass of each."

Oh? Not that far behind?

As if opening Pandora's box, the moment those words left Li Ang's lips, the red-haired beauty's eyebrows lifted, and with a smile, she waved the waiter over again.

"Then let's drink until we're satisfied tonight~ Don't worry, I'll pay for the rest—no need to touch your salary."

By the time six waiters staggered in under the weight of the next round of drinks, the image of the red-haired beauty rising to pour was the last thing Li Ang remembered that night…

…

"Mmm… Why is the sun up again?"

Waking up hungry on his small bed, head pounding as if split open, Li Ang stared in shock at the sunset that had inexplicably crawled back above the horizon.

The sun had just set when we started drinking! Did I sleep all day?

When he trembled as he summoned his badge panel and saw the golden 【Alcohol Realm Martyr】 in his slot, he froze in place, lips trembling uncontrollably.

Black Iron—Bronze—Silver—Gold… Gold?

Three badge upgrades in one night? How much did I drink?!?!

(End of Chapter)