Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Song Xue’s alcohol tolerance was indeed astonishing. Half a jin of baijiu had left her without any obvious signs of intoxication, though color had risen to her cheeks. The same was true of Hong Long. His entire face had turned crimson, but he had only grown more excited.

“Hahaha! Now that was satisfying! What are we drinking next?”

“Let’s rest for a while. If we drink again immediately, the second round may decide the winner. That would be too boring.” Song Xue picked up a peanut with her chopsticks. “This game has no time limit. What’s the hurry?”

“You’re right. You really understand drinking. Liquor is at its best when you take your time and eat something with it.” Hong Long picked up a strip of dried meat with his fingers, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed noisily.

“Understand drinking?” Song Xue gave a bitter chuckle. “Of course. There may not be anyone among you who understands it better than I do.”

“Does your family sell liquor?” Hong Long asked.

Song Xue shook her head. Alcohol had left her gaze slightly unfocused. Resting her head on one hand, she tilted it to one side.

“Do you want to know what I do? Or hear the story of my husband and me?”

“Go ahead. We have nothing else to do,” Hong Long said.

No one else objected. After half a jin of high-proof baijiu, they needed a break and a slower pace.

“I work as a drinking hostess in nightclubs and business KTV lounges,” Song Xue began. “You know, when a line of girls enters a private room and greets the guests one after another, then lets the guests choose. A customer pays one thousand or fifteen hundred yuan, and the chosen girl drinks with him for the night. I’m sure you know those places well, Hong Long.”

“Heh. I go somewhere like that every week. So that’s your line of work,” Hong Long said.

“Yes. That’s how I met my husband, Zhao Bo. He wasn’t some powerful executive, but he worked in business operations. His job often required him to take clients to nightclubs to sing and drink.

“The first time he chose me, I treated him like any other customer. I drank with him, talked to him, and played along. But to my surprise, he chose me every time he came back. Most men like choosing different hostesses for the novelty, so I found it strange.

“Eventually, I asked why he always chose me. He said, ‘If I told you I liked you, would you believe me?’ I heard that kind of bullshit from drunk men almost every day. It wasn’t always directed at me; sometimes they said it to other hostesses. Once they sobered up the next morning, they couldn’t even remember what the woman looked like. The next time they visited, if she changed her clothes or makeup, they mistook her for someone new. I’d worked in the business long enough to see it constantly, so naturally I didn’t take him seriously. I smiled and said, ‘Of course I believe you,’ then poured him another enormous drink.

“To my surprise, Zhao Bo called the next afternoon and invited me out for coffee. I had nothing else to do that afternoon, so I went. And there he was, wearing a suit and holding a bouquet of flowers. He formally confessed his feelings for me.

“For an ordinary young woman, having a man confess his love is nothing unusual. But someone like me, a woman who had spent years in nightclubs and made a living drinking with men and smiling for them, had stopped dreaming of ‘true love’ long ago. Most women in the business quit once they reach a certain age. They use the money they earned to open a hair salon or clothing store, reinvent themselves as respectable women, then marry men who know nothing about their past. Men who do know the truth usually stay far away.

“So when Zhao Bo confessed to me with such sincerity, I was stunned and had no idea what to do. After a long time, I finally asked, ‘Are you serious?’ He told me he’d struggled with the decision for a long time. In the end, he had decided that no matter what I did for a living, he loved me for who I was and would accept everything about me. If I rejected him or wanted to keep doing the same work, that was fine too. He would simply choose me every night and spend every cent he earned on me.

“No woman could hear something like that and feel nothing. His sincerity overwhelmed me. I was so moved that I laughed and cried at the same time, like a complete idiot.”

Tears spilled from her eyes as she spoke, yet a blissful smile lit her face.

“Yes,” she said with a self-deprecating laugh. “Just like this.”

It should have been a sweet story. But the knowledge that its hero was already dead turned it into something heartbreaking. Even the crude Hong Long fell silent, staring into his glass as though lost in memories of his own.
“Oh, I’m sorry… Alcohol always makes me talk too much. Enough of that. Let’s keep drinking!” Song Xue drew a deep breath. “How about something stronger this time?”

She turned and pointed to a bottle of Hengshui Laobaigan in the cabinet.

“Please pour us two hundred milliliters of that.”

“Certainly.” The server opened the bottle.

“Hengshui Laobaigan?” Che Dongming involuntarily leaned away when he saw it. “Isn’t that one of the strongest liquors in China? It’s seventy-six percent alcohol…”

“What? Seventy-six percent?” Shu Yanjun sucked in a sharp breath. He had never drunk anything so strong in his life.

“For the second round, two hundred milliliters of Hengshui Laobaigan at seventy-six percent alcohol,” Tina said. “Raise your hand if you can drink it.”

“Honey, stop. There’s no way your tolerance will carry you to the end!” Xiang Meiling said.

“But…” Shu Yanjun could imagine how fierce the liquor would be, yet he could not bear to give up now.

“No problem! Hengshui Laobaigan has real power. Pour me a glass!” Hong Long slapped the table.

At Chen Nuo’s table, Tang Ying and the tall, thin Liu had both withdrawn after going to the restroom to vomit. The curly-haired Guan shook his head, indicating that his score would end with the first round. The round-faced Zhang and Ruirui raised their hands. After a moment of hesitation, Chen Nuo raised his too.

Eight people raised their hands in this round: Hong Long, Che Dongming, Shu Yanjun, Thomas Feng, Lv Chao, Chen Nuo, the round-faced Zhang, and Ruirui.

The server again measured out their liquor. Song Xue was the first to lift her glass and drain all two hundred milliliters of the seventy-six-percent baijiu in a single gulp. Hong Long followed.

Merely smelling the liquor made Shu Yanjun’s stomach churn. He forced himself to drink, his face contorted in agony. Unable to watch any longer, Xiang Meiling snatched the glass from her husband’s hand and flung most of its contents onto the floor.

“That’s enough. Stop drinking. Give up!”

“Ms. Xiang Meiling, spilling the liquor means Mr. Shu has withdrawn and will have no valid score,” Tina reminded her.

“I know,” Xiang Meiling said. “If I didn’t stop him, he might literally drink himself to death!”

Shu Yanjun sighed helplessly but did not blame his wife. He knew that if he finished the glass, he would either vomit or pass out completely. Either way, it would be no different from withdrawing.

“I can’t finish this,” Che Dongming said in resignation. One small taste had frightened him away.

Chen Nuo hesitated. The four remaining players had all drained their two hundred milliliters of seventy-six-percent baijiu. Aside from Ruirui, they were clutching their heads and swaying on their feet. He imagined what would happen if he drank his own glass.

Downing two hundred milliliters of seventy-six-percent baijiu in one go was no joke. Chen Nuo was already somewhat drunk. If he finished this glass too, he might lose all awareness of his surroundings. In that condition, could he possibly complete the sobriety test afterward?

“I feel awful…” The round-faced Zhang grimaced. “Mixing two kinds of baijiu makes it hit so much harder. If we keep drinking like this, I won’t last…”

Chen Nuo glanced at Tang Ying, who was slumped over the table and drifting toward sleep, then surveyed the other players and assessed the situation. He believed that only Hong Long and Ruirui were likely to pose any real challenge to Song Xue in the end.

Unfortunately, neither of them was particularly quick-witted. If the final sobriety test involved a puzzle, they would be at a severe disadvantage.

If I keep drinking, I’ll pass out before we even reach the sobriety test. But if I stop now, then even if I pass the test, I can’t possibly compete with Song Xue’s total. What should I do?

As Chen Nuo wavered, Tina spoke.

“Mr. Chen Nuo, you’re the only one who hasn’t finished the liquor in his glass. If you can’t drink any more, there’s no need to force yourself. Your total would remain at the two hundred and fifty milliliters of Red Star Erguotou from the previous round. Do you still wish to continue?”

“May I have ten seconds to think?” Chen Nuo asked.

“All right. Ten seconds at most.”

Chen Nuo closed his eyes and considered every possibility. Ten seconds later, he opened them.

“I choose to withdraw from this game.”