At ten o'clock in the evening, some people are studying and working hard, some are preparing to go to bed, some are watching short videos, dramas, or playing games, some are active in night markets and nightclubs, and some are visiting beauty salons, bathhouses, and special apartments to discuss the continuation of life with beautiful young ladies, displaying all facets of human existence.
On a famous night market street in Jinling, the crowd was as thick as weaving. Cars of all kinds were parked in front of every food stall, and the aroma of delicious food wafted through the entire street, tempting every passerby.
Some people came specifically for late-night snacks after drinking, while others couldn't resist the temptation, convincing themselves with phrases like "this is my last meal" or "I need to eat to have the strength to lose weight," before walking into the establishments.
Grilled meat, chicken wings, lamb kidneys, and tendons, spicy crayfish, spicy bullfrog, cold cucumber, fried peanuts, boiled edamame, paired with fresh draft beer. Holding skewers in one hand and beer in the other, peeling shrimp with both hands – it was pure bliss.
"Waiter, bring more drinks!"
A resounding voice came from a private room in a roadside eatery.
It was a woman's voice, full of bravado.
"Holy crap!"
The waiter in the corridor, hearing the shout, pulled out his walkie-talkie with a look of disbelief, calling for the boss.
This was because it was the fifth time the customer had asked for drinks.
And less than thirty minutes had passed since the last round.
More importantly, there were only five people in the room, yet they had consumed ten barrels of draft beer and fifteen cases of bottled beer.
Well.
If the waiter hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that such a person could exist.
A minute later, the boss of the roadside eatery knocked on the door of the private room and then pushed it open.
*Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish...*
In the private room, Jiang Wuming, Huangfu Weixia, Qin Xiaozhi, Xing Tian, and Dongfang Xiaoyao all turned their gaze towards the boss of the roadside eatery at the same time.
"Damn it!"
The boss of the roadside eatery saw that none of Jiang Wuming's group were drunk. Like the waiter, he felt as if ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through his mind, but he put on an apologetic smile.
"I'm truly sorry, esteemed customers. You've drunk all the alcohol, and the store is out of stock."
"Go find more alcohol, buy it from the supermarket next door, or borrow a couple of cases from the next shop," Qin Xiaozhi suggested.
"Ah—"
The boss looked utterly bewildered. Are you guys reincarnations of the God of Wine?
"Boss, don't worry, we have money and we pay our bills. Just bring it. If you don't have beer, liquor is fine too," Huangfu Weixia said confidently, seeing the boss standing dumbfounded at the door of the private room.
"Okay, okay, okay."
The boss nodded repeatedly, then retreated from the private room, instructing the waiter to buy two cases of Baijiu from the convenience store nearby.
After the waiter brought the two cases of liquor into the private room, as per the boss's instructions, he reminded Jiang Wuming and the others to pay first.
Huangfu Weixia promptly took out her phone and scanned the QR code to pay.
"Brother Zhi, the beer we drank earlier was just a warm-up. Now, we're officially starting to drink!"
After paying, Huangfu Weixia asked the waiter to open a case of Baijiu, placed six bottles of the potent liquor on the table, and then called out to Qin Xiaozhi.
"Let's drink, who's afraid of who?!"
Qin Xiaozhi hadn't had such a joyous drinking session in a long time. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to continue playing dice and drinking with Huangfu Weixia.
"No matter how much you drink, don't use your internal energy to expel the alcohol," Jiang Wuming said with a smile, not stopping them.
The drinking culture is a tradition in Dragon Country and one of the fastest ways to build rapport.
Today was a day when the entire Zhanlong team was gathered. Huangfu Weixia's rapid familiarity with Qin Xiaozhi and the others through drinking was very necessary.
By midnight, both cases of Baijiu were finished. Except for Jiang Wuming and Dongfang Xiaoyao, Huangfu Weixia, Qin Xiaozhi, and Xing Tian were all drunk.
Initially, Xing Tian, being the strongest among the three with the best physical condition, wouldn't normally get drunk. However, he was egged on by Qin Xiaozhi and Huangfu Weixia to play dice and boast.
He played against Qin Xiaozhi and lost every hand. He played against Huangfu Weixia and won only once. His record was dismal.
Qin Xiaozhi, with his extremely high intelligence, won the most. Unfortunately, he was the weakest and had the poorest tolerance for alcohol, getting the drunkest and completely passing out on the table.
"Brother Zhi, want to drink more?" Huangfu Weixia slurred, her face flushed red, shouting at Qin Xiaozhi.
There was no response; Qin Xiaozhi lay there, playing dead.
"Can you handle it? If not, just admit defeat!" Huangfu Weixia taunted.
"Sister Huangfu, there's no such thing as admitting defeat for the Zhanlong members. Xiaozhi can't handle it, so I'll drink with you! However, no more dice games or boasting, just drink when we toast." Xing Tian stepped forward to defend Qin Xiaozhi, and for once, he was shrewdly smart – he absolutely would not boast!
Seeing the stubborn Xing Tian about to clash with Huangfu Weixia, Jiang Wuming said with a wry smile, "Weixia, Xing Tian, that's enough for today. It's getting late, so let's stop drinking."
"Yes, Boss!" Xing Tian, though slightly drunk, instinctively obeyed as usual.
"Teacher Wuming, we're done drinking, but can we chat about anything for a bit?" Huangfu Weixia said, her face flushed red, her eyes hazy as she looked at Jiang Wuming.
"Alright," Jiang Wuming agreed.
Huangfu Weixia blurted out, "What is your dream?"
"???" Jiang Wuming looked bewildered.
"Teacher Wuming, why are you looking at me like that? Talking about dreams after drinking is normal, isn't it?" Huangfu Weixia argued logically.
"My dream is for my family and friends to be healthy and safe," Jiang Wuming replied helplessly.
"Xiaoyao, what about you?" Huangfu Weixia turned to Dongfang Xiaoyao.
"The life I'm living now is my dream," Dongfang Xiaoyao replied almost instantly. A rare happy smile appeared on her usually cold and beautiful face.
Inner disposition reflects outward. As a Shadow Wraith of the Zhanlong Hall, her greatest dream in life was to always stay by Jiang Wuming's side, to be his shadow until she died!
"???" Dongfang Xiaoyao's answer completely stumped Huangfu Weixia. Her eyes widened, and she stared at Dongfang Xiaoyao blankly for several seconds before turning to Xing Tian, "Brother Xing Tian, what's your dream?"
"To make that scum, worse than a pig or a dog, personally go to my mother's grave and kowtow to apologize!" Xing Tian, who was usually introverted and straightforward, revealed his deepest dream without reservation. Not long ago, Jiang Wuming had helped Xing Tian deal with the Luo family, forcing Chen Shimei of that year to kneel and apologize. However, in Xing Tian's heart, he still yearned for the day when he would appear before the Luo family, and the scumbag who did such beastly things would proactively go to his mother's grave to kowtow and apologize.
Hearing Xing Tian's words and seeing the angry expression on his face, Huangfu Weixia instinctively wanted to ask something. However, before she could speak, Jiang Wuming quickly intervened, "Weixia, what is your dream?"
"My dream is to become a woman like Dean Xia Xueqin. She is learned and talented, powerful, beautiful and independent, and loyal in love. She is a legendary woman in the Dragon Country martial arts world!" Huangfu Weixia swallowed her question, her eyes hazy as she looked at Jiang Wuming, and uttered her dream word by word.
As soon as she finished speaking, Huangfu Weixia realized she was getting a bit emotional. She quickly turned her gaze to Qin Xiaozhi, who was slumped on the table, and shouted, "Brother Zhi, do you have a dream?"
"I... My dream is to become the Chief of Staff of the Dragon Country Military Affairs Department, and to earn the recognition of my grandfather and my father – even if I didn't inherit the Qin family's martial arts legacy, I can still be their pride!!" Qin Xiaozhi suddenly raised his head, shouting with red eyes.
Drunken words reveal true feelings. That was his dream, and even more, his vow!
...