Chapter 113 Lion's Wake

　　In the old district at half-past eleven, lights were sparse and the night dim. Unlike the bustling main city and riverside of the capital, the lights here had the texture of an old era, like a movie shot on film. Even the sound of the wind seemed quieter, and the air felt like it was filled with old songs.

　　Some said it was the atmosphere of everyday life, a cultural aura.

　　But in the eyes of many who didn't speak... it was the aura of being eliminated by the times.

　　Only show models would come to the old district of the capital specifically for taking photos and videos to post on their personal social media platforms, showcasing a unique, tasteful artistic flair, or to fulfill commercial orders. These people would leave after taking their photos. Before the shutter clicked, they would hold coffee, lean against the old alleys, and smile sweetly. After the photos were taken, they would rush to the next location, eager to finish early.

　　Things truly eliminated by the times were not cursed.

　　True elimination was being forgotten, quietly exiting the stage. When people suddenly remembered, they would only feel surprised, perhaps with a second of regret, but would quickly forget again.

　　This old district no longer occupied much space in people's memories... Those who were nostalgic could not survive in the city of the capital.

　　Gu Shen stood at the street corner of the alley.

　　He glanced at the time, couldn't help but rub his forehead, and thought he must be crazy.

　　According to his usual routine.

　　He should already be resting at this time.

　　But Crow had called Gu Shen, cordially inviting him, as a friend, to have a late-night snack in the old district... An invitation that sounded completely unappealing. Gu Shen didn't know what got into him, but he actually chose to arrive on time.

　　Unsurprisingly, the unreliable guy who had extended the cordial invitation hadn't arrived yet.

　　Was he going to ditch him?

　　"Coming, coming!"

　　Someone waved from the night in the distance.

　　A man in a suit and leather shoes, wearing a heavy motorcycle helmet, waved while trying to remove the helmet with one hand. Perhaps because the helmet was too tight, he failed twice... The man's top-heavy running posture looked quite comical.

　　Finally, Song Ci braked abruptly with both feet, bowed, tapped his forehead, and said in a muffled voice.

　　"The strap is a bit tight... Can you help me pull it out?"

　　Gu Shen was a little helpless and lent a hand. He had to admit that the helmet was really tight. He held it straight with both hands and pulled hard...

　　With a "pop."

　　"Yo-ho-ho... That's comfortable, that's comfortable."

　　Crow exhaled a large mouthful of smoke, looking refreshed. He even had a woman's cigarette butt dangling from his mouth. It was hard to imagine how he had ridden his motorcycle with such smoky vision through the goggles.

　　"The cigarette was given to me by the Madam. I can't bear to throw it away."

　　Song Ci shook his helmet vigorously, scattering ash everywhere. Taking advantage of this, he took another big drag from the cigarette butt and smiled, "Why do you look so unhappy?"

　　Gu Shen said angrily, "I believed your nonsense and stood in the cold wind for half an hour!"

　　"Hey, hey... Was it that long? I had to take care of something temporarily after hanging up the phone."

　　Song Ci scratched his head. "The old district is different from the riverside. Everyone is asleep at this time. Riding a motorcycle and revving the engine like that would get you cursed at. Although my mother is dead and doesn't care about being cursed, I'm wearing this suit, representing the Madam's face, after all. I shouldn't do anything immoral... I pushed the bike for the last part of the way. I just parked the motorcycle outside the alley."

　　"It's fine as long as you're here. I wouldn't say I was cheated," Gu Shen sighed softly.

　　"What are you saying! Am I, Crow, someone who goes back on his word?" Song Ci said, raising his eyebrows. "Eat whatever you want tonight. It's on me!"

　　……

　　……

　　"You're here."

　　At half-past eleven at night, Old Xu's beef noodle shop hadn't closed yet, but it was almost time. The boss greeted Song Ci with a smile. "What dishes do you want to eat? I'll cook them for you. I won't take any more customers after a while. I saved you a spot in the back..."

　　Song Ci chuckled and craned his neck to look at the second floor of the shop.

　　"Don't worry... She's already asleep."

　　The boss whispered, "Don't wake her up, or... she'll kick you out."

　　Song Ci quickly made an understanding gesture, and pulled Gu Shen to sit carefully at a small table in the corner. He whispered, "The landlady doesn't like me very much, so let's keep our voices down later."

　　Gu Shen laughed, "Isn't that because of all the immoral things you usually do?"

　　Song Ci spat and muttered, "I usually skip out on the bill, but it's not like no one pays it... I don't owe her a penny. That woman never gives me a good look."

　　"How do you know that the people you bring here always pay the bill?"

　　Song Ci sneered, stretched out his fist the size of a sandbag, and said triumphantly, "See this? With this, I can make people pay the bill."

　　Gu Shen was a little helpless.

　　"Give me a pot of beef offal stew, a stir-fried pork, and spicy chicken gizzards..." Song Ci rattled off three dishes without even looking at the menu, and asked suggestively, "Do you want to add anything?"

　　Gu Shen immediately understood what this guy meant: "No need... This is enough."

　　"Ahem... Why are you looking at me like that?" Song Ci smiled ingratiatingly. "I'm just a rough guy. I don't have any fancy hobbies, and I don't like spending money on expensive foreign wine in Jiangtan. The wine here is good and cheap!"

　　"Young people in Jiangtan like to drink sake at night. It's a drink from Yinghai District. It sounds sophisticated and elegant. You can try this..." Song Ci whispered a few words to the boss. Old Xu took out a mysterious long bottle wrapped in black newspaper from the innermost part of the cabinet. He chuckled, "Real men should drink this!"

　　Gu Shen narrowed his eyes, looking at the small cup of white wine in front of him. He thought that this wine was even more miniature than the ones in Qingtao Bar. Such a small cup, wouldn't it be gone in one gulp?

　　For a good young man like him, drinking was probably the thing he was worst at. For the sake of investigating the case, he had tried the 300-yuan "Metropolitan" in Jiangtan last time. The taste was not bad, not as bad as Song Ci had said.

　　With a try-it-and-see mentality, Gu Shen raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

　　After one sip, Gu Shen coughed, almost spitting out his snot and tears.

　　This wine was clearly different from the previous one. It was extremely spicy as soon as it entered his mouth, like swallowing a raging fire. The flame spread down his throat, until his whole body was burning.

　　"You're really... Fierce."

　　Song Ci couldn't help but laugh when he saw Gu Shen making a fool of himself.

　　He took a small sip and said softly, "This cup of wine should be drunk slowly, in seven or eight sips, before it is finished."

　　"What kind of wine is this?" Gu Shen felt a heat wave rush to the top of his head.

　　Song Ci narrowed his eyes and said faintly, "The name of this wine... is called 'Lion's Wake'. A sleeping lion angrily awakens. After drinking it, you will feel like you have inexhaustible strength. The name is no longer important, because Lion's Wake was discontinued ten years ago. Every cup you drink is one less. I've been storing it with the boss for several years. This is the first time I've taken it out to share with someone."

　　He raised his glass and said softly, "How does Lion's Wake taste?"

　　The drowsiness of the late night completely dissipated before the small cup of wine.

　　Gu Shen felt a strange illusion.

　　It was as if he was examining himself... from an overhead angle. His consciousness was not the slightest bit intoxicated, but rather incredibly clear.

　　"I have a feeling... of finally waking up."

　　Gu Shen murmured, "This wine is very good. Why was it discontinued?"

　　"Actually, it's not accurate to describe it as discontinued, because Lion's Wake was never mass-produced." Song Ci lowered his eyes. "Its recipe only existed in one person's mind, and that person died ten years ago. So Lion's Wake naturally no longer exists."

　　Gu Shen paused.

　　Song Ci took out his old wallet, pinched out a yellowed photo from the inside, and smiled, "Last time I really had to pee, I didn't have time to show off to you when I skipped out on the bill... Here, my childhood sweetheart, Xiao Lu, isn't she pretty?"

　　The photo had been rubbed by fingers many times, and was so yellowed and old that it was almost developing a patina.

　　The girl in the photo had a blurry face, tilted her head slightly, revealing a shallow smile and a tiger tooth.

　　Sure enough... Xiao Lu was Senior Sister.

　　Lu Nan Jin.

　　He never expected that Senior Sister, who was usually so unsmiling, also had times when she smiled so sweetly when she was a child.

　　Gu Shen honestly said, "Pretty..."

　　Before he could finish speaking.

　　"Of course she's pretty!" Crow said smugly, putting the photo away and tapping the table with a face full of bragging, "Xiao Lu is mine, you're not allowed to look at her too much!"

　　Gu Shen smiled and threw out a question, "Pretty is pretty, but why do I think... she looks a bit like the Madam?"

　　"...They are sisters, biological sisters."

　　Crow took another sip of Lion's Wake, "Don't get me wrong, me liking Xiao Lu is one thing, and risking my life for the Madam is another. There is not the slightest connection between the two. The Madam brought me out of the old district. I owe the Madam too much. I have nothing to repay her with except this rotten life."

　　"Rotten life?"

　　Gu Shen glanced at Crow.

　　Although he didn't know this guy well, someone who could be the Madam's personal guard must be a top-notch transcendent.

　　"I owe the Madam... and the entire Lu family."

　　Song Ci's voice brewed in his throat. After drinking Lion's Wake, his voice was as hoarse as a beast. This was indeed not a wine that could be mass-produced, because every drop of wine contained extraordinary spiritual elements, which would make people mistakenly believe that they were sober... until they were drunk and unconscious.

　　"Oh... how so?"

　　Gu Shen was in excellent condition and was not affected by "Lion's Wake" at all.

　　He sipped the wine slowly, just because the wine was really strong, and it would make him cough if he drank it too quickly... From beginning to end, apart from his cheeks being slightly flushed, he had no other adverse reactions.

　　The spiritual elements in the alcohol seeped into his mind and were greedily swallowed by the Blazing Fire. He was the one who was truly suited to drink Lion's Wake.

　　A hundred cups would not intoxicate.

　　A thousand cups would not make him fall.