More than forty kinds of potent liquor were prepared, most of them exceeding forty percent alcohol, with even a 76 percent proof Laobaiigan.
What did this proof mean? Stuffing a cloth or cotton into the bottle's opening, igniting it, and hurling it would turn it into an incendiary bomb.
Warehouses storing high-proof alcohol were subject to safety inspections conforming to standards for flammable and explosive materials.
Tang Hanliu tossed several tennis balls and summoned some soldiers to verify the authenticity of the liquor. She poured a little into small glass cups for each soldier to taste.
Several soldiers, after just one sip, had faces flushed as if on fire, coughing uncontrollably, tears streaming from their eyes.
Especially a thin, small white male soldier, who, like a headstrong youth, gulped down a large mouthful of 68 percent proof Baijiu and was immediately incapacitated, letting out a wolf-like howl before being helped away by medical personnel.
The liquid, clear as water, felt like swallowing hot charcoal as it slid down the throat, then descended into the stomach like blades slicing through the esophagus. The calm stomach immediately churned violently, as if concentrated sulfuric acid had been poured into water. Those unaccustomed to strong liquor often vomited because the brain judged the ingested substance to be highly toxic.
Hua Qing smiled throughout. During a brief rest, the blush on her face quickly faded.
After the liquor was verified, she reached out and grasped the first bottle of Baijiu.
Thousands of people in the audience fell silent.
Could such potent liquor still be drunk straight from the bottle?
Surely not!
Was she even human?
Hua Qing smiled slightly, bit down on the bottle's mouth, and poured it down her throat with a gurgling sound.
She paused five times in the middle, but not for long, quickly resuming her vigorous drinking.
The entire venue erupted in a clamor, applause bursting forth like rolling thunder. The soldiers were stunned into silence.
"Holy crap, a goddess!"
"I'm truly impressed! If we were to have a drinking contest, our entire platoon would be drunk to death by her!"
"A goddess! A goddess! Truly god-tier!"
"She drinks more in a day than I have in my entire life!"
Hua Qing began drinking the Baijiu bottle by bottle, but it wasn't as smooth as her consumption of other liquors. After finishing each bottle of Baijiu, she had to unscrew a bottle of mineral water and drink it. After drinking five bottles of Baijiu, she also needed to go to the restroom. She sweated even more, her face grew redder, but she could still walk the white line steadily. The expression on her face became increasingly joyful, her eyes shining like gemstones.
The soldiers in the audience had their perceptions of reality shattered. Jiang Ye watched with a pounding heart.
The drinking performance continued from morning to afternoon. Except for lunch and restroom breaks, Hua Qing continuously opened bottles and drank them. Her stomach was a bottomless pit; the liquor poured down her throat seemed to vanish into the void. Judging by her momentum, she could continue drinking like this year-round, drinking all the liquor in the city without getting drunk.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, after drinking four bottles of red wine in rapid succession, Hua Qing stumbled on the white line.
She was startled and, trying again, missed her step once more.
She had finally gotten drunk.
"How do you feel?" Jiang Ye hurried forward to ask.
"A little tipsy, just a little tipsy!" Hua Qing smiled. "Today was so exhilarating! I haven't drunk like this in years!"
The waiting medical personnel stepped forward to examine Hua Qing. The results came out a minute later, showing her blood alcohol concentration to be 18 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood. In ancient times, this level wouldn't even qualify as drunk driving, let alone the standard for driving under the influence.
The entire venue was in an uproar!
The entire army was in an uproar!
Hua Qing's myth of invincibility was firmly established. Before the performance, many heavy drinkers in the army had boasted they would compete with her, but after watching the live broadcast, they all fell silent.
A guard approached with a tray.
On the tray was a solid gold trophy, shaped like a wine bottle.
"A special award has been created for you, a unique gold award," Jiang Ye said, picking up the trophy and presenting it to Hua Qing. "The trophy is named 'Zuo Shang Jiu Long' (Seated Wine Dragon)."
"'Zuo Shang Jiu Long'? I like it! Is there a story behind it?" Hua Qing took the golden trophy and proudly raised it, eliciting another burst of applause from the crowd.
"It's from Li Han's 'Li Keyong Zhi Jiu San Chui Lan Fu' from the Qing Dynasty," Jiang Ye replied.
Shi Yimei, standing beside him, clapped and added, "Zuo Shang Jiu Long, Xi Qian Ren Ji, Lei Kuai Kan Jiao, Ji Qiu Ke Ji. Looking down on the heroes of ten kingdoms, contemplating events twenty years hence. With jade Ruyi, commanding with flair, astonishing all present; with golden goblets, pouring freely, never growing drunk after a thousand cups."
Jiang Ye looked at Shi Yimei with surprise. "Miss Shi is quite cultured."
"I am the President of the Wine Culture Association of Jiang Ye Star! I know several ancient texts related to wine by heart," Shi Yimei said with a smile. "However, seeing today's spectacle, perhaps I should step down. Sister Hua Qing, are you interested in becoming the President of the Jiang Ye Star Wine Culture Association? The work is easy, and you get to be the first to taste any new wines released in the industry."
Hua Qing's eyes lit up. "This... this might not be appropriate, I'm just a newcomer."
"Does Bi Rong Star not have a Wine Culture Association yet?" Jiang Ye interjected. "President Shi could establish an association on Bi Rong Star and then have Hua Qing serve as its honorary president. With such a Wine Dragon presiding, your association would surely prosper."
"Is Mr. Jiang interested in being an honorary president?" Shi Yimei, however, lowered her voice and asked with a smile, "Miss Hua Qing is a Wine Dragon, and you are a true dragon."
"I'll pass. I don't drink much," Jiang Ye declined.
Shi Yimei nodded without speaking. The three of them turned together to look at the table of wine bottles beside them. The table was covered with empty bottles, and guards were counting them.
Soon, Hua Qing's drinking capacity was determined:
38 bottles of beer, 17 bottles of red wine, 17 bottles of Baijiu, 3 bottles of fruit wine, 2 bottles of sake, 1 bottle of rum, 1 bottle of vodka, and 1 bottle of tequila.
The total volume of all the liquor combined reached 27,240 milliliters, over fifty jin, enough to fill half a bathtub!
During the drinking, Hua Qing went to the restroom twelve times and changed 14 sets of clothes. Her chair was completely soaked, and the area beneath the chair was also covered in sweat smelling of alcohol. The entire viewing platform seemed to have been dragged through something, or as if a sea monster had just passed by.
Jiang Ye could only think of four words: a medical miracle!
Let alone liquor, even fifty jin of plain water would kill a person if they couldn't finish it. Hua Qing drank so much liquor and was still lively and energetic, her condition akin to someone who had just finished a sauna.
Some boastful drinkers claimed to be "Half-jin Brother" or "One-jin Brother," often exaggerating, while Hua Qing could easily outdrink dozens of such "One-jin Brothers." There were likely no living people on this planet who could out-drink her; any forced drinking contest would inevitably result in them spitting blood and dying before Hua Qing!
After the public performance concluded, the soldiers were led back by their officers to continue their training and missions.
Jiang Ye also returned to his office to continue working. Watching Hua Qing drink today had been a small break, but as the leader of multiple planets, he certainly had no holidays. The backlog of work was endless, so he had to catch up.
By dinnertime, Su Yueming pushed a meal cart, setting out a table of dishes, and ate with Jiang Ye while reporting on his work.
Midway through the meal, there was a knock on the office door.
"Who is it?" Jiang Ye asked, surprised.
"I don't know, we didn't have an appointment," Su Yueming said. "Please come in!"
The door opened, and Hua Qing bounced in.
She was wearing a white tracksuit, and the sweat had vanished from her face, leaving her small face as fair as jade.
"You're eating," Hua Qing blinked. "Commander, I've listed the first batch of weapons that can be manufactured. I'll report to you after you finish eating."
"Didn't I give you a day off to rest?" Jiang Ye said.
"I'm not tired, and I feel very exhilarated from drinking, full of energy," Hua Qing said. "Let's postpone the holiday!"