"Wow, that guy looks so cool drinking like that—"
"Go, handsome guy! We're rooting for you."
"Handsome, beat him, and our beautiful Dong'er will give you a kiss—"
"You cheeky girl, why don't you go kiss him yourself?"
A group of girls chattered and cheered, their playful laughter filling the air. Their presence attracted the attention of the entire restaurant. Many people came out of their private rooms upstairs to watch the duel between the two men, enjoying both the spectacle and the pretty girls.
Tang Guo and Lin Bao'er, hearing the commotion, also came downstairs. Seeing the crowd, they initially thought there was a fight, only to find it was a drinking contest—quite an unusual spectacle to draw such a large audience.
"Tang Guo, your friend has a very suave drinking style," remarked a girl standing next to Tang Guo. The girl had an arrogant demeanor, wearing a Chanel V-neck satin-fitted three-quarter sleeve T-shirt and simple jeans. Her short hair gave her a chic and dashing look.
"Yeah, I didn't know Ye Qiu was so good at drinking," Lin Bao'er agreed.
Tang Guo remained silent, quietly observing Ye Qiu from the corner. Sometimes she felt she understood him well, almost as if he were transparent. At other times, he seemed unpredictable, surprising her with his actions.
Tang Guo never doubted her intelligence, but in front of this seemingly simple man, she felt she never got the upper hand.
As she pondered, Tang Guo was startled by a thought. They say that when a woman becomes curious about a man, she's not far from falling in love. She quickly dismissed these thoughts, focusing on the contest instead.
Halfway through the second bottle, the buzz-cut man couldn't continue. His eyes glazed over as he looked at Ye Qiu, who drank Moutai like water, then collapsed with a thud. If Yang Aiguo hadn't caught him before he hit the table, he might have overturned it.
Seeing the buzz-cut man fall, Ye Qiu stopped drinking, smiling at Yang Aiguo. As he wiped the alcohol from his mouth, a beautiful girl approached, taking a wet wipe from her bag to gently clean his face.
Afterward, she tucked the wipe into Ye Qiu's pocket, giggling, "You're amazing. I've never seen anyone drink like you. I'm rooting for you. The inner layer of that wipe has my phone number. Call me."
Without waiting for a response, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and ran off, giggling.
The spectators applauded loudly, and Ye Qiu, touching his face, smiled wryly. He hadn't expected a drinking contest to lead to an encounter. He glanced at the girl, who was now surrounded by her friends, all teasing her. She winked at him, smiling brightly.
Ye Qiu quickly turned away, asking Yang Aiguo, "Want to continue?"
Yang Aiguo admired Ye Qiu's stamina. Despite drinking over a liter of Moutai, Ye Qiu remained clear-eyed and composed. Was this guy raised in a vat of alcohol?
Knowing he couldn't outdrink Ye Qiu, Yang Aiguo conferred with his companions, then pointed to one of them and said, "This time, Xiao Liu will drink with you."
Xiao Liu was of average height and looks but carried himself well. Smiling at Ye Qiu, he said, "Let's make this special."
"How special?" Ye Qiu asked, smiling slyly, sensing this would be interesting. He knew Xiao Liu must be formidable, especially since he suggested something "special."
Xiao Liu fetched a bottle of high-proof Red Star Erguotou from the wine cabinet and had the waiter bring two clean glasses. He poured half a glass for each and said, "Let's drink this. Have you tried it?"
Ye Qiu was puzzled. Erguotou had a higher alcohol content than Moutai, but it wasn't a significant difference. What was the big deal about half a glass?
Seeing Ye Qiu's confusion, Xiao Liu chuckled and explained, "The liquor is the strongest in China, 65 degrees. Of course, just drinking it is no challenge. I suggest we light it with a lighter and drink it while it's burning. How about it?"
Alcohol is flammable, especially high-proof Erguotou. Drinking it while it's burning could be dangerous.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Ye Qiu asked Xiao Liu.
"Of course. If this is your first time, you might want to think twice," Xiao Liu retorted, annoyed. Ye Qiu seemed more concerned about him than himself. Did he look like he would lose?
This crazy drinking method had scared off many before. He doubted Ye Qiu would accept.
"Okay, let's try it," Ye Qiu shrugged nonchalantly.
"Uh—" Xiao Liu was taken aback. He hadn't expected Ye Qiu to agree so readily. This technique, learned from a friend studying abroad, was painful as the burning liquor seared down his throat like a knife. He hoped it would scare Ye Qiu off, but the kid agreed easily.
"Are you sure you won't regret it? It's not pleasant," Xiao Liu warned.
"Let's start," Ye Qiu nodded. This meal had dragged on long enough, and he didn't enjoy being a sideshow attraction.
Xiao Liu, resigned, lit the liquor with a lighter. Blue flames leaped from the glass.
"Oh my God, they're drinking flaming liquor—"
"Yeah, that's insane—it'll burn their throats!"
"I saw this on TV once, it's so cool—"
The murmurs of the crowd emboldened Xiao Liu. Determined, he raised his glass and downed the burning liquid. The searing liquor felt like a knife slicing down his throat, causing a moment of breathlessness.
The audience erupted in applause.
Assuring his friends he was fine, Xiao Liu waved to the crowd, then looked challengingly at Ye Qiu.
Ye Qiu smiled back, slowly picked up his glass, lit it, and drank it down amidst the gasps of the crowd. He raised his glass to Xiao Liu, awaiting the next challenge.
Xiao Liu, sweating, couldn't believe Ye Qiu drank it so easily. He had no choice but to continue.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Ye Qiu asked, holding Xiao Liu's arm as he reached for more liquor.
"I'm fine," Xiao Liu insisted. "Let's continue."
After Xiao Liu finished his second glass, Ye Qiu followed suit. The crowd grew larger, their applause louder. Xiao Liu's face paled, but Ye Qiu remained unphased, even cracking a joke with Yang Le.
By the fifth glass, Xiao Liu, drinking too fast, suddenly spat out his liquor. Yang Aiguo quickly supported him, patting his back.
Xiao Liu crouched, coughing violently, then started vomiting blood.
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8