Chapter 48: The Consequences of Drinking Too Much

The next day at noon, at a hotel in Yaodu.

My master, the bureau chief, myself, An Mingshan, Liu Shan, Wu Siling, and Lü Donghua—the seven of us sat around a table in a private dining room. Most of the dishes on the table were vegetarian, with very few meat dishes. I ordered a few more bottles of liquor, but my master and the bureau chief wouldn't drink, nor would An Mingshan and Wu Siling, leaving only myself, Liu Shan, and Lü Donghua to drink. My alcohol tolerance was the worst, Lü Donghua was decent, but Liu Shan was simply a liquor deity! Drinking alcohol was as effortless to him as drinking water. The rest of us drank from cups, but he drank straight from the bottle. When we were about half-drunk, I don't know which bastard suggested that the three of us become sworn brothers! And so, right in front of everyone, the three of us linked arms. I even asked An Mingshan for her dagger; we slit our middle fingers and drank blood wine to swear brotherhood.

Slurring our words, the three of us babbled: "Today... the three of us... here... swear... swear to be sworn brothers! From this day forth... we share... blessings together, and face... hardships... together!" As soon as I finished speaking, everything went black, and I passed out.

I do not know how much time had passed...

When I woke up, I found myself lying in a hospital bed, my left hand still completely numb. Only then did I notice that An Mingshan had fallen asleep slumped against the bedside, holding my left hand in a tight, unyielding grip—no wonder my hand was so numb. I tried to pull my hand away, but I hadn't expected this girl to be so strong. I used both hands simultaneously to finally yank my hand free. After massaging the liberated hand, I noticed An Mingshan tossing about as if searching for something. I even heard her talking in her sleep, murmuring things like, "Don't go," "Don't leave me," and "Come back" ... Feeling that my hand was no longer numb, I placed it back near An Mingshan's hand, and she immediately grabbed it in a death grip. I shouted loudly right beside her ear: "Dinner is served!" She bolted upright instantly, but because she was holding my hand so tightly, she nearly dragged me right off the bed.

I asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

An Mingshan glanced at her watch and said, "It's already noon the next day. You've been asleep for a full day."

I asked, "Did the doctor say what's wrong with me?"

An Mingshan replied, "They said something about a severe deficiency in some kind of enzyme—an aldehyde something-or-other. Anyway, it means you have to watch your diet from now on and stay away from alcohol and any food containing alcohol."

I said, "It's aldehyde dehydrogenase. You mean I've developed an alcohol allergy? Does that also mean I can never drink alcohol again?"

An Mingshan said, "At least not for the rest of your life. So, from now on, I'll take your place when it comes to drinking."

I asked, "Why?"

An Mingshan said, "After you passed out, those people started urging me to drink in your place, but I didn't seem to feel anything from the alcohol. Afterward, I had a check-up, and the doctor told me that I'm the exact opposite of you—that particular enzyme level is through the roof. What does that mean?"

I said, "It means you can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, the exact opposite of me. If you have any business banquets in the future, you're in luck. No matter how much you drink, you won't get drunk. Who wouldn't want that?"

An Mingshan said, "From now on, I'll drink for you."

I said, "Drink if you like it. But remember one thing: drinking harms the body. No matter how high your aldehyde dehydrogenase is, don't drink too much. By the way, how did this zombie incident end?"

An Mingshan said, "The zombie and..."

I asked, "And what?"

An Mingshan said, "And... and..."

I said, "Spit it out, it's fine."

An Mingshan said, "And... and Xu Qiuming's soul were taken back to the Council! You know that." Hearing this, I felt a twinge of sadness in my heart; after all, he was someone who had grown up with me since childhood, but I didn't show it.

An Mingshan probably sensed my feelings, and gently said, "Everything is in the past now, try not to be sad. You haven't eaten anything all day, have something!"

Driven by a sudden, inexplicable anger, I snapped, "I have no appetite, I can't eat! If you want to eat, go yourself!"

Without a care for my temper, An Mingshan pulled me up anyway, fished my shoes out from under the bed and placed them on the floor, asking, "Shall I help you, or will you do it yourself?"

I lay back down on the bed and said, "Go yourself! Go, go, go! Good grief."

An Mingshan said, "You... you find me annoying?"

My anger reached its boiling point, and I roared at her, "Yes! Your lord here finds you annoying, so what?" As soon as I finished speaking, I saw An Mingshan staring at me without saying a word.

I said, "What's wrong, struck dumb, huh?" I saw that An Mingshan was still staring at me, remaining completely silent.

Just as I was about to raise my hand to strike her, three figures dressed entirely in black suddenly rushed through the door, each wielding a dagger! They charged straight at us the moment they saw us, and An Mingshan was terribly frightened. Shielding An Mingshan with one arm, I drew my pistol with the other and fired three shots without hesitation, aiming only to subdue them without hitting any vital organs.

Hearing the gunfire, many people soon gathered around to watch, and someone called the police.

Reader's Corner.

Q: Mr. Author, what kind of music do you like?
A: The genres I enjoy include film soundtracks, military marches, and male Dan actors' singing in Beijing opera.