God of Wine

After their exchange in the Mercedes-Benz, not only had Niu Jinxing not changed his attitude toward Gao Jing, he had become even warmer.

Gao Jing's "Friend-Making-from-Nothing Technique" was remarkably powerful.

In the eyes of this local tiger of Beiyang, although Gao Jing was not the son of some wealthy, influential family, he was by no means something that could remain trapped in a pond.

His future prospects were limitless!

He was worth befriending.

However, Gao Jing did not become smug because of the change in the other man's attitude.

Nor did he become lightheaded.

With a figure like Niu Jinxing, earning his true friendship was undoubtedly no easy matter.

Gao Jing had never imagined that they would immediately slaughter a chicken, burn yellow paper, and become sworn brothers bound by ironclad loyalty.

He merely needed a reliable sales channel.

He had happened to run into Niu Jinxing, and the man's identity was suitable, so Gao Jing had catered to his tastes.

Even if they built a relationship later, it would still be mutually beneficial!

And it was precisely this neither overbearing nor servile manner that won Gao Jing even more of Niu Jinxing's favor.

The Bentley Mulsanne and the Mercedes-Benz parked one after the other at the entrance to an old alley.

Niu Jinxing had Gao Jing toss the keys to one of his underlings for parking, then personally led him into the alley.

The ancient alley was deep and quiet. A branch of red apricot blossom poked its head out over the high walls of a grand courtyard.

"This is Shangshu Ward."

Niu Jinxing rolled a Purple Sandalwood bead bracelet in one hand as he introduced the place while walking. "It was the residence of a Minister in the previous dynasty, one of Beiyang's historical sites. Part of it has now been renovated and leased to the Zhang family."

"Do you know Zhang Huai'an, the Huaiyang cuisine master? He's the head of Zhang Family Cuisine!"

Gao Jing truly did not.

It was said that this Huaiyang cuisine master had gone to Yangzhou as a child to study the craft. After twenty years of bitter study, he became a master chef, then crossed the sea to Japan and opened Zhang Family Restaurant. When he turned sixty, he returned to his roots and came back to Beiyang.

He moved his family's Zhang Family Cuisine into Shangshu Ward, turning it into Beiyang's finest private restaurant.

To eat the most authentic Huaiyang cuisine at Zhang Family Restaurant, one normally had to make reservations months in advance.

But Niu Jinxing was clearly no ordinary man. With one phone call, he had secured a table.

Passing through the gates of the deep residence beneath the Zhang Family Restaurant signboard, the two followed a bluestone path under the guidance of a delicate-looking waitress and arrived at their reserved private room.

"I come here often."

After taking their seats, Niu Jinxing greeted him, "Brother Gao Jing, order whatever you want. Don't stand on ceremony with me!"

Gao Jing nodded and selected several famous Huaiyang dishes from the menu.

Then Niu Jinxing tapped the menu with his finger and added another four or five dishes.

After ordering, he smiled and said, "Brother Gao Jing, can you guess which dish here is my favorite?"

How could Gao Jing possibly guess?

Niu Jinxing burst out laughing. "Fat Ox in Golden Broth!"

Gao Jing smiled. "Fat Ox in Golden Broth isn't Huaiyang cuisine, is it?"

"That's right."

Niu Jinxing looked thoroughly pleased with himself. "I had Master Zhang add it to the menu. He makes it better than anyone else!"

Gao Jing had to admire that.

A little later, the two underlings who had gone to park the car also arrived.

They were there to keep them company.

Niu Jinxing smacked his lips. "Brother Gao Jing, should we call over a couple of girls? It feels like we're missing a bit of atmosphere."

Gao Jing said, "Next time. Today, I just want to have a good chat with you, Brother Big Ox."

"Fair enough."

Niu Jinxing gestured for an underling to pour the liquor. "Just ask me anything you want. As for matters on Beiyang's turf, even if I don't know them, I can find someone who does."

Gao Jing raised his freshly filled cup. "Thank you, Brother Big Ox. Let me toast you first."

A brimming cup of Feitian Moutai.

He drained it in one gulp.

"Good!"

Niu Jinxing slapped the table in approval. "A friend of mine, Fat Ox, can have a poor tolerance for liquor, but he can't be half-hearted when drinking. Come, bottoms up!"

After drinking one cup himself, Gao Jing downed another three cups in a row with him.

His expression did not change in the slightest.

After completing his life transformation, Gao Jing's physical qualities had improved across the board, evolving in the direction of a superhuman.

His drinking capacity had not been bad before. For business, he had dared to fight tooth and nail at the drinking table.

Now, it had improved by far more than a little.

Although Niu Jinxing was a bold drinker and his sheer bulk gave him an impressive fighting index,

once he truly began competing with Gao Jing, he could not help but feel secretly alarmed.

This is bad!

In the end, he had no choice but to bring in his two underlings as reinforcements before managing to fight Gao Jing to a draw.

While drinking freely, Gao Jing also sampled quite a few dishes.

Zhang Huai'an's Zhang Family Cuisine had been inherited from the Huaiyang school, then refined and innovated upon its foundation. It deeply embodied the school's strict ingredient selection, meticulous preparation, attention to heat control, and emphasis on original flavors.

The Braised Crab Meat Lion's Head was exceptionally plump and tender, with fresh, fragrant crab meat and crisp-tender greens. Its aroma lingered between the teeth and cheeks long after eating.

The Steamed Huai Whitefish had white, delicate flesh, delicious without any fishiness, so fresh it made his taste buds explode.

The Dried-Shrimp Braised Cattail Shoots were crisp and refreshing, with a clear, fresh broth that greatly whetted the appetite.

There was also Wharf Mutton Soup, Crystal Shrimp Cakes, Soft-Belted Eel...

He feasted to his heart's content.

Naturally, Gao Jing did not overlook the Fat Ox in Golden Broth that Niu Jinxing had strongly recommended.

Although it was not Huaiyang cuisine, it had likewise come from a master's hands, and its flavor earned Gao Jing's unreserved praise.

By the end of the meal, Niu Jinxing's face was flushed red, his eyes unfocused, and his speech slurred.

The two underlings had collapsed in their seats, unable to rise.

They had raised the white flag.

Meanwhile, Gao Jing was still holding a soft, sweet, tender piece of Thousand-Layer Oil Cake between his chopsticks.

Savoring it leisurely.

Whether his complexion or demeanor, he was astonishingly no different from when he had first arrived!

"I'm convinced!"

Niu Jinxing swayed as he gave Gao Jing a thumbs-up. "Fat Ox is completely convinced today!"

There was no way he could refuse to be convinced.

They had already gone through five bottles of Feitian Moutai, with another half bottle sitting on the table.

Five hundred milliliters per bottle.

One against three, yet Gao Jing did not show the slightest sign of drunkenness.

He was practically the God of Wine incarnate!

Gao Jing smiled, called over the waitress, and had the tableful of leftover dishes cleared away.

Then he had someone bring over a pot of Longjing Tea.

After two cups of hot tea, Niu Jinxing sobered up somewhat and resumed chatting with Gao Jing.

Gao Jing gained a great deal from it.

As a local tiger and an insider in the trade, Niu Jinxing possessed an extremely deep understanding of the rosewood and Purple Sandalwood market.

From him, Gao Jing learned much useful information.

Including quite a few inside details and unspoken rules.

Leaving aside the authentic Huaiyang meal, the value of this information alone far exceeded that of a strand of top-grade Little-Leaf Red Sandalwood.

The ideas and plans Gao Jing had previously conceived in his mind became more complete and mature as a result!

Since everyone had been drinking, they called designated drivers on the way back.

Although Niu Jinxing warmly urged Gao Jing to stay another night,

Gao Jing still chose to return to Cloud City.

The two parted outside the alley of Shangshu Ward.

"Brother Gao Jing."

As he was leaving, the drunken Niu Jinxing said to him in a tipsy voice, "I didn't let you drink to your heart's content this time. When we get together again, don't forget this brother of yours!"

They had only just met, yet it felt as though they were old friends of many years.

Gao Jing smiled. "Of course I won't."

With vast quantities of raw materials in hand, he would certainly come to Beiyang often in the future.

Today's gains had been great enough.