Chapter 17: Ruthless Iron Hands

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After changing, Lin Ge walked to the bar counter and his fluctuating emotions quickly calmed down.

The narrow space behind the bar counter was a world that belonged to him alone. As long as he walked in, he would feel at ease.

Before the customers arrived, there were only three people in the shop, Lin Ge, Neelu, and Elise. To alleviate the awkwardness, Lin Ge took the initiative to break the silence.

“Why can Prince Lieyang understand what I’m saying when he clearly doesn’t know the words of Earth? Lanya and Karina as well.”

Neelu explained with a smile, “This question is related to the structure of this bar at the magical level. It involves many magical principles, so it’s very complicated to explain. However, you can simply understand it as everyone who enters this bar will receive a continuous magic effect that allows them to understand the language of other races.”

“So that’s how it is,” One of Lin Ge’s doubts was finally answered.

After the bar officially opened for a new day, Lin Ge wiped a bottle of wine while wondering who would be the first customer of the day.

Karina had peeked at him while he was changing yesterday, so she might not come today. Even if she did, she would not be as enthusiastic as usual.

It was unlikely that Prince Lieyang would come so quickly, so the only regular customer left was Lanya.

When the windchime outside the door rang, Lin Ge looked at the door. To his surprise, it was not Lanya who walked into the bar, but a new customer.

It was an old man with white hair and a long beard that reached his chest. He was wearing a simple gray robe and holding a staff that was as tall as him.

The staff was more like a long stick that was thick at the top and thin at the bottom. It was very simple.

The old man had a pair of deep and bright eyes. After roughly scanning the layout of the bar, he walked to a table and sat down, placing the staff in his hand on the table.

Elise walked over with the menu and asked politely, “What would you like to order, Sir? Not only do we have alcohol, but we also have non-alcoholic drinks, including soda, fruit juice, and tea.”

“I’ve come to a tavern to drink, of course,” The old man said with an amiable smile.

“Understood. Our store has recently launched some brand new wine products that are a mixture of many different types of alcohol and each has a unique taste. This is the menu. Please take a look and see which one you would like.”

Elise placed the menu in front of the old man. The menu had pictures on it. The old man flipped through two pages and saw pictures of crystal-clear cocktails. He praised, “The liquors you have are very beautiful.”

Then, he pointed at the menu with his twig-like finger.

“I’ll have a glass of “Contemplation”. What a good name. I wonder how it will taste.”

“Alright, please wait a moment.”

Elise came to the bar counter and immediately stopped smiling.

“Hey, a glass of contemplation. Hurry up.”

The bar wasn’t big, so Lin Ge had already heard what the old man had ordered. When Elise came over, he had already taken a bottle of whiskey from the wine cabinet.

“I know.”

Elise sat in front of the bar counter, her hands supporting her beautiful chin as she stared at Lin Ge’s every move as if she was planning to secretly learn his skills right in front of him.

Lin Ge didn’t mind. The ingredients for “Contemplation” weren’t complicated. He only needed to add an appropriate amount of syrup, mint leaves, and a slice of lemon to the whiskey, though the specific amount for each ingredient was very particular.

As he brought over the shaker and wine glass, he said to Elise, “If you want to learn, then come in and help.”

Elise blinked, her beautiful eyes filled with doubt.

“You’re really letting me in?”

“If you don’t want to, just pretend I didn’t say anything.”

“Ahem, since you want my help so much, I’ll help you a little.”

Elise walked into the bar with her head slightly raised. She came to Lin Ge’s side, a hint of excitement hidden in her eyes.

“Tell me, how do you want me to help you?”

Lin Ge wanted to laugh when he saw her acting like she didn’t care, but he kept a calm face.

“Go get some ice and 6 fresh mint leaves. Remember to wash them and cut a fresh lemon slice.”

Elise went obediently, which surprised Lin Ge. Was this still the same Elise who loved to throw tantrums?

Elise’s mixing skills weren’t that good, but she was surprisingly quick. She quickly prepared the ingredients that Lin Ge needed.

Lin Ge’s gaze swept across the ice bucket in front of him. In it were six tender green mint leaves with water droplets and a golden piece of lemon. He praised, “Very good. You’re fast, have prepared the materials with accuracy, and your slicing technique is good.”

Elise’s face flashed with an unnatural expression.

“Hmph, don’t think that I’ll change my mind just because you’re praising me now. When my skills surpass yours, I’ll still kick you out of the bar counter.”

“I’m looking forward to your performance.”

Looking at the smile on Lin Ge’s face, which was sincere and friendly, Elise thought to herself, “Does he really think that way? Does it not matter if I surpass him? Is he really that generous?”

As she thought about it, she suddenly felt that Lin Ge wasn’t that annoying.

She began to carefully observe Lin Ge’s hands. His hands were fair and well-proportioned, with distinct joints. He was elegant and agile when mixing the wine.

When he picked up the stainless steel ice clip to get the transparent ice from the ice bucket, his spotless hands were like a pair of art pieces, displaying pure beauty.

When he gently tore the thin and tender fresh mint leaves and threw them into the shaker, his technique was gentle and delicate.

The pair of hands picked up the teaspoon and added a teaspoon of syrup into the shaker. Then, he poured the whiskey into the bottle. After closing the lid, he began to shake it vigorously.

With that, the pair of hands became blurry in Elise’s eyes, sometimes becoming clear. The clattering of the shaker entered her ears, and Elise’s heart seemed to be mixed in it as well, becoming a mess.

Her breathing was a little erratic, and her chest heaved up and down slightly.

At this time, the hands suddenly stopped shaking and slowly moved the shaker to the top of the prepared old-fashioned glass. The lid was gently opened, and the crystal clear wine flowed out and filled the glass.

The golden lemon slice sank into the glass, like the sun sinking into the sea. With that, the glass of “Contemplation” was completed.

“Have you remembered it?”

Elise suddenly heard Lin Ge’s voice. She looked away from the hands as if she had just woken up from a dream.

“What?”

“I’m asking you, do you remember the steps I took to mix the wine? Every single detail is important.”

“N-no…”

Elise could feel her face heating up. She had been too focused on the pair of hands to notice the details of Lin Ge’s mixing.

“It’s okay. I’ll demonstrate it to you again next time. Send this glass of wine to the customer first.”

“Oh, okay.”

Elise lowered her head and left the bar. She picked up the prepared cup of “Contemplation” and placed it on the table of the gray-robed old man.

Lin Ge stared at her figure and felt that she was acting weird just now. The concoction of “Contemplation” wasn’t complicated.

At this moment, the wind chimes at the door rang again.

A petite purple figure barged into the bar, accompanied by a soft whimper, “Lin Ge, I’m sorry, I lost your gold coins.”