Chapter 553: A Saintly Manifestation at the Class Reunion

Chapter 553: Chapter 553: A Saintly Manifestation at the Class Reunion

The dinner was well underway, with several rounds of drinks and courses already served.

They were all young and old classmates, so the drinking was enthusiastic and unrestrained.

As toasts were made and glasses were refilled, one bottle of strong liquor was quickly finished, followed by a second, and then a third...

Hu Qiming was the man of the hour, and everyone took turns toasting him. He accepted every drink, and his face was already as red as Guan Gong’s. His words had started to slur.

"Li Xu... I... I have to toast you again. Really... without you... I never would’ve gotten my permanent position so quickly..."

Hu Qiming swayed to his feet, lifting his glass to pour the drink straight down his throat.

The others were pretty drunk too. Some were slumped over the table, while others were slurring boasts and tall tales.

The only exception was Li Xu. Although he had also drunk a fair amount—at least half a pound of liquor—his face was only slightly flushed.

His eyes were bright, his thoughts were organized, and he felt none of the heavy-headed dizziness that should have come with it.

’This tea... is a miracle.’

Li Xu was thrilled.

Usually, after that much alcohol, he’d be completely disoriented. But today, he felt perfectly fine.

It was like using a cheat code.

Li Xu glanced at Hu Qiming, who was about to slide under the table, and then at Jiang Peng and Li Baojie, who were swaying precariously beside him. He couldn’t help but smile.

It was time to show them what he could really do.

He picked up a large bottle of mineral water and poured a cup of his special drink into everyone’s empty teacup.

"Here, everyone, drink some of this. It’ll help you sober up so you won’t feel awful when you get home."

"Wha’s this... Does it taste good..."

Hu Qiming groggily picked up the cup and, without a second thought, chugged it all down in one go.

Miaoli was easygoing, but she had a low tolerance for alcohol and had only had two small glasses of the strong liquor all night.

While she wasn’t dead drunk like Hu Qiming, her head was still spinning, and her stomach was churning. She felt like she might throw up.

Seeing Li Xu pour everyone a pale yellow "drink," she realized what it was. "Oh, so this is to sober up? Does it actually work?"

She’d seen plenty of so-called sobriety aids on the market, from popular pills to various sobering teas.

Honestly, most of them were just a rip-off, more of a placebo than anything else.

If you drank too much, you were still going to puke, and you were still going to black out.

Li Xu gave her a mysterious smile and pushed the cup toward her. "Why don’t you drink it and find out?"

Curious, Miaoli picked up the cup and took a small sip.

It was slightly sweet on the tongue with a faint honeyed aroma. This was quickly followed by a familiar herbal taste that spread through her mouth, cool and refreshing with a sweet aftertaste.

As a graduate of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Miaoli had a discerning palate. She identified the ingredients almost immediately. "This is... the taste of kudzu root? And a bit of Dried Tangerine Peel?"

She shook her head and set the cup down, a little disappointed. "So it’s just a kudzu root tea. I know about this stuff. It can help with hangovers, but the effect is... well, it’s better than nothing, I guess. At most, it’ll quench your thirst. But it’s impossible to sober up instantly just by drinking this."

Li Xu didn’t argue. He just kept smiling. "Miaoli, don’t underestimate it. This isn’t your average kudzu root tea. It’s my own special formula."

"A special formula? What did you put in it, stimulants?"

Miaoli joked.

But a moment later, she wasn’t laughing anymore.

Less than five minutes after she drank it, a miraculous change was taking place inside her.

The dizzying, room-spinning sensation she’d been feeling...

...was rapidly fading away, as if blown away by a cool breeze.

What surprised her even more was the feeling in her stomach.

The churning nausea that had made her want to vomit was now completely gone.

In its place was a warm, comfortable feeling, as if someone was gently massaging her stomach.

Even the throbbing in her temples, irritated by the alcohol, had cleared up.

"Huh?"

Miaoli’s eyes widened in astonishment. She touched her face, then shook her head.

The dizziness was really gone!

And her mind was exceptionally clear, with none of the sluggishness that came with being drunk.

But that wasn’t what shocked her the most.

What happened next was enough to make her jaw drop.

Hu Qiming and the other guys had been drinking without restraint all night, and they were all slumped over in a drunken stupor.

Hu Qiming, in particular, had already slid under the table, muttering nonsense.

Just a moment ago, Miaoli had been worrying about how she, all by herself, was going to get these dead-drunk guys into a taxi and send them home.

But now...

Hu Qiming, who had been a heap on the floor, still holding a half-empty cup of tea that had spilled all over his pants, was now pulling himself up by the table leg and slowly sitting up.

He shook his head, and his unfocused, dazed eyes gradually began to sharpen.

"I... Where am I?" Hu Qiming blinked, taking in his surroundings. "Should we be heading out?"

Although his speech was still a little slurred, he was clearly no longer in the dead-drunk state he’d been in just moments before.

At least he could walk on his own and recognize people.

Then she looked at Li Baojie and Jiang Peng beside her.

The two of them had been passed out on the table, fast asleep, but now they were both rubbing their eyes and waking up.

"Holy crap... This tea is magical."

Li Baojie patted his stomach. "My stomach was killing me just now, felt like it was on fire. After drinking that tea, the feeling is gone?"

Jiang Peng stared at Li Xu in disbelief. "Li Xu, what is this elixir you gave us? My mind feels incredibly sharp right now. I could probably even do a couple of exam papers."

Everyone was shocked and curious, gathering around Li Xu to ask questions.

"What on earth is this tea? How is it so effective?"

Li Xu looked at their curious faces and said calmly, "It’s a new formula I’ve been working on. It’s called ’Kudzu Pearl Tea.’ It’s not on the market yet; today was the first time I’ve tested it out. And it looks like... the results are pretty good."

"Kudzu Pearl Tea?"

Everyone exchanged glances, then broke out into even louder exclamations of amazement.

"Pearl?"

"That’s right! How could I forget, Pearl can also help you sober up!"

Everyone started marveling at what a great product this was.

It was sure to be a massive hit.

After all, in China, drinking culture has a long and storied history; one could even say it’s deeply ingrained in society.

Whether you’re negotiating a business deal, entertaining your boss, or gathering with friends and family, alcohol is an essential social lubricant.

It has even evolved into a unique "toasting culture," where drinking more is a sign of greater sincerity, and you’ve only had a good time if you’ve been drunk under the table.

Many people despise this custom and are endlessly troubled by it.

But you have to play the game. For the sake of their livelihood and to save face, many have no choice but to bite the bullet and drink.

Only those who have experienced it can understand the misery that follows: the splitting headaches, the nausea and vomiting, and the inability to even get out of bed the next day.

If this Kudzu Pearl Tea was really so effective—able to sober people up quickly and alleviate their suffering—then it would be a godsend for drinkers everywhere and a lifeline for countless office workers.