Chapter 141 - 134: Sister, Get Ready to Show Your Talent

Chapter 141: Chapter 134: Sister, Get Ready to Show Your Talent

"Come, come..."

"Old Wang, try some of the booze I brought."

"I swiped these from my old man’s private cellar. He probably won them at an auction a few years back. A total of four bottles of Yamazaki 1984, and I brought them all. We’re gonna kill ’em all tonight."

Several bottles of Balvenie 30 were already down, and as the alcohol began to take effect, Deng Zhihong’s voice grew much louder. He waved a hand behind him, and a server, instantly getting the message, brought four rectangular wooden boxes to the center of the table.

"Yamazaki 1984?"

"Damn, kid, you’re the real deal!"

"But seriously, aren’t you afraid your dad’s gonna skin you alive when you get home?"

Looking slightly surprised, Wang Yan stood up and grabbed one of the wooden boxes from the center of the table. He didn’t stand on ceremony with Deng Zhihong, immediately opening the box and taking out the auction-grade bottle of Yamazaki 1984.

The bottle was adorned with large, gold-foil lettering. Inside, the amber liquid gave off a brilliant gleam under the lights, making for a beautiful sight.

"What’s there to be afraid of?"

"Just remember to leave the bottles for me after we finish drinking."

"Tomorrow, I’ll just find a few bottles of regular Yamazaki, refill these, and reseal them before putting them back. Besides, most of the booze in my dad’s cellar is just for his collection. It’s not like he has any plans to drink it anytime soon."

"And even if he suddenly gets the urge to drink it one day, he probably won’t be able to tell the taste is wrong. After all, we’ll have drunk all four original bottles of Yamazaki 1984. He won’t have a real one to compare it to."

Deng Zhihong gave Wang Yan and the others a conspiratorial wink as he laughingly laid out his entire plan, leaving them all completely flabbergasted.

"Lao Deng!"

"You’re a fucking legend!"

"No wonder our advisor in college always said you were a devious brat. I’m just now realizing what a great judge of character he was!"

Wang Yan gave Deng Zhihong a thumbs-up, his expression one of pure, unadulterated admiration.

"No wonder he went on to become vice principal, right?"

Far from being ashamed, Deng Zhihong took it as a compliment. He casually pulled another bottle of Yamazaki 1984 from its box. "They say good whiskey needs a good cigar to match. Since Oscar brought out the Habanos GR, I can’t be stingy, can I?"

"Let’s do this!"

"I’ve never actually had Yamazaki 1984 before. Time to give it a taste!"

Wang Yan opened the bottle and handed it to a nearby server to pour for everyone.

Tasting high-end whiskey requires chilling the glasses beforehand, then adding an ice sphere and a proper measure of the spirit.

Once the drink is finished, the glass is immediately replaced.

If that was the standard for high-end whiskey, then tasting an auction-grade bottle of Yamazaki 1984 required even more ceremony.

"Chairman Gu, what do you think?"

Deng Zhihong toasted Gu Heng from across the table.

Gu Heng returned the toast with a smile, then raised the glass to his lips and took a small sip.

Beside him, Yangyang’s gaze was fixed on the left hand Gu Heng used to hold his glass. His fingers were long and slender, his knuckles elegant. She felt she could stare at them forever.

Every time Gu Heng raised his glass to drink, she couldn’t help but stare at his hands. Her gaze would then travel to his throat, watching his Adam’s apple bob gently as he swallowed. That, combined with his refined, handsome profile and broad shoulders, made her realize for the first time that a man could be described as... sexy.

"Exquisite."

"A fine aged spirit, indeed. The classic Yamazaki Mizunara-cask flavor is quite pronounced."

"It’s dominated by distinct notes of sandalwood and incense, creating a unique bouquet."

"I’d suggest President Deng try adding just a drop of still water. It can open up the flavors and add more complexity to the bouquet."

Gu Heng swirled the whiskey in his glass, a gentle smile playing on his lips. His voice was calm and unhurried, and though he wasn’t speaking loudly, he had somehow captured the attention of everyone at the table.

"Holy shit!"

"Chairman Gu, you’re a true connoisseur!"

Deng Zhihong’s eyes widened as he listened to Gu Heng’s analysis.

Skeptical, he poured a drop of still water into his glass, raised it, and took another sip. After savoring it for a moment, his eyes went wide.

"It really does taste different!"

"I think it actually tastes better than drinking it neat!"

Deng Zhihong’s voice was filled with amazement. He quickly realized, however, that only he and Su Tianyi seemed surprised. Everyone else was giving him a look that said, ’What’s the big deal?’

"Xiaodeng."

"Can’t you be a little more composed?"

"Do you have to make a scene over every little thing?"

"When it comes to cigars, liquor, and tea, Chairman Gu is a connoisseur’s connoisseur."

"Even Oscar has to ask Chairman Gu for pointers when it comes to cigars. So if Chairman Gu gives you a suggestion on how to drink something, you just do it."

Gao Zihang shook his head and said to Deng Zhihong with a smile.

As for his younger brother, Gao Zihao, he had been completely captivated all evening by the effortless aura of command that Gu Heng radiated. Though they were roughly the same age, Gao Zihao’s wide-eyed expression made him look like a total greenhorn in comparison.

"Chairman Gu!"

"Two words: Fucking awesome!"

When Deng Zhihong saw that even Oscar didn’t object to Gao Zihang’s statement, he knew there wasn’t a hint of exaggeration in it. He immediately raised his glass and toasted Gu Heng from across the table again.

This time, everyone raised their glasses together.

"What do you think?"

"How does it taste?"

Gu Heng set down his glass. Looking at Yangyang beside him, whose pretty face was flushed a lovely shade of red, he asked with a warm smile.

"It’s still really strong."

Yangyang said quietly, a little embarrassed.

’Gu Heng was about her age, yet he could pick out so many flavors from a single sip. All I can taste is the burn.’

"You have to savor whiskey slowly."

"If you just swallow it right away, of course you won’t be able to taste anything."

Gu Heng asked with a smile, "Do you have any idea how much a bottle of this stuff costs?"

"Fifty thousand?"

Yangyang ventured a guess. It was the most outrageous price she could think of.

"Triple that, and you’re getting close."

Gu Heng smiled and shook his head. "Just the glass in your hand... if you were at a high-end whiskey bar, they’d charge you two thousand for it, if they were being nice. A shadier place would charge you four thousand."

"Oh my god!"

"That’s so expensive!"

Yangyang’s eyes slowly widened, her mouth falling open slightly in disbelief.

’She suddenly felt a pang of pain, as if what she’d just swallowed wasn’t whiskey, but a sparkling gold ring.’

"Think about it."

"It was sold at auction. Of course it wasn’t going to be cheap."

Gu Heng used the Yamazaki 1984 as a topic to chat with Yangyang, leaving the twin sisters at their side completely forgotten. Watching Yangyang’s expressions shift between shy, amazed, and adoring, both sisters silently slapped the "green tea" label on her in their minds.

"Sis, are we just going to sit here and watch?"

The younger sister, Shuyu, watched Gu Heng and Yangyang chatting so cheerfully. It left a sour taste in her mouth. ’For the past two years,’ she thought, ’we’ve been the center of attention everywhere we go. We’ve never been ignored like this.’

’But Shuyu also knew that today’s gathering was on a completely different level from their usual ones. Gu Heng alone was leagues above all the patrons they’d ever had before.’

"Just watch?"

"A top-tier patron isn’t won by waiting. You have to fight for him."

The older sister, Shuyue, scoffed. "Get ready. It’s time to show him our talents."