CHAPTER 65: CHAPTER 65: BARTENDING

The lights were just coming on, the night was enchanting.

Rong Zhi and Bai Su walked into Fox, the deafening bustle greeted them, but there were no wild figures moving on the stage, just a circle of people in front of the bar cheering.

This was a quiet bar, but it was a bit different from ordinary quiet bars.

It was much livelier than an ordinary quiet bar.

Rong Zhi found Tao Ruisi and Shen Luoluo in a booth, both studying a glass of wine on the table.

"Zhi Zhi baby!" Tao Ruisi was the first to speak, pushing the drink in front of her, "This is a Margarita that the reigning champion just made, do you want to try it?"

Rong Zhi sat on the high stool, looked at the cocktail in front of her for a few seconds, then picked it up and took a small sip, giving her evaluation, "It’s average."

There was too little Cointreau and too much lime juice, obviously, the bartender’s measurement control wasn’t stable, making the drink taste slightly sour.

Tao Ruisi clapped her hands, eyes brightened, "Zhi Zhi, do you want to give it a try? With your skills, you could successfully challenge the champion."

Rong Zhi remained expressionless: "Ms. Tao Ruisi, let me remind you, you are sixty-two this year."

Coming to a bar, is it appropriate?

Tao Ruisi felt guilty, giggled a bit, "Isn’t this just because Luoluo and I happened to walk by here while shopping, Zhi Zhi baby, I haven’t been drinking tonight, not a single drop."

Rong Zhi: "I’ve already called Kailin."

Tao Ruisi: "..."

She hurriedly hugged Rong Zhi’s arm, shamelessly acting all pitiful, "Zhi Zhi baby, just this once, help me win that crown, and I’ll go back!"

"Crown?"

"Yes, it’s the prize for the bar’s cocktail competition, it looks so good, and I’m going back to my country in a few days, don’t you have to give me a farewell gift?"

Forced buying and selling, that’s exactly what Ms. Tao Ruisi is doing.

Rong Zhi lowered her eyes, "If you get the crown, you’ll go back?"

Tao Ruisi nodded repeatedly.

Rong Zhi: "Okay."

...

The bar was set in the left position when you enter the bar, occupying a wide area, probably specially arranged for the competition.

This cocktail competition was simple, just challenge the reigning champion, defend the title, that’s it, anyone could sign up to participate, but whether you could win depended on yourself.

Moreover, the bar owner here seemed to be a member of the International Bartender Association, with very high standards.

After registering, Rong Zhi found that the competition ran in rounds. There were two groups before her, so she wouldn’t be going up anytime soon. She went back to the booth and snapped her fingers for a waiter.

"Want a drink?" She looked at Bai Su.

Bai Su casually gave an order.

Rong Zhi placed the order.

She was familiar with the bar, ordering like she was more skilled than the waiter.

Two drinks were quickly served, but the two who couldn’t drink just watched eagerly from the side.

Shen Luoluo absentmindedly tugged at her hair, "Oh, Third Brother, what should I do about my exam next week? My brother said if my grades don’t improve, he’ll cancel my card."

Rong Zhi: "Go find Ying Hengyu, he has a notebook, and you can study together."

That was the notes she compiled out of boredom every day during class, originally intended for Rong Fengmian, but Rong Fengmian was obviously falling behind, so it was temporarily given to Ying Hengyu.

Shen Luoluo nodded: "Okay, I’ll ask him out tomorrow. There’s another thing, next Monday there’s a teaching assessment at the concert hall, we can invite friends to watch, why don’t Third Brother, you come and watch my assessment?"

"Is it Hua Country’s National Concert Hall?" Tao Ruisi asked, "Luoluo, are you going to be assessed? I want to go too."

Shen Luoluo: "Yeah, Grandma, you should come too!"

Seeing that even Tao Ruisi agreed, Rong Zhi didn’t want to refuse, so she went along with their wishes and agreed.

Soon, a waiter brought over a number plate, indicating that it was Rong Zhi’s turn to go on stage.

Shen Luoluo quickly pulled Tao Ruisi to find a good viewing spot, while Bai Su, with his height, could see just by leaning on the table.

At the bar.

There were four other challengers in the group with Rong Zhi, two of whom had bartending experience, and two were passersby.

But regardless of who they were, they all turned their gaze toward the young person standing at the very end.

Not for any other reason, but because the youth’s outfit was a bit special, with a black cap and mask, as if afraid someone would see that face.

Some people started to discuss it out loud.

"What’s going on, not even daring to show the face?"

"Maybe they’re ugly, doesn’t matter, just a passerby anyway. This is the last group tonight, right? If no one successfully challenges, then the crown is Brother Yang’s."

"Brother Yang’s amazing. I heard he’s going to participate in this year’s domestic Bartender Association’s assessment. If he passes, won’t this bar in Beijing be his playground?"

The profession of a bartender has always been popular. There are many bars on the street, but bartenders who can mix drinks well are rare.

Knowing how to bartend is one thing, but being able to innovate and create your own signature drink is another.

The former is following in the footsteps of predecessors, while the latter becomes the predecessor themselves.

And the place with the most predecessors in this world is the International Bartender Association, where bartenders all aspire to go. There, you can learn more about bartending knowledge and meet bartenders who are internationally renowned.

Don’t underestimate this industry. Which of those aristocratic families doesn’t have a private bar? Don’t they need bartenders for hosting banquets?

Yang Dong, who became the center of discussion, sat in the closest booth to the bar, spinning a freshly mixed drink in his hand, smiling with a bit of pride.

A friend next to him asked, "Brother Yang, when does this year’s assessment start?"

Yang Dong raised his brows, replying lazily, "No word yet, but soon."

"Does Brother Yang have insider information?" the friend exclaimed.

Yang Dong only smiled and said nothing.

The friend immediately understood, his tone becoming increasingly flattering, "Then why are we even competing? You’re definitely winning tonight’s contest. If those people knew you knew people in the Bartender Association, they wouldn’t dare go on stage. Going up would just be embarrassing."

He didn’t think anyone present could compete with Yang Dong, after all, he was practically stepping into the domestic Bartender Association.

Yang Dong spun his glass, his gaze swept over the few behind the bar, squinted, and showed a hint of disdain.

The competition started quickly.

The first ones to go up were the two passersby. They had only watched bartenders mix drinks in bars and didn’t know about the necessary measurements, their movements were both clumsy and slow, and the final product was a complete mess.

Boss Fox frowned as he watched from the side.

The other two with experience looked more pleasing at least, their motions had some form, and the drinks they made were decent, at least they were okay to taste, relieving the boss’s tightly furrowed brow considerably.

Finally, it was the turn of the fully geared-up youth.

The boss stared at the mask on the youth’s face, pursed lips slightly, "Hello, could you take off your mask please?"

There’s nothing to see, being so timid, he left a rather poor impression.

"Tsk, so timid and still participating in a bartending competition? It’s not just about bartending, bartenders need a good personal image, and he can’t be hiding like this."

Someone scoffed, and others echoed.

The youth behind the bar extended a cold, white finger to tilt the brim of the cap, revealing a pair of charming, chill fox-like eyes, shrouded in a misty aura, and laced with a hint of menace at the corners.

Just the sight of those eyes made everyone catch their breath, mouths agape yet forgetting to speak.