Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 251 Culture is Important

Ai Liang quickly composed herself and followed the thug into the elevator.

As the saying goes, the bright lights and bustling nightlife are intoxicating, and the oxen and horses will take you through the world of crime.

If these thugs really had any special skills, they wouldn't just be thugs.

As long as they don't commit any serious crimes and don't get in my way.

Ai Liang couldn't be bothered to care about the attitude of these cannon fodder.

Each floor of this mixed-use building houses a different tenant.

Ai Liang could see at least several different shops from the floor plan at the entrance.

For example, the second and third floors are bath and massage centers, the fifth and sixth floors are accommodations, the seventh floor is an entertainment center, and the eighth floor is an office area...

Ai Liang is now heading to the bar on the fourth floor.

Perhaps it's because they are more likely to gather intelligence under the influence of alcohol.

Many intelligence brokers, or places where intelligence is exchanged, use bars as their base.

Ma Wei was an intelligence unit under Song Jie's subordinate forces.

It perfectly inherits this fine tradition.

As mentioned before, Song Jie belongs to the modernist intelligence faction.

Although he was involved in many industries, his main job was nominally intelligence work.

Even if other sources of income are N times that of intelligence income.

He didn't give up on this meager income-generating main job.

Perhaps this is the last stand of intelligence brokers?

Ma Wei was working under Song Jie, so the industry's development inevitably followed Song Jie's direction.

But he wasn't as wealthy and powerful as Song Jie.

Unable to recruit any capable subordinates, they could only fill in with these fierce-looking, simple-minded people.

Putting everything else aside, this thug is still carrying a storage bag, looking like he's not very bright.

It wasn't for any ulterior motive; I simply forgot to let go.

Ding.

The elevator door opens.

As usual, Ai Liang followed the thug out of the elevator.

We slowly made our way towards the conference room door at the end of the corridor.

Push open the door, and you'll find yourself in the bar.

Midnight and early morning are peak hours for bars.

Most of the seats in the bar were occupied by all sorts of people.

And the vast majority of them were men; women were almost nowhere to be seen.

The men were either drinking and bragging with the people next to them, or staring intently at the two dancers on the dance floor in the center of the bar.

They were scantily clad, clinging to the steel pipes, stretching out their alluring figures.

Occasionally, when her eyes meet a customer's, she'll even give them a flirtatious wink.

Ai Liang glanced at it once and then looked away.

Compared to the bars in Nevada back in the day, these two dancers' skills were really not that great.

All they know is to pull the steel pipe around in circles, at most rubbing it up and down a couple of times.

Saying they're here for part-time work is giving them too much credit.

Even if it's a part-time job, shouldn't you at least learn something?
However, considering Ma Wei's sphere of influence, it's not entirely incomprehensible.

The vast majority of people who come to drink every day are regulars or people from the neighborhood.

Anyway, these people aren't really here to watch the dance.

It would be better to hire two hot girls.

After the thugs led Ai Liang into the bar, they did not stop.

Instead, he led Ai Liang past the tables and bar, and through the side door.

When he pushed open another door, the two entered a mini-bar.

After Ai Liang entered the room, the thugs turned and left, leaving him alone standing at the door.

Unlike the noisy environment outside, it's much quieter here.

The mini-bar is very small, estimated to be only about 50 square meters.

Aside from the bar, there are hardly any tables.

There were only three guests.

The owner here, seemingly to elevate the atmosphere, even specially installed an old-fashioned record player, playing soft and soothing classical music.

Putting aside the quality of the wine, the atmosphere was quite nice.

Ai Liang ignored the prying glances coming from the other side of the table.

I put on a mask, went straight to the bar, pulled over an ashtray, and sat down.

"A glass of pure water."

Ai Liang spoke up.

The bartender picked up a glass, filled it halfway with water, and pushed it towards him.

He smiled and asked, "Would you like something else to drink? If you're unsure, I can recommend something."

"I don't have time to waste with you."

Ai Liang picked up her cup and poured the water into the ashtray: "I prefer to get straight to the point."

"Excuse me, our boss is on his way. How about we have something to drink first?"

The bartender repeated what he had said before.

Smiling, he wiped the cup, a cup that could never be truly clean.

Wiping the cups doesn't have any special meaning; it's just something to do when there are no guests, so I'm not idle.

Another reason is to satisfy laymen's stereotypes about bars and make themselves look "professional".

You insist on having a drink before you'll open your mouth, right?
Ai Liang squinted her eyes: "Then let's have a cocktail, mix it my way."

"no problem."

The bartender readily agreed and quickly prepared the cocktail shaker and measuring tools.

“Gin, black cherry, Chartreuse, 25 ml each in that order, plus half a lemon.”

Ai Liang revealed the cocktail recipe from her previous life.

Although the political system of this world is very different from that of the previous one, some things have been retained.

Wine is one of them.

However, many cocktail recipes that originated in specific historical contexts have disappeared.

There were many more cocktails made with liquors whose names he had never heard of before.

There were even a lot of cocktails made with Shaoxing wine.

When Ai Liang first heard about these cocktails, she had a feeling that she couldn't describe in words.

If I had to describe it, it would be like the British seeing a Saber version of King Arthur.

If you still don't understand, just imagine replacing the stockings on a two-dimensional character with red embroidered cotton pants from a mountain village.

It was incredibly awkward.

In her previous life, Ai Liang worked in a bar.

When I first started out, I would spend all my free time reading several cocktail recipe books.

They were afraid that customers would order cocktails they had never heard of and that they wouldn't be able to mix them.

However, it turned out that he was overthinking it.

Many people who go to bars order the same few things they usually order.

Experienced drinkers often order tequila and martinis, while female customers frequently opt for margaritas or bloody Marys.

Men who have ulterior motives and want to get girls drunk will order a Long Island Iced Tea.

Some customers are really picky and want to order a different cocktail.

Experienced bartenders would step in, so it wouldn't be his turn.

When Ai Liang finished her part-time job at the bar, she had forgotten almost everything except for the few drinks she usually made.

But now, with the blessing of this inhuman body...

Ai Liang clearly recalled all the cocktail recipes she had seen in her previous life.

Even things that were only glanced at and then forgotten were all remembered again.

He could live a life of comfort just by selling cocktail recipes.

The bartender frowned slightly after hearing the recipe.

He had never heard of this recipe.

Moreover, there are two types of wine: black cherry and Chartreux.

Both are distinct liqueurs, and almost no one has ever tried combining them.

Based on the principle that the customer is God.

The bartenders were still using measuring cups, following Ai Liang's recipe, to pour the drinks into the cocktail shaker one by one.

After squeezing the juice from half a lemon using a lemon squeezer and pouring it into a cocktail shaker.

The bartender dipped a drop in with his bar spoon, put it on the back of his hand, tasted it, and then gave an incredulous look.

After the ice was added and the cocktail was shaken, the bartender used an ice strainer to pour the pale yellow cocktail into the glass.

"I've never heard of this recipe before. Could you tell me its name?"

"I asked the bartender."

“Mr. Ma, if you intend to continue acting, what you’re about to say is the name of this glass of wine.”

Ai Liang gently pushed the wine glass aside.

He would never eat or drink anything given to him by a stranger on someone else's turf.

"As expected of the Asia League's number one bounty hunter, he has excellent eyesight."

Bartender... or rather, Ma Wei.

He clapped his hands lightly: "I never expected that someone as famous as you would know a mere bartender like me. I am truly flattered."

Ai Liang stared at Ma Wei with a stern face.

Not to mention Nevada City, you're the kind of guy who can only be an extra in Thousand Flower City, what are you pretending for?

Do you think you're so classy by being so indecisive?
If it weren't for maintaining the messenger's persona.

Ai Liang had already started engaging in physical communication.

He hates guys who put on airs and waste their time.

"Give me Song Jie's contact information."

Ai Liang took a check out of the inside pocket of her leather jacket and placed it on the bar.

Also pulled out was a cylindrical container.

"Heh, let's not even talk about whether I know someone of Mr. Song's caliber. Even if I did, why would I tell you?"

Ma Wei glanced at the amount on the check: "It's a bit unreasonable for them to come to my turf and cause trouble without saying a word!"

Actually, Ma Wei received Zhang Yan's call at the beginning.

I thought it was some rival coming to cause trouble.

It wasn't until they heard that even guns were being used that they realized something was wrong.

Chika City has a complete ban on guns.

He didn't have any enemies whose grudges were so great that he needed to use a gun to resolve the issue.

Even if there were such a person, they shouldn't have gone to Xuanlong Bar; they should have come here to find themselves.

Furthermore, the other party requested to meet with him only to discuss business.

From this, Ma Wei deduced that Ai Liang was very likely not a local of Qianhua City, but a bounty hunter from another place.

They don't understand the rules of Thousand Flower City.

This savage and fierce style is clearly from Nevada.

Ma Wei originally had Zhang Yan bring the person over with a "let's try our luck" attitude.

Until just now, through the building's surveillance cameras.

He then realized that he had actually won the grand prize.

"What's done is done, there's no point in saying anything now, let's just focus on finalizing the business deal."

Ai Liang pushed the check forward again.

"Where's Zhang Yan? Didn't they come with you?"

"I saw he was too tired, so I helped him get a good night's sleep."

Ai Liang expressed Zhang Yan's current situation in a rather tactful way.

Upon hearing this, Ma Wei immediately realized what was going on.

Zhang Yan was probably knocked unconscious by Ai Liang.

"Disrupting the other party's business before even discussing it—I've never heard of such a business negotiation method before."

Ma Wei's eyes were gloomy, and his face was rather unpleasant: "You need to understand one thing, this isn't Nevada City, it's my territory!"

No matter how much pressure Ma Wei exerted with his eyes, he remained unmoved.

Ai Liang's expression did not change at all.

He unscrewed the cylindrical container and poured a bottle of colorless crystalline powder into an ashtray that was more than half full of water.

Ma Wei simply leaned against the bar counter and watched quietly, without stopping them.

He probably mistook these powders for something like ketamine.

Do it all.

Ai Liang did not give Ma Wei the answer he wanted, but instead answered his initial question.

"Didn't you want to know the name of this cocktail?"

Ai Liang picked up the cocktail and poured a little into the ashtray: "The name of this drink is 'Last Words'."

"A last message? What an unlucky name."

Ma Wei coughed and tapped the table.

Several other drinkers nearby immediately stood up.

"But it does suit your current situation quite well."

"Mr. Messenger, you might not know this, but not long ago, Boss Song offered a high reward for your whereabouts, and I ended up running into you."

Ma Wei looked at the messenger with the expression of someone eyeing a fat sheep: "You're being held at gunpoint right now, so you'd better not make any rash moves."

Ai Liang didn't move at all, and didn't even seem to want to draw his gun to fight back.

Ma Wei thought he had given up, so he came out from behind the bar, intending to tie the man up with a rope himself.

Have you heard of sodium sulfide?

Ai Liang suddenly started explaining some chemistry: "Sodium sulfide is a very hygroscopic substance and it reacts with acids."

"These reactions produce a gas called hydrogen sulfide."

Ai Liang spun around on the bar stool and slowly turned around: "Low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide have a strong, pungent odor, but high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide have no smell at all."

Because your sense of smell will be instantly paralyzed, and you won't be able to smell anything.

Apart from Ai Liang, Ma Wei and his men unconsciously wrinkled their noses.

That's right, Ai Liang never intended to negotiate properly with these people from the beginning.

He's just here to go through the motions and complete the chain of reasoning.

Before even entering the door, Ai Liang had already obtained the information she wanted to know.

This includes Ma Wei's plan to kidnap himself and then claim credit from Song Jie.

Since the other party has no intention of conducting a normal transaction, he is not prepared to have a proper conversation either.

Since the messenger lacks the martial prowess of the hermit, he must resort to external means; poison gas is an excellent choice.

Ai Liang picked up her wine glass and poured the remaining wine into the ashtray.

This move put Ma Wei's men on edge.

He rushed forward, shoved Ai Liang aside, and slapped the ashtray to the ground.

Ai Liang stood aside without making any attempt to stop her.

Just like when he poured sodium sulfide into the ashtray, Ma Wei didn't react at all.

The people inside had absolutely no idea what hydrogen sulfide was.

At most, one could deduce from Ai Liang's words that hydrogen sulfide was toxic.

The extent of its toxicity is completely unknown.

If you were carrying an ashtray, rushing into the bathroom to empty it, that would be fine.

Simply spilling it on the ground doesn't stop the sodium sulfide powder from continuing to deliquesce.

"Mr. Ma, I never joke. If you still don't give me Song Jie's contact information, then this drink will be your last words."

"By the way, even if you run out now, it's too late. The poison has already entered your body. Guess how much longer you have to live?"

Ai Liang's words are a typical example of taking advantage of the other party's lack of education.

Through verbal misleading, they are made to believe that this is a deadly poison with an antidote.

In fact, there is no antidote for this at all.

The only option is to get out of the highly toxic air as soon as possible and go to the hospital for emergency treatment.

If you're too late, the person will be gone.

To make her story more convincing, Ai Liang continued, "I have many pills on me. If I die, can you tell which ones are antidotes and which ones are poison?"

Ma Wei was completely devastated.

(End of this chapter)