[COD] Newbie's Rise to Power

"Click".

You leaned against him, and upon hearing the familiar voice, you immediately looked up and saw him lighting a cigarette.

Just as he took his first puff, you quickly reached out and snatched it away.

Didn't you promise me you'd quit smoking?

He smokes too much. You've been advising him to quit for a long time, but all you've gotten is a promise to smoke less.

He only agreed to try to quit before you returned to China.

The ghost wasn't annoyed by your actions; it simply ruffled your loose hair and asked in a lazy tone.

"I've already reduced my smoking, this is the first one today, please don't be so strict with me, okay?"

But you were adamant: "If I don't control it, you'll be killed by nicotine. I have to be strict for your health."

The ghost didn't insist; it simply lowered its head and kissed your forehead.

"But when I'm under a lot of work pressure and you're not around, I need a way to express myself."

The physical and mental pressure on the battlefield is immense, and the loneliness and longing in ordinary times are also unbearable, so a cigarette that can relieve anxiety becomes their solace.

You climb onto him, stub out your cigarette in the ashtray, and look down at him.

"I can make you some candies with medicinal herbs. They also have the effect of refreshing the mind and relieving anxiety. How about using them as a substitute for cigarettes?"

Upon hearing this, Ghost pursed his lips and said nothing, but the furrows between his brows clearly indicated his displeasure.

You angrily slapped his chest muscle!

"Then I'm not going to care about you anymore! Don't come crying to me when your lungs rot!"

After saying that, you turned over and faced away from him.

The familiar scent immediately wafted over, and a hot chest pressed against your bare back.

Those large, calloused hands, burning with heat, caressed your abdomen.

"Little bird, don't be angry..."

As he spoke, he leaned his head closer to you, wanting to kiss you on the cheek.

You, however, simply raised your hand and pressed it against his chin, baring your teeth and yelling at him like a cat with its fur standing on end.

"You're the Angry Bird!"

"Also, don't kiss me with your stinky, cigarette-smelling mouth!"

After saying that, you suddenly had a bright idea, and then grabbed his wrist and raised his hand that you wanted to be affectionate with.

"From now until you successfully quit smoking, you are not allowed to hug, kiss, or do anything else!"

Bonus Chapter: Simon x You 3

"What the fucking hell!?"

(This is unbelievable!?)

The ghost's voice rang out, tinged with doubt and surprise.

“Honey, you shouldn’t have tested me with these things.”

You scoff: "Your supposedly invincible willpower can't even overcome a little nicotine addiction?"

The ghost tried to persuade him: "I need time to take it slowly, after all, it has been with me for more than 20 years."

You turned the hand that was supporting his chin and covered his mouth with it.

"You said the same thing last time. I don't want to hear your excuses anymore. You can only choose one: cigarettes or me!"

A ghostly arm immediately and forcefully embraces you, its voice hoarse:

"Of course I'd choose you."

You turn around, lean your head towards him, and place a kiss on the back of the hand that was covering his mouth.

Then she looked up at him, and a warm smile wafted over her.

"Then...do your best."

For a long time afterward, in order to help Ghost quit smoking and distract him, and also to take him on a trip through China, you and he traveled to several provinces and cities.

Ghost likes alcohol. When you asked him what he wanted to do after retirement, his answer was neither to travel nor to escape the world, nor to return to the military.

Instead, he opened a veterans' bar.

It's still the kind of retro bar with a live band.

You gave him positive encouragement at the time because you knew that there weren't many things he cared about or liked in his life, such as alcohol and bands.

His father used to be in a band, and his mother was a fan of his father. The two fell in love and had him and his younger brother.

But the good times didn't last long. His father's band's style declined due to changes in popular culture, and they eventually fell into decline.

Therefore, he wanted to open such a bar not only to satisfy himself, but also to save families like his own from his childhood.

The foundation of a bar is, of course, alcohol, and having a variety of different drinks and its own signature drinks gives the bar its soul.

So you embark on a journey to search for and gather the souls of the ghosts.

As a country with a long history, we naturally have our own unique wine culture.

Local alcoholic beverages can be broadly divided into two categories: baijiu (white liquor) and huangjiu (yellow wine). These two categories have further branched into different types such as rice wine, fruit wine, and flower wine.

Your first stop will naturally be the most famous liquor in the Southwest region, featuring various types of baijiu (Chinese white liquor).

Shortly after the car exited the highway, the vermilion gate of the distillery came into view, with the two large golden characters "Maotai" on it.

You open a car window, and the rich aroma of alcohol hits you, making your head spin for a moment, as if you're already drunk before you've even taken a sip.

After parking the car, you walk along the road, and the smell of alcohol, like a warm, fermenting blanket, envelops the entire street and the space within sight.

Upon entering the distillery, a striking golden human-shaped sculpture stands in front of the office building, with a rectangular stone pillar at its feet inscribed with the four characters "Father of Chinese Liquor".

The distillery staff led the way and explained things to you.

"This is Premier Zhou Enlai. The reason our brand was designated as the national liquor is because of the decision he made at the founding of the nation. Later..."

Next, we toured the brewery and its facilities.

In the brewing workshop, hundreds of pit-style cellars are neatly arranged, their walls made of purplish-red Danxia soil, which has become glossy from years of soaking in the mash.

Several shirtless male workers were bending over and stirring the fermented grains. The moment the wooden shovels were raised, golden sorghum grains mixed with white mist rose into the air and fell into the fermentation pit with a soft "rustling" sound.

The adjacent fermentation room was even more bustling. Female workers were treading crushed wheat into brick-shaped fermentation blocks, their clean, bare feet repeatedly pressing them against bamboo trays. Gradually, fine cracks appeared on the edges of the blocks, like the surface of a frozen river...

The rows of huge earthenware jars in the wine cellar are their final masterpieces, their bodies covered with dark wine stains accumulated over the years, like the wrinkles on the back of an old man's hand.

The guide gently patted a jar of ten-year-old base liquor. The muffled sound emanating from the jar seemed to convey the slow fermentation of time within it.

"The water source for our distillery is the Chishui River next to the distillery, the same Chishui River that the Red Army crossed four times..."

You walk out of the winery and stand on the bank looking at the "red" river water.

The ghost frowned and asked, "You mean you brew your wine using the water from here?"

The color is clearly murky.

The guide remained calm and instead explained with a smile:

"From May to September, that is, between the Dragon Boat Festival and the Double Ninth Festival, is the flood season of the Chishui River. The river water will carry the local red silt into the river, which will turn the river water red. This is also the origin of the name Chishui River."

"However, we will start drawing water to brew wine after October when the river water becomes clear."

You nodded: "I see."

The ghost didn't speak, its lips pursed as if it still had doubts.

But after drinking a glass of 15-year-old vintage, his doubts vanished instantly, and he was eventually persuaded to buy several bottles.

Since you couldn't drive after drinking, you took a taxi to find some food nearby.

The caramelized and tender roasted tofu, the rich and savory steamed preserved meats, the soft and sweet potato salad, the refreshing and palate-cleansing shredded pork, and the sweet, chewy, and cool yellow rice cake shaved ice...

Finally, you and the ghost each held a glutinous rice fried meat cake, sitting on the riverbank eating and enjoying the breeze.

"A mixture of baijiu, lemon juice, and soda water, refreshing yet intense, is a great pairing for food."

The ghost suddenly spoke, as if it had its first inspiration.

As you chew, you give him a thumbs up: "Mmm... Great! Chew... I want to be the first... to try it!"

Further south, the famous tourist destinations not only boast beautiful mountains and rivers, but also unique wines.

Bonus Chapter: Simon x You 4

Guilin's Sanhua wine is different from pure white wine. It is made from pure rice, using underground spring water from the Li River, and a local medicinal herb for brewing. It is extracted after being steamed three times, hence the name Sanhua (meaning "three flowers").

You and the ghost took the wine glasses handed to you by the staff and sniffed them with your noses in a very convincing manner.

The aroma is a natural sweet fragrance similar to osmanthus, with a hint of rice fragrance.

Taking a small sip, the liquor is smooth and delicate on the palate, without any spiciness or burning sensation, making it different from the baijiu I've drunk before, and much gentler.

It feels refreshing when swallowed, with a slight coolness, and a sweet aftertaste.

You turn to the ghost: "Simon, what do you think?"

Ghost smiled and said, "It's refreshing with a touch of sweetness, quite unique."

He enjoys sweet wine, but compared to the rich sweet wines he usually drinks, this refreshing Sanhua wine is indeed a novelty for him.

So you bought a few more bottles, and when you saw advertisements on the street for Sanhua wine made from bamboo, which has a fresh bamboo fragrance, you impulsively wanted to buy two more bottles.

After trying it, Ghost shook his head, indicating that it wasn't as good as the pure wine he had before.

But it wasn't without its rewards. At least you met a warm-hearted fellow villager while you were tasting the food. He said he was out buying things because his family was preparing for a banquet, and he even invited you to experience the local customs.

So the next day you took the red envelopes and were invited to a banquet.

Beer fish, poached chicken, braised pork belly, raw fish, and various stuffed dishes are just some of the local delicacies that whet the appetite.

And the refreshing sour and spicy fruit dessert after the meal is even more addictive!