Super Soldier in the City
Chapter 25 Let me show you

Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Let me show you

"Come on!"

"Come on!"

Zhao Qingsong had been at a standoff with Li Yifei for about half a minute, and to everyone’s surprise, Li Yifei showed no signs of defeat, still wearing an easy smile. On the other hand, Zhao Qingsong was already sweating and his veins were bulging. Seeing this, they were shocked. They had obviously regarded Li Yifei as an outsider and immediately started to loudly cheer Zhao Qingsong on.

Seeing this, Xu Shanshan’s eyes lit up; it was clear that Li Yifei had the upper hand. Although she also shouted encouragements, it was obvious that she was rooting for Li Yifei.

"Are you done?" After holding on for a bit longer, Li Yifei asked with a smile.

Zhao Qingsong’s lips moved, but he made no sound. He simply nodded, and Li Yifei immediately released his hand, effortlessly.

Although Zhao Qingsong also let go of his hand, his forehead was drenched, and his facial muscles twitched. Without making a sound, he bore the pain. When he had exerted force earlier, it felt like squeezing against a steel plate—no matter how hard he tried, he could not overpower his opponent. When Li Yifei applied force, Zhao Qingsong felt as if his bones were about to be crushed, making him realize the vast difference between their strengths. If not for his pride, he would have begged for mercy right there and then.

Li Yifei had actually held back; he hadn’t used much strength at all. In Li Yifei’s eyes, these people were just like children who hadn’t grown up yet. He really couldn’t muster any interest in competing with them.

"Sis... Yifei, you are really amazing," Xu Shanshan said excitedly, almost calling him brother-in-law. She hugged Li Yifei’s arm and proudly announced to everyone, "How about that, my boyfriend is awesome, isn’t he?"

"Hmph, it’s just a bit of brute force, what’s so impressive about that," Xiao Ming pursed his lips and with a twist of his "little waist," sat back down.

Everyone immediately showed the same expression. They all considered themselves artists and therefore had no appreciation for brute strength. They had completely forgotten how excited they were when Zhao Qingsong tried to use brute force to intimidate Li Yifei.

Xu Shanshan brought Li Yifei over to sit down and then introduced the rest of the group. To tell the truth, these people were quite talented—some could play the piano, some could compose, some could paint with oils, and some were involved in body art. In short, they were engaged in rather popular arts. Li Yifei didn’t have a clue about any of these; he just smiled and greeted them.

Because of the previous incident, no one tried to challenge Li Yifei for the time being. However, it was evident they weren’t interested in talking to him either. They deliberately discussed matters they called the "art circle" to intentionally exclude Li Yifei.

Before long, a few more people arrived. Together with Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan, there were sixteen, ten men and six women. At that moment, a young man named Little Long brought over a few bottles of liquor and some cups, and everyone immediately became excited.

After placing these items on the table, Little Long said, "Hello everyone, today I’ve got a bottle of top-notch Vodka, and I’m ready to make some amazing cocktails for all of you. Would anyone be interested in trying them out?"

"Yes, yes, hurry up, I can’t wait. We haven’t seen you perform in a long time."

"Indeed, Little Long’s cocktails are absolutely superb. Every time there’s a different sensation, it’s unforgettable."

The group urged him on, and Little Long began his performance, juggling two cups like a street performer, with the cups constantly flying through his hands and the air—it was quite a spectacle. Xu Shanshan watched intently, and the crowd clapped and cheered.

Next, Little Long added several types of liquor into the cups, continuously shaking and stirring them. Before long, he had created a cocktail separated into four distinct layers.

"Shanshan, since you brought your boyfriend here today, I’ll dedicate this cocktail to him," Little Long offered the cocktail to Xu Shanshan.

Zhao Qingsong snorted and said, "Little Long, that’s casting pearls before swine. Can he really taste the quality of such good liquor?"

Everyone else burst into laughter, and Xiao Ming added in a high-pitched voice, "Exactly, if he can’t appreciate the alcohol, it’s like a cow chewing peonies. I think, Shanshan, you’d be better off enjoying the drink yourself. Don’t waste it."

Xu Shanshan, who would usually join in the mocking with the others, now felt uncomfortable with them making fun of Li Yifei. However, since they were all friends, she didn’t lose her temper; instead, she glared and exclaimed, "Don’t talk nonsense. Yifei knows his alcohol better than anyone. Yifei, try it."

When handing Li Yifei the cocktail, she also winked at him, meaning to just praise it a little after drinking.

However, Li Yifei misunderstood; he thought Xu Shanshan wanted him to show off in this area too. Although he didn’t know much about those artistic things, he was actually an expert at mixing drinks.

Despite always being with the special forces, Li Yifei had to go on missions often. During one mission, he needed to disguise himself as a bartender, so he specifically trained for a few days under one of the world’s most renowned mixologists. Thanks to his martial arts training, Li Yifei had great control over his hand strength. Coupled with his natural talent, he quickly mastered several sophisticated cocktail-making techniques, despite the short learning duration.

In Li Yifei’s view, Little Long’s cocktail-mixing technique was simply child’s play and not fit for serious consideration—it was something to fool these kids who hadn’t seen much of the world.

Taking the cocktail, he first smelled it and then took a small sip. Li Yifei shook his head and said, "This cocktail is truly poorly made."

Xu Shanshan instantly felt exasperated and quickly said, "Yifei, he’s my friend, just appreciate the drink." Then she continued to give him significant looks.

Li Yifei only then realized what was happening. Xu Shanshan had wanted him to just blunder his way through, not put on a show, which made him feel both amused and embarrassed. He was about to go along with Xu Shanshan’s intentions, but their friends weren’t having it.

"Quite the big talker, aren’t you, saying Little Long’s drinks are poorly mixed."

"Little Long is one of the top bartenders in Pingyang City. Countless people come to Art Bar specifically for his cocktails."

"Shanshan, your boyfriend is really full of hot air, isn’t he?"

Everyone joined in the mocking, causing Xu Shanshan to blush and then turn pale. She couldn’t help but throw an annoyed glance at Li Yifei, who gently patted her leg from under the table to reassure her. That made Xu Shanshan’s heart skip a beat, and she looked at Li Yifei with a sudden surge of joy. When she saw him nod, signaling his confidence, her mood lifted.

"So, Shanshan, your boyfriend says my cocktails are bad. Is he, perhaps, a master mixologist himself? If so, today I really have to see for myself," Little Long said with an unfriendly expression, challenging Xu Shanshan.

Xu Shanshan smiled smugly and said, "Of course, Yifei is very impressive when it comes to mixing drinks."

"Then why don’t we have a chance to witness it for ourselves?" said Little Long, his eyes bright as he fixed his gaze on Li Yifei.

"Exactly, no more empty boasting. Show us what a true mixology master looks like!"

"Right, right. Show us what you’ve got, and then we’ll really respect you."

Li Yifei stood up, glanced at the bottles on the table, and said, "You’re missing a few types of alcohol here. I need nine different kinds in order to mix a drink for you."

Little Long immediately raised his head proudly. "What do you need? We may not talk big, but we have a complete selection."

"Alright, then bring me a bottle of ’82 Lafite..."

"What? ’82 Lafite? You must be mistaken," Little Long blurted out in shock. "The ’82 Lafite is becoming rarer, and most of the ones sold in the market are fakes."

Li Yifei shrugged and said, "Fine, ’82 might be a bit much for you. Just get an ordinary Lafite then. You should have that, right?"

"We’ve got it!"

"Then it’ll taste somewhat inferior. It seems your place doesn’t have a variety of famous alcohols. As long as the types match, it’s fine. You’ve got whiskey, so bring me a bottle of Vodka, Bacardi, Hennessy..."

Li Yifei then listed several other alcohols, including world-famous brands and the Chinese white spirit Maotai, and even asked for a bottle of beer.

Even without specific vintages, the drinks that Li Yifei mentioned were all top-tier and expensive. This put Little Long in a bind, as he protested, "Are you planning to just randomly mix these drinks together? Who uses beer in a cocktail? Don’t you ruin my good alcohol, you think these bottles are street corner bootlegs or what?"

Li Yifei smiled faintly and offered, "Alright, if you don’t like the drink I make, I’ll buy all these bottles off you at the original price. How about that?"

The people who were initially ready to mock Li Yifei now all fell silent. The combined cost of these bottles could easily exceed several thousand yuan, and Li Yifei’s confident proposal silenced any doubters.

Although Xu Shanshan was still a bit worried, she quickly raised her head and said, "Little Long, you wouldn’t be too reluctant to part with your alcohol, would you?"

Little Long’s face turned red, but he quickly retorted, "Why wouldn’t I be willing? I’m just afraid of it being wasted on a bad mix. Since he’s so confident, what’s there for me to hold back on?" He then ran to the bar, got out five or six bottles of alcohol that were usually too precious to use, and lined them up on the table.

Li Yifei stepped up to the table, opened each bottle, but he didn’t start mixing right away. Instead, he closed his eyes and took slow, even breaths.

"Hey, what are you doing? Hurry up and start mixing!" Zhao Qingsong immediately shouted.

But Little Long quickly gestured for him to be quiet. As someone who loved bartending and had studied it deeply, he recognized Li Yifei’s actions. He recalled a master bartender saying that to mix a great cocktail, one had to pour their heart into it, which required a mind free of distractions—a state unlikely to be found in a noisy bar.

Liu Yifei’s actions seemed like the prelude to immersing his heart into the drink. The others couldn’t understand it, but Little Long saw it clearly. He stopped everyone from rushing Li Yifei, instead watching expectantly. Seeing Little Long’s reaction, everyone else also turned their attention to Li Yifei, curious whether he truly possessed such skill.

Xu Shanshan’s lively eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation. She never imagined Li Yifei had such talent and was now eagerly waiting to see how he would impress all her friends.