17 017 Ruthless Iron Hand_1

Having changed his clothes, Lin Ge walked into the bar, and his fluctuating emotions quickly settled down.

Inside the bar, within every inch of space, was his own world, where he always felt at ease as soon as he entered.

Before the customers arrived, only Lin Ge, Nilu, and Iris were in the shop. To alleviate the awkwardness of earlier, Lin Ge took the initiative to break the silence.

"Why could Prince Lieyang, clearly not recognizing Earth's script, understand what I was saying? And so could Lanya and Karina."

Nilu explained with a smile, "This issue relates to the magical construction of this bar, involving multiple disciplines of magic, which makes it complicated to explain. However, you can simply understand it as, everyone who enters this bar receives a continuous magical effect that allows them to understand other races' languages."

"So that's how it is," Lin Ge had one of his questions answered.

After the bar began its new day of official business, Lin Ge wiped the bottles while guessing in his mind who would be today's first customer.

Since Karina had peeked at him changing clothes yesterday, she probably wouldn't come today, or if she did, she wouldn't be as enthusiastic as usual.

It also wasn't likely for Prince Lieyang to come so soon, so that left only Lanya among the regular customers.

When the wind chimes at the door jingled, Lin Ge looked towards the entrance, and, to his surprise, the person walking into the bar wasn't Lanya but a new customer.

An old man with white hair, even his long beard that reached down to his chest was white, wearing a simple gray robe, holding a magic wand of about his own height.

The magic wand looked more like a simple stick, thicker at the top and thinner at the bottom.

The old man had a pair of deep, bright eyes. After a cursory glance over the bar's setup, he walked over to a table, sat down, and placed his stick on the table.

Iris walked over with a menu, politely asking,

"Dear customer, what would you like to order? We have not only alcoholic beverages but also non-alcoholic drinks, including sodas, juices, and teas."

The old man showed a serene smile, "Of course, I'm here to drink in a tavern."

"All right, our establishment has recently launched a new drink, a mixture of various types of alcohol with a unique flavor. Here is the menu, take a look and see what you'd like."

Iris put the menu in front of the old man. The menu was pictorial, and after flipping through two pages, the old man saw pictures of the crystal-clear cocktails and praised,

"Your drinks look beautiful."

Then, he pointed at the menu with his twig-like finger.

"A 'Contemplation,' please. What a good name, I wonder how it tastes."

"Certainly, please wait a moment."

Iris came to the bar, her smile fading immediately.

"Hey, a 'Contemplation,' and make it quick."

The bar wasn't large, and Lin Ge had already heard what the old man had ordered. By the time Iris came over, he had already taken down a bottle of whiskey from the shelf.

"Got it."

Iris sat in front of the bar, resting her beautiful chin in her hands, watching every move Lin Ge made, apparently intending to learn on the spot.

Lin Ge didn't mind—the ingredients for "Contemplation" were not complex, simply adding the right amount of syrup, mint leaves, and a slice of lemon to the whiskey was all that was needed, but the proportions needed to be precise.

He fetched the mixing jug and glass while saying to Iris, "If you want to learn, come in and help."

Iris blinked, her beautiful eyes revealing confusion.

"Are you really letting me in?"

"If you're not willing, forget I said anything."

"Ahem, since you seem so keen on having my help, I'll give you a little hand."

Iris tilted her head slightly as she entered the bar, coming to Lin Ge's side with a hint of excitement hidden in her eyes.

"Tell me, how can I help you?"

Lin Ge saw her feigned indifference and couldn't help but want to laugh inwardly, but his expression remained calm.

"Go get some ice cubes, plus six fresh mint leaves, make sure to wash them thoroughly, and cut a slice of fresh lemon."

Obediently, Iris went off to do as told, which surprised Lin Ge. Was this the same Iris who always had a temper?

Though Iris's bartending skills were lacking, her movements were surprisingly quick, and she soon prepared all the ingredients Lin Ge needed.

Lin Ge glanced over the ice bucket, the six tender green mint leaves still dotted with water droplets, and a slice of golden lemon, and praised, "Very good, the speed is fast, the ingredients are precise, and the slicing technique isn't bad either."

A hint of an unnatural expression flashed across Iris's face.

"Hmph, don't think that by praising me now, I'll change my mind. Once my skills surpass yours, I'll still kick you out of the bar."

"I look forward to your performance."

Seeing the usual sincere and friendly smile on Lin Ge's face, which did not seem feigned at all, Iris thought to herself, could he be serious? Even if I surpass him, it doesn't matter? Is he really that generous?

With that thought, she suddenly felt that Lin Ge didn't seem so repulsive.

She began to carefully observe Lin Ge's hands, which were fair and well-formed, with clearly defined knuckles, elegant and agile when mixing drinks.

When he picked up the stainless steel ice tongs to grab the transparent ice cubes, which radiated coldness from the ice bucket, those pristine hands looked like a pair of artworks, exhibiting a pure beauty.

As he gently tore up the fragile and delicate fresh mint leaves and tossed them into the cocktail shaker, his touch was so gentle and meticulous.

Those same hands then picked up a teaspoon, added one teaspoon of syrup into the shaker, followed by pouring in the whiskey from the bottle. After sealing the shaker, he began to shake it vigorously.

Those hands blurred before her eyes, then became clear again, as the sloshing sound from the cocktail shaker reached her ears. Iris felt as though her heart was also mixed in, shaken into disarray.

Her breathing became a bit erratic, her chest rising and falling slightly.

Suddenly, those hands stopped shaking, slowly lifted the cocktail shaker above the already prepared classic glass, gently opened the lid, and the crystalline liquor flowed out, filling the classic glass.

The golden slice of lemon sank into the glass, like the sun sinking into the sea, and a "Contemplation" was thus completed.

"Did you remember?"

Lin Ge's voice suddenly reached Iris's ears, and she snapped back to reality, shifting her gaze from those hands.

"What?"

"I asked if you remembered the steps I just took to mix the drink. Every detail is very important."

"No, I didn't."

Iris felt her face heat up slightly, as her attention had been completely drawn to those hands and she had paid no attention to the details of Lin Ge's drink mixing.

"No worries, I'll demonstrate it again next time when there's a chance. For now, deliver this drink to the customer."

"Oh, okay."

Iris left the bar with her head lowered, carrying the prepared "Contemplation" over to the table of the old man in the gray robe.

Lin Ge watched her go, feeling that she had been acting strangely just now. The making of "Contemplation" wasn't even that complicated, was it?

At that moment, the wind chimes at the door rang again.

A petite purple figure burst into the bar, accompanied by a childish wail.

"Lin Ge, I'm sorry, I lost your Gold Coin."