Chapter 3: Alcohol, Mission, and the System

Zhou Qi sat down on his month-old bar. In front of him were various sizes of alcohol bottles. Whiskey, beer, wines, rum, tequila, brandy, gin, and various kinds of drinking alcohol. You name it. Believe me, the loan shark has it.

Drinking glasses of various designs were also littered all over the table. It was all rare goodies.

The sight of the tumbled rare bottles would make any bar owners feel the pain of loss. It was an eyeful. It was a sight that could make any well-acquainted alcoholics surely salivate.

"Hickk."

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Health points: 18/30 (Unhealthy Lungs and Liver)!!!

Stamina: 20/20

Status: Intoxicated – Signs of Alcohol Poisoning.

_____________________

The loan shark Zhou Qi drank one bottle after another. His sorrows were drowned by the spirit of alcohol. Though, the system was telling him it was bad for his health. Still, he continued to chug one bottle after another. Who cares about some random system anyway?

Though before drinking, he would always look at the label first. He threw some into the trash bin and drank the others. The system continued to flash before his eyes. It was like a terrible internet advert, popping again and again. The red warnings spammed him like an unbreakable troll warrior. It was giving him one heck of a headache. Far worse than that of the alcohol he drank.

Smart people would wonder where the owner of this bar found these rare bottles. Not even the rich and powerful people would have such an extensive collection of alcohol. After the void shocks, the world's supply chain was rendered useless. Making it hard for everyone to get such rare stocks.

The void gates that appeared after the void shocks blocked supply routes. The previous routes became impassable. May it be through air, sea, or land.

The void shocks even caused great famines in various countries. The casualty estimates were not only millions of people. But rather billions of people died. Many countries even ceased to exist. Ending up as mere parts of history texts. A lot of surviving cities turned into ruins. Falling into the clutches of the beasts, getting outrun by zealots, or destroyed by the following wars.

Zealots were monsters coming from void gates. They appear like monsters of the deep. Although, they sometimes looked like animals in shape. But unlike the normal earth animals, these monsters had only one instinct…to kill.

What's worse? Some zealot species could even control the elements. They were like wielders in a sense. Though they knew no thirst, zealots themselves are the manifestation of glutinous hunger.

Some powerful zealots have even razed a country to the ground, making it their lair or backyard. Void calamities, it was the name coined only for them.

Still, it's not enough to describe the destruction they brought to the world. These monsters were intelligent and powerful. Many questions about them remain unanswered up to this day.

Based on the studies of experts - these void calamities literally changed the whole world. They caused a staggering change in the environment. Simply put, their existence transformed the world as we know it. You can't even trust the world map now. As for the satellites - a lot had already been bitten down by the void beast. In their eyes, it was a mere chewable snack. With titanium or without.

The void shocks caused by the void calamities had killed almost half of the population of the world. The void shocks also changed the world's terrains.

The governments of the new nations weren't even sure of their current population.

A lot of roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructures were greatly damaged. It halted the transportation of supplies. It led many people to become refugees. The communication channels were also impaired, leaving most electronics useless.

Five years had already passed since the void shocks. Yet, only a few of the roads and bridges went under repair. The random zealot attacks slowed the process even more.

The world map was changing with each passing moment. New warlords and void calamities terraforming the whole planet with every battle. In a sense, great changes happen every day.

"B-Boss?"

A stupefied fatty stood before the doorway. The fatty's thick brows twitched. He rubbed his forehead, looking troubled. A wry smile crawled to his lips after he caught a glimpse of the rare bottles spluttered all over the bar. There were no customers in the bar.

Silence loomed. It was what accompanied the loan shark through his every shot. The frequent visitors of the bar were all shooed away by Zhou Qi. He drank alone the whole night.

Zhou Qi saw the fat man standing with his mouth agape. "Where's Cheng Shi? Hiccup."

"B-Boss you ordered him to go with the kid."

"Oh. Call Cheng Shi. Ask him how the kid is?"

Zhou Qi stood up with a bottle in his hands. He walked to the couch and laid down. He stretched out his arms, reaching to the blurry lights his eyes were catching. His hand blocked the lights away from his sight.

"Too bright."

The fatty strode towards Zhou Qi. He sat at the nearby couch just across from the drunk man. "Boss, you sure you want that boy in?"

Zhou Qi squinted his drunk eyes and stared at the ceiling.

The fatty looked at the drunk loan shark. His previous smile - gone with the wind. The fatty's eyes showed a glint of seriousness. He pulled a chair and sat beside the couch. He looked at the loan shark, gazing and waiting for an answer.

"Zhou Qi, I know you remember yourself in him. I'm not going to fight you over this. Just tell me, do you want him in? We need your decision on this."

Zhou Qi closed his eyes, covering them with an arm. The bar lights were too shiny for his eyes. He was a man of light, living in a dark world. Many thoughts were flowing in his mind, chipping parts of his reason.

"Yes."

"Intern! If the boy doesn't pass. I'll kick him."

"Fine, don't make it easy for the boy. Put him under Sasa. I want him trained and ready." Zhou Qi sighed.

Zhou Qi removed the arms that blocked the lights above. He once again looked at the glimmers of light with squinted eyes. The intoxication in his eyes was gone as if he only drank plain water.

The lazy and shifty eyes, nowhere to be seen, were all replaced by a determined fiery gaze.

"Fatty Jhin, do you think we will succeed?"

"Don't know! You've made this place! What do you even mean by succeeding?"

The fatty stood up and picked up the bottles one by one. He threw the empty bottles away at the garbage bin. He looked at the garbage bin and saw an unopened bottle with skull signs. It was poison for rats. He sighed. The loan shark was playing drunk. If he was drunk, he would chug this one for sure.

Nevertheless, he ignored it. He decided to play along with this foolishness. He cleaned the messy bar table. After that, he walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of cold water.

Fatty Jin looked at its label, his eyes shifty. He then nodded. With no word, he threw it into the air, aiming at Zhou Qi.

The loan shark Zhou Qi reached out in the air, catching the thrown water bottle with ease.

"Water?"

"Yep."

"Thanks."

Rising from the couch, Zhou qi sat down straight. He immediately chugged the bottle of water. He then removed the water stains from his face with his sleeves. He felt refreshed.

"Good now? Can we get to the real talk now?"

"You can say your piece already. Even though I look drunk, you know that my brain still functions as clear as day."

"Tsk, Boss. You know I hate talking with drunk people. I tried talking to my drunk father before he died. Believe me, the old man answered no question of mine. He only gave more things to question."

Zhou Qi straightened his posture and gazed at Fatty's eyes.

"Fine, fine. You win! Now, tell me what's wrong. You won't talk to me simply of the boy right?"

Fatty Jin hummed and entered the bar. Despite his size, Fatty Jhin hooked himself with the different bottles of drinks. He reached out and threw a few bottles in the air. He mixed various juices like a pro. In a moment, he picked up two pieces of wine glass from the glass rail. He put the mixed drink in the glasses with care. At last, he picked a cherry somewhere, designing the glass with a bit of classic red.

Soon, two drinks were ready. He put it in the front bar before casting his gaze at Zhou Qi.

"Man, you're the best!"

Zhou Qi stood up from the couch and took a seat. He immediately took a sip. But the taste left his face frozen stiff.

The fatty walked to the bar top with a victorious smile on his face.

"Non-alcoholic. Good for hangovers. Just to make sure we go clean in this discussion." Fatty threw a witty grin. He then walked towards the couch again. His fats jiggled.

He crossed his thick fat legs, flashing a smug grin towards Zhou Qi.