How can you ascend to heaven when you are a star?

Chapter 405 Taking turns
Zhang Wen kept his head tilted back, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and the swallowing sounds in his throat were rapid and heavy. It was as if the wine bottle was stuck to his mouth and he didn't move it for a long time.

Those around were secretly alarmed. They thought the young man would only drink a few sips, but he kept drinking and seemed to intend to finish the whole bottle of Maotai.

The most surprised person was Jiang Hong. Although he also had the bottle on his lips, he actually drank very slowly.

His eyes were constantly darting around, observing the young man beside him, hoping he would stop soon or simply collapse on the ground so he wouldn't have to continue drinking.

However, the idea was nice, but the reality was cruel.

The other party neither stopped nor fell, which made him increasingly panicked.

Drinking a pound of baijiu (Chinese liquor) at a dinner party is no problem, but drinking a pound of baijiu in one go, even if he is a seasoned drinker, he cannot withstand the impact of alcohol on his body.

This isn't about how deep the friendship is; it's about how tough one's life is.

Half a minute later.

Zhang Wen, who had been standing like a statue, finally made a move.

He took the bottle away from his mouth, licked his lips, then placed it on the table and said with satisfaction, "Good wine!"

Jiang Hong secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking: It's finally over.

However, he did not immediately remove the bottle, but instead glanced at his friend Pan Jiang, signaling him to see how much the kid had drunk.

Pan Jiang understood immediately and went over to pick up the bottle and shake it, but the next moment, the expression on his face froze.

Did you finish it?
He turned the bottle upside down in disbelief, staring intently at the opening, waiting and waiting, but not a single drop of wine came out.

What the hell!

Everyone present was stunned, as if they had been frozen in place.

Gone?

Is it really gone?

What did this person do before? Was he a wine taster at the winery?

It took Pan Jiang a while to come to his senses. He turned to look at Jiang Hong, who was still drinking, and his eyes seemed to ask: Brother, are you still okay?
When Jiang Hong saw the overturned wine bottle, he was already a little flustered. Now, when he met Pan Jiang's gaze, he lost his composure, coughed violently, and spat the wine in his mouth all over the ground.

"cough!"

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Pan Jiang quickly walked over, patted Jiang Hong on the back, and asked with concern, "Old Jiang, are you alright?"

"Cough cough, no, it's nothing." Jiang Hong choked, his face turning red, and waved his hand as he said, "I just drank it a little too fast, cough cough."

Although he drank slowly, he had still drunk about half a bottle in that long. Now, after being choked like that, he felt a burning sensation from his mouth to his stomach, and even his head was a little dizzy.

“Teacher Jiang, don’t rush, no one is in a hurry.” Zhang Wen said, picking up the other’s wine bottle and shaking it. “I understand your eagerness to be friends with me. It’s okay, Teacher Zhang, you’re older, you can have a couple of drinks.”

"..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hong couldn't catch his breath and started coughing again.

Still drinking?

Good lad, he's preparing to kill you.

After coughing for a while, he was finally able to straighten up. Looking at Zhang Wen's mocking eyes, he remembered what he had said before: if you're a man, drink straight from the bottle. Whoever can't finish it is a coward... He gritted his teeth, picked up the bottle, and started drinking again.

He didn't want to be subservient, and he certainly didn't want to lose face in front of so many friends!

If he backs down today, he will become a laughing stock among his peers in the entertainment industry, and everyone will bring him up when they are drinking at parties.

Therefore, this wine must be drunk.

Even if it makes me collapse, I'll still drink.

Even if he falls, there are still seven or eight people who will stand up to avenge him.

"Gudong, gudong!"

This time, Jiang Hong didn't try anything funny, nor could he. He simply drank the remaining half bottle of wine, driven by his determination not to be subservient.

Just as he put down the bottle, his body began to sway from side to side. Fortunately, Pan Jiang was standing nearby and quickly helped him to a chair.

Jiang Hong leaned back in his chair, not daring to move, for fear of vomiting up the wine he had just drunk.

“Teacher Jiang, I’ve decided to be your friend,” Zhang Wen said, then swayed and sat heavily in the chair behind him.

Jiang Hong didn't say anything, but he was thinking to himself: Who the hell wants to be friends with you!

Pan Jiang noticed that Zhang Wen had lost his balance and couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. It seemed that the kid was at his limit and would definitely collapse after another bottle.

He left Jiang Hong's seat and turned to walk towards his own. On the way, he winked at another person, who immediately understood and stood up from his seat.

"Xiao Zhang, I'm Yao Ruiyang. I've heard all the songs you've written. I haven't met a composer as talented as you in a long time. I wonder if I could have the honor of becoming friends with you?"

After saying that, he picked up a bottle of Maotai from the dining table.

"Old Yao, what are you doing? Didn't you see that Xiao Zhang just finished drinking? Can't you let him rest for a while?" Pan Jiang said, pretending to be serious.

"I just wanted to be friends with Xiao Zhang because he seemed alright," Yao Ruiyang said, turning to Zhang Wen. "Xiao Zhang, are you alright? Don't force yourself if you're not."

He emphasized his last sentence, seemingly out of concern but actually to provoke the other person, since Pan Jiang had just said that a man cannot say no.

If you say no, then you're not a man.

Young people, who can withstand this kind of stimulation?

"Old Yao, with so much food, how come you still can't shut up? Is the food on the table not to your liking?" Jiang Li frowned, her voice carrying a hint of warning.

Teacher Zhang was invited by her, and she was forced to drink at the party she organized. Isn't that disrespecting her?
“Jiang Li, I’ve admired Xiao Zhang for a long time. We feel like old friends today, so how can I not have a drink? Besides, it was Xiao Zhang who said the cup was too small and he wanted to use a bottle,” Yao Ruiyang said.

Jiang Li rolled her eyes at Yao Ruiyang, and was about to warn him not to play tricks when she saw Zhang Wen sway as he stood up and picked up a bottle of Maotai.

“Actually, when I saw Teacher Yao, I felt like we had known each other for a long time. Sister Li, please don’t try to persuade me. Teacher Yao is my senior. How can I refuse a toast from a senior?” Zhang Wen twisted open the bottle cap and looked at Yao Ruiyang, asking, “Come on, Teacher Yao, the deeper the drink, the deeper our friendship.”

"Haha, Xiao Zhang, I didn't misjudge you." Yao Ruiyang gave a thumbs up, as if afraid the other person wouldn't drink, and took the lead in tilting his head back and drinking.

Zhang Wen took a deep breath before starting to drink.

Upon seeing this, Pan Jiang's joy was overflowing. Anyone who has attended a drinking party knows that someone who does this must feel like they're about to collapse, but has no choice but to grit their teeth and keep going.

It seems the outcome of this bottle will soon be decided.

He was ready to take the photos.

Hmph, this is the consequence of your arrogance.

Pan Jiang thought to himself with smug satisfaction.

Zhao Tong and the others stared intently at Teacher Zhang, their eyes filled with worry. They were prepared to catch her immediately if she fell.

At the same time, I thought to myself that if anyone else toasted Teacher Zhang, I must stand up and drink for him, so that he wouldn't fall down.

Others were also watching the two people drinking, each with their own thoughts.

Some were worried, some were excited, and some were gloating.

Yao Ruiyang sipped his drink slowly, and although he hadn't finished it yet, a victor's smile already appeared on his face.

In his view, the other party had already drunk one bottle and three cups, so he was guaranteed to win and didn't need to drink a bottle like Jiang Hong.

This is what they mean by: one generation plants the trees, another enjoys the shade.

But the smile on Yao Ruiyang's face slowly disappeared after only a short while of enjoying the cool air.

Why isn't it falling?

Was he just posing there without actually swallowing a bite?

Or perhaps they're waiting for him to fall to the ground first?

hateful!

Yao Ruiyang began to get anxious.

If that's the case, he can't wait any longer. They can't just stand there like this forever, can they? This is a drinking game, not a game of "Red Light, Green Light." What's the point of everything he said before if the other person doesn't drink?
Thinking of this, Yao Ruiyang couldn't help but speed up the drinking.

If he can finish his drink quickly, then the other person will have no reason to keep posing, right?

He doesn't believe the other person won't get drunk if they actually drink it.

"Gudong, gudong!"

Yao Ruiyang swallowed much faster, but after a few sips, a burning sensation began to rise from his stomach to the top of his head.

I thought Lao Jiang couldn't hold his liquor when I saw him coughing halfway through, but now it seems that chugging baijiu straight from the bottle is really not something a human being can do.

Gradually, the burning pain in my throat was replaced by numbness, my limbs felt as if they were relieved of a heavy burden, my thoughts began to drift, and the things in front of me started to sway and overlap.

Yao Ruiyang forced himself to drink a few more mouthfuls, but his stomach immediately felt like it was churning, with acid mixed with the smell of alcohol surging up, and his face went from flushed to pale.

Just when he thought he was about to finish drinking, he suddenly felt dizzy, his vision blurred, and his body began to fall backward uncontrollably.

With a "thump," the person fell onto the chair, then tilted to the side and fell directly under the table.

Pan Jiang and the others' expressions changed, and the two people standing next to them quickly went to help Yao Ruiyang up.

However, Yao Ruiyang's mouth was like a spray bottle, spewing vomit all over the people who were helping him, including one of them whose white T-shirt had a green vegetable leaf stuck to it.

To avoid the vomit, the other person let go, causing Yao Ruiyang, who had just managed to stand up, to fall to the ground again.

In an instant, the entire room was filled with an unpleasant smell.

"Snapped!"

Zhang Wen put down the bottle, let out a burp, and then looked across at the other side.

"Hey, is that Teacher Yao? When did he leave? Why didn't he tell me? Did he not want to be friends with me anymore?"

"..."

The people in the room fell silent for a moment.

Where did he go? He's not... Oh, right, he's under the table, Xiao Zhang can't see him.

"Teacher Zhang, Teacher Yao is drunk and is vomiting on the ground," Zhao Tong said softly, while also feeling worried for Teacher Zhang.

Thank goodness that the guy surnamed Yao collapsed, otherwise Teacher Zhang would have collapsed too after drinking this bottle of wine.

Zhang Jiajia and the others looked on with admiration, thinking to themselves that Teacher Zhang was awesome.

"She threw up?" Zhang Wen was taken aback, then muttered to himself, "It seems Teacher Yao has changed her mind and doesn't want to be friends with me anymore."

After saying that, he swayed and fell towards Zhao Tong beside him.

"Teacher Zhang!"

Zhao Tong had been watching closely, and when he saw Teacher Zhang about to fall, he immediately got up and caught her. Zhang Jiajia and the others also went over immediately and gently helped Teacher Zhang into a chair.

"Phew, thanks!"

Zhang Wen sat down, leaned back, and let his arms hang down at his sides, looking completely exhausted.

Pan Jiang's face was ashen, and his expression was extremely unpleasant.

They thought they could drink this arrogant young man under the table in this round, but unexpectedly, their own people were the first to collapse before the other person did.

Shameful, so shameful.

Actually, if it were a one-on-one drinking game, it wouldn't be a big deal if one person passed out. The problem is that it's one against many people now, and he feels embarrassed just watching.

Old Yao usually has a good alcohol tolerance, so why did he mess up today? He's such a disappointment.

Jiang Hong, who stood motionless beside him, felt very understanding and sympathetic towards Lao Yao. To be honest, if he hadn't coughed up a bit of alcohol halfway through, he probably would have been lying on the ground by now.

"If you can't drink, then don't drink!" Jiang Li said with a sneer, then looked at Zhang Wen, "Teacher Zhang, eat a few bites of food to calm down."

"Thank you, Sister Li!" Zhang Wen said, but didn't pick up any food.

When Pan Jiang saw this, he was filled with hatred. If Lao Yao could hold on, this Zhang would surely fall.

No, we still have to force-feed!

If the other side falls, it's a draw; if the other side doesn't fall, they're the ones who lose face.

Pan Jiang thought for a moment, then stood up, picked up the wine that Yao Ruiyang hadn't finished, and said to Zhang Wen, "Teacher Zhang, Lao Yao really wants to be your friend, but he can't hold his liquor. I'll drink the rest for him."

After saying that, he started drinking.

Ok?
What is the taste?
Pan Jiang frowned. Did Lao Yao have bad breath? Or did he vomit into the bottle just now?

What the hell!
He cursed inwardly, but since he had already said it, he could only force himself to continue drinking despite feeling uncomfortable.

Fortunately, there wasn't much left in the bottle, only about two ounces, which I finished in a few sips.

Pan Jiang turned the bottle upside down and looked at the young man leaning against the chair, saying, "Teacher Zhang, I've finished drinking for Lao Yao. You should finish the rest too." He then pointed to the bottle the other man had just put down.

"I'll drink it for Teacher Zhang!" Zhao Tong immediately stood up upon hearing this.

Pan Jiang's expression changed. If it were someone else, how could they possibly get this guy surnamed Zhang drunk?
"This is a matter between men, you women shouldn't interfere. If you want to drink, go drink with Feifei and the others," Pan Jiang said irritably. "I'm sure Teacher Zhang would never let his female students drink for him, right?"

“That’s right.” Zhang Wen nodded in agreement. “Real men drink it themselves; only cowards make others drink it for them.”

"..."

Upon hearing this, Yao Ruiyang, who had just been helped up, turned extremely pale.

I thought to myself: Why don't you just give me your ID number?

He wanted to argue and continue drinking, but the cramping in his stomach and the rising nausea made him realize he couldn't drink anymore; if he did, he'd have to go to the hospital.

So, faced with the choice between being a real man and a coward, he chose to lie face down on the dining table and pretend to be dead.

Pan Jiang insisted on drinking it for him; he didn't ask someone else to drink it for him, so he's not a coward.

Yao Ruiyang comforted himself in his heart.

"Well said! Teacher Zhang not only writes great songs, but he's also a very straightforward person. I've decided to be your friend." Pan Jiang said with a smile, then waited for the other person to continue drinking, looking like he was looking forward to a good show.

One second...

Two seconds...

For a full ten seconds, Zhang Wen remained seated in his chair, without making any movement.

Pan Jiang raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but ask, "Teacher Zhang, shall we continue?"

"Continue with what?" Zhang Wen asked, puzzled.

"Keep drinking, finish the rest," Pan Jiang said, inwardly cursing the kid for pretending to be confused.

"I'm out of drinks, what would you like to drink?" Zhang Wen asked.

"No, none left?"

Pan Jiang was stunned, his face filled with disbelief. After a while, he came to his senses, quickly picked up the wine bottle in front of the other person, and gently shook it.

No sound.

They actually drank it all.

Pan Jiang's lips twitched involuntarily, and his face turned extremely ugly.

He drank it without saying a word, and then he drank it for Yao Ruiyang.

The thought of that unpleasant smell made his stomach churn again.

Nausea, wanting to vomit.

……

(End of this chapter)