Chapter 382 381: Drinking Contest

Mu Lin chuckled. "It just so happens that several of the girls I know go to Di Yang University. What did you think I was thinking?"

This infuriated He Zheng.

In the end, though, she gave Mu Lin her number, and he sent the prescription over to her.

"Take this as prescribed."

"Alright."

When the car pulled up near a bar, He Zheng tapped the back of the driver's seat.

"Stop right here!"

"Mu Lin, I'm taking you for a drink!"

'I have to get Mu Lin wasted,' He Zheng thought. 'Make a fool out of him, get some dirt on him, and then we'll see how he plans to mess with me.'

He Zheng led Mu Lin into the bar and expertly navigated to a booth.

"Whoa, Zhengzheng, you brought a man with you?" a tough-looking girl teased.

"Don't be ridiculous," He Zheng said. "This is Mu Lin. He claims he can drink anyone under the table and that none of you can handle him. He even said you're all a bunch of lightweights."

After she spoke, He Zheng shot Mu Lin a sidelong glance. 'This guy is about to face some serious pressure.'

These bar regulars were a restless bunch, always looking for action. They were like dry tinder waiting for a spark—the slightest provocation would set them off in a blaze of fury.

"We hear that all the time. 'I can drink a ton,' blah blah blah... it's all bullshit! We've put more than a few guys in the hospital, and plenty of them swore off booze for good after a night with us."

"Listen, pal," another one added, "we have strict rules here. None of that spilling-half-the-bottle crap. You spill, you start over. Got it?"

"And if you puke, you drink it back down!"

"I'm fine with that," Mu Lin said. "The question is, can you all handle it? If so, let's begin."

To these seasoned drinkers, his words were a direct challenge. They all cracked their knuckles, eager to see Mu Lin on his knees, begging for mercy.

"You're all talk, but can you back it up? If we drink you to death, don't say we didn't give you a chance to surrender."

Mu Lin chuckled. "In all of Nanjiang, nobody's ever managed to drink me under the table. Bring it on, I'll take you all."

"With all that big talk, we're gonna have to get serious! It'd be disrespectful not to put you on the floor."

"If you manage to outdrink us, I'll call you my big bro from now on!"

"Alright, alright," Mu Lin said.

He Zheng saw how things were escalating and felt a pang of worry. She hadn't expected Mu Lin to be so reckless.

She only wanted to see Mu Lin get taken down a peg, but this was like he was digging his own grave.

"Hey, stop! I was just kidding, don't take it so seriously! These guys are seasoned veterans of the drinking scene. It's no exaggeration to say they're human tanks. Don't throw your health away just for pride. Your body will pay the price."

"Relax," Mu Lin said. "All of their tolerances combined aren't even a tenth of mine. This is nothing."

A young man with a flattop opened a bottle of liquor and handed it to Mu Lin. "I'm Yuan Kun. If you can drink me under the table, my life is yours."

"I don't want your life," Mu Lin said. "Just call me 'Big Bro.'"

The words had barely left his mouth when he tilted his head back and started chugging, GLUG GLUG GLUG.

And not a single drop was spilled. The drinking buddies crowded around, watching in disbelief as he finished the entire bottle without spilling a drop.

He'd actually downed the entire bottle in one go.

After finishing the bottle, Mu Lin stood there looking perfectly composed. He gestured to Yuan Kun. "Your turn."

Yuan Kun pressed his lips together, grabbed an identical bottle, and began to drink.

He drank slowly; after all, the rules said if he spilled, he'd have to start over.

While Yuan Kun drank, He Zheng sat down between the two tough-looking girls. "Is that your man?" one of them asked.

He Zheng snorted. "As if! Who does he think he is, being worthy of me? The guy's a total loser, what good is there to say about him?"

"No, no, no, he seems like he can really hold his liquor. You love to have fun, don't you? A guy like that is perfect for you!"

He Zheng said, "It's just one bottle. That's jack shit!"

Mu Lin and Yuan Kun went at it, bottle for bottle.

They went through three dozen bottles. Mu Lin looked as if he'd had nothing, but Yuan Kun was already red in the face and swaying on his feet.

After another three dozen, Yuan Kun suddenly doubled over and started retching violently.

He grabbed a bucket and wretched into it. When he was done, he weakly raised a hand. "I give up. I can't take it anymore. You're a beast!"

"He's out," Mu Lin said. "So, who's next? No rush."

A tall guy stepped forward, his eyes fixed sharply on Mu Lin. 'Son of a bitch,' he thought.

'What the hell is his stomach made of? How can he drink that much without any reaction? Even if it all turned to piss, he'd have to use the bathroom, right?'

But he hadn't.

"Ge Xingqiu."

Mu Lin nodded slowly, opened a bottle, and slid it in front of Ge Xingqiu.

"I've already had plenty to drink, and you're just getting started. So, you can go first."

'A vicious glint flashed in Ge Xingqiu's eyes. 'Since Mu Lin is being so arrogant, I won't stop until he's completely wrecked.'

So he took him on.

The two of them drank and drank until the empty bottles piled up around them like a small mountain.

Ge Xingqiu eventually grabbed a bucket and began heaving into it, while Mu Lin was merely a little flushed.

This was just...

Ge Xingqiu gave Mu Lin a thumbs-up, thoroughly impressed. "My friend, you're something else. The real deal! I give up!"

Mu Lin turned his head to look at the girls and said with a smile, "Which of you is next?"

The girls were scared out of their wits. They were just here for the show, and they had thought Yuan Kun and Ge Xingqiu would be more than enough to handle Mu Lin.

'I can't believe they were so useless! Now it's our turn?'

"No way! I forfeit!" one of the girls immediately cried out.

Seeing her friend fold, the other girl quickly chimed in. "Me neither! You're a monster! We're total lightweights. Besides, you see we're girls... who knows what might happen if we get drunk!"

"Zhengzheng, you're up! You brought him, so you should be the one to knock him flat."

He Zheng never in her wildest dreams thought it would come to this. Mu Lin was just too damn strong.

"No way! I'm a terrible drinker, I'm no match for you at all!" She quickly turned to Mu Lin, pleading, "Let's stop. You win, okay? Let's not drink anymore!"

Mu Lin smiled. "Of course. But that's a shame... I was just getting warmed up."

Hearing Mu Lin's words, everyone rolled their eyes.

He Zheng stared at Mu Lin and whispered, "What's your deal? How are you this good? Where did all that booze go? You didn't cheat, did you?"

Mu Lin smiled. "You've been watching me the whole time. How could I have cheated? This is why you should never challenge a Martial Artist to a drinking contest. Our alcohol tolerance is beyond what ordinary people can possibly imagine."

"'Right, right, right!' the others hurriedly nodded in agreement. The facts spoke for themselves—Mu Lin had utterly crushed them."

Cursing him out now would be pointless.

'Mu Lin glanced at the group. 'They're not bad people, deep down,' he thought, feeling a little impressed with He Zheng's choice of friends.'

'It wasn't easy to find genuinely good people among a crowd of street punks like this.'

Mu Lin got up. "Mind if I use the restroom?"

"Go ahead, go ahead!"

Everyone was thoroughly convinced by now; they'd let Mu Lin do whatever he pleased.

Mu Lin smiled and went to the restroom. When he came out, he was surprised to see a few extra people gathered around their booth.

He Zheng and Lu Shanshan were shielding a girl with purple-streaked hair behind them. A group of men had them surrounded, and it looked like their protective formation would be broken any second.

Nearby, Yuan Kun and Ge Xingqiu were on the floor, clutching their heads as blood streamed from their wounds.

"Mu Lin, help!" He Zheng cried out in alarm.

"What's going on?" Mu Lin asked. "I'm gone for two minutes and all hell breaks loose?"

Lu Shanshan pointed at the leader of the group. "He was trying to get handsy with Zizi! There's no way we'd let him get away with it!"

Mu Lin looked at the instigator. The man's expression was menacing, but his tone was arrogant. "You want to stick your nose in my business? You might want to consider if you've got enough lives to spare."

Mu Lin was unfazed by the threat. "Why are you harassing them? They're my friends. I doubt they did anything to provoke you."

The man pointed at the girl named Zizi. "She's my woman. I told her to come have a drink with me. Nothing wrong with that, is there? It was your friends who didn't know their place and got in my way. Who's to blame for that?"

'So the situation is more complicated than it looks,' Mu Lin thought.

But He Zheng shot back, "That's bullshit! Zizi never agreed to anything! You're the one who's been harassing her!"