"Sir, would you mind looking over your information to make sure it’s correct? If there’s a mistake, we won’t be able to contact you if you win." Li Shiqing handed the customer information form to Zhongyuan Five Hundred. Creating a profile for every customer was a practice Shen Yibin had insisted on since the very beginning; otherwise, it would have been impossible to organize this lottery event.
"Mm, looks correct," Zhongyuan Five Hundred said after a quick glance. He wasn’t particularly interested in the lottery. He only double-checked so carefully in the hopes that Li Shiqing could reach him for a follow-up call, giving him an excuse to talk with her a little longer.
Meanwhile, many people on Weibo were asking Shen Yibin what the mysterious prize was. Shen Yibin, however, kept it under wraps, only telling them that the winners would be in for a big surprise!
A week later, the second batch of Monkey Wine was finally ready. This batch was made primarily from apples, giving it a completely different flavor compared to the previous strawberry and grape-based one. Though the taste was different, it was just as intoxicating. It took all of Shen Yibin’s willpower to keep himself from drinking it all on the spot.
He first set aside a small amount to pack and mail to Sun Qian, Sylvie, Sakai Kaori, and Hong Mian. Then, he carefully stored the rest and prepared to draw the first group of lucky winners.
The drawing was live-streamed, with Hah’Er clicking the mouse to select the winners. This was done to avoid any suspicion that the lottery was rigged. The results were out quickly: Zhongyuan Five Hundred was one of the first four lucky winners. The other three were a teacher named Wang Shen, and two young women named Jiayi and Tong’Er.
The list was quickly posted to Weibo. Li Shiqing and her colleagues immediately began calling the winners to notify them and arrange a convenient date for everyone to come to the store for their meal and wine tasting.
The phone rang while Zhongyuan Five Hundred was in the middle of writing. He was slightly annoyed at having his train of thought interrupted, but the feeling vanished the moment he heard Li Shiqing’s voice. "What? I won? What’s the prize? Do I need to come to the store to claim it?" ’Does this mean I get to see Shiqing again?’
She quickly explained the situation and confirmed the time. The other three winners were all available the next day, and since Zhongyuan Five Hundred didn’t have a regular office job, his schedule was even more flexible. So, the prize dinner was set for eight o’clock the following evening.
After hanging up, Zhongyuan Five Hundred opened Weibo and saw a new photo Shen Yibin had just posted. It showed Hah’Er wearing an apron and holding a tray with a plate of Bitter Bamboo Shoot Meatballs and a jug of wine. The accompanying text read: "Savor a Panda Feast, Sip on Monkey Wine." This was clearly the prize for the lottery.
’Could it really be Monkey Wine?’ Zhongyuan Five Hundred was a Xianxia writer, so he had naturally read novels like *Swordsmen*, *The Legendary Twins*, and *Legend of the Zu Mountain Swordsmen*. He’d heard of Monkey Wine long ago but had always dismissed it as a flight of fancy from authors like Jin Yong, Gulong, and the Huanzhu Master. He never imagined someone would actually produce the real thing.
’I have to see if this Monkey Wine is the real deal. If it’s not as good as I’ve always imagined, I’m definitely going on Weibo tomorrow to call him out.’ For him, Monkey Wine was more than just alcohol; it was a spiritual symbol of the Wuxia and Xianxia worlds. In his heart, no ordinary wine could compare, and he would not let anyone tarnish its name.
At five o’clock the next afternoon, after posting his daily cliffhanger, Zhongyuan Five Hundred left early and took a taxi to Shen Yibin’s store. The moment he walked in, he saw a small table set up next to the indoor pond. A man and two women were already waiting there. ’Are these the other three winners?’
"Weren’t we supposed to start at eight? It’s only six-thirty," he muttered. ’Did I remember the time wrong?’
"You didn’t. We were just so curious about the Panda Feast and Monkey Wine that we came early," one of the glamorous young women replied, standing up. "I’m Tong’Er. You must be Zhongyuan Five Hundred, right?" It seemed they had already exchanged introductions. Her voice was exceptionally melodious, and Zhongyuan Five Hundred felt his knees go weak just hearing it.
"Well, you’re all early!" Shen Yibin noticed everyone had arrived and came over to greet them. "Since you’re all here, why don’t we go ahead and start dinner now?"
"Great! Thank you, Boss Shen." The four lucky winners certainly weren’t going to object. They sat at the table, sipping tea and admiring the store’s decor while they waited at their leisure.
Shen Yibin had already prepped all the ingredients, so Hah’Er soon came waddling over with a tray carrying the first dish: Bitter Bamboo Shoot Beef Rolls. It was playing the role of a server for the evening.
"Oh, we couldn’t possibly! We’ll get it ourselves!" Jiayi exclaimed, rushing forward to meet Hah’Er. She took the tray from its paws and placed the Bitter Bamboo Shoot Beef Rolls on the table. They all felt a little unworthy of having a panda wait on them.
"Heh, getting served by Hah’Er makes this whole trip worth it," Tong’Er said, picking up a beef roll with her chopsticks and popping it into her mouth. Her eyes immediately lit up.
"So? How is it?" Wang Shen asked curiously. Tong’Er didn’t answer. Instead, she quickly swallowed the beef roll and her chopsticks shot out for a second one.
That was all the answer the other three needed. Would Tong’Er be so eager if it wasn’t delicious? They quickly stretched out their chopsticks and joined the fray. Before Hah’Er could even bring out the second dish, they had picked the plate clean.
"Boss Shen’s cooking is incredible!" Only after the plate was empty did everyone remember to praise Shen Yibin, their eyes glued to the second-floor staircase in anticipation of Hah’Er’s return.
Soon, more dishes were brought out: Bamboo Shoot Jelly, Bitter Bamboo Shoot Meatballs, Bitter Bamboo Shoot Pancakes, Bitter Bamboo Shoot and Chicken Stew, Steamed Bamboo Shoots in a Box, and more. The table was quickly filled with exquisite food.
Finally, Xiaoliu came limping over carrying a wine jug, which it placed on the table. Zhongyuan Five Hundred curiously lifted the lid. A rich, mellow aroma instantly filled the air, and all four of them swallowed hard in unison.
’Is this really Monkey Wine?’ The sight of Xiaoliu had already made Zhongyuan Five Hundred mostly believe. Now, smelling the aroma, he couldn’t hold back another second. He grabbed a cup, filled it to the brim, and downed it in a single gulp.
As the exquisite wine slid down his throat, an indescribable sensation spread from his tongue through his entire body. It left him feeling as warm and pleasant as if he were soaking in a hot spring. He felt himself begin to float, as if he had entered a celestial paradise.
After a long moment, Zhongyuan Five Hundred finally opened his eyes. He looked at the other three and said, "Today, I finally understand what it feels like to achieve immortality."