John Farrell might not have the same level of prestige in the world of wine tasting as Robert Parker, but that was only because his expertise was broader; he didn’t focus solely on wine like Robert Parker did. In reality, his influence was still considerable. As soon as his announcement was made, it quickly attracted widespread attention within the community, and John Farrell’s phone began ringing off the hook.
"There’s nothing more annoying than being interrupted by phone calls during a wine tasting!" John Farrell shook his head, picked up his phone, snapped a picture of the glass in front of him, and posted it to Twitter. Then, he decisively turned his phone off. ’Let them guess about the rest.’
Sure enough, once the photo was uploaded, everyone realized this was the glass of wine John Farrell had called the best in the world. Countless experts in the wine tasting community immediately began to analyze it. What was so good about this wine that it could so thoroughly captivate John Farrell, to the point of making him decide to retire?
"This should be a fruit wine. There are still some bits of pulp in it." These people made their living doing this, so they immediately gleaned a lot of information from the photo. "Don’t they even filter out the sediment? Can something like this really be called the best wine in the world? John hasn’t had too much to drink, has he?"
"It’s probably a little difficult to get a Wine Taster drunk." This came from an acquaintance of John Farrell who was well aware of his tolerance for alcohol. "A picture alone doesn’t mean much. Ultimately, wine is meant to be drunk. The taste is more important than anything else."
"Look, John’s location! He should be in China’s Yunzhong City right now. What great brewmaster is there?" Someone else started speculating based on the location John Farrell had left. But even if they racked their brains, they would probably never guess that the exquisite wine John Farrell praised so highly was brewed by a monkey.
John Farrell was now completely lost in the exquisite wine, unable to pull himself away. Hah’Er and Egg were also holding their own little bowls, taking small sips. Sakai Kaori, Xia Shixuan, and the others had all turned into veritable drunkards, clinging to their glasses and refusing to let go. Meanwhile, Shen Yibin began to announce on Weibo that the second lottery was about to begin.
As soon as they saw the announcement, Zhongyuan Five Hundred, Tong’Er, and the others, who had been waiting for a long time, sprang into action. They simultaneously spammed the comments on Shen Yibin’s Weibo post: "Begging the winner to transfer their spot! I will make you an offer you can’t refuse!" They planned to use money to buy the winning spot so they could taste the Monkey Wine again. At the same time, they were praying to every deity in the heavens that they might be lucky enough to win again themselves.
Unfortunately, Shen Yibin had already accumulated a considerable number of customers, but there were only four spots available. The chances of one person winning twice in a row were incredibly slim—second only to the National Team making it to the World Cup. When the list of winners was announced, they were disappointed to find their names were not on it.
For the rest of the day, Zhongyuan Five Hundred stopped writing, Tong’Er stopped binge-watching her shows, Wang Shen put his work aside, and Jiayi had both her phone and computer open. They were all refreshing the webpage over and over again, hoping to see the winners appear so they could contact them as soon as possible and snatch the opportunity to taste the wine for themselves.
However, not every customer used Weibo. Even if they did, they might not follow Shen Yibin’s account. Even if they followed his account, they might not have seen the announcement. And even if they saw it, they might not have said anything. So, they waited deep into the night without finding the four lucky winners.
’This isn’t working. I’ll go stake out the pet store! They’ll all have to go to Shen Yibin’s shop eventually, right? Worst case, I’ll just ask to buy the spot from them right at the entrance.’ The four of them came to the same decision. And so, early the next morning, the four of them arrived at Shen Yibin’s shop to wait. As soon as they saw Shen Yibin open the door, Tong’Er hurried over and asked in a captivating voice, "Boss, is the prize being redeemed today?"
"Yeah, same time as last time for you guys." Shen Yibin still remembered her. At the same time, he was a little curious. ’You didn’t win, so why are you so concerned?’
And so, for the entire day, the four of them sat in the shop, staring intently at the table by the pond. They even ordered takeout for their meals, terrified of missing their chance.
A little after six in the afternoon, a man in a suit walked into the shop. He looked like he had just gotten off work from an office building. As soon as he entered, he asked, "Boss, is this where I claim the prize?"
"That’s right!" Xia Shixuan led him to the front counter to verify his identity. Once everything was confirmed, she showed him to the table. "Please wait just a moment. We’ll serve the food as soon as everyone has arrived."
The moment Xia Shixuan’s back was turned, Zhongyuan Five Hundred, Tong’Er, and the other two pounced, completely surrounding the man. Zhongyuan Five Hundred pulled two stacks of cash from his bag and slammed them on the table. "This is twenty thousand. If you’re willing to give me your spot, this twenty thousand is all yours!"
Before the man could respond, Wang Shen pulled out his phone, opened his Alipay app, and shoved it in the man’s face. "I’ll offer thirty thousand. If you agree, I can transfer it immediately." Wang Shen and Zhongyuan Five Hundred locked eyes, and it was as if sparks flew where their gazes met.
The man in the suit was completely dumbfounded. ’It’s just a meal with some wine, is it really that serious? Thirty thousand is enough for me to have a feast of exotic delicacies at the Yunzhong Grand Hotel! What on earth is wrong with you people!’
Seeing that Zhongyuan Five Hundred looked ready to raise his offer, Tong’Er started to panic. She couldn’t compete with the two of them financially, but she had her own strengths. Puffing out her chest, Tong’Er scooted closer to the man in the suit and asked in a cloyingly sweet voice, "Hey handsome, do you have a girlfriend? If you’re willing to give your spot to me, I’ll be your girlfriend, how about it?" She was resorting to the same old trick she had used on Zhongyuan Five Hundred.
"Uh, sorry, I already have a girlfriend." The man in the suit struggled to turn his head away, not daring to look at Tong’Er.
"Then would you mind switching to a new one?" Jiayi sat down on his other side.
"I love my girlfriend very much!" The man in the suit sighed, looking toward the heavens. ’When did I become so popular?’
"Then would you mind having one more?" Tong’Er draped her arm over his shoulder.
Their behavior actually triggered the man’s defiant streak. Or perhaps he thought it was some kind of prank show, and that if he agreed, he would become a laughingstock. In the end, he didn’t give in to their demands.
Next, Zhongyuan Five Hundred and the others launched their assault on the other three lucky winners, but none of them gave in either. In the end, Zhongyuan Five Hundred and Tong’Er could only squat to one side, watching with longing eyes as the four winners drank the Monkey Wine with relish.
Judging by the winners’ reactions after drinking the wine, it seemed likely that after the next lottery, an even larger group of people would be staking out the pet store, ready for an auction.