Wasteland Hideout: Upgrading from the Sewers

Chapter 258: Wine Tasting, Zhou Yuan and Yu Yuan's Collapse

Yu Yuan naturally noticed Zhou Yuan's change, but this was exactly the effect he wanted.

"I heard Vice President Zhou enjoys fine wine. This is a good wine I specially prepared for you. Why not have a proper taste?"

Two wine glasses appeared out of thin air once more. This time, Zhou Yuan saw it clearly.

It was truly appearing out of nowhere.

"Is this magic or..." This scene that transcended reality made Zhou Yuan think of a certain possibility, and his heart gave a violent thump.

Glug, glug, glug...

The sweet rum poured into the glass, and Zhou Yuan's thoughts were immediately captivated by the crystal-clear amber-colored liquid.

He sniffed lightly.

The fresh, distinctive scent of sugarcane wormed its way into his nostrils, along with even a hint of tropical fruit aroma.

Top quality!This bottle was absolutely a top-quality rum.

As a veteran wine connoisseur, Zhou Yuan couldn't remember how long it had been since he last saw such fine liquor.

Even before the wasteland, among his collection, only a handful of bottles could compare to this.

At this moment.

Although he clearly knew the person before him was of unknown origin, Zhou Yuan had already understood earlier that he simply had no ability to oppose the other.

If it's a blessing, it's not a disaster; if it's a disaster, you can't avoid it.

Rather than being timid and hesitant, constantly looking over his shoulder, it was better to go along with the other's intentions.

Yu Yuan put down the wine bottle, looked at Zhou Yuan with a smiling face, and made a gesture of invitation.

"Vice President Zhou, what are you waiting for? This was specially prepared for you!"

"In that case, I'll respectfully accept your kind offer!" Zhou Yuan gave Yu Yuan a slight nod, then picked up the glass in front of him, first bringing it to the tip of his nose. He closed his eyes and carefully sniffed.

Just now, the distance was too far, and he couldn't smell it clearly. Now, with a deep breath, the rich and complex aroma of the wine entered Zhou Yuan's nasal cavity.

The instinct of a veteran connoisseur allowed him to quickly distinguish these scents.

The more intense flavors of nuts, oak, and vanilla—Zhou Yuan had already caught these from afar earlier.

These were flavors only aged rum possessed.

Only after years of aging in high-quality oak barrels would it develop this highly recognizable complexity, smoothness, and balanced aroma.

But it wasn't over yet.

With keen senses, Zhou Yuan detected a faint milky fragrance amidst these aromas.

"Hmm? This milky scent is... coconut?"

"No, not just coconut, there's also raisin and... could there even be fig flavor!"

Zhou Yuan opened his eyes, looking at the liquid in the glass with disbelief.

His eyes held nothing but amazement now.

Truly a masterpiece of nature.

It could actually blend so many fragrances within.

Zhou Yuan admitted his earlier assessment was wrong.

Not a single bottle in his collection could compare to the fine wine before him!

Not one!

This was a flavor he had never tasted before. After all his years of wine appreciation, he never knew such a fine wine existed.

Seeing Zhou Yuan's expression, Yu Yuan revealed a smile.

These wines were specially looted by him from the casino manager's office in Freedom Tower. Naturally, they had never appeared in this world before.

And the wines stored in the casino manager's office were, of course, all top-tier collections.

Yu Yuan picked up his own glass and clinked it against Zhou Yuan's.

"Vice President Zhou, cheers!"

Saying this, he drank on his own.

Seeing this, Zhou Yuan immediately took a sip as well.

But in his heart, he was already pondering what the person opposite him actually wanted.

Regarding Zhou Yuan's thoughts, Yu Yuan naturally understood, and he didn't rush him.

Only after Zhou Yuan finished the wine did Yu Yuan continue to refill his glass.

Zhou Yuan, however, had already turned his gaze towards Yu Yuan.

"This wine can be called supreme quality. Even before the wasteland descended, it was rare in the world. I just don't know why you sought me out?"

"Or is there something on me worth you going to such great lengths to find me, even offering up this bottle of fine wine?"

Yu Yuan didn't answer directly. Instead, in front of Zhou Yuan, he took out another sealed bottle of rum, only this time it was a different brand.

"Vice President Zhou, what do you think this method of retrieving objects from the void is?"

Zhou Yuan didn't expect Yu Yuan to ask such a question, but after pondering for a few seconds, he shook his head slightly.

"Apologies, my vision is insufficient to understand your method. Whether it's spatial technology from sci-fi movies or spatial abilities from novels, these are all things beyond my current understanding."

"Then do you think the Aurora Animal Assistance Association possesses such an ability, or the Mechanical Vanguard Society possesses such an ability, or perhaps..." Yu Yuan looked at Zhou Yuan and chuckled lightly, "Do you think the recently emerged 'Humpback Whale' has such an ability or technology?"

Zhou Yuan's pupils instantly contracted.

He didn't understand what the person before him meant, but being able to clearly name the three most mysterious organizations currently in Green Forest City was no simple matter.

Moreover, judging by his tone, he seemed to have a very good understanding of the three major organizations.

Zhou Yuan looked at Yu Yuan, his eyes swirling with thoughts.

"Not only is he very familiar with those three factions, he can also clearly know my preference for appreciating fine wine..."

He looked at Yu Yuan.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Vice President Zhou, rather than cooperating with Humpback Whale, how about cooperating with me?"

"Your goal is merely for the Black Rock Caravan to survive better in Green Forest City. Joining the [Ring East City Resistance Alliance] is for this reason, cooperating with Humpback Whale is also for this reason. Since that's the case, cooperating with whom isn't cooperation?"

As Yu Yuan spoke, the shadow behind him, under Zhou Yuan's shocked gaze, began to slowly grow larger, finally transforming into a giant black rat almost level with the ceiling, appearing before him.

Gulp...

Zhou Yuan directly collapsed onto the floor, scrambling backward on the floorboards, but the rat's two scarlet eyes, like searchlights, were already looking at Zhou Yuan.

The thick, long rat tail, like a python, slowly writhed in the air, finally arriving right in front of Zhou Yuan.

Under his terrified gaze, it wrapped around his neck, skin touching skin.

Feeling the friction sensation transmitted from his neck.

Zhou Yuan's eyes rolled back, and he fainted directly.

Zhi zhi——

The Stealth Rat looked at Zhou Yuan, who had suddenly fainted, its swaying tail immediately freezing in place, pupils dilated.

It looked at Yu Yuan in confusion, softly "zhi zhi" inquiring, somewhat at a loss.

Yu Yuan also slapped his own forehead.

Why was this guy's courage so small? If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have let Zhi Zhi scare him.

"It's fine! You come up on my shoulder first!"

Zhi Zhi immediately transformed into a black furball and perched on Yu Yuan's shoulder.

Splash...

Another basin of cold water was poured over Zhou Yuan's head.

Zhou Yuan slowly regained consciousness once more.

As a result, the moment he opened his eyes, he immediately saw Yu Yuan sitting in front of him, and his body instinctively retreated backward.

Zhou Yuan looked around, not seeing the giant rat, and only then did he let out a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, just now..."

He looked at Yu Yuan, about to apologize.

His gaze landed on the black furball on Yu Yuan's shoulder, and coincidentally, that black furball also revealed two red eyes and looked over.

Man and rat's gazes directly collided. The expression on Zhou Yuan's face froze in place.

Although the size had changed dramatically...

The black body, the red eyes, and the swaying tail behind it.

All of this proved what he saw earlier wasn't an illusion.

And so...

Under Yu Yuan's gobsmacked expression, Zhou Yuan's eyes rolled back once more, and he fainted again.