There were eight people at the table, and Tian Xiao knew five of them.
The leader was Luo Fei, the head of the base security team. He was currently a standard H9-level fighter, just one step away from G-level.
The rosacea-nosed man sitting next to him, 'Old Lu,' looked old, but he was actually less than ten years old. Having lost a kidney to the Zerg, he had aged rapidly, his strength having declined significantly. He was at the bottom of the H3-level fighters. He was a heavy drinker, but his drinking skills were mediocre, and he could only sip lightly.
Tian Xiao dared to challenge him because he knew his situation. He could hardly finish a glass of wine, let alone a bottle. His only advantage was that he never wasted it.
A young man with a good eye brought a case of liquor to the table. He was 'Chen Wuling,' the youngest member of the security team. He had joined just before the New Year and was Luo Fei's confidant. He could hold his liquor well, had excellent talent and strength, and was one of the fastest-growing young people.
Chen Wuling put down the liquor and smiled at Tian Xiao:
"Old Lu isn't in good health, and his alcohol tolerance isn't great. I'll go with you. We'll share a bottle. After we finish, if anything happens back at base, I'll protect you!"
With that, he raised his thumb slightly, and the bottle cap popped off.
He began pouring the liquor while standing.
Very fierce!
Chen Wuling was a good drinker, generous with his drinking, and a true believer in brotherhood. This was why Luo Fei was willing to devote all his energy to cultivating him.
"Okay!"
Tian Xiao suddenly stood up and picked up the third bottle of liquor.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he exchanged blows with Chen Wuling without hesitation, guzzling the liquor so hard his throat practically burned.
In less than twenty seconds, the two of them finished a 500ml bottle.
"Excellent!"
Luo Fei finally couldn't help himself and clapped his hands vigorously.
Chen Wuling put down the empty bottle and patted Tianxiao's shoulder firmly.
"I mean what I said. We're brothers from now on. Come find me if you want a drink... If you encounter any problems at the base, mentioning my name won't work. Just mention Boss Luo."
"My name is Tianxiao. Boss Luo and Brother Chen, please take good care of me from now on."
Tianxiao wasn't polite.
He knew he'd passed the test.
Luo Fei's approval was Chen Wuling's approval, and the opinions of the others were no longer important.
He was already on the security team, a guaranteed appointment. He could come in at any time, even though he only had an H2 chip and didn't meet the standards of a combatant.
But even someone like Lao Lu, who had one kidney removed, could stay on the security team. Adding another person to the team wouldn't be a problem.
"Sweating all over."
Chen Wuling noticed beads of sweat on Tianxiao's forehead.
"Are you okay? Do you want to find a place for you to rest?"
The others also asked.
Someone like Tian Xiao, who'd downed three bottles of liquor in a row, wouldn't recover easily. Anyone with a weaker constitution would have to go to the hospital for gastric lavage.
Tian Xiao waved his hand.
"It's not a big deal. I just drank too fast. I need something to wash it down. Brother Chen, any food? Meat would be best."
"Hehe."
Chen Wuling looked at Luo Fei.
Luo Fei smiled and nodded.
"Bring us some hearty dishes to welcome our little brother."
Chen Wuling understood and turned to walk into the back room.
Half a minute later, Chen Wuling came over carrying a beast over two meters long, its flesh frozen solid. She tossed it to the ground nearby. The others, who had somehow managed to procure two muskets and a barbecue grill, enthusiastically set to work.
"Hehe."
Old Lu came closer, beaming triumphantly.
"Have you seen an H4-level rip-jaw wolf? That muzzle on its left hip is what I stamped on it."
Tian Xiao followed Old Lu's direction and saw that the rigged rip-jaw wolf's buttocks were indeed riddled with bullet holes.
"Amazing!"
An H4-level beast's body could easily withstand cold and hot firepower below H4 intensity. Old Lu's ability to penetrate the rip-jaw wolf's defenses showed that its current strength hadn't declined too much, and wasn't as crippled as it would be six months ago.
Chen Wuling carried the entire rip-jaw wolf out, demonstrating the security team's strength and respect for the new member.
Of course, Tian Xiao couldn't just sit there like a boss, waiting for these veteran 'seniors' to roast the meat and hand it over.
"I'll do it."
Tian Xiao offered to help.
One of the 'seniors' casually handed him the musket.
Tian Xiao had followed Luo Fei for a year in his previous life, so drinking and barbecuing were commonplace. Naturally, he was adept at this sort of thing, even more adept than Chen Wuling.
While grilling, he pulled out his small knife and cut the most tender meat from the ripping wolf. He lightly overcooked it, sprinkled it with spices, and passed it to Luo Fei.
"Boss Luo, would you like to try my cooking?"
Luo Fei took the initiative and grabbed a finger-thick strip of meat. Ignoring the sizzling heat from the fat, he immediately stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it meticulously.
"Hmm!"
Luo Fei's eyes widened slightly, his spirits rising. He gave a thumbs-up and praised enthusiastically:
"Incredible!"
"I never could have known, at such a young age, that you had such a unique skill! Delicious!"
Chen Wuling and the others were astonished!
They knew that, besides drinking and hunting, Boss Luo also enjoyed barbecuing.
Ordinary barbecue was not to his liking.
Even Boss Luo praised Tianxiao's cooking skills...
The barbecue must have tasted great.
Several people rushed to grab strips of meat and stuffed them into their mouths, eager to taste it.
"Not bad!"
"Delicious!"
"Damn it, Old Lu, stop wasting barbecue from now on. Compared to Tianxiao's barbecue, your previous barbecue was just a waste of ingredients!"
"Damn it! You're just destroying the ingredients after crossing the river... But Tianxiao, your barbecue skills are amazing. Where did you learn that?"
The group quickly devoured the tender meat Tianxiao had just grilled. Seeing Tianxiao skillfully carving the meat with a small knife, their curiosity grew.
"This barbecue is all about freshness and tenderness. We just grilled the best cuts. The rest of the meat will taste average. Please forgive me."
Tianxiao half-jokingly offered another plate of barbecue.
"That's fine."
"This tastes much better than Old Lu's."
Chen Wuling quickly commented after tasting it.
Everyone agreed:
"Not bad!"
"This tastes pretty good, too."
"Tianxiao, you're being modest."
"Boss Luo, recruit this guy as soon as possible! I think he's a natural for our security team!"
Old Lu suggested.
The others nodded:
"Tianxiao is a man of character. His drinking reflects his personality. He's generous. I think he's not bad. We can recruit him."
Luo Fei was actually quite tempted.
But rashly recruiting someone without a citizen chip would be quite troublesome and would require using connections.
After a moment's hesitation, Luo Fei, chewing the barbecue, stared at Tian Xiao and said, "There's still a gap between your physical fitness and your chip. Stay at the base for now. By the way, save some money. When you've saved 200,000, I'll give you the rest to buy a citizen chip."
Luo Fei wasn't short of money, but of people.
Tian Xiao's skill in carving meat and his composure in the face of the ripping wolf were the main reasons for his decision.