The four roommates sat at a table in the bar.
Lin Feng and Zhang Wei occupied one side. Li Jun and Chen Ming sat opposite them.
Lin Feng took a sip from his glass and glanced beside him.
Zhang Wei was passed out cold.
He had only taken a single glass.
Lin Feng looked at his own drink, still half full.
I guess I can hold my alcohol.
He could do it before - in the future. But he hadn't expected this younger body to have the same ability. He wondered if it was a mentality thing.
Probably not.
Maybe he had always been able to handle his liquor and just never knew it. After all, he had never touched alcohol when he was still a student back then.
Looks like I'm not the only one.
He glanced at Li Jun across the table. The man was calmly refilling his glass, all while nodding at whatever unintelligible nonsense Chen Ming was spouting.
"...and then we sell it, right? We sell it BIG. Like, HUGE money. You get me? The money just goes whoooosh…" Chen Ming made exaggerated gestures with his hands, nearly knocking over his glass.
Li Jun caught it without looking.
"Yeah," he said flatly. "Whatever you say, bro."
At that moment, Lin Feng noticed a commotion near the stairs.
A woman was descending from the upper floor, her steps unsteady. A man walked beside her, one arm wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling.
She stumbled. He caught her.
"Let go," she said, her voice slurred. "I can get home myself."
"You're wasted," the man replied. "Just let me help you."
The man looked around at the other patrons, a grin on his face.
"Sorry for the commotion, everyone"
He continued guiding her toward the exit.
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed.
"Well, would you look at that," he murmured, a smile forming on his lips. "It's my lucky day."
He downed the rest of his drink in one shot and stood up.
"Can you help me get these two back to campus?" he asked Li Jun.
Li Jun glanced at the unconscious Zhang Wei and the rambling Chen Ming.
"No worries," he said. "Just leave them to me."
Lin Feng nodded and headed for the door.
Li Jun watched him go for a moment, then turned back to the others. He tapped the table firmly.
"C'mon. Time to go."
...
Lin Feng followed the pair out into the night.
He recognized the woman immediately.
It was Liu Mei. His class counselor.
As for the man - Lin Feng recognized him too. He was the teacher they had submitted the incubation program applications to. The head of the program himself.
Lin Feng had heard a few rumors about this teacher back in his previous life. Nothing concrete had ever come of them, but...
He definitely wasn't up to anything good.
Lin Feng quickened his pace.
"Sister!"
The woman paused. The man stopped dragging her.
"Sister!" Lin Feng called out again, jogging toward them.
Liu Mei turned around slowly, squinting at him with unfocused eyes.
She extended a hand, waving it vaguely.
"Wait, wait... don't tell me..."
She seemed to be thinking hard.
Then her face lit up.
"Lin Feng?" she said.
He smiled warmly. "Yeah, that's me."
"I told you I would get it right next time," she said proudly.
"You did."
The man's expression darkened.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Lin Feng stepped forward without hesitation. Thankfully, the man hadn't paid attention to them when they submitted the applications - he wouldn't recognize Lin Feng's face.
He gently took Liu Mei into his arms, supporting her weight.
"I could ask you the same thing," Lin Feng said coolly. "Who are you?"
He looked down at his teacher with concern.
"Sis, are you okay? You didn't lose your keys, did you?" He sighed dramatically. "Mom already told you to stop drinking so much. You know you can't handle it..."
The man's eyes went wide.
"Sis?" he muttered.
Lin Feng turned back to him, his expression shifting to suspicion.
"Sis, do you know this man?" He reached into his pocket. "Should I call the police?"
The man's face paled.
"What? No…no need to call the police!"
He raised his hands defensively.
"I'm just a coworker," he explained hurriedly. "We were all drinking together, but she had too much. The others already left, and I was the only one remaining, so I was just helping her get home."
He took a step back.
"Now that you're here, I'll... I'll take my leave."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away quickly, disappearing around the corner.
Lin Feng watched him go, his eyes cold.
Then he glanced back at Liu Mei.
"Can you walk?" he asked.
She looked up at him, her head tilting to one side.
"Sis?" she repeated slowly.
A pause.
"Are you my brother?"
Lin Feng sighed.
He helped her down the entrance stairs slowly, one step at a time, until they reached the street.
He raised his hand and flagged down a passing taxi.
The car pulled up. Lin Feng opened the door and carefully guided Liu Mei inside before climbing in after her.
The driver glanced at them through the rearview mirror.
"Where to, young man?"
Lin Feng's expression was grim.
"The hospital," he said. "I think my sister was drugged."
…
A while later.
Lin Feng sat in the hospital waiting area, his expression unreadable.
The sterile white walls and the faint smell of disinfectant surrounded him. A clock on the wall ticked steadily.
Footsteps approached.
He looked up and stood as a nurse walked toward him.
"Are you the guardian?" she asked.
"You could say that," he replied.
The nurse nodded and glanced at her clipboard.
"She's okay for now. It wasn't anything serious." She looked back up at him. "We've done all we could, and she should be fine. Some effects might still linger, but nothing a good nap won't solve."
Lin Feng exhaled quietly.
At that moment, another nurse appeared from down the corridor, guiding Liu Mei as she walked. Her steps were steadier now, though she still looked pale.
The first nurse gestured toward them.
"I'd recommend taking her home as soon as possible," she said. "Staying in the hospital longer than necessary could be risky - with the virus and all."
Lin Feng nodded. "Understood."
He walked over and gently took Liu Mei's arm, supporting her weight as they made their way toward the exit.
...
The night air hit them as they stepped outside the hospital.
Lin Feng glanced at her.
"Feeling better?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Do you remember your address?"
Another nod.
She was noticeably less talkative now. Her mind had cleared up a bit, it seemed.
She might also have been in shock.
Lin Feng sighed.
He raised his hand and flagged down a passing taxi. The car pulled up, and he opened the door, carefully helping her inside before climbing in after her.