After Miharu Taki Sakura left, Huangquan Luna did not leave.
There was juice and snacks here, why leave? She was unlike the busy Senpai Miharu Taki; she was idle every day.
She hopped off the bar stool, picked up the snacks and juice next to the bar, then ran to a corner of the room, found a sofa booth, and comfortably nestled in it to play on her phone.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also picked up a magazine and sat at the bar, listening to light music while leisurely reading.
This leisurely time didn't last long before another guest arrived.
"Ayanokoji, I'm here." Meari walked into the room, quietly closing the door.
Meari's competition was over. She originally wanted to help Hanatemari Kazura and the others after the competition, but they sent her to the Cooking Room, saying she had worked hard in the competition and told her to rest well, and then they would eat together after the morning's work was finished.
"How was it, did you advance?" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka asked.
"Yes, I advanced to the finals, ranking 11th in our group."
Saotome sat at the bar, reporting the news to Ayanokoji with a smile.
She looked up, expectantly at Ayanokoji, seemingly wanting his praise.
"As expected of Meari, well done." Ayanokoji praised her with a smile, "To celebrate your advancement, would you like to drink some alcohol?"
Meari's gaze swept behind Ayanokoji, and she couldn't help but click her tongue, "You really bought a lot of alcohol... How much did it cost?"
She had seen the wine cabinet empty yesterday, how did it get full in just one day?
"It didn't cost much, just one million yen." Ayanokoji said lightly.
"One million yen!?" Saotome's eyes widened, "Did you spend that much just on alcohol?"
"This is a necessary investment. If you're not willing to invest, how will anyone gamble here?"
Ayanokoji laughed, "Alright, don't pout. Most of these base liquors are not expensive; only a few very expensive bottles are for show and are rarely ordered."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka said one million, but he was understating it. The alcohol in the wine cabinet behind him, besides what was ordered from the distillery, also included some taken from the mailbox.
If these system-produced alcohols were valued at market price, they would be worth at least five million yen.
"What do you want to drink?"
"I want to drink too!" Huangquan Luna, not far away, had keen ears and raised her hand, unwilling to be outdone.
"Children, forget it. Did you forget what Senpai Miharu Taki just told you?" Ayanokoji replied to her, then looked at Meari.
"Do you have any preferred drinks, or would you like me to mix you a cocktail?"
Although Meari wasn't a disobedient child, because Japan has strict controls on underage drinking, she hadn't drunk much.
Meari originally wanted to refuse, but hearing that it was a drink Ayanokoji would personally mix, she inexplicably said, "You can mix me a cocktail as you see fit."
"Since you said so..." Ayanokoji turned to the wine cabinet behind him, thought for a moment, and took out a few bottles.
He opened these bottles, then poured 40ml of Old Tom Gin, 10ml of Cherry Liqueur, and 10ml of lemon juice into a shaker, and then added two drops of orange bitters.
After pouring these ingredients into the shaker, Ayanokoji took ice cubes from the refrigerator behind him, put them in, and closed the lid.
He didn't use any fancy bartending techniques; he simply held the shaker with both hands and shook it up and down to mix, then strained it into a chilled, ice-filled rock glass.
"Try it, you're my first customer." Ayanokoji pushed the glass in front of Saotome, casually placing a cherry inside.
She was his first customer...!
Hearing this, Meari felt as if she had suddenly achieved something, and her body involuntarily straightened up, feeling more accomplished than when she heard she had advanced to the finals.
She looked down at the pale yellow cocktail in front of her and asked curiously, "What is this drink called?"
Although she didn't know much about alcohol, she knew that every cocktail had a name.
"This drink is called casino. It should be quite suitable for a girl's taste."
casino... this name is quite fitting, Ayanokoji must have mixed this specifically for her.
Saotome Meari hesitated for a moment, took a small sip, frowned slightly, then her eyebrows quickly relaxed.
"How does it taste?" Ayanokoji asked with a smile.
"It seems pretty good?" Meari took a few more sips, and her eyes lit up.
Old Tom Gin is a sweet gin, giving it a hint of sweetness in addition to its spicy taste. Coupled with the fruity taste of lemon, it has a soft and refreshing mouthfeel.
She originally wanted to say that no matter how Ayanokoji mixed it, she would say it tasted good to save his face, but she didn't expect the drink to actually taste good.
"As long as you like it." Ayanokoji smiled, sat on the bar stool, and started chatting with Meari.
Meari excitedly talked about her experiences in the "Landlord" game for a while, but the topic still shifted to Captain Dragonfly.
Meari, like Huangquan Luna and others, was very interested in this AI robot.
Although Ayanokoji had brought out Captain Dragonfly yesterday and openly placed it in the casino, he did not reveal Captain Dragonfly's true function, keeping it a secret from everyone.
A few hours ago, Meari and the others still thought this robot was Ayanokoji's casino mascot.
When she saw that it could not only move but also act as a referee, Meari was shocked—when did modern technology develop to this extent?
Ayanokoji didn't hide anything and continued to tell her the same explanation he gave Huangquan Luna.
Ayanokoji chatted with Meari for a while when he suddenly thought of something: "By the way, although this drink tastes sweet, its alcohol content is quite high."
"Meari, how's your alcohol tolerance? You should be fine, right?"
"My alcohol tolerance should be good. I'm still quite sober right now..."
She said this, but her cheeks were already flushed, and she shook her head, a silly smile on her face: "Ayanokoji, can you really make clones? Why have you turned into three in front of me?"
..." Ayanokoji was speechless.
Is this guy's alcohol tolerance really that bad? I shouldn't have mixed her a drink.
"Since you're drunk, then don't drink anymore."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka reached out to take the glass from her hand, but Meari dodged, drinking the cocktail while shouting, "I'm not drunk! This drink was mixed by you personally, I must finish it!"
She said this and gulped it down. Ayanokoji couldn't stop her and could only watch her helplessly.
Forget it, anyway, her competition was over today, so it didn't matter if she got drunk.
Ayanokoji ignored her and just watched Meari drink.
She finished the cocktail in her glass, still somewhat unsatisfied, and urged Ayanokoji to give her more alcohol.
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