steal Barbatos's wine to use as startup capital.
"When do we start?"
Lumine was eager to try.
She could hardly wait any longer.
Once this job was done, everyone would run away to Liyue.
The Anemo Archon couldn't possibly chase them all the way to Liyue.
The Geo Archon next door certainly wouldn't be happy about that.
Besides, by then they would only be taking a little wine.
The Anemo Archon shouldn't be that petty.
Hearing Lumine's words, Jiang Chen smiled and said:
"No need to rush."
"First we'll go buy some wine."
"Then, we'll go find Venti."
Jiang Chen already had an idea on how to get Venti drunk.
They would go find Diona later to mix some special drinks.
The kind with an insanely high alcohol content.
That drunkard definitely wouldn't be able to resist.
Once he was knocked out, Jiang Chen could begin his operation.
Things wouldn't be so easy to handle if they didn't knock him out first.
"Okay!"
Hearing Jiang Chen say this, Lumine had no objections.
As long as Jiang Chen had a plan, that was fine.
"What are you two talking about?"
Paimon looked at Jiang Chen and Lumine with a clueless expression.
Had the two of them done something behind her back?
How come she felt like she knew nothing at all?
Paimon was instantly filled with doubt.
What on earth was going on?
"Nothing!"
"Kids shouldn't ask."
Hearing Paimon's words, Jiang Chen glanced at her with no intention of telling her.
Are you kidding? If they told Paimon about these things,
she would definitely run her big mouth and blab everywhere.
To prevent such a situation, neither Jiang Chen nor Lumine had any intention of telling Paimon.
Paimon looked at Jiang Chen, then turned to look at Lumine.
She had a strong feeling the two of them were hiding a secret from her.
However, since Jiang Chen didn't want to tell her, there wasn't much she could do about it.
After paying the bill, Jiang Chen took Lumine and they continued wandering around.
First, the two of them went to the shop run by Master Diluc to buy some wine.
Then, Jiang Chen led Lumine to find a place called the Cat's Tail.
Even as they just approached, waves of noisy sounds drifted out from inside.
The dragon crisis had passed, and the drunkards of Mondstadt were celebrating wildly.
Pushing open the door and entering the tavern, Jiang Chen soon spotted a thoroughly displeased Diona.
She looked at those fellows inside the tavern with utter disdain.
Starting to drink in broad daylight.
It was simply hateful.
She hated drunkards the most.
So angry!!
The moment she got angry, she added a spoonful of salt.
Witnessing all this firsthand, the corners of Jiang Chen's mouth twitched slightly.
Diona's talent was truly something to be envied.
Even with poop added, she could still mix fine wine.
Simply peerless.
Lumine and Paimon looked at the scene inside the tavern with curious gazes.
"Are you going to drink?"
Paimon walked over with a hint of curiosity.
Were they here to drink?
"No!"
"I'm here to buy wine."
Jiang Chen explained, then walked straight up to the bar counter.
Seeing another customer arrive, Diona spoke up with extreme annoyance:
"Stinky drunkard, say what you want to drink and make it quick!!"
"I'm busy to death!!"
Diona asked very impatiently.
Then she lowered her head and went back to work.
"I'm not here to drink."
"Could you please mix a bottle of wine for me?"
"The alcohol content needs to be high, the kind that makes you drunk the moment you drink it."
"I'm using it as a gift for a drunkard."
"I want to make him terrified of it after just one taste."
Jiang Chen didn't mind Diona's attitude at all, stating his requirements directly.
Hearing this, Diona immediately stopped what she was doing.
"Huh?"
Jiang Chen's words undoubtedly gave her an idea.
That's right!
It seemed she could actually do that.
Since those drunkards loved drinking so much, she would let them drink.
She could brew up some super high-proof alcohol.
One cup and they'd pass out, making them terrified just thinking about it.
Thinking of this, Diona instantly got fired up.
"Wait for me."
"It'll be ready right away."
With that, she sped up her work.
She would finish mixing the drink in her hands first.
Seeing this, Jiang Chen didn't mind and sat down in front of the bar counter.
Before long, Diona finished what she was working on.
"Explain in detail, repeat your request from just now."
Diona looked at Jiang Chen with sparkling eyes.
As long as they weren't a drunkard, Diona was easy to talk to.
"High alcohol content, smells very fragrant, gives you a headache if you drink too much, and knocks you out to sleep for several days once you're drunk."
Jiang Chen described the desired effects of the liquor.
After understanding, Diona nodded.
"Okay!"
"Wait for me."
"I'll go give it a try."
"If it works, that would be even better."
She glanced at Jiang Chen, then looked at the drunkards inside the tavern.
She might as well mix one up and use these fellows as test subjects.
Having made up her mind, Diona got to work.
Jiang Chen and Lumine watched as Diona pulled a dust-covered bottle from the cabinet underneath.
Then, after a flurry of tinkering, she added all sorts of strange things into it.
Lumine's face was covered in question marks as she watched this scene.
Could this really be drunk?
Lumine was somewhat bewildered.
Would adding those strange things in really cause no problems after eating it?
Paimon, who loved to court trouble, was so frightened by this sight that she didn't dare speak a word,
terrified that Jiang Chen might force-feed it to her later.
After a flurry of busyness by Diona, a cup of wine with an incomparably gorgeous color and emitting a charming fragrance appeared in her hands.
Smelling the aroma emanating from this cup of wine, Jiang Chen was also somewhat surprised.
Although he didn't drink alcohol, he could still smell that this was a wonderfully crafted drink.
"Alright, take a look!"
Diona placed the wine in front of Jiang Chen.
Looking at the cup of wine before him, Jiang Chen gave a thumbs up.
"It looks really good."
"However, I'm not good at drinking, so I won't try it."
Before he could even finish speaking, a nearby drunkard wandered over, drawn by the scent.
"So fragrant."
"Diona, is this some new kind of wine?"
"Give me a cup!"
This drunkard, who had just come in from outside, swallowed hard as he looked at the alluringly fragrant cup of wine in Jiang Chen's hand.
Seeing this, Jiang Chen immediately handed the cup in his hand over.
"Want to give it a try?"
"I'm not good at drinking."
"Consider this cup my treat."
Wasn't the test subject delivering himself right to their doorstep?
Hearing Jiang Chen say this, the man was momentarily stunned.
"How embarrassing is this?"
Though he said that, his movements were not slow at all; taking the wine from Jiang Chen's hand, he eagerly shoved it toward his mouth.
With a single gulp, his entire face turned beet red.
At that very moment, he felt as though his throat was being gripped by someone.
Yet the delicious taste in his mouth made him unwilling to spit it out.
Even if it killed him, he was going to swallow the wine in his mouth.
*Gulp!*
He choked down the wine with a swallow.
Only then did he let out a long breath!
"Good... good wine!!"
At this moment, his whole body was thrilled.
Although the wine in his hand was like poison, it left him utterly unable to stop craving it.
After just a tiny sip, his vision had already begun to blur.
His entire body started feeling floaty.
After slowly recovering for a moment, he took another sip.
The second sip... he floated even higher.
The third sip... he collapsed flat on the floor.
Seeing this, Jiang Chen couldn't have been more satisfied.