John Green truly cared about how Sophie Harris saw him. As he himself said, he was also young, only twenty-five, with hot blood and impulsiveness in his bones. Besides, he valued his reputation. He could hold his liquor—six or seven taels of Erguotou was no problem. In front of a group of students, there was no way he could show weakness. He tilted his head back and downed the drink in one go, smiling at Ryan Bolton. Although his expression was kind, he still couldn’t hide the coldness deep in his eyes.

David Brooks also downed his drink in one go. The other interns, though not heavy drinkers, were young and bold enough to force themselves to finish their drinks. Alcohol really is a good thing—after drinking, the atmosphere became much livelier, and the interns’ voices grew noticeably louder. When everyone else got rowdy, Ryan Bolton instead quieted down. Part of it was that he didn’t fit in with these people, but another important reason was that he noticed a seventeen-inch color TV set up at the night market, broadcasting the evening news. The beautiful anchor Hailan was reporting the Jiangcheng Night News.

Ryan Bolton didn’t speak, and the others couldn’t be bothered with him. John Green took the opportunity to chat with Sophie Harris a bit, but unfortunately, Ryan Bolton was sitting between them, making it hard to close the distance.

Megan Clark was also a shrewd one, subtly trying to matchmake Sophie Harris and John Green in her words. Now, she had steered the topic to going to the movies together the night after next. Sophie Harris didn’t want to go deeper into this topic, so she quietly changed the subject, raised her cola, and proactively toasted Ryan Bolton. Ryan Bolton was focused on watching TV, but when Sophie Harris toasted him, he didn’t even think—he grabbed the glass on the table and downed it in one go. This time, it was a full glass of Erguotou. Earlier, when Megan Clark poured the drink, she had specifically reminded him. Although Ryan Bolton didn’t say anything, he still became the center of attention at the table.

John Green’s smile was a bit forced—a full glass was at least three taels of Erguotou. He wasn’t worried about the liquor, but this guy’s drinking capacity was just too scary.

Ryan Bolton put down the empty glass without a drop left. Sophie Harris hadn’t expected her toast to end up like this and said with concern, “Ryan Bolton, eat something! You can’t drink like that!”

David Brooks and the other guys could only marvel.

Ryan Bolton smiled, “This bit of liquor is nothing!” His speech was clear, showing no sign of drunkenness.

Megan Clark had unconsciously started seeing Ryan Bolton as an opponent. She stood up and poured him another drink. Sophie Harris saw that she was trying to mess with him and gently advised, “Megan Clark, don’t pour anymore. We have work tomorrow.”

Megan Clark was genuinely wary of Sophie Harris, so when she heard this, she immediately gave up on pouring more for Ryan Bolton.

Who would have thought John Green would speak up: “I think Ryan Bolton’s drinking capacity is pretty good. If you like to drink, go ahead and enjoy! It’s after work—everyone should relax as much as possible. That’s what it means to know how to live.”

“John Green is so philosophical!” Megan Clark flattered him at just the right moment. With his words as backing, she immediately refilled Ryan Bolton’s glass.

Sophie Harris quietly nudged Ryan Bolton’s knee with her left leg, reminding him to control himself.

Ryan Bolton was never one to admit defeat, and besides, he could really hold his liquor. Seeing John Green and Megan Clark teaming up to try to get him drunk, a nameless fire had already risen in his heart, but he kept a faint smile on his face, raised his glass, and said, “Well then… John Green laoshi, here’s a toast to you!”

John Green hadn’t expected this kid to counterattack so quickly, but he had no choice but to pick up his glass. “Drinking too much is bad for your health, let’s just take it easy…” Before he finished, Ryan Bolton had already tilted his head back and downed another three taels, smiling at John Green as if to say, I’m just a student and I’ve already drunk, now it’s your turn as the teacher.

John Green knew he couldn’t down three taels of Erguotou in one go, so he gave an awkward smile, “I’ll just take it easy!” He just sipped a little. John Green disdained competing with Ryan Bolton in drinking—he was the teacher, he was in charge, and if he bullied him, what could Ryan Bolton do?

Not only Sophie Harris, but even the other guys showed looks of disdain. Earlier, John Green’s intention to get Ryan Bolton drunk was too obvious, but now that it was time for a counterattack, John Green didn’t dare to take it.

At that moment, a long-haired guy in a black denim jacket at the next table got up and walked over. As he passed their table, Megan Clark stood up to toast and bumped into him, spilling her cola all over him. The long-haired guy immediately got angry: “Damn it, are you fucking blind?” He reached out, trying to slap Megan Clark, but luckily she reacted quickly, screamed, and dodged to the side.

David Brooks and the other guys stood up at the same time. They were hot-blooded youths, and the long-haired guy was clearly in the wrong for cursing.

Seeing they had numbers, the long-haired guy cursed, “What? Ganging up on me? Looking for trouble?”

John Green, being older, knew that there were often gangs of punks on Erbu Street at night. Bringing such a big group of students out, he definitely didn’t want any trouble. Besides, Megan Clark was at fault first. He smiled politely and said, “Sorry, she’s had too much to drink. If you’ve suffered any loss, I’ll compensate you!”