The atmosphere turned a little awkward.
Zhang Haoliang raised his glass to smooth things over: “It’s alright. Come on, everyone, let’s have a drink.”
“Cheers!” Everyone clinked glasses.
Liu Lang found this meal increasingly uncomfortable.
After clinking glasses, he didn’t think too much and downed his wine in one gulp.
He let out a breath—ah, refreshing.
Zhang Haoliang, watching this, probably felt a little heartache.
He couldn’t help saying: “That’s not how you’re supposed to drink this wine…”
“Oh really?”
“You’re supposed to sip a small amount, let it linger in your mouth, gently taste it with your tongue, then let a bit of air in to bring out the aroma and flavors. Finally, swallow it slowly and savor the smooth, rich, and unique taste of this rare ’99 vintage…”
As he explained, Zhang Haoliang demonstrated the “proper” technique.
Liu Lang’s eyelids twitched as he watched.
If it weren’t a TV show, he might’ve splashed the wine in his face.
He thought to himself: It’s just a bottle of Lafite. Not like I’ve never had it before.
Come to think of it… I’ve actually been to that place.
Back then, his dad had taken him on a tour of the vineyard…
Suddenly, fragmented but familiar memories began surfacing in his mind.
One particular detail caught his attention.
That old guy at the vineyard had invited him and his father to sample several vintage wines. When introducing this particular one, he had specifically said: “1999 is the best vintage after ’82. But as supply decreases due to consumption and collectors, we’ve actually stopped exporting it to China starting this year. Apparently, some shady merchants there have been passing off 2009 vintages as 1999s. Though the taste is similar, there are subtle differences…”
Then, the man taught them how to tell the difference, and Liu Lang had even tasted it himself—but those details had grown fuzzy.
Still… didn’t Zhang Haoliang just say the wine had been recently imported to China?
That didn’t sound right.
…
Liu Lang fell into deep thought.
Zhang Haoliang was still going on with his refined lecture: “This vintage has an irreplicable taste. Honestly, with each bottle you drink, there’s one less left in the world. If you just gulp it down without savoring it properly, that’s just wasteful…”
As he spoke, he glanced at Liu Lang with a condescending smirk.
At first, Liu Lang had just been curious about the wine’s year—he hadn’t planned on making a big deal.
But now, he was pissed.
Seriously, bro?
Alright, let’s really get into this.
He immediately pulled up the Level 1 Memory Experience Card from his mind and tapped: Use!
Xiao Ai’s voice rang out: [Please enter the memory search description. The more detailed, the better chance of retrieving a match.]
Liu Lang rolled his eyes.
[Yup, definitely feels like an AI… Fine! Search for memory related to identifying 1999 Lafite. Location: Lafite vineyard in Bordeaux. Time: …]
After entering the details…
Whoosh! A stream of light flashed through his mind.
Suddenly, he felt a rush of clarity.
Liu Lang was stunned.
Those long-lost memories actually came back!
Damn, this thing’s even better than watching a movie!
It was like he was right there—every image, every detail, even the taste of the wine—perfectly recalled, vividly clear.
Holy crap! No wonder it’s called “soul-level memory extraction.”
This is next level!
In that moment, Liu Lang truly appreciated how OP the system was.
And… he also realized something strange about the wine in front of him.
…
A glint flashed in Liu Lang’s eyes.
Facing the disdainful looks of Zhang Haoliang and the others, he smirked slightly: “No worries. Don’t worry about waste—drink as much as you want, there’s plenty more.”
“Heh! You clearly know nothing about wine!” Zhang Haoliang scoffed. “This vintage only produced twenty to thirty thousand cases. Most are already drunk or collected. That’s why the price keeps skyrocketing…”
“The problem is…” Liu Lang cut in with a meaningful smile, “This isn’t a ’99.”
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Zhang Haoliang’s eyes flared.
“Liu Lang, stop joking,” Liu Tianxian interjected with a discreet glance—oddly enough, looking like a real friend.
That little gesture warmed Liu Lang’s heart.
He smiled back and said to her: “I’m serious. This tastes like a 2009.”
“Huh?” Liu Tianxian was caught off guard.
“That’s impossible!” Zhang Haoliang sneered. “I got this directly from a friend. You think just a few words from you can say it’s fake? Are you kidding?”
“Maybe… it’s your friend who’s kidding?” Liu Lang said with a grin.
“Ridiculous!” Zhang Haoliang was furious.
“You better apologize! Now!” Shi Mingyi jumped in to stir the pot.
Meanwhile, Hua Chenxue spun his wine glass, happily watching the drama unfold.
Yang Mi and the others looked at each other, clearly hesitant to get involved.
Even as staff tried to mediate, Zhang Haoliang remained furious and relentless.
Liu Lang chuckled lightly: “How about you confirm it first?”
“Fine! Since you’re so sure, I’ll call him right now. Let’s see who ends up embarrassed!” Zhang Haoliang took out his phone and looked smug.
“Go ahead,” Liu Lang shrugged, totally chill.
Despite people trying to stop him, Zhang Haoliang snorted and dialed the number.
The phone rang, then connected.
He immediately put it on speaker.
A cheerful voice came through: “Hey, President Zhang! What wind’s blowing you my way today?”
“Brother Wang, I have something I really need to vent about,” Zhang Haoliang said earnestly.
“What is it? Go ahead.”
“You know those bottles of ’99 Lafite I got from you? I opened one today, and some guy insisted it was 2009. Isn’t that just insulting? I had to call you and get this straight!”
“Uhh… well, I wouldn’t say it’s insulting…”
“How is it not?! 2009 and 1999—totally different! I can’t let this slide, it’s a matter of pride!” Zhang Haoliang was clearly agitated.
The other side paused, then coughed awkwardly: “Ahem… Look, buddy. Honestly, the taste between those two vintages is super close. Just a different label—this kind of thing happens a lot…”
“????” Zhang Haoliang froze, completely dumbfounded.
“Think about it! It’s been so many years—most of the real ’99 bottles have been drunk or are in private collections. How much is even left to give to us? It’s not like I’d lie to you…”
“You mean… this really is… 2009?!” Zhang Haoliang sounded like he couldn’t believe it.
“Heh… Between us, yeah. If it weren’t you, I wouldn’t admit it to anyone. Even your dad serves it to guests sometimes—it’s fine, trust me!” The man kept rambling on.
But Zhang Haoliang was already stunned silent.
His mouth hung open, frozen in place.
Then he seemed to realize the speakerphone might be a problem.
He panicked and shouted: “Wang-ge, I got something to deal with—talk later!”
He hurriedly hung up the call.
When he looked up, he saw the entire dining room in stunned silence.
The guests were all staring at him—with expressions ranging from amusement to disbelief.
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