Chapter 131 There's nothing a good drink can't fix!

Klaus widened his eyes; he didn't need a translator to know what was being said.

Before he could even finish savoring that, a plate of golden, crispy fried pork slices was brought over.

"Try this!"

Big Sister Liu wiped the oil from her hands, looking proud. "I heard you foreigners love fried pork cutlets, so I specifically asked the head chef to make some adjustments."

"Although there are no breadcrumbs, this batter is a family secret!"

In reality, it was just a giant version of Northeast-style sweet and sour pork.

Klaus took a bite.

The outer shell was as crispy as glass, while the inside was overflowing with juices; the vinegar aroma was pungent yet intoxicating.

In that moment, all thoughts of Michelin three-star restaurants or French haute cuisine were blown away by this wild, smoky flavor from the Northwest Gobi Desert!

Seeing that the timing was right, Li Jianguo chuckled and pulled an unlabeled glass bottle out from under the table.

It was the base's home-brewed pure grain liquor, commonly known as "Donkey-Knocker."

It was at least 62 percent alcohol.

"Old Ke!"

Li Jianguo draped one arm over Klaus's shoulder while slamming a large, coarse ceramic bowl onto the table with his other hand.

"Eating food alone isn't enough; you have to drink this!"

"This is what real men around here drink!"

The translator, Little Liu, was about to translate "Donkey-Knocker" more tactfully, but Li Jianguo had already shoved the bowl in front of Klaus.

Klaus looked at the clear, transparent liquid, assuming it was some kind of low-alcohol fruit wine.

As a man who had seen his fair share of battles at beer festivals, a sudden surge of bravado rose within him.

He picked up the bowl, mimicked Li Jianguo, and threw his head back.

Gulp.

Three seconds of dead silence followed.

Then, Klaus's fair European complexion visibly turned the color of a pig's liver.

He suddenly opened his mouth wide, trying to exhale like a fire-breathing dragon, but no sound came out.

Was that 65-degree Northwest white liquor water?

No, it was liquid fire!

It was a trail of fire burning its way down his throat and into his stomach!

The surrounding workers broke into a cold sweat, fearing that this one shot would send the old man to his grave.

"Cough, cough, cough!!" Klaus began to cough violently, tears streaming from his eyes.

After the intense spiciness, an indescribable warmth instantly spread throughout his entire body.

His joints, which had been stiff from the cold of the Gobi Desert, now felt as if they were soaking in a hot spring.

Klaus let out a long breath of alcoholic fumes and slapped the table with dazed eyes:

"Refreshing!"

That was it.

At the liquor table, language was a non-existent obstacle.

As long as the friendship is deep, you down it in one gulp.

Half an hour later, the scene had completely spiraled out of control.

Li Jianguo was speaking Mandarin with a Qin opera accent, while Klaus was spouting German-accented English.

The two had their arms around each other's shoulders, miraculously chatting away.

Li Jianguo gestured with a scraper, pointing to his wrist and then to his heart.

Klaus nodded frantically.

He grabbed Li Jianguo's large, calloused hand, muttering "Master" over and over.

This was what it meant to be a craftsman.

The calluses on their hands and their tactile sense for metal were their universal ID cards.

The translator, Little Liu, sat to the side, watching the two of them chat on different servers with a look of existential despair.

Could they please respect the profession of translation?

As they drank and became emotional, Li Jianguo suddenly stopped talking.

He reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a stainless steel flask.

The flask had been rubbed until it shone, with several clear scratches on it.

It was clearly an old item that had been around for many years.

The entire room of workers quieted down.

Everyone knew that this flask had been with him for over a decade, from the Third Front construction to the Gobi Desert.

Although it was a worthless trinket, it was his most prized possession.

Usually, apart from Lin Xi, he wouldn't let anyone touch it.

Li Jianguo slammed the flask into Klaus's hand, his tongue thick and his eyes red:

"Old Ke."

"Your skills, I, Li Jianguo, admire."

"This flask is yours now."

"From now on, we are brothers eating from the same trough!"

Although Klaus didn't understand what he was saying, he understood what was in Li Jianguo's eyes.

It was the highest respect one craftsman could have for another.

He gripped the flask, still warm from Li Jianguo's touch, his own eyes slightly red.

Before this, he had been "kidnapped" by Lin Xi and lured here by technology.

But at this moment, he was truly "pulled" in by this group of people.

"Thank you..." Klaus choked up, holding the flask against his chest.

That night, in the Fifth Workshop, there were no nationalities, only liquor and technology.

【This is the mysterious power of the East.】

【There is nothing that can't be solved by a big drink; if there is, then have two.】

【Klaus's favorability meter just maxed out!】

In the end, Lin Xi was not spared either.

The workers had long been annoyed by this usually stern "Manager Lin."

Today, they seized the opportunity and launched wave after wave of attacks under the banner of "revolutionary friendship."

Although Lin Xi had the alcohol tolerance of someone who had lived two lifetimes, he couldn't withstand the wheel-battle.

In the end, he was carried back to the dormitory by Sun Erga and Big Cannon, one on each side.

The next morning, in the Fifth Workshop.

Even people with hangovers have to go to work!

Klaus was a bit thirsty, so he grabbed the enamel mug on the table and took a big gulp of cold boiled water.

"Pfft—" He spat it back out.

Bitter, astringent, salty.

This was the Northwest's unique bitter-salty water, with an astonishingly high alkaline content.

For someone used to drinking Alpine spring water, it was practically undrinkable.

Klaus looked at the simple red brick walls, the peeling wooden window frames, and the sky full of yellow sand outside.

The sense of disparity in his heart gradually welled up again.

No private bathroom, no soft Simmons mattress, not even a decent drink of water.

"Sigh..." Klaus shook his head helplessly.

He began to miss the coffee shops on the street corners of Zurich, missing the Espresso and croissants there.

Just then, the door was pushed open.

A cold wind, mixed with a strange... sweet scent, drifted in.

Big Sister Liu bustled in.

In her hands, she held a brand-new enamel mug printed with the five big red characters: "Serve the People."

She looked a bit awkward, wearing a slightly ingratiating smile, and carefully handed the mug to Klaus.

"Um... Expert Klaus."

Big Sister Liu gestured as if drinking.

"Manager Lin said that foreign experts are used to drinking that... cof... coffee in the morning."

"This stuff isn't easy to buy. I had someone travel hundreds of miles to the Friendship Store in the provincial capital just to get it."

Little Liu translated from the side, and Klaus was stunned.

He took the enamel mug, which was full of a sense of the era.

Inside was a mug full of dark brown liquid, with a circle of white instant foam floating on top.

It was Nescafé instant coffee.

In Europe, this was the "instant coffee" at the bottom of the contempt chain.

Moreover, Big Sister Liu clearly didn't know anything about Italian or American coffee.

Fearing the foreigner would find it bitter, she had specifically added a full three cubes of sugar!

She had also filled it to the brim with boiling water; it was practically a mug of hot syrup.

But this taste made Klaus freeze in place.

He picked up the mug and took a sip.

Sweet.

Sickeningly sweet.

Sweet enough to make his throat ache.

But this warm sweetness flowed down his throat, instantly washing away the bitter, salty taste in his mouth.

He looked at Big Sister Liu's hands, covered in chilblains, filled with anticipation and nervousness, and suddenly realized something.

This wasn't just a cup of cheap instant coffee.

This was a poor, large family using the best things they could find to treat a guest from afar!

Even if they didn't understand what elegance was, they had given him all their respect.

An unprecedented sense of sorrow rushed into his nose, stronger than last night's "Donkey-Knocker."

"Delicious!"

Klaus put down the mug and excitedly opened his arms.

Just like meeting an old friend in Zurich, he shouted, "Liu! My angel!"

He rushed forward, intending to give Big Sister Liu a warm cheek-kiss greeting.

"Oh my goodness!"

Big Sister Liu had never seen such a thing and was scared out of her wits.

Covering her face, she screamed, "He's harassing me! Help!"

She turned and ran, as fast as the wind.

"Stop him! Quickly, stop him!"

Seeing this, a few young workers thought the foreign devil was trying to bully someone.

Yelling, they rushed over and pinned Klaus to the ground.

The situation spiraled out of control until the translator, Little Zhang, explained everything, sweating profusely, and the misunderstanding was finally resolved.

【Hahaha, Klaus's reputation as a "lecher" is now set in stone!】

【At that moment, Big Sister Liu must have thought Old Ke was really plotting something untoward against her!】

【Laughing to death, this is probably the most typical scene of East-West cultural conflict!】

Half an hour later, the Fifth Workshop was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

"Did you hear? That Swiss expert likes that kind of thing; he chased Big Sister Liu wanting a hug!"

"Really?"

"So foreigners like middle-aged women!"

Rumors grew wings and spread quickly.

Klaus sat in front of the machine tool, listening to the translator's helpless relay.

Not only was he not angry, but he laughed like a child.

He touched the flask in his pocket, which was still warm, and looked at the enamel mug beside him.

There were no Alps snow here, no Zurich lake.

But the water here was hot.

That was enough.

Lin Xi stood to the side, watching this scene with an old-fox-like smile on his lips.

"Done."

He took a sip of tea, hiding his accomplishments and fame.

Just then, a rush of hurried footsteps broke the peace of the workshop.

The communications officer rushed in, sweating profusely:

"Manager Lin! Manager Lin!"

"What is it?" Lin Xi asked.

"A phone call! An international long-distance call!"

The officer panted, "It's from Lighthouse Country, transferred several times, and they say they are looking for you!"