NABC Page 39
Page 39
Luo Fan, of course, understood this as well, and stood up from his seat.
An overwhelming sense of excitement welled up inside Luo Fan, who felt an unparalleled warmth in the scene before him.
"Girls, let me say a few words..."
Everyone listened intently, looking at the man who was so familiar to them.
"This must be your first real celebration since you came here, right?"
"Actually, I don't know what to say. I just feel that my life is very simple now, but it really makes me feel very happy."
"We have temporarily escaped the past and are enjoying the present. Although it is brief, it is precious."
"Come to think of it, we haven't really had many parties in Griffin, have we?"
Luo Fan paused, glancing at his girls.
I have so much to say, but when it comes to actually saying it, I just act like a fool.
The girls simply smiled at themselves, as if waiting for a prayer that was theirs to take place.
"In the past, it wasn't an easy thing to bring these things to the dining table, let alone for you."
“We’ve been through bullets, crawled through mud, and fallen among ruins, but we’ve never been gathered at a table like this before.”
“I never expect to save the world. I just want a chance to have a party with you guys. But the world is so cruel that it won’t even give us that little bit of opportunity.”
"If I could, I would like to..."
......
damn it......
What was I trying to say?
......
It's so embarrassing now. All the girls are looking at me, and I've forgotten my lines just as I'm getting into the conversation.
......
"I want to eat! Okay, that's all!"
Luo Fan sat down abruptly, but just as he was about to pick up his chopsticks, he found that the girls were still motionless, all looking at him.
Why aren't you eating?
Luo Fan felt that he could dig a villa out of his toes.
At this moment, M4 couldn't help but chuckle.
“Commander, although our past has been full of hardships, we do not feel that we have nowhere else to go.”
"Because we still have you, we still have Griffin, not some private security contractor, it can only be called 'Griffin' because of you."
The dog excitedly chimed in, "Yeah, yeah! Commander, without you, we might not have made it this far!"
"There are many dining tables, but how many are actually available for our use?"
AK12 beside him echoed.
"Without you, Griffin might have disappeared."
"So don't doubt yourself, we're all here for you..."
......
For some reason, Luo Fan felt a lump in his throat.
I am truly grateful to my girls for this.
How can you be so kind...?
I don't know, and I don't want to know, whether it was God or technology that brought you to my side, but I will always be grateful for it.
It was worth it... Perhaps I could die here without any regrets?
But as long as they are still by my side, any departure will become an indelible regret...
Luo Fan stood up...
"Thank you for your company, girls."
"May we go even further on our journey together."
Luo Fan bowed to the girls.
The girls all stood up from their chairs and returned the greeting to Luo Fan.
"Thank you for becoming our commander, we are very honored!"
Luo Fan felt an itch on his face...
But as long as I don't mention it, no one will ask me about such an embarrassing thing!
"Alright, let's not be so formal, let's eat!"
Luo Fan sat down and waved his hand.
......
Amidst the myriad lights of homes, this is just an utterly ordinary "family."
But as time went by, they understood love more and more, wanted to love more and more, and dared to love more and more.
A gentle breeze swept through the cold city, but it could not cool the love they had for each other.
This love exists in the wind, in your hands, and in your heart...
This kind of love belongs only to them; it flows and is passed from one another to the other...
This kind of love carries a tremendous vitality, endlessly renewing itself...
40 Negroni and 16
After the meal, the agent began clearing away the dishes, concluding this not-so-grand but still substantial dinner.
Luo Fan went to the kitchen to take out the ice cubes from the refrigerator, but 16 Pigeons followed him into the kitchen.
After seeing the ice cubes that Luo Fan extracted from the mold, M16 laughed and said, "Old ice? Pretty professional."
"Otherwise what? Isn't the soul of a cocktail just these iced drinks?"
At least in Lofan's understanding, almost all cocktails require ice, and it must be old ice frozen for more than a week at a temperature of -10°C or even lower. The process of making this ice is complicated, requires higher standards, and melts relatively slowly, which also reduces the rate of dilution.
It won't melt too quickly when placed in the drink, it can provide a refreshing sensation, and it won't affect the taste of the drink. Moreover, the skill of making ice is one of the criteria for judging the bartender's skill level.
For amateurs like Luo Fan, the only option is to buy ready-made pieces from other people's shops and bring them back. It's too difficult for him to carve out such a perfect piece of ice by hand like others.
After removing all the ice, Lovan packed it all into a small cold storage room.
"Let's go to the usual spot, the atmosphere here isn't very good."
The "old spot" obviously refers to the balcony, since the previous two drinking sessions took place there, and the atmosphere is definitely much better than the lively indoor area.
16 Pigeon asked, "What kind of wine do you need? I'll go and bring it over for you."
"Take them all, just in case I suddenly want a drink too."
Luo Fan left the kitchen without even looking, leaving 16 pigeons still somewhat bewildered.
"Take them all?"
I glanced at the pile of boxes on the ground...
"All right......"
It's just for myself anyway, so it doesn't matter...
......
Luo Fan leaned against the balcony railing, enjoying the cool breeze of November.
At times like these, it's truly perfect to pair a glass of fine wine with a beautiful woman.
The fine wine came later; the beautiful woman had already entered...
"I brought them all for you."
After M16 piled the boxes on the ground, he came to Luo Fan's side.
Luo Fan simply stared at the pile of boxes, showing no intention of starting.
"What's wrong? Weren't you supposed to be mixing my drinks? Getting nervous?"
Seeing Luo Fan's expression, M16 teased.
Luo Fan just smiled and said, "No, it's just that I rarely mix drinks for others, and you are my second customer."
Should I feel honored?
"Then I must thank you for your praise."
Luo Fan stretched his wrists, then walked to the table and arranged the refrigerator and wine glasses.
Next came the ingredients for mixing the cocktail.
"Gin, vermouth, Campari... and an orange."
Luo Fan placed them one by one on the table.
M16 watched the man's performance with a smile, seemingly enjoying the spectacle.
P.S.: For a better reading experience, please play Yo-Yo Ma's "Nocturne" below (remember to loop it).
Luo Fan took out a square of ice, placed it in the antique glass, and slowly spun it around.
Then, ice cubes were added to another glass, which resembled a beaker, and the glass was spun around to cool it.
"M16, have you ever heard of 'Negroni'?"
While stirring, Luo Fan took a moment to ask a question.
M16 pondered for a moment, then replied, "Negroni? I've heard of it, but never had it. What, you want to make that?"
"Yes."
Luo Fan took out a strainer and filtered the ice water out of the glass. Then, he began the actual mixing of the drinks.
"First, 25 ml of gin."
"By the way, M16, do you know what makes Negroni so special?"
Bartending is a job that requires concentration, but as long as you have enough confidence in your skills, you can also chat with your guests and learn about their diverse lives.
Luo Fan wasn't actually very confident, but chatting with him was still necessary.
"I'll probably know once I drink it."
M16 simply leaned against the railing with his arms crossed, looking completely idle.
Luo Fan didn't care about M16's attitude; he just kept staring at the two containers in his hands.
"No cocktail is as sweet and bitter as the Negroni."
"The bitterness of Campari, the sweetness of Vermouth, and the refreshing aroma of gin are balanced in flavor."
"By the way, the recipe ratio is 1:1:1."
Then, Luo Fan took out a bottle of Campari, twirled it a few times in his hand, poured it into a small container, and then poured it into a glass.
"Campari 25 ml".
"Then 25 ml of vermouth."
The man's movements were incredibly leisurely, yet without any loss of efficiency. M16 watched his movements, and his gaze changed slightly from before.
After pouring the wine into the glass, Luo Fan took out a small spoon and stirred the wine in the glass to cool it down again.
"The initial taste is bitter and spicy, followed by a hint of sweetness from vermouth."
Then, filter out the ice water from the glass containing the ice cubes.
"As a bartender's favorite, everyone has their own Negroni, much like love. But why do bartenders love Negroni so much?"
"You want to ask me that? I'm just a drinker."
M16 chuckled to himself.