A large table full of dishes was soon served, but Duan Rong just chatted idly and didn't touch his chopsticks.
Joking aside, this was a Hongmen Banquet. The two of them hadn't eaten, so how could he dare to eat? What if it was poisoned?
After Duan Rong politely declined a few times and saw the two of them almost finished eating all the dishes on the table, he suddenly started gobbling up the food like a whirlwind!
The way he ate was like a reincarnated starving ghost!
It was only then that Kong Bin and Zhang Zheng realized that it was their money being spent!
With such lavish dishes, the two of them usually wouldn't indulge like this!
The three of them immediately began to fight over the food like wild dogs!
When the table of dishes was almost cleared, Zhang Zheng suddenly said, "What's up with the boss? Why is that tripe dish still not here?"
"Go urge the kitchen," Kong Bin said sideways, then raised a bowl of wine towards Duan Rong and suggested, "Rong brother, let's have another bowl."
Zhang Zheng stood up and headed to the kitchen.
In fact, they hadn't ordered any tripe.
Zhang Zheng went into the kitchen and told the old waiter to add a tripe dish!
The old man's face turned bitter, "We're busy, sir. You'll have to wait your turn to add dishes!"
"Can't wait! Well then, I'll cook it myself! I'll pay you for it!" Zhang Zheng said.
The old man, seeing this, agreed. He took a piece of tripe from a basin and threw it on the table, saying, "That's all the tripe we have. Use as much pepper and onion as you want!"
Zhang Zheng, with a hot pot of oil, stir-fried the tripe in the kitchen. Seeing it was about to be done, he took a small packet of black-and-white mixed powder from his pocket, sprinkled it into the pot, stirred it a few times, and then served it on a plate.
The powder was morning glory seeds, a traditional folk laxative in ancient times.
The "Complete Compendium of Materia Medica" states: "Morning glory seeds are good at dispelling damp-heat, facilitating water flow, and also help with bowel movements."
Although Zhang Zheng seemed to only sprinkle a small packet, the dosage was actually quite heavy.
"Kid, enjoy your meal. This dish will make sure you throw up everything you ate!" Zhang Zheng said with a sinister smile as he carried the steaming dish of stir-fried tripe out of the kitchen.
Zhang Zheng placed the plate in the middle of the table and laughed, "The chef was so slow! Who knows when it would've been ready without urging him?"
"Rong brother, come, try this tripe; it just came out of the pot. I specifically asked the chef to add extra spice, it's very flavorful!" Zhang Zheng said, looking at Duan Rong.
Duan Rong seemed a bit tipsy; he raised a bowl of rice wine and slurred, "No rush for the dishes, let's have another bowl first."
Kong Bin and Zhang Zheng exchanged a glance, raised their bowls, and drank to the last drop with Duan Rong.
All three had drunk quite a lot, especially Kong Bin, whose eyes were already red.
"Come, this tripe is getting cold, Rong brother, have some!" Kong Bin pretended to take a piece of tripe with his chopsticks but didn't swallow it, just placed it on the plate in front of him.
Drunk, Kong Bin laughed somewhat lasciviously, quite different from his usual stern demeanor.
Duan Rong found it quite amusing.
In fact, Duan Rong wasn't drunk. His slightly inebriated demeanor was entirely an act.
Not only was he not drunk, but the more he drank, the sharper he felt. It seemed that his original body had quite a tolerance for alcohol.
Although Duan Rong kept inviting them to drink, he was careful not to touch the stir-fried tripe.
Joking aside, Zhang Zheng had been in the kitchen for quite a while, and neither of them ate any, only urging him to eat. What if there was something wrong?
When Duan Rong could no longer refuse, he pretended to take a piece of tripe but twisted his wrist just before it reached his mouth, blocking the others' view. As he loosened his chopsticks, the tripe fell under the table, eaten by a mangy yellow dog.
With an empty mouth, Duan Rong clacked his teeth loudly, pretending to chew, and said, "This tripe is good, crisp! Quite flavorful too!"
"Since you like it, Rong brother, have some more. From now on, we're all brothers, we have to look out for each other." Kong Bin, seeing Duan Rong ate, was in high spirits. He got up unsteadily and pushed the plate of tripe towards Duan Rong.
All three were quite tipsy, and Duan Rong, when the other two weren't paying attention, fed the plate of tripe to the yellow dog by his feet.
When Kong Bin and Zhang Zheng saw that the tripe in front of Duan Rong was gone, they exchanged smiles.
After drinking and eating their fill, the three continued chatting idly for a half-hour before finally leaving the tavern.
Just outside the door, the cold wind blew, and the alcohol hit Duan Rong, making him feel the urge to relieve himself. He said, "Wait for me; I'll be right back."
"Isn't this kid about to have some trouble?" Zhang Zheng said with a tipsy wicked grin.
Duan Rong walked into the alley beside the tavern and relieved himself against the wall. He then suddenly saw the mangy yellow dog from under the table lying in the alley like a heap, with a puddle of watery excrement beneath it.
Duan Rong was suddenly startled, nearly wetting his own feet. "Damn, it's laxative!"
In such a short time, the dog was in that state.
If he had eaten the entire plate, wouldn't he be weak in the legs, unable to take the exam tomorrow?
"Malicious and ruthless!"
"Did they really drug me?"
Duan Rong suddenly felt a bit of fear; he had indeed underestimated these two.
If they had wanted to fight him, Duan Rong wouldn't have been afraid, but being drugged was hard to guard against. Moreover, with a laxative, it wouldn't be life-threatening, and even if reported to the Escort Agency, no one would care. Besides, he had no evidence!
In the alley, Duan Rong looked at Kong Bin and Zhang Zheng waiting at the alley entrance. Suddenly, he took a turn and returned to the Escort Agency by another route.
In the cold wind at the alley entrance, Kong Bin and Zhang Zheng waited for a long time, but Duan Rong didn't come out. The two called out a few times but got no response.
Zhang Zheng said, "Could it have already worked?"
"So quickly?"
"Well, it was a big plate! And it's been a while."
The two laughed after speaking and didn't wait for Duan Rong, supporting each other back to the Escort Agency.
Feeling quite drunk, the two collapsed into sleep as soon as they returned to the dormitory.
They naturally didn't notice that Duan Rong had long been peacefully asleep at the other end of the bunk.
Early the next morning, Duan Rong got up and saw Kong Bin and Zhang Zheng sleeping like dead pigs on the bunk by the door.
Duan Rong chuckled and left the dormitory.
At this time, it was still dark, with only a large star hanging upside down in the sky.
When Duan Rong exited the dormitory, he was slightly surprised to see someone up even earlier, already practicing in stance.
It was Li Chong!
Upon seeing Duan Rong, Li Chong timidly greeted him as "Brother Rong" and then avoided him like a mouse, retreating to a corner to practice.
Duan Rong, shaking his head slightly, had seen many people like that in his past life, who bully the weak and fear the strong, showing respect outwardly but harboring deep resentment inwardly.
Someone like Li Chong was actually even more dangerous than Kong Bin and Zhang Zheng because he was more insane.
Kong Bin and Zhang Zheng might only dare to use laxatives, but Li Chong might use arsenic.
"Be cautious," Duan Rong reminded himself silently.
He washed up quickly and headed to the firewood room, as he was now used to starting his early practices there. Besides, today was the exam day, and it was better to arrive early.
In the dim light of pre-dawn, the courtyard by the firewood room was still shrouded in darkness. Kong Bin and Zhang Zheng hurriedly walked in.
After all, it was the day of the exam, and being early was preferable to being late.
Upon entering the courtyard, the two immediately spotted two people already waiting inside.
It was Duan Rong and Li Chong!
Kong Bin's facial muscles twitched.
He thought that Duan Rong would surely be weak in the legs today, but there he stood, expressionless and upright.
Kong Bin glanced at Zhang Zheng behind him, only to find him equally astonished.
He was confident that Zhang Zheng wouldn't mess up, so there was only one possibility.
Duan Rong had turned their own trick against them!
Kong Bin ground his teeth silently, but within moments, he relaxed his clenched fists, exhaled deeply, and stood quietly beside Duan Rong.
Zhang Zheng saw Kong Bin step over and, after a glance around, positioned himself in the gap between Kong Bin and Li Chong.
Kong Bin's change in expression did not escape Duan Rong's notice, who thought, "For someone so young, Kong Bin is quite shrewd, a notable character among the crowd."