Pale Requiem: Transformed into a Girl

Chapter 24: Gold Medal Bartender (1)

Zhou Zheng picked up that glass of dark-hued Negroni, first taking a deep sniff before sipping it lightly.

“Mm……” Zhou Zheng closed his eyes, his Adam’s apple rolling as if savoring the taste.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, slapped the bar with force, and imitated the cadence of a classic Hong Kong film, exclaiming with dramatic intonation.

“The aroma of citrus! The soul of juniper! The perfect symphony of bitterness and sweetness!”

Unfortunately, Bai Lengci did not understand, nor could she play along.

Otherwise, she might have responded with, “An expert indeed.”

Bai Lengci tilted her head slightly, as if pondering the meaning of Zhou Zheng’s line, then spoke honestly.

“The recipe ratio is a standard 1:1:1, stirred with ice. The citrus aroma comes from the oils of the orange peel garnish, juniper is the base flavor of gin. The bitterness comes from Campari, and the sweetness comes from vermouth.”

Zhou Zheng: “……”

Onlookers: “Pfft…” Someone could not help but laugh out loud.

The excitement on Zhou Zheng’s face instantly froze, then turned into helpless amusement.

Just then, a young man in a flashy printed shirt, with slicked-back hair, squeezed up to the bar, face full of excitement, shouting at Zhou Zheng.

“Brother Zhou! Brother Zhou! What’s the story with this beauty? Damn! Those bottle tricks were insane! A newly dug-up master? Which top venue did she come from before?”

Zhou Zheng quickly adjusted his expression, put on the airs of a manager, and lowered his voice with feigned mystery.

“Master Wang, low-key, low-key! This is a treasure we just discovered at Twilight! As for which celestial being she is……”

He deliberately drew out his tone, glancing at the expressionless Bai Lengci.

“For now, that’s a secret! Anyway, if you want to drink something different in the future, just come to Twilight’s bar!”

“Beauty! Make me a drink! That Negr… Negr… what was it again?!”

“I want one too! I want the one with the bottle-spinning trick!”

“And me! That move just now was too cool, can you do it again?”

……

With Master Wang leading the way, the bar was instantly surrounded by customers.

The clamor of orders and cheers rose one after another.

Bai Lengci stepped back half a step, creating a little distance.

“Thank you, everyone.”

She nodded slightly, her movements graceful.

“What I just did was merely at Manager Zhou’s request, a small demonstration. Whether I make drinks for everyone depends on the bar’s arrangements and Manager Zhou’s decision.”

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the small mountain of colorful bills piled on the bar (mostly red bills with Chairman Mao’s face—tips), before continuing.

“These are tokens of appreciation. But one should not receive rewards without merit. The performance was not official service, so I ask that you please take back this money. Unless…”

Her gaze turned toward Zhou Zheng, carrying a faint trace of inquiry.

“Unless I have the chance to work here, then it won’t be too late for everyone to come and support more often.”

Her words were flawless, pushing the decision to Zhou Zheng, politely refusing the tips, yet leaving herself room.

“Once given, how could we take it back?!”

“Exactly! Beauty, take it! You earned it!”

“Yeah, yeah! Take it and buy yourself some candy!”

“Manager Zhou! Quickly sign her on! Don’t waste time!”

“Sign her! Sign her!”

The customers had no intention of taking back their money.

Instead, the commotion grew louder, with some even chanting slogans.

The situation was about to spiral out of control.

Zhou Zheng quickly stepped forward to take charge.

“Everyone, please calm down! Rest assured! Bai will definitely—must—come work at our bar.  A-Ken! Take care of everyone! Tonight, every table gets a free fruit platter—on me!”

After saying that, Zhou Zheng turned to Bai Lengci.

“Come, Bai, let’s discuss the job matter.”

Amid A-Ken’s hurried assurances and the customers’ cheers of “Brother Zhou is generous,” Zhou Zheng quickly signaled Bai Lengci to follow him.

The two entered the relatively quiet manager’s office.

Once the door closed, most of the noise was shut out.

Zhou Zheng let out a long breath, wiping nonexistent sweat from his forehead.

Bai Lengci, on the other hand, quietly picked up the thick stack of tips she had set at the corner of the bar earlier during her performance.

A pile of red “Chairman Maos”—she picked them up, naturally smoothed and stacked them neatly, and then… slipped them into her coat pocket.

From the corner of his eye, Zhou Zheng caught this scene, and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

So much for “one should not receive rewards without merit” and “please take them back”! This Bai was truly… a woman of action!

He walked around to sit behind the desk, opened a drawer, and took out a pack of He Tianxia cigarettes.

With practiced ease, he flicked one out and offered it to Bai Lengci, his face carrying a touch of the socialite’s courtesy.

“Want one? To relax a little?”

Bai Lengci glanced at the slender cigarette, then shook her head faintly.

“Thank you, but I don’t smoke.”

“Oh, good habit.”

Zhou Zheng was unsurprised, casually retracting the cigarette, sticking it between his own lips, and lighting it with a snap.

He took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled a plume of gray-white smoke.

“You don’t mind, do you?”

“Do as you please.”

Bai Lengci sat down in the chair opposite the desk.

Through the haze of smoke, Zhou Zheng studied her.

After a long pause, he sighed and spoke in a candid tone.

“Xiaobai… mm, you don’t mind me calling you that, do you? Honestly, your skills are really something!”

He gave a thumbs-up.

“I’ve been in this line for nearly ten years, and your flair bartending… you’re the most stunning newcomer I’ve ever seen! No one else comes close!”

He paused, then shifted the tone.

“But, the salary you’re asking for… one thousand yuan a day, really is… a bit beyond the usual budget of our little place.

Look, A-Ken, our head bartender, gets just over three hundred a day in base pay.

With commission, his monthly earnings barely top ten thousand.

But you, just base pay alone, that’s one thousand a day—thirty thousand a month! And that’s not even counting tips! If all tips go to you, that’s truly unprecedented!”

He tapped the ash off his cigarette.

“Business at a bar fluctuates, it can’t be packed every night. If there’s a slow night, I still have to pay you that wage. For a small operation like ours, the pressure is huge!”

Bai Lengci listened quietly.

When Zhou Zheng finished, she spoke calmly.

“Manager Zhou, cost accounting and risk control are your professional concerns. My value has already been demonstrated through the performance and the customers’ reaction—it provided market feedback. One thousand per day is my asking price. It includes the additional traffic premium I bring, the topic premium, and the expected performance growth far beyond A-Ken, which you are attempting to downplay. As for risk-sharing—that is your responsibility as the operator, not something to be shifted onto employees.”

Her logic was sharp and direct, dismantling Zhou Zheng’s excuse about cost pressures with precision.

What you wanted was the extraordinary returns I bring compared to ordinary bartenders.

Naturally, you must pay the matching price.

Risk? That’s the boss’s burden—don’t pass it down.

Zhou Zheng was choked speechless for a moment.

He realized he could not use the usual tricks for negotiating with ordinary employees on this person before him.

She was too calm, too sharp, nothing like a high school student.

“Cough…”

He gave a dry cough, stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette, and forced a bitter smile.

“Xiaobai, you really make me love and hate you at the same time! Fine! I admire your confidence and your skill. One thousand a day, I personally would love to sign you! But this isn’t something I can decide alone, after all, I’m just the manager. I need to consult our boss lady—she’s the real boss. Please wait a moment, I’ll call her right now! Whether it works out or not, I’ll give you an answer as soon as possible!”

He then picked up his phone, gestured for Bai Lengci to wait, and walked to the window.

“Hello? Boss? Yeah, it’s me, Xiao Zhou! Right, right, I’ve got some good news to report!……”