novelcrest Chapter 487 I'll drink with you!
Chapter 487 I'll drink with you!
Chapter 487 I'll drink with you!
Under the watchful eyes of Mr. Zhang and Qiu Zhang, Sean hesitated slightly, then carefully took a sip of O
Fine wine!
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
This baijiu has a very unique taste, with a strong and refreshing aroma. It is warm in body and not too spicy at all. Instead, it has a smooth and sweet aftertaste.
Sean nodded slightly and smiled with satisfaction: "This wine is good, very special, and much milder than I expected."
Mr. Zhang smiled proudly: "Thank you for the compliment. This is a traditional wine from our hometown, and its flavor is indeed unique."
With the arrival of this glass of wine, the conversation between Sean and Mr. Zhang became more casual, and the two began to talk about wine culture and the characteristics of wines from different regions.
Therefore, Sean also labeled Mr. Zhang in his mind.
I know a little about wine, but not much.
Different evaluations from different people have different meanings.
To receive such praise from Sean is already quite impressive.
The two clinked glasses and the atmosphere grew increasingly lively.
Watching Sean down glass after glass of wine, Qiu Zhang was secretly pleased, but his joy was short-lived, for he soon heard Madam Zhang scold him playfully—
"Drink less, Professor Phillips is a guest."
Qiu Zhang's heart sank suddenly.
Drink less?
This won't do!
She went to great lengths to bring Professor Phillips home, just so her father could get him drunk.
Mr. Zhang scratched his head, and just as he was about to say something embarrassed, Sean smiled and raised his hand to indicate that he had no problem.
"It's alright, I just think this wine is really to my liking, and your cooking is so delicious, how can we not finish the wine?"
Admittedly, Sean was well aware of Cho Chang's plans.
But in the end, it's still hard to say who the hunter and who the prey will be.
How can I proceed with the next step of the plan without getting myself drunk?
Seeing that Sean was drinking rather slowly, Madam Zhang was a little worried, but she didn't say anything more. She just frowned slightly, then smiled and said, "Since you like it, drink more. Don't be shy."
So Sean and Mr. Zhang continued drinking and chatting.
The conversation then turned to Quidditch.
This is more like a common British habit: when people meet, they greet each other with the weather, and at the dinner table, they'll bring up football—there's no football in the wizarding world, so they'll talk about Quidditch.
Due to the number of wizards and historical reasons, the British Quidditch League and the Irish league are combined and collectively known as the "British and Irish Quidditch League".
Mr. Zhang said that his favorite team is the Wimbledon Hornets.
The Wimbledon Hornets are a long-established Quidditch team, founded in 1312. Their uniforms are yellow and black stripes with a wasp on the chest.
Ludo Bagman previously played for the Hornets as a batter, during which time the Hornets won three consecutive league championships.
When a team wins the league championship three years in a row, according to Muggle parlance, they have created a dynasty.
In Sean's memory, this team had won the league title at least eighteen times, reached the semi-finals of the European Championship twice, and won the European Championship once.
Speaking of which, the name of this team is quite interesting—back then, the Hornets weren't called the Hornets. It was only during a game that the team's batter hit a wasp nest at the opposing team's seeker, stinging him badly, hence the name.
The team's fans are also known as "stingers" because they make a loud buzzing noise to distract opponents during the game.
This is considered relatively decent behavior among the actions of "Quidditch (football) hooligans" in Britain, isn't it?
In particular, in contrast to the disaster that occurred not long ago at the Quidditch World Cup.
Sean doesn't have a favorite Quidditch team, while Cho Chang likes the Wigtown Wanderers.
While clinking glasses with Sean, Mr. Zhang continued to steer the conversation, using it as a topic of drinking conversation: "Professor Phillips, what do you think of the recent focus on Quidditch in the wizarding world? Especially some of the discussions about the rules, do you think it's necessary to change them?"
Such topics did not arise out of thin air, but are based on evidence.
Since the Quidditch World Cup disaster, there have been voices expressing dissatisfaction with the sport. Some say the rules of Quidditch should be changed—for safety reasons; others say the scale of Quidditch should be controlled; and some radicals have even called for the abolition of Quidditch.
The last group also occasionally holds parades in places where wizards gather, such as Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and Godric's Hollow.
Indeed, this is a traditional British skill.
Even though the last group's ideas were too "extreme" and many people expressed their dissatisfaction with them, there were still no violent clashes at the march site—this was the only thing worth being relieved about.
Sean gently put down his glass, pondered for a moment, and gave a rather formal reply.
"Indeed, the Quidditch World Cup tragedy had a great impact on the entire wizarding world. The disaster not only made many people question Quidditch, but also triggered a deep reflection on the rules of the game and safety issues."
If you were to write down Sean's words on paper and examine them word by word, you would find that he didn't say anything at all.
More specifically, Sean simply stated the facts as they had happened without offering his own thoughts or opinions.
This is a basic skill for a civil servant, specifically referring to the UK.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhang's eyes flashed with worry, and she joined the conversation: "I've heard about it too. I heard that the injuries and deaths in that match have made many parents worried about the safety of their children participating in Quidditch, especially the young players." She paused, sighed, and said, "Every time I watch Cho Chang's matches, I feel uneasy."
The safety here refers not only to safety outside the game, but also to safety inside the game. Mrs. Zhang used this to express her feelings—although Quidditch is popular, few parents are willing for their children to participate in the sport, especially women.
This conclusion is not difficult to reach.
Even among wizards, there are physical differences between men and women, such as strength and concentration.
Even if the differences in each item are small, the cumulative effect of these differences is hard to ignore.
In this context, Quidditch does not distinguish between men and women, and men and women compete on the same field, which can be quite difficult for some women.
Furthermore, the safety of Quidditch is a concern.
This problem was discovered more than a decade ago when Sean first came into contact with Quidditch.
Given the treatment standards at St. Mungo's Hospital, there is a possibility of recovery if the patient survives the fall.
Listen to this sentence, don't you think it's a bit...
A rocket crossbow can reach speeds of several hundred kilometers per hour. If you're not careful—even with a resurrection spell, piecing together the pieces of flesh is a skill in itself.
At the same time, injuries are also one of the problems.
While magic allows wizards to do more, wizards don't have physical strength, and a pistol can still pierce their fragile bodies.
In this situation, there is no difference between wizards and Muggles.
However, Quidditch requires more physical strength than football.
Sean smiled and replied, "I think future Quidditch games might incorporate more magical items, which would increase the fun of the game and allow players to showcase more skills while ensuring their safety. However, these will need to be adjusted based on the rules and the actual situation."
This is Sean's idea of the future of Quidditch, essentially pointing to another possibility.
Regarding the recent Quidditch World Cup disaster, Shaun, as the "mastermind," shared his insights—
"While safety is a serious concern, we cannot abandon the allure of Quidditch entirely because of one disaster. In fact, the rules and facilities can be improved through innovation to reduce the dangers. After all, the spirit and values of the sport itself remain irreplaceable."
That's a beautifully said statement.
It wouldn't be unreasonable to treat it directly as a press release from the Department of Physical Education and Sports of the Ministry of Magic.
Mr. Zhang and Qiu Zhang were both deeply moved when they heard this. The more they looked at Sean, the more they liked him. However, one kept his feelings to himself, while the other expressed them through his wine.
"Come on, Professor Phillips, have another one!"
"Um.
""
One cup after another.
One bottle after another.
The style of the room gradually changed as more empty bottles accumulated.
Mr. Zhang took off his coat, and Sean took off his robe.
The two of them put their arms around each other's shoulders and had already reached the stage of calling each other brothers.
"Hiccup—" Mr. Zhang, his eyes blurry with drunkenness, let out a loud hiccup, put his arm around Sean, and said, "Phillips, I'm a few years older than you, so I'll take the liberty of calling you my brother—"
Sean pretended to be drunk, shaking his head and nodding in agreement, "Okay, big brother."
Mr. Zhang became happier and happier as he looked at Sean in his arms.
He's refined, knowledgeable, handsome, rich, powerful, and influential. How wonderful it would be to have some connection with his family!
At this moment, Qiu Zhang's concern was no longer how to get Professor Phillips drunk.
Her concern shifted to how she would conduct the interview if Professor Phillips drank too much.
If the professor gets drunk and falls asleep, then all her work for the day will have been for nothing.
"Dad, Professor, please stop drinking!"
After finally separating the two, Qiu Zhang's brows relaxed slightly. She quickly helped Sean steady himself and said, "Professor, you should rest here tonight. It's cold outside, and you look like you should go back."
As she spoke, she looked at her mother, and Madam Zhang chimed in from the side.
"That's right, Professor. You can sleep here tonight and get some rest."
Sean was a little unsteady on his feet, but nodded. "Yes, you're right. I'll be staying here tonight. Thank you, Miss Qiu Zhang, and my brother."
Mr. Zhang, also seemingly drunk, was still incredibly happy, patting Sean on the back and saying, "Get some rest, my dear brother, let's drink again tomorrow!"
This drinking session ultimately came to an end with this sentence.
Qiu Zhang and his wife helped Sean move him little by little toward the guest room.
Sean's steps seemed a little heavy, but with their help, he was still able to maintain some balance.
Finally, they settled Sean in and made him lie quietly in bed.
Under his mother's watchful eye, Qiu Zhang gently pulled the blanket over himself and whispered, "Professor, if you need anything, just let me know."
Sean gave a soft reply, his eyelids closing heavily: "Okay, see you tomorrow, Miss Cho Chang."
Qiu Zhang gently closed the door, glanced back at the room, and then turned to his mother, saying, "I need to rest too."
Madam Zhang nodded, watching Qiu Zhang walk towards her room, and said softly, "You must be tired too, get some rest."
Qiu Zhang didn't turn around, but simply responded softly, walked into the room, took off his coat, and sat down on the edge of the bed.
The night outside the window was deep, and the air was cool and quiet.
She stared quietly at a book on the table, her thoughts drifting away.
the other side.
After Qiu Zhang and his wife left, Sean suddenly opened his eyes while lying in bed.
He looked at the clock face on the wall, but his heart felt filled with countless tiny sounds, as if every second was stretched out exceptionally long.
three minutes.
five minutes.
ten minutes.
Time passed little by little.
Just as Sean was getting a little bored while waiting, a rustling sound finally came from outside the door.
Immediately afterwards, the door was quickly pushed open and then closed.
A beautiful figure, bathed in moonlight, stood before Sean's bedside.
If it wasn't Qiu Zhang, then who was it?
Looking at Professor Phillips, whose face was flushed and who was sleeping lightly with his eyes closed, Qiu Zhang felt a little nervous.
This kind of "rebellious" behavior is beyond her capabilities.
However, there's no turning back now.
After a very brief internal struggle (maybe only a dozen seconds?), Qiu Zhang finally took out his camera from his bag.
However, it's not the one about Rita, but the one about Muggles.
After all, this isn't Hogwarts; Muggle products can be used here, and they're more convenient.
After recording Sean's drunken state, Cho Chang secretly took out the wand he had just received from his father and cast a soundproofing spell on the room.
After everything was arranged, she reached out her hand and poked Sean with trembling hands.
At first, Sean did not react.
As Qiu Zhang increased the intensity, he pretended to be dazed and slowly opened his eyes.
"Miss Qiu-Miss Qiu, what's wrong?"
Seeing Professor Phillips staring at him, Cho Chang felt a little nervous, but he still pretended to be indifferent and said softly.
"Professor, I'm sorry to disturb your rest, but I have some questions I'd like to ask you."
Sean sat up slightly, rubbing his forehead, seemingly not yet fully recovered from the effects of the alcohol. Nevertheless, he didn't refuse, simply replying softly, "Yes, no problem."
Qiu Zhang breathed a slight sigh of relief, but seeing Sean's eyes gradually clear, her heart started racing—her worst fears had come true.
If the interview is interrupted halfway through, wouldn't all her efforts be wasted?
Fortunately, she was prepared.
She took a few bottles of wine out of her bag and handed them to Sean.
Sean paused, took the bottle, and raised an eyebrow slightly. "Wine?" he asked, puzzled. "It's no fun drinking alone. I'll go find some."
Before he could finish speaking, he swayed as he tried to get up.
Seeing that his plan was about to fall through, Qiu Zhang quickly added, "I'll drink with you!"
As she spoke, she quickly opened the bottle and, without hesitation, tilted her head back and downed a mouthful!