Jack rarely drinks, though he occasionally smokes a cigar. This case of shochu was sothing he bought from a Japanese supermarket for cooking; it ca in a case of 12 bottles, 600ml each.
However, Hannah secretly drank two bottles within a few days. She said the taste reminded her of the whiskey her father made from potatoes on the farm.
Jack took out four beer glasses. John's wound hadn't healed yet, so he only poured him a little, and the sa for himself. Then he poured about a third of the other two glasses, added two ice cubes, and reminded them, "This is like a Japanese version of vodka, don't drink too fast."
Everyone raised their glasses. As is customary, a toast was expected, but shouting "Cheers!" while drinking strong liquor seed a bit inappropriate. Hannah, who had been craving it for a while, had a sudden inspiration and said, "To being single!" The other three, both amused and exasperated, echoed, "To being single!"
Unsurprisingly, the three Aricans, with their sweet tooth, all raved about the braised pork kakuni. However, they didn't let the other dishes go to waste either. They barely finished two bottles of shochu, and apart from two plates of vegetables with a few leaves left, everything else on the table was devoured by the four carnivores.
Nolan, rubbing his bulging belly, said with a worried expression, "My diet plan is ruined. How co you can eat so well every day and still maintain your figure? Is this the advantage of youth?"
Jack was struggling to wrestle the bottle from Hannah, who was already a bit tipsy. Worried that she would retch her dinner, he poured the remaining shochu into Tim's glass. "Hannah turned the guest room into a training room. Before I got injured, I had to accompany her to practice Krav Maga every day. Staying here isn't just about eating and drinking for free. Besides getting beaten up by her, I also have to cook for her, do her laundry, clean, and tidy the yard."
Hannah was a little unhappy, looking at the empty bottle with a frown as she retorted, "I can barely beat you anymore. My coach said I'm ready to go to Judea to take the Krav Maga E1 level exam."
Jack rolled his eyes. After so many beatings, the system had already shown that his fighting skills were proficient. He estimated that if he broke through 20 in physique tonight, he could pin this girl to the ground and spank her tomorrow.
"So, so what are your plans for the future?" Nolan turned to look at Tim.
Tim shook his head, grimaced, and took a sip, still seemingly unaccustod to it, yet reluctant to put down his glass. "I don't know. Maybe only ti can solve everything. I had an irresponsible father, and my lifelong wish has always been to avoid repeating his mistakes and to be a good husband, but..."
Jack affectionately ruffled Hannah's long blond hair, stopping her from opening another bottle of shochu. "Perhaps this sounds cruel, but I think Isabella might have ended your marriage so resolutely precisely because she knows you so well. She's already in hell and doesn't want to drag you down with her."
Tim sniffed, wiped away tears, and downed the liquor in his glass in one gulp. His hoarse voice trembled with emotion: "I've thought about that possibility, but I still truly love her."
Nolan agreed with Jack: "You've been a patrolman for so many years, you know the state of those drug addicts on the streets better than we do. From the mont Isabella abandoned you and left your ho, you should have known that the person you loved was gone. Don't let those so-called sense of responsibility bind your future."
In the end, the drunken and heartbroken Tim was taken ho by Nolan. Watching the taxi drive away, Jack sighed. Gambling is a killer.
After clearing away the dishes, Jack turned around and saw Hannah asleep on the sofa. He couldn't help but smile. This girl acted like an alcoholic, but her actual alcohol tolerance was only a few ounces.
Just as he was about to carry her back to her room in a princess carry, he suddenly felt the soft body in his arms stiffen. He hurriedly turned his head, and a gust of wind from a punch grazed his cheek.
"Hannah!" Jack called out quickly.
Hearing the familiar voice, Hannah's eyes widened abruptly. Her unfocused blue pupils gradually refocused until she saw his face clearly. Only then did her stiff body slowly relax. She closed her eyes again, sniffed like a puppy, as if she had found a familiar scent. Her right hand, which had been clenched into a fist, wrapped around his neck, and she nuzzled her head against his chest.
Jack was both amused and annoyed. Sotis he really couldn't tell whether Hannah's attachnt to him was more romantic love or familial affection. He went into the bedroom, carefully placed her on the bed, took off her shoes, covered her with the blanket, and then quietly left the room.
This wasn't the first ti Jack had encountered Hannah's stress reaction. Even with his rudintary psychology skills, he could tell it was typical PTSD symptoms. Considering Hannah's usual misandry, he had tried to subtly probe her about it before, but she would fall silent whenever the topic of her past ca up, leaving him helpless.
Back in his attic room, Jack lay on the bed, first removing the bandage from his right leg and healing the wound with his healing skill. Then he opened the system, choosing to use 2 system coins to purchase 1 point of Constitution, raising it to 20.
There was no excruciating pain sweeping through his body, nor the cliché of expelling foul-slling liquid. Instead, there was a tingling, numb sensation, starting from his toes, passing through his calves, thighs, up his spine, to his arms, fingers, neck, and finally converging at the top of his head — a feeling as if his entire skeleton had been reset to factory settings.
He got up, took off his clothes, and stood in front of the dressing mirror. Before him was a male body like an ancient Greek marble sculpture — muscles perfectly proportioned, skin as flawless as sculptor, even the acne scars on his chin were gone.
Jack clicked his tongue in admiration, striking a few poses in front of the mirror. This physique, combined with his original mixed-race handso face, would probably put all those action movie stars out of work if he went to the San Fernando Valley.
That night, Jack experienced the benefits of both his ntal strength and physical constitution breaking through 20. His sleep ti was reduced to less than three hours, aning he had more than five hours extra each day for studying, exercising, or entertainnt.
On the last day before his vacation ended, Jack and Hannah visited Hunter and Dee Dee again. Thanks to the Python Hunter had given him, Jack wouldn't have been confident he'd escaped Bronson Tower unscathed — well, the bullet to the calf didn't count; that was Tim's fault.
Unfortunately, the Python cylinder only holds six rounds, and reloading the revolver is still quite cumberso even with a speed loader. If given the chance, Jack would still like to get a high-powered semi-automatic pistol specifically for dealing with people wearing body armor.
Although his current proficiency in pistol shooting allows him to confidently score headshots within 20 ters, he's currently just an ordinary patrol officer, and it's best not to stand out too much.
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