Chapter 32: Unleashing the Divine Tongue

"You may not know this, but the scent of cloves actually comes from the oak barrels used during the fermentation of red wine. The wine, influenced by the barrels, releases aromas of cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and cloves—these fragrances are among the distinctive features of these reds," Zhang Zhiyong explained. "So, would you care to sample these wines as well?"

The eager expression on his face was reminiscent of a blacksmith presenting his prized weapon to a sword master.

Unable to refuse such hospitality, Bai Renzong tasted two more glasses.

"Hmm..." Bai Renzong took a small sip and remarked, "This wine is made from a different grape than the previous two; the flavor is entirely different."

"That's right! The first two red wines were made with Cabernet Sauvignon, but the one you're tasting now is Merlot," Zhang Zhiyong replied joyfully. "Your palate is remarkably sensitive!"

"Isn't it, though..." Han Jiayi muttered sourly from behind.

"Ah, it's nothing much," Bai Renzong replied modestly, unsure why everyone seemed so excited.

"Are you confident in your sense of taste?" Zhang Zhiyong suddenly smiled mysteriously. "Would you like to try a little challenge?"

"A challenge?" Bai Renzong's interest was piqued.

"You've surely seen scenes in films or TV where the protagonist identifies the brand and vintage of a wine just by tasting it?" Zhang Zhiyong asked with a smile.

Bai Renzong nodded. "But I've hardly drunk any wine; I doubt I can do that."

"No worries, we'll use a special method," Zhang Zhiyong explained. "We'll pour eight bottles of red wine into twenty-four glasses, and let you taste them. All you need to do is group together the wines that taste the same."

Zhang Zhiyong was playing a little trick here: he only mentioned pouring wine into twenty-four glasses, but didn't say that each wine would appear three times. Some wines would be poured twice, others four times.

This approach was much like identifying wine vintages by taste—it required precise recognition of the subtle differences between eight wines. The method was tailored for Bai Renzong, who was trying red wine for the first time.

As for Zhang Zhiyong's motives... frankly, it was all about attracting attention.

Hosting an exhibition meant spending money to promote one's products, and such an activity would draw the focus of all attendees, achieving publicity. Sacrificing a few bottles of wine was well worth it.

Of course, Bai Renzong was happy to oblige. As a content creator, his purpose here was to find material; since the host was offering it, he was glad to cooperate. Both sides had their own agendas, but this event promised mutual benefit.

After all, Bai Renzong was quite confident in his sense of taste.

The only issue lay in marking the glasses so Bai Renzong wouldn't see the labels while pouring.

"How about I taste them blindfolded?" Bai Renzong suggested. "That way, you can mark the glasses however you like."

"That's a great idea," Zhang Zhiyong nodded, handing a silk scarf to Han Jiayi. "May I trouble the lady, then..."

Han Jiayi stepped up to Bai Renzong and tied the scarf over his eyes, whispering, "Are you sure about this? Don't mess up, or it'll be embarrassing."

"What's there to be embarrassed about? It's my first time drinking red wine; it's normal if I can't tell them apart," Bai Renzong replied. "Besides, if I don't post the video, that's the end of it. The only witnesses are people at the exhibition."

"That's true..." Han Jiayi pursed her lips, then wrinkled her nose playfully at him. "It'd be best if you made a fool of yourself!"

Bai Renzong only smiled faintly as the scarf was tied.

With darkness before him, Bai Renzong felt no panic; blocking his vision meant he couldn't see the crowd watching him, which made him calmer.

He reached out and took the first glass from Han Jiayi.

After a sip, he handed it back. "Place this in the first row."

Next came the second glass. After tasting it, Bai Renzong instructed Han Jiayi, "Second row."

By the sixth glass, Bai Renzong handed it back to Han Jiayi. "Put this with the wines in the second row."

"Are you sure?" Han Jiayi asked. Bai Renzong turned toward her voice. "I'm sure. Don't ask questions like that—it affects my judgment and makes it seem like you're giving me hints."

"Understood..." Han Jiayi muttered, somewhat annoyed, but continued to help.

Bai Renzong's world was pitch-black, but the surrounding noise grew louder. Clearly, other guests were gathering. He could hear professional sommeliers whispering, "Hey, did you see? He's not even smelling the wine, just grouping by taste." "Yeah, must be a novice." "Can he really do it?"

Bai Renzong ignored them, continuing to accept glasses from Han Jiayi.

There were supposed to be eight bottles and twenty-four glasses, but when he reached the seventeenth glass, Bai Renzong paused, took another sip, and handed it to Han Jiayi. "This is... the ninth bottle."

"Uh..." Han Jiayi hesitated, but said nothing.

Though Bai Renzong couldn't see, Han Jiayi witnessed everything. Earlier, Zhang Zhiyong had approached her to discuss a change: as more people gathered, to avoid suspicion of collusion, they decided to open a ninth bottle.

Han Jiayi had been flustered, but Bai Renzong didn't fall for it. Sitting there, taking glass after glass from her and announcing his verdict, he somehow exuded an indescribable elegance and composure.

"Annoying, I can't believe I find this loudmouth even a little charming..." Han Jiayi grumbled to herself.

When the twenty-fourth glass was placed in the eighth row, Bai Renzong removed the scarf.

Before him, the twenty-four glasses were divided into eight groups; each group contained between one and five glasses. To aid identification, each glass had a colored mark corresponding to its wine, and within each group, every glass bore the same mark—100% accuracy.

"Remarkable," Zhang Zhiyong began to applaud, his face full of admiration. "It's clear you're a novice, yet your palate is extraordinary! Including the bottle I added to confuse you, there were nine wines—each from a different vintage and grape variety—and you got them all right!"

"Actually, it's nothing special..." Bai Renzong replied modestly, smiling.

"No, it's absolutely remarkable!" Zhang Zhiyong exclaimed. "Even top sommeliers couldn't achieve this. You tasted each glass consecutively, without even rinsing your palate between wines. Your sense of taste is astonishing!"

With that, Zhang Zhiyong handed Bai Renzong a business card. "If you're interested, you're always welcome at our company!"

"Eh? Why?" Bai Renzong asked, accepting the card.

"To work for us, of course," Zhang Zhiyong said with a smile. "I'll make sure you get the best treatment possible."

(Thank you for the reward, Super Cat Lover)