Finally, Mauve managed to free himself from the confining garment. With a swift motion, he pulled the shirt over his head, revealing his muscular purple torso, glistening slightly with a thin sheen of sweat.

Qie Xieling’s brow arched, momentarily distracted by the striking sight before him. The intriguing patterns that adorned Mauve’s skin seemed to shift and shimmer with each movement, captivating and invoking his curiosity.

Though intriguing it wasn’t as interesting as what he saw at the upper deck. Now that was an entire meal that he couldn’t wait to devour.

Mauve let out a contented sigh, the relief evident on his face as he stood there shirtless, enjoying the coolness of the warship’s climate-controlled environment.

"What time are we eating? I am starving after all that work," Qie Xieling complained and Mauve sat down facing him.

"How good are you at drinking?" he asked and Qie Xieling who could somewhat hold his liquor was intrigued.

"I am a good drinker... why?" he asked curious to know why he asked that question.

"You want to make some easy star coins? You beat the other recruits drinking and you will walk out with some pocket money," he said and when Qie Xieling thought of his negative balance he was more than eager.

"Then let’s make some money," he said more determined than ever to win.

An hour later Qie Xieling took a deep breath, his heart pounding as he surveyed the rowdy circle of intergalactic pirates. The cafeteria was filled with raucous laughter and the clinking of shot glasses.

The word had spread quickly throughout the ship, drawing the attention of half the crew. They were encircling the recruits, their boisterous cheers and jeers filling the room.

Mauve had warned him before he (Mauve) placed a bet but seeing the formidable opponents lined up before him, doubt began to creep into his mind. This initiation was a must for every recruit. It was like a rite of passage that would test their mettle and bond them further as a crew so Qie Xieling was going to drink either way. It’s just that now he was drinking to win.

Mauve leaned closer and whispered, "Get it together. If you lose, you will sleep in the garbage disposal." The words hung heavily in the air but Qie Xieling was more worried about the bet. If he lost then he would not only owe Mauve but his balance would be even worse. He felt like crying tears of blood.

His eyes darted from one recruit to another his confidence diminishing. They were a motley crew, each one with a wild glint in their eyes and an air of reckless abandon. They were the embodiment of chaos, and Qie Xieling wondered if he had what it took to out-drink them.

Money was motivation enough, not sleeping in the garbage disposal was also motivation enough but what really made him even more eager to win was when they mentioned the prize. The recruit who could consume the most shots would be rewarded with the elusive and decadent seafood platter, a delicacy reserved only for the captain. For foodie Lin Lin that was enough to have him rubbing his palms together as he stepped into the middle of the circle.

The recruits sat down in front of a table where there were rows of shot glasses lined up like an intimidating army.

The atmosphere grew tense as a squid-like alien, its tentacles shifting in vibrant colours, poured out the highly intoxicating liquor that had been carefully selected for this occasion into the waiting shot glasses.

He squared his shoulders, his gaze meeting the alien’s eyes. As the countdown began, he prepared himself mentally. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the first shot glass, his hand steady despite the racing beat of his heart. That first shot sent a sharp sting down his throat but there was no going back now.

He could feel the intoxicating effects of the liquor seeping into his veins, but he toughened up and picked his next glass. With each shot he downed, the room erupted in cheers and jeers, the crew urging them to keep going. Qie Xieling’s passion for food and his competitive spirit fueled his resolve.

The recruits around him were soon struggling to keep up, their faces turning various shades of red as they battled the intoxicating effects of the drink. Some even bent over to throw up in the buckets prompting even more cheers.

Time seemed to blur as the room filled with cheers and laughter. Mauve diligently kept track of the shots consumed, their eyes fixed on the timer, which ticked away with each passing second. Qie Xieling’s lead became apparent as he forged ahead.

Finally, the time stopped and Qie Xieling put down the last shot glass. The cafeteria erupted into a cacophony of cheers his body being shaken around as they praised him while those who lost the bed cried out having lost a lot of money.

"Are you fine? Do you want to throw up?" asked Mauve his eyes almost turning to dollar signs. Qie Xieling shook his head no. He felt fine. In fact, he felt better than before.

"You are a fucking beast," he said with his arm draped around Qie Xieling’s shoulder shielding him from the overzealous crew members.

"How the fuck are you still standing after drinking ten of those?" exclaimed one of the recruits who couldn’t even stomach three.

Just as they brought him over his prize, the noise in the cafeteria suddenly died down with the only sound coming from heavy boots stepping on the floor.

Luo Muchen wasn’t supposed to be here. He was on the upper deck waiting for his dinner while watching the news when he decided to check on how things were going on his ship. Okay fine, he wanted to know what Qie Xieling was doing for the safety of his crew. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

He found that he was in the cafeteria downing shots for the initiation ceremony. Nothing suspicious there. It was tradition. It was a little surprising though how much he drank considering how potent that liquor was. It was the kind that would make one hungover for an entire week.

He watched till the competition was over and was about to close the live feed when he saw how many hands were touching him after he won.

They all seemed so smitten by him. Even that purple alien had his hands all over Qie Xieling protecting him like they were dating or something. That’s when it hit him. Was psycho Qie trying to seduce his crew? This had to be nipped in the bud.

"Serve my dinner in the cafeteria," he said when Bo Ailun answered the call and the man almost tripped when he heard that.