Chapter 27 Part 2

Zhong Nian lowered his gaze to glance at the still-vibrating Dinner Knife on the floor, fluttered his long lashes, and silently sped up his hands.

After neatly setting everything out, he immediately tried to push the trolley away.

“Hey, wait.” A hand grabbed the trolley to stop him. The Youth, who had been fuming moments ago, now grinned shamelessly at Zhong Nian. “You can’t go yet. You have to wait until we’re done eating to collect the dishes.”

Zhong Nian: “…Okay.”

His attempt to slip away failed, so Zhong Nian chose to stand in the corner and act invisible.

But though the Casino was large, it was crowded. No matter where Zhong Nian hid, he couldn’t escape notice.

He was also secretly observing.

Compared to yesterday morning, only about one-fifth of the people remained in the Casino.

The others had probably had their ransoms paid by their families and returned to their rooms. The remaining dozen or so looked in poor shape—either curled up on the ground with heads buried in dejection, or beaten black and blue, unable to move.

It wasn’t hard to guess why they’d been kept: either abandoned by their families or too defiant. As for the other three…

Zhong Nian couldn’t figure it out. The Zong-Sheng-Guan Three Families were all immensely wealthy—why were they still locked up here?

And they were being treated distinctly; these three had been bound from start to finish.

It was hard to say for Zong Xing Yi and Guan Shan Yue, but Zhong Nian didn’t think someone of Sheng Chu’s caliber would be discarded by his family like a pawn, nor was he the type to act recklessly without reading the room.

Were the Kidnapper Gang unwilling to let them go, demanding an exorbitant sum?

Lost in thought, Zhong Nian didn’t notice until late that his gaze had met Sheng Chu’s.

Compared to the others, even in this situation, Sheng Chu showed no dishevelment. Bound as he was, his spine remained straight, the sharp glint in his dark eyes undimmed. He stared at Zhong Nian with the same scorching intensity as before.

Zhong Nian’s fingertips chilled. He hurriedly averted his eyes, only to find that Zong Xing Yi and Guan Shan Yue beside him were also watching.

“…”

The four gazes crossed in the air, silently weaving a subtle, inexplicable atmosphere.

Guan Shan Yue looked much better, even smiling faintly at him. He lounged leisurely against the wall, legs crossed, utterly at ease—not like a hostage at all.

Zong Xing Yi’s facial wound had turned deep purple after two days, looking even more shocking. He gazed longingly at Zhong Nian, appearing somewhat pitiful.

“You know them?”

The low, deep voice suddenly rumbling overhead startled Zhong Nian into a jolt. He looked up in alarm at the Black-Clothed Man who had somehow approached him, steadied his breathing, and calmly shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

“I’ve heard you served them before,” the Black-Clothed Man said.

Unsure of his intent, Zhong Nian replied cautiously, “Yes… I’m a waiter, they’re guests. Of course I served them.”

“How did you do it?” the Black-Clothed Man asked again.

His tone was flat, betraying no emotion.

Zhong Nian’s hands clenched behind his back as he stammered, “Just… service as per training.”

“Do it to me once.”

“Huh?” Zhong Nian stared in shock. There was no hint of joking on the Black-Clothed Man’s face, and he wasn’t the type anyway.

He was serious.

Caught off guard by the sudden request, Zhong Nian froze for a moment. Under the Black-Clothed Man’s gaze, he mustered a strained professional smile, bowed slightly, and said, “Of course, sir.”

But the Black-Clothed Man immediately frowned. “No need for that.”

Zhong Nian: “?”

“No need to bow to me. Just the service.”

“…Yes, sir.”

Since the Kidnapper Boss had whimsically decided to play along, Zhong Nian had no choice but to comply. Gritting his teeth, he approached the table, ignoring the intense stares from the others, and began the dedicated service.

The first step was naturally seating the guest. But before he could pull out the chair, the Black-Clothed Man had already deftly pulled it out and sat down himself.

“…”

Zhong Nian’s hand hung stiffly in midair before he redirected it to handle the dishes.

The kidnappers weren’t picky about food; they favored Chinese cuisine, so there were no particularly intricate dishes.

At most, Zhong Nian clipped food, poured water—slicing a meat bun into six equal pieces, scraping chili sauce onto a pancake…

He performed the tasks expressionlessly, his movements carrying the ingrained muscle memory from training: meticulous and elegant.

【Kidnapper Boss is in heaven… What luck.】

【Be grateful your Wife’s serving you.】

【With the Streamer’s touch, that meat bun became Wellington steak, and the pancake a French baguette.】

【Baby always has this lifelike-yet-robotic service vibe. So cute, who gets it?】

【Streamer, Streamer—didn’t training say to feed the guests?】

Ignoring the scrutiny, Zhong Nian’s every action was flawless. He tuned out the Youth’s boisterous praise from across the way.

Midway, someone came in to report that a person had stolen a life jacket and tried to escape. Without hesitation, the Kidnapper Boss said, “Let him go. Dump him straight into the sea.”

Zhong Nian’s fingers trembled twice, but he steadied himself, his movements growing even more cautious.

As the service neared completion, he ladled a bowl of millet porridge from the clay pot. Just as he was about to set it down, something brushed against his calf below.

The odd sensation distracted him. His hand shook, fingers grazing the scalding bowl wall, and he let go.

“Crash—”

Zhong Nian watched in horror as the scalding millet porridge poured entirely onto the Kidnapper Boss’s thigh, the porcelain bowl shattering on the carpet with a heavy “thud.”

“…”

In an instant, the Casino fell deathly silent.

The only sound was the Youth’s long inhale, pointing at Zhong Nian with his chopsticks. “You’re done for.”

Before Zhong Nian could react, the Black-Clothed Man rose from the chair and scooped him up, dragging him toward the exit.

“!!”

It was over—he was going to be tossed into the sea to feed the fish!