Chapter 28 Part 4

Zhan Lu looked at his matter-of-fact expression and pursed his lips. “I was your colleague before too. How come you weren’t this nice to me?”

Zhong Nian snorted coldly. “You said it yourself—before. Besides, others didn’t deceive me.”

“…” Zhan Lu, conceding he was in the wrong, shut his mouth.

Zhong Nian glanced around, abandoned the meal cart, grabbed Zhan Lu’s sleeve, and whispered, “Come out. I have something to ask you.”

Zhan Lu looked down at the hand grabbing him and, as if entranced, obediently let himself be led outside.

Outside, Zhong Nian saw guards patrolling everywhere, which irritated him somewhat.

Zhan Lu understood his intent and called one of them aside, securing a spot where they could talk for the moment.

Before Zhong Nian could speak, Zhan Lu leaned down first, bringing his head close, his voice low. “What do you want to say?”

Zhong Nian pushed him back a bit. “I just want to know why those three are still tied up.”

“Why are you asking about that?” Zhan Lu raised an eyebrow. He had worked in the kitchen before and knew Zhong Nian had interacted with certain people; his expression cooled slightly.

“I’m just curious. Haven’t they paid up?” Seeing Zhan Lu reluctant to say more, Zhong Nian added after a thought, “They used their status to bully me before, so I’m a bit concerned.”

“I know, so I haven’t gone easy on them.” Zhan Lu chuckled lightly. “They’ve paid.”

Zhong Nian was puzzled. “Not enough?”

Zhan Lu shook his head. “Far from enough.”

“…How much do you want?”

“A lot—more than you can imagine.” Zhan Lu gave only a vague answer.

Zhong Nian pondered. “Why?”

Zhan Lu pulled a mocking smile. “They’re different.”

“How are they different?” Zhong Nian sensed the key here and stared unblinkingly at Zhan Lu, waiting for an answer.

But Zhan Lu looked back down at him for a long moment and said nothing.

A large hand landed on his head, ruffling his hair.

“These things don’t concern you, so don’t ask. Hey, have you been eating less lately? Your chin’s gotten pointy.”

Zhong Nian swatted away the hand scratching his chin, full of wariness. “Don’t touch me without permission.”

A rabbit’s chin was a sensitive spot, housing scent glands. They rubbed it on things they liked to mark them with their scent—not something just anyone could touch casually.

“Forget it if you don’t want to say.” He didn’t want to waste time with Zhan Lu here. He turned to leave but noticed someone had appeared behind him at some point.

Charles stood not far away, watching them impassively.

Zhong Nian merely paused his steps briefly before ignoring him and returning to the casino. The other two didn’t follow, as if they had more to discuss.

Zhong Nian still had his own tasks unfinished; he needed to distribute meals to the hostages inside.

He scooped rice into plates, poured on soup made from cabbage and potatoes—that was the hostages’ lunch in the casino, so bland that even Zhong Nian felt a bit sorry for them.

But after starving for so long, these Rich Second Generation had no room to be picky. They cast aside their pride in the face of hunger and wolfed down the food from their plates.

It wasn’t many plates. Zhong Nian looked at what remained in the pot and decided to portion a bit more into the last three plates for the trio tied up in the corner.

When he went to carry them over, he realized a problem.

How were these three supposed to eat?

Were they meant to eat like dogs, heads buried in the plates on the floor?

Things weren’t as bad as he imagined. Soon, someone came to untie the three.

For some reason, Zhong Nian breathed a sigh of relief.

He carried two plates over first, keeping his head down the whole time, ignoring their intense gazes. He set them down and left.

For the last plate, Sheng Chu reached out first to take it. Whether intentionally or not, his hand covered Zhong Nian’s hand back.

Zhong Nian was just furrowing his brow when he felt something stuffed into his palm. He froze slightly.

He glanced at Sheng Chu in astonishment, but Sheng Chu had already lowered his head as if nothing had happened.

Zhong Nian quickly schooled his expression, casually palming the note, and prepared to leave.

“Stop.”

The voice from behind made Zhong Nian’s breath hitch. He turned slowly. “What?”

“You’re just leaving like that? Aren’t you collecting their empty plates? Stay and hang out a bit.” The youth said with a beaming smile.

Zhong Nian kept his composure. “Zhan Lu said he’d handle the cleanup for me. I’m starving now and need to go eat lunch.”

Of course, that wasn’t true, but he doubted Zhan Lu would say anything if he found out. Feeling secure, he abandoned the meal cart and left.

He leisurely returned to the kitchen first to grab the lunch Jie Wen had saved for him, then went to the break room.

With no one around, he unfolded and smoothed out the crumpled note from his pocket bit by bit.

—There’s 300,000 Cash, 15 Gold Bars, several Million-Dollar Watches, and a Diamond Ring in the safe in my room. Take them as a precaution for emergencies, as a lifeline. Safe password:

Stay safe and protect yourself.

“…” Zhong Nian finished reading with a head full of question marks.

He was barely hanging on himself—why give him the valuables from the safe? Wouldn’t he use them to negotiate with the kidnappers?

Though the money was tempting and useful against profit-driven kidnappers in a pinch, or enough for an ordinary person to live comfortably for half a lifetime if safely taken off the ship, it still wasn’t worth Zhong Nian risking sneaking into the Top Floor cabins.