Seeing Andrew was fresh out of ideas, Nicole knew her chance had come.
She immediately waved her hands frantically in front of Andrew, then pointed at herself repeatedly.
"Me, me, me! What about me?"
"What about what? You mean how cunning you are as an agent?"
For a moment, Andrew didn't get it and asked back, a little bewildered.
"What are you talking about? Andrew, that sounds so harsh! Next time, remember to say 'sly'!"
But Nicole quickly realized this wasn't the time to get hung up on trifles.
"Oh, geez, you got me sidetracked. I meant I could be their tutor and teach them common sense!"
"You?"
Although Andrew's first thought was whether this would turn into a master con artist leading a group of little con artists.
But after thinking it over, Andrew had to admit that although she always dressed like a gyaru, she was actually incredibly caring. Her care for the Silver Squad before had been top-notch.
On careful consideration, Nicole was indeed the most unexpected, and also the most suitable, candidate.
Still, Andrew asked with a hint of doubt:
"Nicole, why are you suddenly taking on this kind of chore? Didn't I just help you clear your ammunition debt yesterday?"
Hearing this, Nicole looked a little embarrassed.
"Well... you cleared it, yes. And even though there wasn't much left on it, after you cleared it, there was actually quite a bit of money left in my account..."
Hearing Nicole's words, Andrew grew even more confused.
"So, it's because...?"
"Because, I saw this great investment, and I was so sure I could get a one hundred and forty percent return that I just... couldn't stop myself and threw all my extra cash into it."
As soon as she finished, Nicole looked even more embarrassed.
"So by the time I snapped out of it, the money was gone. And you know, Andrew, not only that, but I still haven't received the final payment from my last commission... so the Cunning Hares's finances are in the red this month."
The mystery was instantly solved. Knowing the reason for Nicole's embarrassment, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Nicole, you're in the red again? How many times has it been now?"
At this, Nicole got defensive and immediately retorted:
"It's only the third time! With my talent, I'll definitely break the curse of being in the red someday!"
Nicole, who indeed possessed a remarkable talent for business, had unshakable faith in her future of making big money.
But in Andrew's view, as long as she kept buying gifts for the little rascals at the orphanage whenever she had a spare moment, her finances would never recover.
Well, hopefully she could maintain this confidence when she was in the red month after month in the future.
Nevertheless, Nicole was indeed the best choice. Andrew didn't hesitate and agreed to her self-recommendation.
"Since you're so enthusiastic, I'll leave them in your hands."
"Awesome, Andrew! Don't worry, I'll teach them with all my heart!"
Nicole's voice was brimming with confidence. Just then, the Silver Squad, led by Belle, finished tidying up their rooms and came out.
The Silver Squad already had a good impression of Nicole from her care the previous night, so they naturally had no objections to her teaching them.
After they finished cleaning the minimal amount of dust in their new base, for dinner this time, Andrew didn't make anything unique. Instead, he prepared a classic set meal he had learned from a master chef.
One by one, plates of the Classic Master's Roast Meat Meowster-Meal Set were brought to the dinner table, the food piled up like small mountains.
Each set
featured a huge platter of seafood fried rice, a bowl of rich seafood chowder, a block of cheese, an apple, half a pineapple, a skewer of grilled shrimp, two different kinds of grilled meat skewers, a massive grilled steak, and a drink.
That was the content of every set meal. Frustratingly, however, the only drink he could find to pair with it was ordinary fruit juice, which Andrew felt was completely lacking in punch.
Just as Andrew was still deliberating over the final drink, the sound of a motorcycle echoed from the distance. Its signature exhaust note was so distinct that Andrew recognized it, even though he'd only heard it twice.
Stepping out the door, it was just as he expected. The approaching vehicle was none other than Caesar's bike.
But on the motorcycle, besides Caesar, was Burnice, who had also been there that morning.
Before Caesar came to a complete stop, she leaped off the bike, pushed up her uniquely styled sunglasses, and dashed in front of Andrew in a single bound.
It was only then that Andrew saw why Burnice wasn't riding the motorcycle she had this morning.
She was holding a large cardboard box. Before he could even ask, she immediately pulled out several bottles of a drink from the box and thrust them toward Andrew.
"Andrew, Andrew! Quick, try this! This is the best~est drink in the world—Fuel Drink! You guys will definitely love it!"
Right after her recommendation, she said with a hint of regret:
"If I'd known it was you we were visiting this morning, Andrew, I would've brought more! Then I wouldn't have drunk them all on the way here."
Saying this, she pushed the entire box closer to Andrew.
"So this time, I brought a whole case to make sure some of it actually arrived! Don't worry, I brought the non-flammable kind."
Faced with the girl's incredibly enthusiastic recommendation and seeing how she treated Fuel Drink as if her life depended on it, Andrew started to get curious about this beverage Burnice was talking about.
But when he took the box from Burnice, he noticed that what she called a full case was now only half-full. Even so, as she let go, she instinctively showed a moment of reluctance.
However, the moment she saw Andrew had taken it completely, the reluctance on her face instantly turned to anticipation.
Her big, shining eyes were like those of a golden retriever lying before someone, blinking and begging for head pats, a sight that was hard to refuse.
Caesar had parked the bike by now and walked over to Andrew, a slightly goofy smile on her face.
"Give it a shot, Andrew. It's the most popular drink in the Outer Ring, and it's got a pretty big following in New Eridu, too."
Already curious, Andrew didn't hesitate any longer. He picked up a bottle and took a sip.
The bottle itself was shaped like an oil drum, and the drink inside looked remarkably similar to gasoline.
If it weren't for the lack of gasoline's pungent smell, this transparent, pale-yellow liquid would probably make an unsuspecting person think they were holding a can of actual gasoline.
With a sense of skepticism, Andrew decided to take a small sip first.
As the drink entered his mouth, there was a faint sweetness at first, but then an indescribably unique flavor immediately filled his palate.
The unique taste was stimulating. As he swallowed, it jolted his nerves, giving him an invigorating rush, and the subsequent distinct flavor of taurine added another layer of complexity to the drink.
He had to admit, while the drink's taste was very unique, it truly had a flavor all its own. The energy drink components within it were especially refreshing.
Instantly, Andrew knew he'd found the final piece of the puzzle for his Classic Master's Roast Meat Meowster-Meal.
"This is amazing, Burnice! Thank you for bringing the drinks!"
Seeing her drink approved by Andrew, Burnice leaped into the air with joy and did a happy spin. Her golden twin-tails flew wildly with the movement, just like the happy tail of a golden retriever.
"Awesome, Andrew! I knew you'd like it!"
______
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