"Hmm?" Elizabeth stopped abruptly at the restaurant entrance, glancing slightly to her side. A dark figure disappeared into the nearby bushes. After a moment's hesitation, she turned away, a trail of blue frost appearing beneath her feet before vanishing down the street.
"Gone?" After a while, a man dressed in a black bodysuit emerged from the bushes nearby, looking around anxiously. He stamped his foot and disappeared back into the darkness, disappearing into the shadows.
"Fu Ke Si is spying on me?" On a nearby tree branch, Elizabeth watched the figure disappear into the darkness, her brows furrowed, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"It seems Father was right, those people aren't trustworthy. I'll have to go there today." Elizabeth gently stroked the ring on her right thumb, glancing back in the direction of the Restaurant Mai Mi. A trail of crystalline frost remained on the tree branch, the person had vanished without a trace.
…
"Second Young Master, the matter concerning Director Devo of Devo Tavern and Director Goodinia of Goodi Watch is being kept very secret. We've spent a lot of money bribing them, but we've only gotten a rough idea." In a somewhat dimly lit room, Ma Er Si respectfully looked at Cyril sitting behind the desk opposite him and said, just as he used to stand respectfully beside President Jeffrey at the Aden Square Merchants' Union, even his humble smile was exactly the same.
"Tell me what happened? They are both directors of our Aden Square Merchants' Union, and prominent figures in Chaos City. To be arrested like this without any explanation is a huge disrespect to our Aden Square Merchants' Union." Cyril said, crossing his legs, lightly tapping a delicate red pipe on the table, and frowning as he looked at Ma Er Si.
"According to the information that came back, they may be involved in a Level 4 incident and also participate in a Level 3 incident" Ma Er Si's expression was somewhat solemn as he looked at Cyril and solemnly advised, "Second Young Master, a Level 4 incident is already classified as a secret in the Gray Temple's incident classification system. We'd better not get too involved."
"A Level 4 incident?" Cyril curled his lip, leaned back in his leather chair, and said indifferently, "So what if it's a Level 4 incident? Didn't you say that the people from Devo Tavern and Goodi Watch Shop have already sent the money? Take half of it to the Gray Temple and the City Lord's Mansion to bribe them and get those two out of Basti Prison. Otherwise, everyone will say that our Aden Square Merchants' Union is easy to bully and can't even protect its directors. Then spend the money to settle the rest. If the money isn't enough, let the two families figure it out themselves."
"This..." Ma Er Si hesitated, then stopped.
"Alright, Miss Sinelle is still waiting for me tonight. This time, just exchange the money directly into a Buffett Money Exchange certificate before giving it to me." Cyril shoved his pipe into his breast pocket, stood up, whistling as he walked towards the door.
"A Level 4 incident can't be solved with money. This situation is much deeper than you imagine, Second Young Master…" Ma Er Si muttered to himself helplessly, looking towards the doorway, lost in thought in the dimly lit room.
…
Yabemia and Sally returned to the restaurant and quickly got back to work. The restaurant resumed its efficient operation. Apart from the missing door looking a bit abrupt and a section of the lush trees in one corner of the square disappearing, it seemed no different from before.
The guests' emotions were gradually soothed by the delicious food, and they became immersed in enjoying the meal, quickly forgetting the fright and unpleasantness they had experienced earlier.
"Daddy, thanks to Sister Aisha's treatment, Sister Xi Xi and Big Bear have fallen asleep. Master Turtle Shell said they're fine now and will be alright after a nap." Amy stood in the kitchen doorway, holding the Ugly Duckling, looking at Mai Ge. A smile returned to her little face.
"Yes, you're all great, you did a wonderful job." Mai Ge smiled and nodded, looking at Amy and the others with admiration. Sally risked exposing herself to save the Druid couple, and Yabemia, despite having little strength, still rushed to the front. Amy had expressed her willingness to help them from beginning to end.
Mai Ge was quite pleased that the three little ones were all kind-hearted, and he didn't object to them helping others within their means.
Amy and Yabemia both smiled happily. Sally was clearing away the dishes, a smile also on her face. She seemed to have never heard such praise before.
"I have to admit, this is the best food I've ever eaten." After finishing his second bowl of rice, he picked up the last piece of mushroom from the bowl, chewed it carefully, and swallowed it. Norvan put down his chopsticks with a satisfied look on his face and said sincerely.
"Is it enough to change the world?" Crassus asked Principal Norvan around the same time as he finished his Braised Chicken Rice.
"If ordinary people could make such delicious food, it would absolutely redefine the way of cooking on the Nolan Continent." Norvan nodded.
"If an ordinary person could make this, then there would be no need for 800 copper coins per serving." Crassus scoffed.
"So, if he wants to change the world, this level of achievement is probably still not enough." Norvan chuckled.
"That's not necessarily true. Even if ordinary people can't make the exact same delicious food, they can make ordinary food more delicious. I'm sure many people would be willing to try." Crassus shook his head, pointed to the bowl in front of him, and smiled. "This is a direction. Changing the world is never a one person job. He might be able to give a convincing direction."
Norvan fell silent, his eyes growing brighter as he looked at the bowl in front of him. Suddenly, he stood up, turned and walked towards the door, saying, "I have something important to do. I'm very satisfied with tonight's dinner. Thank you for your hospitality."
"I said, you haven't eaten your savory tofu pudding yet..." Crassus raised his hand, watching Norvan disappear through the doorway. He withdrew his hand, glanced at the untouched Savory Tofu Pudding across from him, shrugged indifferently, picked up his own spoon, scooped up a spoonful of Sweet Tofu Pudding, put it in his mouth, and shook his head, saying, "Anyway, Savory Tofu Pudding isn't very good, so it's not a big deal if you didn't eat it."
Immediately, several pairs of eyes turned to the untouched bowl of Savory Tofu Pudding on the table next to them. Each person hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back because of Crassus's identity.
"Master Half Beard, is Little Amy no match for those big dogs? I'm so annoyed!" Amy climbed onto the chair opposite Crassus, looked at him with a stern face, and said somewhat angrily.