Chapter 54: Station 22: The Tank

Chapter 54: Station 22: The Tank

In the vast Golden Amusement Park, silence reigned, so still that a pin drop could be heard.

Yan Qiling remained indifferent to the myriad gazes and continued with his suggestion:

"You should put her in a life-threatening situation, submerging her entirely in water. As her adrenaline spikes, her body temperature and blood flow will also increase."

"When her blood is surging at its most active point, pull her out of the water and within five minutes, slice into her flesh. That's when you'll obtain the finest ingredient available."

The chef slowly revealed a peculiar expression:

"…Many thanks for your reminder, I understand now."

Below the stage, Qi Yongxin's curses had become unbearable, while others regarded him with a gaze as if they were seeing a devil reincarnated, as if they were seeing this person in a whole new light.

The chef's assistant, who had received the chef's glance, impassively slipped behind the red curtains on the stage and pulled a lever.

The mechanism smoothly lowered the woman into the water, and she indeed began to struggle, crying out "Qi-"

"IAIF"

"Save me, Yongxin!" And then he was plunged underwater, bubbles bubbling to the surface.

The chef's assistant pulled the lever again, but this time, it seemed to have malfunctioned, unable to lift the woman out of the tank no matter how hard they tried!

The assistant kept tugging at the lever fruitlessly.

A man watching from the side let out a mocking chuckle,

"This is how you treat your ingredients? In another minute, there won't even be live sashimi left, only dead ones for cooking. No matter how you patch together the main course or appetizer, it'll still be a failed dinner."

"Shouldn't you, as the head chef, take your own life in atonement for serving esteemed guests with subpar, lifeless ingredients?"

The chef, with a deathly pale face, climbed up the ladder hastily moved over by his assistants - a tool originally meant for retrieving ingredients, but now used to save one.

The assistant held the ladder steady while the chef reached into the water, attempting to pull the woman out.

A lurking silver glow suddenly burst through the water, swiftly binding him tightly before dragging him completely into the tank with a splash!

The head chef splashed around in the water, creating a massive disturbance!

However, the harness holding the woman began functioning again, smoothly lifting her waterlogged body from the depths. Although the surging waves spilled over the tank's edge, they no longer threatened to drown her.

The two assistant chefs, supporting themselves on the ladder, noticed the change and climbed up to investigate the situation.

To their shock, the rope binding the head chef suddenly elongated, ensnaring both assistants and dragging them into the water tank as well!

The remaining assistant chef and the waiter froze in their rescue attempts.

Not only that, as they realized the three people in the tank were beyond saving, an intoxicating flush colored their cheeks. They watched with almost excited eyes as the trio struggled for air, expelling oxygen-deprived bubbles until all was eerily silent.

The suspended woman coughed hoarsely, her long, drenched black hair drooping with water droplets that rolled down her skin before cascading onto the rippling surface below her feet.

In this watery grave at her feet, she experienced a fleeting rebirth.

Yan Qiling drew the deep red curtains, concealing the woman's form, then turned to the remaining assistant chef and asked, "Your head chef has abandoned your guests and met death. Shouldn't such irresponsible behavior warrant compensation to us?"

The sous chef glanced in the direction of the curtains and unexpectedly agreed with him, asking robotically:

"What kind of compensation do you want?"

"Return Ms. Ji Congrong safely to her rightful seat. Now, she is no longer a ingredient."

The sous chef nodded in understanding.

"Your wish is our command."

Two waitstaff immediately stepped onto the stage and behind the curtains, while another gently released the agitated Qi Yongxin, adding a seat beside him and arranging all the tableware attentively.

The sous chef bowed deeply on stage.

"We apologize for today's unexpected incident. As the head chef is absent, I will be preparing dinner for everyone from now on. Please bear with us."

Sparse applause sounded again from the audience.

When Ji Congrong, wrapped in a blanket and barefoot, saw Yan Qiling still standing by the stage, she instinctively shrank back.

Intellectually, she knew that Yan Qiling had saved her, but emotionally, she found it unbearable to face someone who had rescued her in such a manner.

The unnervingly close proximity between them ignited an unbearable flame of agony within her chest, so intense that it stirred resentment and even hatred within her.

Upon seeing her emerge safely, Yan Qiling didn't say anything further and silently returned to his seat.

He habitually ignored the intricate gazes coming from all around, as if nothing was amiss, and casually broke the dry bread in the basket into two halves.

Ming Yiyang's perpetually tense shoulders gradually relaxed upon his return.

A seemingly inconspicuous silver cord slithered out from the edge of the curtain like a snake, hiding in the shadows beneath the stage before inconspicuously crawling up the leg of a chair to the young man's left side, where it swiftly nestled into his sleeve and remained motionless.

The three corpses in the aquarium had already sunk to the bottom.

With clean fingers, Yan Qiling, whose complexion was pale, applied butter and honey to a slice of bread, using a napkin to support it. He placed the bread on an empty plate and pushed it towards the youth beside him.

Ming Yiyang was initially perplexed, but after a few seconds, he realized what was happening and looked at Yan Qiling's expressionless profile.

"Are you worried I won't have enough to eat?"

The man chuckled softly, his glistening teeth concealed behind slightly parted lips:

"Hard work pays off, I see. You've mastered the Spirit Shackles in just a few days."

Ming Yiyang picked up the bread, examining it before casually remarking:

"Good things should be used to their full potential. If I hadn't unleashed its true power, I'd have been the one feeling miserable."

He took a bite. The bread was soft and warm, with the butter partially melted, complemented by the viscous honey. It was delicious, albeit a bit messy to eat.

Nonetheless, he didn't comment and, while chewing, asked:

"What was your original plan? Did I meet your expectations?"

"The outcome exceeded them entirely."

The man folded the napkin and offered it to him, his crimson-blue eyes fixed on Ming Yiyang, openly expressing his admiration and pleasure. It was like a snow-white mandala swaying in the wind, casting a spell of uncertainty on whether one was witnessing a hallucination.

Yan Qiling murmured,

"I initially only wanted you to take the chef away, but I didn't expect you to bring along two others."

"Oh... They were standing close, so it was convenient."

Ming Yiyang snapped back to reality, realizing he had already grabbed the soft napkin offered to him.

That strange, burning sensation returned, and he averted his gaze, refusing to look at the other person's face. He placed the bread back on the plate and hastily used the napkin to wipe the honey from his lips:

"If the remaining people aren't too far away, filling the water tank wouldn't be an issue."

As he spoke, he couldn't resist glancing at the other person's expression, only to meet that person's smiling gaze precisely.

Ming Yiyang never imagined that locking eyes with Yan Qiling would be such a challenging task.

His curiosity was suppressed by an even deeper throb in his heart, causing him to withdraw his gaze once more. He picked up a fork to prod the bread soaked in butter and honey.

"To be honest, if it were someone else, with such abstract communication, it would've been quite difficult to understand. Lucky for me, I'm clever," the young man said earnestly, to which Yan Qiling unexpectedly nodded in agreement.

"You're right."

It had been a long time since Ming Yiyang had experienced the sensation of his cheeks and ears burning with embarrassment.

For someone as thick-skinned as he was, such a physical reaction to what could be interpreted as shyness or shame hadn't occurred in years.

Poor bread met a similar fate as the foie gras from the previous night, being torn apart swiftly.

Back then, when Yan Qiling had used the pretense of passing him a napkin to touch his sleeve, a Spirit Binding Rope lay hidden beneath, ready to pounce.

Ming Yiyang had immediately sensed Yan Qiling's ulterior motive. As the chef was lured closer to the aquarium with aggressive goading, he understood the young man's plan.

In truth, it wasn't a complicated scheme. If Chi Zihe were in Ming Yiyang's position, he would have made the same choice under identical circumstances.

"Don't you like it?"

Yan Qiling observed as the bread morphed into an odd shape, while Ming Yiyang, unusually, seemed lost in thought.

The young man shielded his face with his hand, almost hiding all expression below his eyes.

"No, I just wish I could have taken out a few more."

The man chuckled softly.

"Where did all that animosity come from?"

"It isn't significant? Today's incident of locking us in the freezer hasn't been settled yet. If not for prior planning, there would've been two corpses to carry out, saving the effort of moving them."

Their casual conversation was quiet, as they sat side by side, whispering intimately.

However, Chi Zihe sitting beside them felt something was off, especially with Ming Yiyang.

Did this guy have so much to say? Normally, during missions, he either had a cold demeanor or an sarcastic expression. He had been criticized multiple times by clients for his service attitude. Why did he seem so different after just a few days?

...Something was amiss. Very wrong, indeed.

Still deep in thought, Si Shuhao, who was suffering from a splitting headache, grew restless.

"Ming Yiyang, can you please lower your voice? You're making it impossible for me to eat!"

Her words were unexpected, leaving Ming Yiyang utterly confused.

"Did you take the wrong pills?"

Chi Zihe: Yes, yes, that's right! This is how normal conversation should be!

Though Chi Zihe felt relieved, Si Shuhao beside him couldn't hold back. With a clank, he slammed his knife and fork onto the plate, revealing an unprecedentedly grim expression.

"You're the one who needs medication. Didn't your family teach you manners?!"

Chi Zihe: Oh no, I've stepped into a minefield.

He braced himself, ready to jump in and mediate at any moment.

Sure enough, Ming Yiyang turned slowly to meet her gaze. His dark eyes seemed to hold a surging torrent.

Within just a few seconds, the torrent surprisingly subsided, transforming into a tranquil lake or perhaps a bottomless abyss that swallowed emotions.

He unexpectedly let out a casual smile and said with nonchalance:

"Indeed, since no one taught me at home, I must be ill-mannered. What do you want to do about it?"

The young lady hadn't anticipated such indifference, and she subconsciously clenched the tablecloth. Her unusual behavior caught Ada's attention, making her peer over with a frown.

Yan Qiling's gaze swept across her gloomy face, and he offered an opportune olive branch:

"If you're feeling unwell, I can escort you back to your room for some rest."

Si Shuhao pressed her temples, almost burying her head in the plate. She was trapped by an indescribable pain, tears even beginning to well up in her eyes.

After a moment of respite, she gradually regained clarity and realized how abnormal she had just been.

But with Ada sitting beside her, she dared not say more. Instead, she coughed softly, pretending that nothing was amiss:

"I... I just have a bit of a stomachache. I need to use the restroom."

Yan Qiling set down his cutlery and spoke gently:

"I'll accompany you."