It turned out that he had contacted the Empire's officials soon after he caught Old Iron Whip. The Empire had quickly dispatched a specialist to Stio, who would arrive there as soon as tomorrow to pick him up.
As the captor of the wanted criminal, Danny must go back with them, both to collect the reward from the imperial royal family and to facilitate political negotiations with the officials of the Templar State.
Simply put, his career as a planeswalker was coming to an end for the time being. Considering their acquaintance, he wanted to have a farewell dinner with Qi Ji.
Although Qi Ji could feel that this guy's mind was not as simple as he said.
But it's not a big problem. I guess he just wants to take the opportunity to please me. It's human nature to try to get close to the strong. There's nothing to refuse.
Qi Ji doesn’t have a lot to do anyway, so what’s wrong with having a free meal?
"I miscalculated..."
Hot gazes came from all directions, making her feel uncomfortable.
She never expected that the "high-end restaurant" Danny mentioned didn't have any private rooms!
It turned out that the cloak was accidentally stained with blood due to last night's actions, so when he said goodbye to Lunxi in the morning, he asked her to take it home and help wash it.
Before that, Qi Ji himself randomly found a clothing store and bought a windbreaker to wear temporarily.
She really likes trench coats, but the only drawback is that it is difficult to cover her face...
It was fine on the street. Although she was very eye-catching because of her appearance, she could walk! She could easily shake off the nosy people who tried to approach her and chat with her by just turning a few corners.
But there was no way around it here. No matter where she sat, she would attract the attention of the entire floor, making her lose interest in eating.
"Forehead……"
Looking at the black pepper steak that had been poked into a hornet's nest but not eaten much, Danny knew that his negligence had embarrassed her, so he said awkwardly:
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect this to happen..."
Qi Ji ignored him and used his knife and fork to tear off a small piece of the tortured steak and stuffed it into his mouth.
Eat early and leave early...
What should have been a joyful farewell dinner was instead conducted in awkward silence on both sides.
"...Ms. Qi Ji?"
A magnetic male voice suddenly sounded, and Qi Ji shuddered.
"Come on, it's him again?!"
He looked towards the direction of the voice with a gloomy face, and saw a young man in dark casual clothes walking towards him with a glass of red wine in his hand and a look of surprise on his face.
"Isn't this the son of a local noble?" Danny finally found a topic to break the tense atmosphere. "I think his name is Lanchester... Do you know him?"
"No, I don't know him."
Qi Jicai didn't want to have anything to do with this guy, so he quickly turned his head away and pretended not to see him.
"Miss Qi Ji, we meet again." Lanchester was not tactful at all. He walked a few meters away from her before stopping. "I'm so sorry for talking to you like that yesterday. I was too impulsive."
"Hey!" Qi Ji turned his head and looked at him, "Why are you so shameless? I'm almost annoyed to death by you. If you don't get out of here, I'll beat you to death!"
After saying that, he stood up, as if he was really going to take action.
She really didn't understand what was going on in this guy's mind.
He was so determined to break up with me yesterday, but today he's licking me again? How come he changes his face like turning the pages of a book?
Hearing Qi Ji's blunt sarcasm, the skin on Lanchester's face twitched, but he did not show any anger in the end.
"Miss Qi Ji, you misunderstood," he said calmly, "I'm not here to harass you."
He sighed deeply: "After a night of reflection, I deeply realized my mistake. Miss Qi Ji, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so self-righteous."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I know that we are not suitable for each other anymore, and I won't force us to be friends..." Lanchester walked to the side of the food delivery cart, his eyes were sad, as if he really repented:
"Miss Qi Ji, use this glass of wine to sever all ties between us. From now on, you should pretend that you have never seen me and completely delete my existence from your world... I will do the same."
He picked up a glass of red wine from the food delivery cart and handed the glass in his hand to Qi Jiyi:
"how?"
Qi Ji watched his actions with a frown on her face.
It would be great if Lanchester could really realize the truth.
But the fact is not like that. Qi Ji immediately realized that his intentions were not pure and his real purpose was definitely not as well-intentioned as he said.
No, his thoughts could no longer be described as "impure" but rather extremely dark and twisted...malicious.
"Well... never mind, there's no need to expose it," Qi Ji said playfully, "Let's just play along and let you reap what you sow!"
"Okay," she pretended not to notice anything unusual, walked forward and took the glass of red wine, "You must keep your word."
"Of course, of course." Lanchester watched Qi Ji pick up the wine glass, put the rim of the glass against her pink and delicate lips, and swallowed nervously.
Under his gaze, the deep red wine slowly fell and finally disappeared into Qi Ji's mouth.
"Huh - I've finished drinking, it's your turn." Qi Ji put down the empty cup and pointed at the other person with his chin.
At this moment, Lanchester showed a triumphant smile on his face: "Okay, my dear Miss Qi Ji."
He picked up the wine glass, stretched his neck, and drank the red wine in the glass.
Chapter 83 "Mr. Shattuck"
The dim morning light illuminates the still prosperous North District.
A handsome figure was wearing a cowboy felt hat, and the protruding brim of the hat cast a shadow that covered the upper half of his face.
Although the sky was clear, his movements were a little furtive, and he looked to the sides or behind him from time to time, as if to make sure that no one was paying attention to him.
"Is it... here?"
Lanchester walked to the corner of the street and stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary shop, his eyes moving back and forth between the top of the shop door and the palm of his hand.
There was a wooden plaque nailed to the top of the gate, with a line of words printed on it, slightly worn out:
"Mana Tides".
After looking around again and confirming that his current location was consistent with the address indicated on the business card in his hand, Lanchester took a deep breath and walked into the store in front of him with a restrained pace.
The interior of the store is not well lit, but the area inside is not very large, so you can vaguely see the furnishings and layout at a glance.
There is a wooden counter facing the door. To the right of the counter is a hall of about 30 to 40 square meters, with several billiard tables and chess and card tables placed in a disorderly manner.
There was not a single guest.
"Welcome to the Mana Tide Club, what can I do for you sir?"
A waiter was sitting behind the old, cracked counter, dozing off listlessly on the countertop. He slowly raised his head after hearing footsteps and shouted in a half-dead voice.
The shabby interior of the store and the perfunctory attitude of the clerk made Lanchester frown.
Judging from its appearance, this so-called "Mana Tide Club" is just an entertainment club, and it is managed very poorly and it would be unreasonable if it didn't go bankrupt.
In the past, he would not even look at such a place.
What kind of unfathomable master could be hiding in such a shabby place?
He had a strong suspicion in his heart.
But this was recommended by his father himself after all. Out of trust in his father, he did not turn around and leave. Instead, he walked to the counter and slapped the metal business card in front of the waiter:
"I'm looking for 'Old Mr. Shattuck'. Is he here?"
"Ok?"
Hearing the name, the sleepy guy suddenly became alert.
He cautiously pulled the business card in front of him, held it in his hand and examined it carefully for a while. After confirming some details, he stood up and said to Lanchester in a steady tone:
"Sir, please come with me."
After saying that, he turned away from the counter and walked towards a dirty wooden door at the back of the hall.
Lanchester followed him silently and watched him swing the door open, revealing a slightly neater and brighter room behind it.
"Sir, please wait here for a moment."
The guy said this and walked out of the club, leaving Lanchester alone at the door of the room.
"...How rude! You didn't even offer the guests a cup of tea."
He shook his head in dissatisfaction, but didn't want to pursue it any further, so he entered the room.
"Well, I don't want to drink tea from this poor place."
This was obviously a reception room, with a sofa and a coffee table, but Lanchester disliked the sofa being dirty, so he did not sit down, but stood by the door and waited.
The guy didn't waste much time. A few minutes later, he came back from the street, followed by a man walking leisurely.
"Sir, 'Old Mr. Shattuck' is here. If you have any business, please discuss it with him in the reception room behind closed doors."
"It's him?!"
Looking at the man next to the waiter, Lanchester couldn't help but be surprised.
When he heard the name "Mr. Shatak", the first image that came to his mind was an old man with white hair, a long beard, and a slightly gloomy temperament.
In short, the word "old" must be highlighted.
But the guy in front of me... doesn't look old at all. Instead, he looks like a well-maintained rich young man who is about the same age as me.
"Haha, Master Lionsmith, I know you have a lot of doubts," Mr. Shattuck recognized Lanchester's true identity at a glance, and pointed to the sofa in the reception room with a smile on his face, "But let's go in and talk slowly."
"Oh, okay..."
Lanchester was not interested in dwelling on the other party's nickname, so he nodded in agreement and walked to a slightly cleaner sofa and sat down.
Old Mr. Shattuck sat down opposite him and motioned to the waiter, who immediately left the room and closed the door behind him.
"Master Lionsmith, you came to see me specially this time. You must have something to ask for, right?"
Old Mr. Shattuck leaned back, crossed his legs, clasped his hands together on his knees, and said with a smile:
"If you need my help, just tell me. I prefer people who are straightforward."
If it were any other time, Lanchester would probably get furious if he saw someone dare to talk to him in such an improper sitting posture.
But now, he was so focused on revenge against Qi Ji that he didn't care about these things anymore. He said anxiously:
"Sir, this is what happened..."
The other party was recommended by his father personally and should be trustworthy. Lanchester did not hide too much and told him everything about Qi Ji and himself.
Of course, it was impossible for him not to exaggerate.
In Lanchester's mind, he had done nothing wrong. Instead, it was Qi Ji who was the most evil in the world.
Therefore, in his narrative, she was portrayed as a vicious person who played with people's feelings, while he himself was an innocent victim who was devoted but was fooled, almost fell into the trap but suddenly realized his mistake.
"...I swear to the Holy Grace, I have never seen such a shameless woman! For the justice of this world, for the dignity of countless gentlemen who have been exploited and harmed by her, this evil woman must be severely punished! I accept this great task on behalf of the glory of the Lionsmith family!..."
As he spoke he became convinced of it and began to get into the role. He became more and more excited, no longer caring about aristocratic dignity. He began to gesticulate with his hands, his voice gradually increased, and his saliva flew.
Lanchester's impassioned speech lasted for more than ten minutes without pausing for a second.
In the end, he felt his mouth was dry and he couldn't breathe, so he stopped talking, bent down slightly and took a deep breath.
After he recovered, he stood up straight and looked straight into old Mr. Shattuck's eyes:
"This is the situation. Unfortunately, the other party is too arrogant. I am afraid that I am unable to help him personally... Please help me, sir!"
"Well... I understand." Old Mr. Shattuck nodded slightly, with a faint smile on his face that never changed from beginning to end. "In short, do you want a way to teach Miss Qi Ji a lesson?"
"Yes, yes..." A fierce haze emerged uncontrollably from Lanchester's eyes, "The more severe, the better..."
The corners of Mr. Shattuck's mouth curved upwards a little, and he slowly reached a hand into his coat, took out something, and placed it on the coffee table.
This is a thick rolled piece of cloth, tied in the middle with a hemp rope to prevent it from loosening.
"Master Lionsmith, this is easy for me."
He untied the hemp rope, and with a push of his hand, the rolled up thick cloth rolled open on the coffee table, revealing its interior.
"This is……"
Lanchester stared with wide eyes at the curtain spread out before him.
