As Zuri got into the car, a message notification sounded.
Kaden: [I'm sorry about last time. Are you free tomorrow? My treat.]
Since parting at the Fu residence before the new year, Kaden's phone had been off, and no one knew where he had gone. The promised thank-you meal for the next day never happened.
Zuri: [Are you okay?]
Kaden: [I'm fine.]
Zuri: [I'm available tomorrow. You pick the time and place. I'll treat this time.]
The people he had sent to secretly look after Siyuan were diligent, reporting Siyuan's situation to her regularly. It would be improper to let him pay for the meal.
Kaden: [Alright. 7 PM at Sunshine Island. See you there.]
The Lin Family Residence
Upon Zuri's return, Saira, who had been shut in her room for days, appeared in the courtyard, sitting with Dalia. From a distance, the two women looked remarkably alike in demeanor and gestures. Though their faces were different, their mannerisms and aura were strikingly similar. Was this the result of spending time together?
As Zuri approached, Saira said something to Dalia, then stood and walked over to Zuri.
"Sister," Saira greeted her.
Zuri turned her head, her gaze cold. "What's the matter?"
Saira leaned in and lowered her voice, "That incident... you planned it, didn't you? You drugged me with hallucinogens."
Even when drunk, she would never lose control, let alone do something like that with Christian. In this house, the only person who would target her was Zuri; there was no one else.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Weren't you the one who got drunk and lost control?" Zuri retorted. "Unless you've actually fallen for Christian?"
"You're talking nonsense! He's my brother," Saira gritted her teeth.
No matter how low she stooped, she would never fall for her brother, even if only in name.
Zuri chuckled, "Maybe so, but that doesn't mean he feels the same. I distinctly remember seeing Christian reluctant to let go of your kiss that day."
"You..."
Fuming, Saira watched Zuri walk away, clutching a recording pen tightly in her pocket. She had hoped to extract a confession, but Zuri's words were watertight, leaving her feeling humiliated.
"Zuri!" Saira muttered through clenched teeth.
The Next Day
Sunshine Island Green Restaurant, an eco-friendly establishment promoting harmony between humans and nature, had become one of the hottest dining spots in Oceanic City since opening six months ago. Securing a table there was nearly impossible. Entering the restaurant felt like stepping into a forest park, with each table surrounded by greenery, creating private spaces. Streams trickled through the undergrowth, and colorful fish swam freely.
As Zuri walked in, the lush, green decor did not surprise her. In her past life, Rhea loved dining here, and she often brought her along. She was very familiar with the place.
After giving the room number, a host led her to a central pavilion surrounded by purple curtains, creating a dreamy, fairy-tale atmosphere.
Kaden was already waiting. As soon as Zuri arrived, he stood up.
"Long time no see."
Zuri smiled at the young man before her, noting that he seemed more hardened than before, the youthful arrogance and naivety gone, replaced by a more mature demeanor.
"What do you like to eat?" Kaden handed her the menu.
"I'm treating, so you should order. Pick what you like," Zuri said, returning the menu.
A waiter nearby, seeing them politely decline back and forth, suggested, "Why not try our signature dishes? They're all very popular."
Kaden waved a hand. "Sure, bring us all your signature dishes."
The waiter hesitated, "We have eighteen signature dishes. For two people, you might want to choose four. If that's not enough, you can order more later."
Zuri, disliking waste, said, "Two dishes and a soup. That should be enough."
"I've heard good things about the food here. Let's see if it's true. The environment is nice, at least."
"It is nice."
Kaden was preoccupied, wondering how to answer if she asked where he'd been. Should he be honest, or lie? Honesty might upset her; after all, what he had been involved in wasn't suitable for her to know. But lying could damage her trust if she found out later.
As they chatted, Zuri suddenly noticed a tense atmosphere around them. She glanced at Kaden, who had been lively a moment ago, now looking troubled.
"What's wrong?"
Just as she asked, her phone rang. It was Xiaojing, the person Kaden had sent to watch over Siyuan.
As soon as she answered, Xiaojing's urgent voice came through. "Zuri, there's trouble. Siyuan has been taken by some people from a casino. I couldn't stop them. They looked dangerous, and I'm worried something bad might happen."
Zuri stood up abruptly. "Where are you now?"
"I'm at the western outskirts. They've already left. I can't reach the boss, and I don't know who these people are."
Kaden also stood up.
After ending the call, Kaden quickly asked, "What happened?"
"Siyuan's been taken by some people from a casino. Can you find out who they are?"
"Got it."
They hurried out, only to be stopped halfway by a waiter.
"Excuse me, you haven't paid your bill."
Kaden pulled out a wad of cash from his bag, handed several bills to the waiter, and said, "Keep the change."
They hurriedly walked out, followed at a distance by a middle-aged couple who exchanged a glance before trailing them.
"Liu Da, find out which group went to the shantytown area today. Quickly."
Zuri thought of two possible locations, places Siyuan's father frequented. As they got into the car, Kaden started the engine. Just as they began to move, someone suddenly ran into the car and fell to the ground. Before they could react, a middle-aged woman approached the window, angrily pounding on it.
"Get out of the car! You hit my husband, get out!"
Kaden and Zuri got out to find a middle-aged man clutching his leg in front of the car, groaning in pain.
"My leg! Ah, my leg must be broken!"
Kaden and Zuri could tell at a glance that the man was faking it, but they didn't have time to deal with it.
Kaden straightforwardly asked, "How much do you want?"
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As long as money can solve the problem, it's not a problem.
The middle-aged woman, seeing Kaden's straightforwardness, immediately demanded an exorbitant sum. "My husband is the breadwinner of our family. You've injured him, preventing him from working. There's lost wages, medical expenses, nutrition fees, and so on. I'm not asking for much; just give us fifty thousand yuan, and we'll consider the matter settled. We won't bother you again."
Her face was full of condescension, as if they were doing Kaden a favor.
Fifty thousand yuan! The audacity!
With a bit more, one could even make a down payment on a single apartment. She was clearly treating Kaden as an easy mark.
Kaden, uninterested in further discussion, pulled out a wad of cash from his wallet and handed it to the woman. "This is all I have. Take it. Now, move him away."
He pointed at the man groaning on the ground.
The woman, seeing the thick stack of hundred-yuan notes—at least ten thousand yuan—couldn't believe her luck. The man on the ground, noticing the money, also stopped groaning.
The couple exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing: they couldn't let this fat sheep escape so easily. They wouldn't let them leave without getting the full fifty thousand.
At this moment, Kaden's phone rang. It was a call from Liu Da.
"Did you find out?" Kaden asked.
"Yes, boss. It's Li Rui's gang that went to the shantytown today. I've sent their address to your phone," Liu Da replied.
As Kaden hung up, the couple seemed to have reached a consensus.
"Move aside," Kaden commanded the man on the ground, who still hadn't budged.
The woman screamed, "Move aside? You hit someone and now you're acting all righteous? Today, you're paying us fifty thousand yuan, or we're not leaving."
Kaden was disgusted by the woman's greed, barely containing his anger. "You'd better take the money and leave. I can pretend this never happened. But if you keep pushing, you might not live to spend it."
If someone in their world heard this, they'd probably leave as quickly as possible. But unfortunately, the woman wasn't frightened, especially since these words came from a young man.
"Oh, threatening me, are you? Look at you, barely an adult. Are you even eighteen? Do you have a driver's license? I bet you're driving without a license," she said, realizing she could ask for even more money.
Zuri, seeing this situation, knew they wouldn't get away without hours of negotiation. This couple was clearly greedy. Even if they gave them fifty thousand, they'd ask for more. No amount of money would satisfy them.
She had no time to waste. "Kaden, send me the address. I'll go ahead. You deal with this."
If they had time, this couple wouldn't get a cent from them.
"Okay," Kaden agreed.
Seeing Zuri about to leave, the woman wouldn't let her go easily. They targeted them because they seemed in a hurry and had money. Such people were the easiest to extort. If someone left to handle the urgent matter, the remaining person wouldn't be in such a hurry, making it harder to get a large payout.
The middle-aged woman grabbed Zuri, who was in a hurry and had her mind on little Siyuan. Caught off guard, she was successfully held back by the woman.
"You can't leave. You two aren't going anywhere until this is settled."
"Let go!" Zuri demanded, frowning.
The woman shouted loudly, "Everyone, come and see! These people hit someone and are trying to leave!"
In this day and age, there's never a shortage of onlookers. Hearing the commotion, a crowd began to gather.
Zuri gripped the woman's hand, increasing the pressure. The woman cried out in pain and let go. Zuri turned to leave, but three young men blocked her path.
"You can't go."
Zuri ignored them.
Seeing the young men helping, the woman shouted, "This girl hit me! You can't let her leave!"
Zuri scrutinized the four men. They had strong blood, firm expressions, and despite their ordinary clothes, an undeniable aura of authority. These four were clearly not ordinary people, possibly belonging to a special task force.
Facing them would be tough. Even with Kaden, they weren't a match for these professionally trained individuals.
Zuri didn't want to fight them, knowing her chances of winning were slim. "This couple is extorting us. I have an urgent matter to attend to, a matter of life and death. Someone else will handle this situation."
The woman quickly interjected, "This girl was driving. She hit someone and then hit me. She can't leave."
"Fine, I'll stay," Zuri conceded. "Kaden, you go."
Hearing the name 'Kaden,' the four men's expressions subtly changed.
Kaden prepared to leave, but the men still blocked his way.
"What are you doing?" Zuri narrowed her eyes, glaring at the four men.
"Neither of you can leave."
Kaden, suppressing his anger, looked coldly at the middle-aged woman. "I only have ten thousand on me, which I've already given you. I'll wire you the remaining forty thousand."
The couple was secretly delighted.
"No, it has to be cash. I've heard you can retract wire transfers within twenty-four hours. What if you take it back? Where would we find you then?"
"So, what do you want?" Kaden asked.
"Cash. We want cash."
"Fine. Come with us to the car, and we'll go to the bank," Kaden said coldly.
"No, we don't trust you. There's a bank across the street. Go there and withdraw the money," the woman insisted.
To prevent Kaden from escaping, the woman enlisted the help of the four young men, asking two of them to accompany him to the bank. The remaining two stayed with Zuri to ensure she didn't leave.
Though thorough, the woman would never know that her thoroughness could sometimes be fatal.
Kaden, sensing Zuri's urgency, reassured her, "I've already sent people ahead. Don't worry. If Li Rui's men hurt him, I won't let them get away with it."
"Mm," Zuri nodded.
Despite Kaden's preparations, she couldn't shake her anxiety.
As Zuri waited, a feeling of unease grew within her.
Friends who like this novel, “The superstar wants to slack off”,please add it to your collection, throw a small stone and vote for me. Thank you all for your support!!!
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