Looking at the two cupcakes, Luke smacked his lips. “This…”
Max waved his hand. “Thank you for saving us just now. We won’t take your money.”
Luke smiled as well. He took out a 20-dollar bill and placed it on the table. “Thank you, but two won’t be enough. So, I’ll accept your thank you gift. This is the money for the remaining three cupcakes.”
Stunned, Max looked at the money, then at the three cupcakes, before she turned back to look at him. “You… want to sleep with me?”
Luke stared blankly and said, “20 bucks won’t be enough for that.”
Looking at his smiling face, Max snorted. “Fine, maybe I should be the one to give you 20, or 200 bucks?”
Luke was genuinely stumped for a moment, and then laughed despite himself. “Sorry, but I sell my skills, not my body.”
Max smiled again and took the 20 bucks before handing over the cupcakes.
They dropped the awkward topic.
It was almost one in the morning, but some customers still showed up.
Interestingly enough, many of them were wearing surveillance equipment and wireless earpieces, and were out of place in this third-rate diner.
Except for two who sat down, everybody else bought takeaway. They got into their cars and left in a hurry.
Sure enough, these people were all waiting on the streets for Batman and Big Dipper to show up.
This behavior was ridiculous and wasteful.
But they had the time anyway; if they didn’t come out to stretch their legs, they would be hunkered down and doing research in the office.
In fact, these people did pretty much the same work as police officers.
Even if it was boring and inefficient, it was only when they came out that they could discuss other things; a secret agency that forever hid in the office wasn’t intimidating at all.
The FBI and the CIA, for example, had been doing their best to increase their “hands-on” capability and authority.
And the power of the two parties gradually grew.
To describe it in terms of the animal kingdom, it was like pissing to mark their territory.
Taking a piss and not killing the opponent was a warning.
Luke glanced at them and didn’t dwell on it.
There were at least 8,000 people investigating his aliases in New York. He couldn’t pay attention to all of them, nor was he interested in doing so tonight.
He wasn’t one of those twisted hitmen who liked to see others investigate him.
Most of the counter-investigations he carried out were done for safety reasons and to hide himself.
Luke spent most of his time sizing up the customers in the diner. He also took out his phone to play on it, and in the meantime, ate five cupcakes and drank three bottles of juice.
Of course, he drank straight from the bottle. He didn’t dare use the cups here.
The cook, Oleg, had fallen into a puddle of piss and then gone back into the kitchen without even changing his clothes. As a cleanliness addict, Luke couldn’t stand it.
It was almost two in the morning, and the restaurant called Williamsburg Diner was about to close.
Luke speculated that it could only rely on this sort of competitive edge to survive among the surrounding diners.
No matter how bad fast food was, no one could eat donuts every night.
Other diners wouldn’t do this if they could help it.
Ordinary diners wouldn’t use Earl, who was almost seventy years old, as a cashier, or Oleg and his black cuisine.
Only the two waitresses were far better than what other diners had, and the black-haired girl, Max, was allowed to sell her products in the diner — cupcakes.
The blonde, on the other hand, was a troublesome character with a huge debt and “family drama.”
Put together, all of these people pointed to one phrase: save money.
If it were any other diner, it would’ve long gone bankrupt.
So, the boss here was quite smart…?
Luke looked at a tiny thing who came in from outside and took the cash from Old Earl. He found it strange. Was this restaurant’s boss really so big-hearted?
Getting their son to collect the money so late at night – weren’t they worried that something would happen to him?
In the end, Old Earl mentioned that Luke had helped drive away a robber.
The little boy walked over with a smile and shook Luke’s hand. “Thank you for your help, Mr. Chris. I’m Han Lee, the owner of this restaurant. Please allow me to express my gratitude.”
As he spoke, he took out two colorful paper slips from his pocket and gave them to Luke. “These are 50% discount coupons for our restaurant. Come often when you’re free.”
Amused, Luke put the two coupons in his pocket. “Okay, sure.”
Not far away, the blonde, Caroline, nudged Max, who was wiping down tables. “Max, he’s looking at you again. This is the 25th time in one hour and 17 minutes. It happens every three minutes.”
Max glanced at her and coughed lightly. She said in a low voice, “He’s just expressing his appreciation for my developed chest muscles, understand?” As she said, she didn’t forget to raise her hands to prop up the chest.
It was actually quite tiring to work with this burden.
She was unlike Caroline, who could move willy-nilly and her bosom wouldn’t bounce or hurt.
Caroline subconsciously looked at herself, and suddenly didn’t want to talk anymore.
Bad enough you’re not modest about a handsome man chasing you, you’re even flaunting your boobs? This was a completely unfair competition. Annoyed, she could only mop faster.
Max reminded her, “Mop that area twice more, or we won’t have a place to stay tomorrow.”
With a dark face, Caroline said, “I’ve used a cleaning agent and an air freshener. I guarantee that you can only smell roses.”
Max sniffed and shrugged. “As long as it doesn’t smell like salted fish.”
Caroline: “…Do you not want to sleep tonight? Just you wait ’til we get home.”
Max chuckled and stuck out her chest. “You’re nowhere a heavyweight match for me.”
Carol was lost for words.
A moment later, they were done cleaning the diner, and the two girls left, leaving the boss, Han, to close up.
They had only taken two steps, when someone appeared next to the wall three to four meters away.
Caroline shrieked and jumped back. She reached into her bag and shouted in panic, “Back off! I have pepper spray and a taser! I can call 911 right away!”
“It’s me.” Luke looked at the blonde helplessly.
As expected of a girl who could piss her pants at a squirt gun. She was extraordinary.
Hearing his voice, Caroline relaxed, but also a little worried. “Are you stalking us? And when we get home…”
“I want to ask Max out for a drink,” Luke said, amused.
Caroline was stumped.