"Hmm!" Jiang Hai shook his head, stirring awake from sleep. A peculiar sensation tugged at his senses, pulling him into consciousness. Groggily, he opened his eyes and glanced down. Beneath him, Rang Tulin Pavlovich and Feller Fario — two people he had just met yesterday — were hard at work.
Seeing the scene before him, Jiang Hai immediately understood the source of that strange feeling.
"I say... what are you two doing?" he said, rubbing his forehead. Still, he didn't push them away. After all, men tended to have certain... impulses first thing in the morning. Having someone help with it — ahem — well, that was a bit off-topic...
"See? I told you — you're too rough. Be gentler!" Feller Fario lightly patted Colin Pavlovich, who was still diligently working, and cast him a look of disdain.
"Hey, sorry! I didn't expect this... but I really like the taste. If I could dip into yours, it'd be even better," Colin said with a sheepish smile, glancing apologetically at Feller.
"Then why don't you join in? He's awake anyway," Feller suggested excitedly, brushing her hair back after stealing a kiss from Colin.
"Good idea!" Colin grinned. As soon as she spoke, Feller straddled Jiang Hai without hesitation.
"Hey, it's so early in the morning!" Jiang Hai protested instinctively.
"No time to worry about that!" Feller laughed, ignoring his words as their "battle" began.
Of course, Colin wouldn't be left out either.
When Jiang Hai finally checked his watch, it was already 7:50 AM. By the time he managed to leave the room, it was 9:20. Colin and Feller were sprawled across the bed, utterly drained.
Handling six people at once had been overwhelming, but dealing with just two? No problem. After settling them down, Jiang Hai went to wash up. A new set of toiletries had been prepared for him — clearly arranged in advance — so he used them without hesitation. Once cleaned up, he grabbed the blanket he had brought from the rooftop the previous night and stepped out of the room.
Waiting for him at the door was a woman dressed in a maid's outfit, looking to be in her twenties.
"Mr. Jiang Hai, these are your clothes. We've already washed them," she said respectfully, handing them over.
"Thank you!" Jiang Hai replied with a smile, taking the clothes.
"Where's Pra Walton?" he asked casually. That morning, he had only seen Colin and Feller, which struck him as odd.
"The master is in the study, attending to official matters. Housekeeper Isabel is assisting her. Miss Cheryl Lee went out early, and Miss Barbaba is exercising outside," the maid answered earnestly.
"Oh, thanks!" Jiang Hai nodded politely.
"You're welcome. Once you've changed, you can find the master in the study or head to the dining room. It's the same one where you had dinner yesterday. Breakfast is already prepared," the maid added, smiling.
Hearing her mention the dining room, a certain vivid image flashed through Jiang Hai's mind. Shaking his head with a chuckle, he returned to his room to change. Once dressed, he headed out again.
First, he quietly checked outside the study. Through the slightly open door, he could see Pra Walton engrossed in paperwork. Not wanting to disturb her, he headed straight to the dining room.
To his pleasant surprise, breakfast had been tailored to his tastes — specifically, Chinese Northeastern style. A hearty bowl of tofu pudding and a plate of freshly made fried dough sticks were laid out.
These foods weren't common in America, and Jiang Hai's heart warmed a little at the thoughtful preparation.
The tofu pudding was salty and savory, just the way he liked it, while the fried dough sticks — although slightly chewy from sitting out — were still hot, with crispy skins that cracked under his bite. After wolfing down five sticks and a big bowl of tofu pudding, he finally felt full.
Feeling satisfied, he made his way to Pra Walton's study. Although he had enjoyed himself yesterday, he hadn't forgotten that he had serious business to attend to today.
Inside the study, he found Pra Walton and Isabel Roland. Isabel noticed him entering and immediately gestured for him to sit quietly on the nearby sofa.
Jiang Hai wasn't the type to overthink it — he nodded and sat down.
After their chat last night while sharing skewers, he and Isabel hadn't had any further "contact," but emotionally, they were already much closer than the others.
Today, when Isabel glanced at Jiang Hai, her face flushed slightly. She wasn't naturally inclined toward women; her circumstances had forced her hand. Yet after her experience with Jiang Hai, she didn't feel any resistance — she even found herself liking it.
Time passed quietly.
After finishing the document she was working on, Pra Walton finally raised her head and looked at Jiang Hai with a smile.
"You're up. I thought you might sleep until afternoon. What would you like for lunch? Oysters? I hear they're very... invigorating for men. I have a batch of top-grade French Gillardeau oysters. I'll have them prepared for you. And tonight, I've arranged a little 'surprise show' — you'll need to keep your energy up!" she said, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
"Well... maybe not," Jiang Hai hesitated, his face serious. "I told you — I didn't come to Atlantic City to play. I have business to handle."
"Oh? Business?" Pra Walton tilted her head curiously. "Care to tell me?"
"It's not something I can explain casually. It involves other parties' confidentiality." Jiang Hai paused. "But... it's related to the Middle Eastern royal family."
"The royal family of the Middle East... could it be Dufamen-Weiha-Mohammed-Bin-Rashid-Al-Maktoum?" Pra Walton immediately guessed, without hesitation.
Jiang Hai stared at her, dumbfounded.
"How did you know?"
"What's so hard about it?" Pra Walton chuckled, tapping her pen on the desk. "Most Middle Eastern royal families are extremely low-key. They command respect at home but abroad, they're just seen as wealthy tycoons. However, a few are far more high-profile — and right now, the most talked-about one is him."
She smiled slyly. "Recently, he's been secretly negotiating deals with Huaxia. Everyone knows, even if it's 'secret.' Now, if he wants to meet you too... well, are you working for the court?"
Jiang Hai's mouth twitched.
"Damn, you're scary good at guessing. I'm not from the court, but... this connection was pulled through me."
"Haha, relax. I'm not with the U.S. government either," Pra Walton said breezily. "I belong to the Walton family, yes — but at the end of the day, I'm just Pra Walton. Still, remember: you're in America. Be careful who you reveal things to. One wrong word could cause you a lot of trouble."
"I know. That's why I'm preparing for potential trouble — and figuring out how to counterattack if someone comes after me or my family's business," Jiang Hai said seriously.
"Oh? So confident?" Pra Walton teased, her eyes bright. "Then count me in. I'll go with you!"
Jiang Hai thought for a moment, then nodded. Her joining wouldn't interfere — in fact, it might even help.
"Where's the meeting?" she asked eagerly.
"At Caesars Palace. There's a UFC event today, and Dufamen wants to watch it. So the meeting's scheduled there," Jiang Hai said, a little nostalgic. He had heard of Caesars Palace many times in TV shows and novels, but had never actually been there. For someone supposedly 'wealthy,' that was a bit embarrassing.
"Caesars Palace, huh? Perfect. Let's go after lunch," Pra Walton chuckled. It seemed her boyfriend still had a childlike heart, and she found it rather endearing.
(To be continued...)