"What? Slave traders?" Diguatiao suddenly became excited, and his eyes began to shine.

The one-eyed dragon who was eating beef noodles also stopped chewing.

Chen Ai was wiping a glass cup when he heard the word "slave", his mouth twitched.

Chen Ai was very familiar with slave traders and also very familiar with these three wretched old men. They didn't care about ordinary merchants, but when it came to slave traders, it was as exciting for the wretched trio as it was for the DVD store owner to get a new love action movie.

"I heard that there are not only female beastmen slaves this time, but even elven slaves!" The lame man said mysteriously.

"What? There are even elven female slaves!" Diguatiao was shocked again.

The Beastmen Country, located at the southernmost tip of the Sinners' Forest, is the weakest of the three major countries in the forest. The country is in chaos, and the government is weak. It is not uncommon for Beastmen to be sold as slaves to human territories.

However, the Elves Country is the backbone of the Sinners' Forest, stable and strong, so Elven slaves are very rare.

Scarcity makes them valuable. In addition, Elves are naturally handsome and beautiful, so Elven slaves are especially popular and expensive in the human world.

The lame man glanced outside and then lowered his voice: "Yes, the elves. Just imagine stripping those lovely elves from across the Green Fairyland and putting them in shackles..."

"Incredible! We must go and take a look!" Diguatiao excitedly shook his head, his waxy yellow cheeks seemed to flush with excitement.

Chen Ai silently wiped the cup. Michelle has been away from Heron City for almost a week. Speak up that pleasant sound, please? What are you hiding?

Thinking about it, Chen Ai glanced across the street.

At this time, the usually bustling Green Fairyland's door was tightly closed, surrounded by dense layers of branches.

He recalled Michelle's provocation before leaving.

Michelle was not a boastful person; if she said things were going to change drastically, Green Fairyland would most likely go through some significant changes.

Although Chen Ai seemed confident in front of Michelle, he was not certain in his heart. He decided to make as much money as he could during this month. The more money he had, the more chance he had to confront Michelle when she returned.

After discussing the matter excitedly for a while, the one-eyed dragon who had been silent suddenly sighed: "It's nice to look at, but it's useless for us. Even if you sell your coffins, you may not be able to afford a female slave. Those slaves are playthings reserved for rich merchants and noble lords. We ordinary people can't touch them."

The one-eyed dragon paused, then pointed at Chen Ai, who was lost in thought: "In my opinion, only a big businessman like Boss Chen, who runs a restaurant, is qualified to consider the matter of buying slaves!"

Hearing the words of the one-eyed dragon, the lame man suddenly gave Chen Ai a thoroughly lewd smile: "That's right, Boss Chen, why don't you go with us? Maybe you can pick a beautiful Beastman who can work and warm the bed at the same time! That way we can feast our eyes when we come to eat here!"

After finishing, the three old hooligans laughed.

Chen Ai shook his head firmly: "Slaves? I'm so poor I'm about to sell the house, where's the money for that? One person is enough for the shop."

Over the past year, Chen Ai had not hired any staff to save on expenses. From chef to waiter to cashier, he did it all by himself. It was impossible for him to buy nearly luxurious slaves, especially considering the upcoming pressure from Michelle. Every penny had to be spent wisely.

"Ah, welcome to... visit." Chen Ai raised his head to look at the entrance.

A female mercenary dressed in adventure gear walked into the store.

This female mercenary was extremely beautiful.

Exquisite face, a pair of charming wine-red eyes, the low-cut leather armor outlining a full, tempting curve. And her most eye-catching features were her long, slender, exposed legs and a head of fiery red hair.

Such a sexy and hot beauty appeared in the store, the three old hooligans naturally couldn't help but stare at the adventurer with their eyes lingering. Diguatiao even whistled.

The female adventurer was already used to the reactions of men. If Michelle were the most dazzling diamond in the upper class society of Heron City, then the woman before them was the most brilliant pearl in the mercenaries' world of Heron City. She nonchalantly looked around the entire hall, then chose a seat near the bar, looking somewhat weary.Chen Ai poured a cup of tea for the female adventurer and asked with a smile, "Isn't this Miss Noira, the deputy leader of the famous Sea Lion Mercenary Corps? It's been a while. How is your mission going?"

This person was none other than Noira·Irene, the famous deputy leader of the Sea Lion Mercenary Corps in Helan City. Not only was she skilled in combat, but she also possessed top-notch leadership abilities. Her exceptional talent, combined with her strong charm as a woman, made her a hot beauty in Helan City with a great number of admirers.

At this moment, however, Miss Noira seemed far less imposing than her reputation. She lay on the table, sticking out her small tongue, looking exhausted.

Upon hearing Chen Ai's question, Noira seemed a bit annoyed and glanced at Chen Ai, saying, "Thanks to someone! The mission failed, and it wasn't pleasant at all."

Chen Ai shrugged and said, "The Snow Leopard, as a sixth-level monster, is indeed a tough opponent. It's already good that the Sea Lion Mercenary Corps killed it; capturing it alive is indeed too difficult... What would you like to eat?"

"I'm hot and tired right now, and I don't have the appetite to eat," Noira rubbed her sore legs, saying, "I just want to drink a Scorpion Palace cocktail. Hmm~"

She hesitated for a moment, then sneaked a glance at the three creepy-looking men nearby with her red eyes, and whispered to Chen Ai, "I also want a hug from the boss."

When mentioning the hug, Noira's voice was so low that only her lip movements were visible. She did not want others to hear this.

Chen Ai completely ignored the latter part of her request and said calmly, "A Scorpion Palace cocktail, understood."

With that, Chen Ai turned around and went back to the counter, taking out various mixers and slicing the cleaned lemon. The Blaze Hotel not only sold food, but also prepared beer and various cocktails.

Noira, whose last request was ignored, seemed a bit gloomy.

"Hey! I..." She suddenly noticed the piercing gaze from the sinister trio and turned her head to see them leering at her while trying to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Noira usually did not mind people looking at her, but her mood happened to be extremely bad today, so the trio trying to pry into her privacy became especially annoying.

She squinted her eyes and said to the creepy trio with a fake smile, "Have you finished eating?"

The pressure from Noira's gaze was unprecedented for the trio. Although she was a pretty girl, she was also the genuine deputy leader of the mercenary corps. The pressure she exerted was not something the three men could handle. They immediately threw down some money and shouted that they were going to the north of the city to see beautiful slaves.

Noira turned her head and looked at Chen Ai's back, raising her voice in dissatisfaction, "Hey! Chen Ai, I also asked for a hug!"

While mixing the drink, Chen Ai refused, "Commander Noira, if you feel lonely and need comfort, I suggest you go to the south of the city. There are many gigolo clubs there filled with handsome men. You can hug whoever you want and even sleep with them."

Noira became even more upset. She hung her small hands down, rested her chin on the table, and complained, "Their hugs are insincere, and they only see my purse. They can't comfort my lonely heart. I just want your hug~"

Filling the glass carefully with the original liquor, Chen Ai replied, "Don't misunderstand. Back in the imperial capital, my hugs were also charged for."

Noira nodded and whispered, "If it's you, I'm willing to pay."

Chen Ai sighed, "Noira, do you realize how serious your double standard is?"

Noira completely ignored Chen Ai's rebuttal. She leaned back, propped up her flawless long legs, and blinked, speaking softly, "If you're willing to go home with me, I don't mind supporting you as a lover."

"Your words are getting more and more absurd," Chen Ai ignored Noira's leg attack and shook his head, "Noira, as you can see, I am now a hotel owner, not a gigolo. I have my own professional ethics and pride. I make money with my own skills. I only sell my talents, not my body."

Noira snorted disdainfully, "Are your lackluster bartending skills what you call talents? Besides me, how many people are willing to pay for your cocktails?"Chen Ai felt a sting in his heart and paused in his movements. At this moment, he was crouched on the bar, holding a dropper made of cowhide in one hand and a measuring cup in the other, watching the drops of alcohol fall into the cup one by one. He looked like a dangerous alchemist concocting a potent poison.

Most people who came to the Blaze Hotel for a drink chose beer and wine instead of these seemingly dangerous cocktails.

Noira continued to attack mercilessly, "Mixing drinks should be smooth and elegant, pleasing to the eye. Your movements are not only unappetizing, but they might scare away first-time customers too!"

Chen Ai felt frustrated but couldn't retort. He looked helpless, as he wasn't a bartender before crossing over, he was just a student buried in the lab doing experiments. His movements indeed looked more like experimenting than making drinks.

Chen Ai tried to argue, "My posture may not look good, but the taste of the drinks I make is standard..."

Noira disdainfully said, "A professional bartender relies on their intuition to create the best blend. It's because of your unprofessional appearance that your business is barely making ends meet! Without relying on your embrace for income, how long can your store hold up under Green Meadows?"

Noira was right. Although Chen Ai had managed to turn the situation around with his business strategy, Blaze Hotel's business was still far from ideal, and its financial situation remained precarious. Should an unexpected event occur, the hotel would likely go bankrupt.

And a month later, when Michelle returned from the Elf Country, the chances of such an "accident" occurring would rise sharply.

"Am I really the kind of beautiful man who can't survive without selling my looks?" Chen Ai wondered, feeling stifled.

He brought the finished Scorpio Palace to Noira with a resentful expression, saying, "Vice-captain Noira, your Scorpio Palace."

Seeing Chen Ai's unhappy face, Vice-captain Noira changed her strategy. If hard tactics wouldn't work, she would try a softer approach.

She held up her head and cooed softly, "Chen Ai, do you know how hard it was for us to hunt the storm leopard on Mount Orton? We spent half a month hiding on the mountain peak to capture the creature's tracks. My hands even got frostbite. Don't believe me? Look!"

Noira held out her hands to show Chen Ai. He looked closely and saw that there were indeed cracks on her originally fair and slender fingers. Her fingers were also slightly swollen from frostbite.

The Orton Mountains were famous not only for their height but also because they were a snow mountain covered in snow all year round. Even during the scorching summer season, the mountain range was still shrouded in bitter cold and dressed in a pure white cloak.

"We pursued the storm leopard for ten days before finally finding it yesterday. The whole group started attacking it from noon yesterday, and we managed to put a hunting net on it. But it was as if the heavens were deliberately causing us trouble. Although the snow leopard had been drugged, it struggled fiercely. In the end, it broke free from the net, broke our encirclement, and escaped."

"Not only did we not earn a single copper coin from this mission, but tomorrow I also have to pay a penalty to the Adventurer's Guild." Noira's expression clearly dimmed as she spoke.

Mercenaries' lives were like that. They risked their lives for a living, but they didn't always profit, as employers only cared about results. Even top-tier mercenary groups like Sea Lion could fail. Facing a high-ranking magical beast like the snow leopard, it was already fortunate that no lives were lost.

In the end, Noira pitifully said, "Not just the members, including me, were deeply struck by this experience. I feel disheartened and exhausted now. If things continue like this, I might not want to be a mercenary anymore, you know? 'Fiery Noira' might even completely retire and disappear. Even in such a situation, you still don't want to lend me your embrace?"

Chen Ai smiled and said, "It's good not to be a mercenary. As a girl, why should you partake in such a blood-filled profession? I think you should take this opportunity to retire, return to the imperial capital, and find a proper job."

Noira's plan to play the victim was thwarted, and she wailed, "Aaaaaah!"

With darkened eyes, she stared at Chen Ai and inserted both hands into her fiery red hair, annoyed. She lay down on the table and muttered, "When did you become so cold and heartless?"At this moment, Chen Ai noticed that Noira's leather chestplate and shoulder plates had many damaged areas, which were obviously caused by the Snow Leopard's wind blades. Her arm had traces of healing magic, as she must have been torn by the leopard's sharp claws. Her knee guards were also severely worn, perhaps due to constantly rolling and dodging on the snowy mountain top.

Chen Ai looked at the pitiful vice-captain in front of her, sighed helplessly, and said, "Alright, alright, I'll take one silver coin. I'll sell you a hug."

"Really?" Noira's eyes lit up as she immediately raised her head, looking as if her misery had paid off.

"But just this once, don't expect this to happen again," Chen Ai glared at her.

Noira continued to bargain, "Well, my injuries are very serious this time, almost to the point of mental breakdown. I need more time!"

At this point, it didn't matter whether they hugged more or less. The afternoon sun was too hot, and it was unlikely that any customers would come.

Chen Ai shrugged, "Fine, just do whatever you want."

With that, Chen Ai headed to her room upstairs to change out of her smoky chef's uniform before having any physical contact with Noira. This was her professional integrity as a former "gigolo".

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It's a long chapter, guys, please give me a bookmark! Every bookmark is motivation for me to write more. Thank you!