Chapter 144: Smoke, Signals, and the Hidden Table
Smoke, Signals, and the Hidden Table
After entering the stall, Charlotte Bonds handed Julian D’Aurelius a plastic basket for picking food.
Warm smoke drifted through the night air from the grills, carrying the rich scent of charcoal, spice, and sizzling meat. The stall was crowded with late-night diners—workers, students, and night owls laughing loudly under flickering neon lights.
Charlotte casually pointed toward the display counter filled with skewers.
"Take whatever you want to eat. I come here often," she said while tying her azure hair loosely behind her head. "Their smoked honey taro slices and golden dragon dumplings are pretty good. You should try them."
Julian raised an eyebrow, studying the food selection like a man preparing for battle.
"I’m going to pick the expensive stuff and eat you broke."
Charlotte snorted.
"Fine. You look like you have kidney deficiency anyway," she said bluntly. "Take a few more skewers of fire-roasted lamb kidneys."
"...."
Julian paused mid-reach, staring at her.
"Wow. You really know how to ruin a man’s appetite."
Charlotte simply smiled and continued picking food.
Soon the basket was full.
They ordered plates of charcoal-grilled crystal beef, pepper-salt river shrimp, spicy lotus root skewers, caramelized taro slices, and dragon dumplings dripping with sauce.
A few bottles of cold beer followed.
The food arrived quickly, steaming and fragrant.
Charlotte grabbed a bottle and knocked it lightly against Julian’s.
Clink.
Without ceremony, she began eating enthusiastically.
The way she ate had none of the elegance expected from a woman of a powerful political family. She devoured food like someone who had spent years surviving on quick meals during investigations.
Across the street, however—
A black sedan sat quietly beside the curb.
Inside the car, a man leaned forward slightly in the driver’s seat.
His eyes were fixed on Charlotte and Julian through the window.
He watched them carefully.
After a moment, he raised his phone.
Click.
The camera captured the two laughing over barbecue.
The photo was immediately sent.
—
Meanwhile.
Deep inside an underground casino.
The atmosphere was thick with cigarette smoke and the dull clatter of gambling chips.
Inside a luxurious private room, Lucas sat at a gambling table.
Across from him were two casino dealers.
Both were professional card manipulators.
Experts.
Yet at this moment, sweat ran down their temples.
They had already lost fifteen consecutive rounds.
Their hands trembled as they dealt the next set of cards.
"Young Master Lucas," a middle-aged man beside him said respectfully, "your skills are truly impressive."
The speaker had only one arm.
His empty sleeve hung loosely beside his body.
Despite his disability, the man carried the aura of someone powerful.
He was the owner of the casino.
A major figure in Valemont’s underground world.
Under normal circumstances, someone of his status would never speak so politely to a young man.
But Lucas was different.
Terrifyingly different.
When Lucas first came to him, he had asked one simple question.
"Will you become my dog?"
The casino boss had refused.
Moments later—
Lucas had single-handedly defeated over forty armed subordinates.
Effortlessly.
After that...
Refusing no longer seemed wise.
Lucas lazily tossed the cards in his hand.
Three cards flew through the air.
THUNK.
They embedded themselves neatly into the wooden table.
The room fell silent.
The men watching inhaled sharply.
Even now, they still could not understand how someone could control cards like blades.
Lucas leaned back.
"It’s just a trivial skill."
"Cheating is nothing more than quick hands and a few small tricks."
He shrugged.
"It’s boring."
At that moment, his phone vibrated twice.
Lucas glanced down.
A photo appeared on the screen.
His eyes narrowed.
The man in the picture...
Was Julian D’Aurelius.
"Isn’t that the rich second-generation from the D’Aurelius household?" Lucas murmured.
Rumor said that Evan had once lost face because of this useless playboy.
Lucas originally dismissed it as gossip.
But now—
Why was he with Charlotte Bonds?
Lucas’s gaze darkened slightly.
After arriving in Valemont, the first woman who caught his interest had been Charlotte.
Her background alone made her valuable.
If he could conquer her early...
It would greatly stabilize his influence in the city.
Lucas thought for a moment.
Then slowly smiled.
"Perfect."
"I’ll lure them in..."
"...and deal with both at once."
He sent a message.
—
Back at the barbecue stall.
Charlotte was chewing a skewer of smoked cumin beef when her phone suddenly vibrated on the table.
She glanced down.
A text message.
Her eyes narrowed as she read it.
"Night Wing Stay, Basement Level 7... underground casino."
Charlotte read the message again.
Her expression changed.
Recently, she had been investigating illegal gambling operations.
Her clues had pointed toward an underground casino...
But she had never found the exact location.
Seeing this address—
Her appetite instantly vanished.
She stood up abruptly.
"Boss! How much?"
The stall owner wiped his hands on a towel.
"Exactly two hundred seventy-seven euros."
"Alright."
Charlotte scanned the payment code quickly.
Julian looked up from the pepper-salt shrimp skewers he was eating.
"You’re not eating anymore?"
Charlotte grabbed her jacket.
"I need to investigate a casino."
"You keep eating. I’m leaving."
She turned to walk away.
Julian almost choked on a piece of grilled kidney.
The scene suddenly felt familiar.
In the original storyline, Charlotte received a message exactly like this while eating dinner.
It reported an underground casino.
She had gone undercover alone.
That mission had turned into a disaster.
Her identity was exposed.
She was captured.
If Evan hadn’t appeared to rescue her...
Things would have ended very badly.
After that incident—
Her favorability toward Evan skyrocketed.
But the problem was obvious now.
Evan wasn’t here anymore.
If Julian didn’t interfere...
Charlotte might really end up dead.
Or worse.
Julian frowned slightly.
"System," he asked in his mind.
"What’s going on with this plot?"
Silence.
No response.
Julian sighed.
Ever since the storyline collapsed, the Tyrant System had become far less helpful.
He had to analyze things himself now.
Annoying.
Helpless, he stood up and jogged after Charlotte.
"I’ll go with you."
She stopped.
"You’ll go with me?"
Her eyes examined him suspiciously.
Julian nodded calmly.
"Yeah. I’ll assist you with the investigation."
"I know these places better than you."
( Nonsense. If I don’t go with you, you’ll die. )
( The casino is a huge trap. )
( The one who originally sent you this message should have been Evan. )
( He lures you there, you get into trouble, then he saves you and gains favor. )
( But Evan isn’t here anymore... )
( So who set the trap this time? )
Charlotte’s heart trembled slightly as she heard his thoughts.
This man...
He knew again.
Just like before.
Thinking back to the clues he revealed during the Lunar Citadel incident...
She hesitated.
But finally nodded.
"Alright."
"We’ll go together."
Julian climbed onto the motorcycle behind her again.
Still thinking.
So the plot still moved forward even without Evan.
But if Evan didn’t send the message—
Then who did?
One name immediately appeared in Julian’s mind.
Lucas.
The man replacing Evan in Valemont.
( Let’s go there first. )
( Just make sure Charlotte comes back safe. )
( Once we reach the casino, whoever set the trap will appear. )
( Then we’ll know if it’s Evan... )
( Or Lucas. )
Charlotte silently listened to his thoughts as she started the motorcycle.
For some reason—
Her chest felt slightly warm.
This guy...
He actually cared whether she lived or died.
The name Lucas also lodged firmly in her memory.
Setting a trap for her?
He better pray she never confirms it.
Because if she does—
He’s finished.
The motorcycle roared through the city.
It took twenty minutes to reach Night Wing Stay.
Charlotte parked the bike near the hotel entrance.
Then she hopped off—
And habitually performed her sweeping dismount.
Unfortunately.
Julian was still climbing down.
THUMP.
He hit the ground again.
Julian sat there silently for a moment.
Then looked up at her.
"You did that on purpose."
"...!"
Charlotte raised both hands quickly.
"This time it really wasn’t on purpose."
Julian narrowed his eyes.
"So it was on purpose last time?"
Charlotte coughed awkwardly.
Then helped him up skillfully.
"Let’s go."
Together they entered the hotel.
The elevator doors slid shut.
And slowly descended.
Basement Level 7.