Chapter 79: Poison

Zhao Hai looked at the badge in his hand. This was not an ordinary low-level mage badge, but a mid-level mage badge. Moreover, this badge was personally handed to him by Karl, along with a hundred gold coins.

Zhao Hai and Green had not expected Karl to give them such a high evaluation. After all, Zhao Hai had only summoned an alien and had not used any magic. They had originally aimed for a low-level mage badge and had not thought about getting a mid-level one.

However, no matter what, the hundred gold coins did help alleviate their immediate financial crisis. They finally had over a hundred gold coins in hand.

But these hundred gold coins could only provide some relief; they would not significantly contribute to the development of the Buda family.

Green had already put away the gold coins. To be honest, Green now felt a bit more confident. While the hundred gold coins would not make the Buda family flourish, they could help them survive until Laura returned to Casar City.

The three of them walked to the carriage outside. Green looked at the sky and turned to Zhao Hai, saying, "Sir, let's go eat something. We'll go to the restaurant at the Makider Trading Company."

Although the main business of the Makider Trading Company was various daily necessities, they also had a hand in the restaurant and hotel industry. However, unlike their stores for daily necessities, which generally catered to the mid-to-low-end market, their restaurants and hotels were high-end. A meal there would cost several gold coins, and one gold coin was enough for an average family to live for over a month.

Zhao Hai nodded and directly climbed into the carriage without a word. This was what Green had instructed him to do, to try to remain silent as much as possible after arriving in Casar City.

Rock quickly drove the carriage to a restaurant. This restaurant was considered a high-end place in Casar City, even higher than the Mage Guild. The four-story building was not considered short here.

As soon as the carriage stopped, a man in leather armor walked over. The leather armor was very ornate, even more so than the one Green had bought. It was painted with a layer of blue reflective paint, making it shimmer. This was the security uniform of the Makider restaurant.

The man bowed slightly at the carriage and said, "Respected sir, such carriages are not allowed to stop here. Please follow me to the designated area."

Green ignored him and jumped off the carriage, opened the door, and helped Zhao Hai and Meg down. The three of them walked towards the restaurant, while Rock followed the security guard to park the carriage.

As soon as the three of them reached the restaurant entrance, two pretty girls in waitress uniforms greeted them. They bowed to Zhao Hai and said, "Welcome to our restaurant, respected mage sir. Do you have a reservation?"

Zhao Hai did not say anything, but Green took out a gold badge and handed it over. One of the girls took the badge, examined it carefully, and then returned it to Green. Both girls bowed and said, "What can we do for you, honored guest?"

Green immediately said, "Please arrange a room for us; we are here to dine." The two girls nodded and led Green into the restaurant.

The room they arranged for them was on the third floor. There were not many rooms on this floor, and each one looked quite spacious. Zhao Hai and the others were just there to have a meal and let people know they had arrived, so they did not choose anything specific and entered a room at random.

Green did not order anything fancy, just two dishes and a soup. He calculated that even with these items, it would cost around ten gold coins. If they made it themselves, the cost of materials would not exceed one gold coin. It was a huge profit.

After ordering, the server immediately brought a pot of cocoa. However, Zhao Hai did not touch it, waiting until all the dishes were served. Green closed the door, and Zhao Hai took off his hat, sighing, "I almost suffocated. This outfit would really kill someone if worn for too long."

Green smiled and said, "It is indeed uncomfortable, not being able to speak or eat. It's quite a challenge for you."

Zhao Hai smiled and said, "But it's worth it. After all, we got a hundred gold coins for free today. By the way, Grandpa Green, let's buy some meat later to improve the lives of those slaves."

Green smiled and said, "Let's not rush. Although we have over a hundred gold coins now, we don't know when Laura will return. Without her, we can't turn our items into money. We need to be careful with our spending."

Zhao Hai nodded helplessly. He realized that Green was right. The excitement of getting a hundred gold coins had made him a bit too enthusiastic. If they spent it freely in a place like Casar City, it would be gone in no time.

Meg poured a cup of cocoa for Zhao Hai and placed it in front of him, saying, "Young master, have a cup of cocoa." Zhao Hai nodded and took the cup, saying, "You should have some too."

Meg poured a cup for Green, and Zhao Hai took a sip. However, as soon as the cocoa touched his lips, a warning sounded in his mind: "Toxic substance detected in the host's body. Activating protection program. Extracting and analyzing the toxin. The toxin is a chronic neurotoxin, severely damaging the human nervous system. Expected onset time: three hours. Preparing antidote. Antidote prepared. Adding to space water. Enhancing the attack power of the space's mechanical objects."

Zhao Hai was stunned and immediately put down his cup. Seeing Green about to drink, Zhao Hai quickly said, "Stop, Grandpa Green, the cocoa in this cup is poisoned."

Green was taken aback, his face changing as he quickly put the cup down. He walked to the door, opened it, and looked outside, seeing no one. He then closed the door and returned to the table, asking Zhao Hai, "Young master, is the cocoa really poisoned?"

Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Yes, it's a slow-acting poison. But don't worry, Grandpa Green. The space water can neutralize this poison. Don't worry."

Green nodded but frowned, saying, "Who would want to harm us? Could it be the Makider Trading Company? If it's not their people, no one else could have poisoned the cocoa in their restaurant. But why would they want to harm us?"

Zhao Hai also frowned. This poisoning was indeed suspicious. The Makider family had no reason to harm them. They had even helped the Makider family. But if it wasn't the Makider family, who could it be?

Meg suddenly said, "Young master, Grandpa, didn't we previously discuss the possibility that the Makider family's attack might be due to internal conflicts? Could this poisoning also be because of that?"

Zhao Hai and Green were taken aback. They had not considered this point. Green nodded and said, "It's very likely. The gold badge we presented is certainly important to the Makider family. Otherwise, Laura wouldn't have used it to thank us for saving her. Usually, the manager would come out to meet such an important guest, but no one has appeared yet. There must be something wrong."

Zhao Hai frowned and said, "It seems the Makider family's internal struggle has put Laura at a disadvantage. They have been plotting against her. First, they informed the Undead Mercenary Group to eliminate Laura, then sent people to take over her power. I suspect that the true authority in this restaurant is no longer with Laura but has been taken over by someone else."

Green nodded and said, "Young master, I think we should leave and not eat here."

Zhao Hai, however, smiled and said, "Why not eat? The food is already here. I want to see if they have also poisoned the food. If they dare to do that, I'll burn down this place today."

Zhao Hai was a bit angry today. Although he was a homebody and not very brave, and he usually kept a low profile in the Ark Continent, this did not mean he lacked a temper. Being plotted against like this, even a clay statue would have some temper, let alone Zhao Hai.

A good person does not mean they have no temper. When a good person is pushed to the limit, they can do anything. Zhao Hai was a good person, but don't provoke him.

If it were an enemy plotting against him, Zhao Hai would not be so angry. An enemy not plotting against you wouldn't be an enemy. What made Zhao Hai angry was that the Makider family's internal conflict should not have involved him.

Although they were not yet certain that the poisoning was due to the Makider family's internal conflict, Zhao Hai had already assumed it was their doing. How could he not be angry?

"You can have your internal conflicts, but what does it have to do with me? I just happened to pass by and saved Laura's life, and that was only because I saw the potential in the Undead Mercenary Group and wanted to use them. What does this have to do with you? Just because of this, you want to poison me? Isn't that too much?" Zhao Hai thought to himself.

While thinking, he picked up his knife and fork and took a bite of the food. To be honest, the food tasted great and was not poisoned. Zhao Hai had already told Green and the others that the food was safe, and the three of them started eating.

However, to be safe, Zhao Hai took out a pot of water from the space. This water could neutralize poison, so drinking it while eating would prevent poisoning.

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(End of the chapter)