Chapter 144: Unexpectedly Meeting an Acquaintance

Half of Irene’s face was hidden in the shadow of the car window, making it hard to discern her expression. Mag, with great enthusiasm, reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a plastic bag filled with drinks and plain water. She cheerfully said, “Here, Irene and Emma, have some water and snacks.” Irene accepted it and glanced at the drink in her hand, her smile deepening. “I’m not thirsty, just a bit tired. I’ll take a nap.” Emma imitated her and shook her head to refuse as well, snuggling close to Irene and closing her eyes. Mag pursed her lips. Not drinking was no problem; they were in the car. Did they think they could run away? Irene couldn’t move; she was their biological daughter and was meant to marry the village chief. But this little girl, she looked pretty decent and could be sold. Meanwhile... Madame Kashi sat by the window, feeling uneasy. Outside, it was a sunny and beautiful day. Yuna's young children were playing outside, bringing a smile to Madame Kashi’s face. But as she continued to smile, her expression gradually became lonely. Irene hadn’t been gone long, yet the house already felt too quiet. Elsewhere... The van had been driving for quite a while. Along the way, Irene couldn’t stand it anymore. The smell in the car was making her feel sick. Although she had undergone special training for such situations, it was clear she couldn’t compare to Mag and Klan. Watching their figures as they got out of the car first, Irene’s eyes revealed deeper meaning. Such strong resistance to the drug. Klan parked the car at a small restaurant. After Irene and Emma got out, Mag beckoned them to sit at a table. At this moment, a waiter approached. He had beautiful brown hair that Irene found familiar and looked particularly indifferent. “What do you want to eat?” Mag kept smiling, but her eyes looked somewhat vigilant. “Are you new here? I’ve been away for a few days and didn’t know the waiters had changed.” The waiter’s attitude was poor. “Eat if you want, if not, leave!” Klan was upset and stood up to argue, “How can you talk like that! So rude!” Hearing the argument, the boss lady came out of the kitchen, “What’s all the noise about! What’s there to argue about!” The moment she saw Mag, the anger on her plump white face instantly turned into a smile. “Oh my! Isn’t this Sister Mag? You’re back!” The boss lady practically ran over and slapped the waiter hard, “Oh dear sister, don’t mind him, this boy is a troublemaker! Fearless! If it weren’t for my daughter insisting on marrying him, I wouldn’t hire him! Always with that dead face! I don’t know what my daughter sees in him!” Klan’s frown gradually relaxed, and he smiled, taking the menu from the waiter’s hand. “What’s your name, boy? You look good and sturdy,” Mag said, smiling at the waiter. “Leonardo.” Leonardo rubbed his shoulder where he had been hit and glanced at Irene. “Oh my, who are these? Such pretty girls, and there are two of them!” Emma frowned, feeling something off in the tone. The boss lady’s eyes rolled, and she exchanged a look with Mag. One look was enough for Mag to understand what she was thinking. She smiled and put her arm around Irene’s shoulders, saying, “This is my biological daughter I found!” The boss lady exclaimed in delight, “You’re so lucky! Your adopted daughter is beautiful, and your own daughter is even more so! I’ll make a few more dishes to celebrate!” In no time, two dishes were served. One was potato stew with beef, and the other was simple roasted lamb ribs, with a few more dishes following. The waiter serving them was still the boss lady’s future son-in-law. Emma was eating with her mouth full of grease, making Mag smile, “This child has a good appetite!” But inwardly, she was thinking, “Eating so much, but not much effect. I don’t think she can be sold. I can’t tell the client this girl is so greedy and eats so much!” Irene ate a few bites too. The chef here wasn’t particularly skilled, but the flavor of the beef and lamb was excellent, much better than the meat sold in big cities. There was a unique aroma to the food. After a few bites, Irene put her backpack on the chair and said, “You guys continue eating. I’m going to the restroom.” Just as Irene reached the restroom door, a hand pulled her into a small compartment. “Irene.” Irene turned and saw Leonardo, still in his simple clothes, leaning against the compartment's dirt wall smoking a cigarette. Irene frowned, “Only a few days with those military guys, and you’re already smoking.” Those people were becoming more and more undisciplined! Leonardo wasn’t even eighteen yet, and they were leading him astray! Leonardo said in a low voice, “Irene, this isn’t Hausman’s fault. It’s because of Natasha. She likes manly men, and to her, being manly means drinking, smoking, and playing cards.” Natasha was the boss lady’s daughter. Irene frowned, “Even so, they shouldn’t have given you this task.” Leonardo said, “Irene, time is limited, let’s keep it short. Natasha’s brother isn’t her biological brother. He was bought from the couple with you.” “I’ve only been here for a bit over a month, so I haven’t found out much. The village that couple is from is notorious for being tough. Everyone in town says there isn’t a single good person there! Be very careful!” At that moment, Leonardo’s phone rang. He answered, and a particularly arrogant voice came through, “Where did you go? Why can’t I find you?” Leonardo said, “Mom asked me to help at the restaurant.” “When are you coming back? Bring me some of mom’s roasted lamb ribs when you do!” “Alright.” With that, Leonardo hung up. Irene raised an eyebrow. Leonardo awkwardly said, “If I don’t act this way, she’ll think I’m too obedient and lose interest. Then I wouldn’t be able to stay here.” Irene nodded, “Be careful. I’m going back now.” It took exactly three minutes for Irene to go in and out. As she exited, she noticed Mag glancing at the restroom door while eating. Seeing Irene, she quickly lowered her head, pretending she hadn’t been watching. Irene just smiled and pretended nothing had happened, sitting back down to eat. Previously, when Helen hired people to beat Irene, trying to drive her out of City A, Irene had saved Leonardo and his brother, Barter. Later, when Irene didn’t have time to take care of the kids, she had Hausman arrange for them to join the Scorpion Mercenary Group. Irene remembered Hausman reporting that they had recently taken on a job. The task was simple: retrieve goods stolen by one gang from another and find the mastermind.