Under Nicole's tense gaze, Sol raised a single finger and teased, "I want you—"

This guy!

Nicole's eyes went wide, her heart tightening.

Sure enough, Sol had improper thoughts about her!

And he wasn't even trying to hide it in the middle of the Sea King buffet. He must be absolutely starving.

Nicole glanced at Billy and Anby—both of them were staring at this side intently. Even the guests at the neighboring table seemed to be sneaking glances.

This! This! This!

How was she supposed to respond?!

Her cheeks flushed crimson. At a time like this, her skin was thinner than she'd imagined.

"…to tell me when we get home."

Sol calmly finished his sentence.

Some words weren't convenient to say, and some things weren't convenient to do, in such a public setting.

Better to wait until they got back to properly tease Nicole.

"Eh?"

Nicole froze, then let out a sigh of relief like a student who had just skipped class without getting caught.

Much better to wait until they got home.

No, wait—wrong!

Home was even more dangerous. There was a couch there. And a bed. Things could spiral out of control.

Having narrowly escaped for now, Nicole drifted between dread and confusion, unsure of what to think.

"Let's eat first." Sol passed her a chilled drink. "In your current state, you'll end up wasting half the buffet."

"Oh, right."

Nicole blinked herself awake, took a sip of the icy drink, and calmed down a little.

Then she dug into the lobster and crab in front of her with renewed vigor.

Whatever else happened, she wasn't about to waste a luxury buffet.

As for Sol's "request"… that was a problem for future Nicole.

She believed in the wisdom of her future self.

"You two eat as well! It's not every day we get a luxury buffet—you'd better make it worth it!"

Nicole urged Billy and Anby.

Anby, disappointed at the lack of any dramatic developments, nodded. "Don't worry, Nicole. I won't let you down."

Then she focused on the burgers and beef.

Billy turned his attention to the batteries instead.

Even the hydraulic cells here tasted more refined than the ones at home.

Meanwhile, Bangboo Amillion was in the Bangboo buffet section, hopping between fire-electric, ether-electric, and water-electric charging stations, savoring the unique flavor of each.

The grim shadows of Bangboo remains in Hollow Rifts were being washed away by these varied electric delights.

"…"

Sol, eating a large shrimp, reflected quietly.

Nicole's reaction just now proved she felt a certain insecurity toward him—a sign their bond wasn't deep enough yet.

Perhaps it was because he had always presented himself to the Cunning Hares as an all-capable, independent figure, creating a one-sided relationship of need.

He only needed them emotionally, not materially.

But they received both emotional and material support from him, giving back only emotionally.

This imbalance led to instability—making Nicole anxious about losing him.

Sure, taking advantage of her wish to do "this and that" would be fun.

But long-term, such a dynamic would only create distance.

He needed to give Nicole and the others more chances to help him—appropriate mutual trouble would make the relationship more secure.

"Nicole, help me peel these shrimp."

Sol slid a plate of prawns toward her.

"Seriously? Your hands broken?"

Nicole complained, but took the plate and began peeling them one by one.

"Sorry. I just think you do it cleaner."

Sol smiled.

"Of course! I'm a very detail-oriented person!" Nicole replied proudly.

Then Sol turned to Anby. "Anby, can you get me the burger you recommend most? I'm not really an expert."

Anby stood up with a serious look. "No problem. Burgers do have quite a bit of depth to them."

As for Billy… better not.

Sol honestly couldn't think of anything Billy could do for him besides boast and chat.

But maybe that didn't matter.

Given Billy's loud, carefree nature, he probably wouldn't mind.

"Sol, boss, need me to do anything?"

Billy looked at him with expectant eyes, like a dog waiting for its owner to throw a stick.

…Okay, maybe Billy did mind.

"Go get me two pork ribs—thirty percent fat, seventy percent lean. Not a speck off."

"You got it!"

Billy left in high spirits.

Before long, a plate of perfectly peeled shrimp, a mouthwatering burger, and two perfectly portioned pork ribs sat before Sol.

"These shrimp are definitely cleaner than if I peeled them. The burger's great, and the ribs are spot-on." Sol praised them as he ate.

Anby replied calmly, "Glad you like them," though inside she felt a small spark of joy—her judgment had been validated, and she had been useful to Sol.

"Of course! You won't find a more humane company than the Cunning Hares!" Nicole said smugly.

Her earlier fears about him jumping ship began to fade.

Look at him—he was clearly happy here!

"Heh heh." Billy grinned happily too.

"…"

Sol ate in silence, smiling inwardly.

His little plan had worked perfectly—the three were happily working for him, and enjoying it.

If he hadn't transmigrated, once he graduated college he could have been a master of human nature, the kind of lecturer who could get a woman to spend 180,000 Denny in just three sentences.

"This is…"

A sudden thought flashed through Billy's mind.

Wasn't this the legendary, most terrifying emotional tactic—KFC?!

But he quickly dismissed it.

No way—Sol was way too good to them to be pulling KFC tricks.

The cheerful atmosphere carried on for three hours.

Sol, Nicole, and Anby left satisfied; Billy and Amillion had charged themselves to the brim with their preferred electric flavors.

Driving back to the Cunning Hares, they each went to wash up.

Following Sol's subtle timing, Anby returned to her room after washing, Billy was coaxed into resting, and Nicole came out of the bathroom last.

He'd picked the timing perfectly—Nicole had finished washing away the smell of the buffet before he approached.

After all, kissing someone and tasting leftover lettuce wasn't exactly romantic.

And now… now he could let his tongue roam without restraint.

"Today was a good day—earned 500,000 in commission and got in good with the Public Security Bureau."

"The Cunning Hares are on the rise!"

Fresh-faced and rosy, Nicole stretched and prepared to head to her room.

But just as she stepped inside, Sol slipped in right after her, locking the door behind them.

***

T/N: If it wasn't clear by the context itself PUA is an acronym for "Pick-Up Artist".