The smile on that man’s face froze for an instant.

Just an instant. He quickly composed himself again.

But in that fleeting moment, Vio had already seen it.

Qin Qinxi kept her head down and continued eating, but her ears perked up high.

She couldn’t understand the coded words, but she could read the tone.

This man was afraid. He was afraid of this Chaoxiong.

“This isn’t really something you should say out loud, is it, Mr. Mansero?” Crukbeel spoke politely as ever, his tone perfectly measured. “It’s the rule of the circle—I can’t pry into other people’s privacy.”

He’d figured it out. Vio wasn’t interested in doing business with him at all; every word was just small talk.

Crukbeel vaguely sensed that the other party had already seen through his true identity.

He couldn’t let himself be led around by the nose.

Crukbeel dropped his smile, straightened his collar, and put on a serious expression as he said, “Let’s get down to business. Mr. Mansero, two thousand units of goods and two hundred mercenaries—what price will you offer?”

He deliberately asked for such a huge quantity. For anyone, that would be a colossal deal.

All he wanted now was to pull out and go back to report the details of this dinner meeting.

Crukbeel picked up his wine glass and raised it.

Vio looked at the glass he was holding and merely sneered. She had no intention of clinking glasses with him—she wasn’t giving him any face at all.

“Is that person really praising me, or is he insulting me?”

Crukbeel’s hand froze mid-air.

His men froze too, staring at their boss.

Qin Qinxi tilted her head slightly and glanced at Vio.

He sat cross-legged, leaning back against the chair, a scornful smirk playing on his lips. Just looking at that smile sent a chill down her spine.

Crukbeel clenched the wine glass he was still holding.

Before they boarded the ship, they’d been searched by security and didn’t have a single gun on them.

A bad feeling began to spread in his heart.

Suddenly, there were chaotic footsteps. The door to the private dining cabin was thrown open.

Qin Qinxi turned to look and saw two men in black dragging someone in.

The man was beaten black and blue, his hands tied behind his back, a cloth stuffed in his mouth, and he was still whimpering from deep in his throat.

Qin Qinxi was startled and dropped her knife and fork onto the table. But no one paid any attention to the commotion.

Crukbeel’s men clearly recognized the person being brought in, and their faces went pale in an instant—they almost lost their footing. They looked at their boss.

Crukbeel’s expression had already changed.

This man was a core member of their team.

Vio watched Crukbeel’s changing expression and smiled faintly under his breath.

He turned his gaze toward the man who had been forced to kneel on the ground.

The man still refused to submit, glaring fiercely at Vio, unable to make a sound, only letting out guttural roars.

It was easy to tell he was cursing.

“Mr. Mansero? What are you doing?” Crukbeel stood up, his voice rising. “I’m just here to make a deal with you—to do business!”

Vio sneered.

“Still pretending? You’re Dmitri’s man.”

Crukbeel’s face turned deathly pale. A cold shiver ran down his spine.

He feigned confusion, but his voice was already tight: “I don’t know what you mean. I really am here to buy your goods. If you’re not willing to sell, then I won’t keep you any longer.”

Vio raised an eyebrow at him and nodded.

Crukbeel let out a cold snort and prepared to leave.

Just as he took his first step, he heard the man behind him say, “Mr. Crukbeel, wait a moment.”

Crukbeel frowned and turned around.

Vio smiled at him, picked up the dining knife on the table, and examined it carefully, turning it over and over.

“Since you’ve heard of me and know me so well, you should know, right?”

He said lazily, “I’m not a patient person. I hold grudges easily.”

Vio looked up at Crukbeel.

“Anyone who insults me will have their tongue cut out,” he said with a laugh.

Hearing this, Qin Qinxi slowly, very slowly, turned her head toward Vio. Her face had gone pale.

She felt a chill creeping up her tongue.

And then—

Qin Qinxi watched helplessly as the man got to his feet, holding that dining knife in his hand, walking toward the man on the ground while casually playing with it.

End of Chapter 31: Chapter 31