Lan Li was a man born to stand beneath the dazzling lights. He required no affectation, no deliberate effort; his aura was always one of gentle charm, his movements naturally graceful and captivating, flawless from every angle, always.

The waitresses' eyes all lit up, one by one. Red Hair nearly ground her teeth to dust, consumed by incandescent fury.

She had just held his hand, and now he was kissing a server. Damn it!

Look at that expression—truly revolting. And that hand—even more repulsive!

Red Hair spotted a napkin on the table, snatched one, and furiously scrubbed the hand Lan Li had held. If she let him touch her hand again, she’d be an absolute fool!

She turned around, failing to see the head waitress utterly mesmerized by Lan Li’s charm, her heart nearly melting. The woman replied with bashful devotion: "It is no trouble at all, sir.

You are our most honored guest; we are delighted to serve you." Lan Li offered a gentle smile. "You are truly dedicated." The head waitress lowered her gaze shyly.

"It is our duty, sir. It is our job; no matter the circumstance, we must make every customer feel at home." Lan Li was about to reply when a peripheral glance caught Red Hair’s retreating back.

He paused, his thoughts drifting momentarily, leaving the head waitress’s words unanswered. The head waitress looked up, her eyes sparkling brightly as she gazed at him.

"Esteemed guest, what may I bring you to eat?" Lan Li snapped back to reality, stating seriously, "I am not here for food. I am here to speak with the President about the hotel situation.

The closure has lasted so long; you must all be terribly confined. I must find a solution.

Most importantly, I must ensure the safety of you captivating sprites." In the lounge, Ilya’s cousin overheard the servers whispering among themselves. She stepped out and was momentarily stunned by the sight of such a gentle, kind, and handsome young man as Lan Li.

She immediately affected an air of disdain. "Hmph, just another despicable man.

Nothing worth looking at." With that, she executed an elegant pivot, slowing her pace as she entered the lounge. However, even after she had stepped inside and risked a furtive glance backward, he had not once looked up to acknowledge her.

Infuriated, she stamped her foot and sat sulking heavily on the sofa. The head waitress, meanwhile, was utterly lost in the dizzying allure of Lan Li’s sweet talk.

It was hardly their fault. Under normal circumstances, their professionalism would prevent them from giving their guests a second glance.

But given the current ordeal, having lived in fear for so long, the sight of someone so gentle and considerate brought tears to their eyes. Lan Li reached out and gently patted her head.

"Please, don't cry. We'll be out soon enough.

By the way, have any of you seen where the President went?" The head waitress, having slightly better self-control, hesitated, unsure if she should speak. Then, another server stepped forward.

"I saw him. This morning, he was looking for provisions in the kitchen.

I even helped him carry a very large cake." The head waitress had no choice but to concur. "Yes, as she said." A smile graced Lan Li’s face; he showed no surprise or change in demeanor upon hearing the President's whereabouts, merely remarking amiably, "Thank you so much; you have been a tremendous help." The head waitress replied, smiling, "It is our duty." Lan Li glanced around the area, then spoke with a hint of shyness, "Excuse me, do you happen to have any Star Cakes here?

I’m feeling a bit hungry." The server instantly darted to the pastry window, filled a portion of every flavor of Star Cake, and brought them out, holding the containers in both hands. "There are six flavors remaining, please enjoy." Lan Li considered this.

"Could you perhaps pack these for me?" Just as the server was turning to package them, another server appeared with take-out boxes. In a few quick movements, the six Star Cakes were boxed up and handed to him with both hands.

"Please enjoy them at your leisure." Lan Li thanked them all with a smile and then turned to leave. Ilya’s cousin had stewed in her frustration on the sofa for a while.

Feeling the chatter outside the door growing louder, she couldn't help but step out again, only to find that Lan Li had vanished without a trace. Only a few excited servers remained, discussing the ephemeral man.

Lan Li stepped outside, finding no one. After a brief search, he spotted Red Hair standing near the balcony of a large hall, looking profoundly lost.

Since the lockdown, the balcony offered no view of the outside world, only oppressive nickel-colored metal. He walked over and said with a smile, "Are you hungry?

I brought you some Star Cakes." Red Hair didn't even look at him, walking straight away. Lan Li followed her.

She spun around and said coldly, "You damned flirt, stop following me!" Another nickname? Lan Li was momentarily taken aback, then said, "I found out where the President is." Red Hair immediately turned back, all previous grievances forgotten.

"Where?" Lan Li replied, "You'll know if you come with me." Red Hair offered a cold laugh. "Trying to trick me, are you!

Say it or don't; I’ll find him myself." Lan Li couldn't fathom why she was so angry. "I'm telling you, a server saw him in the kitchen." Red Hair's eyes instantly brightened—the kitchen, of all places!

The main kitchen and the medical bay were both on the first floor. While the banquet hall restaurant had food, it was merely a distribution hub; the real storage for provisions lay on the ground floor.

Without another word, Red Hair headed toward the stairs. Taking the elevator was too risky; the stairs were the key.

They were on the twentieth floor; trekking down to the first floor was arduous. Red Hair was hungry, and though she found the Star Cakes uninspired, she grudgingly ate a few.

Once she finished, having arrived at the ground floor, she thrust the packaging box back into Lan Li’s arms, clapped her hands, and was about to get to work when she sharply noticed something amiss. The last time they had infiltrated the medical bay to steal blood, they had shot out several surveillance cameras, and she knew their precise locations.

She hadn't touched any others. However, coming down this time, she realized even fewer surveillance cameras remained intact.

Was there indeed something suspicious going on? A faint smile touched the corner of Red Hair’s lips as she stealthily approached the kitchen door.

Just as she was about to enter, her hand was caught by Lan Li, who whispered urgently into her ear, "I’ll go in first." That statement, rather than helping, only reminded Red Hair of him kissing the head waitress moments before, and the disgusting feeling surged back. Without hesitation, she wrenched her hand free, expressionlessly drew her gun, and said, "You follow behind," before slipping silently into the kitchen.

The first room in the kitchen was the plating area, where all dishes were laid out on a long white table waiting for servers to carry them away after preparation. Now, the long table was bare of any food or plates.

Under the white lighting, the white table took on a somewhat eerie and sinister appearance. Red Hair scanned it briefly, detected no anomalies, and moved on.

The second room was the cooking range. Red Hair cautiously passed by every stove.

Each one was cold, unused for days, utterly desolate. "Something’s wrong.

How can the main kitchen be this clean?" Red Hair frowned in frustration. "If the main kitchen isn't supplying anything, where are the other small restaurants getting their ingredients for meals?" Lan Li appeared slightly calmer.

"No rush; let’s take it slowly. The cleaner it is, the more it suggests a problem.

We’ve searched most rooms and haven't found the President; maybe he is here." Red Hair felt the same way, but her mood was sour. As she stepped into the third room—the storage area—she retorted sarcastically, "Hmph, someone hiding in here?

Don't you think this place is better suited for storing cryogenics? If a person is frozen here, the clones can't be activated, effectively killing the original." -RS