CHAPTER 285: CHAPTER 285: YOU’RE VERY GENEROUS.

A grating sound of "creak" came from behind. Sang Ning turned her head to see two heavy wooden doors slowly pulling apart from the center, with a waiter pushing a serving cart stepping out first.

Sang Ning thought the design of the room was a bit peculiar—she had initially assumed that the two wooden doors behind her were mere decorations. To her surprise, it turned out to be a partition.

On second thought, it made sense for private rooms often used for business negotiations to have a partition—it was convenient for someone to hide behind and eavesdrop.

As more waiters with cold expressions and muscular builds continued to emerge from behind the wooden door, Sang Ning began to sense that something was off.

If the partition had truly been meant for eavesdropping, it wouldn’t have been exposed like this. The waiters should have entered through the main door to serve the dishes instead.

By the time the waiter pushed the serving cart to the dining table and started setting up dishes, Sang Ning’s gaze remained fixed on them. Their demeanor felt entirely out of place for waiters—subtly exuding a hint of murderous aura.

"President Duan, you’re incredibly generous in hosting—specifically arranging for so many muscle-bound guys to serve me. That’s quite an investment," Sang Ning quipped coldly, with a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Is that so?" Duan Wenhu slightly lifted her head, giving Sang Ning a sideways glance. "Since Miss Sang Ning likes it so much, why not enjoy it to the fullest later."

By this point, ten waiters had entered the private room. Even though the space was spacious enough to accommodate four or five large round tables, it now felt somewhat crowded.

After Duan Wenhu spoke, the waiters seemed to receive some kind of signal. They lined up uniformly, standing behind Sang Ning.

Sang Ning felt someone slowly approaching her from behind. She stood up and turned around, but her shoulders were simultaneously pressed down by two pairs of hands.

Her instincts screamed danger; she raised her arm to block and knocked the two hands away.

The two waiters whose hands were knocked away looked at Duan Wenhu and helplessly said, "President Duan, it seems Miss Sang Ning is dissatisfied with our service."

Though their words sounded like complaints, their voices were mechanical and devoid of emotion.

Sang Ning narrowed her eyes, giving them a cold, sweeping glance. "Thanks, but I’m a proper person—I don’t need extra services."

Duan Wenhu remained silent, her lips curling into a faintly mocking smile as she scrutinized Sang Ning with a shade of schadenfreude.

Qingyue stepped in to speak for Duan Wenhu at this moment: "Did you hear that? Miss Sang Ning isn’t satisfied. Why don’t you up the ante a little?"

Though Qingyue’s tone sounded reproachful, Sang Ning sensed him stirring the pot instead.

Earlier, only two waiters attempted to lay hands on her; now, all ten advanced simultaneously. Sang Ning started to feel overwhelmed and waved her hand warning them, "I’m not joking. Back off! If you step any closer, I’ll fight."

Before Sang Ning could strike, one of the waiters stepped forward and tried to grab Sang Ning’s clothes. Sang Ning responded without hesitation, landing a sharp knife-hand strike directly on him.

The man winced with pain, withdrawing his hand with an angry flicker in his eyes. "Refusing a toast, you’d rather drink the penalty cup, huh?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a sharp dagger slipped out from his sleeve, its blade reflecting a chilling gleam. He swiftly gripped the hilt and swung the tip towards Sang Ning.

Sang Ning’s eyes immediately darkened. She tugged the tablecloth in front of her hard, sending plates and bowls crashing to the floor. Glass shards scattered across the private room in an instant.

The commotion inside the room was deafening, but the people outside seemed to turn a deaf ear. Not a single waiter entered to check on the situation.

Sang Ning’s sudden chaotic gesture caused the waiters to falter for a moment, even taking a step back.

Duan Wenhu hadn’t expected Sang Ning to pull such a stunt. Sang Ning’s tablecloth fiasco caused the soup dishes on the table to flip over, spilling hot, thick broth onto Duan Wenhu’s clothes. The scorching liquid burned her skin’s surface, eliciting a painful scream. She hastily pulled at her clothes in panic to alleviate the heat.

"Stop wasting time with her—take her down already!" Duan Wenhu screamed hysterically, her voice sharp from the searing pain.

The next moment, several cold flashes simultaneously flickered within the private room. Sang Ning looked up—no kidding, every single person disguised as a waiter held a blade, seemingly determined to leave her no chance of survival.

Hot soup from the clothes continued dripping, steam wafting up layer by layer. Duan Wenhu felt her chest burning as if her skin had been practically cooked. She couldn’t endure further and ultimately stripped her clothes off in front of everyone.

Catching sight of Duan Wenhu’s action with her peripheral vision, Sang Ning sharply turned her head, glaring at Duan Wenhu in shock.

Wow. This woman is truly something else!

The waiters inside the private room shivered and immediately turned their backs, covering their eyes.

Though Qingyue didn’t avert his gaze, his widened eyes clearly showed his astonishment.

Duan Wenhu finally gathered her wits, yanking Qingyue in front of her as a shield. She poked her head out from behind Qingyue and glared menacingly at Sang Ning. "Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning—you want to grab me and threaten these people, don’t you? Rest assured—I won’t give you that chance."

With that, Duan Wenhu pulled Qingyue’s clothes, dragging him backward while retreating further away from Sang Ning.

Sang Ning: "..."

Hearing Duan Wenhu’s words, the waiters finally snapped to attention. Their task for tonight was to subdue Sang Ning—completing the mission came first.

The waiters who had turned their backs seconds ago now turned around in unison, each advancing toward Sang Ning with a dagger in hand.

Faced with this many blades, any normal person would be terrified. But Sang Ning, brain spinning, started visualizing these people morphing into a swarm of Nanny Rongs, snarling, "I’ll stab you! I’ll stab you!" She suddenly couldn’t keep herself from laughing.

Sang Ning not only thought it but acted on it—she burst into laughter, leaving the knife-wielding waiters feeling provoked and instantly faltering in confidence.

Even staring death in the face, this woman remained so bold as to laugh. Could it be that her skills were so formidable she didn’t take ten of them seriously?

They recalled being briefed when assigned this mission—it was emphasized that the target was a skilled fighter, so they had to be extremely cautious.

With that memory, the ten of them hesitated, maintaining their dagger-wielding stances, but none dared to be the first to strike.

Duan Wenhu, still hiding behind Qingyue and thoroughly covered, observed the motionless waiters and sternly commanded, "What are you waiting for? Attack already!"

Yet Sang Ning’s excessively calm demeanor made even Duan Wenhu’s orders ineffective—no one dared to move forward.

The standoff dragged on endlessly, and Sang Ning broke the silence: "Alright, I surrender. You can put down your knives now."

Waiters: ???

Duan Wenhu: ???

Qingyue: ???