Chapter 53

The ‘X’ project bidding competition has started.

For almost the whole afternoon, Sofia paced back and forth outside the venue.

She had been waiting for news as Lidia's team had already been inside for several hours.

Clutching her phone, her body trembled.

She was anxious.

Earlier, she had called home to confirm that Daniel was safe and sound, which eased her mind a little.

However, she could not stop the deepening fear in her heart.

Those drawings...

Michael was sure to find something.

At that time, she was so focused on her child that she stole the drawings and sent them to her father in a moment of desperation.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath of cool air, Sofia could not imagine the consequences.

However, after waiting for a whole afternoon, the result of the competition was:

Ten companies were shortlisted for the second round of the competition! The list will be announced in three days.

Whether or not Brown Group made the shortlist remained a mystery.

Only then did Sofia secretly breathe a sigh of relief, at least she didn't hear any bad news."

After work.

Since the kiss in the office at noon, Sofia hasn't seen Michael again.

Although Michael's father called her twice on the way, asking her to keep an eye on Michael, especially after his car accident.

But Michael, who is used to being alone, if he is not willing, how can others easily grasp his whereabouts?

After leaving the building, she thought about going back to see her son.

However, Matthew's car happened to come over, and he politely nodded to her through the car window, "Miss Brown, the master asks you to come over."

Her fingertips trembled, did Michael find out?

She pursed her lips and whispered to Matthew, "Um...do you know why he's looking for me?"

Matthew shook his head solemnly and said, "I'm not sure. The master just ordered me to come and pick you up."

After hesitating for a moment, Sofia finally got on the car.

Looking at the increasingly dark sky, she seemed to see her future, full of gloom...

"Miss Brown, we've arrived."

Matthew's voice sounded flat.

Sofia finally came back to her senses and looked out the window at the scenery outside.

It turned out that night had fallen.

Neon lights were flashing and a unique Japanese restaurant on the side of the road caught her attention. "Is this the place?"

Matthew nodded, "Yes, I'll go park the car. Miss Brown can go in first. Turn left on the third floor to the Sakura Pavilion. The master is waiting for you there."

She instinctively bit her lip and felt a slight uneasiness in her heart, but in the end, she pushed open the car door and got out.

Then, Matthew's car drove towards the parking lot.

She paused for a moment, took a few deep breaths, and then walked in...

As soon as she stepped into the restaurant, two women in kimonos walked towards her and respectfully bowed, "Welcome."

A scent of classical Japanese incense filled the air, and Sofia's expression trembled slightly as she nodded, "Thank you. Can you tell me where to go on the third floor?"

"Sure, this way, please."

Led by the kimono-clad women, Sofia went up to the third floor.

The wooden floor creaked underfoot, giving off a unique flavor.

"Miss, this is the Sakura Pavilion," the kimono-clad woman said respectfully before leaving.

Sofia looked at the wooden Japanese-style lattice sliding door in front of her. Several cherry blossom petals were randomly placed on the doorframe like ink painting, emitting a light fragrance of cherry blossoms...

The laughter of a few men could be heard from the attic.

She was stunned for a moment, held her breath, and then gently pushed the door open--

The handsome and cold face of Michael immediately caught her eye, causing her to hold her breath.

Then she saw four or five men sitting around a short wooden table, each taking their seat.

She didn't know any of those men.

"Michael...," she said in a small, humble voice.

Michael gave her a cold glance and said, "Come here."

"Haha, Michael, who is this?" asked one of the fat and plump men.

Sofia's body was tense as she took small, hurried steps to Michael's side.

She then realized that even finding a chair in this Japanese restaurant was difficult, so she had to kneel next to Michael.

"lee, who she is doesn't matter. What matters is that everyone has a happy and enjoyable meal tonight," Michael said in a deep and cold voice.

The man known as lee was the director of the Zenith City Municipal Administration Bureau.

"Haha, Michael is straightforward! The few of us must thank Michael tonight," lee said.

"Isn't that right?" another tall and thin man nodded in agreement. "Thanks to Michael's clever operation, we have made a lot of money. Hehehe."

"That's right, Michael. We'll all get rich together in the future! Today, the ’X’ project has launched its first salvo, and I believe it will soon become a nationally renowned star-level project!"

In an instant, the several men present began to flatter and fawn over Michael.

Sofia finally realized that the political officials were the ones that Michael was entertaining tonight.

The text appears to be a passage from a novel or story, and here is the English translation:

Johnson's black eyes shimmered with a dark light, and his lips curled into a faint smile that made it hard to read his true emotions.

He raised his eyebrow and said, "Since everyone's happy, I'll prepare a special dish for you all."

As he spoke, he pressed a button on the side of the table.

Shortly after, the door opened, and four strong men carried in a wooden frame.

Curious, Sofia took a look, but what she saw almost made her heart jump out of her chest...

The four men carried the wooden frame and placed it directly on the table, passing by the high-ranking officials.

"Enjoy your meal." The four men bowed respectfully and left the room.

Sofia's eyes widened in shock. If she wasn't mistaken, the food placed on the table was a naked woman lying on the wooden frame.

The woman's entire body was exposed, and the food was arranged on her skin like a puzzle, cleverly covering her intimate parts.

Sofia couldn't help but gasp. Was this the rumored Japanese Nyotaimori?

"Hahaha..." Lee laughed heartily. "Johnson, you always surprise us. You're truly one of a kind..."

"Interesting dinner indeed, hehe..."

At that moment, the four or five men present stared at the naked woman on the table with excitement written all over their faces.

Johnson remained calm and collected, but a glint of sharpness flashed in his deep eyes. "This dish is the signature of this restaurant. Enjoy it to your heart's content."

"Haha, yes, yes!" Someone picked up his chopsticks and dug in.

Some even used their hands to grab the food off the naked woman's body and stuffed it in their mouths, smacking their lips and dripping oil.

Sofia suddenly felt sick. She looked at Johnson next to her disdainfully. This was just a dirty dinner party between men. Why did he invite her here?