James pondered for a moment and then said, "No need to store them; if we can't finish them, just give them away. Take two bottles for yourself."
Amanda was caught off guard, hearing someone offer expensive drinks as gifts at a bar for the first time.
Stunned, she asked, "Is Master James giving these to me?"
If James had invited her to drink with him, she wouldn't have been surprisedâbut to outright give them was something else entirely.
As the bar manager, accepting drinks was akin to accepting cash. Her salary was already substantial, but who would turn down more money? At bar prices, Ace of Spades went for $10,000 to $20,000 a bottle, while Black Gold was even pricier.
James nodded, "Yes, you can take two bottles when you leaveâconsider it a gift."
The jealousy in Tailsa's eyes was almost palpable. Clinging to James, she glared fiercely at Amanda without uttering a word.
Seeing James flirt while his girlfriend was beside him amused Amanda.
She assumed he might have been trying to entice her into drinking with him. Amanda found James's forthrightness charming.
She opened two bottles, poured for the three of them, and raised her glass, saying:
"Then I'll graciously accept Master James's generosity. May blessings and fortunes be upon you."
She downed her drink in one go.
At that moment, James heard the system's chime.
[Goddess Database Updated]
Name: Amanda Fred
Age: 27
Height: 167 cm
Weight: 52 kg
Charm: 90
Occupation: Bar Manager
Special Skills: Judo
Affection: 5 (Stranger)
Relationships: 2
Reward: 10 Bio-Engineered Bodyguards
Amount Spent: $30,000
Fascinated by the rewards listed, James asked the system what "bio-engineered bodyguards" were.
The system explained: [Advanced cloned humans, possessing excellent intelligence, skilled in various fields, with combat abilities akin to top-level special forces. They lack emotions, pain senses, gender, and hold legal U.S. identities.]
James's eyes turned into heart shapes.
Holy cow, that's incredible.
Deploying them to work could easily earn $10,000 a month per person.
Ten people meant $100,000, essentially money for nothing.
This must be a dream come true for past emperors. Who'd need eunuchs after this?
Amanda, having finished her drink, noticed James's intense gaze, reminiscent of a wolf eyeing a rabbit.
Perhaps he assumed she was just another bar girl, one you could take home without fuss.
Amanda chuckled softly, choosing not to explain that she was different from the usual company girls.
After all, he hadn't outright asked, and being presumptuous about her integrity would have been awkward.
However, she decided to maintain the façade for the sake of future patronage.
Smiling, she asked, "Why isn't Master James drinking?"
Taking a sip of his drink, James replied, "Call me something other than Master James; it sounds beastly and weird."
Amanda giggled, "How about 'King' then?"
James found it slightly old-fashioned but permissible and nodded.
Watching Amanda purposefully expose her neckline while pouring drinks, Tailsa inwardly cursed her, though outwardly she kept up a friendly demeanor.
"Isn't managing such a large bar alone tiring, Sister Amanda?"
Amanda playfully replied, "Not tiring at all, just little things. As long as you both visit often, it would support my work greatly."
After opening drinks, she handed a slice of watermelon to James and, out of habit, adjusted her skirt before sitting naturally on James's right side on the sofa.
With Tailsa on his left and Amanda on his right, each had their curiosity about him:
"King, you seem quite young but spend so lavishly. Your background must be something, right?"
Amanda's scent had a sweet, intoxicating allure, like fine wine.
James found himself unwittingly speaking the truth:
"Not much to say about home; just serving the people."
Back when working security, others used this line to embellish their roles.
"Serving the people" sounded better than "glorified gatekeeper."
Hearing this, Amanda was inwardly startled.
This man wasn't some wealthy heirâhe was a political scion!
Only those with political families speak with such humble tones about "serving the people."
It appeared he didn't frequent such entertainment spots.
Perhaps his family was strict, limiting outings.
It explained the promoter's initial claims of him being unfamiliar with the Dragon sets.
Her perception of James shifted dramatically.
[Amanda Fred Affection +5]
Current Affection: 10 (Acquaintance)
What?
James was puzzledâwhy had her affection suddenly increased?
Unaware of Amanda's thoughts, Tailsa grew wary seeing her intrigued gaze.
Hurriedly, she tried to monopolize James's attention, fearing he might connect with that vixen.
"Big brother, let me toast to you. Thank you for all the gifts; I'm really touched."
James noticed Tailsa's newfound enthusiasm and found it odd. The mood shifted quickly.
On his left was a beaming Tailsa, while Amanda on the right signaled interest.
Yet he hadn't done much.
Recognizing Tailsa's display, Amanda chuckled silently.
She dared harbor no special thoughts for James.
Such family backgrounds were beyond ordinary reach.
As long as noble young men like him brought friends to the bar occasionally, she'd be content.
Amanda raised her glass, saying: "To King, here's another toast. You sparked tonight's liveliness, and we are grateful."
Unaccustomed to refusal, James drank both sides, with the earlier wine adding to his slight intoxication.
With rhythmic music and vibrant atmosphere, the masses below reveled in flashing lights, freely expressing themselves.
Central to the beats stood a DJ girl energizing the crowd.
Headphones in place, one hand pointed skyward, moving to the beat in dance.
Such energetic places could stir one's heart immensely.
Seeing his latent rhythmical moves, Tailsa seized his hand, leading him to dance.
Adjacent to their booth was a small, independent dance floor.
Dancing daringly in front of James, Tailsa raised both hands, swaying and twisting dramatically.
James, though not a dancer, succumbed to the feverish atmosphere and mimicked her.
Moreover, Tailsa deftly guided him, placing his hands around her waist, encouraging his sway.
Such carefree dance required little skill. Gradually, James adapted to the art of dance.
Amanda refrained from joining, content watching from the booth, amused by James's initial awkwardness.
Having introduced a noble to such playful indulgence, Amanda felt a tinge of mischievous satisfaction.
After a while, a physically stirred James returned, frustrated.
Hugging a beautiful woman yet unable to enjoy the bounty created frustration.
Releasing Tailsa, he sulked back to the couch, sipping and chatting with Amanda to cool down.
Tailsa, misreading his mood as anger with her, quickly attached herself to James again, worrying aloud, "What's wrong, big brother? Don't you like dancing?"
Dancing itself was likable to James, but without the real thing, it felt somewhat unsatisfying.
Unable to share his true thoughts with Tailsa, he dismissively replied:
"It's okay, just not very interesting."
Amanda eyed Tailsa, teasingly suggesting, "Maybe there aren't enough people?"