novelaction Chapter 536 Cipher
Chapter 536 Cipher
Howard: "I'm curious, in your original understanding, what was the meaning behind my giving Christina this ring?"
“Christina is still a child, so you certainly couldn’t have given her this ring for romantic reasons,” Alex said. “I guess it was for practical reasons. Maybe the ring is a disguised communication device? Or a positioning device? It’s hard to say.”
“Your guess is generally correct, but it’s a pity you didn’t guess its specific purpose,” Howard replied. “It’s from a practical point of view, but that ring might be a weapon.”
As he spoke, Howard picked up the glass of wine that Christina had mixed first. He gently swirled the liquid in the glass, and not only did some stringy protein coagulation appear, but the clear liquid and the cloudy liquid also showed a tendency to separate into layers.
“Perhaps this drink has been laced with deadly poison,” Howard said to Alex, holding up his glass. “Once you drink it, the effects may be immediate, or they may take several hours. The symptoms will also vary; it could cause suffocation or stroke symptoms. Mr. Alex, which do you think it will be?”
“I think it can make you slightly intoxicated,” Alex said. “For a clear mind, alcohol is not necessarily a bad thing.”
Howard: "I wish you good health."
Then, he drank the cup of poisoned wine, which was past its best, in one gulp. A moment later, he covered his mouth and spat an olive pit into the cup.
Then Howard held his breath and clenched his teeth.
Because the pickled olives were so sour and salty, he had to hold his breath to prevent Liaved or Alex from noticing that he was being attacked by the pickled olives.
“Now, the only evidence has been destroyed.” After a few seconds of recovering, Howard smiled and placed the wine glass containing the olive pit back on the table. Then he took a few steps back, pressed his left hand to his chest, raised his right hand slightly forward, palm up, and bowed to Liavid and Alex, saying, “Tonight’s performance has come to an end. Howard Sisyphus bids farewell to you both.”
“No, Mr. Howard, please wait a moment.” But Howard still couldn’t get his way, and to his surprise, this time the person who stopped him was not Alex, but Liavid.
Howard: "Please give your instructions, Ms. Liavid."
"You've been spending more time with my other child lately, that's right."
Howard: "Yes, ma'am."
Liavid: "I'd like to know what impression Cecil left on you?"
“An unquestionable doer,” Howard commented. “Cecil possesses amazing energy and execution ability. Once he decides to do something, he does it immediately, and he always believes in his ability to get things done. I can sense that this characteristic is not only innate but also closely related to his upbringing and education. Overall, I greatly admire Mr. Cecil, whether as a friend or foe.”
“Yes, this is the quality that I’m most proud of in my child, but it also worries me,” Liavid said. “Sometimes, his actions outpace his thoughts. Sometimes, he doesn’t need to be so hasty. He always comes up with excellent solutions, but a little more patience might make him even more perfect.”
Howard: "I understand. Now, please allow me to take my leave once again."
……
Ten minutes later, Howard found Cecil in a corner out of Liavid and Alex's sight, and Christina was there too.
The brother and sister sat on opposite sides of a small table. On the table was an open bottle of wine. The bottle was sleek and bullet-shaped, dark brownish-green in color, with a bright red ribbon tied around the neck. The bottle was engraved with intricate warship reliefs and had a dazzling label. Even a country bumpkin like Howard knew that this wine was definitely not cheap.
Next to the bottle of wine were four or three glasses. Three of the glasses were filled with one-fifth of the wine, one of which had lipstick residue on the rim, and the last glass was empty.
Seeing this, Howard immediately understood. Cecil, in order to make the act more convincing, seemed to have actually struck up a conversation with a woman while Howard was retrieving Christina, and then chased her away before Howard returned.
“Hey!” Cecil waved to Howard upon seeing him. “Here, here.”
After Howard went over, he poured a thin layer of wine into the empty glass and handed it to Howard: "Try it, since it's already open."
Howard hesitated before taking it, first smelling it under his nose. It didn't seem so pungent, and then he tentatively took a small sip.
This time, he could make the expression of being beaten by strong liquor without any scruples.
"Ugh..."
Howard's expression completely spiraled out of control. The moment the alcohol touched his mouth, a strong, spicy sensation shot up his nose and down to his head, swirling around before spreading down his spine and throughout his body. He didn't know what the drink was called, but if he had to name it, he would call it "Wasabi Wine," or, to be more elegant, "Wasabi Brew."
Howard took a deep sniff and put the half-empty glass back on the table: "I think I know why that lady you hit on left."
Cecil, looking cheerful, then asked, "What did Mother and Uncle say when they kept you here?"
“Alex asked me if I gave him the ring. What could I do but say yes?” Howard shrugged. “He’s pretty wary, so I made it clear in a joking way and then finished the rest of my drink.”
At this point, Howard glanced at Christina and said, "Hmm, don't use pickled olives next time; the style doesn't go at all with creamy liqueur."
“But, but Mother also had a drink.” Christina looked worried. “I also… I also…”
"Don't worry, Christina." Cecil stood up, reached across the table, and patted Christina's head. "Mother definitely saw it. She saw more than you or I do. She drank that glass of wine to protect you."
Then Cecil looked at Howard: "Just like Mr. Howard did, they'll all be fine."
“But I couldn’t complete your task…” Christina still seemed somewhat downcast: “I failed.”
“It’s not your fault, Christina,” Howard said. “We knew you would be recognized. What really made the difference was your actions after I cut the power. I can assure you, the operation would have succeeded without Ms. Liavid’s intervention.”
Christina looked at Cecil, who nodded back and then said patiently, “Remember, Christina, if something seems to be going exceptionally well, be very careful. You need to analyze whether the success is due to yourself or others. The only mistake you made today was that there were signs of things going out of control before Mr. Howard cut off the power.”
It appears that during the time Howard was left behind, Christina recounted the entire operation to Cecil.
“I also bear some responsibility for this,” Howard said. “I didn’t think things through. If I had to do it again, I would add a signal for a pause or retreat.”