American comic book: I, with my abundant martial virtue, love to do good to others.

Chapter 218 Testing

Lisa was clearly intrigued by the question and began to talk at length about her recent life. She talked about a successful case study she had designed, mentioned some recent partners, and complained about some minor troubles at work. Kate listened attentively, nodding occasionally in agreement and interjecting with a joke or two now and then.

Lynn sat there, occasionally glancing up at Kate. But most of the time, his gaze lingered on his coffee cup. Lisa's words were like background noise to him; he didn't find them boring or ignored, but rather felt that none of it concerned him.

"Kate, you absolutely have to come to my room! I brought some of my latest designs, and I'll also show you some of the jewelry I recently bought," Lisa suddenly said excitedly, grabbing Kate's hand.

Kate hesitated for a moment, then glanced back at Lynn. "Um—Lynn, do you mind if I have to leave for a while?"

Lynn shook her head slightly. "Go ahead, I'll just rest here for a bit."

Kate looked apologetic. She smiled and patted Lynn on the shoulder. "Okay, then don't go too far. Wait for me to come back."

Lynn watched them leave, leaning back in his chair, and watched Kate's figure disappear at the end of the hotel corridor. He put down his coffee cup, lit a cigarette, and looked out at the distant sea through the rising smoke.

Rest? Maybe, but he knew he wasn't good at resting. His mind was still racing, and even in this vacation setting, his thinking remained highly alert.

Ten minutes later, Lynn heard a strange sound.

The sound of an argument was coming from outside the hotel. He frowned, stubbed out his cigarette, and got up to walk towards the sound. When he reached the lobby, he saw a tall man arguing with the hotel security guard.

The man looked furious, and his voice grew louder and louder.

Lynn glanced around and quickly noticed a bulge at the man's waist. He swiftly stepped forward, approaching the security guard. "What happened?"

The security guard looked nervous, clearly intimidated by the man's imposing manner. "He's from out of town and seems to have had some kind of dispute with a customer, but he's unwilling to leave."

Lynn's gaze swept coldly over the man, his voice low and forceful, "Leave here. Now."

'

The man turned his head, seemed taken aback when he saw Lynn, but then gave a disdainful look. "Who are you? Hotel security guard or a policeman?"

Lynn approached step by step, her gaze piercing the man's heart like a knife. "No matter who I am, you shouldn't be causing trouble here. I'll say it again, leave."

The man instinctively took a step back, but his expression remained firm. He seemed to want to say something.

But when Lynn got close enough, he involuntarily raised his hands and slowly backed away. "Okay,"

Okay, I'm leaving.

After watching the man leave, Lynn turned to the security guard and said, "Next time you encounter this situation, just call the police."

The security guard nodded, his face full of gratitude. "Thank you, sir."

When Lynn returned to the coffee shop, Kate and Lisa were walking out of the hotel corridor. Kate was clearly delighted, holding several of Lisa's design drafts in her hand and excitedly explaining something to her.

"Lynn!" Kate's voice came through the crowd. She walked quickly to him. "How long have you been waiting here? I'm sorry, Lisa had so much to show me."

"It's nothing." Lynn glanced at her, her tone calm. "I just had something to take care of."

Kate frowned. "What is it?"

"It's nothing," Lynn replied casually. "There was just some guy causing trouble, but it's been taken care of."

A flicker of worry crossed Kate's eyes as she looked at him, but it was quickly replaced by a smile. "Well, it seems you always have a way of getting things done. I'll buy you a drink later as an apology."

Lynn nodded without saying anything more.

As night falls, the streets of Hawaii remain bustling. The aromas of street stalls waft through the air, and tourists, dressed in light summer attire, stroll in small groups or flock to the brightly lit bars and restaurants. The air is filled with upbeat music and the distant murmur of the waves, as if the entire city has fallen into a state of relaxed, leisurely bliss.

Lynn stood outside a low-key bar, hands in his pockets, his gaze calmly fixed on the neon lights at the entrance. Kate and Lisa had left together a few hours earlier, saying they were going for a "walk on the beach." But Lynn's intuition told him that something was amiss.

He wasn't one to easily doubt others, but some of Lisa's actions made him vaguely uneasy. Her smile seemed too deliberate, and her words seemed to conceal something unspoken. Coupled with her sudden disappearance tonight, Lynn's intuition told him that Lisa was hiding a secret.

He pushed open the bar door and walked in discreetly. The bar was dimly lit, filled with the smell of alcohol and tobacco. A band was playing lively music in a corner, and several tourists were dancing happily on the dance floor. The atmosphere seemed harmless.

Lynn scanned the room, his gaze locking onto his target like radar. He saw Lisa. She was sitting at the bar, wearing a dress even more vibrant than during the day, her makeup much heavier. She was talking to a man, a professional smile on her face, while the man's hand was already resting menacingly on her shoulder.

Lynn stood at the door, his brow slightly furrowed. He didn't rush into anything, but instead moved closer to the other side of the bar, ordered a drink, and quietly observed.

Lisa seemed completely at ease, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of her wine glass as she spoke to the man in a soft, sweet voice, but Lynn caught a glimpse of unease and weariness in the occasional flashes of her eyes.

That wasn't the look of someone enjoying the moment; it was the look of someone wearing a mask.

"How did she get here?" Lynn wondered to himself. The things Lisa had said to Kate during the day all seemed to point to a respectable lifestyle. Her design work and life experiences were completely at odds with what he was seeing.

A few minutes later, the man seemed to have drunk a bit too much, and his actions became more unrestrained, his hand sliding down Lisa's shoulder towards her waist. Lisa's smile froze for a moment, as if she wanted to break free, but not wanting to attract attention, she could only continue to maintain her feigned nonchalance.

Lynn's eyes turned cold. He put down his glass and stood up, walking towards Lisa. His steps were steady and powerful, as if the noise of the entire bar could not disturb his aura.

"Lisa." Lynn's deep voice came from behind, interrupting the man's actions.

Lisa froze instantly. She turned around abruptly and saw Lynn. Half of the smile on her face vanished, replaced by a complex mix of emotions—surprise, panic, and a hint of shame that was hard to hide.

"Lynn? What are you doing here?" She forced a smile, trying to hide her unease.

Lynn didn't answer, but instead looked coldly at the man, her gaze like a knife. "I need to talk to her. You can leave."

The man was clearly a little tipsy, but he also realized that Lynn's attitude was unassailable. He reluctantly stood still and stepped forward.

Lisa frowned, stood up and wanted to leave, but Lynn blocked her way.

"What are you doing?" she said in a low voice, a hint of annoyance in her tone. "This is my business."

It's none of your business.

"Does Kate know what you're doing here?" Lynn ignored her rebuttal and asked the question directly, staring at her intently.

Lisa's expression changed. Her lips moved, as if she wanted to object, but in the end she said nothing. After a moment, she lowered her head and let out a long sigh.

"Alright." Her voice turned low and tired. "Now that you've seen it, there's no need for me to hide it anymore. Kate doesn't know, and I don't want her to know."

Lynn didn't answer, but just looked at her quietly, waiting for her to continue.

Lisa looked up, a flicker of anger and self-mockery in her eyes. "You think I'm that successful designer she's talking about? No, I've lost my job. My life is a mess, I need money, and this..."

It was my only option.

"To drink with you?" Lynn's voice was devoid of any emotion, but it made Lisa tense up instinctively.

"Yes," Lisa said through gritted teeth, "working as a hostess, entertaining men, earning enough money to pay off my debts. I had no choice."

Lynn's brow furrowed even more. "You can choose to tell Kate, and she will help you."

"Help me?" Lisa scoffed. "Kate's a good person, but she'll never understand. She'll try to change me, try to 'save' me, but you know what? I don't need her pity. I just want to solve these problems myself."

Lynn was silent for a moment, his eyes still calm, but his tone became lower, "Your actions will only put you in a deeper predicament."

"That's my business, isn't it?" Lisa's tone was a little stubborn. "Lynn, I know you and Kate are close, but I don't need you to interfere in my life."

Lynn didn't say anything more, but simply reached into her pocket, took out a hundred-dollar bill, and placed it on the bar counter. "You don't need to stay here tonight."

Lisa looked at the banknote and gave it to Chen Zhong.

Che Zhi sighed and did not refuse.

"Thank you," she said softly, then picked up her bag and turned to leave the bar.

Lynn stood there, watching her figure gradually disappear into the crowd.

The next morning, the Hawaiian sun bathed the entire hotel terrace, coconut palms swayed gently in the breeze, and the sound of the waves was soft and rhythmic, like some hidden call. Lynn stood on the terrace...

He held a cup of hot coffee in his hand, his gaze fixed on the distant sea. His expression remained calm as always, but his heart was still reeling from the events of the previous night.

Lisa's plea and the words "Don't tell Kate" kept echoing in his mind. As an agent, he was used to uncovering secrets and revealing the truth. But this time, he faced a completely different situation. Not a criminal, not an enemy, but Kate's friend. Someone who needed help but stubbornly refused to let Kate know the truth.

"You wouldn't like to know," he whispered to the wind, as if trying to justify his choice.

The doorbell interrupted his thoughts. He turned and opened the door to see Kate standing there, her usual cheerful smile on her face. She was wearing a light blue dress, her hair casually tied back, looking more relaxed than usual, yet still so vibrant.

"Good morning, Lynn." She held up a bag of fresh bread, waving it around. "I just bought some breakfast at the bakery downstairs, and I brought you some too. I bet you're just grabbing some coffee again, right?"

Lynn glanced at the coffee cup in her hand and nodded slightly. "Good morning. You're up early."

"It's a holiday after all, we can't waste such a beautiful morning." Kate walked into the room, went straight to the small table, and put down the breakfast. She looked up at Lynn, her tone slightly probing, "Where did you go last night? I came back and you weren't there."

Lynn paused for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. "I went for a walk."

Kate squinted at him. "That's a very brief answer. You're always so mysterious."

"I'm used to it." Lynn's tone was flat, but his eyes didn't meet hers. He knew that Kate's intuition was sharp, and if he said anything more, it would only make her suspicious.

Kate shrugged, not pressing the issue further. Instead, she opened the paper bag and took out a steaming loaf of bread. "Alright, I'm not going to interrogate you. Let's eat something and then decide on today's plans."

Lynn sat down, his gaze sweeping over the bread Kate offered, but he found it difficult to concentrate on breakfast. He wasn't good at lying, and Kate was clearly unaware of Lisa's situation. This feeling of concealment made him uneasy, but he also knew that some things had to be kept quiet.

"Does Lisa have plans today?" Lynn asked casually, trying to probe.

Kate took a bite of her bread, shook her head, and said, "She said she had no plans for the day and probably just wanted to rest at the hotel. I was going to ask her to come out with me, but she said she wanted to sleep in. Why are you asking this?"

"It's nothing." Lynn's answer was crisp and clean, as if he had just mentioned it casually.

Kate tilted her head and looked at him for a few seconds, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Lynn, you know what? Sometimes I'm really curious about what's going on in your head. You always ask seemingly meaningless questions, but I know you're definitely thinking about something complicated."

Lynn didn't answer, but instead lowered her head and took a sip of coffee.

Kate Mensell A

Then suddenly the rod lifted quite a bit. I won't bother you.

"I've already considered the acupuncture point. I've booked a short trip today; we can take a boat to a nearby island. What do you think?"

Lynn looked up at her expectant expression and nodded. "Okay."

Kate's smile widened. "Great! I promise you won't be bored this time."