I'm Ornn, and I'm about to be beaten to my knees by the Man-eating Horse Girl!

Maruzensky's answer confirmed his suspicions. Her first reaction wasn't to ask why Orn was still in contact with Rudolf, but rather why he knew about Rudolf's dream. This proved that Representative Chiaki indeed hadn't told Maruzensky what she believed to be true.

Once this was confirmed, things became much easier. Orn's words also had another layer of meaning: he was making his identity clear, that he and Rudolf had a very good relationship—so good that Rudolf was even willing to tell him about the dream that would bring happiness to all horse girls.

As for the specifics of their relationship, well, you can guess for yourself!

Maruzensky did indeed begin to hesitate, and Aoun seized the opportunity to continue, "Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who would tattle, and besides, even if I did, His Majesty the Emperor, being so astute, would surely figure out the reason for the problem himself."

"Given her personality, she'll most likely try to drag us both into the student council to smooth things over and get us back together, but that would be too much trouble,"

“I understand that you, Maruzen-senpai, are unwilling to pass on your learning experience to other juniors, and I am willing to respect your choice.”

"Once we get back, I'll explain the situation to Senior Qianming. There's no need for you to condescend to compete with my family. As for the lead teacher, I have another candidate in mind."

"Although that senior doesn't have as illustrious a record as Maruzen-senpai, she's still a strong competitor who participated in the classic triple crown tournament. I think she'd be happy to share her experience with other juniors,"

As he spoke, he stood up and said, "Of course, I won't tell anyone about our racing today. I hope Senior Maruzen will pay more attention to his safety in the future. Racing is, after all, a dangerous activity, and an accident could easily happen if you're not careful."

"This is out of concern for a senior, and I hope Senior Maruzen will be careful in the future."

"Alright, Vodka, and... Vodka's friends, I'll take you back now. You can still make it back in time for lunch at the Central Government."

"Huh? Oh..."

Vodka nodded with relief, then winked at Yamato and Akachi, and the two stood up, ready to follow Orn out of the restaurant.

But Maruzen, who was sitting in place, suddenly reached out and blocked Orn's path. She grabbed Vodka and Yamato Akaki's shoulders and pushed them back onto the sofa.

"Don't rush off, at least eat something before you leave, okay? Consider it my apology to you."

"Little Orn, don't rush off. Sit down first, and we can have a proper chat."

Ornn's words were quite interesting; the first part was both a guarantee and a threat.

His meaning was clear: as long as you stop bothering me, I won't gossip or report this to Rudolf; but if you continue to cause trouble, then I won't be so polite.

The latter part of his statement was an attempt to distance himself from the situation, indicating that he disliked street racing and hoped that Maruzensky wouldn't engage in such dangerous behavior. He added that if Maruzensky insisted on racing him, any accidents would be none of his concern, and he shouldn't try to drag Maruzensky into it.

Of course, neither of these two sentences is the real killer move. The real deciding factor lies in the middle of these two sentences, specifically the part where Orn prepares to tell Representative Chiaki about changing the teacher.

Maruzen was recommended by Representative Chiaki to mentor Orn. ​​If Orn were to unilaterally tell Representative Chiaki that he wanted to replace her, it would not only be a loss of face for Maruzen, but also a blow to Representative Chiaki's reputation.

Although this was no big deal for this free-spirited horse girl, it planted a seed in her heart that "Maruzensky is not suited to teach."

Add to that the line, "Although I don't have your glorious record, I'm still a strong player who has experienced the classic three-crown tournament," and Maruzensky knows perfectly well who this person is. Isn't that a blatant insult implying that she can't participate in the classic tournament? Who does she think she is!

Orn made it very clear to her that she wasn't his only option, and the final choice wasn't actually in her own hands, but in his.

I can refuse to negotiate the price; I can just find a more experienced colleague.

But Maruzensky, you're different. So far, I'm the only one who has ever raced against you. No matter how I won, I won. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so you'd better figure it out yourself.

This statement, which combines a strategic retreat with a clear stance while simultaneously putting pressure on the other side, demonstrating a balance between defense and offense, is indeed impressive.

Given Maruzenski's current skill level, she can roughly discern Ornn's tactics, but she can't come up with a solution and can only be drawn into the opponent's rhythm.

In just ten minutes, the two sides switched sides multiple times, but in the end, Ornn was the first to figure things out and seize the opportunity to turn the tide.

As for Yamato and Vodka, who were pulled to sit down, the two girls didn't understand what the other was saying at all. Moreover, the roguish aura emanating from the two men made the two pony girls quite nervous.

They could only continue to pretend they hadn't heard, their bodies tense, their eyes glazed, staring blankly at the menu in front of them.

Is having a meal really this difficult?

Chapter 253 Get some fries for the kids

After a long silence, Maruzensky realized with a start that he had lost.

Ornn won, he won completely!

That shameless war god completely defeated the entire debate! He totally seized control of the discourse!

"Senior Maruzen, I can't make the decision to race with you all by myself alone,"

“My family members are still young, and they probably wouldn’t agree to me doing something so dangerous. How about we compromise?”

Maruzensky nodded and said, "Alright, little Orn, tell me how to compromise?"

Ornn dropped his thuggish demeanor and reverted to his usual gentlemanly self.

He suggested, "I'm somewhat acquainted with an elder in the Satomi family; he owns a professional racing club."

"When I have time, I can go to a proper venue with you, Maruzen-senpai, for a thrilling race, and we might even have the chance to participate in international racing competitions!"

"In a world-class competition of that level, you're facing top-tier competitors. I bet Maruzen-senpai has never participated in a competition like this as a racehorse girl, right?"

Maruzensky remained silent, but this was tantamount to acknowledging Orn's guess.

"Of course, this is just my personal suggestion. After all, compared to ordinary people, horse girls probably prefer to enjoy the ultimate speed using their own two legs,"

"Senior Maruzen, I am indeed quite busy right now and can't come to race with you every day, but I can promise that as long as I have time, we can go to the Satomi family's racing club for a competition, how about it?"

Orn's attitude at this moment was very sincere, and Maruzensky was not deliberately making things difficult for the other party.

After their antics in the car and their recent verbal sparring, they had become acquainted through this unexpected conflict. Maru Zen himself realized that his request was somewhat unreasonable.

Orn's overly mature interpersonal skills and trainer abilities gave Maruzensky the illusion that Orn was now a senior, experienced trainer.

But looking back, the young man in front of me had only been in the industry for less than a year, and I was even a bit older than him. My argument just now was rather immature.

She coughed twice and nodded to Orn, saying, "I acted impulsively just now, Orn. ​​What you said makes a lot of sense. My request was indeed a bit too unrealistic."

"How about this, when I go back this afternoon, I'll first have a sparring match with your students, and then, based on their performance, I'll decide which skills to teach them."

"As for the time of the next competition... Little Orn, you can arrange it. I'm available all the time!"

Upon hearing the other party's reply, Ornn smiled and nodded. The tense atmosphere between the two sides vanished instantly, as if a happy ending had already occurred.

But how could Orn, who never suffers a loss, so easily do something that would put him at a disadvantage? The reason he mentioned the racing club run by the Satomi family was because Uncle Kawatsuru had recently told him about a major project his company was preparing.

"Self-driving? Uncle Chuanhe, are you serious?"

On the other end of the phone, Satomi Kazuru said with considerable pride, "Yes, driverless, even driverless for racing cars."

"I had my racing team test it out with that AI, and the result was a 50/50 chance. This is still the first generation of autonomous driving system. I estimate that the win rate will become 60/40 in the next version update."

According to Kazutsugu Satomi, this AI driving technology is a byproduct of the VR training pod and is currently in the initial debugging stage. They have not disclosed it to the public as it is a trade secret.

Orn's idea was simple: he just needed to lure Maruzensky to the club and have her compete against the AI.

I can then use the time saved to work as a blacksmith, participate in research, take care of my family, work as a part-time secretary... It's a win-win situation!

When Maruzenski gets tired of playing, I'll come over for a meeting, and then I can get the weekly mission rewards for free!

Even if I don't come to meet you, I can just make an excuse that I have something to do and go back early. Hmph... Let Senior Maruzen and AI fight to the death!

It frees up your hands and lets you farm rewards again—why not?

Hehehe! Hehehehe!!

A sinister laugh escaped Orn's lips. He beckoned the waiter over and handed him the menu that Vodka and Yamato Akama had carefully selected over ten minutes.

Of course, under such pressure, the two pony girls didn't dare to actually order anything. Orn glanced at the meager number of dishes on the menu and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Is this all you're going to eat? This isn't even a fraction of what Xiao Li would eat,"

"Young people are at the age where they're growing, so let's add sixteen servings of their signature Western dishes to whet our appetites, and while we're at it, three servings of pudding and one regular pudding,"

"That's all I'll order. Oh, and those sixteen signature Western dishes are for Ma-niang too. I'll just have a bowl of this onsen egg and beef fried rice. Hmm, and a side of kimchi too."

A hint of surprise flashed across the waiter's face. He wasn't unfamiliar with serving large-eater women, but sixteen plates of the shop's signature dishes as appetizers... that was truly astonishing.

Out of kindness, he still reminded him, "Sir, the portions of our mare's milk are very generous, just like the picture on the menu, and it's not an exaggeration at all!"

"Two plates are usually enough for most of our female customers, but sixteen plates... wouldn't that be too much?"

Orn waved his hand casually and said, "I know, don't worry. Horse girls should eat more; they can finish it."

Seeing the other party's confidence, the waiter said no more and ran off to the kitchen to announce the menu with a pleased expression.

Vodka, sitting next to Orn, wore a hesitant expression. She looked somewhat blankly at Yamato Akama sitting opposite her, and seeing the resolute look in his eyes, nodded thoughtfully.

'Master seems to know my roommate quite well. I've heard that Chi Ji has been eating a lot lately. Could it be that Master is actually a know-it-all in private?'

Yamato Akama was somewhat bewildered; more accurately, she began to feel dizzy upon hearing the number "sixteen plates."

The reason she had such a resolute expression was because she was staring blankly at the menu the waiter had placed on the table.

'When did Vodka start eating so much? Is her master feeding her like a pig... or like Senior Qibao?'

'It's impossible that Maruzen-senpai actually wanted this, right? Eating so much... Won't he gain weight??'

Thinking of this, Yamato Akaki secretly glanced at the red supercar sitting beside her. Her gaze then landed directly on two magnificent buildings, those two soft, cotton-like structures that tossed her eyes high into the air before meeting Maruzensky's blue-green pupils.

"Oh, little Red Steed, don't be shy later, eat whatever you want~~"

"Ah...oh, okay."

Yamato Akari awkwardly averted her gaze. At that time, she hadn't yet become a full-fledged detective; her physique was still similar to Vodka's.

She still felt a sense of fear towards this being, which was like a raging storm.

Maruzen looked at the uneasy girl beside him with amusement, thinking: 'Heh, these two little ones are quite cute. Eat what you want, why are you looking at me?'

'It seems Orn is quite familiar with Vodka and the others in private. I wonder how they, who haven't even graduated from elementary school, know Orn. ​​Do young people these days just crave excitement?'

'Perhaps I still need to talk to Chiaki and Rudolf more. It wouldn't be good if I became an old woman abandoned by the times...'

The group of people sitting at the table were lost in thought when, soon, the waiter brought the food to the table one by one.

When all the dishes were served, Vodka, who had been holding back for a long time, finally couldn't help but ask, "Master... are all of these for us to eat?"

Ornn, quite rudely, picked up his knife and fork and retorted, "Eat? Why won't you eat?"

Yamato Akamai, who was sitting across the table, stood up. She gestured to the steak on the table, which was much larger than her outstretched arms, and asked in a trembling voice, "So big, so thick, so much steak! Are we going to eat it all!?"

Orn cut off a small piece of beef, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in his mouth, nodding as he chewed.

"This is a patchwork version of [whole cut beef hind leg], or rather, a special version for Ma Niang. A single hind leg steak can be made into an incredibly satisfying steak that is two meters long, one meter wide, and ten centimeters thick."

"Of course, this steak also has a special name, called the Tom and Jerry Steak, and even Ma Niang said it was delicious!"

Vodka glanced at the piece of meat on the table—a slice that could be used as a blanket—and then at the fifteen extra-long dining carts stretching down the aisle of the restaurant. He couldn't help but swallow hard.

She hesitated and said, "Master, we...we're not going to eat sixteen slices of pork chop in a row, are we?"

Upon hearing this question, Orn chuckled as if he had heard something amusing. He nodded and said, "Of course, this portion should be easy for you. This is just an appetizer. If you're still hungry, we can have some desserts to whet your appetite."

Seeing the terrified look in Vodka's eyes, Orn comforted him, "Don't worry about the money. Consider this my treat. Eat as much as you like!"

"Oh, by the way, I looked up the pudding here online, and it says it has a sweet and sour carrot flavor that Ma Niang really likes—it's tangy and cloyingly sweet!!"

"It might be a bit hard for humans to swallow, but it's really delicious when paired with this grilled meat!"

Patting Vodka's stiff shoulder in encouragement, Orn picked up his bowl of fried rice and started showing it off.

This noon was destined to be agonizing. Vodka went through all the happiest moments of his life before finally suppressing the urge to vomit and managing to eat six steaks.

Is Tom and Jerry Steak not tasty? The answer is definitely no. So why is eating vodka so painful? The answer lies in the portion size.

The waiter was right. Two meat patties are usually enough for a female horse, and even active racehorses eat more, but that's only about three or four.

To avoid diners getting tired of this type of reconstituted beef, chefs have devised many methods to stimulate their taste buds and keep the experience fresh.

For example, different regions use different cooking styles; some dishes might be sprinkled with lemon juice, fruits, and vegetables to cut through the greasiness; others might be seasoned with rose salt, black pepper sauce, cumin, and other spices to enhance the flavor.

The intention was good, but the vodka and the others ate too much—six pieces in a row. Even with the chefs' exceptional skills, they couldn't keep it fresh.

At this point, the special puddings Ornn had ordered came in handy.

After eating a slice of beef, Vodka found it a bit too salty, so she ate a bite of cloyingly sweet and sour bubbly pudding in an attempt to alleviate the symptom.

The symptoms of excessive saltiness have indeed been relieved, but now the vodka's face is distorted from being tormented by the sweet and sour taste.

She quickly ate a few bites of beef; the salty gravy cleansed her mouth, but then she felt it was too salty...

Add more flour if there's too much water, add more water if there's too much flour, and so on, until the giant pot of vodka finally consumed its portion of beef before reaching saturation.

As expected of her roommate, Yamato Akamachi, despite her insatiable appetite, managed to finish six slices.

At this moment, her eyes were vacant, and she lay motionless on the sofa like a salted fish; it seemed that half of her soul had departed.

Maruzenski ate four pills; although she didn't lounge around like Ge You, she was still quite stuffed and almost deformed.

Orn paid the bill first. He thought the restaurant's signature steak was pretty good; at least in his previous life, he had never seen a shop that made such a thing, and even if they did, no one would be able to eat it.

"Make ten more of these Tom Jerry steaks and deliver them to the south gate of Central Teresa later."