Chapter 540: What’s Wrong with Lending Me 2 Million?
Chapter 540: Chapter 540: What’s Wrong with Lending Me 2 Million?
Renee Jennings’s gaze fell upon Charles Lockwood, her slender brows furrowing slightly. "Lockwood, have the security footage checked. The Black Mamba says someone brought it here."
"I’ve already had someone start on it," Charles Lockwood said, his expression grave. "I suspect that’s the case, too. Otherwise, there’s no reason a snake would just appear in the theater."
"The most important thing is that this species is native to Continent F. We don’t have them in this country," Renee Jennings reminded him. "If someone gets bitten, our hospitals don’t have the specific Black Mamba antivenom. It would be a death sentence."
Charles Lockwood finally realized the gravity of the situation. His brows knitted together, his lips pressed into a thin line, and his jawline tensed.
"That was terrifying." Sean Fuller was still shaken just thinking about it. "If it weren’t for Renee today, I would’ve been a goner."
"I’m sorry, Sean." Charles Lockwood looked at him apologetically. "You must have been scared. I’ll make it up to you later."
"Who asked you to make it up to me?" Sean Fuller said irritably. "I’m telling you to thank Renee properly."
Charles Lockwood said solemnly, "I know. I absolutely have to."
If his friend had been harmed at his place today, he would have felt guilty for the rest of his life.
"Good, as long as you know." Sean Fuller nodded, satisfied.
The Black Mamba flicked its dark brown forked tongue, looking at Renee Jennings in confusion. "HISS~ Renee, what are you all talking about?"
"Miss Black Mamba," Renee Jennings said with a slight smile, "on the way here, did the human male who brought you say anything to anyone?"
"HISS~ He said a lot of things."
"Did you happen to hear why he caught you and put you here?"
"HISS~ Snake needs to think."
"Okay," Renee Jennings said. "Take your time. By the way, are you hungry? What would you like to eat?"
The Black Mamba’s round, brown eyes suddenly lit up. "HISS~ Is there food?"
Renee Jennings looked at Charles Lockwood. "Lockwood, do you have a kitchen here?"
"We do," Charles Lockwood nodded. "What kind of food do you need?"
Renee Jennings asked the Black Mamba again, "What would you like? How about some fish?"
"HISS~ Anything is fine. Snake is not picky. As long as it’s edible." The Black Mamba was starving. In fact, when it had run into Sean Fuller in the restroom earlier, it had considered eating him.
But Sean Fuller’s build was simply too large, and the snake knew it wouldn’t be able to swallow him, which is why it had hesitated to attack.
"Okay." Renee Jennings said to Charles Lockwood, "Lockwood, do you have any fish? Or chicken, duck, goose, that sort of thing?"
"Yes, I’ll have someone bring them over." Charles Lockwood immediately picked up the phone to call his staff.
Renee Jennings smiled. "Miss Black Mamba, you’ve probably never eaten these things before. I wonder if you’ll find them to your liking."
"HISS~ Renee, you can call Snake Melissa."
"Melissa? Is that your name?"
"HISS~ That’s right."
"Alright, Melissa."
"Melissa?" Michelle Fuller found the name fascinating and repeated it.
But the next second, Melissa turned its head to stare at her.
Michelle Fuller’s face went pale with fright. She nervously grabbed Sylvia Brooks’s arm and stammered, "I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any harm."
Melissa flicked its forked tongue. "HISS~ Snake means no harm either."
It could sense that this human was very afraid of it.
’What’s the use of being so big if you’re just a timid two-legger?’
After a moment, a knock came at the door.
Charles Lockwood suppressed his fear of the Black Mamba and walked over to open the door.
An employee delivered a large platter of raw food: two deep-sea fish and two chickens, plucked and cleaned.
Charles Lockwood took the tray and, steeling himself, walked over to Renee Jennings and Melissa.
Melissa stared curiously at the fish and chicken on the tray. "HISS~ This is the first time Snake has seen this kind of food."
It lived on the savanna in Continent F, where there were no fish, chickens, ducks, or geese.
"These are fish. They live in water," Renee Jennings explained. "And this is a chicken, a type of bird domesticated by humans."
"HISS~ Snake has swallowed plenty of birds, but this is the first time Snake has seen a bird with no feathers." Melissa caught the scent of the food and was practically drooling with hunger.
It stretched its head toward the tray. The movement made Charles Lockwood’s vision darken, and he clenched his jaw, struggling to keep his trembling hands steady on the tray.
Seeing his hands shaking uncontrollably, Renee Jennings quickly reached out. "Let me take that."
"Okay." Charles Lockwood let go, his tense body and nerves relaxing all at once. He took a step back on legs that had gone weak.
Renee Jennings bent down and placed the tray on the floor.
Melissa’s long, slender body glided over like a nimble arc. Its sharp, fine teeth bit into the fish—a taste it had never experienced before—and it began to swallow it bit by bit, its body undulating with the motion.
While Melissa was eating, Renee Jennings quietly communicated with System 009.
"You said Melissa lives in Continent F, which makes it a foreign snake. How can it understand what we’re saying?"
[System 009: Miss Jennings, that’s an excellent question. You’re the first person to ask it.]
"And? Is there an answer?"
[System 009: To be honest, I’d like to know too.]
Renee Jennings: "..."
Melissa quickly finished off the two fish and two chickens, then commented, "HISS~ That tasted pretty good."
"Want more?" Renee Jennings asked.
Melissa: "HISS~ No, I’m full."
"Okay." Renee Jennings looked at Charles Lockwood. "Have you found out who brought Melissa here?"
Charles Lockwood’s expression was tense and grim. "We haven’t found any suspects yet."
"Alright," Renee Jennings said pensively. "Then you keep looking."
She lowered her gaze to Melissa. Its body lay naturally on the floor in a wavy curve, a clear sign that it was now relaxed.
"Melissa," Renee Jennings said softly, "do you remember now what the person who brought you said?"
"HISS~ Snake is thinking." Melissa fell into deep thought.
A moment later, Melissa raised its head to look at Renee Jennings. "HISS~ Renee, Snake was half-asleep, but Snake heard the human say—"
[That son of a bitch is so rich, what’s the big deal with lending me two million?]
[If he’s not willing to lend the money, then I’ll make his life hell!]
[This Black Mamba is a deadly venomous snake. They don’t have the antivenom in this country, so anyone who gets bitten will die. The thought of that bastard having a few deaths on his conscience gets me excited.]
Hearing this, Renee Jennings’s brows furrowed slightly, a flicker of surprise in her clear eyes.
She turned her head to look at Charles Lockwood. "Lockwood, has anyone tried to borrow money from you recently?"
"Borrow money?" Charles Lockwood thought for a few seconds, then shook his head. "No."
"Are you sure? No one asked you for two million, but you refused?"
At these words, Charles Lockwood’s pupils contracted. He seemed to have remembered something. "Something like that did happen, but it wasn’t recent. It was almost half a year ago."
"Was it a friend of yours?" Renee Jennings asked.
Charles Lockwood: "It was my cousin."