Kyle was getting more and more agitated as he watched their table being ignored - or rather, no one noticed them at all. He had raised his hands a couple of times, but none of the two servers that were going about ever looked in their direction.

After nearly five minutes of this, Kyle decided enough was enough.

"Excuse me? Can we get some service here?!" Kyle shouted.

His voice was loud enough to be heard in the entire restaurant, so there was no excuse for the server not to have heard either. The two servers looked at each other, as if egging the other to serve their table.

Finally, one came and stood next to their table, pen and paper ready.

However, he did not apologize for the delay nor did he actually look at them. He simply stood there, even looking bored, as he focused on the paper in front of him. When he didn't hear anything, he looked up, only to see Kyle looking at him.

He looked back.

Xing Han watched both of them in a staring contest.

Surprisingly, Kyle wasn't exuding any of the 'cold' aura he had been exhibiting earlier. He had 'switched it off' when he called out to the server. Xing Han kept quiet, watching and observing as Kyle just sat there lazily on the chair, leaning back.

It still took Xing Han some time to get used to seeing Kyle's blond hair, which made him appear less imposing. Was there something about blond hair that made one instinctively think 'surfer dude'?

More so the way Kyle was acting, he seemed to have embraced that laid-back persona with a rather dopey look on his face

"Your order?" he finally asked.

Kyle spread his arms on the empty table, "Your menu?"

The server blinked, looked at the indeed empty table and walked to the front counter, taking the menu. He put in on the table and Xing Han took one to look through. Kyle didn't bother.

"What's good on the menu?" Kyle asked.

"Everything," he answered.

"What would you recommend?" Kyle tried again.

Every capable server should know what was on the menu, and what was popular or well-liked. Sometimes, servers would recommend the items that they needed to clear as the ingredients have been left on the shelf for too long.

Kyle wanted to know which category this server fell under.

"Anything is fine," he answered, bored.

Kyle internally rolled his eyes. This server was hopeless.

"What are you getting?" Kyle asked Xing Han casually.

"This T-pork chop sounds pretty interesting," Xing Han replied, "What about you?"

"Ah, just order anything you think I'd like," Kyle answered, seemingly not bothered.

"In that case, it'll have to be the tom yam spaghetti," Xing Han decided, handing the menu over.

"Drinks?" the server asked.

Xing Han and Kyle gave their choices and he left in a hurry.

"So this place basically is a fusion of Country T's and Country Tz's food," Kyle said, "It should be good and booming, considering how we just love our spices and stuff. Yet, there's still not much of a crowd even though it's 'prime' lunchtime."

"So, obviously, the accounts were fixed to show a false profit," Xing Han said, "But why? I thought you said the collaboration was simply to provide a connection?"

"Yes, generally but this particular one also wanted investments to expand," Kyle revealed.

The food arrived in 15 minutes, making Kyle use supreme effort to reel in the disdain. Upon looking at the food, however, that little patience he had was starting to get pretty thin.

Kyle poked at his overcooked spaghetti. The presentation left a lot to be desired. Of course, this was not cuisine from Country F, which was well-known for the beautiful way of its presentation - though for Kyle, it was hardly enough for a meal. Pretty but not substantial enough.

Like some people he knew ...

Even though the food need not have that level of 'prettiness' as Country F's, the presentation was still important. The amount given was decent, but plated messily as it was just plopped there. It wasn't in the middle of the plate and some strands of spaghetti were at the side.

Worse, since it was tom yam, the colour of the dish should be reddish, but this was pale orange? What the heck did they use? There wasn't even any sort of seafood on it and the basil leaves were missing.

Tom yam was also sourish and spicy yet this one ... one bite and Kyle cringed.

"So ... how is the pork chop, Xing Han?" Kyle asked as he put down his fork.

"Sad, that's what it is, sad," Xing Han replied with a sniff, "Do we really need to eat this?"

"Nah," Kyle said, as he looked around. People were eating and their faces appeared normal. Was it their taste buds then? Were they too picky?

Kyle took another bite of the spaghetti.

Urgh. No.

He pushed it aside and called for the waiter again.

"I want to see your manager," Kyle said, and the server looked at him strangely.

Kyle narrowed his eyes and he tapped the table, tilting his head and asking with a smile, "Was that difficult to understand?"

The server shrugged and replied, "Why do you want to meet the manager?"

"Are you the manager?" Kyle asked back.

"No," he answered.

"So get me the manager," Kyle replied.

"Why?"

"Because I said so," Kyle answered.

"Not much of a difference if I do," he said.

"That's up to me to decide. Are you going to call him or not?" Kyle asked.

"He's at the back," the server replied.

Kyle rolled his eyes, looked at Xing Han and said, "I'm getting tired of this. You want to join me or sit back for this one?"

"What level?" Xing Han asked.

"Annihilation," Kyle replied.

"Total?"

"Absolutely," Kyle said with a smile, and finally let his killer-aura out.

The laid-back surfer dude was gone with that one word and the surrounding area's temperature dropped a few degrees. The nearby customers rubbed their arms, while looking up, wondering why the airconditioning suddenly became so cold.

It was time to let loose. He had been holding back for so long but this was the last straw.

"Then I'll just wait here," Xing Han said, taking out his phone, "Out of the line of fire. I'd hear the effect from here anyway."

The server, standing at the side, had initially been looking at the side in boredom. However, the more they spoke, the more he suddenly felt nervous. His heart was beating rapidly and he wondered why he was feeling so.

Upon hearing the words 'Annihilation' and 'total', he became crippled with fear and slowly backed away. He had no doubt that those words weren't empty threats.

When Kyle got up and turned, his fury clearly seen and hitting the server full-blast, he immediately turned and ran for cover.

The only thought in his mind: I don't want to die!!