The panoramic glass restaurant on the top floor of the Wayne Royal Hotel.
The fifteen-meter-long black walnut dining table was laden with Boston lobster, tomahawk steaks, and caviar. Yet the atmosphere was eerily like a memorial service.
Thirty-eight slum kids in brand-new clothes gripped their sterling silver cutlery, stiffly cutting the food on their plates. No one dared chew loudly, let alone slurp their soup.
At the end of the table, twelve-year-old Jason Todd stood with his arms crossed, glaring at everyone with bloodshot eyes like a warden inspecting Arkham Asylum.
"Gap-tooth, get your hand off the tablecloth! That's silk. Can you afford to pay for it if you stain it?" Jason growled under his breath.
Gap-tooth's hand shook in fright, and the cherry tomato on his fork rolled onto the carpet. His face went deathly pale, and he hurriedly crawled under the table to retrieve it.
On a nearby sofa, Yang Ming watched quietly with a cup of black coffee in his hand. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, a smile tugging at his lips. This little wolf cub had settled into his role faster than he had expected.
Clink, clink.
Yang Ming picked up a silver spoon and lightly tapped his coffee cup twice.
The crisp sound echoed through the enormous restaurant. All thirty-eight children stopped instantly and turned to look at him, hardly daring to breathe.
"All right, stop." Yang Ming stood and walked over to the table. "Watching you eat is giving me a stomachache. No multiplication tables tonight, and no lessons on how to use three sets of cutlery."
He paused, his gaze passing over their anxious eyes.
"I booked the VIP Section at Haly's Circus in Robinson Park. Once you've finished eating, everyone gets changed. Tonight, we're going to see monkeys and trapeze artists."
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