Ren Suo opened his eyes, and his first reaction was—I'm so hungry.
Unable to wait for food delivery, Ren Suo casually threw on a jacket and ran down to Jian Ji Congee, Noodle, and Dumplings, shouting, "A bowl... make that two large bowls of beef brisket with fried sauce over Yi noodles! Quick, I'm starving!"
"Got it."
When the server brought the steaming large plates over, the thick yellow Yi noodles soaked in the rich beef brisket sauce and fried sauce, topped with tender beef brisket and diced pork belly that looked like small cubes, along with a bowl of creamy yellow fresh soup made from ground fish, it was so appetizing that Ren Suo, frantic with hunger, had already picked up sterilized chopsticks and began slurping them down.
As he valiantly battled the meal, two people sat down at his table. Jian Ji wasn't a grand establishment by any means; there weren't many seats, and during peak times, it was common to share tables. Ren Suo didn't mind as he ate and sipped the soup, enjoying the rich flavors of meat, noodles, and broth melding together between his teeth and flowing into his stomach to soothe his ravenous hunger, finally bringing him back to life.
Ren Suo had no idea how he could have gotten so hungry, and only after eating most of the food did his rationality return. It was then he overheard the conversation of the two across from him—"...see, it really is the Ranpelrouge Family!"
Ranpelrouge?
Ren Suo lifted his head and saw two girls in business suits seated opposite him, likely white-collar workers from a nearby office building.
The property his uncle rented to him was in a prime location, near the subway, shopping districts, and office buildings, so naturally, white-collar workers would seek food here at midday. Jian Ji might be ordinary in decor, suggesting the style of a '80s congee and noodle shop, but it was favored by nearby workers for its good taste and affordable prices.
If Ren Suo hadn't arrived early, he probably would have had to settle for a temporary seat out on the sidewalk.
At that moment, Ren Suo checked his phone only to discover it was already 12 o'clock—he had slept for almost eleven hours? He was sure he'd gone to bed just before midnight!
"Wow, tsk tsk tsk... I've seen this guy before, a male model from 'Numero,' great body, comes from an Earl's Family... and he wet himself!"
"So impressive, is this the Bronze Shield Defense Force? Actual gunfights!"
"So the British aristocracy's stewards really are skilled in both literature and martial arts."
"Even fog can bring out an assassin..."
Ren Suo found the conversation interesting and said, "So you know about the Ranpelrouge banquet too?"
The two girls lifted their heads and gave Ren Suo a wary glance. One of them, a short-haired girl, said, "Who doesn't know about it now? It's all over social media, the assassin and all."
Ren Suo scratched his head and asked, "Huh? This game... it's that popular?"
Ren Suo thought to himself that when he had searched for the game "Assassin" yesterday, there was scarce useful information. How could it be that the next day, while just eating some noodles, he'd see people discussing it? Was information in the digital age really changing this quickly?
"What game?" The short-haired girl laughed and turned her phone towards Ren Suo, "This is a real-life video!"
On the phone screen, Ren Suo saw a handsome Mysterious Country man holding a pistol, entering a luxuriously decorated banquet hall. With three shots, he blew the heads off three people, then bent down to grab an assault rifle hidden under a table—
Ratatatatata!
The gunfire's flash combined with the blood spurting from the victims created a brilliant display. The assassins standing on the bodies of the guests tried to draw their guns to return fire, but the Mysterious Country man seemed to have complete insight into their identities and intentions. As soon as they drew their guns, they were shot to pieces by the rifle, and even hiding behind a column ended with them being riddled with bullets!
Ren Suo immediately correlated these images with the game he had played the previous night; even the Mysterious Country man was a character he had crafted with his own hands, only...
These were real images!
Last night's game, although very realistic, Ren Suo could tell at once that it was fake—a product of special effects and technology. Yet the blood, characters, and actions displayed on the short-haired girl's phone were real!
"Is this, is this a movie?" Ren Suo guessed.
"What movie, this is a video!" The short-haired girl looked at Ren Suo incredulously, "Don't you know about this? Then what did you think I was talking about?"
"You dare to hit on someone without knowing anything? So embarrassing!"
Ren Suo's face turned red from embarrassment, and he quickly finished the last bit of his noodles and soup, rushing home to surf the internet, wondering if someone was playing the game "Assassin" on a live-streaming platform or if "Assassin" had been adapted into a movie?
It even spread all over social media... How could that be? My social circles are all about showing off love, travels, and gourmet food!
Ren Suo checked his social media feed on his phone and, to his surprise, it had indeed been taken over by "Assassin" posts!
University top student: (Picture of Black Thorn Building) "Damn, even the country can't ban this video. Gotta kneel, I won't believe this isn't some conspiracy by the Pacific Federation."
Anime club girl member: (Picture of a man from Mysterious Country) "No matter what, the Fairy Palace Assassin is just super~ handsome~! Meet my new husband, I'm now Mrs. Assassin!"
Second-year junior: (Picture of Euphy Lampeluji) "Super cute and adorable! A tenacious girl who overcame blood and fire, I'm a fan!"
Third-year otaku junior: (Picture of Karen Lanpelucci) "Three-dimensional cuteness overwhelmed me, I'm beyond saving."
High school classmate: (Picture of a bloody banquet hall) "It's really dangerous abroad, there are even such large-scale assassins, no wonder there are so few foreigners."
Elementary school classmate: "You all believed a movie trailer, think about it, how could such a thing really happen!"
It really had taken over social media...
Ren Suo realized something was happening that he had no clue about, so he immediately turned on his computer to check. Quickly, after learning the truth, he broke out into a cold sweat.
At 4:55 AM, according to Chao Ge Standard Time, a strange video rapidly took over all live streaming platforms and video websites. Yes, even the live streaming platforms had this 25-minute and 36-second video plastered all over their front pages.
At that time, anyone who went online and opened a browser would automatically get redirected to one of the live streams or videos, having to watch the video automatically, with even the browser's default homepage unable to prevent it. It was like a super cyber bomb, more ferocious than online game advertisements.
The video was named "Assassin's Bloody Banquet".
Sounds like a boring third-rate movie used for money laundering, right?
However, in reality, it was a true video.
"The mission is to protect Karen Lanpelucci..." On the screen, a handsome man from the Mysterious Country holding an umbrella murmured softly and slowly walked out of the alley.
Then, just like Ren Suo's experience in clearing the game, the man from the Mysterious Country knocked Anger unconscious, disguised himself as someone from the Ricall Family to get into the reception, stole a gun along the way, and snuck into the parlor, where he found Euphy Lampeluji meeting guests with her sister.
"There's something I'm not sure I should say..."
"You shouldn't." Euphy had no intention of continuing the idle chat with this inexplicably handsome guy...
"I also think I shouldn't, but please remember..." The man from the Mysterious Country clenched the pistol in his hand and smiled, "Your life and your sister's life... are far more important than mine!"