Ren Suo opened his eyes. 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 and Noodles, shouting, "A bowl... no, 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, the thick yellow Yi noodles were soaking in a rich beef brisket and fried sauce, topped with tender beef brisket and diced pork belly that looked like small cubes. It also came with a bowl of creamy, yellow fish broth. The sight alone was incredibly appetizing, and Ren Suo, frantic with hunger, had already picked up sterilized chopsticks and begun slurping away.
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. 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'd gotten so hungry. Only after eating most of the food did his rationality return. It was then he overheard the conversation of the two people 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 an '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 twelve 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."
"Assassins even appear in London..."
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. "Huh? This game... is it really that popular?"
When I searched for the game 'Assassin' yesterday, there was hardly any useful information, Ren Suo thought. How could it be that the very next day, while I'm just out eating noodles, I overhear people discussing it? Is information in the digital age really changing this quickly?
"What game?" The short-haired girl laughed and turned her phone toward Ren Suo. "This is a True Human 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, I knew at once it was fake—a product of special effects and technology, Ren Suo thought. 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. He quickly finished the last of his noodles and soup, then rushed home to surf the internet. Is someone playing 'Assassin' on a live-streaming platform? Or has 'Assassin' been adapted into a movie?
It's even spread all over social media... How could that be? My social circle is full of Successful and Showy People posting about their relationships, travels, and fancy meals!
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, 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 has taken over social media...ŸŸŸ
Ren Suo realized something was happening that he had no clue about, so he immediately turned on his computer to check. Soon after learning the truth, he broke out into a cold sweat.
At 4:55 AM, Chao Ge Standard Time, a strange video rapidly took over all live-streaming platforms and video websites. Yes, even 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 be redirected to one of the live streams or videos, forced to watch it. Even the browser's locked homepage couldn't prevent it. It was like a super cyber bomb, more ferocious than any online game advertisement.
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 Mysterious Country man holding an umbrella murmured softly as he slowly walked out of an alley.
Then, just as in Ren Suo's playthrough, the Mysterious Country man knocked Anger unconscious, disguised himself as a member of the Ricall Family to enter the inner hall, stole a gun along the way, and then snuck further into the inner hall, where he found Euphy Lampeluji meeting guests with her sister.
"There's something I'm not sure I should say..."
"You shouldn't." Looking at this baffling man, Euphy had no intention of continuing to chat with him, even though he was quite handsome.
"I also think I shouldn't, but please remember..." The Mysterious Country man clenched the pistol in his hand and smiled. "Your life and your sister's life... are far more important than mine!"