Dinner for Two

[University]

During the entrance examination period, students whose academic scores rank among the top 200 in the city can directly enter local universities.

If your grades rank in the top 100 in your region, you will have another opportunity to travel to the capital city, Earth City, before enrolling in university.

Academic geniuses from various cities will undergo a comprehensive interview there, facing extremely tricky questions that are difficult to find in textbooks.

At the same time, logical thinking and basic physical education will be comprehensively considered.

Ultimately, one hundred people will remain and have the opportunity to attend the best universities in the country.

The Diatlov University, located in the capital and directly under the jurisdiction of the World Bureau (EIA), is named after Igor Diatlov, the first Soviet explorer to make significant contributions to the field of exploration.

People usually like to simply refer to it as "Los Angeles University".

The teaching nature of the University of Los Angeles is completely different from that of other local universities. It is not intended to train librarians, school teachers, or clerks.

Instead, they directly connect with the World Bureau to train research specialists specifically for "corners".

The school boasts abundant resources, including a large library that houses the most comprehensive collection of informational documents in the country on Pseudo-Human, Anomaly Event, and deep-seated monsters.

The University of Los Angeles is not exclusive; both on-campus and off-campus personnel are welcome to enter.

However, each entry into the library and borrowing of items comes at a price, with discounts and privileges available to on-campus personnel.

Deep inside the library,

A young man wearing black- Round Frame Glasses and with his hair tied in a high bun was searching for what he wanted in front of rows of bookshelves that seemed to be older than the history of the country itself.

Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and used his free left hand to do some calculations.

The wariness in his eyes quickly turned into normalcy.

"Come down. If the administrator finds out, you won't be able to come in for a year."

Soon something jumped down from the top of the bookshelf, its body almost blending into the environment, gradually fading from the edge of the bookshelf.

Under the light, a beautiful Girl with black hair appeared, looking as if she was not even eighteen years old.

"You found out! I'm so angry!"

The young man didn't even glance at the Girl, but continued flipping through the book in his hands.

"What's wrong?"

"Master wants you to go to Beihai... ptooey~ to Pluto City."

"Why? There aren't enough people in the capital right now, and you want me to go over there?"

The Girl jogged forward, stood on tiptoe, and whispered in the other person's ear:

"It's not that I'm asking you to go there to handle Anomaly Event, but rather that the Connector who survived the ' Fourth Middle School Incident ' not long ago is also in Pluto City, and it seems he's about to be released from the Mental Hospital."

Your master wants you to give this person a try.

If this person is really good, he will definitely come to the capital in the future. Our department is short-staffed right now, right? If we can establish a relationship in advance, we can get him to come directly when the time comes.

Moreover, the other party is also of Chinese nationality; if they can join the department, we can communicate in Mandarin privately.

"The Fourth Middle School Incident... I'll make a trip there."

Pluto City, Chinatown, Sister Liao's Stewed Chicken

This is considered a well-regarded restaurant in the area, and it has private rooms with locks.

The waiter was carrying an enormous pot, enough for 4-6 people, into the deepest private room, his gaze involuntarily falling on the blonde female diner.

She has worked here for many years and occasionally goes out shopping, but she has never seen such a strong young woman. Her muscles are comparable to those of a strongman on a TV show.

The boy sitting opposite her, although he also had a good figure, was much smaller in build.

The waiter couldn't imagine what it would be like if the two were a couple.

Close the door and don't disturb them anymore.

"Chinese food is still the best."

Anna ate meat with gusto while chugging beer, her long, muscular legs spread wide apart, completely unlike what one would expect from an eighteen-year-old Girl.

Sitting across from him, Luo Di ate his meal as usual, without touching a drop of alcohol.

The two have barely spoken since they met at the Mental Hospital.

The main reason was Luo Di; no matter what topic Anna brought up, his response would never exceed three words, making it impossible for the conversation to continue normally.

Anna also noticed that Luo Di's attention was entirely focused on his left arm on the way from the hospital to the hotel. Since he wasn't saying much, she simply stopped talking as well.

However, Anna wasn't angry; she just waited patiently.

When the stewed chicken was almost empty and only one bottle of beer was left, Luo Di suddenly spoke up.

What are you doing after graduation?

Anna didn't respond directly, but instead took out something resembling a passport from her inner pocket. The letter "I" branded in pure silver on the surface of the document was particularly eye-catching.

She then adopted a boastful attitude:

"Hehe! I ranked 29th in the whole school and top 50 in the city! I successfully became a trainee investigator in the Jupiter City Investigation Bureau, and a month ago I even handled an Anomaly Event with my seniors."

Do you remember the Research Bureau that owed me a reward for an unexpected practical experience?

I also took this opportunity to obtain the "Corner-transforming item" and am now a qualified trainee investigator.

Actually, my original plan was to go directly to work at my dad's firm after graduation, since the City Investigation Bureau was really too difficult to get into.

"Now things are great. After that internship, my grades improved dramatically, and I'm now the second investigator in the family... a trainee investigator."

Anna also glanced sideways at the backpack next to her seat, indicating that a Corner-transformation weapon belonging to her was inside.

Luo Di wasn't clear on the specific difference between trainees and full-fledged employees; he only remembered that the former investigator had left a deep impression on him, whose overwhelming strength had directly suppressed and contained the Spider Woman in the neighborhood.

"Shouldn't trainee investigators be very busy? What are they doing here?"

"Apart from the capital, I can apply to go to other cities to help deal with local Anomaly Event, but I still have to stay in my home city most of the time."

There haven't been any suitable events in Jupiter City lately, so I thought I'd go check out the surrounding cities, and then I suddenly thought of you, Luo Di's in Pluto City.

"We're friends, after all, so I thought I'd come and see you. Who knew I'd be so lucky to run into you just as you were being discharged from the hospital."

"Oh." The word "friend" made Luo Di pause for a moment.

"By the way, Luo Di, your left hand?"

"Bionic arm".

"Oh, no wonder it looks so real." Anna quickly changed the subject when she realized the topic was getting off track. "Are you planning to go back to Jupiter City? If you are, we can travel together soon."

"Stay for a while before leaving, no rush."

The special nature of the Fifth Hospital forces Luo Di to stay here. He also needs to maintain contact with the torture chamber and repay the "money" he owes Mr. Hook in a timely manner.

It was precisely because of the thought of repaying the money that Luo Di said:

"Do you have Imposter incidents in Pluto City that need to be addressed? I can go with you."

"Huh? To handle such cases, you need to be a trainee investigator... Besides, even if I wanted to take on a case, I would need an investigator here to lead me. I can't handle things on my own."

"I happen to have some connections with the City Investigation Bureau here, I'll go and ask them about it later."

"Huh? You've already made contact with the Investigation Bureau here? I thought you were still in the hospital. No wonder you were able to be discharged so early."

Okay, we'll go ask together then.

Continue eating.

After finishing the beer and the big pot of chicken on the table, Anna slumped in her chair. "I'm full, I'm full. By the way, Luo Di, you just got out of the hospital, so you probably don't have anywhere to stay, right? I'll treat you to dinner later, how about we go to a hotel?"

Ahem~ The kind where each person has their own room.

"The Investigation Bureau here arranged an apartment for me, so I can stay here indefinitely."

"I'll check if there are any hotels or inns near your apartment later. I'll try to stay as close to you as possible so we can head to the Investigation Bureau together tomorrow morning."

"But it's still early, would it be convenient to come to your apartment for a while? I can also show you my Corner-transforming item while I'm there."

Perhaps because of the alcohol, Anna, her face flushed, pounded on her backpack, and the force of the pounding caused the smell of something inside to waft out.

It smelled like raw meat.

Anna looked up at the ceiling again. She seemed eager to share her experiences of growing up with her friends. It seemed that she hadn't interacted with her peers for a long time since the Fourth Middle School Incident.

Alcohol spreads throughout the brain.

As the view slowly moves down from the ceiling,

She suddenly saw two people in the blink of an eye. There was someone sitting next to Luo Di, her best friend who had grown up with her since childhood.

Shaking your head vigorously will reduce the effects of the alcohol.

Looking again, there was only Luo Di, and next to Luo Di was just a bulging backpack.

"If Wenwen were still here, she would definitely be... Ugh! What nonsense am I talking about? I'm sorry, I get like this when I'm drunk. I'll try to drink less next time I eat out."

Anna realized she had said the wrong thing. She thought that suddenly bringing up Wu Wen's matter would cause Luo Di to have a strong emotional reaction, and that their future cooperation might even fall through.

Luo Di didn't show much change in expression, and even continued speaking:

"She will see it."