A reminder

Because Franca and Rosanne had ordered chicken and taro in advance and asked them to cook it immediately, the three of them quickly enjoyed a steaming hot meal.

Franca asked the waiter to prepare a medium-spicy broth for her dipping sauce bowl. She added some minced garlic, chopped green onions, and cilantro, and finally poured in oyster sauce. This sauce was salty and savory with a hint of sweetness, which greatly enhanced the spicy flavor. Franca especially liked to add the sauce this way when eating hot pot.

She glanced at Zhou Mingrui and found that his choice was similar to hers.

Great minds think alike... Franca picked up the taro first, not the chicken. It had been stewed until tender in the pressure cooker beforehand. After rolling it in the dipping sauce, she blew on it for about ten seconds, and took a bite. It was full of the aroma of starch and the flavor of the taro itself. It also absorbed the spiciness and oiliness of the broth, combined with the salty and slightly sweet oyster sauce, making your mouth water quickly and effectively reducing the residual heat.

Franca ate three pieces of taro before remembering the chicken.

She would rank this as one of the top 3 vegetarian dishes in the hot pot world, the other two being potato slices and lettuce with leaves.

The three ate quietly for a while, filling their stomachs. Then, Rosanne took the initiative to start various conversations to prevent the atmosphere from becoming awkward.

With her enlivening the atmosphere, the three of them chatted quite happily, from company rumors and gossip to the recent employment environment and the current situation of former colleagues.

The handsome Security Guard naturally became part of the conversation. Rosanne was disappointed that he hadn't been guarding the gate recently, so she couldn't see him for herself.

Suddenly, Zhou Mingrui asked about Franca's academic background, curious as to why she changed careers after graduation.

Franca shared her true feelings about her school days:

"Working like a beast of burden, earning little, and risking your life, you only get a Dignity income when you're in your thirties or forties. I couldn't stand that kind of hardship, so I changed careers. How many twenties do you get in a lifetime?"

Zhou Mingrui expressed his understanding:

"There are all sorts of sayings online that advising someone to study medicine is like being struck by lightning, but Doctor is a profession that develops later in life; the older you get, the more sought-after you become. I have a childhood friend who switched careers right after graduation, but after doing two other jobs, he didn't really make it..."

At this point, Zhou Mingrui paused suddenly, frowning slightly, before continuing, "He used connections to get back to his hometown hospital as Doctor."

There's another childhood friend like this? The information didn't mention it... It's clearly not Peng Deng, nor is it that Women childhood friend who likes to travel... While Franca was puzzled, Zhou Mingrui started talking about medical matters.

Franca perfectly Acting a former medical student who had switched careers three years prior; she could still explain the basics, but had forgotten most of the deeper concepts.

She's not a "Generalist"!

--This identity is almost a replica of her current state, Acting it with ease. The only difference is that she has not actually graduated and has been in a different career for six or seven years.

As Zhou Mingrui nodded almost imperceptibly, Rosanne glanced at Franca and said with a smile, "Have you ever tried that new drink? The one with the great design and unique name?"

Franca smiled in response, but instead of answering, she asked a question:

"Have you drunk it?"

Before Zhou Mingrui and Rosanne could answer, Franca lowered her voice:

"I recently heard an urban legend about a mysterious Vending Machine randomly appears in different places, selling blind boxes of beverages. Some of the drinks in these boxes have special effects, granting the drinker the ability to drink the corresponding beverage's name. Meanwhile, the drinks you buy in supermarkets and convenience stores are just ordinary, normal beverages."

Franca finished speaking in one breath without showing any abnormalities, and quietly relaxed a little.

Zhou Mingrui looked at Franka, who had already gone home, changed into a white T-shirt, loose trousers, and white sneakers, and tied her Franca in a ponytail, and smiled, saying, "I've also seen these rumors online."

Franca's gaze fell on Rosanne's face.

Rosanne bit her lip and said in a deliberately ghostly tone, "Actually, I've encountered that mysterious Vending Machine."

Suddenly, Zhou Mingrui also looked at her.

Rosanne laughed:

"I bought a blind box containing a ' Shaman ' drink, but after drinking it, nothing happened, and I didn't gain any abilities."

"To be honest, when I went to look for that Vending Machine the second time, it was indeed gone; it wasn't in its original place anymore..."

Rosanne's voice became unusually low when she said the last sentence, making the bubbles rising from the hot pot seem to freeze for a second.

Zhou Mingrui looked at her without saying a word, seemingly assessing whether she was telling a ghost story or the truth.

Rosanne then grinned and said to him, "Didn't you drink it too? I later saw a similar Vending Machine in the company lobby, and I got a bunch of them. I gave you one, a bottle of ' Instigator ' drink, right?"

"I didn't drink it." Zhou Mingrui laughed. "Someone gave me a packet of dried Mushrooms before, saying they were great for making drinks and tea. I thought I'd give it a try, so I poured ' Instigator ' drink into my cup and soaked the dried Mushrooms in it. Later, I went to do something else, and when I got back to my seat, the cup was empty."

"At that time, I was thinking that no one in the office would be so disgusting as to drink from someone else's cup. Maybe the cleaning lady saw the dried Mushrooms after they were soaked and felt that she didn't want the water anymore, so she disposed of it for me."

"Thinking about it now, it's a bit strange."

He and Rosanne worked together to make the urban legends seem more and more real.

Franca didn't seem frightened at all. She looked around and then lowered her voice:

"Since you're being so frank, I'll tell you the truth too. To be honest, I've also encountered that Vending Machine."

Rosanne asked cooperatively, "What did you draw?"

Franca looked at Zhou Mingrui, pushed up her Black-Rimmed Glasses, and revealed a clear smile:

"' Assassin '."

Zhou Mingrui watched her quietly, waiting for her to continue.

Franca added with a laugh, "I'm a fan of Assassin's Creed. You see, my WeChat name is even ' True Sleeve Sword '."

As she spoke, she picked up her Handle, showed Zhou Mingrui her WeChat name, and continued, "I'm very satisfied with the name of that drink. I imagined myself as Assassin, able to perform a 'leap of faith' just like in real life, and able to hide in the shadows so that no one could find me..."

Franca deliberately recounted all the Change and abilities brought about by the "Assassin's " Potion, trying to convince Zhou Mingrui that she had actually drunk the "Assassin's " beverage or was very knowledgeable about "Assassin."

As she described it, her heart started racing, and she tensed up, feeling as if she was about to be kicked out of her Dream.

Zhou Mingrui tactically took a sip of iced soy milk and ate a piece of taro.

After putting down his chopsticks, he smiled and said to Franca and Rosanne, "That's my dream too."

Franca seized the opportunity to remind her, "Then you need to be careful. I saw a rumor that mentions there's a big problem with the ' Assassin's' subsequent drinks. Yeah, it's like leveling up in a game; after drinking a certain drink and reaching a certain level, something terrible will happen."

"What terrible thing?" Rosanne asked curiously.

Franca shook her head:

"I don't know either.

"I've only heard that the ' Assassin ' drink is followed by the ' Instigator ' drink, and the problem lies after the ' Instigator ' drink..."

Her voice grew softer and softer.

Zhou Mingrui ended the topic:

"Alright, alright, if we keep making this up, it'll eventually become a complete urban legend."

"Yes." Franca smiled, indicating that she had made up all of that on the spot.

The same goes for Rosanne.

The three chatted about other things until it was completely dark, and they were all very satisfied with their meal.

After saying goodbye to Rosanne and Franca, Zhou Mingrui walked to the other end of the street.

The smile on his face gradually faded, and one idea after another surfaced in his mind:

"They didn't seem to be testing me; they were more like hinting, suggesting, or reminding me..."

Is there really a major problem with the "Assassin" beverage?

"It's also possible that because I deliberately chose a crowded and lively setting, they didn't find an opportunity to use their abilities to exert influence..."

"Let's observe for a while to see if there are any unexpected events or attacks..."

"If we can confirm their purpose or goodwill, we can find an opportunity to have a real talk later..."

"If running away doesn't solve the problem, then face it..."

Lost in thought, Zhou Mingrui turned into a side path and walked into the shadows.

On the other side, Franca led Rosanne toward the nearest shopping mall.

For the next hour, she wanted to stay in a crowded, well-lit place.

Just after leaving the "Yizhou Roast Chicken" shop area and walking a dozen steps along the roadside, Franca suddenly felt dizzy.

The next second, she felt like a deep-sea fish being scooped out of the Sea, struggling to breathe but unable to inhale even a wisp of air, while her head and body were strangely swelling, like a fragile balloon being constantly inflated.

She clutched her neck in Pain, trying to pull her trachea out of her flesh and connect it directly to the air.

Her legs began to give way, and her body collapsed to the ground. Her thoughts went blank, and she lost contact with her Mirror Substitute.

"Has the Celestial Worthy Being noticed me?" This thought flashed through Franca's mind.

Inside the Gray Car parked across the street, Lumian as Franca's face flushed crimson, her lips turned bluish-black, and she grabbed her slender neck, scratching bloody marks onto her fair skin.

Rosanne stood to the side, looking bewildered and helpless.

Lumian remained motionless in the passenger seat, quietly watching.

He saw Franca half-collapsed on the ground, and saw Franca struggle to open her handbag, take out her phone from inside, and unlock the screen.

The screen displayed a pre-prepared interface, and alongside the phone were Cosmetics, multiple Mirror, and a small black bag.

In Lumian's view, Franca's eyes bulged out, and she tapped the phone screen with her thumb with a Pain and ferocious expression.

Then, she collapsed completely, dropping her handbag to the ground.

The items inside the handbag rolled out, and the small black bag mysteriously disappeared.

A few seconds later, Lumian, inside the car opposite, watched Franca slowly stand up, her eyes Cavern, and calmly said to Anthony, "Making contact with Zhou Mingrui at night, reminding him of the existence of supernatural power, will result in being kicked out of the Dream very quickly."