Mystery

One month later.

The former site of Dongbei's flagship store now bears a brand-new sign: "Xibei Central Kitchen Fresh Food Hall".

The signboard design is clever, using a more vibrant bright yellow and dark blue, and the font is more rounded. The promotional sign at the entrance features a large slogan. "We don't produce freshness, we're just delicious deliverymen—direct from our central kitchen, safe, hygienic, and cost-effective."

On opening day, a long queue formed outside. Half were curious, and the other half were attracted by the "50% off opening" banner. The store's decor was completely revamped, with the biggest change being the menu. Each dish was clearly marked with a small pot icon, next to which was a line of small print. "Standardized production from the central kitchen, hot processing at the store."

Braised pork rice bowl, 25 yuan (original price 48 yuan at Dongbei).

Stir-fried pork set meal, 22 yuan (original price 38 yuan).

Tomato and egg noodles, 15 yuan (original price 26 yuan).

Prices have almost halved.

Next to the cashier, there's a large screen that plays a live stream of the "Xibei Central Kitchen" production line 24/7. The fully automated washing, cutting, seasoning, packaging, and rapid freezing lines show workers in sterile suits busily working in transparent operating rooms. The visuals are clean, bright, and orderly, accompanied by gentle narration. "-35℃ rapid freshness locking, end-to-end cold chain delivery, standardized reheating at stores ensures consistent taste in every serving."

The newly appointed CEO of Xibei, formerly the Vice President of Operations at Dongbei, smiled candidly at the camera, "We've learned our lessons. The core of the catering industry is safety, hygiene, delicious food, and honesty with consumers. We are a pre-prepared restaurant, and we openly admit it. But we dare to show everyone our kitchen and central kitchen because we are confident in our production standards and quality control. Our positioning is very clear: to make a reliable, affordable, and quick meal."

The report elicited a nuanced public reaction. While criticism remained, it diminished considerably. Instead, there was more mockery and a sense of "I knew it" nonchalance.

"Xibei is alright, this name is just too much; they've really gone all out with the references."

"The price is reasonable, and I feel less guilty about eating pre-made food; I can just treat it as fast food."

"The central kitchen does look quite clean; it's much better than the old one that was always trying to hide it."

"So after all that trouble, all they did was change the name, lower the price, and then openly admit it? Wouldn't it have been fine if they'd just done this earlier?"

Dongbei, or rather, the current Xibei, has completed its brand rebirth in an almost passive manner. It's not exactly glamorous, but at least it survived. In a more down-to-earth and realistic way.

All of this has nothing to do with Lin Feng anymore.

Seven o'clock in the morning, Splendid Garden residential community.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds, casting alternating stripes of light and dark on the living room floor. The air was filled with the aroma of fried eggs and soy milk.

Lü Yi came out of the kitchen carrying two plates, half a fried dough stick dangling from his mouth, and mumbled, "Boss, time to eat!"

Lin Feng came out of the bedroom, having already washed up and dressed in simple pajamas. He walked to the dining table and sat down. The table was simply set with: fried eggs, fried dough sticks, steamed buns, two bowls of soy milk, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.

There was another person sitting at the dining table.

The man looked to be around forty years old, with a buzz cut and a bronze complexion from years of outdoor activity. His cheeks were sharply defined, and he had a bit of bluish stubble on his chin. He sat very upright, his back as straight as if measured with a ruler, and even in a plain black short-sleeved T-shirt, the outline of his strong, well-proportioned muscles was visible beneath the fabric. There was a breakfast in front of him, but he didn't touch it. His hands were on his knees, and he calmly looked at Lin Feng.

"Good morning, Mr. Lin." The man spoke, his voice not loud, but with a metallic quality, steady and powerful.

"Good morning, Old Liu." Lin Feng nodded, picked up his chopsticks, and said, "Eat up, don't be shy."

The man called Old Liu then picked up his chopsticks. His movements were slow, but each one was clean and efficient. His name was Liu Zhenjun, and he was also a suicide squad member.

"Boss, Old Liu is a real character!" Lü Yi took a big bite of the fried dough stick, his cheeks bulging, and excitedly introduced, "Back in the army, he was in the top three in the reconnaissance category of the entire military region's skills competition! He had a bright future ahead of him, but unfortunately..."

"His academic performance wasn't good, it just wouldn't improve." Liu Zhenjun chimed in, his tone flat, as if he were talking about someone else's situation. "After being transferred to civilian life, he was given a sinecure, sitting in an office. It was boring, so I quit after two months. I opened my own fighting club, teaching kids and training adults too."

Lin Feng slowly sipped his soy milk. He knew why Lü Yi had brought Liu Zhenjun along. Although the Dongbei matter was over, it had caused quite a stir. Zheng Dong had admitted defeat, but who knew if there were other Zheng Dong out there? Zhou Wenyuan had also warned him that recently there seemed to be some unfamiliar faces around the law firm and the neighborhood. It was always better to be careful.

"I'll have to trouble you from now on, Old Liu," Lin Feng said.

"No trouble at all, it's my job." Liu Zhenjun said succinctly, "I'll arrange Mr. Lin's daily schedule. I'll conduct a security assessment of his residence and frequently visited locations this afternoon. Brother Lü Yi is quite skilled, but some things are better left to professionals."

Lü Yi chuckled beside him, offering no rebuttal. His fighting style was unorthodox, relying on ruthlessness and quick reflexes; when it came to professional protection and counter-surveillance, he was indeed inferior to someone like Liu Zhenjun, who was formally trained and experienced.

The three ate breakfast quietly. The sunlight moved slowly, and the room was quiet except for the soft sounds of chewing and the occasional chirping of birds outside the window.

Lin Feng finished eating, put down his chopsticks, and wiped his mouth. His consciousness, as it had been countless mornings before, habitually sank into that deep space that only he could perceive.

"Daily Random Summoning".

This is one of the most core and uncontrollable abilities of the Daredevil System. Once a day, it randomly summons an "assassin" from the vast expanse of time and causality. The identity, abilities, and background of the summoned target are completely random; it could be an unknown ordinary person or a very important figure. The success rate of the summoning is not 100%, and there is a possibility of failure. However, once the summoning is successful, an absolute loyalty link that transcends distance and conventional communication methods will be established.

Busy with matters concerning Dongbei and with the Deathsworn Network he had built up taking shape, Lin Feng hadn't paid much attention to the daily summons, sometimes even forgetting about it. Today was just another ordinary morning, a routine attempt.

Consciousness touched that invisible "summoning" node.

A familiar, slight ripple of spacetime washed over him, but it wasn't strong. Lin Feng didn't even have high expectations; it was probably just another professional technician in a certain field, or some minor character in a special position.

However--

Just as the connection of consciousness was about to be completed.

Without warning, an unprecedented, dazzling golden light suddenly exploded deep within his consciousness!

The light was not something visible to the eye, but a pure spiritual shock, solemn, magnificent, and carrying an indescribable weighty majesty, instantly filling every corner of his consciousness! It was completely different from the feeling he had when summoning any of his previous assassins! Previous summons had been either cool, scorching, or subtle, but this golden light carried a sense of overwhelming destiny, a feeling of "destiny" and "supreme authority"!

Lin Feng's hand, holding the bowl of soy milk, stiffened almost imperceptibly.

In his consciousness, the golden light slowly receded and condensed, finally transforming into a crystal-clear stream of information, as if engraved on the foundation of spacetime, which flowed into his cognition:

[Summoning successful.]

[Assassin ID:??? (Insufficient permissions to display)]

[Identity: Mysterious]

[Associated Identity: Confidential]

[Loyalty: 100% (Absolutely bound, cannot be changed)]

[Status: Ready, awaiting instructions.]

Lin Feng sat at the dining table, a very subtle crack appearing on his calm expression. He could even feel his heart pounding in his chest.

mystery?

Daily Random Summoning... this time it's... a mysterious person?

Even with Lin Feng's calm and collected nature, and having experienced countless unbelievable events, his mind went blank for a moment. A melody with an absurd yet somewhat mesmerizing melody seemed to automatically play in his ears:

"You come from Dandong, all dressed in white, wanting to eat Guangdong food..."

What is all this nonsense?!

"Boss?" Lü Yi seemed to notice Lin Feng's sudden change in demeanor. He looked up, a steamed bun still in his mouth, and asked vaguely, "What's wrong? Did you burn your soy milk?"

Lin Feng took a quick breath, almost instinctively suppressing all unusual emotions on his face and regaining his usual calm. He put down the bowl of soy milk and shook his head.

"It's nothing," he said, his voice sounding perfectly normal. "I was just thinking about work."

He picked up his chopsticks again, took a small steamed bun, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly. His movements were natural, as if the earth-shattering summons from before had never happened.

But only he himself knew that deep in his consciousness, the information representing "San Pang's " identity existed clearly and intensely, like a brand cast in gold.

A mysterious figure became his assassin.

what does that mean?

This means that he has suddenly gained a true "trump card" that cannot be measured by common sense. The energy, influence, and resources that this card can mobilize are on a completely different level from those of Wei Guanglin, Zhou Wenyuan, and all the assassins he had previously summoned!

However, this also means unpredictable and enormous risks, immeasurable causal entanglements, and a completely out-of-control future heading towards the unknown.

Breakfast continues. The sun is warm, the soy milk is slightly sweet, and the soup dumplings are delicious.

Lü Yi started chattering again about jokes about "Xibei" that she'd seen online. Liu Zhenjun ate in silence, his eyes still scanning the living room windows and doorway warily.

Everything is exactly the same as it was a few minutes ago.

But Lin Feng knew that everything was different now.

The landscape has changed.