Chapter 55: The Omen Must Die

On the bustling street, a red sports car was crawling at a snail's pace, its rearview mirror reflecting two dumbfounded faces.

Tan Ying was driving blankly ahead, the air inside the vehicle as if frozen solid.

Suddenly, she slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a complete halt.

Behind her, Qin Mingze’s head smacked directly against the front seat, yet he seemed entirely oblivious, only slowly casting a look at the driver.

Ahhh!

Their eyes met, and Tan Ying snapped back to reality, letting out a piercing scream.

"What on earth did you just make me look at?!"

What actually happened just now?

Wasn't she supposed to be studying human art while casually checking out handsome men?

How had she been tricked into watching a barrage of cross-dressing footage instead?! The worst part was that none of it was aesthetically pleasing at all!

Tan Ying frantically tormented her own face in sheer frustration.

As for the target of her reprimand, Young Master Qin, he closed his eyes and began banging his head against the car seat repeatedly with loud thuds.

"I don't know either. I don't want to know why this happened. My brain is refusing to process any information related to it."

"Besides, if you hadn't been overcome by lust and blackmailed me, none of this would have happened. Right now, I feel like I've lost something terribly important..."

"Didn't you say that sworn brother of yours was extremely reliable? And that the moment he heard there was money to be made, he'd definitely agree?"

Tan Ying gripped the steering wheel so tightly it creaked.

"Although that guy's lower limit is indeed unfathomable, based on my understanding of him, he wouldn't sell his body just for money. Acting as a figure model might still be within the realm of consideration. His refusal can only mean he isn't particularly short on cash lately."

Qin Mingze analyzed expressionlessly.

"Xiao Ying, if you want to meet handsome men, you really should come up with a normal human method. Your Brother Qin here is going to be ruined if we keep playing like this."

"Also, don't mention today's events to a single soul."

"If you dare bring up today's events to me again, I'll smash your head flat!"

Tan Ying didn't even look back as she floored the accelerator.

That jerk named Fu Qian!

...

After sending the two of them off, Fu Qian was currently sitting on the sofa, carefully scrutinizing the "Clear Dream" ring.

For its first use, the effect was even better than he had imagined.

From the looks of it, once this ring was activated, everyone's consciousness would enter a shared dream, and upon waking up, they would firmly believe everything that happened in the dream.

Earlier, after Qin Mingze and Tan Ying sobered up, they hadn't realized the prior anomalies at all and had hastily taken their leave.

Judging by their dejected moods, they clearly remembered the events of the dream vividly.

And within the dream, as the initiator, he clearly held a fairly high level of authority.

Aside from being able to enter and exit freely, he could even establish certain rule-bound parameters.

In a sense, he was the director of this dream.

As long as the plot wasn't too outlandish, they wouldn't wake up.

However, Young Master Qin and his companion were ordinary people after all. If used during containment missions, the results might not necessarily be this favorable.

For instance, someone like Li惟玄 (Li Weixuan) whom he had encountered previously—hypnotic items like this would likely struggle to take effect and would most likely end up getting hacked to pieces by a sword.

Never mind, why overthink it? It would be enough to just test it out when the opportunity arose.

As for now, Fu Qian glanced outside.

It was still early, so he could go continue sunbathing for a while.

...

[Identity verification complete. Today's work begins.]

Vacation time always passes quickly.

Following the three-day elderly gentleman experience card, Fu Qian punctually put on his work badge as the familiar voice rang out.

[Warning: Containment Breach]

[Name: Omens Must Die, Codename: 2-103]

[Today's work content updated: Enter the containment zone of 2-103 and complete re-containment.]

This name... is a bit strange!

Fu Qian furrowed his brow.

Although this time it wasn't an item starting with 1, so it shouldn't be as sickening as the Angel of Bliss, the name still felt somewhat abnormal.

And this phantom projection.

Accompanied by the breach warning, a illusory image manifested in the warehouse. This time, it was a massive tombstone, completely smooth and utterly devoid of a single character.

Since you're here, make the best of it.

Always look at the bright side of things; at the very least, this was a elimination mission.

Where to go, how many to kill—in all video games, that was precisely the type of gameplay he was most adept at.

[Entering containment zone 2-103: Xiyuan City]

[...4%...6%...10%...18%...34%...66%...100%, containment zone loading complete.]

[Dangerous omens are lurking, and disasters are gathering accordingly.

Find him, kill him, before the terrifying catastrophe occurs.

No matter what method is used—

Regardless of whether any method exists!]

[Skills: Air Bullet, Visceral Critical, Cat School, Feast (Locked)]

[Weapon: Tyrant's Fist]

[Containment Completion Condition: Find and kill the omen.]

[Current Sanity: 54, Current Inspiration: 21]

Rows of prompts flashed past swiftly.

"Sir, please enjoy your meal."

Accompanied by the voice sounding in his ear, Fu Qian recovered his senses and surveyed his surroundings.

The lighting was dim, the atmosphere cozy, waiters moved about in pairs or trios, and the sound of the piano was melodious and lingering.

Coupled with the well-dressed men and women dining around him, he was clearly situated inside a high-end restaurant.

Fu Qian lowered his head to look at the dish the waiter had just served.

Although he couldn't tell what it originally was, the plating was exquisite, the colors alluring, and the aroma made his mouth water. Aside from the portion being small enough to make Lin Daiyu laugh herself to death, it had no other flaws.

Without standing on ceremony, Fu Qian picked up a piece, took a bite, and closed his eyes in satisfaction.

Now this was life!

Compared to this, what kind of places had he been sent to before!

Still wanting more, just as Fu Qian was about to take another bite, the restaurant's piano music suddenly stopped.

The next moment, a cold current swept across the room, causing the dining men and women to let out a chorus of screams.

Amidst the chaos, two individuals dressed in black uniforms strode to the center of the restaurant and surveyed their surroundings.

"Emergency situation. Lunch is over, everyone stay where you are and do not move!"

Who do you think you are?

The patrons present were clearly people of some status and standing; immediately, someone attempted to slam the table and stand up, only to be held back firmly by the person beside them.

No wonder Tan Mingxue and the others developed such stinking attitudes; these Night Watchers were truly imposing.

Fu Qian looked at the two figures ahead.

If he remembered correctly, the uniforms worn by these two gentlemen disrupting everyone's meal were unmistakably those of the Night Watchers.

Aside from a few blind exceptions, the diners present all seemed to recognize them as well.

However, these two were far too weak compared to Tan Mingxue and Qi Xue and their peers.

To his current self, this caliber belonged squarely to the rank-and-file mob tier.

Humph!

Minion A wore a poker face, fairly satisfied with everyone's reaction.

"Everyone, do not panic. We merely require a little cooperation from you all, and this will be handled shortly."

"Can you at least tell us what happened?"

A middle-aged man mustered the courage to ask.

"You'll know soon enough!"

Minion A gave a hand gesture, and his colleague briskly walked toward a corner of the restaurant.

A gorgeously dressed woman was sitting there dining alone, her silhouette slender and enchanting, showing no reaction whatsoever to his approach.

Minion B likewise remained silent, instead placing his hand directly onto the latter's meticulously styled hair, and then gave it a gentle pull.

The next instant, this young married woman's head parted from her neck.