Bab 933 Tempat Tinggal Baru
"Sialan! Betapa banyak sekali kebetulan ini?" Franca melepas di antara cerita koran. Setelah mengekstrak inti berita.
Kemarin siang, Lumian pertama kali bersentuhan dengan manifestasi mimpi Tuan Bodoh, Zhou Mingrui, dan tadi malam, saat hujan petir, departemen keamanan Intis Group tiba-tiba kehilangan empat orang?
Apakah ini rangkaian yang ditimbulkan oleh kontak itu, atau ada sesuatu yang mengendalikan di balik layar?
"Aku bertanya-tanya ini pertanda baik atau buruk..." bisik suara Jenna yang cemas setelah membaca berita itu.
Lumian cukup tenang. "Baik atau buruk, menjadi karyawan Intis Group dan rekan setimbas Zhou Mingrui adalah sesuatu yang harus kita lakukan. Jika tak ada masalah, kita pergi; jika ada, kita tetap pergi!"
Karena wawancara dengan Intis Group akan segera dilaksanakan, Lumian dan teman-temannya keluar setelah makan siang untuk mencari seorang penyewa dan mulai mencari tempat tinggal baru.
Menurut rencana mereka, langkah selanjutnya adalah bekerja secara individu atau berpasangan untuk menghindari gangguan dan meminimalkan risiko. Dengan cara ini, jika salah satu dari mereka terperangkap, yang lain tidak akan terlibat.
Selama fase pengamatan, risikonya minimal, sehingga mereka bisa bertindak bersama. Namun, begitu mereka memasuki tahap kontak dan pengeboran, setiap langkah bisa menarik perhatian Yang Mulia Langit.
Kali ini, Lumian dan timnya memilih Dechuang Garden, sebuah kompleks perumahan enam belok jauh dari lokasi mereka saat ini. Berusia lima tahun, kompleks ini memiliki fasilitas baru, dan area sekitarnya menawarkan campuran toko-toko terkenal dan butik kekinian.
Mereka memilih tempat ini karena informasi yang diberikan oleh pemegang Kartu Arcana Utama menunjukkan bahwa Luo Shan, seorang karyawan departemen administrasi Intis Group yang memiliki pasangan di dunia nyata, tinggal di sini.
Dia juga menjadi sasaran untuk kontak dan pengeboran.
Lobi kompleks perumahan terasa bersih, terang, dan sedikit mewah, dengan cahaya yang memantul dari lantai marmer dan beberapa sofa abu-abu yang tersusun dengan estetis.
"Sewa kamar tidur satu juta-dua ratus ribu per bulan," grutu Jenna, hati terasa sakit, setelah penyewa dan pemilik rumah pergi.
Itu hampir sebanyak apa yang mereka bayar untuk unit tiga kamar tidur saat ini.
Perbedaan harga sewa antara berbagai lokasi dan umur bangunan itu mengerikan!
"Mahal, tapi kita harus menyewanya!" gigit gigi Franca.
Besok, kita harus klaim hadiah lotere ini!
Ini akan menjadi enam ribu lagi dalam biaya!
Meskipun penyewa dan penyewanya adalah laki-laki, Jenna tidak menggunakan Charm selama negosiasi. Sebaliknya, ia bergantung pada Lie dan makeup untuk tampak lebih biasa. Dengan sedikit bantuan dari kemampuan Instigasinya, ia berhasil mengurangkan harga sewa dua ratus ribu dan membayar diperkirakan satu bulan.
Lumian mengangguk sambil setuju dengan pendapat Franca.
Menurutnya, selama bisa dikerjakan, setiap biaya yang diperlukan harus dikeluarkan. Tak peduli seberapa sakit, mereka tidak boleh kikuk!
Saat pandangannya mengamati lobi, ia menyukai sebuah vending machine di sudut. Botol di dalamnya memiliki desain yang sangat elegan.
Mengingat petunjuk dalam informasi mereka, Lumian berjalan dekat dan melihat bahwa selain beberapa botol yang ditampilkan, sisanya adalah kotak gacha.
Dan nama minuman baru ini sangat familiar:
Seer, Assassin, Bard, Sleepless…
"Mereka semua adalah nama ramuan..." tisu Franca mengikutinya, terhengkak napas. "Apakah kamu pikir ini benar-benar ramuan nyata?"
Dia juga ingat catatan yang menyebutkan tentang Vending Machine yang Sepenuhnya Otomatis dan Mesin Permintaan yang Seupaya Otomatis.
Lumian mempelajari vending machine itu selama beberapa detik, lalu tertawa.
"Yang tertinggi hanya Sekuens 7, dan pilihannya tidak banyak. Jika ada sesuatu seperti Bishop of War atau Demoness of Unaging, aku pasti akan mengosongkan mesin ini dengan beberapa ribu yuan."
"Meskipun tersedia, kamu tidak bisa menyerapnya," kata Franca sambil mengeluarkan ponselnya, siap memindai kode QR di layar.
"Ayo kita lihat apa yang kudapatkan."
"Berdasarkan Hukum Konvergensi Karakteristik Beyond, kamu mungkin akan mendapat sesuatu terkait Demoness atau Hunter," bisik suara Jenna dengan tenang.
Franca tertawa. "Bukan masalah apa yang kudapatkan, tapi keluarkan satu untuk menguji di tikus liar untuk melihat apakah ini ramuan sejati."
Saat dia berkata, Franca menyelesaikan pemindaian dan membayar lima yuan.
Dengan klik, sebuah kotak gacha terlempar ke slot pengambilan.
Franca mengambil dan membuka kotaknya, mengungkapkan botol dengan permukaan hitam dalam dan jaringan yang membentuk wajah serigala menggeromgolan: "Sleepless!"
"Hah? dari jalur Malam?" Franca tertarik. "Bukan Hunter atau Demoness?"
Dia dengan cepat memahami alasannya.
"Levelku belum cukup tinggi, dan kugakuan tidak ada. Efek konvergensinya tidak begitu kuat."
Setelah menyimpan minuman Sleepless di Tas Pengelana, Franca tiba-tiba tertawa.
"Tahu gak, minuman Sleepless mungkin bisa dibuat dengan cukup kafein dan teofilin!"
Grup ini tidak lama tinggal di vending machine itu. Mereka menyeberangi lobi dan melangkah ke Gedung 5 — tempat apartemen baru mereka berada.
Sebelum meninggalkan lobi, Lumian mendapatkan dorongan insting dan secara spontan menilik ke belakang ke vending machine itu.
Sudut yang ditempati vending machine itu kini kosong.
Vending machine yang menjual ramuan minuman telah menghilang!
"Seperti yang diharapkan..." Ia benar-benar tidak terkejut.
Franca dan yang lain menilik ke arah yang sama dan merasakan kesepakatan logis bahwa itu akhirnya terjadi.
...
Di malam hari, setelah selesai pindah ke Dechang Garden, Jenna dudak di lobi Gedung 5, sabar menunggu sosokan sasaran muncul.
Ia tidak tahu berapa lama, tetapi akhirnya, melalui pintu kaca masuk, ia berhasil melihat sosok yang dia amati lebih awal.
Jenna bangun dengan alami, mengaitkan sehelai rambut di belakang telinganya.
Berjalan bolak-balik sampai seorang gadis berusia dua puluh-an masuk. Dia memiliki rambut coklat dan wajah yang menyenangkan, mengenakan gaun hijau muda dan menggendong tas tangan putih.
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Jenna "kebetulan" bertemu dengan dia dan bertanya dengan ekspresi penampak belantara yang malin.
"Halo, apa kamu tahu cara ke ruang kegiatan di kompleks ini?"
Gadis berambut hijau memang Luo Shan, rekan setimbas Zhou Mingrui dan karyawan departemen administrasi Intis Group. Dengan ramah dia menunjuk ke satu arah.
"Keluar melalui Gerbang Timur, ada di sebelah kiri."
"Terima kasih." Jenna menunjukkan rasa terima kasih dengan tulus sesaat.
Dia telah melepas makeup sebelumnya dan menggunakan Charm yang diturunkan ke Sekuens 7 untuk meningkatkan penampilan dirinya.
Senyumnya, seperti bunga yang mekar, mencuri perhatian Luo Shan.
Luo Shan menatap dengan ekspresi kagum. "Kamu sangat cantik..."
Sebelum Jenna bisa dengan malas menolak, Luo Shan bersemangat bertanya.
"Apa kamu tertarik untuk menjadi model?"
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"Saya suka melukis di waktu senggang, dan cukup baik," kata Luo Shan sembari tersenyum. "Saya sangat menyukai melukis orang yang cantik dan panorama alam."
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Jenna merasakan pusing, mengingat ingatan yang tidak nyaman.
Bagunya, seorang "painter" itu menakutkan.
Dia pernah membunuh versi dirinya sendiri di dalam dunia lukisan.
Apakah Luo Shan dalam mimpi ini telah terkontaminasi atau dipengaruhi oleh tuhan jahat dari Asosiasi Fantasi? Jenna secara insting menilik ke keberangkutannya.
"Maaf, kamu tidak tertarik untuk menjadi model saat ini."
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Chapter 933 New Residence
“What the hell? Can it really be this much of a coincidence?” Franca blurted out after extracting the key points from the news article.
Yesterday afternoon, Lumian made his first contact with the dream manifestation of Mr. Fool, Zhou Mingrui, and last night, during a thunderstorm, the Intis Group’s security department suddenly lost four people?
Was this a chain reaction caused by the contact, or was someone pulling the strings behind the scenes?
“I wonder if this is a good sign or a bad one…” Jenna whispered worriedly after reading the news.
Lumian was quite composed. “Whether it’s good or bad, becoming employees of the Intis Group and Zhou Mingrui’s colleagues is something we have to do. If there’s no problem, we go; if there is, we still go!”
Since the interview with the Intis Group was imminent, Lumian and the others went out after lunch to find a real estate agent and started looking for a new place to stay.
According to their plan, the next steps would involve working individually or in pairs to avoid interference and minimize risk. That way, if one of them was compromised, the others wouldn’t be dragged down.
During the observation phase, the risks were minimal, so they could act together. However, once they entered the contact and probing stages, every move could draw the Celestial Worthy’s attention.
This time, Lumian and his team chose Dechuang Garden, a community district three bus stops away from their current location. Only five years old, the complex had new facilities, and the area boasted a mix of well-known brands and trendy stores.
They picked this place because the information provided by the Major Arcana card holders indicated that Luo Shan, an employee in the Intis Group’s administrative department with a real-world counterpart, lived here.
She was also a target for contact and probing.
The lobby of the community district had a clean, bright, and slightly luxurious feel, with sunlight reflecting off the marble floor and a few gray sofas arranged tastefully.
“A one-bedroom apartment costs two thousand a month,” Jenna grumbled, heart aching, after the real estate agent and landlord left.
That’s nearly as much as what they were paying for their current three-bedroom unit.
The rent differences between various locations and building ages were staggering!
“It’s expensive, but we have to rent it!” Franca gritted her teeth.
Tomorrow, we must claim that lottery prize!
This will be another six thousand in expenses!
Although both the landlord and the real estate agent were men, Jenna hadn’t used Charm during negotiations. Instead, she relied on Lie and makeup to make herself appear more ordinary. With only a bit of help from her Instigation ability, she managed to negotiate two hundred off the rent and a prepayment of one month.
Lumian nodded slightly, agreeing with Franca’s attitude.
In his view, as long as it was within their abilities, any necessary expenses should be made. No matter how much it hurt, they couldn’t be stingy!
As his gaze swept the lobby, he noticed a vending machine in the corner. The bottles inside had a particularly sleek design.
Recalling the hints in their information, Lumian walked over and saw that aside from a few displayed bottles, the rest of the items were in gacha boxes.
And the names of these new drinks were all too familiar:
Seer, Assassin, Bard, Sleepless…
“They’re all potion names…” Franca followed him over, inhaling sharply. “Do you think they’re the real thing?”
She also recalled the dossier’s mention of the Fully Automated Vending Machine and Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
Lumian studied the vending machine for a few seconds, then chuckled.
“The highest is only Sequence 7, and the selection isn’t vast. If there were something like War Bishop or Demoness of Unaging, I’d be tempted to empty this machine for a few thousand.”
“Even if they were available, you couldn’t digest them.” Franca pulled out her phone, ready to scan the QR code on the screen.
She eagerly said, “Let’s see what I get.”
“Based on the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence, you’ll probably get something related to Demoness or Hunter.” Jenna calmly reminded her.
Franca laughed. “The point isn’t what I get but pulling one out to test on a rat to see if it’s a real potion.”
As she spoke, Franca completed the scan and paid five yuan.
With a click, a gacha box was ejected into the pickup slot.
Franca retrieved and opened it, revealing a bottle with a deep black surface and raised areas outlining a snarling wolf’s face: “Sleepless!”
“Huh, one from the Evernight pathway?” Franca was surprised. “It’s neither Hunter nor Demoness?”
She quickly figured out the reason.
“My Sequence isn’t high enough, nor do I possess godhood. The convergence effect isn’t that strong.”
After storing the Sleepless drink in her Traveler’s Bag, Franca suddenly burst into laughter.
“You know, a Sleepless drink could probably be made with enough caffeine and theophylline!”
The group didn’t linger by the vending machine. They crossed the lobby and headed towards Building 5—where their new apartment was located.
Before leaving the lobby, Lumian had a sudden impulse and instinctively glanced back at the vending machine.
The corner it occupied was now empty.
The vending machine that sold potion beverages had vanished!
“As expected…” He wasn’t surprised at all.
Franca and the others followed his gaze and shared the feeling that the inevitable conclusion had finally arrived.
…
In the evening, after settling into Dechang Garden, Jenna sat in the lobby of Building 5, patiently waiting for their target to appear.
She didn’t know how long it took, but eventually, through the glass entrance, she spotted the figure she’d been observing earlier.
Jenna stood up naturally, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
She paced back and forth until a twenty-plus girl walked in. She had brown hair and a pleasant face, wearing a light green dress and carrying a white handbag.
Jenna “coincidentally” found herself face-to-face with her and asked, feigning a shy and surprised expression, “Hello, do you know how to get to the activity room in this district?”
The girl in the green dress was indeed Luo Shan, Zhou Mingrui’s colleague and an employee of the Intis Group’s administrative department. She kindly pointed in a direction. “Go out the East Gate, and it’s on the left.”
“Thank you.” Jenna expressed her gratitude sincerely with a slight smile.
She had removed her previous makeup and used Charm, suppressed to a Sequence 7 level, to enhance her appearance.
The smile, like a bloom of flowers, caught Luo Shan’s eye.
Luo Shan blinked, showing an expression of admiration. “You’re so beautiful…”
Before Jenna could modestly decline, Luo Shan asked enthusiastically, “Would you model for me?
“I’m learning to paint in my spare time, and I’m pretty good at it. I especially love painting beautiful people and landscapes.
“I’ll pay you!”
Painting… Jenna’s temples throbbed, stirring unpleasant memories.
To her, a “painter” was a terrifying occupation.
She had once killed her painted self in a painting world.
Has Luo Shan in this dream been corrupted or influenced by that evil god of the Fantasy Association? Jenna instinctively shook her head.
“Sorry, I’m not interested in modeling at the moment.”
“That’s such a shame. I’m pretty good, you know. I’ll show you my work sometime, and maybe you’ll change your mind.” Luo Shan pulled out her phone, smiling as she asked, “You just moved in, right? I’ve lived here for years and never met anyone as beautiful as you. Can I add you on WeChat?”
Jenna had planned to find an excuse to add Luo Shan on WeChat, but not this quickly. Moving this fast seemed off!
After a few seconds of deliberation, she said with hesitation, “I’m just a tenant.”
“So what? I was a tenant too.” Luo Shan didn’t mind.
“Alright.” Jenna deliberately made herself appear a bit meek, someone who wasn’t good at rejecting others’ kindness or enthusiasm.
When adding her on WeChat, Jenna selected the “Chat Only” option.
This was to make it seem like she wasn’t too willing to add strangers, avoiding giving the impression that she was actively seeking out Luo Shan.
After taking a walk around the activity room outside the East Gate and grabbing a meal at a nearby restaurant, Jenna noticed that it had grown dark.
She returned to the 23rd-floor apartment and locked the door.
For the next day or two, she would be staying there alone.
After turning on the star-shaped main light, Jenna’s gaze swept over the gray and orange sofa, the minimalist yet stylish decor, the metallic sheen of the window frames, and the bed with light-colored sheets, just visible through the bedroom door.
Compared to the three-bedroom unit Lumian and the others were renting, this one-bedroom apartment was obviously newer, better furnished, and simpler in design yet still elegant.
Jenna walked towards the window, her fingers brushing over the white dining table, the textured wallpaper on the walls, the artistic table lamp, the tall vase with plastic flowers, and the cold edge of the window. She gazed outside.
Buildings of varying heights dotted the crisscrossing roads, with most windows glowing warmly, blending with the lights from the endless stream of cars on the streets below.
“How beautiful…” Jenna admired the view from above with heartfelt appreciation.
She returned to the sofa area, her steps a little lighter.
When we have more money, let’s rent a place like this for Lumian, Franca, and the others!
Jenna sat down, peacefully waiting for any anomalies that might arise from her contact with Luo Shan.
Time ticked by as she scrolled through her phone.
She came across a review of the movie The Great Pirate 3: “Three beautiful female pirates surrounding him, each with some history of flirtation, yet he only took the dumb sailor with him? What the hell! I want my money back!”
Jenna was momentarily puzzled by the comment.
She didn’t see anything wrong with that scene.
From the start, she knew how it would end: Gehrman Sparrow was an incarnation of Mr. Fool, his Oracle, who naturally met up with Mr. Fool’s other Oracle, Danitz, before leaving together. Wasn’t that the logical conclusion?
Besides, in reality, Gehrman Sparrow didn’t end up with any of the three female Pirate Admirals!
Jenna felt the real flaw in that scene was how Danitz, the Oracle, didn’t play a significant role, as if he were a mere side character.
After spending nearly two hours on her phone with no sign of anything unusual, Jenna checked the time and stood up, heading towards the bathroom to freshen up.
As soon as she switched on the bathroom light, a buzzing sound suddenly filled the room.
The entire apartment was plunged into darkness.
All the lights went out.
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