Travel through time, and then establish an anomaly management bureau!

Page 39

The restaurant was softly lit, with spotless white linen tablecloths and silver cutlery and crystal glasses gleaming under the lights. Waiters, dressed in crisp black and white uniforms and wearing white gloves, moved silently and efficiently through the carpeted aisles like well-trained dancers.

Most notably, a small classical orchestra was playing in one corner of the restaurant.

An elderly gentleman in a black evening suit was engrossed in playing the violin with his eyes closed, while a lady skillfully played the grand piano beside him, and several musicians played the cello and viola. The melodious and soothing tunes flowed through every corner of the restaurant, perfectly enhancing the elegant and luxurious atmosphere.

Zhang Su was led by a waiter to a two-person table by the window, where he was alone.

The waiter respectfully presented a heavy leather menu, written in the imperial common language, with a dazzling array of dishes: from Normandy oysters, caviar with sour cream crepes, and creamy lobster soup, to pan-fried foie gras, steak, and roasted lamb ribs with rosemary sauce, and various exquisite desserts such as soufflés and opera cakes.

The waiter explained, "Sir, the first-class restaurant operates on an à la carte basis. All dishes and beverages on the menu, except for a few top-tier vintages, are available in unlimited quantities. You simply need to tell us your choices."

"Unlimited?!" Zhang Su's eyes lit up, and his hunger instantly transformed into a burning appetite.

He started ordering without any hesitation: "A dozen oysters! Two servings of caviar with flatbread! One lobster bisque! The largest steak, medium-rare! And one roasted lamb rib! Dessert... we'll talk about that later! Oh, and a glass of ice water, please!"

The waiter, without batting an eye, noted down the astonishing portion, bowed, and withdrew to prepare.

Zhang Su looked around and found that Elion and Charles had also been seated at a table not far away, towards the back.

Elion seemed uninterested in the menu, ordering only three simple items: a clear wild mushroom soup, a pan-fried cod fillet seasoned only with olive oil and herbs, and a stir-fried vegetable dish. His drink was a glass of deep red wine.

Charles ordered a roast chicken with vegetables and a beer, and whispered to Elion, "Young master, you are eating far too little. Adults need to consume enough energy every day."

Elion simply picked up his glass, took a sip, and said in a flat tone, "Understood, Charles."

His posture when picking up the knife and fork was impeccable, his movements elegant as if he were performing some kind of ritual, but the speed and amount of food he ate were indeed like chewing wax.

Charles, feeling helpless, could only focus on his own plate.

The couple's dining manners, along with those of the other well-dressed guests, created a typical upper-class scene, a stark contrast to the "feast" that Zhang Su was about to embark on.

Zhang Su's dishes were served quickly, and he immediately put aside all distractions and threw himself into the battle with the food.

Oysters with lemon and red wine vinegar: Pry open chilled oysters, squeeze lemon juice on them, and slurp them up along with the cool, salty seawater.

"Mmm! Fresh! Sweet! With a hint of metallic flavor... Great!" He nodded in satisfaction and devoured a dozen in no time.

Premium caviar with sour cream and buckwheat pancakes: Carefully scoop a small amount of glistening black pearls with a shell spoon, spread them on a pancake with a thin layer of sour cream, and put it in your mouth.

With a gentle press of the tongue, the salty and savory liquid bursts open instantly, filling the mouth with the deep aroma of the ocean and the nutty, oily fragrance.

"Tsk, there's a reason it's expensive. This stuff would be even better with vodka!" He smacked his lips and quickly devoured two more servings.

Creamy Lobster Soup: Rich and silky, with the unique sweetness of lobster and the richness of cream, along with a hint of brandy.

"Warm and comforting! The creamy soup is so delicious." The large bowl was quickly emptied.

Medium-rare steak: The waiter cuts open the puff pastry on the spot, revealing the tender and juicy filet mignon inside, sandwiched with foie gras and mushroom sauce.

Zhang Su cut off a large piece and put it in his mouth. The crispy buttery pastry, the tender and juicy steak, the rich and succulent foie gras, and the flavorful mushroom sauce blended perfectly.

"Absolutely amazing! Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and bursting with juice! This is what steak should be like!" He ate with gusto, his mouth dripping with oil.

Roasted lamb ribs with rosemary sauce: The lamb is roasted to a crispy exterior and tender interior, with the unique aroma of rosemary permeating it. The accompanying sauce is slightly sweet and sour, which perfectly balances the richness of the lamb.

"Hmm, the cooking is just right, the gamey smell is handled very well, it smells good! It's just that the sauce... is a bit too sweet? Oh well, it's a minor flaw!" He finished another serving, his mouth greasy, completely abandoning any semblance of upper-class decorum.

In short, he'll just eat and eat and that's it. Tonight, he's a big eater!

Fortunately, no other passengers were paying attention to this rare gluttonous person; they were all busy with their own things, otherwise it might have damaged the reputation of the bureau chief.

Just as he was enjoying his meal and his fork reached for the last lamb rib, something unexpected happened without warning.

The surrounding world, filled with noise, was instantly swept away by an invisible hand, and silence fell in an instant.

Only the piano remains.

One second the room was filled with the clinking of knives and forks against plates, the clinking of wine glasses, the whispers of waiters announcing the menu, the murmurs of guests talking loudly or whispering, and the melodious classical music.

All sounds, except for the steel, zero, three, and zither, ceased abruptly at that moment.

Zhang Su suddenly looked up, the fork frozen in mid-air.

The scene before us was extremely bizarre:

The portly gentleman at the next table was opening and closing his mouth dramatically, spittle seemingly flying out. He was waving his knife, clearly excitedly talking about something, but the way he talked to the person opposite him was like he was performing a silent play, unable to utter a sound.

The two elegantly dressed ladies next to me were covering their mouths and chuckling softly, their shoulders swaying, but I didn't hear them laughing.

The waiter carrying the silver tray walked by, his leather shoes should have been silent on the thick carpet, but his gait and the slight swaying of the wine glasses on the tray suggested that he should have made a subtle sound, yet he did not.

The violinist in the orchestra was still playing his violin with his eyes closed and deep emotion, his bow dancing on the strings; the cellist and violist were also playing attentively; the lady playing the piano still had her fingers dancing on the black and white keys, but the rhythm of the piano music that Zhang Su heard was not in sync!

The entire restaurant was transformed into a giant, silent mime stage.

Everyone was "performing" their dinner social act, with vivid expressions and natural movements, but the dimension of sound was missing.

Only a piano melody, not produced by anyone present, played an inappropriately joyful tune.

Zhang Su's pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart leaped: "It's happening! An anomaly!"

Almost instinctively, like a cheetah, he scanned the entire area with alertness, assessing the extent and source of the eerie silence.

His gaze swept across the silent opening and closing mouths, and the blank or still chatting and laughing expressions, like a radar.

Just as his gaze swept over Elion's table, his eyes widened suddenly.

Because Elion also stopped cutting the cod.

The gloomy young man who had always seemed indifferent to everything and detached from the world also raised his head at this moment.

His face was no longer blank and numb, but filled with the same undisguised vigilance and suspicion as Zhang Su!

He was also quickly scanning the entire restaurant, his gaze sharp as a knife, clearly noticing the unusual situation.

His eyes, which had previously been listless, were now burning with excitement and the light of someone who had finally found what they wanted.

Their gazes were like two beams of searchlight suddenly meeting in the silent darkness, about to collide!

At the critical moment, Zhang Su suddenly lowered his head, quickly forked the piece of meat, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it vigorously, pretending that everything was normal.

He believed that now was not the time to approach this noble young master.

At the very least, not in my current identity.

Elion looked at Zhang Su, and what he saw was:

Zhang Su was intently working on the last lamb rib on his plate, his cheeks bulging, chewing with unusual gusto, almost fiercely, with a bit of rosemary sauce on the corner of his mouth.

His gaze was completely focused on the food, with a pure, almost primal sense of satisfaction, seemingly oblivious to the eerie, deathly silence around him.

His posture was exactly like that of a gluttonous diner who had been conquered by delicious food and was starving, a far cry from the image of a "suspicious observer".

“Heh…” Elion’s tense nerves relaxed slightly, and he chuckled to himself, “Looks like Charles was just being too nervous. This guy is either a complete glutton or an incredibly slow-witted fellow. He could never be someone sent by ‘the other side’ to spy on us.”

He withdrew his scrutinizing gaze. Since the other party posed neither a threat nor a benefit, there was no need to pay any more attention to them.

Elion lowered his head again, looking at the cod fillet that was only half left on his plate and the vegetables that were barely touched.

Charles's words echoed in his ears: "Adults need to consume enough energy every day."

This time, he no longer went through the motions like a necessary ritual. Instead, he picked up his knife and fork, carefully cut the food into small pieces, and put them into his mouth at a steady but slightly faster pace, beginning to seriously replenish his energy.

Because what he was about to do allowed no room for weakness.

Although Zhang Su had his head down, he caught a glimpse of Elion's subtle change out of the corner of his eye.

He thought to himself, "Wow! He's suddenly eating so seriously? He was acting like he had a severe case of anorexia just now... This kid is something else. Not only can he sense abnormalities, but his current behavior clearly shows that he knows something and might even be planning to handle the abnormal event himself. It seems that observing him was indeed the right thing to do."

Immediately, he thought to himself, "Yuan Shu, scan that noble young master named Elion and find out his background."

"Yes, Director. You may begin scanning immediately..." Yuan Shu replied.

Three seconds later, the precise analysis results were returned:

Scan complete. Target: Elion von Silvershine.

Physiological state: Ordinary person (no extraordinary energy response).

Target's items: Clothing (ordinary material, no abnormal fluctuations), a family crest ring (antique silver, faintly imbued with historical aura, no extraordinary properties), a pocket watch (precision mechanical structure, no abnormalities), and a small amount of Imperial Mark banknotes (ordinary currency). Conclusion: No extraordinary items or anomalies found.

Target's uniqueness is determined by the individual possessing 'inspiration' far exceeding that of ordinary people.

[Detailed Analysis:]

Extraordinary Intuitive Individuals: These individuals constitute an extremely small proportion of the vast mortal population, estimated at approximately one in 1.2 million. Their soul essence or mental structure possesses some kind of innate mutation, enabling them to transcend conventional perception thresholds and passively or actively sense extraordinary phenomena/abnormal interferences that are usually blocked or incomprehensible to mortals.

Directional Inspiration: Extraordinary inspiration is not a single ability but exhibits significant directional differentiation. Different individuals show vastly different sensitivities to anomalies across various dimensions. Common directions include, but are not limited to:

Ghostly Perception Type: Highly sensitive to mental anomalies such as spirits, resentment, and residual negative energy.

Premonitory type: having a vague sense of premonitory anomalies involving the flow of time, causal disturbances, or major turning points in fate, such as a strong sense of unease or premonitory dream fragments.

Rule Distortion Perception Type (Elion's Type): Highly sensitive to fluctuations in reality caused by interference or distortion of the rules by abnormal forces, such as spatial anomalies, changes in the flow of time, local failures of physical laws, and large-scale silence/loss of voice. These inspired individuals are like sophisticated humanoid anomaly detectors.

The connection between inspiration and path: The directionality of extraordinary inspiration often suggests a potential affinity between the individual's soul essence and a specific extraordinary path.

If such individuals choose to embark on the extraordinary path, selecting an extraordinary route that highly aligns with their inspiration—for example, if a rule-distorting perceiver chooses a route that allows them to master space and rules—their inspirational talent will transform into a powerful initial advantage, accelerating their understanding of the route's essence. They may also exhibit a level of perception and adaptability far exceeding their peers even in the lower sequences, demonstrating enormous potential.

Contradictory Paths: If one forcibly chooses a transcendent path that contradicts or even conflicts with the direction of one's inspiration, such as a Ghost Perception choosing a path of pure physical enhancement, their originally keen inspiration may become a huge burden, leading to a decrease in resistance to mental pollution, difficulty in advancement, or even a backlash of inspiration, such as being constantly troubled by auditory and visual hallucinations, and ultimately their strength may be inferior to that of ordinary transcendents.

[Target Elion von Silverlight's Status Summary: Rule-distorted perception type extraordinary intuitionist (mortal). His current alertness stems from his intuition's instinctive reaction to the abnormal interference of 'the restaurant's sound rules being erased'. No direct combat ability.]

Zhang Suyi stuffed the last bite of the egg custard into his mouth. The sweet and smooth texture made him temporarily ignore the eeriness of the environment while rapidly digesting the information provided by Yuan Shu.

"One in 1.2 million, a rule-distortion-sensing type!" he exclaimed inwardly. "Isn't this a humanoid self-propelled anomaly radar, specifically designed to target rule bugs? No wonder he could detect this anomaly just like me!"

He suddenly had a bold idea.

"This kid is simply a chosen investigator! His sensitivity to anomalies is so high, he's born to be a part of our Bureau!"

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. His gaze once again swept over Elion, who was eating intently, as if he were assessing a rare treasure.

"Our bureau is newly established and in dire need of development. What do we lack most? Talent! Especially investigators with special talents like this! How about we recruit him as our first 'employee', the 'Curtain Cornerstone Bureau'? He's a one-in-a-million talent!"

[Logical Analysis:] Yuan Shu's voice remained calm, stating the pros and cons without emotion. [Feasibility Assessment:]

Advantages: The target's talent is extremely rare and highly suited to anomaly investigation work, which can greatly compensate for our initial manpower shortage and intelligence gathering deficiencies. Although he is only 20 years old, his potential is considerable if he can be guided onto a suitable path of extraordinary abilities.

Disadvantages and risks: The target's intentions are unknown.

The target comes from the noble family of the city of Mige—the Feng Silver Glow family, and may be resistant to or disdainful of joining an unknown organization.

Its current state, its gloom, and the secrets it carries may make it refuse any external intervention.

Its own troubles: The target is clearly in some kind of predicament (Charles' overprotective nature, his gloomy state, and his sensitive reaction to the unusual), and recruiting him may mean taking over his troubles at the same time.

Training Costs and Time: Training them from ordinary people into qualified investigators/superhumans requires investment of resources (knowledge, methods, protection) and time. Effective combat capability cannot be formed in the short term.

Risk of exposure: The recruitment process and subsequent contact will likely expose the existence of the "Curtain Cornerstone Administration", especially if the target has extremely high inspiration.

Recommendation: While recruitment efforts have strategic value, they require careful evaluation. It is advisable to prioritize observing the target's performance, response methods, and potential value during this unusual event, and to attempt to gather more information about their background and predicament before making a final decision. Direct contact carries too high a risk; indirect observation and assessment are preferable in the initial stages.

After listening to Yuan Shu's analysis, Zhang Su was not discouraged; instead, his eyes shone even brighter.

Risk? Trouble? Which startup doesn't take risks when recruiting top talent? The key question is: is it worth it?

Zhang Su already had a plan in mind.

As Yuan Shu said, this 'silent feast' before them was the best interview question. Let him see just how good Young Master Elion von Silvershine, this 'chosen investigator,' really is!

He licked the remaining dessert cream from the corner of his mouth, his heart filled with anticipation for tonight.

The first step in recruiting talent for the Administration Bureau began with this bizarre dinner.

Volume 1: Chapter 37: This is a Trial

Zhang Su practically had to lean against the wall to get back to his first-class cabin.

The more than one-hour feast made him feel like a sack that had been forcibly stuffed full, and his expensive suit now felt like a restraining instrument of torture.

He struggled to unbutton his shirt, then collapsed into the sofa with a sound of both satisfaction and pain.

"Uh... I'll have to be more careful next time... Being David Day isn't so easy." He rubbed his bloated stomach, feeling like the food was stuck in his throat. "Rice may be delicious, but it's better to overeat than to die from it."

He slumped on the sofa like a stranded salted fish, letting the gentle rocking of the luxury cruise ship massage his full body.

Time flowed quietly, with the deep night and the boundless sea outside the window, and only the deep, rhythmic sound of the engine could be heard.

After an unknown amount of time, the suffocating feeling of fullness finally subsided somewhat, and my thoughts became clear again.

Elion von Silvershine's face, which had suddenly become alert in the silent restaurant, reappeared before Zhang Su's eyes.

“That kid… he definitely went to investigate that ‘silent’ anomaly.” Zhang Yi thought with certainty, “Yuan Shu!”

"[Chief, I'm here.]" Yuan Shu's inorganic voice responded immediately.