No vagrant can leave Sector 13 whole.
His parts will appear on your dining table in various ways, even from angles you wouldn't expect.
Deep-fried, oil-cooked, charcoal-grilled, or even as fresh sashimi—there is nothing the chefs of Sector 13 cannot do, only what you cannot imagine.
Learning how to treat people with elegance is the first lesson every chef working here must master.
Sector 13 is located in the most remote eastern part of the city. It is not large, consisting of only three blocks. To the west, it borders the government guard bureau's district and the territory of the Animal Gang. Further east is the harbor; aside from the quiet sea breeze, the sound heard most often every day is the whistle of cargo ships approaching the port.
Unloading workers process the "cargo" inside the containers at the crack of dawn, then pack it into large trucks to be transported to various restaurants, large and small.
Occasionally, one might see "cargo" escape from a container and run through the streets shouting for help, followed by dozens of unloading workers wielding knives.
If they are lucky enough to reach the government guard bureau for asylum, perhaps this escape will become an indelible memory of a lifetime. Unfortunately, most of the cargo isn't lucky enough. Often, after stumbling and losing their way, they hurriedly duck into some dark alleyway, only to vanish from the world after a final wail.
As the most mysterious and feared area in the city, it wasn't as chaotic or filthy as Xu Xiaoyou had imagined.
The streets were surprisingly clean, free of ghostly toxic exhaust and far from the noise of the city.
Hardly any citizens could be seen littering or spitting here. The people living here were either dressed neatly in suits or wearing even more expensive and exquisite formal attire, looking like gentlemen and ladies about to attend a grand banquet.
Nightclubs, bars, love hotels, organ black markets, and countless restaurants.
Watching the wealthy people stepping out of luxury sports cars with impeccable manners, Xu Xiaoyou marveled.
In this city, once someone becomes rich to a certain extent, does their psyche spontaneously become twisted, unlocking a series of bizarre fetishes?
Beneath the well-dressed exteriors beat hearts of frantic restlessness.
Underneath the animal masks lay faces of primitive savagery.
Under the shadows of the trees, a black business car pulled up in front of a restaurant. Several burly, muscular lion-men stepped out first. The lead lion-man had a scar over his right eye; he paused to scan the surroundings, his posture straight, the contours of his muscles visible beneath his suit.
Two antlers emerged from the car door. The lead lion-man’s expression became extremely respectful as he bowed his head, shielding the figure inside the black car as he stepped out. The nearby lion-men shared the same respectful look, bowing their heads to the deer-man.
A group of carnivores bowing to a herbivore—this scene, if filmed and posted online, would be called a publicity stunt. It was absurd and unrealistic, yet it was happening right before her eyes.
Xu Xiaoyou knew she had found her target.
The deer-man held his chest high, his suit was immaculate, and his facial features were sharp. His eyes were like polished obsidian, exquisite and piercing.
She was in no hurry to act, simply watching the fellow step out of the black car from a distance, a coin flipping through her fingers.
"Boss..."
The lead lion-man leaned in and whispered into the deer-man's ear. The latter nodded, straightened his suit, and walked forward surrounded by the crowd.
A few figures came out to meet them, ushering the deer-man into the restaurant.
Xu Xiaoyou looked up at the restaurant sign—The Thumb Plate.
A high-end restaurant in Sector 13, it was famous for its various thumb-based cuisines and was highly favored by the wealthy of the district.
It was a branch of the Fresh Meat Restaurant and was the best-managed and largest restaurant under Mr. Hao’s name.
Today was Sunday, and the restaurant was bustling. Almost every window seat was occupied by wealthy people in various outfits, most accompanied by their preferred partner, enjoying their date to the accompaniment of elegant music, immersed in the romantic atmosphere created by the restaurant.
According to the intel, Mr. Hao would come here with his subordinates every Sunday to dine.
To approach prey, one must understand its habits and discern its weaknesses.
"Anya, let's go. I'll take you to get something good to eat."
As Xu Xiaoyou spoke, she placed a mask over her face and steadily caught the coin falling from the air.
Only the powerful and influential could stand in the spotlight. If one didn't want to attract attention or be targeted by eyes in the dark, they had to hide their face, conceal their figure, and become part of the shadows of the banquet.
Most diners followed this rule.
Anya nodded ignorantly, dropped the small twig she was playing with, pulled down the wolf mask on her head, and trotted after the girl.
..........
The melodious sound of a piano echoed, and the sofa chairs were soft and comfortable. After they took their seats and Xu Xiaoyou placed her mask aside, a masked waiter approached. He presented a black menu to her, made of some unknown animal leather with a fine, smooth texture and embossed with gold lettering.
"Hello, young lady. Is this your first time at The Thumb Plate?"
Xu Xiaoyou looked up. In the dim light, she felt a crimson gaze staring at her from behind the crying mask.
She didn't answer, merely opening the menu and browsing the dishes on her own.
"Don't misunderstand. Every guest who comes here is worthy of respect. We simply wish to provide our guests with superior service."
"You can become a member of our restaurant first. This way, you can enjoy discounts when you dine with us in the future, and we will notify you immediately when there are new dishes."
"Of course, membership is free. You only need to register your ID card at the front desk," the waiter said. "May I ask, would you like to become our member?"
The expression on the mask was somewhere between a cry and a laugh, the teardrop at the corner of the eye appearing eerie in the weak light. Though it was a crying mask, the smile it exuded was chilling.
There was a deathly silence. Whether it was her imagination or not, Xu Xiaoyou felt many gazes in the restaurant suddenly fall upon her, carrying various meanings: alertness, scrutiny, mockery, and crimson desire.
Xu Xiaoyou noticed that Mr. Hao, seated not far away, and the subordinates beside him had also looked over.
In an instant, she felt as if she had become a target, a dish about to be served on the table. If she didn't choose her words carefully, countless hungry diners would swarm forward and tear her to pieces.
Xu Xiaoyou's mind raced.
Why did this waiter see at a glance that she was a new diner? What made her different from the others present?
What was the key information in those words?
Xu Xiaoyou's eyes flickered slightly.
The key information was the ID card.
None of this could be a mere coincidence. Was this Mr. Hao's arrangement?
If so, the other party's insight was far too keen. From what moment had he noticed her?
What was the purpose?
To test her identity?
If she refused, what consequences would she face? The diners whose fanaticism was plain to see, and the members of the Lion Group who were faintly closing in.
Without a doubt, it would lead to a fatal disaster.
She had no doubt these lunatics were capable of turning a living person into a crimson banquet.
But if she handed over her ID card, Mr. Hao would know she was a company employee. Knowing someone from the company was following him, her end might be even more miserable—perhaps being turned into canned lunch meat or blocks of butter?
Calm down, calm down. Think about what else I can do.
The treacherous smile on the waiter's crying mask deepened.
She couldn't hand over the ID card, nor could she refuse the waiter's request.
Was she in a stalemate...?
Xu Xiaoyou unobtrusively slid her hand into her pocket, gripping the handle of her gun.
Just then, Anya suddenly pointed to a page in the menu:
"This one."
On that page, a steak was drizzled with sauce, looking bright and tempting in color.
"Excuse me..." the waiter started to speak again, only to be interrupted by Anya.
"This one."
This time, Anya was like a wolf pup fiercely protecting its food. She let out a low growl, her eyes filling with blood vessels as her aura became sinister. Her sharp claws carved several deep gashes into the dining table:
"Anya is hungry. Anya wants to eat this."
Rate on N.U.
