Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

When you are overly fatigued, your eyes move very quickly, which makes you more prone to having strange dreams.

"Rank D!"

"Rank D!"

"Rank D!"

"Rank D!"

……

The overwhelming sound seemed to drown her out.

She dreamt she was standing in a courtroom, the judge's seat empty, while the benches on all sides were filled with people. She couldn't see their faces, only that they were dressed in black suits, raising their arms and shouting. Their mouths, in the girl's eyes, appeared as if in close-up, their lips scarlet, looking ferocious and twisted. They kept chanting "D-grade," spittle flying everywhere.

"Now, through trial, Miss Angelona Marcus, for failing to complete the tasks assigned by the Foundation within the designated time, has been assessed based on the organization's comprehensive capabilities..."

"The assessment result is: Grade D!"

……

In reality, Angelona is a Class D agent.

But somehow, this thing that she had long accepted in reality felt like the sky had fallen in her dream. She felt an unprecedented blow, as if she had suddenly fallen from heaven to hell, and the pain in her heart made her cry.

A young yet strong hand grasped her wrist.

Zhang Honglu's captivating face remained vividly clear even in my dreams.

"Let's go," he said with a smile, "Let's play with them for a bit!"

----

"Um……"

This tug pulled Angelona straight out of the dream. She groggily raised her head, looked around, and found herself still in the storeroom behind the church. And Zhang Honglu from her dream was indeed standing in front of her, giving her a strange sense of security.

The clock hanging on the wall ticks away at a leisurely pace, giving one a sense of being in another world.

"How long... have I been asleep?"

"Not long, about half an hour."

"Only half an hour?" Angelona shook her head in confusion. "I feel... like I slept for a whole day..."

"That's normal. Time always seems to pass longer in dreams." Zhang Honglu picked up the bag in his hand and shook it. "I brought you some food."

The sweet scent instantly roused the girl, as if she had been awakened, and her eyes shone brightly.

"This...this is..." She took the bag, carefully opened it, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Mosen cake!!!"

"Shh~~~" Zhang Honglu quickly raised his finger to warn, "Don't be so loud, the alert hasn't been lifted yet, don't attract anyone over here."

"Oops, sorry, I was just too excited." The girl covered her mouth, but unconsciously swallowed, muttering to herself, "Mosen cake is very famous; it's the only place in all of New Elizabeth that sells it. I wanted to try it when I came into town, but I didn't end up buying it..."

What ratings, promotions, A, B, C, D—none of that matters in the face of these two exquisite little cakes.

Putting all those bad feelings behind her, the girl solemnly took out the cake, placed it on the wooden box, and studied for a long time how to cut it.

"If I start cutting from the top, I'll cut the cake base open, and then I won't be able to enjoy that soft texture."

"But if you cut it horizontally, wouldn't that cut the apricot jam layers in half? That would ruin the sweet and mellow flavor..."

"So, do you want to swallow it all at once?"

Angelona swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on the exquisitely beautiful, dreamlike cake that exuded an enticing aroma. She was shocked by her own "sinful" thought.

But...on next time I thought about it, I'd been traveling for so long and hadn't had a proper rest. I'd finally arrived in New Elizabeth, in the windswept city of Londonderry, at the shopping center. This kind of opportunity wouldn't come around so easily again.

She simply closed her eyes, stopped cutting with a knife, and instead used a fork to hold the whole piece of cake, swallowing it whole into her hungry mouth.

"Mmm...mmm...??!!"

The rich and layered flavors exploded on the girl's taste buds, leaving her speechless and immersed in a spiral of happiness, her body seemingly melting into a sweet wave.

In particular, after a tense chase, the body relaxes from its tense state, making things that can create a blissful experience even more stimulating.

"You're almost crying," Zhang Honglu joked. "Is it really that delicious?"

"Mmm...so sweet, so sweet!...This isn't your average dessert. People always say that Mosen cake is ridiculously sweet, but that's part of its appeal..."

Because her mouth was full of a whole piece of cake, Angelona's voice sounded somewhat muffled, and it was difficult to understand what she was saying.

Zhang Honglu stared at her for a while, then suddenly reached out a finger and gently rubbed it against her soft cheek.

No matter what, eating the whole thing was still a terrible sight, and inevitably, the apricot jam ended up stuck to her cheek.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Angelona said instinctively, "I forgot to leave some for you..."

"..."

Zhang Honglu didn't say anything, but naturally put the finger that had been smeared with apricot jam into his mouth and gently held it in his mouth as if giving it a light kiss.

"what……"

This action caused the girl's expression to pause slightly, and then, like a steam engine, a flush spread from her cheeks all the way to her earlobes.

“It tastes good.” Zhang Honglu smiled again, a succubus-like smile on his face, and winked at her. “However, for me…”

"Just the right amount of sweetness."

Chapter 912: Midnight Phantom

"My God, this...this is..."

The girl's forehead was pressed tightly against the shop window, her soft face pressed against it, slightly distorted.

Separated by a bright glass partition, the magnificent dark blue women's costume inside made her gasp in surprise, her voice rising slightly. "It's the costume that Ms. Evelyn Dietersdorf wore when she performed on stage at the St. Mary's Theatre in the First State in 1884!"

"The 'Seven Layers of Dreamy Veils' series, the legendary 'Midnight Phantom'!!!"

The series of ultimate modifiers surprised Zhang Honglu. "This garment is so famous?"

"Clothes? This is not just a simple 'clothes'! You underestimate it!" The girl suddenly turned her head, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

The social distance between the two was broken once again. She took a step forward and almost touched Zhang Honglu's nose, showering him with endless enthusiasm for recommending him.

"This is a complete Victorian 'two-piece suit.' In fact, in this day and age, it's rare to find clothes designed so elaborately and ornately. You see, the light blue skirt pinned to the waist is a separate piece. There are two skirts in total, one light blue and one dark black. There are also gloves with lace trim, a jacket, and a short-sleeved shirt underneath."

"The black one is a petticoat, which extends down to the stockings on the legs, and tied on top of the stockings with a ribbon that has a very light and floating feel... It looks like one piece of clothing, but in reality, this whole outfit probably consists of 8 or 9 pieces of clothing layered together to create a large number of aesthetic elements!"

"Modern people would never dress like that, at least not me, I don't have that much time..."

Angelona lowered her head, glanced at the thick jacket she was wearing, and sighed with some frustration, "I'm very sorry about this."

Zhang Honglu smiled and asked, "Which do you like more, this outfit or the actress?"

“Of course it’s Ms. Dietersdorf!” the girl said without hesitation. “She’s the ‘Pearl of the South’. Only a performer of her caliber could pull off such elaborate and gorgeous costumes.”

"This outfit is quite heavy to wear. For an untrained woman, just standing still in it would be quite a struggle. But Ms. Dietersdorf was able to perform under the spotlight."

"A single play can last anywhere from an hour to several hours... She's practically a superwoman!"

"It's not that exaggerated," Zhang Honglu waved his hand and said casually, "It's because she practiced the Five Animal Frolics."

"What?" Angelona looked confused when she first heard the word.

"Five, birds, play."

Zhang Honglu did not use a paraphrase, but instead used the Chinese pronunciation to break down each character and explain it in detail: "The literal meaning is that it is a martial art derived from observing the movements of five animals in nature: tiger, deer, bear, ape, and bird. It is more suitable for beginners without any foundation."

"After getting up every morning, slowly perform a set of exercises. Over time, this can promote blood circulation, regulate internal organs, and even prolong life."

"Because of the corset she wore in her early years, this actress was originally quite weak. After getting married, she began to learn the Five Animal Frolics and, through a series of dietary supplements, spent two years slowly recovering. The performance you just mentioned in 1884 should have been when she was in very good condition."

……

“How could you…” Angelona frowned, looking at him with some suspicion, “know so much?”

"Didn't you just say it yourself? She's the 'Pearl of the South'." Zhang Honglu remained calm, smiling as he answered fluently. "As a southern adventurer, I've traveled for so long, it's only natural that I'd hear a little gossip, isn't it?"

"That makes sense, you're from the South."

Angelona accepted this explanation, and reason told her that she should move forward, but her feet remained firmly planted on the ground, refusing to move.

"Aren't you leaving yet?" Zhang Honglu reminded him softly, "The time reservations for [The Dwarf's House] are very strict, you know. I pulled a lot of local connections to squeeze out two corner seats."

"I know, I know, but... um... yesterday, this shop window only had an ordinary women's dress, how did it become this today? If I don't take a few more glances at Ms. Dietersdorf's performance costume, it will definitely be bought by someone else right away!"

Unable to bear parting with either, Angelona's tone was filled with reluctance, "This is no longer just clothing, it's practically a work of art in the fashion world!"

"It's rare to see such magnificent art; I don't want to miss a single second!"

----

"Yeah, I feel the same way."

She was so engrossed in watching that she was startled by a male voice suddenly coming from beside her.

Wearing a suit and tie, a white shirt, and a dark red vest, he looked impeccably dressed. His slightly sallow curly hair accentuated his dignified features. A pair of round glasses perched on his nose, his eyes behind the lenses slightly narrowed, seemingly smiling, yet it was difficult to discern his thoughts from his gaze or expression.

No matter what, Angelona had done her basic homework before coming to Windblown Sands for a mission. The moment she saw that face, her reaction was like that of a startled cat; she almost jumped up on the spot.

"Mayor... Mayor..."

Chuck Londonderry.

The wind blows the sandy mayor.

He was also the true first founder of Londonderry Shopping Centre.

It's hard to say whether he's a businessman, a politician, or, in this town, the two identities are almost indistinguishable. All matters, big and small, ultimately end up going through him. Whether he's a puppet or not, at least on the surface, he's the undisputed local tyrant of this Fengchuisha region.

Isn't this also a kind of cycle of reincarnation?

……

"It looks great, doesn't it?" Chuck slightly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, and said in a whispered tone, "I specially had it delivered overnight."

"No wonder, it wasn't here a couple of days ago..." Angelona asked, puzzled. "Why?"

Chuck said with a smile, "You've all heard, haven't you? A few days ago, two mischievous little thieves came to our town."

"Forehead……"

The girl froze, instinctively lowering her head.

"They ransacked the document storage room. Afterwards, they checked and found that nothing was missing except for the mess. Later, they broke out and gave the police station's sheriffs a good thrashing... This incident will inevitably have some negative impact if word gets out."

"At times like these, it's better to create a trending topic to quickly divert people's attention."

……

“So, this…” Zhang Honglu showed no sign of being overwhelmed by power when he met someone in a position of authority. He pointed to the clothes in the shop window and asked casually, “Actually, it’s an exhibit, not something for sale.”

"In principle, that's the case. According to the agreement I reached with Ms. Dietersdorf's agency, this costume is a temporary exhibit that I'm lending to her."

Chuck didn't feel offended and continued to smile, though his gaze lingered briefly on Angelona. "However, principles are a matter of personal choice."

"Take you, for example, young gentleman. If you want to give your female companion, who has a keen eye for fashion and aesthetics, a glamorous surprise, as long as the price is right..."

"It's not impossible."

……

"I...I'm not his date!"

Angelona blushed instantly and spoke up to argue, but this time, she seemed to lack confidence and quickly buried her face in the wide blue collar of her dress.

"Really?" Chuck looked at her meaningfully and smiled. "But, in my opinion, the two of you work together very well."

"?!"

"Have a nice day, Miss...Sir."

Chuck smiled noncommittally, nodded slightly to Zhang Honglu, and turned to leave.

Chapter 913: The Dwarf Family

The most distinctive feature of this "House of Dwarfs" is the exotic aroma of spices that wafts through the walls and floors. These scents blend seamlessly with the warm lighting, whetting the appetite the moment you step inside.

As Zhang Honglu said, he used his local connections to secure a secluded location. But from Angelona's subjective perspective, it's less about being secluded and more about being a quiet little space on the inside of the shop, conveniently hidden by a pillar decorated with green vines, where one can enjoy their meal in peace.

The two broke into the document storage room at night, and then caused a ruckus in the windswept sands, leading to a temporary increase in security there. That night, she did indeed review the shopping center's accounts for nearly three months, but found no obvious discrepancies.