Something felt off about the banquet.
The nobles were growing restless, their eyes darting to the second-floor stage. Li Yexing frowned, grabbed a knife and fork, and cut a chicken wing from the turkey, plating it. Then he paused.
How do you eat a wing with a fork?
Lilith, reading his mind, pulled a stack of tissues from her purse and handed them over.
"Thanks," he smiled, wrapping the wing in a tissue and biting into it.
The meat was decent but bland. Some barbecue sauce and cumin would've helped. No plastic gloves either—what kind of unprofessional chef was this?
He set the bones on the plate and downed a glass of bad wine, noticing the nobles' growing agitation. Was something up with Ada?
Heavy footsteps echoed outside. Li Yexing cracked the door and saw a team of armed security rushing past.
Grabbing the last guard, he asked, "What's going on?"
"Nothing, sir," the guard said, looking anxious. "Just a minor security issue. We'll handle it."
"Go on, then."
In a quiet corner, Li Yexing tapped his earpiece. "Ada, how's it going?"
After a pause, Ada's annoyed voice came through. "I'm working on tech stuff. What's up?"
"A security team just ran past toward the control room. You good?"
"I'm in the lower hold. They're not after me," she said. "No surprise—bunch of drunk elites, someone's bound to cause trouble."
"How long do you need? Things feel off. The nobles are antsy."
"Gonna take a bit," Ada replied. "Security's tighter than expected, with extra black-clad guys. I might need a new route."
"Alright. Good luck."
Back in the hall, the crowd's unease was palpable, written on their faces. Even the waiters seemed off, murmuring about the kitchen not serving food. They'd sent someone to check, but no one returned.
"Damn it, where's Parker? Why hasn't the trade started? He's just leaving us here?" a suited fat man grumbled, checking his watch.
"A butler gets some cash and thinks he's elite?" a thin man scoffed. "Knew he'd screw this up."
The nobles buzzed about the trade. Li Yexing knew from the files: the Orianna's annual voyage was for this shady deal, where global elites networked and traded illicit goods.
Now, the trade's delay was making them impatient.
As Li Yexing pondered what went wrong, Lilith snapped her head up. "Blood."
Her words made him reach for his gun, but a loud bang interrupted as the kitchen door to the hall burst open. A waiter stood panting, clothes torn, bloodstained, clutching a meat cleaver, his hand shaking.
The hall fell silent, all eyes on him.
He raised his head, shouting, "Run! Monsters! Run!"
Before he finished, two bloody arms grabbed him from behind. He screamed, swinging the cleaver, but the arms held tight. A figure in a waiter's uniform appeared—if it could be called human.
Soaked, dripping white slime and blood, it ignored the waiter's screams. Its mouth stretched, jaw splitting, and a thick, worm-like tendril shot from its throat, biting the waiter's neck. The waiter went limp, collapsing, eyes rolling back. The monster held him, its tendril sucking at his neck.
The hall froze.
A woman's scream shattered the silence, and chaos erupted.
"Murder! Murder!"
"What is that?!"
"Run!"
"Where's security?!"
Screams battered Li Yexing's ears. Seizing the chaos, he grabbed Lilith's hand. "Let's get our gear."
Pulling her out, he pressed his earpiece while dodging a bloodied guard. "Ada, we've got trouble."
"You exposed?" she asked.
"Biohazard," he said, sidestepping the guard who suddenly grabbed him—the same one he'd questioned.
"Sir! Get to your room! There are… rioters. Don't worry, we'll handle it. I'm warning the hall now!" The guard ran off.
'Poor bastard.'
Li Yexing shook his head, resuming with Ada. "Should we evac?"
"Stay safe. I'll grab the item and meet you," she said.
"Good luck."
At their room, he reached for the keycard when a thud plunged the corridor into darkness.
Power outage.
The room's lock went dead.
"Damn it!"
Li Yexing's head throbbed.
Their MP5s were locked inside!
What now? Game logic: find backup power, kill infected guards for ammo, and—
Lilith kicked the door. With a snap of breaking hinges, it crashed down.