Chapter 129: Chapter 90: Carnivore
The elevator was about to arrive.
Oulos suddenly turned around, placing her palm on John’s shoulder and kissed him passionately.
John’s nostrils flared.
He caught a whiff of an exhilarating fragrance, felt a sudden softness between his lips, and as the warmth passed his teeth, it became somewhat irresistible.
John took a deep breath in confusion.
He suddenly felt a pill being pushed into his mouth, followed by a text message from Oulos in his mind.
[Swallow it.]
John instinctively reached out to support the back of Oulos’s head, touching the hard, cold subsurface port beneath the soft synthetic leather disguise.
This was an implant necessary for a super hacker, allowing more efficient data computation and transmission.
He coordinated with the kiss, swallowing the medication.
[Gaia Cells developed a pheromone-adjusting perfume that psychologically and physiologically arouses interest. This pill will help you avoid the awkward situation of being ’irresistibly drawn’.]
The elevator door opened.
Warm air and melodious piano music separated the two of them.
Oulos slid her hand down John’s chin.
"More skilled than I imagined, impressive; you’re surprisingly gentle."
John adjusted his suit buttons, frowning—he had intended to embarrass her by taking the initiative, but instead, he felt as if he had been teased.
The restaurant lighting was soft and dim.
Oulos’s high heels clicked on the black stone, the mirrored surfaces reflecting the star-like brilliant ornaments above, while fresh greenery was arranged at varying heights among the steps and tables, serving as natural partitions.
A piano was situated on the stage.
The performer had undergone almost full-body prosthetic transformations, visible from behind only as an assembly of high-precision components, making it indistinguishable whether she was a robot or a deep prosthetic surgery subject.
John whispered.
"Why is she dressed like unsoaked cereal?"
"The first rule at a banquet is not to comment on others’ taste and keep your mouth shut."
The room’s center featured an open kitchen.
Inside, a gentleman in a handcrafted shirt was cooking, his rolled-up sleeves revealing muscular arms, his movements in handling ingredients pleasing to the eyes, with a focused demeanor.
[Name: Blake Astikas]
[Faction: Gaia Cells]
John discovered that the other’s file had been completely erased, realizing he was not merely a chef.
Scan results showed:
His organs were nearly all implants, aside from a few new models launched by Gaia Cells; the rest were personal custom designs, never released for sale.
Blake’s cheekbones were rugged, his brow and eyes deep-set, a type who appeared tough and difficult to deal with.
"Don’t stare, it’s not our turn yet."
Oulos led John to the window side.
There was a line of dining tables here, with leather sofas next to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The obsidian-like shiny tabletop was slightly warm, so as not to irritate the arms exposed by the ladies.
John only then realized:
The quiet restaurant had several tables of guests, all talking in low voices within highly discreet partitions.
The male guests and their female companions had slightly flushed faces.
Their gazes, when crossed, carried blatant implications.
"The chef thinks emotions are edible."
Oulos suddenly blurted this out, and when John pursued it, she shifted her focus to processing intelligence, her artificial eye flickering.
The atmosphere under the nightlights was perfect.
The panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the high-rise buildings of Eden City.
Though it was daytime, a special glass filter created a hazy, nighttime intoxication.
The billboards and towering projection ads weren’t on.
This kind of "night" was both familiar and unfamiliar, especially as the distant industrial area spewed smoke, yet the sky revealed a distant starry moon John had never seen in Eden City.
It was hard to call it beautiful or graceful.
There was even a strange sense of dissonance.
Sitting in the upscale restaurant, in a comforting temperature, with soothing music, it felt as if something strange was sprouting in the heart.
"Surprise~"
Kuang Xin kissed his knuckles, blowing a kiss and smiling at the two of them, having just been talking to some guests at a table.
John quipped with a smile.
"I’m really not used to seeing you wear clothes."
"I’m usually quite serious."
Kuang Xin wore silver accessories on both hands, his suit collar flaring like two leaves, with long pants adorned with vertical gold stripes, ultimately flaunting an extravagant party style, yet exuding a sense of affluent elegance.
While speaking, it was Oulos’s turn.
The chef, Blake, invited the three of them to watch the food preparation up close.
The open kitchen was right in the center of the hall.
Various intoxicating and curious aromas wafted, yet didn’t disperse all over, like invisible hands tickling a Gambler’s curiosity.
A row of high stools stood outside the kitchen bar.
Oulos led them to sit down with practiced ease.
The beautiful female sommelier had a face with flesh but the rest of her body was a blend of visible prosthetics.
The synthetic leather was top-notch but didn’t hide the mechanical details, instead accentuating the features of deep transformation.
John picked up a glass of white wine, gazing into the distance.
The chef, Blake, had completed a culinary creation and was talking with guests at the corresponding table—using expensive prosthetic limbs to hold wine glasses in an elegant fashion, translating smiles into a harmonious rapport.
Several waiters were rearranging things in the kitchen.
Blake returned to the kitchen, greeting Kuang Xin and Oulos, and very earnestly greeted John, whom he met for the first time.
A faint mist sprayed around.
"Don’t worry, this is a biological diluent, designed to eliminate the residual flavors from the previous cooking, ensuring each journey is unique enough."