Luo Shu circled the suspect's table under the guise of heading to the restroom.
Anomaly Detection confirmed it: the middle-aged man was the source.
But what exactly was the anomaly?
Given its seemingly harmless effects (ruining dishes), Luo Shu took a risk—he sat down across from the man.
"Excuse me? I don't know you," the man said politely.
"But I know you," Luo Shu countered. "Every two weeks, you sabotage this place."
The man smirked. "Proof? No proof means slander! My lawyers at Nansha B Shengke Restaurant will—"
Luo Shu tuned out the threat. His eyes locked onto the man's bulging jacket pocket.
"Evidence is right there. Show me."
Defiant, the man slammed a blue hourglass on the table. "It's a timer. For measuring their slow service!"
Liar.
The Anomaly Catalog updated:
[Page: 36]
[Item #: Unassigned]
[Designation: Unnamed]
[Object Class: Pending]
[Description: A 15-minute hourglass. Turns gray after use, reactivating in ~14 days. Causes culinary disasters during operation.]
[Status: Uncontained]
[X]
A brand-new anomaly.
Luo Shu radioed Jack: "Found it. Blue hourglass—low risk. Move in."
Epsilon-11 operatives stormed the dining area, guns drawn.
"Hands up! Drop the hourglass!"
The man panicked, clutching it tighter. "I'll call the police!"
Jack fired a tranq dart—
—which halted mid-air, then reversed course, knocking him out.
The team froze.
"You said it was safe!" the squad leader hissed.
Luo Shu grimaced. "New anomaly. Surprises happen."
Stepping forward, he taunted the man: "What else can you do?"
Enraged, the man waved the hourglass.
Luo Shu flew backward—through the window.
"Oh shi—"
100-meter drop.