007 Code name

"You may address me as the Fool."

The brief response quickly dissipated within the grand temple and the lingering mist, but in the hearts of Audrey and Algernon, the voice echoed for a long time, stirring up ripples upon ripples.

They hadn't expected it, yet they felt that this was the perfect appellation, perfectly embodying the image of mystery, strength, and strangeness!

After a few seconds of silence, Audrey stood up, lifted her skirt gracefully, bent her knees, and bowed to Zhou Mingrui:

"Respected Mr. Fool, please allow me to implore, could you serve as the witness to our transaction?"

"A trivial matter," Zhou Mingrui's thoughts swiftly turned, responding in a manner befitting his identity.

"It would be our honor, Mr. Fool," Algernon also stood up, placing his right hand over his chest and bowing.

Zhou Mingrui gestured with his right hand and smiled gently:

"Please continue."

Algernon nodded, sat back down, and looked at Audrey:

"If you manage to obtain ghost shark blood, deliver it to the 'Warrior and Sea' bar on Pelican Street in the White Rose District of Prisborogh Port. Tell the owner, Williams, that this is what the 'Captain' desires."

"After I confirm it, should I send the potion formula to you at an address, or inform you directly here?"

After some thought, Audrey revealed a smile:

"I choose the more secretive method, right here, although it tests my memory."

Since Mr. Fool agreed to witness the transaction, it implied there would be similar "gatherings" in the future.

With these thoughts in mind, she suddenly turned her head, gazing at Zhou Mingrui with excitement, and proposed with keen interest:

"Mr. Fool, do you mind having more 'attempts' like this now?"

Listening calmly, Algernon was also intrigued and hurriedly concurred:

"Mr. Fool, don't you find these 'gatherings' quite intriguing? Although your power surpasses our imagination, there are still areas in the world you may not understand or excel in. The lady opposite is obviously of noble birth, and I have my own experiences, insights, channels, and resources. Perhaps, at some point in the future, she and I could help you accomplish trivial tasks that are inconvenient for you to handle on your own."

In his view, since he was brought here without resistance, it meant that the initiative lay in the hands of the mysterious Mr. Fool. Rejecting or abstaining from future "gatherings" might not necessarily succeed. Therefore, it was better to explore the benefits of this encounter more deeply and compensate for the passivity and disadvantages with the gains.

The three parties around the long table had different backgrounds, resources, information channels, and understandings of the mysterious domains. If they could communicate and cooperate to some extent, it would yield unforeseeable and wonderful results!

For example, the resource exchange just agreed upon, or if he wanted to eliminate someone, he could easily ask "members" who had no apparent or substantial connection to him for help. This would perfectly divert attention elsewhere.

"A lady of noble birth... Is my demeanor and accent so obvious?" Audrey's mouth hung open for a moment, surprised, but she quickly regained her composure and nodded without hesitation:

"Mr. Fool, I think it's a great suggestion. As long as these 'gatherings' become regular, there may be things that, if you are unable to attend, we can handle on your behalf, of course, within our capabilities."

Since the Fool agreed to the proposal made by Algernon and Audrey, it indicated there would be similar "gatherings" in the future.

Thinking about the pros and cons, Zhou Mingrui realized that more "gatherings" could indeed yield more extraordinary mysteries and occult knowledge, which would help him in the future when he returned, such as the potion formula for the "Audience" that would likely appear at the next "gathering." Similarly, it could also provide information for his current real-life situation, which would be of some help.

However, the more "gatherings," the more likely it was to expose his true self!

Indeed, in any world, there was nothing that existed solely for benefits... Zhou Mingrui reached out his right hand again, lightly tapping the edge of the long table with his fingers.

Considering that the summoning and dissolution of the "gatherings" were within his control, even if some problems were exposed, they would be within manageable limits. The benefits outweighed the drawbacks significantly, so Zhou Mingrui made a swift decision.

He ceased tapping and smiled at the four expectant yet anxious gazes:

"I am one who favors equal exchanges."

"I won't ask you to help unconditionally."

"Every Monday, at three in the afternoon, try to be alone. After I make several more attempts and figure out some things, perhaps you can take leave in advance, so you don't have to worry about being in an unsuitable situation."

That was his acceptance of Algernon and Audrey's proposal.

Audrey, just seventeen, had always been sheltered, with a girlish nature. Upon hearing Mr. Fool's response, she couldn't help but clench her fists and lightly sway them in front of her chest.

"Shouldn't we give ourselves a title too? After all, we can't communicate using our real names." Without waiting for Algernon to speak, she looked bright

-eyed and enthusiastic.

Though her true situation might not be hidden from Mr. Fool, the person opposite was somewhat dangerous. She couldn't let him know who she really was!

"A good idea," Zhou Mingrui responded briefly and casually.

Audrey immediately set her mind to work, thinking aloud:

"You are Mr. Fool, from the Tarot, so as a regular, long-term, and secretive 'gathering,' our titles should be as consistent as possible. Well, I'll choose from the Tarot too."

Her tone gradually became cheerful:

"Decided. My title is 'Justice'!"

This was one of the twenty-two major arcana of the Tarot.

"And what about you, sir?" Audrey looked smilingly at her "companion" across the table.

Algernon furrowed his brows slightly, then relaxed:

"The Hanged Man."

Another major arcana.

"Alright, then we're the founding members of the Tarot Society!" Audrey exclaimed happily at first, then a bit hesitantly looked at Zhou Mingrui, who was shrouded in the gray-white mist, "Is that okay, Mr. Fool?"

Zhou Mingrui chuckled and shook his head:

"This is a trivial matter; you can decide for yourselves."

"Thank you!" Audrey was visibly excited.

Then, she turned to Algernon:

"Mr. Hanged Man, can you repeat the address you just mentioned? I'm afraid my memory isn't sharp enough."

"No problem," Algernon was quite satisfied with Audrey's seriousness and repeated the address.

After silently reciting it three times, Audrey, still excited, continued:

"I heard that the Tarot was actually a game invented by Emperor Roselle and doesn't actually have the function of divination?"

"No, oftentimes, divination originates from within oneself. Everyone has a spirituality and can resonate with the spirit world, sensing information beyond the physical realm. It's just that ordinary people are unaware of this and cannot perceive it, let alone interpret the 'hints' they receive. When they use divination tools, these messages are presented through the tools. A simple example is dreams and their interpretation." Algernon glanced at Zhou Mingrui, seeing no objection, he refuted Audrey's statement, "The Tarot actually belongs to this category of tools. It uses more symbols and rational elements to help us interpret the 'hints' more conveniently and accurately."

Zhou Mingrui seemed indifferent but was actually listening very attentively. However, his mental dissociation was becoming severe, and his head began to throb intermittently.

"Understood," Audrey nodded in agreement, then emphasized, "What I meant wasn't that. I'm not questioning the Tarot. I heard that Emperor Roselle actually made another deck, one that is secretive, symbolizing certain unknown forces, with a total of twenty-two cards. After completing it, he referred to this to create the twenty-two major arcana of the Tarot as a game tool. Is this statement accurate?"

She looked at Zhou Mingrui, seemingly seeking an answer from the mysterious Mr. Fool.

Zhou Mingrui just smiled and remained silent, shifting his gaze to the "Hanged Man" with a look that seemed to say, "Let's see what you have to say."

Algernon subconsciously straightened his posture and said solemnly:

"Yes, it is said that Emperor Roselle saw the Profane Slate, and that deck concealed the secrets of the twenty-two paths of the gods."

"The twenty-two paths of the gods..." Audrey repeated with a tone full of yearning.

At this moment, Zhou Mingrui's headache intensified, feeling the tenuous connection between himself and the deep red stars, the gray-white mist beginning to waver.

"Alright, let's end today's gathering here," he promptly decided, speaking in a low tone.

"As you wish," Algernon bowed his head in respect.

"As you wish," Audrey mimicked the "Hanged Man."

She had many more questions and thoughts and was completely unwilling to end the gathering.

As Zhou Mingrui severed the connection, he smiled and said:

"Let's look forward to the next gathering."

The "stars" shone once more, the deep red light retracting like water. Audrey and Algernon's figures became blurrier as they heard Mr. Fool's words, appearing increasingly ethereal.

In less than a second, the "projection" shattered, and silence returned above the gray mist.

Zhou Mingrui felt himself rapidly becoming heavier, his surroundings becoming indistinct. Suddenly, everything went dark, then brilliant sunlight filled his vision.

He was still in his apartment, standing in the center.

"Like a dream... What on earth is that gray mist world? And who or what caused the changes just now..." Zhou Mingrui sighed softly in Chinese, full of confusion, his legs feeling as heavy as lead as he walked to the desk.

He picked up the pocket watch he had placed outside earlier and checked how much time had passed.

"Time flows one to one

," Zhou Mingrui roughly estimated.

Setting down the pocket watch, the throbbing pain in his head became unbearable, and he could no longer support himself. He sat down on the chair, bowing his head and massaging his temples with his thumb and middle finger.

After a long time, he sighed and suddenly said in Chinese:

"It seems I won't be able to return in the short term..."

Only the ignorant can be fearless. After experiencing such miraculous events and understanding extraordinary realms and mysterious worlds, Zhou Mingrui dared not rashly attempt the "transference rituals" of Gufusk and Runish languages!

Who knows what other situations might arise, perhaps even more bizarre, terrifying, or even worse than death!

"At least I need to have a deep understanding of occult studies before attempting it," Zhou Mingrui thought helplessly.

Fortunately, the so-called "gatherings" could provide him with assistance.

Another moment of silence passed, and he muttered to himself with a mixture of frustration, loss, pain, and melancholy:

"From now on, I am Klein."

...

Klein struggled to redirect his thoughts to methods and plans to dispel the negative emotions in his heart.

Perhaps next week he could eavesdrop on the potion formula for the "Audience"...

The gathering just now was indeed magical; people from different parts of the world turned thousands of miles into inches, communicating face to face, exchanging information... Hmm, this sounds familiar...

Klein was stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter, pressing his temples with his hand and murmuring to himself:

"Should I check out online dating platforms?"