Chapter 34.2 Big Factory
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Wen Shi recalled the chef pulling out buckets filled with chunks of meat during the day. He asked in a serious tone, “What’s in the bucket?”
The Wandering Corpse had an IQ of seventy-nine, though it had some cognitive issues. It had basic logical thinking and replied sluggishly, “Person, a man, mostly eaten.”
Disregarding the unsettling description, Wen Shi tentatively deduced it was likely one of the players who didn’t make it past the afternoon interview. For some unknown reason, they were taken away and then returned, ending up in the bucket.
“Like fodder.” Wen Shi considered a possibility: could this corpse be used to feed the monsters in the factory, to appease them?
After all, well-fed beasts might spare other prey.
Staying near the monsters’ “feeding trough” was undoubtedly dangerous. Wen Shi urged in a hushed voice, “Hurry.”
Afterwards, the Wandering Corpse didn’t bump into obstacles anymore. Wen Shi smoothly arrived outside the shipping warehouse. Coughing sounds echoed from inside, along with a man’s low complaints, “Itchy as hell, so damn itchy.”
To Wen Shi’s surprise, he found that his phone worked here.
“Who?” a gruff male voice came from inside.
Wen Shi put away his phone and adjusted his breathing, using a disguised voice to answer, “Overseer Zhao sent me.”
The sudden switch to a girlish tone startled the Wandering Corpse for a moment. Its eyes widened.
“Write an IOU note.” As he scratched himself so vigorously that his skin was close to breaking, Hai Sheng said, “You’re lucky. I only have ten bottles of Beautiful Soul Elixir left. You’re the second one to come.”
After confirming that there were no other players in the shipping warehouse through the Wandering Corpse, Wen Shi approached slowly. In the darkness, he whispered, “Why not turn on the lights?”
“I’ve got a bit of a skin condition lately, can’t handle bright light,” Hai Sheng impatiently retorted, “Why all the chit-chat? Hurry up and write the IOU note. Once you get paid, give me three bottles of the improved version of Beautiful Soul Elixir.”
He provided new employees with the original Beautiful Soul Elixir, but collected three times the price for the improved version. Hai Sheng and Overseer Zhao had often profited from this scheme.
Writing an IOU note required some light. Hai Sheng barely found the flashlight button when a sharp pain shot through his neck. His vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.
Even after receiving Wen Shi’s elbow strike, he didn’t lose consciousness. Furious, he cursed, “You dared to hit me? You damn scoundrel, you trying to steal Beautiful Soul Elixir?”
Wen Shi continued using that sweet, false voice, “Not really.”
The factory prohibited stealing Beautiful Soul Elixir. He had witnessed Overseer Zhao reminding the cargo handlers. It was unlikely that private robbery was allowed either, otherwise, the senior employees could have just openly taken from the newcomers instead of resorting to IOU notes.
Wen Shi wasn’t about to take risks for a few bottles of Beautiful Soul Elixir. He had the Wandering Corpse flip the man over and then stepped on Hai Sheng’s waist, gripping his arm and giving a strong yank.
In the instant his arm was painfully dislocated, Hai Sheng let out a pained scream.
Wen Shi opened his phone. The factory-issued model was old-fashioned, like an outdated cell phone with big and bright text. Nevertheless, since it was a free communication device, Wen Shi didn’t complain. He opened the camera and captured the moment.
“Aaah! Aaaah!”
Wen Shi made sure Hai Sheng wasn’t severely injured, but each strike elicited cries of pain. Before leaving, he delivered a final elbow strike, leaving Hai Sheng nearly hoarse from yelling. With the Wandering Corpse, Wen Shi swiftly fled the scene.
As he exited, Wen Shi sensed something in the darkness, but he was unsure if it was a player or a monster. The former seemed more likely, as both sides were cautious, yet neither attacked.
Approaching the exit, they finally met the light again.
Wen Shi dismissed the Wandering Corpse. The sky had quickly darkened after 6 p.m., and now only faint light remained after sunset. He purchased three potions, restored his health, and hurriedly headed towards the dormitory building.
He looked around, but there was no sign of the teenager.
Considering the late hour, Wen Shi needed to first address the more pressing accommodation issue for the night before searching for the summoned individual. He calmed himself slightly, reentering the unsettling darkness of the dormitory building. Devoid of streetlights before the dormitory, climbing the stairs felt like stepping into a monster’s belly step by step.
Wen Shi ascended to the fourth floor in one breath, only to be stopped by the dormitory supervisor, who held an electric baton as if one wrong word from Wen Shi could trigger an attack.
With composure, Wen Shi produced an application form. “The manager asked me to submit this tomorrow. There are a few parts I don’t know how to fill, so I came specifically to seek guidance from the previous ambassador for Beautiful Soul.”
Since the excuse seemed plausible enough, the dormitory supervisor believed it. This owed partly to Wen Shi’s visit to the fourth floor with the interviewer that afternoon, which helped avoid too much suspicion.
“Don’t stay too long,” warned the dorm supervisor.
He walked to the end of the corridor alone.
Once again standing outside Room 401, Wen Shi adjusted his mood and gently knocked on the door.
After about half a minute, the door finally opened. A desk lamp illuminated the room. Jian Qingrong still wore his worn-out uniform, standing straight in place. He didn’t say a word, his messy hair framing a pair of dark eyes that stared fixedly at Wen Shi.
Wen Shi rubbed his arm, which had felt numb due to the Yin energy. He handed over his phone and showed him Hai Sheng’s miserable state.
“You’re Beautiful Soul’s ambassador, and I am too, so roughly speaking, we’re friends, right?” Wen Shi patted his chest. “As friends, I have a responsibility to protect your property. This Hai Sheng isn’t a good person, so I’ve given him a lesson on your behalf.”
Jian Qingrong’s expression was hard to read, and he didn’t respond.
Continuing his train of thought, Wen Shi added, “It’s only fair to return the favor, right? How about you invite me to stay at your dormitory for a night? Oh, and my little brother too, I need to bring him along.”
Jian Qingrong finally reacted, his gaze carrying a hint of confusion. It seemed he couldn’t comprehend why Wen Shi had the audacity to come find him again after the events of the afternoon, let alone suggest staying over.
In truth, if there were other options, Wen Shi wouldn’t want things to be this way.
Dormitories were off-limits to outsiders, and unless he wanted to forcefully eject the teenager, there was only this route available.
After careful consideration, the only glimmer of hope lay in staying in Room 401. Wen Shi believed the prohibition on outsiders might not be set in stone. After all, Jian Qingrong’s father lived in the dormitory, didn’t he? Perhaps this room was an exception.
Jian Qingrong mused softly, “My father doesn’t like outsiders disturbing him.”
With the door to that small room wide open, illuminated by the light, Wen Shi could clearly see the outline of the old man. He sat in the same posture as this afternoon, back turned to the entrance. On the main table lay a single portion of boxed meal. Before Wen Shi entered, Jian Qingrong must have been having his dinner.
A dutiful son who had lived with his father for many years wouldn’t neglect preparing meals for the old man.
Wen Shi managed to maintain a smile and waved towards the inner room. “Good day, Uncle. Is it alright if my little brother and I stay here for a night?”
After a brief pause, he looked at Jian Qingrong and added, “Uncle is silent, so Uncle is giving his consent.”
“……”
After this exchange, Wen Shi couldn’t hide his unease. Even though he had a thick skin, saying those words made him feel a bit self-conscious. His ears felt slightly warm.
Jian Qingrong noticed the faint redness on his earlobes. After a while, the corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly, casting a dim light on his expression. “Fine.”
He agreed to Wen Shi’s request to bring his little brother along and stay.
Despite achieving his goal, Wen Shi couldn’t find much joy in it. Considering what had happened in the afternoon, staying in Room 401 was definitely not a good thing.
Jian Qingrong lowered his gaze again. “I don’t have spare bedding at home. Go to the first floor and pick a set.”
Wen Shi cautiously inquired, “Is it alright to take without asking?”
“Interns usually don’t stay for long. You can choose any room below the fourth floor.”
Couldn’t stay for long, and even skipping the process of room allocation. No matter how he thought about it, this statement carried implications. It seemed the mortality rate in this dormitory was even higher than expected.
Wen Shi used the excuse of fetching bedding to go downstairs, but his real intention was to search for the teenager’s whereabouts.
He wandered around the dormitory building, about to expand his search, when fate played a hand. Ahead, a group of players approached, and one of them was Tu Bianxi.
Tu Bianxi was in conversation with another player, their interaction seemed close. The other player had a tattoo of a broken goat horn on their neck, similar to the player who first approached Wen Shi in the square. It was likely some kind of guild. Wen Shi pursed his lips, reminding himself to be cautious. He hadn’t exactly been polite to that player earlier.
Tu Bianxi had long noticed Wen Shi and deduced that he was searching for someone.
As he approached, Tu Bianxi smiled and remarked, “Wearing a mask is either to hide ugliness or beauty. That kid looks like a real beauty from the mortal world. You’re quite protective of him, I just wonder how long you can keep that up.”
The puppet doll’s eye sockets were oozing murky yellow liquid, dripping onto the ground and leaving a stain.
Tu Bianxi clicked his tongue. “Time for another eye replacement.”
The other three players watched the interaction between the two, each lost in thought.
The player from the Seventh Commandment who teamed up with Tu Bianxi had a grudge against Pei Wenwei, who had embarrassed the Seventh Commandment publicly. It wasn’t surprising that he was targeted now. Especially with a liability, Pei Wenwei’s situation was even more precarious.
What puzzled them was Ji Yuanzhi allowing the newbie to fend for himself after purchasing a team slot.
Just as the saying goes, when mentioning Cao Cao, Cao Cao arrives. Ji Yuanzhi returned to the dormitory building just as the last moments of daylight faded. Seeing Tu Bianxi walking alongside the Seventh Commandment member, he narrowed his eyes.
[T/N: mentioning Cao Cao, Cao Cao arrives = speak of the devil]
Tu Bianxi didn’t engage in verbal sparring with Ji Yuanzhi.
Among all the players this time, he feared Ji Yuanzhi the most. No one in the virtual world knew what exactly his skills were.
Before they could exchange more than a glance, another group arrived…
Surprisingly, it was the teenager and Overseer Zhao.
The teenager voluntarily removed his mask and walked beside Overseer Zhao, pretending not to notice the covetous gazes. He quickly spotted Wen Shi among the crowd and said, “Big Brother, this kind-hearted gentleman has agreed to take us to the fifth floor.”
The rule against bringing outsiders into the dormitory building only applied to residents on the fourth floor and below.
After speaking, the teenager tilted his head up, his enchanting eyes fixed on Overseer Zhao. “You’re really kind.”
So kind, might as well go all the way and die tonight, permanently giving that room to him and his big brother.
Unable to hear the teenager’s true thoughts, Overseer Zhao licked his lips and wished he could lead them inside right away, welcoming the approaching night. “It’s just a small effort.”
This scene left the other players dumbfounded.
At first, they were amazed by the teenager’s fatally attractive looks, then they were stunned by the hidden meaning behind his words.
Tu Bianxi showed an unusual moment of confusion, then he looked at Wen Shi with a meaningful gaze. “Using him to seduce the overseer, Pei Wenwei, I underestimated you.”
The member of Seventh Commandment standing nearby was also looking at Wen Shi with eyes that could only be described as degrading.
They had miscalculated. Someone as ruthless as Pei Wenwei, caring so much about his in-game younger brother, must have ulterior motives.
The surrounding players instinctively took a step back from Wen Shi.
What a ruthless person!
Too ruthless! How could someone come up with such a vile scheme?
Wen Shi had lived for over twenty years and had never cared about being misunderstood or explaining himself to others.
But this time, he immediately jumped in to refute, “It’s not me, I didn’t do it!”
Seeing that no one believed him, Wen Shi turned his head and looked at Ji Yuanzhi. “Golden Daddy, I…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a chilling figure slowly approached from the dormitory building. It was Jian Qingrong. He glanced at the crowd below and his deep eyes locked onto Wen Shi. “What’s taking you so long?”
His gaze swept past the teenager. Jian Qingrong was the only person present who didn’t show surprise at his appearance. He simply said calmly, “Let’s go.”
“Go?” The teenager repeated in confusion.
When facing Jian Qingrong, he instinctively put up a guard. The teenager’s captivating appeal relied not only on his looks but also stems from unique racial talents. However, this person looked at him without desire, as if observing a piece of decaying wood.
“Your Big Brother came to see me. You both will stay with me tonight.”
The teenager blinked in surprise and looked at Wen Shi. Could this Big Brother be one of their kind?
Wen Shi: “……”
Ji Yuanzhi tilted his head and said, “I believe you now.”
Clearly, Ji Yuanzhi wasn’t the one who instructed his “little brother” to seduce the overseer. One chose to take action personally, the other acted spontaneously.
How should one put it, they were meant to be true brothers.
The most confused one was Overseer Zhao, who, upon realizing, immediately turned to Jian Qingrong and angrily questioned, “Say it again, where are they going to stay?”
Jian Qingrong seemed naturally timid, yet he was also quite rigid. When it came to things he needed to do, he would repeatedly express his intentions. Just as he needed to move out of the dormitory, he had to write an application and get the factory manager’s approval. The factory manager had torn up his application at least three times, but Jian Qingrong still went ahead.
At this moment, Jian Qingrong gazed at Wen Shi and answered indifferently, “They’ll stay with me. He said it himself.”
Overseer Zhao, preoccupied with his little beauty, shifted to a tone laden with pressure and asked Wen Shi, “Oh, is that so?”
With the silent Jian Qingrong ahead and the angry Overseer Zhao behind, Wen Shi instinctively looked towards the nearby Tu Bianxi. To his surprise, the usually ruthless Tu Bianxi actually took a step back and, along with his puppet doll, started looking everywhere but at him, as if they didn’t know him at all.
Wen Shi’s eyelid twitched.
“……” Can you all act like human beings!
If you enjoy this novel, support the Translator ginevre on her ko-fi account :))
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Thank you for the double update! 💕