Chapter 37 Big Factory
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“Paper tiger” perfectly described Wen Shi’s current state.
The【One Strike Flattens All】move was really satisfying, but it was a shame that using this powerful attack cost five thousand points and could only be done once. Nonetheless, he had to put on a show.
Wen Shi changed his approach and used the pointed tip of the Greenwood Sword in his hand to lift the original dormitory supervisor’s chin. He said, “Clean up the hallway, got it? Otherwise…”
The sharp longsword slid down from the throat, coming to a stop at the waist. Wen Shi slightly bent over. As he exhaled softly, he said with a sinister tone, “You know what I’ll do to you.”
The dormitory supervisor’s body froze, not daring to move, worried that the cold sword might pierce the skin at any moment.
【Warning, Jian Qingrong’s favorability for you increased by 5.】
“……”
Wen Shi’s hand holding the sword paused for a moment. He glanced to the side and, although it happened quickly, he was sure he saw a brief spark of excitement in Jian Qingrong’s eyes. The other person even licked his lips unconsciously, his gaze fixed on the sword. In that instant, it almost seemed like he was licking the sword in Wen Shi’s hand.
There was definitely something off about this person’s mindset.
Wen Shi withdrew his gaze and finally instructed the dormitory supervisor, “Don’t forget to clean the dormitory as well.”
A monster’s body lay on the window of Room 401, with the items from the table scattered on the floor. The foul liquid left behind by the monster seeped slowly into the gaps of the tiles.
It was so dirty that Wen Shi couldn’t be bothered to clean it up.
Afterward, he sheathed his sword and tightly gripped the electric baton he had just acquired, cautiously heading towards the staircase.
The system required the dormitory supervisor to ensure the residents’ safety, so Wen Shi had to patrol this floor to eliminate any potential hazards.
“I’ll go with you,” Jian Qingrong followed, his voice a mix of sincerity and uncertainty, “In case of danger, you’ll have someone to watch your back.”
For now, Wen Shi only perceived that Jian Qingrong had some psychological issues. There wasn’t a single normal person in this instance, but he didn’t regard the other person with a different perspective because of it.
What truly concerned him was the warning prompt. Perhaps due to the intricacies of human relationships in this Big Factory instance, compared to the ancient castle instance, the NPCs’ favorability could be raised more easily in this instance. However, Wen Shi couldn’t quite fathom why there was a warning reminder. Not long ago, there wasn’t such a notification when his favorability with the factory manager increased.
There was a lot of commotion downstairs, but after the monsters that dared to rush up three floors at once arrived, there were no more newcomers.
Wen Shi walked cautiously upstairs. At the corner between the fourth and fifth floors, spotted several monster corpses lying upside down. The iron door on the fifth floor was tightly shut, and the pitch-black corridor gave no hints, only conveying a sense of endless darkness.
Did the dormitory supervisor on the fifth floor manage to kill a few monsters through the iron door? As expected, the fourth floor’s performance was really garbage.
Wen Shi dragged one monster’s body back to the staff room, planning to examine the cause of death.
The room’s lighting wasn’t sufficient, so Wen Shi turned on a flashlight. When Jian Qingrong offered to hold it for him willingly, Wen Shi glanced at him before handing over the phone.
With the flashlight’s beam, everything became much clearer. Wen Shi tore the monster’s clothes with his bare hands.The entire motion flowed smoothly. Blood from the torn clothes splattered onto his hands, creating a stark contrast between deep red and pale white.
【Warning, Jian Qingrong’s fondness for you +1.】
【Warning, Jian Qingrong’s fondness for you +1.】
Two consecutive warning sounds seemed to correspond to two different things. Wen Shi’s brow twitched–he definitely didn’t want this kind of increase in favorability.
He seemed to have unknowingly hit the switch of excitement for Jian Qingrong in some casual way.
The fatal wound was in the chest. After comparing, the wound on the heart was about the same size as that of the electric baton. The electric baton from Big Factory could extend up to a meter, and to violently break through the sternum through an iron door would be impossible for an ordinary person’s strength.
The dormitory supervisor on the fifth floor indeed had some skills.
“Weakness is in the heart,” Wen Shi jotted down.
Jian Qingrong suddenly asked, “Do you enjoy researching?”
Actually, the original question was, “Do you also enjoy researching?” but the pronunciation of his ‘also’ was very faint, almost negligible.
Wen Shi lifted his eyelids and said lightly, “So-so.”
“Huh?” He suddenly leaned in close to the monster’s ear and found a number behind its ear: 189.
Clearly, this was a deliberately carved number. He then went to the corridor and picked up a few severed heads, examining them one by one. Some of the heads had numbers, while others didn’t. This scene of inspecting severed heads seemed quite unsettling to the dormitory supervisor and the residents peeking through their peepholes, almost like a demon had descended.
Jian Qingrong said, “It might be something the sanatorium did for easier management. A good number of patients are sent there every month.”
Wen Shi stood up and shook his head, “It’s an experimental code.”
Such specific markings were only done on experimental subjects.
The monsters had never actively attacked normal people before, but if someone had intentionally conducted certain research experiments or combat training, it could explain it. There were a total of five numbered corpses in the fourth-floor corridor. Wen Shi went upstairs again. All the monsters between the fourth and fifth floors had numbers. The numbered monsters were less decomposed and had longer, sharper teeth.
Wen Shi recalled the earlier monster attack and vaguely remembered a few faces. The one at the front was a numbered monster. It was likely that these numbered monsters were leading the nighttime assault.
But who was behind all this, instructing these numbered monsters?
Wen Shi had a growing sense that this world was becoming increasingly unsafe. Once…
“If the monsters start indiscriminately attacking normal people, is there still hope for this world?” Jian Qingrong lowered his head, gazing at the scattered remains on the ground. It seemed like he was worried about the future, yet not entirely.
Wen Shi: “Actually, if one could stay in the transformed state continuously, as long as they could remain rational, there would still be a chance.”
The monsters didn’t attack those who had transformed. Within this range, they seemed to consider them as companions. If it weren’t for the fact that non-transformed individuals might engage in indiscriminate attacks out of hunger, it would be the most ideal situation.
Jian Qingrong was momentarily taken aback.
【Warning, Jian Qingrong’s fondness for you +1.】
“You’re quite clever,” he commented.
“I just said that casually.” Wen Shi shrugged. “One shouldn’t give up hope at any time.”
He was someone who believed that where there’s a will, there’s a way.
The dormitory supervisor held a dustpan to sweep the severed heads and then went to wash the mop to start mopping the floor.
Wen Shi looked disgusted. “That’s too twisted.”
The dormitory supervisor’s mopping halted briefly, unable to express anger but also unable to speak.
Who’s the real twisted one here, don’t you have any sense about it?!
The corridor lacked windows. Wen Shi was about to return to his room to check the situation outside when he suddenly slapped his forehead. “Almost forgot about Uncle.”
The notification indicated that a resident was hiding in the trash bin in Room 401. Since it wasn’t Jian Qingrong, it could only be his dad.
Wen Shi lifted the lid of the trash bin, causing the corpse inside to shake like a sieve. As soon as the Old Man Ghost saw Wen Shi, he immediately clamped his legs shut.
“……” There was hardly anything left but a skeletal frame. What was he afraid of?
The Old Man Ghost was genuinely frightened of Wen Shi, firmly believing that he was capable of even more twisted deeds.
Wen Shi had Jian Qingrong take the skeleton into the room first, then he stopped the dormitory supervisor and quietly asked, “Do you know about his father’s passing?”
The dormitory supervisor hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
“Do others know?” When Jian Qingrong had mentioned to the factory manager about wanting to move outside, he had used his father’s mobility issues as an excuse.
The dormitory supervisor shook his head.
Wen Shi was surprised. “He’s staying with a set of bones in his room. Doesn’t that strike you as weird?”
“The pollution index worsens day by day,” the dormitory supervisor sighed bitterly. “Everyone is affected to some extent, and with extreme behaviors, Jian Qingrong is actually quite normal.”
While saying it was normal, the dormitory supervisor kept staring at Wen Shi.
When it came to weirdness, who was the one with the weirdness right in front of him?
Wen Shi read too much from his gaze. His mouth twitched, and he turned around without bothering to explain.
The dormitory was mostly cleaned up by the dormitory supervisor. Wen Shi stood by the window. Outside the dormitory building, there were no streetlights. He could only rely on the relatively bright moonlight tonight to see water puddles on the ground. It hadn’t rained today, so these puddles were all formed by accumulated blood. Suddenly, a faint light appeared downstairs. The light moved rapidly along with its owner. Since there were no streetlights outside the dormitory building, the light’s shape somewhat resembled an ice cone.
It was a player using an item for self-defense.
The night was too dark for Wen Shi to identify who it was. He furrowed his brow. Overseer Zhao had emphasized the danger at night. If it were him, he would rather fight to the death than venture outside. Veteran players wouldn’t make such a basic mistake.
“Die!” that player began shouting loudly.
Wen Shi didn’t sense any monsters chasing the player. He suspected it was a hallucination caused by a drastic drop in Soul Purity.
The higher the dormitory building, the more dangerous the residents became. However, regardless, living on higher floors provided relatively better safety. At least the sinister-hearted Overseer Zhao was living comfortably.
He must find a way to climb higher.
He was a man who wanted to live in the penthouse on the top floor.
After some contemplation, Wen Shi picked up his bedding, preparing to spend the night in the staff room.
The staff room had a decent atmosphere and could accommodate a small bed. The dormitory supervisor, full of resentment, looked through the window at the man occupying his space. He dared not express his anger, and the hallway was too dirty. He had to clean the mop again.
Carrying a mop soaked in blood, the dormitory supervisor headed to the water room, while Jian Qingrong approached with a bag of tools.
Wen Shi opened the small window of the staff room. “What are you doing?”
“Fixing the door.” Jian Qingrong seemed quite skilled in various tasks.
The iron door was still useful at critical times. Wen Shi didn’t object, sat back down, and thought about the likely scene of a bloodbath downstairs. He shook his head. “Dad, you better not die too soon.”
Jian Qingrong’s ears were unusually sharp. “Is your father also in the dormitory?”
“No, it’s my main sponsor, the one who gives me money.”
Jian Qingrong frowned. “How can you casually call someone by that title?”
Wen Shi laughed, tapped the glass, and casually said, “When you become rich someday and are willing to invest in my business, I can call you ‘dad’ too.”
Jian Qingrong tensed up, lowering his head even further.
From Wen Shi’s perspective, it looked like he was shrinking his neck like a quail. Just after a bloody battle, he couldn’t help but indulge in a bit of dark humor. His disheveled head poked out of the window, and he clearly shouted, “Dad, Dad.”
Jian Qingrong fled in panic.
Behind him, Wen Shi laughed in an unkind manner.
Third floor.
This was a heavily infested area with monsters. The doors were broken, and there wasn’t a decent safe spot in sight.
Player Zhou Xiaochun hid behind Ji Yuanzhi. He was the first to spot the wave of monsters and immediately chose to spend points to save his life. He found refuge with Ji Yuanzhi and sought his protection by spending points.
“This damn A+ level instance.” Having almost experienced a scene from a zombie apocalypse, Zhou Xiaochun was at a loss for words. “Calling the difficulty level S wouldn’t even be an exaggeration.”
Ji Yuanzhi’s dormitory entrance was a rare clean spot. The monsters overlooked it. In their eyes, it seemed like a nonexistent empty room.
The door stood wide open.
The monsters lingered in the corridor, finally showing signs of retreating.
Zhou Xiaochun, who managed to save his life, let out a sigh of relief. The money spent to stay alive tonight was truly worth it! Moreover, Ji Yuanzhi didn’t ask for too much in return.
Zhou Xiaochun’s eyes welled up with tears. “Dad, I feel like bowing to you.”
Among the many players, Ji Yuanzhi’s decision to save Zhou Xiaochun was naturally because he saw investment value in his skills. Although Zhou Xiaochun was extremely weak in terms of combat power, anyone with even a bit of ability, even a skilled fighter like Tu Bianxi, wouldn’t refuse Zhou Xiaochun’s loyalty.
【Divination】.
The skills that Zhou Xiaochun possessed could prove quite useful in critical moments.
“Don’t call me dad.” Ji Yuanzhi pulled out a chair and sat down, adjusting his glasses. “My son is upstairs.”
Over ten thousand points. That was what it costed to keep him.
“……”
…
The vexing night finally passed with the arrival of daylight.
Who knew what arrangements the other floors had, but there was no hot water on the fourth floor. To take a shower, one had to go to the water room where there was a separate little cubicle.
Around six in the morning, Wen Shi took a shower, changing into the work uniform issued yesterday. The uniforms were made to fit loosely, and Wen Shi felt like wind could blow in from the collar and cuffs. While tidying his clothes, he found something in his pocket besides the intern badge, a work ID. The bloodstains on it were just like those on his white coat and couldn’t be wiped away no matter how hard he tried.
【Night Shift Dorm Supervisor:Aaron
Area of Jurisdiction: Fourth Floor of the Big Factory Dormitory】
Not only that, but the attribute panel also added【Cutting Princess】achievement after【Heavenly Male Scattering Flowers】.
“Cu-cutting princess?”
Wen Shi stumbled over his words.
“Don’t panic, don’t panic. Only the heavens, the earth, and I know about this. No one else is aware,” he reassured himself. “Besides, the theme of this instance is purity. So, if I were to put it plainly, isn’t having a pure body match the theme perfectly”
After taking a deep breath, Wen Shi’s gaze turned fierce—
This dog game, I’ll silence you sooner or later!
The delicious aroma of soy milk wafted in, interrupting his soliloquy.
Wen Shi looked up, and a skinny man stood outside the staff room, wearing a placating smile. “I’m Zhao Ze from Room 406.”
“I remember you. You were the one who splashed Beautiful Soul Elixir on Jian Qingrong yesterday.”
“It was a misunderstanding, all of that was a misunderstanding.” Zhao Ze placed the soy milk and pancake on the windowsill. “I’m going for a morning exercise, and I got you breakfast.”
Wen Shi took it without hesitation, then handed over his phone. “Could you input the names and phone numbers of all the residents on this floor?”
Zhao Ze obediently complied, and soon Wen Shi’s contact list had a long list of names. He waved his hand to signal Zhao Ze could leave.
It was mentioned that fourth-floor residents would obey without question and wouldn’t poison.
Wen Shi was just the night shift dorm supervisor. He headed downstairs, eating breakfast along the way. As for the original dorm supervisor, the daytime chores hadn’t been taken away by Wen Shi. With a forlorn face, he returned to his staff room.
The staircase was slippery and sticky, as if it had rained blood last night. There was a torn-off arm at the corner, whether it belonged to a player or a monster was unclear. The janitors in protective suits arrived early, cleaning the hallway. When Wen Shi reached the third floor, Ji Yuanzhi came out, followed by a startled Zhou Xiaochun.
Zhou Xiaochun’s eyes widened. “You’re still alive?” Seeing the food in his hands, he quickly added, “As expected, it gets better as you go up. They even provide breakfast.”
Wen Shi raised his cup toward Ji Yuanzhi. “Good morning.”
Ji Yuanzhi didn’t seem surprised by the fact that he was alive. He smiled and replied, “Good morning.”
As Wen Shi approached, both of them frowned simultaneously.
After being in the horror world for so long, being overly cautious was the norm. Wen Shi almost instantly turned against the wall, thinking there was a monster behind him, only to find nothing there. Perplexed, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Zhou Xiaochun spoke up first. “It’s nothing, just don’t know why, but I felt a strong sense of danger when I saw you.”
Ji Yuanzhi nodded, indicating he had the same feeling.
Wen Shi paused for a moment, attributing it to the oppressive feeling from being a dorm supervisor.
Little did he know, Zhou Xiaochun suddenly muttered softly, “Don’t walk near me.”
“Huh?”
Zhou Xiaochun tugged his clothes down and used the loose work uniform to cover his crotch.
“……” From his actions, Wen Shi sensed a similar guardedness to that of the Old Man Ghost. After a moment, it seemed like he realized something, so he opened his attribute panel and focused on the achievements section.
Before, due to the generated titles, he chose to turn a blind eye, just quickly glancing over them. Now, he looked carefully and suddenly realized they could be further opened.
【Heavenly Male Scattering Flowers: You selflessly helped pollinate the mutant pomegranate flowers and exceeded the task requirements. Under this achievement title, you radiate a maternal aura. Ghost children, infant spirits, and similar monsters feel like calling you “mom.”】
【Cutting Princess: Also known as “Slicing Chick.” You once spent a night slicing through monsters’ chickens. Any male creature who sees you will involuntarily clench their lower body, feeling a strong sense of danger. This feeling won’t last more than three seconds, after all, you can slice them in three seconds.】
“…Be careful!” Zhou Xiaochun shouted, and Ji Yuanzhi quickly grabbed Wen Shi, who almost fell down the stairs.
Momentarily distracted, Wen Shi gripped the railing tightly and said, “Thank you.”
Zhou Xiaochun: “Are you okay?”
Wen Shi shook his head, then shook it again. “I’m fine.”
What could possibly happen to him? Little ghosts would want to call him “mom,” female ghosts would feel endless disgust, and males would likely only hold icy hatred and fear. It encompassed all aspects, and he had nothing more to lose.
***
this comment:
kacha ( *・ω・)✄╰ひ╯
.
ꉂ (´∀｀) one strike FLATTENS all
If you enjoy this novel, support the Translator ginevre on her ko-fi account :))
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