Chapter 69: Budget, Casting

"I am a loser, and I barely pay attention to whether the sun is shining or not, because I have no time.

"My parents couldn't provide me with support, my education isn't high, and I am alone in the city searching for a future.

"I looked for many jobs, but I couldn't get hired. Perhaps no one likes someone who isn't good at speaking, doesn't like to communicate, and hasn't shown enough ability.

To see the latest chapter content, please download, and read the latest chapter content for free without ads. The website is no longer updating the latest chapter content; the latest chapter content has already been updated.

"I went three whole days eating only two pieces of bread. Hunger made it impossible for me to sleep at night. Fortunately, I had paid a month's rent in advance, so I could continue to live in that dark basement without having to go outside and endure the unusually cold winter wind.

"Finally, I found a job, keeping watch at a hospital, keeping watch over the morgue.

"The hospital at night is even colder than I imagined. The wall lamps in the corridor aren't lit, and it's dim everywhere. I can only rely on the little bit of light seeping out from the rooms to help me see my feet.

"The smell there is very unpleasant. From time to time, the deceased are sent over stuffed in body bags, and we cooperate to help move them into the morgue.

"This isn't a very good job, but at least it allows me to afford bread, and the free time at night can be used for studying. After all, not many people are willing to come to the morgue unless there are corpses that need to be delivered or transported for cremation. Of course, I don't have enough money to buy books yet, and I don't see any hope of saving money for now.

"I have to thank my former colleague; if it weren't for him suddenly quitting, I might not have even been able to get a job like this.

"I dream of being able to rotate to the day shift. Now, I always sleep when the sun comes out and wake up after night falls, which has made my body a bit weak, and my head occasionally throbs with pain.

"One day, the porters delivered a new corpse.

"According to others, this was my former colleague who had suddenly quit.

"I was a bit curious about him. After everyone left, I pulled out the cabinet and quietly opened the body bag.

"He was an old man, his face blue and white, covered in wrinkles, looking very frightening under the extremely dim light.

"He didn't have much hair, most of it was white, and all his clothes had been stripped off, not even leaving him a scrap of fabric.

The website content updates slowly, please download to read the latest chapter content.

"I saw a strange mark on his chest, blue-black in color. I can't describe exactly what it looked like; the light at the time was truly too dim.

"I reached out and touched the mark, but there was nothing special about it.

"Looking at this former colleague, I wondered, if I keep going like this, when I get old, will I end up like him...

"I told him that tomorrow I would accompany him to the crematorium and personally take his ashes to the nearest free cemetery, so that those responsible for these matters wouldn't find it troublesome and just throw them in some random river or wasteland.

"This will sacrifice one morning of my sleep, but fortunately, it will be Sunday soon, so I can make it up.

"After saying that, I fixed the body bag and pushed it back into the cabinet.

"The light in the room seemed to get even dimmer...

"After that day, every time I sleep, I always dream of a thick fog.

"I have a premonition that something will happen soon, a premonition that sooner or later something that I don't know if it can be called human will come looking for me, but no one is willing to believe me. They think that in such an environment and such a job, my mind has become abnormal and I need to see a doctor..."

A male guest sitting in front of the bar looked at the storyteller who had suddenly stopped:

"And then?"

This male guest was in his thirties, wearing a brown tweed jacket and light yellow trousers, his hair pressed very flat, and a simple dark bowler hat by his side.

He looked ordinary, like most people in the tavern: black hair, light blue eyes, not handsome, not ugly, lacking any obvious features.

And the storyteller in his eyes was a young man of eighteen or nineteen, with a tall, straight figure and slender limbs, also with short black hair and light blue eyes, but with deep-set features that could make one's eyes light up.

The young man looked at the empty wine glass in front of him and sighed:

"Then?

Download to read the latest chapter content.

"Then I quit my job, went back to the countryside, and came here to brag to you."

As he spoke, a smile appeared on his face, a smile with a hint of mischief.

The male guest was stunned for a moment:

"Was what you just told me bragging?"

"Haha." A burst of laughter erupted around the bar.

As the laughter subsided slightly, a thin, middle-aged man looked at the slightly embarrassed guest and said:

"Outsider, you actually believed Lumian's story? What he says is different every day. Yesterday he was a poor wretch whose engagement was broken off by his fiancée, and today he's become a corpse keeper!"

"Right, talking about thirty years on the east side of the Selenzo River, thirty years on the right side of the Selenzo River, just babbling nonsense!" another tavern regular added.

They were all farmers from the large village of Cordu, wearing short jackets that were black, gray, or brown.

The black-haired young man called Lumian propped himself up on the bar with both hands, stood up slowly, and said with a smile:

"You know, this isn't a story I made up; it was all written by my sister. She loves writing stories the most and is even a columnist for some 'Novel Weekly'."

After finishing, he turned his body to the side, spread his hands toward the outsider, and smiled brightly:

"It seems she writes really well.

"Sorry for the misunderstanding."

The man in the brown tweed jacket with the ordinary appearance wasn't angry; he stood up as well and responded with a smile:

"A very interesting story.

"What should I call you?"

"Isn't it common sense to introduce yourself before asking others?" Lumian laughed.

The guest from out of town nodded:

"My name is Ryan Cos.

"These two are my companions, Valentine and Leah."

The latter part of the sentence referred to the man and woman sitting right next to him.

The man was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, his yellow hair dusted with powder, his eyes, which weren't very large, a color a bit deeper than lake blue. He wore a white vest, a blue fine-wool coat, and black trousers, clearly having dressed up carefully before going out.

He looked quite cold and didn't really look at the surrounding farmers and herdsmen.

The woman looked younger than the two men, her light gray hair tied into a complex bun, wrapped in a white veil that served as a hat.

Her eyes were the same color as her hair, and her gaze toward Lumian carried undisguised amusement; she seemed to find what had just happened merely interesting.

Under the light of the tavern's gas wall lamp, this woman named Leah revealed a pert nose and beautifully curved lips; in a countryside village like Cordu, she would definitely be considered a beauty.

She wore a white, unpleated cashmere tight-fitting dress, paired with a cream-colored small jacket and a pair of Marsil boots. There were also two small silver bells tied to her veil and boots respectively. When she walked into the tavern just now, she jingled all the way, which was very eye-catching, making many men stare blankly.

In their eyes, this must be the kind of fashionable attire only found in big cities like the provincial capital Bigo or the capital Trier.

Lumian nodded to the three outsiders:

"My name is Lumian Lee, you can just call me Lumian."

"Lee?" Leah blurted out.

"What's wrong, is there a problem with my surname?" Lumian asked curiously.

Ryan Cos helped explain for Leah:

"Your surname is terrifying. I almost couldn't control my voice just now."

Seeing the surrounding farmers and herdsmen looking puzzled, he further explained:

"Those who have had contact with sailors and sea merchants all know that there is a saying circulating on the Five Seas:

"Better to encounter those pirate generals or even kings than to run into someone named Frank Lee.

"That person's surname is also Lee."

"Is he very scary?" Lumian asked.

Ryan shook his head:

"I'm not sure, but since there is such a legend, it certainly won't be bad."

He ended the topic and said to Lumian:

"Thank you for your story, it's worth a drink. What would you like?"

"A glass of 'Green Fairy'." Lumian wasn't polite at all and sat back down.

Ryan Cos frowned slightly and said:

"'Green Fairy'... Absinthe?

"I think I need to remind you that wormwood is harmful to the human body. This kind of alcohol can lead to mental confusion and cause you to have hallucinations."

"I didn't expect the fashion trends of Trier to have spread all the way here." Leah, who was next to him, added with a smile.

Lumian said "Oh":

"So people from Trier also like to drink 'Green Fairy'...

"For us, life is already hard enough; there's no need to care about a little more harm. This kind of alcohol allows our spirits to get greater relaxation."

"Fine." Ryan sat back in his seat and looked at the bartender, "A glass of 'Green Fairy', and add a glass of 'Spicy Heart' for me."

"Spicy Heart" is a famous fruit liquor.

"Why not get me a glass of 'Green Fairy' too? I was the one who told you the truth just now, and I can even tell you the situation of this kid exactly as it is!" the thin middle-aged man who first exposed that Lumian told stories every day shouted with dissatisfaction, "Outsider, I can tell, you still have doubts about the truth of that story!"

"Pierre, you really can do anything for a free drink!" Lumian shouted in response.

Before Ryan could make a decision, Lumian added:

"Why can't I tell it myself? That way I can drink another glass of 'Green Fairy'?"

"Because they don't know whether they should believe the situation you're talking about." The middle-aged man named Pierre laughed triumphantly, "The story your sister loves to tell children the most is 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'. People who always lie will inevitably lose their credibility."

"Fine." Lumian shrugged his shoulders, watching the bartender push a glass of pale green liquid in front of him.

Ryan looked at him and asked for confirmation:

"Is this okay?"

"No problem, as long as your wallet is enough to pay for these drinks." Lumian didn't care at all.

"Then another glass of 'Green Fairy'." Ryan nodded.

Pierre was suddenly all smiles:

"Generous outsider, this kid is the biggest prankster in the village, you must stay far away from him."

"Five years ago, he was brought back to the village by his sister Aurore and never left again. Think about it, he was only thirteen before that; how could he have gone to a hospital to work as a mortuary attendant? Hmm, the closest hospital to us is in Dariège down the mountain, which takes an entire afternoon to walk to."

"Brought back to the village?" Liya asked sharply.

She tilted her head slightly, producing a tinkling sound.

Pierre nodded:

To see the latest chapter content, please download, read the latest chapter content for free without ads. The latest chapter content is already here, the website is no longer updating the latest chapter content.

"Then, he followed Aurore and took the surname 'Li', and even the name 'Lumian' was chosen by Aurore."

"I've even forgotten what I was originally called," Lumian said with a grin, taking a sip of absinthe.

It seemed that he felt neither inferior nor ashamed that his past was being laid bare like this.