Chapter 114: Charlie (First update seeking monthly votes)

There was a small bar that could only accommodate twenty or thirty people in the basement of the "Golden Chicken Hotel."

As soon as Lu Mian walked in, he saw a man jump onto a small round table, holding a beer, and saying to the four or five guests around him:

"Ladies, gentlemen, listen to me, listen to me! I experienced an incredible thing the day before yesterday!"

In the light of several gas lamps on the wall, Lu Mian found that the young man was very young, only twenty-two or twenty-three years old, with light brown short hair, no beard, and his face was particularly ruddy, perhaps because of drinking.

He wore a linen shirt, black trousers, and leather shoes without laces. His height was not short, over 1.7 meters, but his arms and legs were surprisingly short, looking like someone less than 1.6 meters.

At this time, he was waving his short arms, spitting while speaking:

"How incredible was it? I tell you, it changed my view on faith. As a believer of the 'God of Steam and Machinery,' I am prepared to convert to the 'Eternal Blazing Sun'!

"Listen, how magical is this, right?

"Can you imagine that I had been hungry for five full days? I lost my job, was fired by that bastard manager, and didn't find a job until I spent all my savings.

"I was hungry for five full days, could only lie in bed, the whole person was very weak, and I was only a little bit away from dying. Do you know what it feels like when you are about to die? Oh, may the God bless you never to know.

"I thought at the time, I can't die like this. I came to Trier to get rich. I have to do something. Then, I saw the portrait of Saint Vief pasted on the wall.

"Yes, I climbed up with difficulty, knelt on the ground, and prayed to Saint Vief for help. At that time, I was still a believer of the 'God of Steam and Machinery,' but what wouldn't a starving person do? And, no matter what, this wouldn't have any bad effects!

"Five minutes after I finished praying, a friend of mine came to visit me and discovered my difficult situation. He didn't have much money either, but he reminded me that I had rented a kerosene lamp for use at night before, and the deposit was 35 Copés, a full 7 Ricks!

"God, I actually forgot about this. I hurriedly asked my friend to help me return the kerosene lamp and used the returned deposit to buy bread and half a liter of cheap alcohol. That bread was cold and wet, as if oil ash had been sprinkled on it, and the wine was a bit sour, very light, very light, but that was the most delicious meal I had ever eaten. Ladies, gentlemen, I came alive again!

"I even found a new job today. I will go to the nearest Saint Vief church to light a candle when I rest tomorrow!"

Saint Vief is a female angel mentioned in the scriptures of the Church of the 'Eternal Blazing Sun,' the only one, and one of the patron angels of this city of Trier—the other two belong to the Church of the 'God of Steam and Machinery' and the great figures in Intis history.

Lu Mian looked at the young man's small blue eyes shining with excitement while walking toward the bar.

The bartender, who was wiping a glass with a velvet cloth, raised his head, glanced at the "speaker" stepping on the round table, and laughed in a low voice:

"Charlie is always unable to be quiet, always talking non-stop."

This bartender was about thirty years old, with a circle of dark brown beard around his mouth, but not thick, and hair of the same color was tied into a ponytail with an artistic temperament.

Lu Mian sat on a high stool and asked with a smile:

"Is what he said true?"

"Who knows?" The bartender shrugged, "You should have heard a proverb: believing a Lim person is not as good as believing a snake. Charlie is a Lim person."

Lim Province and Leiston Province both belong to the south, with similar accents, but closer to Lunburg, and are mountainous provinces.

Lu Mian said thoughtfully:

"This proverb shouldn't have finished, right? I feel like there is more behind it."

The bartender's azure eyes carried a clear smile:

"Your feeling is correct. That proverb is even longer than you imagine:

"'Believing a Ruen person is not as good as believing a Lim person, believing a Lim person is not as good as believing a snake, but never believe an islander.'"

The islands refer to the Fog Sea Islands to the west of Intis, which is one of the Republic's overseas colonies. Islanders often act as thugs and scammers in Trier.

Not waiting for Lu Mian to ask again, the bartender looked at Charlie, who was still talking endlessly, with a mocking gaze and said in a low voice:

"If that is something he truly experienced, then he definitely doesn't know that the portrait of Saint Vief pasted in his room is not Saint Vief at all."

"Whose is it?" Lu Mian asked amusedly.

The bartender tried hard to control his laughter:

"Charlie lives in Room 504. The previous tenant often went to City Wall Street in the Red Princess District. What was pasted in the room was one of the most famous prostitutes in Trier a few years ago, Susanna Mattis.

"Think about it, think about it, Charlie thought he was praying for the angel's help, but he was actually praying to a prostitute. He even felt that he had turned his luck because of this, got rid of hunger, and got a new job. This is such an ironic thing!"

"Yes." Lu Mian expressed deep agreement.

This was a plot he couldn't even make up. Reality is sometimes more absurd than stories.

He then added another sentence:

"It's useful as long as it's useful."

The bartender didn't chat anymore and asked:

"What do you need?"

"A glass of fennel absinthe." Lu Mian tapped the bar with his fingers, indicating he was thinking, "What do you have to eat here?"

"How about Duval meat soup? 3 Ricks for a large spoonful." The bartender suggested.

3 Ricks is 15 Copés, 0.15 Ferkins.

Lu Mian showed an interested attitude:

"What is Duval meat soup?"

The bartender explained casually:

"A restaurant boss named Duval invented it. He put meat, sauerkraut, turnips, etc., together to boil into a thick soup, and finally sprinkled with cheese and breadcrumbs. Just one serving can make you full, and the taste is quite good. Therefore, Duval is now a rich man and moved to the Opera District."

The Honest Market District where Lu Mian is currently located, also known as the Market District, is located on the south bank of the Selenzo River and has a large number of slum streets, while the Opera District is on the north bank of the Selenzo River, close to the Boulevard District, one of the cores of the Republic.

—There are twenty districts within the Trier city walls.

"Sounds good." Lu Mian nodded with a smile, "Then give me a serving."

Although he would recover his physical state at 6:00 AM, he didn't need to worry about hunger, but eating is one of the few things that makes him feel like he is still alive.

The bartender nodded and asked instead:

"'Little Mummy' or 'Somersault'?"

"What?" Lu Mian did not hide his confusion.

The bartender was not surprised and said calmly:

"This is the slang commonly used in Trier bars, cafes, and beer houses. 'Little Mummy' refers to a small serving of fennel absinthe, 'Somersault' is a double serving, 'Red Tomato' is absinthe with pomegranate juice, and adding mint is 'Parrot.' There are many similar ones.

"Friend, in Trier, you still have a lot to learn."

"'Little Mummy'." Lu Mian could feel that the bartender had hidden discrimination against outsiders, but he didn't care.

"7 Ricks." The bartender reported the price while opening a small high-footed glass.

This is more expensive than the absinthe in the old tavern in Kordu Village, but it is very normal in places with entry tax.

Not long after, a light green absinthe with a psychedelic luster appeared in front of Lu Mian.

He picked it up, took a light sip, and felt the faint and lingering bitterness in the refreshing taste spread out, drilling into his brain.

While waiting for the waitress to send the Duval meat soup, Lu Mian looked around and found glass jars, hoses, valves, gears, and other items piled on the side of the bar.

"This is?" He looked at the bartender with an inquiring look.

The bartender answered casually while wiping the glass:

"Left by a previous tenant. He was a believer of the 'God of Steam and Machinery' and always felt that he had talent in machinery, so he saved a lot of similar things."

"Where is he now?" Although Lu Mian guessed that the ending would not be beautiful, he still cooperated quite well and asked.

The bartender was silent for two seconds and said:

"Went to the factory, said he was distracted while working, was rolled into the machine, and half of his body was crushed."

Lu Mian didn't ask any more questions, tilted his head to look at the pile of semi-assembled parts, and fell into thought.

A few seconds later, he left the high stool, squatted to the side of the bar, and fiddled with that pile of things.

The bartender glanced at him and didn't stop him, just reminded him when the Duval meat soup was brought from the kitchen.

After being busy for a while, Lu Mian sat back on the high stool and tasted the thick soup with a spoon.

The rich aroma of meat, the taste of cheese, the refreshing sauerkraut, and the sweetness of turnips combined to form a wonderful taste that is hard to forget, and the breadcrumbs full of juice are the most precious gem on the crown of this food.

What Lu Mian didn't expect was that the thick soup for 3 Ricks a plate actually had several pieces of meat, which really could make an adult full.

After the plate became clean and dry, Lu Mian took out a handkerchief, wiped his mouth, and squatted back to the side of the pile of semi-assembled parts, continuing the busyness just now.

Ten minutes later, he placed a machine on the bar.

This machine had a glass jar on top and complex parts below, connected by two rubber hoses.

Lu Mian then asked for a glass of water, poured some of the remaining fennel wine into it, and dyed the transparent colorless liquid light green.

Finally, he inserted one of the rubber hoses into the cup.

The bartender with a ponytail and artistic temperament finished watching seriously and asked in confusion:

"What is this?"

"This is my invention." Lu Mian drew a triangular holy emblem on his chest, "I am also a believer of the 'God of Steam and Machinery' and have quite a few achievements in the mechanical field."

Immediately after, he stretched out his left palm wearing a black glove and pointed to the machine:

"It is an epoch-making machine, and its function is beyond your imagination!"

"What can it do?" Charlie, who was suspected of praying to a prostitute, carried a beer bottle to the bar, full of curiosity.

Lu Mian said seriously and excitedly:

"It's called a 'Fool Meter,' which can test a person's stupidity, and similarly, it can also test intelligence."

"Really?" Charlie and the bartender's faces were full of disbelief.

Lu Mian explained in detail:

"Its usage is very simple. Blow air into this tube until the liquid in the cup rises into the glass jar and forms bubbles.

"By observing the bubbles, we can obtain the corresponding stupidity index or intelligence index."

Looking at Lu Mian a few times, Charlie said eagerly:

"Very magical, worthy of being a believer of the 'God of Steam and Machinery'."

He then picked up the rubber hose exposed outside and began to blow air.

After the linkage of gears, valves, and other parts, the light green liquid in the cup was sucked into the machine and rose to the glass jar above, forming a small bubble.

"What kind of conclusion does this represent?" Charlie asked with great anticipation.

Lu Mian's mouth curled up bit by bit, revealing a brilliant smile:

"My friend, the principle of this machine is also simple:

"When you believed my words and really used this machine to blow out a bubble, it proves that you are a 'fool who is stupid enough to bubble'."

Charlie's expression solidified instantly, and his eyes became quite angry.

The bartender next to him laughed out loud.

"Great prank!" He praised sincerely.

Lu Mian looked at Charlie with a smile, waiting for his outburst.

After a few seconds, Charlie actually put away his anger and walked toward several guests he had been telling stories to just now, saying loudly:

"Ladies, gentlemen, look at what I discovered? An epoch-making machine! It can test your intelligence index!"

PS: First update seeking monthly votes~

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 115 =====