Chapter 483: Good News

Han Han Yating knew the factory director was present; after entering the room, she first greeted the director, then reported to Li Li Xuewu: "Huang Ping has confessed. One matter within it is highly unusual and requires the support of the Guard Squad."

"Oh?"

Li Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "Tell me about it."

Han Han Yating saw Li Xue...

"I am a failure, barely noticing whether the sunshine is brilliant or not, because I have no time.

"My parents cannot provide me with support, my education level is not high, and I wander alone in the city searching for a future.

"I applied for many jobs but was never hired; perhaps no one likes someone who is bad at speaking, dislikes socializing, and has not demonstrated sufficient ability.

To read the latest chapter content, please download for ad-free reading of the latest chapter content. The website no longer updates the latest chapter content; the latest chapter content has been updated.

"I went a full three days eating only two loaves of bread; hunger kept me awake at night. Fortunately, I had prepaid a month's rent, so I could continue living in that dark basement without having to go outside to endure the abnormally cold winter winds.

"Finally, I found a job: keeping night watch at a hospital, guarding the morgue.

"The hospital nights were colder than I imagined; the corridor wall lamps were unlit, everything was dim, and I could only rely on the sliver of light seeping out from the rooms to see where I was stepping.

"The smell there was terrible; from time to time, the dead were stuffed into body bags and delivered, and we assisted in moving them into the morgue.

"It was not a good job, but at least it allowed me to afford bread, and I could use the idle nighttime hours to study, since hardly anyone willingly comes to the morgue unless a corpse needs to be delivered or taken away for cremation. Of course, I still did not have enough money to buy books, nor could I see any hope of saving up.

"I must thank my former colleague; if he had not suddenly resigned, I might not have even obtained such a job.

"I dreamed of rotating to day shifts; instead, I always sleep when the sun rises and wake when night falls, making my body somewhat weak, and my head occasionally throbs with pain.

"One day, the porters delivered a new corpse.

"I heard from others that this was my former colleague who had suddenly resigned.

"Curious about him, after everyone else had left, I pulled out the cabinet drawer and quietly opened the body bag.

"He was an old man, his face greenish-white and covered in wrinkles, looking quite terrifying under the very dim light.

"He did not have much hair, most of it white, and all his clothes had been stripped off, not even a scrap of fabric left on him.

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

"I saw a strange mark on his chest, greenish-black in color; I could not describe its exact appearance, as the lighting at the time was truly too dim.

"I reached out and touched that mark; nothing special happened.

"Looking at this former colleague, I wondered: if I continue like this, when I grow old, will I end up just 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 such matters, finding it troublesome, would not simply toss him into some river or wasteland.

"This would sacrifice a morning of my sleep, but fortunately, Sunday was approaching, so I could make up for it.

"After saying those words, I secured the body bag and shoved it back into the cabinet.

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

"Since that day, every time I sleep, I dream of a vast fog.

"I have a premonition that something will happen soon, that sooner or later some things—whether they can be called human or not—will come for me, but no one is willing to believe me; they think that in such an environment and with such a job, my mind has become somewhat abnormal and that I need to see a doctor..."

A male guest sitting at the bar looked toward the storyteller who had suddenly stopped:

"And then?"

This male guest was in his thirties, wearing a brown tweed jacket and pale yellow trousers, his hair pressed very flat, with a simple dark bowler hat beside his hand.

He looked quite ordinary, like most people in the tavern: black hair, light blue eyes, neither handsome nor ugly, lacking any distinct features.

Whereas the storyteller in his eyes was a young man of eighteen or nineteen, with an upright figure and slender limbs; likewise possessing short black hair and light blue eyes, yet his facial features were deep and striking, enough to make one's eyes light up.

This young man gazed at the empty wine glass before him, sighed, and said:

"And then?

Download to read the latest chapter content.

"Then I resigned, returned to the countryside, and came here to spin yarns with you."

As he spoke, a smile appeared on his face, a smile tinged with a mischievous air.

The male guest was momentarily stunned:

"Were all those things you just told merely tall tales?"

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

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

"Outsider, you actually believed Lu Lu Mian's story? Every day he tells a different one; yesterday he was an unlucky fellow whose fiancée broke off their engagement due to poverty, and today he has become a corpse guardian!"

"Exactly, talking about thirty years east of the Sailunzuohe, thirty years west of the Sailunzuohe, just spouting nonsense!" another regular patron of the tavern added.

They were all farmers from Kordu, this large village, wearing short jackets that were either black, gray, or brown.

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

"As you know, these are not stories I made up; they were all written by my sister. She loves writing stories most of all and is even a columnist for something called the 'Weekly Fiction Gazette'."

Having said this, he turned sideways, spread his hands toward the foreign guest, and smiled brightly:

"It seems she writes really well.

"Sorry for the misunderstanding."

The man in the brown tweed jacket, ordinary in appearance, did not get angry; he stood up as well and replied with a smile:

"A very interesting story.

"What is your name?"

"Is it not common sense to introduce yourself before asking others?" Lu Lu Mian laughed.

The guest from out of town nodded:

"My name is Ryan Cos.

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

The latter sentence referred to the man and woman sitting right beside him.

The man was in his late twenties, his yellow hair dusted with powder, his not-large eyes a shade deeper than lake blue; he wore a white vest, a fine blue wool coat, and black trousers, clearly having dressed with great care before heading out.

His expression was rather cold, and he barely glanced at the farmers and herders around him.

The woman appeared younger than the two men, her light gray long hair tied into an intricate bun, covered by a white veil that served as a hat.

Her eyes matched her hair in color, and the look she cast upon Lu Lu Mian carried an unmasked smile, as if she found what had just happened merely amusing.

Under the glow of the tavern's gas wall lamps, this woman named Zhao Zhao Yamin revealed a straight, pretty nose and lips with a beautiful curve; in a countryside place like Cordu Village, she could absolutely be called a beauty.

She wore a tight, pleatless white cashmere dress, paired with an off-white small jacket and a pair of Massir long boots; two small silver bells were tied separately to her veil and boots, so that when she had walked into the tavern earlier, they had jingled all the way, drawing considerable attention and causing many men to stare straight at her.

In their eyes, this was the kind of fashionable attire one would only see in big cities like the provincial capital Bigor or the capital Trier.

Lu Lu Mian nodded to the three outsiders:

"My name is Lu Lu Mian Li; you can just call me Lu Lu Mian."

"Li?" Zhao Zhao Yamin blurted out.

"What's wrong? Is there something problematic about my surname?" Lu Lu Mian asked curiously.

Ryan Cost helped explain to Zhao Zhao Yamin:

"Your surname inspires fear; just now, I nearly lost control of my voice."

Seeing the farmers and herders around them looking utterly confused, he explained further:

"Anyone who has dealt with sailors or sea merchants knows that such a saying circulates above the Five Seas:

"'Rather encounter those pirate generals or even kings than run into a man named Frank Li.'

"That person's surname is also Li."

"Is he very terrifying?" Lu Lu Mian asked.

Ryan shook his head:

"I am not clear, but since such a legend exists, he certainly cannot be ordinary."

He cut off this topic and said to Lu Lu Mian:

"Thanks for your story; it deserves a drink. What would you like?"

"A 'Green Fairy'." Lu Lu Mian was not polite in the least and sat back down.

Ryan Cost frowned slightly and said:

"'Green Fairy'... Absinthe?

"I think I need to remind you that absinthe is harmful to the human body; this liquor can cause mental derangement and make you hallucinate."

"I didn't expect the fashionable trends of Trier had already spread here," Zhao Zhao Yamin added with a smile.

Lu Lu Mian let out an "Oh":

"So people in Trier also like drinking 'Green Fairy'...

"For us, life is already hard enough; there is no need to worry about a little extra harm. This liquor allows our spirits to achieve greater relaxation."

"Very well." Ryan sat back in his seat, looked toward the bartender, and said, "One 'Green Fairy', and add for me a cup of 'Spicy Heart'."

"Spicy Heart" was a famous fruit brandy.

"Why not get me a 'Green Fairy' as well? I was the one who told you the truth just now, and I can still recount this kid's situation exactly as it happened!" the gaunt middle-aged man who had first exposed Lu Lu Mian's daily storytelling shouted dissatisfiedly, "Outsiders, I can tell you still harbor doubts about the truth or falsehood of that story!"

"Pierre, to get a free drink, you are truly capable of doing anything!" Lu Lu Mian responded loudly.

Before Ryan could make a decision, Lu Lu Mian added:

"Why can't I tell it myself? That way, I could even drink another cup of 'Green Fairy'."

"Because they do not know whether to believe what you say," the middle-aged man named Pierre said with a smug smile, "Your sister's favorite story to tell children is 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'; a person who always lies inevitably loses credibility."

"Very well." Lu Lu Mian shrugged his shoulders, watching the bartender push a cup of pale green liquor in front of him.

Ryan looked at him and asked for confirmation:

"Is it acceptable?"

"No problem, as long as your wallet is sufficient to pay for these drinks," Lu Lu Mian said, completely unconcerned.

"Then bring another 'Green Fairy'." Ryan nodded.

Pierre's face immediately broke into a broad smile:

"Generous outsiders, this kid is the village's biggest prankster; you must stay far away from him.

"Five years ago, he was brought back to the village by his sister, Aureol, and has never left since. Think about it: before that, he was only thirteen years old; how could he possibly have worked as a corpse guardian in a hospital? Hmm, the nearest hospital to us is in Darex at the foot of the mountain, which takes a whole afternoon to walk to."

"Brought back to the village?" Zhao Zhao Yamin asked sharply.

She tilted her head slightly, bringing forth a jingling sound.

Pierre nodded:

To read the latest chapter content, please download; ad-free free reading of the latest chapter content. The latest chapter content is already available; the website no longer updates the latest chapter content.

"After that, he took his sister Aureol's surname 'Li', and even the name 'Lu Lu Mian' was given by Aureol."

"I've forgotten what my original name was anyway," Lu Lu Mian said with a grin after taking a sip of absinthe.

It seemed he felt not the slightest bit of inferiority or shame about his past being exposed like this.