Chapter 417

When Naoki Nagayama arrived in Nagano, everyone on the set had just finished their lunch break and started entering the filming state.

After Masataka Komori saw Naoki Nagayama, he immediately stepped forward enthusiastically to greet him:

"Naoki-san, we've finally been waiting for you!"

"? What's wrong..."

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

"My parents couldn't provide me with support, my academic background 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.

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

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

"The nights at the hospital were colder than I imagined; the wall lamps in the corridor weren't lit, and it was dim everywhere, so I could only rely on the little bit of light seeping out from the rooms to help me see my feet.

"The smell there was very unpleasant; from time to time, the deceased would be stuffed into body bags and sent over, and we would cooperate to help move them into the morgue.

"This wasn't a very good job, but at least it allowed me to afford bread, and the free time at night could also be used for studying. After all, no one is willing to come to the morgue unless there are bodies that need to be sent or transported for cremation. Of course, I didn't have enough money to buy books yet, and currently, I don't see any hope of saving money.

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

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

"One day, the movers sent over a new body.

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

"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, and he looked very scary under the very dim light.

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

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"I saw a strange mark on his chest, blue-black in color; I couldn't describe the specific shape, as the light at the time was really too dim.

"I reached out and touched that mark, but there was nothing special.

"Looking at this former colleague, I was thinking, if I keep going like this, when I get old, will I be the same as 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 things wouldn't find it troublesome and just throw them in some river or wasteland.

"This would sacrifice a morning of my sleep, but fortunately, it's Sunday soon, so I can make it up.

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

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

"After that day, every time I slept, I always dreamed of a thick fog.

"I had a premonition that something would happen soon, a premonition that sooner or later something that I don't know if it can be called human would come looking for me, but no one was willing to believe me, thinking that in such an environment and such a job, my mind had become abnormal and I needed 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, with a simple dark round hat by his side.

He looked ordinary, just like most people in the tavern: black hair, light blue eyes, not good-looking, but not ugly, lacking any obvious features.

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

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

"And then?

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

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

That male guest was stunned for a moment:

"The things you just told were 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 Lu Mian's story. What he tells every day is different; yesterday he was still a poor wretch whose engagement was broken off by his fiancée because of poverty, and today he's become a mortuary guard!"

"Right, talking about thirty years on the east side of the Sarenzo River, thirty years on the right side of the Sarenzo River, he only knows how to talk nonsense!" another tavern regular followed up.

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 Lu Mian 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 visiting guest, and smiled brilliantly:

"It seems she writes really well.

"I'm sorry, I let you misunderstand."

The man in the brown tweed jacket with an ordinary appearance didn't get 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?" 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 next to him.

The man was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with some powder on his yellow hair, eyes that weren't very large but had a color a bit deeper than lake blue, wearing a white vest, a blue fine-wool coat, and black trousers; he had clearly been carefully dressed before going out.

His expression was quite indifferent, and he didn't really look at the surrounding farmers and herdsmen.

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

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

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

She was wearing a white pleated cashmere tight dress, paired with a beige 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 was tinkling 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 Bigor or the capital Trier.

Lu Mian nodded to the three outsiders:

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

"Lee?" Leah blurted out.

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

Ryan Cos explained for Leah:

"This surname of yours is terrifying; I almost couldn't control my voice just now."

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

"Anyone who has had contact with sailors or sea merchants knows that there is such a saying circulating on the Five Seas:

"I would rather encounter those pirate generals or even kings than run into a person named Frank Lee.

"That person's surname is also Lee."

"Is he very scary?" Lu Mian asked.

Ryan shook his head:

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

He ended this topic and said to Lu Mian:

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

"A 'Green Fairy'." Lu Mian 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 potentially lead to mental confusion and cause you to have hallucinations."

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

Lu Mian said "Oh":

"So people in 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 obtain greater relaxation."

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

"Spicy Heart" is a famous fruit shochu.

"Why don't you get me a 'Green Fairy' too? I was the one who told you the truth just now, and I can tell you the whole story about this kid's situation!" the thin, middle-aged man who first exposed that Lu Mian tells stories every day shouted with dissatisfaction. "Outsiders, I can tell that you are still skeptical about the truth of that story!"

"Pierre, you really will do anything for a free drink!" Lu Mian responded loudly.

Without waiting for Ryan to make a decision, Lu Mian added:

"Why can't I tell it myself? That way I could have another 'Green Fairy'."

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

"Fine." Lu Mian shrugged his shoulders, watching the bartender push a pale green drink toward him.

Ryan looked at him, asking for his consent:

"Is this okay?"

"No problem, as long as your wallet is enough to cover the cost of these drinks." Lu Mian didn't care at all.

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

Pierre was suddenly all smiles:

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

"Five years ago, he was brought back to the village by his sister Aurore and hasn't left since. Think about it, before that, he was only thirteen; how could he possibly have gone to a hospital to be a mortuary guard? Hmm, the closest hospital to us is in Daliege at the foot of the mountain, which takes a whole afternoon to walk to."

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

She tilted her head slightly, producing a tinkling sound.

Pierre nodded:

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"Then, he took Aurore's surname 'Lee', and even the name 'Lu Mian' was chosen by Aurore."

"I've forgotten what I was originally called." Lu Mian took a sip of absinthe and said with a grin.

It seemed that he felt no inferiority or shame at all about his past being exposed like this.