Chapter 444: 《Yakuza Background? The Nagayama Family of the Entertainment Industry!》

Inside the small screening room, the screen was playing scenes from *Crows Zero*.

From the opening Yakuza execution to the Suzuran All-Boys High School, the conquest and struggles of the school's delinquent groups, and finally, the grand showdown between Genji Takiya and Tamao Serizawa...

"I am a failure. I rarely pay attention to whether the sun is shining or not, because I don't have the time.

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

"I've looked for many jobs, but I haven't been 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 went three whole days eating only two loaves of bread. Hunger kept me from sleeping at night. Fortunately, I had paid a month's rent in advance, so I could continue living in that dark basement without having to go outside and endure the abnormally cold winter wind.

"Finally, I found a job—working the night shift at a hospital, guarding the morgue.

"The hospital at night is colder than I imagined. The corridor wall lamps aren't lit, and everywhere is dim; I can only rely on the faint light seeping out from the rooms to see where I'm stepping.

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

"It's not a good job, but at least it allows me to afford bread. I can use the free time at night to study. After all, no one wants to come to the morgue unless there's a body to be delivered or taken away for cremation. Of course, I don't have enough money to buy books yet, and I don't see any hope of saving up money either.

"I have to thank my predecessor; if he hadn't suddenly quit, I might not have even been able to get this job.

"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 weak, and my head occasionally throbs with pain.

"One day, the movers brought in a new corpse.

"I heard from others that it 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 quite terrifying in 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 cloth.

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"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 just too dim.

"I reached out and touched the mark; 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 things wouldn't find it troublesome and just throw them into some river or wasteland.

"This would sacrifice one morning of sleep, but fortunately, it would be Sunday soon, so I could make up for it.

"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...

"Since 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, things that I don't know if I can call human will come looking for me. But no one is willing to believe me; they feel that in such an environment and such a job, my mental state has become abnormal and 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 light yellow trousers. His hair was pressed very flat, and he had a simple dark top hat beside him.

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

And the storyteller in his eyes was a young man of eighteen or nineteen, with a tall, straight figure and long limbs. He also had short black hair and light blue eyes, but his features were deep and striking.

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

"And then?

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"Then I quit 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.

The male guest was stunned for a moment:

"Are you bragging about what you just said?"

"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 believe Lu Mian's stories? Everything he says is different every day. Yesterday he was a loser whose engagement was broken off by his fiancée because of poverty, and today he's become a morgue guard!"

"Right, talking about thirty years on the east side of the Serenzo River and thirty years on the right side, just babbling 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 named 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 the *Novel Weekly*."

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

"It seems she writes really well.

"Sorry for the misunderstanding."

The man in the brown tweed jacket, who looked ordinary, 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 part of the sentence referred to the man and woman sitting nearby.

The man was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with yellow hair dusted with powder. His eyes, which weren't very large, had a color slightly 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 indifferent and didn't really look at the surrounding farmers and herdsmen.

The woman looked younger than the two men. Her light gray hair was 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 Lu Mian carried undisguised amusement; she seemed to find what had just happened merely interesting.

Under the light of the tavern's gas wall lamp, the woman named Leah revealed a pert nose and beautifully curved lips. In a rural place like Cordu village, she could definitely be called a beauty.

She wore a white, unpleated cashmere tight-fitting dress, paired with an off-white small jacket and a pair of Masier long boots. There were 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 and made many men stare straight at her.

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

Lu Mian nodded to the three outsiders:

"My name is Lu Mian Lee. You can call me Lu Mian directly."

"Lee?" Leah blurted out.

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

Ryan Cos helped Leah explain:

"Your surname 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 man 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 definitely won't be anything ordinary."

He ended the topic and said to Lu Mian:

"Thanks for the story. It deserves a drink. What would you like?"

"A glass of 'Green Fairy'." Lu Mian didn't stand on ceremony and sat back down.

Ryan Cos frowned slightly and said:

"'Green Fairy'... Absinthe?

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

"I didn't expect the fashion trend from Trier to have spread here," Leah 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 get greater relaxation."

"Alright." 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 shochu.

"Why don't you get me a glass of 'Green Fairy' too? I was the one who told you the truth just now, and I can tell you the whole situation about this kid!" the thin middle-aged man who first exposed Lu Mian for telling stories every day shouted dissatisfiedly, "Outsider, 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.

Before Ryan could make a decision, Lu Mian added:

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

"Because they don't know whether to 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 inevitably lose their credibility."

"Alright." Lu Mian shrugged his shoulders, watching the bartender push a glass of pale green liquid toward 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." Lu Mian didn't care at all.

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

Pierre was immediately 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 years old; how could he possibly have worked as a morgue guard? Hmm, the nearest 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 keenly.

She tilted her head slightly, producing a jingling 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 even forgotten what I was called originally," Lu Mian said with a grin, taking a sip of absinthe.

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