by N. Heller
Puppeteer’s appearance didn’t change much from the time they saw him at the pier: he was still wearing the strange outfit, his skin was still a sickly white, but the powder dust around his eyes was now red instead of gold. The biggest difference was the entourage behind him.
There was a single mannequin in sight.
Unfortunately, they all had the same vacant look and were walking very stiffly. Each of their necks was twistedly sewn with a thick, ugly thread. It was as if all of them had undergone a throat operation.
The whole place fell silent. Someone in the crowd gulped, and everyone heard it clearly.
There were a few people who did not recognize Puppeteer, but they were also shocked by the entire atmosphere. For a moment, no one dared to speak or even move. Puppeteer was known for his unpredictable moods, so no one dared to make any foolish moves.
Meihua walked out of the tent with a pale face. "Master Puppeteer, what brings you here?"
"Are you the Consular Officer?" Puppeteer asked without a stoic expression.
Meihua looked at him furtively. "No, Mr. Ark is…" The next moment, a gust of wind struck her, and she was flung violently into the tent. The tent could not withstand the force, and its frame broke as the tent fell to the ground.
"Since you are not one, then why didn’t you call the Consular Officer out?!"
A fat man covered in sweat crawled out from under the cloth material of the tent. "Oh, it’s Master Puppeteer. I am Sian Ark. Do you need a visa?"
Puppeteer squinted his eyes, and the fat man immediately smiled solicitously. " Do you want to return to Twelve Worlds Centrum? Just state your offer, and I will give you—"
"Wait," Puppeteer stopped the man from backing away. "Before you give me the visa, I need you to help me look for someone’s name," he said unhurriedly.
The fat man wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Go ahead."
Puppeteer suddenly looked around him, as though he sensed something. He frowned and slowly said a name: "Lin Sanjiu."
"Jiu as in the word used for wine?" Meihua blurted out unintentionally as she paused while trying to get out from under the tent.
Puppeteer’s piercing gaze immediately fell on the woman. "Do you know that person?"
"No. No. It’s… like this. Another person also mentioned that he wanted to check that name..."
She immediately pointed out without looking, wanting Puppeteer to take his eyes off her, "He’s there. He has a rabbit with him… Huh?"
A yellow-haired man immediately leaped away from the direction she was pointing, exposing an empty spot behind him.
Chapter 103 - An Embarrassing Reunion
Meanwhile, the second person that Hu Changzai and B.Rabbit were searching so hard for was lying on a large, comfortable bed with a silk bedsheet. After escaping from Puppeteer the second time, both human and rabbit would never imagine such a scenario.
Hai Tianqing had actually been staying in this place for quite a long time.
Honestly speaking, there was nothing much he could complain about. When Lin Sanjiu was lying on sand and pebbles, he was lying on a thick, soft, cloud-like mattress. When Hu Changzai and B.Rabbit were gnawing on the uncooked rice from the ration depot, he was served fresh vegetables and cooked rice on a silver platter. Sometimes, he even had dessert.
However, Hai Tianqing was still very, very unhappy.
This was because he was only wearing an u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r and nothing else. Both his arms and feet were tied to the four bedposts around the bed. Furthermore, he had been trapped in this pose for about two months.
The room he was in wasn’t that big, but it was well-decorated. There was a thick rug on the floor, and a row of large flower pots by the wall under the window, where tomato plants, cuc.u.mbers, and other vegetables were grown inside. Those were the vegetables that Hai Tianqing had been eating. As the temperature in the room was much cooler than the temperature outside, the vegetables looked full of vitality.
Someone held and examined the stem of one of the plants, and a cheerful voice rang out in the room: "Brother Hai, do you like spicy food? I think this Bird's eye chili plant is growing well, the chilis will soon be ripe!"
Hai Tianqing stared at the ceiling, stony-faced but didn’t say a word. Just like a seedy love hotel, there was a large mirror on the ceiling of the room.
"Come on, Brother Hai, don’t be like this all the time…" the owner of the voice approached him coquettishly, "Don’t you like Sayo’s cooking?"
"Get away from me."
The young woman looked up, showing her small, fair, heart-shaped face. She had black eyeliner around her pair of large eyes, and a wronged expression lingered on her face for two seconds before she suddenly spoke with determination and a voice full of hope, "Brother Hai, you might not understand my feelings for you now, but I believe my sincerity will move you..."
If he could move, Hai Tianqing would really want to knock his head against the wall. When Lin Sanjiu punched him, he flew to the sky and landed directly into a building. He was quite unlucky. Even though he tried his best to protect his head and face with his arms and also tried to curl up as tightly as possible, he still broke through a few stories, and in the end, his body was covered in wounds, and he fainted.
When he woke up, he found himself tied to this large bed without his clothes, and a "Snail Lady" called Sayo was sitting beside him.
He thought of her as a "Snail Lady" because her ability was [Snail]. This 20m² room was her snail shell. Within this shell, attacks from the outside usually couldn’t hurt her, and everyone except herself would have their abilities nullified once they enter this room.
The rope she had used to tie Hai Tianqing was probably a Special Item, so despite being known for his strength, Hai Tianqing still ended up in such an awkward position.
"Brother Hai…" Sayo said, sounding a little hurt, as she pressed her head against his abdomen. Her hair spread out over his body like water. "I really like you, but why can’t you accept my feelings…"
"I already said this before. I’m married," Hai Tianqing replied, withholding his emotions.
Sayo scoffed, "I know! But your wife has already passed away. Are you going to remain single all your life, just for her? But… I like you the most when I know that you are so committed."
Over the two months, such conversations have been replayed many times. Other than "I’m married", Hai Tianqing also told her, "Are you man-crazy?", "Nobody likes to be forced", "I’m not worth it, why do you have to look for a middle-aged man?", etc. However, no matter how he rationally explained or provoked her, Sayo could not accept his rejection.
In the past, if someone told Hai Tianqing that he would be tied to a bed by a woman, he would have probably spit at that person. But now...
Hai Tianqing dodged Sayo’s outstretched hand with some irritation. But his movements were restricted, so she eventually managed to touch his muscular c.h.e.s.t, he immediately remarked sourly, "Even if you don’t let me go, my 14th month in this world is almost over. By then, we won’t have to see each other no matter what you want!"
Unfortunately, Sayo was unfazed when she heard what he said; instead, she grinned in a cheeky manner, "Brother Hai, I already considered that beforehand. After all, I am more experienced."
"What did you do?"
If he thought about it, over these two days, he had not seen her in the room much.
"Last week, I heard that there is a Consular Officer around this area. He is called Sian Ark, and I even know him!" Sayo ignored Hai Tianqing’s startled expression, as she continued smiling, "As you know, due to my [Snail] ability, I walk a little slow. So, over these few days, I have been moving my shell toward where Sian Ark is—"
"Bang!" She was suddenly interrupted. Someone knocked on the door heavily, and both people in the room were shocked by it. Looking a little afraid, Sayo gestured for Hai Tianqing to keep quiet.
"F*ck! Why can’t this door be opened?" a crude voice came from the door.
Once he heard that voice, Hai Tianqing’s eyes widened. He was just about to open his mouth and shout when Sayo stuffed a pillowcase into his mouth without any warning. His shouts were instantly reduced to "Uhh Uhh" muffles, while he struggled uncooperatively. Sayo stood up and walked to the door.
"Forget it, let’s find another place if we can’t open the door," another person urged.
"No! I want this room! This room has a special aura, it fits me!"
"Is there something wrong with your brain? Don’t you know that Puppeteer might find us at any time? Why do you have to be so picky about a hiding place?" the voice which sounded more polite, sounded quite angry as well. "Besides, why would a house suddenly appear in the middle of the road. If it is a trap…"
"Um… Who are you?" Sayo asked timidly.
Once the young woman’s timid voice reached the door, there was an immediate silence. After a few seconds, the polite-sounding voice replied cautiously, "We’re sorry to bother you. We will leave now."
"No! I am not leaving. HEY! You, behind the door. Do you have some Chinese cabbage? I can f*cking smell it!"
"Y... yes. I have some."
After hearing that answer, the voice outside seemed to sound over the moon about it: "Quick! Out the door. We can negotiate about the price! I am not a bad person!"
After considering for a moment, Sayo opened the door slightly. Just as she said, "I can give you so—" a silhouette of a brown rabbit flew past her feet and into the room. She let out an "Ah!" and let go of the door after being shocked. The door opened a little wider.
The door revealed a face, which was indeed Hu Changzai. Hu Changzai peered into the room and was as stunned as B.Rabbit, who was on the ground.
"Executive… Hai?"
When Sayo heard that, she was fl.u.s.tered. Just as she tried to close the door, Hu Changzai pushed the door and force his way into the room. Hai Tianqing was so anxious that he was almost sweating, but he could only make the same "Uhh Uhh" muffles. B.Rabbit looked at Sayo then at Hai Tianqing before he let out a long, profound "Oh" and said, "I really couldn’t tell that there is this side to you, Mister Hai."
The young woman held her blushing face, "No! Brother Hai keeps refusing me… though, I really want to—"
"Enough! Enough of all this nonsense!" Hu Changzai could no longer stand this, he marched to the bed and removed the pillowcase from Hai Tianqing’s mouth. Hai Tianqing took a deep breath and shouted, "Why did you guys come in?!"
Before B.Rabbit could say a word, Sayo closed the door with a "click" while Hai Tianqing warned, "If you come in here, your abilities will be nullified!"
His companions were dumbfounded.
It was too late. Looking at both Hu Changzai and B.Rabbit and thinking that Sayo was not really a bad person, Hai Tianqing sighed and asked, "Where’s Xiao Jiu? Did she escape?"
"We… couldn’t find her. The story about the process is going to be a little long." Hu Changzai still seemed a little unable to grasp the situation at hand, "Who is this young lady?"
"Is Xiao Jiu a man or a woman?" Sayo asked with suspicion.
"What are you doing? Where is the Chinese cabbage?" B.Rabbit demanded.
Hearing these three unconnected questions directed at him, Hai Tianqing felt a splitting headache. After ten minutes, everyone was finally on the same page.
Even though their abilities have been nullified, Sayo did not have much of an advantage against two men. In the end, Sayo could only watch with tearful eyes as Hu Changzai quickly untied Hai Tianqing with a stern face, feeling a little too hard-hearted toward Sayo. Hai Tianqing got off the bed hurriedly, as he wore his clothes in an almost grateful manner.
Sayo’s face turned ash gray when she saw Hai Tianqing’s body quickly concealed by his clothes. The two men didn’t really know how to deal with this woman who didn’t seem to have any ill will, other than being a little man-crazy. Hai Tianqing finally g.r.o.a.n.e.d, "You took advantage of the fact that I was unconscious and locked me here. But I am not going to hold it against you. I’ll treat it like it didn’t happen. Let’s just go our separate ways."
"No!" Sayo protested with teary eyes, "I want to be with Brother Hai!"
"Fine. Then, just come along," as Hai Tianqing lost his patience and said that, he walked outside without turning to look behind. Anyway, with the speed she was walking while she carried her shell, there was no way in hell that she would be able to keep up with them. As the two men, and the rabbit carrying a cabbage, walked out of the door, Sayo clenched her teeth and yelled, "I know a way of finding Xiao Jiu!"
Chapter 104 - Hurray for Friendship?
Lin Sanjiu, who currently had no idea about her companions’ predicaments, was at the bottom of the ocean and was feeling at a loss as to what to do. Shen Lianqi’s friends were standing right in front of her, and by convention, she should greet them...
Shen Lianqi was in high spirits, he seemed extremely happy to introduce his friends to Lin Sanjiu. On the contrary, Lin Sanjiu could not even bring herself to smile. She held her [Ability Polishing Agent] up in the air, and under the illumination of the silver light, she saw three fully drenched… people and every minute detail of their appearances. Even if Shen Lianqi didn’t notice anything weird before, he should have noticed it by now. But Shen Lianqi seemed unbothered.
In any case, his "friends" shouldn’t be three bloated cadavers, right?
To be accurate, they were not mere cadavers. They no longer had their original body frames, but rather, they were like bloated humanoid sacs. Every movement they made was followed by a pitter-patter sound of dripping water. They had a putrid stench of rotten flesh soaked in water. It was obvious that these three "people" were passengers on the ship and died when the ship sunk during the tsunami. Despite their waterlogged faces, there were still traces of their prominent noses and deep-set eyes so Lin Sanjiu could tell that they were not Asians. The reason why these bloated corpses could still walk, smile, and speak was probably because of the long mouthpart on each of their faces.
[They are aquatic duoluozhongs,] this was the thought that surfaced in Lin Sanjiu’s mind. With a quick gesture, she pulled out her mouthpart weapon with serrated edges, which was even longer and sharper than that on the duoluozhongs' faces, and immediately took a defensive stance.
Shen Lianqi immediately furrowed his brows. "Miss Lin, what are you doing?"
Before Lin Sanjiu could say a word, the obese — perhaps, he might not have been fat, but there was no way of telling his original looks — middle-aged man patted Shen Lianqi’s shoulder and smiled while he comforted, "Hey, it is just a normal reaction. Suddenly seeing us like that, she would definitely be frightened…"
The woman on his left, with only a few sparse maroon hair on her head, spoke, "Hello, Miss Lin. Don’t worry. We come with no ill intentions. Even though we ended up looking like this unsightly monstrosity, our hearts are still the same. We still have a human’s heart."
The woman sounded very gentle as she c.a.r.e.s.sed her own face for a little while. This action made a piece of her rotten skin fall off her face. Lin Sanjiu nearly vomited when she saw that despite the woman’s words.
After their bodies had been soaked in warm water for such a long time, it was no wonder that their bodies were in such a state. The last "person", whose body had decomposed to a state which made it impossible to tell his or her gender, did not say a word; instead, Shen Lianqi stepped forward and said ardently, "Lin Sanjiu, listen to me. In this world, duoluozhongs have horrifying appearances initially, but as they consume more and more people, their bodies will be restored to a better condition. I have seen quite a lot of duoluozhongs who nearly look like any other human on land."
At this point, he pointed to the three duoluozhongs and said earnestly, "But look at them! Whether it is Miss Hannah or my bro Hank, the state of their bodies clearly show that they had never consumed any humans!"
"That’s because there is no one in this goddamned place for them to consume!" Lin Sanjiu couldn’t help
yelling out.
"What about me?" Shen Lianqi hit his c.h.e.s.t, "I have already been living here for more than a month. They have never tried to attack me!"
This was something that Lin Sanjiu could not refute. Seeing Lin Sanjiu rendered speechless by Shen Lianqi’s argument, the duoluozhong called Hannah sighed. "Miss Lin, I hope you are someone that judges a book by its cover. As time goes by, you’ll discover that we are not like what you think."
"That’s right. Miss Lin, please keep your weapon." Shen Lianqi was also a little troubled by this. He turned around to face the duoluozhong who looked like a giant popsicle and ordered, "Dale, why don’t you haul that prawn up? We can eat dinner and chat. Miss Lin, will that be okay?"
Clearly, he wanted Lin Sanjiu to give his friends a chance.
Dale turned and left, while Hannah and Hank also went their own ways. They disregarded Lin Sanjiu’s aggressive stance and walked away with neutral expressions as if they were returning home. One of them brought a pot and some tableware, and the other sat on the deck trying to make a fire. It was apparent to Lin Sanjiu that they have done these chores countless of times. On the other hand, their actions made Lin Sanjiu seemed a little awkward holding her mouthpart weapon in her hand.
"Miss Lin, don’t worry." Shen Lianqi walked to Lin Sanjiu’s side and assured her softly, "If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to adapt so quickly to a life at the bottom of the ocean… I trust them fully. Besides, Miss Hannah is the gentlest and kindest woman I’ve ever met…"
Lin Sanjiu gave him a sidelong glance. At the same time, the fire was successfully lit and brightened up half the deck. [That blush on his face must be the light from the fire, right?] she thought to herself feeling rather uncertain. After thinking about it, she decided she would just go along with things and continue observing. She nodded and went over to meet the duoluozhongs with Shen Lianqi, sitting down by the fire.