The world has turned into Hell's Game, why should I stay human?
Chapter 149: The Hospital Sells Second-hand Coffins

Chapter 149: Chapter 149: The Hospital Sells Second-hand Coffins

"Ah?"

Despite having heard countless absurd requests, this one was just too preposterous.

No way, can that thing even be taken off and put back on again?

Even if he managed to do that, would it work as well as the original?

"Stop with your ’ahs’, don’t be ungrateful, I’ve pulled some strings and lost face to get this opportunity for you."

Big White Goose said.

"Big bro, you’re mighty. But where in the world do I find such a thing?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"How did the British Minister get injured?"

Big White Goose reminded him.

"Wasn’t it by... oh~"

He had a sudden realization.

"Boss, that person even has a hobby of collecting those things?"

Liu Zheng looked at Niu Ma, his face etched with peculiarity.

"If you’ve got the guts, say that to its face and see if it doesn’t beat you to death right there."

Niu Ma said, none too pleased.

"Did you forget it deals in ’meat’? Taking someone else’s and modifying it might just do the trick."

It said.

"That’s so Metropolis of you."

Liu Zheng exclaimed.

It really does seem like they have a technique for everything, and their uses are quite hard to explain.

"You Metropolis types?"

"Boss, you heard wrong, it’s our Metropolis. But even if it has it, isn’t the black market not opening until two days from now?"

He said.

"What’s the harm in waiting two days? Are you in a hurry?"

Niu Ma asked, puzzled.

Deliver a takeout, then cuddle up with a Sudoku magazine for a sleep—when you wake up, it’s already the next day.

Close and open your eyes, and the black market will be open.

"A bit, yeah."

Niu Ma can’t keep putting off his vacation. Liu Zheng needed to settle everything before Niu Ma left.

"Then there’s only one other way."

Big White Goose said.

"What way?"

"The hospital might have some second-hand pendants for sale, you could try your luck there."

"The hospital, huh."

Liu Zheng felt a chill at the nape of his neck.

Hospitals in the real world are dreadful enough, but the hospitals in this world are utterly terrifying.

It’s where they could take an Old Vampire and use it as a dialysis machine; it even made him end up as a pyjama-clad intestine servant, eventually exploding with Gold Coins.

The money in that cash box is still warm.

"I only know these two places, for other methods, you’d have to find them on your own."

"I believe in you, good luck."

Big White Goose then hung up after a word of encouragement.

"Boss."

Liu Zheng looked at Niu Ma with expectant eyes.

"Don’t look at me, I really don’t know anyone at the hospital, and I can’t get into the black market early, either."

Niu Ma shook his head vehemently.

"Then do you know anyone who might have connections?"

"No, who would bother making connections in a place as obscure as a hospital?"

Niu Ma continued shaking his head.

"The hospital is obscure? Don’t you guys get sick?"

Liu Zheng asked, bewildered.

"I don’t know what kind of hospitals you’re imagining, but the hospitals in Metropolis are not places to treat diseases."

Niu Ma said.

"Then what are they for?"

"They treat ’patients’."

Niu Ma replied.

"Is there a difference?"

"This ’treat’ means to control. If you enter the hospital and your illness isn’t cured, you can’t leave."

"If you run out of money, you have to work temporarily for the hospital. When your labor value can’t cover the medical costs, the hospital will deal with you."

Niu Ma said with a scoff.

"What do you do when you get sick, then?"

Liu Zheng inquired.

"Just tough it out. Some of the ingredients in the kitchen can also treat illnesses. If that’s not enough, we go to small clinics."

"So, those small clinics, might they have the pendant that the British Minister needs?"

His eyes brightened.

"Uh, that I really don’t know. Whenever I go, it’s just to buy some painkillers, I’ve never even had surgery."

Niu Ma spread his hooves helplessly.

"Are those small clinics shady?"

"They’re definitely not shady when I go there, but for you, heh heh."

Niu Ma chuckled with ill intention.

"I see."

Liu Zheng stroked his chin, pondering who could accompany him on the visit.

"Don’t even think about bringing your mistresses for protection. The small clinics usually only let one person in at a time."

Niu Ma saw right through his thoughts.

"Why’s that?"

"To prevent patients from causing trouble."

"Okay, that makes sense."

Liu Zheng raised an eyebrow.

If he couldn’t bring a bodyguard, then he would have to go alone.

He wasn’t too worried; he had braved far more dangerous dens and dives. Could he really capsize in such a small puddle?

Still, he’d better prepare some protective gadgets. It had been a while since he visited the French Plane Tree, too.

"Boss, help me buy a few bottles of good wine in the kitchen."

Liu Zheng requested.

"No."

Niu Ma flatly refused.

"Get one for yourself too, my treat."

He said generously.

Niu Ma’s big ears twitched twice, but he still shook his head.

"No way, no way. Do you really think being the department head means you can just casually drop by? Without official business, step out of the department area and you’ll be a target for the restaurant—now that’s not a pleasant experience."

"What kind of targeting?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"Hmph, you’ll know once you experience it yourself one day."

Niu Ma didn’t elaborate.

"Then add another bottle."

He said.

There’s a first for everything, and now Niu Ma was just jacking up the price on the spot.

"You’ve got money now and you’re just blowing it away. Just wait till you’re in dire need of it; you’ll see what it’s like."

Niu Ma admonished.

"Then I’ll borrow from you, boss."

Liu Zheng said with a cheeky grin.

"Dream on, I won’t lend you a single hair. What kind of liquor do you want?"

Niu Ma asked.

"Brandy, whiskey, wine, that sort of high-class stuff, preferably with exquisite packaging. Limited editions would be even better."

"Oh, and there’s no need for any special effects, just as long as it tastes good."

He thought for a moment and then said.

The French Plane Tree wasn’t just a lush; it also fancied itself refined and often claimed to have French noble blood.

How could it, a tree, have any French noble lineage?

Hmm... it wasn’t so easy to say.

Given the weirdness level of this world, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if trees and humans could reproduce together.

"You sure have a lot of demands."

Niu Ma huffed and stood up to leave the lounge.

"Oh, right, and also the Vampire Sister’s mao xue wang."

He called the Fisherman.

"Did you get the cosplay costume?"

The phone connected, and the Fisherman asked immediately.

"Not yet, but I’ve got a lead."

"Then why are you calling me?"

The Fisherman asked coldly.

In his eyes, Liu Zheng and Nightingale were cut from the same cloth.

If he died, the sea woman could indeed be left in Liu Zheng’s care.

But he wasn’t dead yet, so Liu Zheng remained a male human with ulterior motives.

"I wanted to ask you to order some takeout for me."

Liu Zheng was unfazed by the Fisherman’s attitude.

"What takeout? For whom?"

"A mao xue wang, address it to the Red Witch Board Game Hall, and put the name Emile for the order."

He said.

"I can’t help you with that."

The Fisherman refused.

"Why not?"

Liu Zheng was somewhat surprised.

Though the Fisherman was moody and old-fashioned, he was usually quite generous. Surely a takeout order wasn’t too much to ask for?

"As a delivery guy, don’t you know that Bloody Restaurant’s takeout can’t just be ordered on someone else’s behalf?"

The Fisherman countered.

"Ah? I really didn’t know that. So what are the requirements?"

"I don’t know, but I certainly don’t meet them since I don’t even recognize the name you mentioned,"

The Fisherman said.

"Fine. You can also order takeout for the sea woman."

Liu Zheng conceded.

"Is the sea woman close with this Emile?"

"They are colleagues, and they made some extra money together, so they should be considered close, right? Though they don’t seem to see eye to eye with each other."

He wasn’t blind; he had noticed the subtle tensions among the three women, he just couldn’t be bothered to intervene.

"Then the sea woman might not even be able to eat her own takeout."

The Fisherman said.

"Then can you order one for me, at least?"

Liu Zheng said helplessly.

He and the Vampire Sister should be considered quite close, having shared Life Essence and all.

"Bloody Restaurant’s staff can’t order takeout for themselves."

"Come on, it’s just a takeout order, why are there so many stupid rules?"

Liu Zheng was at a loss for words.

"You’re the delivery guy, and you’re asking me?"

The Fisherman’s point left him with no comeback.

"Alright, then I’ll figure out something else."

He sighed and hung up the phone.

After a bit of thought, it seemed there wasn’t much he could do.

The people Liu Zheng knew were either not close with the Vampire Sister or didn’t like her.

"Huh?"

A question occurred to him.

Could that witch statue order takeout?

If she was indeed the owner of the board game hall, then ordering takeout for her employee should meet the requirements, right?

Forget it, why bother stirring up trouble? That dame doesn’t seem like any good.

Let the Vampire Sister remain a schoolgirl for a few more days.

As he pondered, Niu Ma returned from outside.

He walked upright, bent at the waist as he entered the lounge.

He was holding a bag in his mouth, and each of his front hooves cradled a bottle of liquor.

"Here, that’ll be twenty thousand."

Niu Ma said, setting down the bag.

What a rip-off.

Liu Zheng reluctantly handed over the money to Niu Ma, his face showing the pain of parting with it.

Now he had only a hundred and eighty thousand left.

He opened the bag and began checking the bottles of liquor inside.

There were three boxes, all beautifully packaged and certainly high-end.

They were a bottle of Centaur brandy, a bottle of Snow Barrel Whiskey, and a bottle of Human Eye Wine.

All were limited editions, of high quality, and their effects weren’t of much use.

One had to admit, although Niu Ma was greedy for money, once paid, he was reliable in getting the job done.

He had some of Liu Zheng’s own flair, probably a good influence from him.

Liu Zheng smiled proudly to himself.

"What are you grinning about over there?"

Niu Ma asked, puzzled.

"Nothing, just thinking about how to negotiate with Dai Legao later, to maximize our benefits."

He said with a serious face.

"Really?"

Niu Ma looked at him skeptically.

It had the feeling that Liu was just thinking about something quite disrespectful toward it.

Liu met its gaze calmly.

"Forget it, I can’t be bothered with you. I’m off to enjoy my drink."

Niu Ma lay down on a pile of hay, bit open a bottle, and began sipping happily.

"Big guy, you still haven’t told me where the clinic is."

"Bring over the map."

Niu Ma instructed.

Liu did as told.

"Here, right here. Their sign is quite eye-catching. You’ll see it once you get there,"

Niu Ma pointed out on the map.

"That close, huh?"

He exclaimed in surprise.

The clinic was less than a ten-minute walk from the restaurant, and if he ran, he could make it in five minutes.

"Obviously, I was sick, so of course I’d look for a clinic nearby."

"Guess that makes sense."

In that case, there was no need to bother with ordering takeout just yet. He could use the regular delivery time to check out the situation.

So Liu Zheng waited, and that wait lasted until the next day.

Which was the sixth day since he had entered the instance.