The world has turned into Hell's Game, why should I stay human?
Chapter 479 - 386: Burn the Fire, Burn a Big Fire

Chapter 479: Chapter 386: Burn the Fire, Burn a Big Fire

"Chirp chirp chirp~"

The familiar sound came from underneath the platform.

Liu Zheng opened his eyes and saw thousands of Black Dumplings running out from the hole beneath the platform, each carrying a piece of coal twice as big as itself on its tiny arms.

The coal they carried was different from that in reality—it was glossy black and smooth, reflecting light, and looked more like black gemstones than coal.

It was evident that the weight of the coal was extraordinary as all the Black Dumplings were being squished askew.

However, their speed was not slow at all, like overladen and speeding electric tricycles.

"Do you need help?"

Liu Zheng volunteered.

"No need, they can handle it."

Ba Tiao said without turning his head.

"Alright then."

He shrugged his shoulders, switching to a side lying position, resting his head on one hand as he watched the Black Dumplings transport the coal.

Mind you, it was quite stress-relieving to watch them carry coal.

Although they came out of the hole in a bit of a scramble, they would automatically adjust their positions and distances as they ran.

The lines gradually merged into two, and by the time they reached the platform where Ba Tiao was, there were only two lines left.

They were like two black snakes with many tails, or like a pattern from some kind of ritual.

"Kakakaka~"

Ba Tiao pulled a lever, and the conveyors on the high platform began to move.

The Black Dumpling at the front of the line was the first to step onto the conveyor belt, followed closely by the others behind it.

There was no jostling for position or crowding, and even the intervals between them were exactly the same.

These seemingly naive and funny little creatures now behaved like a well-trained army.

When the Black Dumplings arrived in front of the filler, the closed lid automatically opened.

Fierce flames burst forth from the furnace, and even from a distance, Liu Zheng could feel the intense heat that could scorch everything.

"By the way, aren’t these little guys going to get burned?"

He watched the filler with some worry, only to see that when the flames licked up to the feed port, they were blocked by an invisible wall, scattering into a sky full of sparks.

"Oh, there’s that trick."

He was relieved.

"Chirp chirp chirp!"

Even without being burned, the Black Dumplings began to cry out in panic, instinctively dodging.

Liu Zheng found it amusing to watch. It seemed small animals just couldn’t help being small animals, unable to stand as still and unshakeable as elite soldiers.

"What’s the panic? You’re not going to get burned."

Ba Tiao spoke while picking up a wrench by his side and tapping the side of the furnace.

"Dang!"

Frightened by the loud noise, the Black Dumplings huddled into a ball.

"Keep working."

Ba Tiao put down the wrench and continued adding something into the copper kettle.

"Chirp! Chirp!"

The Black Dumplings stretched back out and resumed their labor.

About ten minutes later, Ba Tiao picked up the wrench again and tapped the furnace.

"That’s enough."

He shouted.

"Chirp~"

That was the sound of the Black Dumpling that had just finished transporting the coal, short and cheery.

"Chirp..."

That was the sound of the Black Dumpling that had just carried out the coal, dull and irritable.

"Pfft~"

Liu Zheng couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

All the Black Dumplings looked over at him, their beady eyes as wide as possible to show their anger.

"Sorry, I just thought of something happy."

He quickly explained.

"Chirp chirp chirp!"

The Black Dumplings cried out, swarming to Liu Zheng’s side to look at him with no intention of going back into the pipes.

"What’s gotten into them?"

He scratched his head in confusion.

"They want to know what happy thing you thought of. You’d better give them a satisfying answer, or they might just bury you with coal."

Ba Tiao said.

"By the way, I’m curious too."

"Umm...does starting my new job at our bathhouse today count?"

Liu Zheng tried.

"Chirp!"

The Black Dumplings shook their head in unison, like a field of rye swaying in the wind.

"That doesn’t count, what’s there to be happy about."

Ba Tiao shook his head back at him.

"Eh, isn’t it worth celebrating to join the best bathhouse on Bathhouse Street?"

He asked, puzzled.

It would be forgivable for a new employee to think that, but why wouldn’t Ba Tiao, a veteran employee older than the "Thirteen Mahjong Tiles," leave if he thought Hundred Ghosts was no good?

"The pay isn’t the best either."

Ba Tiao remarked indifferently.

"Then why don’t you change jobs?"

"When I was young and naive, I was tricked into signing a lifelong contract. The breach of contract fee alone would be enough to open a new bathhouse. How can I change jobs?"

Ba Tiao’s tone was filled with deep resentment.

"Alright then."

Liu Zheng shrugged his shoulders.

He didn’t feel any sympathy—in his view, being able to leave a job by paying a breach of contract fee was already not bad, for Bloody Restaurant had no standard procedure for resigning at all.

If it weren’t for him asking Si Xue for a special permit, Niu Ma would have had to peel off a layer of skin to resign without dying.

"Chirp!"

The Black Dumplings began to urge him on.

"Then, does it count if I just beat up a customer?"

Liu Zheng thought for a moment and said.

"Chirp?"

"Oh? Tell me more."

Ba Tiao turned around, his pupils still retaining a glint of firelight.

"Just now on the way to take the elevator, there was a dumbass..."

"You can’t insult customers in the bathhouse."

Ba Tiao cut him off.

"Oh, okay, then there was a customer with a mind dirtier than his intestines, who used a dead waitress to bait me..."

Liu Zheng changed his wording and recounted what had happened.

"Oh, that one."

After listening, Ba Tiao nodded.

"You know them?"

"Yeah, an old customer. Every year ends up on the top ten list of the least popular customers."

Ba Tiao turned his head back.

"This bathhouse has that kind of ranking? Is it public?"

Liu Zheng was surprised.

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