Here Lies The Wicked

Chapter 10: Foraging

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The Outpatient Department at the hospital usually opened at 8am. 

However, the entrance of the hospital grew crowded before it was even 7am. 

About two-thirds of the crowd on the first public bus to arrive at the People’s Hospital got off the bus. 

The ones who got off the bus were mostly old people who were at the hospital for either body checks or follow-up visits. There was also a group of women who were heading to the wards to attend to their relatives. 

It was now 7.30am. 

There was already a long line of cars on the road in front of the People’s Hospital’s entrance. Traffic barely moved. 

These were private cars of people that were here to either see a doctor or fetch their relatives. As the parking spaces of the hospital ran out, these drivers were left stuck on the road outside the hospital’s entrance. 

It was 8am. 

The crowd was massive in front of the hospital. It was noisy as well. 

Hawker stall owners who sold breakfast and snacks filled up the wide pedestrian walk—it became unbearably narrow. 

Nonetheless, people were still tirelessly buying breakfast. Chewing on fresh steamed rolls and sipping on warm soya bean milk to warm one’s stomach was the way life should be lived. 

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, this was the real part of life. 

There was a different kind of peace in between the chaos. People only needed to work their jobs, earn peacefully, and be reunited with family at the end of the day. There was no need to worry about war, losing your loved ones or your home… What a time to be alive!

A Sandou Hotel was located an alley away from the People’s Hospital. 

Room 304. 

As the golden sun warmly caressed his face, Fang Zheng stood behind the curtains and watched the world come alive. He became emotional as he thought about the things that had happened recently. 

‘There will be girls if there is peace!

‘There will be games if there is peace!

‘There will be good food if there is peace! 

‘Anything that went against collective peace is heresy!’ 

Since checking into the hotel late last night, Fang Zheng had been waiting till noon for the white smoke to appear in the hospital again, but to no avail. He was annoyed. 

‘It seems like the white smoke from the other time was a random occurrence. It doesn’t happen daily.’

Fang Zheng was a little disappointed. He had no choice but to head home instead.

He had to return home before noon. Otherwise, he would miss the crucial three hours of training in the afternoon.

About going into the hospital to find out the truth?

He was questioned by the militarian guard the last time he stood at the hospital’s entrance for a little too long. One could only imagine the level of security within the hospital. 

He gave up on the idea. 

He went to an American BBQ buffet restaurant. 

“Little He, you don’t have to do anything today aside from watching the customer on table 16. If he hides even one chicken bone or is wasting food, let me know immediately! I’ll sue him till he becomes bankrupt!”

The manager’s expression was as dark as the bottom of a pan. 

His glare was as terrifying as a carnivore’s; it sent chills down people’s backs. 

One could only imagine how angry the manager felt at that moment. The chef, as well as the waiters, did not dare look straight into his eyes—they were afraid of being snapped at. 

“Sir, the customer on table 16 can’t even hide a single chicken bone, let alone more,” a waiter said with a sour face. 

“How do you know that?” The manager’s gaze was as vicious as an angry lion. 

“That guy looks as vicious as a dinosaur when he eats. He swallowed an entire piece of chicken, along with its bones, and chewed on crab shells along with the meat. My teeth have been feeling sensitive watching him eat—I’ve been paying attention to him since he walked in,” a waiter complained. 

“Don’t start on that. This customer is the least wasteful one I’ve ever seen. God, there’s not a single bone or bit of meat on the table. Sir, do you think…our restaurant is being visited by a hungry ghost?”

The waiter flinched as he finished his sentence. 

“What hungry ghost! Have you met a ghost who dresses so alternatively ‘smart’? He’s having a buffet, but he’s wearing shades and a cap! It’s as if he’s a huge celebrity who’s afraid of being recognized in public!” the manager shouted. 

“But I’ve never met someone who eats crabs along with their shells. It’s like he’s chewing on glass…” The waiter was shocked. 

The manager was stunned. He turned around to take a good look. Right… The way this man ate was terrifying! 

His eyes widened to the size of lightbulbs. 

One whole piece of fried chicken, including its bones and meat, was swallowed within a few breaths. 

A 1kg lobster became as good as a slice of bread when it reached the mouth of that customer. The shell, the head, its claws… All swallowed in a few breaths. 

This scene shocked and terrified everyone. 

It was like the customer had a monster hidden in his body. 

The manager wanted to use thousands of swear words but he did not know if he could say them. 

Before this, he had found table 16 consistently clean—only empty plates and no bones. The customer did not leave bones all over the table like the others and the manager thought it was because the waiters were quick and efficient in cleaning up. 

Who knew that the truth would be this terrifying scene. 

At that moment, the manager finally understood how slow time could pass. 

The customer on table 16 took one minute to finish food that could feed a family of three. The most important point was that this man had been eating for hours. 

Finally, after the manager’s long and sincere prayers, it was 9.30pm—the closing time of the restaurant. 

Fang Zheng, who ate as if he was the reincarnation of a hungry ghost, was politely asked to leave the restaurant. 

“Manager, your signature fried chicken is not bad. It reminds me of a familiar taste from my childhood. I remember I was the first one to have the bones of a KFC chicken in my village.” Fang Zheng reminisced. 

The manager asked curiously, “What about the meat?”

Fang Zheng looked at the manager and said, “It was my youngest aunt’s birthday that year. I gathered a month’s worth of allowance, got on my Phoenix bicycle, and brought my aunt to the city for KFC.”

“You’re so pious,” the manager said with a smile.

“No, my youngest aunt is three years younger than me,” Fang Zheng corrected him. 

The manager was speechless. 

“Manager, your restaurant gave me a taste of my childhood. You’ve successfully gained a returning customer. Could you let me eat for another hour?” Fang Zheng said with a sincere look.

The manager was speechless again. 

“My apologies, sir, we’re closing.” The manager slammed the door shut with a dark expression.

‘From tomorrow onward… No, from this moment on, the fried chicken shall be removed from the menu. Childhood memory? Pfft!’ 

This was obviously a subtle insult. He was saying that the food at their restaurant was so bad that it was not even comparable to KFC from decades ago. 

Fang Zheng was looking up at the moon at a 45 degree angle while being deep in thought outside the restaurant. 

He had to go through extreme hunger every time he trained and had to eat for six or seven hours after that. He was troubled. 

It was such a waste of time. 

He had to think of another way to deal with hunger after each training. Otherwise, the effectiveness of his training would be too low.