The world has turned into Hell's Game, why should I stay human?
Chapter 773 - 532: A Dead Ex-Husband Is a Good Ex-Husband_2

Chapter 773: Chapter 532: A Dead Ex-Husband Is a Good Ex-Husband_2

The Black Skull spoke proudly.

"Hurry up and give it a try. The internal supply cigarette from the Sanitation Department paired with my will-o-the-wisp— even a centuries-old heavy smoker wouldn’t find a flaw with it."

"Alrighty."

He took a drag of the cigarette.

A refreshing scent mingled with flowers, grass, and trees filled his mouth, wafting into his nostrils.

A faint chill swirled around Liu Zheng’s tongue, sending a shiver through his entire body.

But after the shiver, a soul-soothing comfort made him instinctively let out a long sigh, like taking a big bite of cold pig’s ear after a day of physical labor on a sweltering summer day, followed by a sip of ice-cold beer.

"Refreshing, huh?"

The Black Skull raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Refreshing. No, Black bro, when did you grow eyebrows?"

Liu Zheng pointed out the oversight.

"Just had them implanted this morning, how do they look?"

The Black Skull wiggled his eyebrows again.

"They look good. So why not get hair and a beard implanted too?"

He asked curiously.

"The kids like a bald head, say it feels fun to touch. They don’t like a beard either, say it pricks them."

The Black Skull’s tone was filled with doting affection.

"When I first came to the city, I always thought there weren’t any normal people here, but now I’ve discovered that there are quite a few."

Liu Zheng remarked.

"Well, there are still more abnormal ones, otherwise why would the temporary workers at the Security Department always be in short supply? There’s a saying that like attracts like, so you being a normal person naturally interact with other normal people."

"And, working as a delivery guy at the Bloody Restaurant, you come into contact with people of a certain caliber, so naturally, most of them are normal. If you worked at our Sanitation Department, you’d know what it means to have many crazy, unusual characters to deal with."

The Black Skull said with a frown.

"That’s true."

He nodded.

The restaurant’s mandatory delivery seemed random, but there was actually some pattern to it.

The customers he had dealt with so far, except for the first chubby guy, all belonged to the upper-middle class of the Metropolis.

Even the mountain goblin from Worker New City belonged to the blue-collar class, and was only temporarily down on its luck.

After all, the restaurant’s mandatory delivery was to collect the "tithe," and if they delivered to any Tom, Dick, or Harry, the collected tax wouldn’t cover the manpower cost.

The two of them remained silent, smoking quietly.

Only when a cigarette was nearly burned to the butt did the Black Skull speak slowly.

"Bro, I have a favor to ask you."

"Just say the word, Black bro, we’re like family, no need to beat around the bush."

Liu Zheng said.

"Alright. You know about Painted Skin, right?"

The Black Skull asked.

"Yeah, it’s a kind of evil spirit that peels off human skin to disguise itself as a beauty, tricking those lustful scholars."

He nodded.

"Strange Tales," yes, not only had he read the book, but also watched the movie and TV shows.

And, ahem, certain comics that shouldn’t be read on the subway.

"Yes, something like that. But actually, Painted Skin isn’t a ghost, it’s a race. When girls of the Painted Skin tribe turn twelve, they must prepare to change their skin and put on makeup, after which their appearance becomes fixed. The better the skin they change, the more exquisite the makeup, the more beautiful the final appearance."

The Black Skull explained.

"I see. So is your wife changing skin?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"What are you talking about? Do I look like someone with a pedophile fetish? Your sister-in-law passed her twelfth birthday over a hundred years ago."

The Black Skull glared at him.

"Haha, just joking. So it’s my nieces who are changing skin?"

"Exactly. It’s my two little daughters, twins. They’re well-behaved, understanding, and clingy. Every night they insist on snuggling with me, one on each side. If I let go, they cry, making it hard for me to roll over. You see how it is."

The Black Skull pretended to complain, but was actually bragging.

"I suggest letting me hold them instead. I sleep very still, don’t like to turn over."

Liu Zheng said with a straight face.

"Get lost! As an uncle, don’t you dare have designs on my daughters."

The Black Skull playfully kicked him.

"Haha. So, Black bro, do you want me to find them skin or do their makeup?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"Can I have both?"

The Black Skull scratched his head and asked.

"Sure, but Black bro, doesn’t your Sanitation Department also manage rare species? There shouldn’t be any shortage of good skin, right?"

Regardless of the ethics of pilfering, those rare species occasionally die of old age or illness. Their bodies couldn’t just be left to rot or destroyed; they were certainly recycled and repurposed.

Someone like Black Skull, a full-time employee, should have internal channels to acquire them.

"We do, but they’re all stockpiled. Freshly peeled skin is the best, and preferably from humanoid species."

The Black Skull explained.

"Well, that’s a bit troublesome."

He hesitated.

Peeling skin wasn’t something he balked at; during his time in Yate City, he had peeled and drawn the skin of many beastified residents.

But those cases were already completely mutated and hopeless. Finding a suitable one on the fly was truly tricky for Liu Zheng.

"I’m sure there are plenty of good resources in the Bloody Restaurant’s kitchen, finding a couple of nice skins shouldn’t be hard."

The Black Skull suggested.

"You even knew about that."

Liu Zheng was surprised.

"Haha, how long has our Sanitation Department been watching your Bloody Restaurant? Do you think the Round God Sect incident was a coincidence? We’ve eradicated many Round God Sects. Without buying, there’d be no killing; your Bloody Restaurant is the source of sin."

The Black Skull rolled his eyes at him.

"Ahahaha."

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Wait, so you still want me to go to the Bloody Restaurant to get it?"

Liu Zheng responded, realizing.

"Work is work, life is life. As an employee of the Sanitation Department, of course, I despise your Bloody Restaurant. But as the father of two daughters, right now I only hope your kitchen has more skins."

The Black Skull explained.

"The classic double standard, but it makes sense."

He nodded.

"Long live understanding, right?"

"So, you don’t also know about the makeup thing, do you?"

Liu Zheng probed.

"There are no walls without chinks, especially not to the City Hall. We can’t do anything about Bloody Restaurant, and Blooody Restaurant can’t do anything to us."

The Black Skull said.

"Oh, everyone’s part of the Metropolis, let’s not talk about hurting each other, let’s live in harmony and be friendly."

He said politely.

"Exactly, that’s why I’m giving you this opportunity to strengthen our friendship."

The Black Skull smoothly continued.

"Alright. I’ll ask around, but I can’t promise anything, just so you know."

Liu Zheng replied.

"You better hurry, time’s running out. If you can’t make it, I’ll have to make do with what I’ve prepared."

The Black Skull said.

Of course, he couldn’t pin all his hopes on someone else— he had already prepared two skins and booked a renowned makeup artist; asking Liu Zheng was just a last-minute idea.

"We’re all family, so I won’t hide it from you. This year is the centenary celebration of the Painted Skin tribe; all tribe members born in the past thirty years must attend a painting competition to see who has the best transformation. The winner gets the ’Dragon Painting’ privilege, gaining incredible powers."

"I want to get my daughters the best skin and makeup artist, out of love for them, sure, but also for this reward."

The Black Skull, after some thought, decided to confess the truth.

"I see. But Black bro, there’s something I’m not sure if I should say."

Liu Zheng hesitated a bit.

"After all we’ve shared, what else is there to hide? Go on."

"Is your wife’s ex-husband still alive?"

He asked.

"Still alive."

The Black Skull replied.

"Aren’t you afraid he’ll come to reap the benefits when the time comes? Blood relations are not something that can be easily severed, just hard to resist if the biological father spares no effort showing his love."

Liu Zheng said meaningfully.

He was aware he might be overstepping, but since the Black Skull was open enough about the painting competition, he decided to reciprocate.

Though it’s said that a nurturing relationship can’t match a biological one, blood ties can’t be undone; if that ex-husband went all out in displaying fatherly love, those little girls, not yet mature, might not be able to resist.

"Of course, I’m afraid."

The Black Skull admitted without hesitation.

"Then you..."

"As soon as you bring me good news, I’ll handle it right away."

The will-o-the-wisp in Black Skull’s eyes shrank to a pinpoint, appearing even more sinister.