Chapter 00010: Staff Meal (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Shi Yao)
# Staff Meal (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Shi Yao)
Chapter 10
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 10: Staff Meal (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Shi Yao)
It was a pity that even though he had little conscience, he couldn’t pretend that he didn’t have any.
In the end, Ji Jue did not lose his way.
He took out his phone for the last time, looking at the empty screen.
Brother Feng still hadn’t returned his call.
No answer to the phone, no reply to the messages; it was as if he had vanished from the world, just like a ghost.
Who knew where he had gone? Had he been knocked out by his comrades again?
At such crucial moments, relying on others was unreliable.
Could he really count on anyone?
Now it seemed that the only one he could depend on was himself.
After a moment of hesitation, he persuaded himself with thoughts like, "I’ll just take a look," "Just one glance," "I’ll figure out what this group is up to and head back," and "If it doesn’t work out, I’ll run."
Ji Jue took a deep breath and turned to leave.
Twenty minutes later, he confidently appeared at the entrance of the nightclub.
Wearing repair gear and a dirty work hat he had haggled down to four hundred at a second-hand stall in the night market, Ji Jue felt like he was about to cough up blood for the loss.
The only freebie was the toolbox strapped to the back of his little sheep, which he carried with him all the time.
Finally, he was shouldering a dilapidated folding ladder borrowed from a hardware store.
Who needed membership cards or federation coins?
His genuine pass was right here!
When Ji Jue was broke, he often relied on this setup to sneak in without paying.
He couldn’t say he hadn’t been caught a few times, but most of the time, it worked flawlessly.
With swagger, he walked past luxury cars and over the queue of people at the entrance.
He nodded skillfully at the doorman, mumbling, "Who called for repairs?"
The doorman seemed momentarily taken aback, then muttered something into his earpiece, waiting for a response from the other side.
The dazzling crystal chandelier in the lobby shone down on Ji Jue’s face.
He held his breath, nearly unable to contain himself.
Eventually, a hurried figure rushed towards him.
Upon seeing Ji Jue, they relaxed momentarily, but then their expression turned to irritation.
"Where have you been? The elevator has been broken for a while… Wait a minute, what do you need the ladder for?"
"Ah?"
Ji Jue was taken aback for a moment, then his mind raced.
"It’s… for maintenance. Maybe there’s a problem up top, right?"
The doorman nodded.
"What about your other tools?"
"They're in the car. There’s too much to carry. Let’s figure out the problem first before I bring anything else."
Ji Jue dodged the question, trailing behind him, finally entering the building.
Unfortunately, there was no sign of the expected energetic songs or pole dancing; they went straight through the employee passage.
All around, staff were bustling back and forth, so busy that even seeing someone bringing in such a large ladder only earned a glance, as they ignored it.
More scantily clad ladies walked by in groups, and the fragrant air was nearly overwhelming for Ji Jue.
The doorman warned him, "Don’t gawk, don’t wander, and definitely don’t hit on anyone. Some customers are not to be messed with, so be careful or you might get dragged out through the back door."
"Okay, okay."
Ji Jue nodded vigorously, keeping close behind, finally stopping in front of an elevator clearly marked for repairs.
"Alright, you check it out. If you need any tools, just call me from the tool room. Don’t go wandering around, got it?" He warned.
"If you stumble into something you shouldn’t have, you’ll be in trouble! See that? The security is watching!"
He pointed to the camera on the ceiling across from the elevator.
"Hey, you’ve got quite an amount of trouble here."
Ji Jue shrugged, suddenly smacking his forehead.
"Oh right, our company has been strict with KPIs lately. Some folks act like dogs chasing after others' contracts. Make sure no one else is here to steal my job!"
"Don’t worry. Why would it need so many people to fix an elevator? Call me when it’s done."
The doorman waved him off impatiently, turning to walk away.
That successfully stopped the real repairman from exposing his cover.
In the busy corridor, Ji Jue stood alone, staring at the elevator, and pretended to tear into the panel.
Halfway through, with no one noticing, he lowered his head, sneaky fingers sliding along the wall, giving the camera a quick touch.
[Hey bro, busy?]
The camera light winked on briefly, flashing the video of the repair scene from just moments earlier.
Then, a coarse voice echoed in Ji Jue's mind:
[What’s up, dude? Our rules are strict here; no chit-chat.
Be careful, or someone might catch you slacking off and you might get beaten up.]
Ji Jue asked, [Do you know what’s happening inside?]
[I don’t know!]
The camera replied with annoyance, [This damn place has several sets of surveillance inside and out; who knows what they’re doing in there...
These guys have been up to no good lately, probably nothing good at all.
If I had hands, I’d think of calling the cops myself!]
As it spoke, it transmitted the images visible: several figures hunched over, pulling huge plastic bags or boxes out of the elevator.
Blood dripped from the bags, swiftly dragged away by cleaning staff, leaving no trace behind.
Ji Jue felt a chill run down his spine.
With a moment's thought, it was impossible that they were cooking some donkey stew for customers? Were the customers that weak? And how could anyone eat that much?
The thought was nauseating.
But then the wild face of that insane old ghost flared up in his mind, the hunger that seemed to erupt from his eyes…
The camera's words reminded him:
"Right, call the cops."
Having dug up so much, it was time for the police to clean this mess.
He instinctively reached for his phone.
But just then, he heard the nagging voice from the camera again.
[Oh right, it seems the police are in cahoots with them.
A few girls who ran out got caught and were beaten badly… You be careful, or they might get you too, bro.]
In the images transmitted, there was a supervisor in a private room handing cigarettes to the police, laughing merrily.
Their smiles showed no gaps as if they were one big happy family.
Within the supervisor's eyes flickered a familiar red light, like blood flames.
Another one?!
The third one… No, it was more than that; the eager camera splashed before him all the strange scenes of the recent days, at least eight or nine people marked with that eerie crimson glow!
Ji Jue's heart raced, darkness clouding his vision.
—Oh no, had he unwittingly stumbled into their lair?!
Was there still time to run?
[Thanks, brother, I’m good now!]
Squatting before the panel, Ji Jue traced the faulty lines as guided by the elevator and reconnected them, binding the connections with electrical tape, getting it done.
The elevator cheered, [All set, hurry up and leave.
Don’t end up like the last repairman, getting taken away without knowing where.]
“……”
After cleaning up and preparing to escape, Ji Jue froze in place, stunned by the vision relayed from the elevator: just minutes ago, another worker in a repair hat had followed someone down the elevator, to a floor not shown on the panel, and once the doors opened… vanished.
It was as if among the bustling, lively nightclub, there lurked an unseen black hole; once someone unwittingly fell in, they were never seen again.
But what left him rigid was the fleeting image on the screen, that familiar scar on the right hand of the repairman, making it hard for him to breathe.
A shiver ran through him.
"Brother Feng..."
Ji Jue’s eyes widened, standing at the elevator entrance.
“Hey? Is it fixed? If it’s done, let’s head down for some staff meal…” The doorman, receiving a message, nudged his shoulder. “I’m asking you a question, speak up. Why are you acting dumb?”
Ji Jue remained silent, turning to look at him.
The doorman frowned, about to speak, but then he saw… the boy’s wide eyes, along with the crimson veins spreading within.
Then, he saw the right hand Ji Jue lifted from the toolbox, clutching a crowbar aimed right at his forehead.
Bring it down!
Bang!
The doorman's vision went dark, collapsing to the floor, the last thing he heard was the indifferent echo.
"Good."
Ji Jue grabbed the back of his collar, yanking him into the elevator.
"I've been dying to taste your staff meal..."
The elevator doors closed, and the hallway again fell silent and empty.
Only the elevator descended slowly.
In the brief stillness, Ji Jue took a deep breath, gripping the crowbar tightly.
After a moment’s thought, he switched to a screwdriver, pressing the sharp point against the doorman's neck; with a slight push, he could pierce right through.
He admitted he was taking a gamble; this reckless act was foolish and irrational.
But when Ji Jue remembered Lu Feng vanishing into the basement floor, all logic and thought seemed to evaporate, replaced with fear and rage he had never imagined.
How did Lu Feng end up here?
Was he okay?
He still mentioned buying a new computer for gaming together.
Damn it, he had never kept his word!
Lu Ma had just gotten out of the hospital, and he’d run to this place—what the hell had been going through his mind? He couldn't even take a moment to call and let him know?
Now, there was no way out.
Suddenly, Ji Jue knew the only thing he could do was pull the doorman’s phone out, uploading all the footage he had collected, scheduling to send a video two hours later to the Yacheng News and the Governor’s Voice.
Though it felt futile, at least he wouldn’t die in silence.
Then, he dragged the unconscious doorman off the ground, holding him in front as a shield, with the screwdriver pressed to his neck.
He looked up towards the paused elevator.
And at the slowly opening doors.
From that chilling gap came a grotesquely twisted face that lunged towards Ji Jue the moment the elevator opened...
“Damn!”
Ji Jue’s eyes widened instinctively, raising the screwdriver to stab, only to see, clearly at that moment, the blood splattered across that hideously contorted face—
And the gunshot holes.
From forehead to back of the skull, it exploded, like a coconut bursting, red and white splattering everywhere.
A body.
Slumped against the doorway of the elevator, it fell inside with a crisp sound.
And more followed.
Bodies, bodies, bodies, bodies, bodies.
It felt as if he had suddenly barreled onto a battlefield, the suffocating stench of gunpowder uncomfortably filling his nostrils, mixed with the thick scent of blood.
In the vast underground space, it transformed into a battleground, a storm of destruction howling past.
All that remained were eleven bodies.
Amidst the crimson, a lone figure stood alone.
Stepping over someone who still struggled despite having a pierced heart and arm, the figure lifted an axe, aimed at the forehead, and with a single strike, brought it down!
Done.
Then, the other hand lifted a gun, aimed at the open elevator.
And there, just like Ji Jue, froze in place…
That was Lu Feng.
"Damn."
(End of this chapter)