The Great Worm Lich

A Cadillac Escalade driving into an old slaughterhouse factory gained the attention of many people. The slaughterhouse’s employee Will brought a middle-aged white man in a black suit who had a serious expression as well as a tanned young lady in a gray professional pantsuit with black-frame glasses who also had a serious expression at the moment Zhang Lisheng and Tina got off the car.

“The both of them look like federal civil servants,” Tina said softly into Zhang Lisheng’s ear. “The man’s a sly fox while the lady’s a rookie who knows nothing.”

Will brought the white man and interracial lady to Zhang Lisheng and Tina.

“Sir, these two are the affairs officers from EPA…”

“Mr. Zhang Lisheng, we’ve spoken on the phone. My name’s Joseph Georgewina, this is my colleague Covance Marryann.”

“Pleasure to meet the both of you, Mr. Joseph and Ms. Convance. This is my good friend Tina,” Zhang Lisheng said courteously while smiling. He got the hang of entertaining people after opening this slaughterhouse business.

“Hi Ms. Tina. Mr. Zhang, seems like your slaughterhouse business is very successful. It’s no wonder you’re expanding the business. Excuse me for being straightforward, but can you tell me how you handle the livestock’s waste including the organs, blood, and bones since you didn’t hire any waste management company and have no equipment to get rid of the ecological waste?” Joseph went straight into the topic right after they introduced each other since he was experienced.

“I’ve mastered a new frontier in biological technology that handles waste. Although it’s still in the experimental stage, it’s enough to handle a small slaughterhouse’s ecological waste.”

“You have fresh ecological waste in your waste management pit right now, could you show us your new technology?” The interracial beauty next to Joseph asked all of a sudden while holding her glasses.

Tina’s face instantly had a cold expression when she heard that. “Of course not, Ms. Covance. As an EPA affairs officer, don’t you know the value of such new waste management technology? How could Lisheng show you guys the technology before the study has been done and the patent has been applied? My friend has been managing this slaughterhouse for more than one to two months since he took over. The business has been good, you guys can proceed with the mandatory measures if you guys have any proof of pollution waste leaking during that period of time. If not, I’m suspecting your professionalism if you’re voicing such a ridiculous request. Your authority doesn’t include investigating a business’ core technology. Perhaps you should be speaking with the Kaiserland Town’s National Farmers Union’s lawyer, not us.”

“I’m sorry Ms. Tina, my colleague has just started working with us, you misunderstood her. She’s wondering if we could do that, not really forcing him to do that,” Joseph explained immediately while smiling. “We’ve never had any complaints regarding waste leaking that causes environmental pollution from LS Slaughterhouse. We’re just here to see Mr. Zhang for our job and ask a couple of questions…”

“America runs on a legal system, sir. As a government civil servant, it’s best that you don’t talk when you have no ability to say what you mean when you do your job,” Tina said without mercy. The EPA interracial beauty’s cheeks began flushing and screamed in rage, “What does a rich girl who only knows how to put on makeup and enjoy life know…”

“Be quiet Convance Marryann. You’re a federal civil servant now, not a university student who can speak whatever you want,” Joseph said in a sharp tone. “Ms. Tina, I’m sorry for my colleague’s rudeness. We’ll take our leave.”

He then dragged Marryann along with him and walked towards the antique Ford car far away in big steps without turning his head.

“Mr. Georgewina, this is just too strange. If a brand new ecological waste management technology is being experimented in such a torn slaughterhouse, then from that, I could make a rocket that goes to the moon in my house’s backyard…”

“Marryann, did you see what kind of car the two fellas drive? Do you know I heard that someone powerful from Washington secretly spoke to our dear Director Clarance for the expansion of this slaughterhouse which is something so minor? We can’t use our tricks if the young man won’t say anything. Moreover, we have no solid proof at all. It’s not our business no matter how strange this is. Law enforcement relies on proof and truth, not personal speculation,” Joseph got into the car with Marryann as he spoke. He then said a few seconds later after starting the car engine, “This matter is done here. Remember, we’re asking for trouble if we don’t let go of this.”

Zhang Lisheng asked in doubt as he watched the two EPA officers rush to the car clumsily and drive out of the slaughterhouse, “Tina, do you think your behavior was a little too much?”

“Of course not, Lisheng. My dad once told me that you’ll get into more troubles if you behave weak when you talk to those federal civil servants. As long as they have no proof, we could scare them away with any excuses and get a lawyer to sue them. They will never appear before you in the future unless they really have to.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” Tina said in a firm manner.

“Sure, I’ll call my lawyer to sue them,” Zhang Lisheng nodded and said, “Let’s go to the resting room. I’ll write you an authorization letter then we’ll head back to New York.”

“Sure, give me an authorization letter and I’ll handle the rest. Oh yeah, I didn’t have my 18th birthday party because Henry was missing earlier. I’m planning to do it when Sheila successfully loses weight. You must come by then.”

“I’ll definitely go to your birthday party but I don’t need to bring a date right?”

“Of course you do, you’re my date.”

“Great. I had to spend money to hire a date for the school prom last time, the experience wasn’t too great,” Zhang Lisheng said not long after. The both of them walked into the resting room as Zhang Lisheng began writing the authorization letter after getting a blank paper beside the computer.

“You spent money to hire a date at the school prom? Oh god Lisheng, you’re less likable than I imagined. Tell me, why isn’t the experience great?” Tina asked curiously while sitting next to the young man.

“Nothing much, the girl I hired for the prom used the excuse of going to the washroom and went flirting with those tall, handsome American boys. I got attacked by Dr. Fracture when I sneaked out of the prom and almost died. I was lucky that I managed to kill that crazy killer in the end…”

“You mean, you stood up for the girl you hired for the prom and instead of killing her and the boys she flirted with, you sneaked out secretly?”

Zhang Lisheng was stunned. “Of course, why would I kill them? Sh*t, what am I to you? A lunatic? Let me tell you one more thing. In reality, the girl witnessed me fighting with Dr. Fracture when she came for me out of guilt. She even helped me and swore that she would never expose my secret. In the end, I gave her a couple thousand dollars as a reward and sent her home. Okay, tell me if this authorization letter is good to go?”

“Lisheng, I thought I know you very well but now… Sh*t, I thought you would definitely handle people who offended you in any way with the slickest and most efficient ‘technique’. I’ve never expected you to tolerate those things,” Tina said in shock rather than taking the authorization letter Zhang Lisheng passed her.

“I’ve told you before that I’m not a lunatic. Alright Tina, hurry up and look at my authorization letter. If it’s good to go, we’re heading back to New York.”

“Put this authorization letter aside Lisheng, I have an idea. It seems like you’re not as dangerous as I thought. If that’s the case, I think, perhaps we could be good friends forever. And… lover…” Tina had an uncertain expression on her face as she hesitated for a while. Mustering her courage, she then blurted out all of a sudden.

“What did you say?”

“I said I’m attracted to you Lisheng. Your mystery, your power, those strange little pets of yours, your straightforward and calm behavior and so on. No matter what, I’m attracted to you. Lately, I’ve been thinking to… to have… have a closer relationship with you but… but I thought you were too dangerous back then…”

“Dangerous?”

“Yes, I was afraid to get too close to you. I might be eaten by your little pets if we broke up…”

“Tina Douglin, I’m a wizard! My ancestors have colonized almost all of the lands in Asia and created our very own civilization when your ancestors were still eating berries from trees while wearing leaves. I explain what I do in a simple and direct way so that you could understand me. You’re not Chinese so you won’t understand the moral belief that I have…”

“I know, I know Lisheng. I know I might’ve misunderstood you so I’m thinking we could be closer now. We can be lovers when both of us have no partners. When one of us have a partner, we’ll be close friends. Since you won’t be getting a white girl as your wife while I won’t be settling down before I turn 30, isn’t this a perfect plan?”

“This is ridiculous!”

“No, not at all.” Tina stood up and gave Zhang Lisheng a deep kiss while embracing him all of a sudden. “I can hear your heartbeat, I can see the raging flames in your eyes. Baby, an open relationship between a powerful wizard and a New York top socialite isn’t ridiculous at all. Not only me, perhaps Sheila too… Oh, no, pretend I didn’t say anything because I’m beginning to get… get jealous…” The girl then began removing the buttons on the young man’s shirt and started kissing him from top to bottom.