The Great Worm Lich

Although Edward and Charlie had already known that their boss was a mysterious figure who could not be viewed as a normal person, they still felt uneasy after hearing Zhang Lisheng’s reply that sounded like a bad joke but in actual fact, contained a profound underlying meaning if one pondered about it carefully.

“B-Boss, you mean…you mean, you’ve been regarded as a god by the aborigines on Shrimp B1 Island in the supernatural realm? Or perhaps you’re really their god who has been reincarnated on Earth?” Charlie, who had personally witnessed the indigenous midgets paying homage to Zhang Lisheng in the human gathering place on the supernatural realm’s island, blurted this question out.

“Are you joking, Charlie?” Zhang Lisheng was stunned and asked back in the face of his staff’s bold assumption.

Under the gaze of the young man’s calm eyes, Charlie, who had said the wrong words, did not know how to answer as he said incoherently, as though he was under an infinite amount of pressure. “I… I… No, b-boss! I’m not joking. Before I met you, I was only a clown working odd jobs on Wall Street and it’s you who gave a stage where I can really show my talent. I mean, if you are a god, then I, I, I’ll also be your devout follower…”

“Don’t be so nervous, Charlie! No matter whether you’re joking or not, I was merely joking just now,” Zhang Lisheng smiled and gave a riddle-like reply before reaching a hand up to his mouth to make a ‘zipping’ sign.

“Understood! I understand now, boss! You’re joking! Everything is just a joke!” Charlie breathed a sigh of relief and nodded his head hard.

“It’s good that you understand, Charlie.” Zhang Lisheng, who felt that his time had become rushed now that the plan had changed, shrugged at his manager and turned to look at the LS’ legal officer. “But Edward, although everything is just a ‘joke’, you still have to do the preparation that I asked you to do.”

“I-I know, boss.”

“Very good.” Zhang Lisheng smiled with satisfaction. Now, only the afterglow of sunset could be seen through the window. “Charlie, Edward, I really want to talk to with you two for a while longer, but since I’ve decided to go to Shrimp B1 Island tomorrow, tonight I need to…”

Charlie and Edward stood up at the same time from the chair in front of the desk. “Oh, of course, boss! If you don’t have other instructions, we’ll take our leave!”

Then, they bid goodbye to Zhang Lisheng before walking out of the office.

Looking at the backs of the two disappearing, the young man thought for a moment before commanding Ghostface to turn invisible and crept out of the blood sea in the factory’s underground to appear in front of him, while calling Tina’s phone at the same time.

The call was picked up after four to five rings. Zhang Lisheng transformed the gigantic spider, that was more than four meters high, whose entire body was covered with black velvet hair, with a horrifying grimacing face that would appear once in a while on its back, into a ‘doll’ that was less than 10 centimeters long. Placing it on his palm, he asked, “Tina, where are you right now?”

“I’ve already gone home, baby. Have you left the hospital already? I have some unfortunate good news to tell you. My mom’s painting that is named ‘The Twilight’s Tree’ has won the French National Art Prize so our family will go to Paris tomorrow…”

“What a coincidence! I need to return to Shrimp B1 Island tomorrow because of some unexpected event.”

“What’s wrong? What unexpected event caused you to have to go so suddenly, baby.?”

“Well, the unexpected event I came across is not good news at all…” Zhang Lisheng simplified Emerson’s questioning and Charlie’s countermeasure to Tina. “I think that Charlie’s idea is good so I’ve decided on the spot to leave New York tomorrow and head to the supernatural realm’s island to avoid the limelight.”

The phone became silent for a while, and then, suddenly, Tina said softly, “I’m proud of you, baby. A man who knows how to take a step back is a truly rational and matured man. It’s even more difficult, especially for a man who possesses great strength like you to know how to give in at the right time. Even though I’d always stand by your side no matter what happens, from a fair point of view, that Mr. Emerson did nothing wrong either. He’s a good person with a sense of justice and public morality…”

“There’s a saying in China that says ‘nice guys finish first’. Tina, I’m not giving in but the reality doesn’t allow me to make a radical reaction…” Zhang Lisheng curled his lips and interrupted what the girl was going to say.

However, after his words left his mouth, Tina continued to shower him with praises. “That’s not easy as well, Lisheng. If you want to do your thing, I believe that no ‘reality’ will be able to stop you at all.”

“You can think however you like,” Zhang Lisheng answered helplessly. “Can you come out tonight? If you can’t, then maybe we’ll only get to see each other again after a few months.”

“Oh, baby! I’m sure we won’t have to wait so long before seeing each other again. I’m afraid I can’t go out tonight, but you can come to my house for a gala dinner. there will be fireworks and my dad has also invited Beyonce and Eminem…”

“Tina, I might be interested in it if Mr. Dolby invited Darwin or Leeuwenhoek but forget it if it’s somebody else.”

“You really are not coming, baby? In fact, the dinner will be very long and my house is very big as well. Perhaps we can sneak out halfway and find a small room to do what we love most,” Tina said with a seductive voice.

“Tina, I’m Chinese! For this reason, even though I’m very courageous and can be unscrupulous in doing things, I’d never sneak out to do what we love most when your parents are present on the scene. It’s because I respect you and…”

“And what? Other than respect, what else is there, Lisheng?” Tina, who was enchanted by him, did not get the reply from Zhang Lisheng after waiting for a long time so she could not help but ask.

After brewing his emotions for a while silently, Zhang Lisheng took a deep breath and whispered, “And I love you…”

“Oh, baby, you make my heart melt! I love you too! I love you forever…” Tina responded in an extremely gentle voice.

The conversation between the two became affectionate, but unfortunately, happy time was always short. The girl was quickly taken by her mother to try on the new dress for dinner so in the new LS slaughterhouse office, Zhang Lisheng placed the phone into his pocket and could not help but shudder when he recalled how he sweet-talked just now.

Commanding the black spider that was crawling blindly on his arm to get into his robe, he muttered to himself, “I was really crazy just now…”

Then, he stood up from the office chair, went downstairs, and drove back to New York City.

After parking his car in the parking lot, he walked through the community avenue in Brooklyn in the dark, and finally reached home. The moment he opened the door, he was shocked to see that his entire family members, except the family breadwinner Sullo, were sitting on the sofa.

“Hi guys, good evening! Randy, you didn’t go party out tonight? Why? Did your friends return to Los Angeles so soon?”

“Of course they won’t go back so soon. It is a big sin to waste a flight ticket for college students. But anyway, all of these are not important, Lisheng. What matters is the harm that my friend has caused to you…”

“Harm? Oh, you mean Emerson? Randy, do you really think that such an idiot will harm me? That is so ridiculous. Don’t tell me that everyone has been waiting for me right here to comfort me just because of this reason?” Zhang Lisheng said with amazement with his eyes wide as he laughed. However, when he saw the emotional gaze her mum had to look at him, his heart jolted and his expression became heavy.

“Of course, it’d be a lie if I said that I don’t feel anything at all. Everyone who knows me knows that the time I spent on scientific experiments is far greater than that of running a business. My dream has always been an outstanding scientist, not an industrialist. The purpose of running a business is not to enjoy life, but to serve scientific research. However, right now, in the mouth of others, I’ve become a ‘butcher’-style capitalist and I think this is very unfair to me…” As he was speaking, he slowly imitated the way Charlie spoke and gradually entered the role, with his voice gradually becoming sorrowful.

“Oh, baby! I know that this is not your fault. The young man named Emerson blamed you despite not knowing you at all. It’s so unfair!” When Lili heard his son’s words, she stood up and ran to Zhang Lisheng to hug him as a means of comfort. “Nobody can expect an accident to happen to the poor protestor in the morning…”

“Even so, I still blame myself, mom!” Zhang Lisheng began to talk as in sorrow though he no longer suppressed his emotions. “Right now, I just want to go back to Shrimp B1 Island and use my research work to calm myself down. Of course, It’s just a talk…”

“No, baby! It’s very normal for you to want to escape from New York.” Lili became silent for a moment before sighing. “Do as you like! Right now, the most important thing is for you to relax. Remember, don’t suppress yourself too much.”

“But aren’t you taking me to see my grandfather?”

“Like what I just said, baby, relaxation is the most important thing now for you! Compared to this, everything else is not important.”

“Oh mom, thank you!” Zhang Lisheng replied from the bottom of his heart in the face of his mother’s love.

After receiving Lili’s approval, the young man’s trip to the supernatural realm on the second day had become confirmed. After comforting her son, she learned that he had not eaten dinner yet, so she went to the kitchen to cook some fried meat patties.

Looking at Lili’s busy figure from the living room, Michelle suddenly went up to Zhang Lisheng and said, “What a wonderful performance! If you no longer find being a scientist interesting, you can always go to Hollywood to develop your career.”

“Michelle, I really don’t feel guilty about the protester’s death or Mr. Emerson’s accusation. Not only that, if that Mr. Emerson really puts his threat into practice, I’ll definitely let him know how terrible it is for an antelope to pick trouble on a lion…”

“What do you want to do, kill him?” Michelle suddenly asked when she heard Zhang Lisheng’s unabashed answer.