Chapter 14: The Man-Eating Hot Pot Restaurant (Part Three)

Chapter 14: The Man-Eating Hot Pot Restaurant (Part Three)

The man appeared rather abruptly, and Zhu Ning didn’t have time to dodge. They were too close; she could even see the pores on his pig-like nose.

Last time it was a fish-man, and this time... a pig-man? Is the owner of this hot pot restaurant a pig-headed butcher?

Zhu Ning’s helmet automatically reported inside, "Cleaner Zhu Ning has entered the contaminated area. The contamination level is roughly estimated at Class C. Please choose whether to report to the Cleaning Center's technical department."

"The current highest contamination concentration reaches 99%, with the contaminated area being 5,000 cubic meters in size, containing active contaminants."

"This contaminated area is continuously growing, and the contamination concentration is changing. Please be cautious, Cleaner."

Zhu Ning noticed that this new helmet was different from the one she used before—it was smarter, capable of automatically detecting and reporting data without her needing to measure the contamination concentration herself.

Compared to her previous experience as a complete novice, Zhu Ning now understood the data. A contaminated area the size of two swimming pools, larger than the last sewer, was unusual. How big could a hot pot restaurant be?

With a contamination concentration of 99%, based on her previous experience, once she entered the contaminated area, the concentration would rapidly increase as outsiders interacted with the contaminants.

Regarding the rating of the contaminated area, if Zhu Ning did not report to the technical support department, the helmet’s rough estimate was Class C, which should be more dangerous than the last time.

Black lines emerged from the air again, as if black particles were floating around.

Zhu Ning had seen these things in the last carriage of the subway train before; they were invisible and intangible, more like the backdrop of the contaminated area.

She looked back and found that the stairs she had descended were gone, replaced by pitch darkness. Something seemed to be writhing in the darkness, leaving no way back.

The contaminated area expanded, trapping Zhu Ning once again, cutting her off from the outside world.

Pig-head Man: "What can I do for you?"

His voice was deep and strangely pronounced, as if it wasn’t coming from his throat.

Zhu Ning calmly replied, "I’m here to apply for a job."

She had taken classes on demon hunters, and contaminants maintained their behavior from before they were contaminated. For example, the fish-man kept trying to find the last train after becoming a contaminant.

The simplest way to enter a contaminated area reasonably was not to force entry but to wait for the contaminants to "invite" her in.

The job advertisement on the roller shutter provided Zhu Ning with a perfect reason for an invitation.

"Apply for a job?" The pig-head man sized her up.

Zhu Ning had figured out some patterns: to do normal things in abnormal places. She was doing just that.

Zhu Ning: "Yes, to be a cashier."

Applying for the manager position might get her stuck, but her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering made her more than qualified for a cashier position.

The pig-head man fell silent, standing motionless for three whole minutes, like a stuck robot.

During those three minutes, he didn’t speak or even blink. Zhu Ning guessed he didn’t want outsiders entering the hot pot restaurant but couldn’t find a reason to refuse.

After three minutes, the pig-head man relented, "Come in."

Indeed, Zhu Ning had summarized a pattern with contaminants: as long as you fit their logic, they cannot refuse you.

With a click—

The roller shutter closed behind Zhu Ning, sealing her in for real this time.

Contaminated areas varied, but they all shared some common underlying logic. When ordinary people entered, the contaminants inside would try to contaminate them.

If Zhu Ning hadn’t worn her protective suit, a single spore attaching to her would have completed the assimilation.

Thus, the behavior of contaminants was predictable: either they would try to remove your defenses or cause mental contamination, leading to brain death.

Zhu Ning stepped into the hot pot restaurant, which was eerily quiet.

Firstly, as a hot pot restaurant, it was unusually silent, with no conversation.

There were twenty-eight tables in the main hall, all fully occupied. Each table had a bubbling red oil hot pot in the center, and the guests were smiling as they ate.

Their eating methods were bizarre. Some were cooking themselves, dipping their arms into the boiling red oil without any reaction. The dishes on their tables were far from appetizing; the meat was already rotting, with maggots crawling through the tripe.

One guest, oblivious, dunked the tripe into the hot pot, following the traditional seven-up-and-down method, then stuffed the nearly rotten tripe into their mouth, smiling contentedly.

Some tables had meat that Zhu Ning couldn’t identify—blackened and rotted masses that should have been disgusting to look at. But if you closed your eyes, they smelled delicious.

These dishes emitted an eerie aroma, more fragrant than any hot pot Zhu Ning had ever tasted. It made her curious, wondering if they really tasted good.

She wanted to taste them; surely one bite wouldn’t hurt?

Zhu Ning suddenly realized she was standing right in front of the hot pot, even reaching for chopsticks to taste the food.

Mental contamination: normal people doing abnormal things equals mental contamination.

The more mundane something is, the more it lets one’s guard down. If someone were killing here, you’d be scared because your brain recognizes murder as terrifying.

But eating hot pot and catching the last train are everyday activities, seeming harmless and making one let their guard down.

Trying it once wouldn’t hurt, right? That kind of thinking easily leads to contamination.

Zhu Ning’s system didn’t alert her about a decrease in her mental state, but even so, she was affected. It was hard to imagine what would happen if Li Nianchuan were here.

"Boss," Zhu Ning asked, "where do I start working?"

Pig-head Man: "I’m not the boss; I’m the acting manager, Yang Tao."

Not the boss? Makes sense; the boss must be sick.

Yang Tao: "Follow me."

Zhu Ning followed Yang Tao to the cash register, where he pointed and said, "This is where you'll work."

Zhu Ning asked, "Starting now? No orientation?"

Yang Tao glared at Zhu Ning: "Can't you use a cash register?"

Zhu Ning, as if her resume boasted various skills, shamelessly replied, "Yes."

Yang Tao: "Get to work."

Indeed, after working at the Cleaning Center, being exploited here felt very out of place. No contract, no familiar procedures, straight into work five minutes after entering.

After saying that, Yang Tao went into the kitchen, where the sound of chopping meat could be heard.

There weren't many employees in the hot pot restaurant, and the acting manager had multiple roles. From the chopping sounds, Zhu Ning could tell it was large pieces of meat being chopped. She didn't want to go into the kitchen to see what meat Yang Tao was chopping.

Zhu Ning stood silently in front of the cash register for a minute. During the day, she swept garbage, and now at night, she had to work as a cashier in this cannibalistic hot pot restaurant.

Fortunately, the cash register was smart and not too difficult. After pressing two buttons, it opened. Once open, Zhu Ning paused, wanting to close it again.

Inside the cash register drawer were compartments filled with fingers of varying sizes.

The fingers were meticulously sorted by size and thickness. Some still had rings on them, and their cut ends were bleeding. Some fingers were even twitching slightly.

Was this the currency of this hot pot restaurant? No wonder it's called a cannibalistic hot pot restaurant, living up to its name.

This was also a form of mental pollution. Looking at the fingers for too long made them seem alive, writhing crazily in the drawer, reducing one's sanity points.

Zhu Ning pushed the cash register drawer back in, feeling that this hot pot restaurant was more advanced than the sewers, with a more complex scene. No wonder it was a C-level mission.

The helmet displayed the latest pollution data: "Pollution concentration 108%"

The cashier position wasn't really useful because these diners didn't seem to pay their bills. They just kept eating, stuck to their seats.

Zhu Ning observed for a while and realized something was off. The diners weren't happy; they just maintained a smile, which didn't mean they were happy.

They ate too much, continuously consuming meat without talking, their bellies swelling like they were pregnant.

Pfft—

Zhu Ning heard a slight sound. One diner's belly split open, spilling meat all over their body. Even so, the diner continued to eat with a smile, as if trapped by something.

Zhu Ning frowned. It wasn't the diners eating the hot pot; it was the hot pot eating the diners.

After the diner's belly split open, a mass of shredded flesh flowed out, moving slowly, devouring the diner's organs and skin.

The diner stared blankly, willingly being eaten by the flesh, showing no reaction.

It was disgusting, a visual shock that was purely revolting. This wasn't about pollution anymore; it was just plain disgusting.

Undeniably effective, she heard her system prompt: "Sanity points decreased by 1%"

She needed to leave soon. If there were no survivors inside, Zhu Ning could blow up the hot pot restaurant to complete the mission. But since there were survivors, she had to use the old method—find the source of the pollution.

According to the description from the noble queen duck owner, the pollution source might be the boss. But how could she contact the boss?

Zhu Ning decided to ask Yang Tao in the kitchen. She couldn't stay at the cash register forever; the hot pot restaurant wouldn't pay her anyway.

Zhu Ning left her post and entered the kitchen. It was dark, and her helmet automatically activated night vision. The kitchen smelled of oil due to years of running the hot pot restaurant.

The floor was slick with years of grease, and the walls were stained yellowish-black from oil fumes. Touching the walls would reveal sticky residue.

The structure of the kitchen was complex, with a long corridor lined with eight rooms on either side, and a staircase leading to the basement at the end.

On the left was likely the prep room, where the chopping sounds came from. On the right was the freezer, used for storing meat.

Zhu Ning had no idea what the other rooms were for. Just as she was about to explore, a hand suddenly reached out from the darkness, grabbing her wrist.

Zhu Ning's hair stood on end, instinctively reaching for her gun.

Don't shoot easily; alarming the pollution source would make it hide deeper. But the hand that grabbed her was icy cold, and it felt oily.

Zhu Ning caught a glimpse of a cold gleam—a hatchet.

Someone was standing quietly behind a curtain, holding a hatchet, their other hand already gripping Zhu Ning's wrist.

"What are you doing?" It was Yang Tao.

Zhu Ning took a deep breath, reminding herself to act normal. She needed to do normal things and not panic.

"I wanted to see if there was anything I could help with."

This excuse was perfect. With only one server and Yang Tao chopping meat in the kitchen, offering help seemed reasonable.

Sure enough, Yang Tao released her hand, remaining silent for a moment before turning away. Zhu Ning didn't rush into the kitchen, fearing she might see something disgusting that would affect her performance.

Inside the kitchen, there was a rustling sound. After a while, Yang Tao emerged. He handed Zhu Ning a black garbage bag, "Take out the trash."

Taking out the trash, Zhu Ning's usual job.

Zhu Ning took the garbage bag, but immediately sensed something was wrong. Something inside was moving.

Flap, flap—

The flesh inside was twitching slightly, rubbing against the plastic bag and making a faint sound.

"What is this?" Zhu Ning kept her composure and didn't throw it away immediately.

Yang Tao: "Rotten meat, can't be eaten."

"The trash bin is at the back door; go out this way." Yang Tao pointed to a door for Zhu Ning.

It was the third door on the left. It turned out that this door wasn't part of a room but led to the back door. Now they had figured out three out of the eight rooms.

Zhu Ning held the garbage bag, her expressionless face reminiscent of someone who had been gutting fish for ten years.

She pushed open the third door as instructed, walked through a three-meter-long corridor, and arrived at the back door smoothly.

Since the entire hot pot restaurant was semi-submerged underground, even after stepping outside, she still wasn't on solid ground. She felt like she was in a deep pit.

The back door led directly to the trash bins, which were even sorted by type. Zhu Ning had initially wanted to see what kind of meat was in the bag, but her rational mind told her not to take risks; doing so would surely lead to death.

She threw the black garbage bag into the meat waste bin, and as she closed the lid, she heard a brief scream before the bin returned to silence.

What was this? Was the trash bin alive? Was this some form of feeding?

Zhu Ning stared at the pitch-black trash bin, trying to figure out its secrets.

Suddenly, she heard a soft thud, and goosebumps rose on her arms. The black trash bin reflected a sudden chill, and someone stood behind her, raising an axe right next to her.

When did they get there? Why was it so quiet?

She suddenly remembered what the demon hunter course had said: pollutants dominated their territory, and the pig-headed creatures were the masters while Zhu Ning was the guest.

There was no time to run.

In that instant, Zhu Ning saw blood splattering everywhere as the axe landed precisely on the back of her neck, severing half of it with one blow. Her eyes widened, and her body uncontrollably fell forward.

The black trash bin began to shake violently, and something was climbing out.

Just as Zhu Ning was about to get up to fight back, the lid of the black trash bin opened, revealing numerous tentacles that wrapped around her body, dragging her down into the abyss as if eating her.

Thud—

Another soft sound. Confused about her situation, she heard a system prompt in her mind: "Basic talent Danger Premonition triggered; a 30-second danger warning has been sent. Please stay safe."

When she regained her senses, the pig-headed figure in the trash bin's reflection hadn't yet raised the axe.

What had she seen just now? A preview of her own demise? So this was the Danger Premonition, capable of foreseeing how she would die in 30 seconds?

A fancy death preview.

Zhu Ning didn't even have time to marvel at this talent. Before the pig-headed creature could raise the axe, she shot it dead.

Damn, she hated sneak attacks the most.

＜Pollution Zone Classification Table＞

E-Class Pollution Zone: Below 60%

D-Class Pollution Zone: 60%–90%

C-Class Pollution Zone: 90%–130%

B-Class Pollution Zone: 130%–180%

A-Class Pollution Zone: 180%–230%

S-Class Pollution Zone: 230%–300%

S+-Class Pollution Zone: Above 300%