Chapter 48 - Impersonation

The Skinning Artisan, with his messy hair, was holding a deboning knife, his fierce expression froze upon hearing Xu Huo’s words, “What did you say?”

Xu Huo looked at his blood-stained apron with disgust, “Call out the boss.”

“I am the boss,” Skinning Artisan glared at him, “Who are you?”

“So you’re the boss,” Xu Huo glanced at him disdainfully, walked straight into the office, sat down on the sofa with both feet propped on the coffee table, “Bring out the account books, time for an audit.”

The Skinning Artisan was momentarily stunned by him, following him in and saying, “The taxes here have been fully paid per capita…”

Xu Huo scoffed, interrupting him, “Do you not know what kind of business you’re running here?

Who do you think that bit of money will satisfy?”

The Skinning Artisan’s face showed a “Capricious” expression, “That’s how it’s always been paid.”

“The past is the past, the rules have changed since I came,” Xu Huo said, eyeing him from the corner of his eyes, tapping his index finger on the sofa.

The paper phone in his pocket trembled, even though it didn’t make a sound, but it was enough for the Skinning Artisan to notice.

Xu Huo subconsciously reached into his pocket, but stopped halfway, he didn’t answer the call, instead, he said with a bad tone, “So you’ve got backbone, huh?”

With that, he stood up abruptly and walked towards the passageway, ignoring the stunned onlookers.

Pushing open the door to the workshop, he walked in while disgustedly covering his nose, “This smell, three months of marinated smelly socks couldn’t compare.”

“Is this a place for people to walk?

Just stepping on it would ruin my shoes!”

“And these machines, tsk tsk, are you selling meat or worm eggs?”

“There are even rats!

Is this factory a sewer?”

“I can hardly believe anyone dares to buy the stuff that comes out of here!”

“Just breathing the air here, you’d need to go back and wash your lungs!”

“These two pigs died in such a disgusting way, could their meat really taste good with such a horrific death?”

“Keep your stinking sweat away from me!”

Xu Huo walked all the way from the workshop to the pigpen, picking on everything that could be criticized, from the floor tiles, machines, to the small implements, and aprons.

In addition to a few players being sprayed as filthy as pigs, even the piglets raised in the pen were described by him as having sorrowful expressions, claiming that no one who ate this kind of meat would feel good.

Tang Pei and several others were astounded by his tirade.

They had seen the brute strength of the Skinning Artisan; was he not afraid of being beaten to death right here?!

Xu Huo indeed wasn’t afraid.

After belittling the factory in every way possible, he turned around to look at the Skinning Artisan and scoffed, “The Health Bureau would definitely love a place like this; I wonder how many inspections you would survive.”

The Skinning Artisan had already tossed aside the knife he was holding after being told it hadn’t been washed in three days.

His facial muscles twitched, and it took a while before he could manage a smile that could only be described as twisted, “Let’s talk nicely, let’s discuss it out front.”

After leading Xu Huo out, he then shouted at the several players, “You heard all that I said, didn’t you?

Why aren’t you working yet!”

The players, watching him with veins popping and eyes bulging like bells, grabbed brooms and water guns hurriedly, scrambling to get back to their tasks.

They caught sight of the Skinning Artisan twisting his face into a smile at Xu Huo from the corner of their eyes and suddenly doubted they were awake.

That was the Skinning Artisan, bluffed by just a few words?

Of course, those few words couldn’t bluff the Skinning Artisan.

He was already notorious.

Coupled with an oppressive height and momentum, ordinary players would inevitably show fear upon seeing him, and the game had assigned them a task to complete the work he assigned.

Invisibly, this put shackles on the players—if they couldn’t complete the other two tasks, working for Skinning Artisan at least ensured they would keep their lives.

Therefore, the relationship between players and Skinning Artisan was unequal; it was very difficult for employees to stand up to their boss.

Xu Huo had put on quite a show, demanding account check-ups and inspections, creating the facade of an outsider.

Even if Skinning Artisan demanded proof, it would take time.

The gaming world had a complete social system, which wasn’t entirely bad for the players.

Glancing at the tea Skinning Artisan had poured, Xu Huo couldn’t even be bothered to stretch out his hand.

Seeing this, Skinning Artisan turned to the drawer in his desk and took out several rolls of cash to put in front of him, “I don’t know how to address you.

I’m new here and have been raising pigs in the countryside, so I’m half-clueless about the outside world.

Please forgive any lack of hospitality.”

Xu Huo didn’t even look at the money, and with a tap of his index finger, the paper phone in his pocket vibrated again.

This time he still didn’t care, but looked at Skinning Artisan coldly, “Trying to pull the wool over my eyes?

I’m not interested in whose backdoor you’re using.

When the people at the top change, the ones below need to change as well.”

“These things, I don’t even care for.”

Seeing that he really wasn’t interested in the White Notes, Skinning Artisan took out a box of cigars from another cabinet.

The gold-leaf-wrapped cigars were neatly arranged in the gold box, looking utterly tasteless, but Xu Huo revealed a smile.

After Skinning Artisan lit one for him, they both began to smoke cigars, and the atmosphere finally improved.

“My surname is Wang; you can just call me Mr.

Wang,” Xu Huo said, exhaling a puff of smoke, “As for money, it’s an external possession.

Compared to some good things, it’s no different than paper.”

“I’ve never put much stock in it.

However, there are some things that money can’t buy.”

Skinning Artisan echoed his words while sizing him up, with his expression changing several times.

Xu Huo pretended to be unaware, and when the timing seemed right, he tapped his index finger, signaling Peng Fengnian to call again, which was a prearranged secret signal.

This time, when the call got through, he was no longer indifferent and nodded at Skinning Artisan before stepping outside to answer the phone.

As soon as he left, Skinning Artisan’s face grew stern, and he dialed a number from the landline.

Half a minute later, he put down the phone and walked to the window.

“Be careful, Skinning Artisan is eavesdropping.” Peng Fengnian, who was hiding in the distance watching the factory, was sweating in his palms.

Ever since Xu Huo had entered, he had wiped his hands several times, afraid of missing the secret signal, not daring to blink.

“I know.” Xu Huo’s expression didn’t change, but in the next second, he spoke angrily, “Sis, you’ve been following him without a name or status, not for money or benefit.

All you had to do was arrange a decent place for me, and to be fobbed off with such a small position?”

“…What inconvenience, now is the time to arrange for our own people…”

“Anyway, if I’m not satisfied, I won’t return, and our family is not poor.

He has some nerve!”

After a brief monologue, he put away his paper phone and nonchalantly returned to the office.

With a beaming smile, Skinning Artisan offered him a cigar, “I heard that the highest authority at E27 Wormhole Point has been replaced.

Mr.

Wang, were you transferred here too?”

E27, Xu Huo immediately recalled the code on the Return Ticket.

It turned out that the gaming world was divided into areas by Wormhole Points.

His starting point was at E27 Wormhole, and since the Hao Wei Dao Fresh Meat Supply Factory instance was invading the real world, it was also located in the same spot. S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

He squinted his eyes and said coldly, “Why do you ask so many questions?”