Pale lights, muffled roars hidden underneath the ground, the dull sounds of machines grating each other… Rong Gui was feeling everything in silence.
Xiao Mei was the shortest in the line.
Because of this, some people would deliberately cut in line before him. They would brazenly jump in and stood in front of him. Only after a long while would they turn around arrogantly, lower their heads, and then say to Xiao Mei with disdain: “Sorry, I didn’t see you there! You…are just, too, short -”
Rong Gui’s first reaction was to seize Xiao Mei. He reflexively worried that Xiao Mei would act in defiance. After all, what remained of him now was a mere head, and he was no longer able to help Xiao Mei fight back.
But he soon remembered that now he had no hand to grab Xiao Mei.
However –
Xiao Mei didn’t have any reaction to the insult.
He didn’t even look up to the man insulting him, but just stood there like a wooden statue, motionless.
As if the man before his eyes didn’t exist at all.
To some extent, no reaction could sometimes be more provocative than any reaction. The man, seeing that he could get no reaction, probably wanted to incite Xiao Mei further. But soon, he recalled that this was a place waiting for job opportunities, so if he caused troubles, he wouldn’t be able to get away with it, either. Thus, the man simply clenched his fists, and turned back again.
However, after finding that Xiao Mei was so “tolerant” of insults, those who originally stood behind Xiao Mei, now started jumping in line before him one by one, all snickering.
Thus, after spending so much time waiting in line and eventually managing to advance a little further, they now fell back to the very end of the line again.
Xiao Mei’s expression was as calm as always, yet Rong Gui suddenly felt that the Xiao Mei before him had become very intimidating.
Xiao Mei was obviously just a short, shabby robot, a buddy with whom Rong Gui lived every day, and what’s more – someone on whose chest Rong Gui was currently hanging. But at this moment, Rong Gui suddenly felt there was a huge distance between them.
Xiao Mei had a short body, yet his soul seemed to be above the sky – it’s somewhere higher than the mountains, more distant than the clouds, somewhere Rong Gui couldn’t reach with his eyes even if he tried hard to look up. There was no sorrow nor joy in Xiao Mei’s eyes. He was indifferent to all worldly affairs, as though he did not have a single trace of connection with any of them. He looked like…just like…a deity in the heaven!
Rong Gui finally came up with a most appropriate word.
Even though he was standing in the crowd, even though there were so many noises around, Xiao Mei’s figure looked indescribably lonely, as if he had already experienced hundreds or thousands of years of solitude.
Such Xiao Mei was a complete stranger to Rong Gui, and frightening.
However…
Xiao Mei was still Xiao Mei, by all means! Rong Gui had even seen Xiao Mei without his panties~
Soon, Rong Gui wasn’t “afraid” anymore.
And he decided to chat with Xiao Mei a little.
The reason why he didn’t speak earlier was that he was afraid of drawing others’ attention. A robot holding a head would look rather weird, right? It wouldn’t be nice if they got bullied as a result of looking weird. But now, it seemed that they just couldn’t avoid being bullied whether Rong Gui chose to talk or not, then why did he have to hold back any longer?
“Xiao Mei, you are even more tolerant than I am…Though I should praise you for putting up with them – after all, we can’t beat them right now, yet…I can’t help but feel a little angry…” Rong Gui first complimented Xiao Mei for his way of handling the situation. However, he was, after all, a straightforward guy, and only after a few words of compliment, he started expressing his own feelings.
“Why angry?” Xiao Mei’s voice came from above.
“They are too much of a bully. They have been bullying us ever since yesterday. This place is bad, really bad…” Rong Gui was initially trying to comfort Xiao Mei. Yet, while talking, he unknowingly revealed some of his little dark thoughts inside.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Perhaps because Xiao Mei’s comportment was too calm, Rong Gui couldn’t help but feel encouraged to be more daring in his speech.
Coafg tfjglcu Ebcu Xel’r cjuulcu, Wljb Zfl kfca rlifca obg j ktlif, jcv atfc revvfcis yfujc ab gfmlaf j ibcu qjrrjuf.
↑
Ebcu Xel mbeivc’a ecvfgrajcv la ja jii!
Rba fnfc j rlcuif kbgv!
Dea ktbw kbeiv sbe fzqfma Ebcu Xel kjr? Lf boafc mbeivc’a ecvfgrajcv~ Ccv ater, tf kjr j wbvfra wjc.
So next, he asked Xiao Mei humbly: “Xiao Mei, what did you just say? I don’t understand.”
“It’s the language of the Leïssaric group in the West. The language of Leïssar is extolled as the most beautiful language in the world, and its people are proud of their language. Many poets were born from that group, and many of their poems are renowned throughout the world. The passage I just read is from one of those poems.” Rare for Xiao Mei, he gave a long speech.
“Oh…I didn’t know that you are such a cultured man, Xiao Mei.” Marvelling, Rong Gui continued, “It indeed sounds nice. Then…what does that passage say?”
In fact, Rong Gui had utterly no interest in something like poems, and he simply wanted to prompt Xiao Mei to talk more. After all, a talking Xiao Mei looked much more normal~
“……” Xiao Mei paused for a moment, and then said slowly, “In divine scheme, each man’s fate has long been assigned.”
“If someone gets ahead of you, do not mind, since you are destined to follow behind.”
“Ahead lie ravines, ahead lie ground holes; ahead awaits the Death reaping souls.”
“Only you in safest stronghold neatly dwell, while others take their tolls.”
Xiao Mei had already tried to explain the poem, as best as he could, in the terms that Rong Gui was able to understand. However-
“?” There were still question marks written all over Rong Gui’s face.
“……” Xiao Mei fell silent, and then said: “To put it more simply, do not be concerned for momentary gains and losses, and do not fuss about the momentary order of priority. Everyone’s fate is predestined. There might be disasters ahead, and they might be horrible disasters. The reason why someone has snatched your place is because death is his predestined fate.”
Rong Gui was dumbfounded.
“This…this poem is so vicious! It’s almost like a curse! I thought poems were all decent stuff, with positive educational purpose!” Rong Gui’s impression of poems remained those ancient poems and lyrics in his elementary school textbooks, which were carefully selected for the nation’s budding flowers to study.
“Poetry is originally meant to be a way to speak freely from one’s heart, to express one’s emotions…” Xiao Mei said flatly. However –
Until then, their conversation was heard by someone who cut in line before them. That man originally listened to the chat between two “weaklings” just to idle away his time, and nor did he take Xiao Mei’s “cursing poem” to heart. Yet, probably because he was too bored, he was determined to spread Xiao Mei’s words for others to know.
“This pygmy is cursing us! He said that there will be disasters ahead, and those who have taken his place are doomed to die -” Fearing that he couldn’t create a huge buzz, the man also deliberately took Xiao Mei’s words out of context.
“Eh? That’s not true -” Rong Gui hurriedly attempted to interrupt the man. However, not until he had finished his sentence – not even until that man had finished his sentence – the ground beneath their feet suddenly sent a fit of horrible tremors!
A good number of people reflexively bent down, covering their heads and crouching their bodies. This was the instinctive reaction of humans when they encountered an unforeseen incident.
Only Xiao Mei didn’t move at all. He merely stretched out a hand, and gently placed it on Rong Gui’s face, covering Rong Gui’s “eyes”.
“What? What’s happening?” Rong Gui, who couldn’t see anything anymore, called out anxiously.
It seemed to be ages before Xiao Mei finally lifted his hand from Rong Gui’s face.
Confusedly, Rong Gui asked Xiao Mei to adjust the position of his head, so that he could eventually see everything around him now.
Those tall men who used to stand in front of them were all gone.
No, they didn’t leave or disappear. It’s just…
Rong Gui curiously watched those men crouching on the ground and shielding their heads, with filth and dirt all over their heads and faces. It took him a long time to associate these people with those previous arrogant jerks who were so condescending.
There was indeed a lot of dirt on their heads. Looking closely, Rong Gui found that there was also some dirt on Xiao Mei’s face. It’s only until then that he understood why Xiao Mei placed the hand on his face: Hmm~was it to help him fend off the dirt? Xiao Mei was so considerate!
However, this was just the thought that instantly flashed through his mind when he saw those people around him. A moment later, some people on the ground lifted up their faces. When Rong Gui saw all those lifted-up, mask-covered faces, even with the thick masks, he could still sense the intense emotions behind them.
Horror?
Nervousness?
Panic?
Fear?
Yes, it’s fear!
Those people who were crouching on the ground and covering their heads, were now looking at him with eyes full of fear!
Wait –
They were not looking at him, but rather…
Xiao Mei?
Rong Gui first looked up at Xiao Mei in confusion, and then…
“Pit No.4 has collapsed!!!! Someone just got in!!!!!!!!!” A shriek broke the silence all of a sudden. Following the direction of the scream, Rong Gui looked forward.
This time, no one was standing ahead. His sight effortlessly flew past layers of crowds, and he was able to see the scene ahead of him in full sight.
This was also the first time that Rong Gui was able to clearly observe this place for which he took a long queue.
Ahead of him was a black, funnel-shaped land, forming a hollow so deep that at least Rong Gui couldn’t see its bottom. Looked from afar, the interior of the “funnel” seemed to have layers and layers of ridges, but they were in fact roads which allowed miners and excavators to pass.
It was from the deepest part of this “funnel” that various muffled sounds underneath the ground came out.
That was the mining pit where he and Xiao Mei were going to work.
Yet right now, sounds of sirens were coming out from the bottom of this mining pit, one by one – these were the sirens of the emergency rescue trucks which would only appear at the time of an accident.
The reason for the sudden appearance of the hollow on the ground was that the mining pit…had collapsed.
“For the Lord’s sake! The man who had cut in line and taken his place earlier has just been assigned to Pit No.4!”
“Good Heaven!!! His words have been fulfilled!!!”
The man nearest to them – who previously jumped up to claim that Xiao Mei was cursing others – suddenly shouted in terror. No matter what, this time, he dared not to use the name “pygmy” to address Xiao Mei anymore.
The man’s words reminded everyone of what happened before the earthquake. Although the man intentionally distorted Xiao Mei’s words, he was not the only one who had heard what Xiao Mei said. After all, the two robots did not try to conceal their conversation.
No one knew who was the first to jump up and run away. When there was the first, soon there was a second. Not long after, all the people who originally cut in line before them were completely out of sight.
The only sounds now left in the air were the dull pounding noises and the sirens.
All job applicants had run away, leaving the two of them alone.
Er…perhaps more precisely, one and a half?
The small interlude which took place among the applicants had also attracted the attention of the mining pit’s staff members.
Trucks carrying the injured whizzed past them. Shortly after, a small, stooped man came over, with hands behind his back.
The gas mask on his face looked especially thick, and Rong Gui couldn’t see his looks at all.
“They said it’s a curse, but I’d rather say it’s a prophecy. Did you foresee this disaster coming?” Standing beside Xiao Mei, the man started to speak.
His voice was hoarse and weathered: this should be a middle-aged man with experience.
He was indeed small, and only a foot taller than Xiao Mei even when standing before the latter.
Slightly raising his head, Xiao Mei looked at him: “How can it be?”
“Hehe…” The low voice came underneath the mask. Without responding to Xiao Mei’s words, that man continued: “Then have a guess: those young men who just got in – do you think they died?”
“……” Quietly holding Rong Gui, Xiao Mei said after a long while: “They didn’t.”
“Hehe, your prophecy is right again. They didn’t die. However, the big guy who first went in seized someone else’s place once more, and he got hit by a rock. He suffered the most serious injuries, but nothing more than two broken bones.”
The man’s choice of words was interesting – he used the word “again”.
Xiao Mei didn’t answer this time.
The man then walked to a small metal table aside: “Do you still want to work here? Others have all gone, and you are the ones who are at the front of the line now.”
Seeing that Xiao Mei didn’t move, the man added: “Don’t worry, I won’t assign you to the Pit No.4 where the accident just occurred. Even if no one got hurt seriously, after such accident, miners must be scared. The number of job applicants in the next few days will definitely decrease, so we will raise our wage! Now, are you coming?”
At last, Xiao Mei walked over slowly.
He filled out the forms in his hands, and handed them over to the man, from whom he then received a small card. He was assigned to the Pit No.7. At a wage which gave him three times the credits one could earn at the usual time, Xiao Mei became a miner.
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Author has something to say:
Xiao Mei…was really just reciting poem…
Yet, with his cold lofty face, the effect of the poem was a bit scary.
Lmao Xiao Mei is a real prophet! >w<
Thanks for the chapter!!
Was he really just reciting a poem? Or did he actually foresee evrything? Or even cause it..? Eiher way, Xiao Mei is amazing.