Hell Game: Starting from Metropolis

The fourth brother chimed in.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Seemingly amused by this metropolitan-style joke, the three men looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"Mr. Liu, would you like to take a break during the intermission?"

The fourth brother stopped laughing and said.

Is halftime part of the schedule?

Liu Zheng asked.

"It's not true for some people, but it's definitely true for a distinguished guest like Mr. Liu."

The fourth brother said meaningfully.

Those who come to the Gaga Shuang Bathhouse for a challenge aren't necessarily there to cooperate; they might also be there to cause trouble.

For these unpopular challengers, the process will naturally be slightly adjusted.

"In that case, I won't be polite."

He nodded.

Although his injuries healed quickly thanks to the special badger oil.

However, it is naturally better to challenge someone in good condition than to challenge them while injured.

Since it's halftime, there's no way we can have a proper feast.

I only ordered some grilled skewers and a few bottles of beer.

Of course, Liu Zheng still has plenty of physical strength; all he needs is time.

"Come, come, try our brisket oil, it's a specialty of Bath Street."

The fourth brother handed over a skewer of grilled meat.

The white, yellowish-brown oil sizzled and bubbled, with a ring of charred edges around it. With a slight inhale, a fragrant aroma, fully developed through the Maillard reaction, rushed into Liu Zheng's nostrils.

He picked up a string of brisket fat, ate several pieces in one go, and then chewed vigorously.

The dense fat and the elasticity of the soft tissue pressed against his tongue, and the most primal and instinctive flavors completely dominated his taste buds.

"It's delicious, but this shouldn't be beef brisket fat, right?"

After smacking his lips a couple of times, Liu Zheng said that he couldn't taste the unique flavor of butter.

“Impressive, Mr. Liu is clearly a connoisseur. This is definitely not beef brisket fat, but pork brisket fat.”

The fourth brother gave a thumbs up.

"Pork brisket fat? Can pork fat really taste like this?"

He couldn't believe it.

“Of course, we don’t get them from other places, but the pigs raised here on Bath Street are different. And every time we get our stock, it’s the best of the same batch of pigs that are ready for slaughter.”

The fourth brother said smugly.

"Uh"

Liu Zheng stared at the remaining brisket oil on the iron skewer, speechless for a moment.

According to information obtained from Red Pig and Violet, the bathhouse street can turn people into pigs.

Of course, considering that humans make up a very small percentage of the residents outside the city, and that the people inside the city generally don't wander around outside the city, there must be other races that have turned into pigs.

So, is the string of beads in his hand made from a person?

"Whatever you were in the past, just accept it."

Liu Zheng muttered something to himself, then swallowed a handful of grease from his chest.

"Try this one too, the baked solid egg. You really can't get this outside."

The fourth brother handed over another skewer of grilled meat.

The metal skewers are pierced with oval balls that look like eggs, but they are green in color and have a more gelatinous texture than cooked eggs.

"Hmm, the texture is more like rubber now."

After taking a bite, Liu Zheng commented.

It's not bad, though; it's even tastier than a regular boiled egg.

The main reason is that he doesn't like to eat egg yolks, and he couldn't taste the yolk in this solid egg.

Is this an egg?

he asked.

"That's right, but not ordinary eggs. You have to beat the egg liquid first, then add baking soda water to the egg liquid and stir well, then pour it back into the eggshell and steam it."

The fourth brother generously explained the preparation method.

"That's certainly an original idea."

Liu Zheng commented.

"In the countryside, the ingredients and cooking skills are not as good as in the city, so we can only rely on these little tricks."

The fourth brother said modestly.

"Actually, the cooking skills in the city restaurants are just average. They only win by using high-quality ingredients and using ingenious techniques."

Whether it's the soup pot at the mouth of the pot or the pile of kitchen knives for the white-feathered chicken, they all fall into the category of ingenious and skillful techniques.

"Hey, that's too much. Financial resources are also a part of strength."

The fourth brother spoke in a seemingly generous manner.

After a while of teasing the city folks, the intermission ended, and Liu Zheng's injuries had basically healed. The three of them returned to the sauna area.

"The next room is going to be even more difficult, Mr. Liu, do you still want to continue?"

The fourth brother asked.

"Keep going. The road gets steeper and steeper, and people climb higher and higher. I've known this since the day I became a food delivery driver."

Liu Zheng walked to the third sauna room and placed his tentacles on the door.

There was no unusual sensation; it was neither hot nor cold, nor did it irritate me.

But the more this is the case, the more it indicates the danger within.

"Are they planning a surprise attack?"

Liu Zheng became more alert and pushed open the door to enter.

However, the expected attack did not occur; there was only an old man squatting on the ground inside.

The old man looked exactly like the one in the previous room, but he was more robust and had a normal beer belly.

At this moment, he was staring intently at the pottery basin in front of him.

Inside the ceramic basin, two crickets are fighting, one jet black and shiny, the other red-headed and blue-bodied.

Their size far exceeds that of real crickets, reaching a full half the size of a palm.

When their large teeth clashed, they produced a metallic sound.

Liu Zheng didn't disturb the old man; he just watched quietly from the side.

The old man didn't move at all, just squatted there like a stone statue.

After more than ten minutes, the black-headed cricket finally ran out of energy and took a step back.

The red-headed cricket immediately seized the opportunity, charged forward, and then vigorously shook its head.

Caught off guard, the black-headed cricket was thrown into the air and landed on its back.

The red-headed cricket jumped directly onto its body, its two large teeth tearing at it relentlessly, quickly ripping the black-headed cricket into pieces before swallowing it whole.

"Haw!"

The red-headed cricket raised its head and let out a loud chirping sound at the old man, as if it were asking for praise.

"Good boy, you did a good job."

The old man gave a compliment, then reached into the ceramic plate.

The red-headed cricket crawled into his palm, bit a hole with its large teeth, and then burrowed inside.

"You know about cricket fighting?"

The old man clenched his fist and said to Liu Zheng.

"don't know."

He said frankly.

"You watched it for so long?"

"Even if I don't know anything about cricket fighting, I can feel your focus, sir. Disturbing someone when they are focused is not in line with my principles."

Liu Zheng said.

Of course, it also depends on who the other party is.

If the enemy is focused on unleashing their ultimate skill, then he should Flash in and close the gap.

"He's not a bad person; it would be even better if he knew about crickets."

The old man nodded.

"Would the old man be willing to offer some guidance?"

"You wish! This is a family secret technique. If you want to learn it, you either need to acknowledge my ancestor or become his disciple."

The old man glanced at Liu Zheng and continued.

"Either you marry into my family and become my son-in-law."

How many daughters do you have?

Liu Zheng asked casually.

"So if you're willing to marry into my family, then you'll be no different from my son. The family fortune and our unique skills will all be yours."

The old man said.

"How many people have you said this to?"

"Do you think this old man is eager to marry off his daughter? Do you think I'd want just anyone to be my son-in-law? I've worked here for so many years, and you're the first one I've ever met."

The old man said angrily.

"Please don't be angry, sir. I just don't think I have any special talents. I'm a little apprehensive because you've suddenly shown me such favor."

Liu Zheng calmly explained.

"Well, that sounds like human language."

The old man nodded.

"Don't underestimate yourself, kid. Being a deliveryman for Bloody Restaurant is something not everyone can do."

"You already know I'm a deliveryman at the Bloody Restaurant, and you still want to recruit me into your family? Aren't you just asking your daughter to become a widow?"

he wondered.

"It's alright. Since you're not dead now, you won't die anytime soon. I have a secret formula that will guarantee you both die instantly. Once you have offspring, whether you live or die won't matter."

The old man waved his hand.

"What good would that do me?"

Liu Zheng remained silent.

“You’ve left behind at least one heir. If you have two, I can let one of them take your surname. And if you can win my daughter’s favor, I have a way to bring you back to life and free you from the Bloody Restaurant.”

The old man said.

"Oh? Then I have no choice but to hear it. Could you please tell me what kind of method this rebirth is?"

His eyes lit up.