The initial quote of twenty-one thousand dropped to just eight hundred.
Honestly, I felt a bit uneasy when I told him.
Losing tens of thousands, that's something I can't afford.
But Zhang Sanfen just smiled and said, "I've said it before, the funeral home isn't relying on this business to make money. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter."
I almost teared up, such a righteous boss!
Zhang Sanfen didn't think much of the matter and continued, "The bodies that are brought in should all be placed in the morgue downstairs. But there's a rule here, once a body enters, if you want to take it out, you'll need our permission."
"This is mentioned in the night shift manual, take a look."
"And also, the morgue downstairs, don't go in there if it's unnecessary. If you hear any sounds, don't bother, things will be fine by dawn."
That statement gave me the creeps.
Corpses are lifeless, what trouble could they possibly cause?
Could it be a case of someone faking their death?
It seems like the night shift might not be safe.
As Zhang Sanfen spoke, he retrieved documents from a drawer and after a while, he pulled out a file and said, "Tonight, there's a body to be taken out. Have a look at the information."
"This body isn't ready to be removed yet, but an elder personally called and pleaded. I couldn't refuse, so I had to allow them to take it early."
"In the future, when you're on the night shift, without my consent, no one can take a body out early. This is important, remember it."
Compared to his usual aloof demeanor, the boss had a lot to say today.
And I was working hard to learn.
Because I knew that if the boss only worked with me for one night, then I would have to manage things myself tomorrow night using the night shift manual.
Time flew by unnoticed, and suddenly, headlights shone from outside.
I peered through the glass doors of the lobby and realized it wasn't a single car but rather a convoy.
Zhang Sanfen looked up and said, "They've arrived."
About a dozen figures were visible outside.
The leader noticed us and hurried over, bowing slightly as he handed over a document, "Sir, we're here to retrieve Chen Yao's body."
Zhang Sanfen took the document and glanced at it, "The document shows it's not yet time for the body to be retrieved. Are you sure about this?"
The leader smiled apologetically, "We should have followed the funeral home's night shift rules, but the old master misses his son dearly. So, we had to seek your understanding again."
I recalled the information in the corpse collection file. Chen Yao had been murdered.
While dining with a client, he suddenly felt nauseous and vomited. To everyone's horror, he didn't vomit food, but instead a stream of wriggling green maggots!
The vomiting was uncontrollable, and not just from his mouth – his nose and eyes also produced countless insects. The shock even caused a client to urinate on the spot.
Chen Yao was still alive then, struggling in agony, vomiting and retching. But what he vomited wasn't food; it was a mass of wriggling insects.
When the emergency team arrived, he had expelled all the insects and died.
Some said Chen Yao was killed by a foreign witch doctor. Due to conflicts between Chen's pharmaceutical business and a company abroad, they resorted to this ruthless method.
After Chen Yao's death, several of his family members carried his body away. But the next day, they were covered in worms.
They were still being treated in the hospital to suppress the infestation.
Now, no one dared to touch Chen Yao's body.
Later, Chen's elderly father had no choice but to come to the funeral home.
The boss personally intervened, collecting Chen Yao's body and placing it in the morgue.
According to the document, the normal retrieval time should have been after half a month. Then, a regular burial would follow, and Chen Yao would rest in peace.
However, the Chen family managed to use some connections to request an early retrieval.
Zhang Sanfen looked at the young man before him and said, "I know the Chen family wants to find the killer through this body."
"But it has nothing to do with me. I just want to tell you that there are still eggs of insects inside Chen Yao's body. If you want revenge, you should consider your own strength! Don't cause more harm!"
A young man across from us, in his twenties, retorted angrily, "Why all the talk! The Chen family seeks revenge when they have a grudge. It's tradition! Big brother can't just die in vain like this!"
The leader turned abruptly, delivering a resounding slap to the young man's face. He then spoke loudly, "Who are you to speak to the gentleman like that? Apologize!"
With a forced smile, he continued, "Sir, my younger brother lacks manners. Please excuse him."
After speaking, he shot a fierce glare at the young man.
The young man covered his face, eyes filled with anger, but he still lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry!"
Ignoring the young man, Zhang Sanfen instructed me to bring the keys and prepare to retrieve Chen Yao's body from the morgue.
This was my first time entering the morgue.
Inside, the lights were bright, and the temperature was low.
However, the morgue was unlike what I'd expected. Instead of rows of storage cabinets, there were uniquely designed coffins.
Coffins came in various sizes, shapes, and colors.
I even noticed some coffins gleaming with metallic hues, obviously made of stainless steel or brass.
Each coffin bore a number.
Some numbers were in black, while others were in white.
Zhang Sanfen explained, "Use any of the coffins for the bodies we receive."
"Black coffins are empty, white coffins contain bodies. Make sure not to confuse them."
"And remember, do not open a coffin containing a body until the retrieval time. It can lead to trouble."
As he spoke, he effortlessly walked among the coffins, soon stopping before a black wooden coffin.
The coffin bore a white number: b21.
Chen Yao's body was inside.
Zhang Sanfen stood by the coffin for a moment, then used just two fingers to lift the nails that secured it shut.
This skill left me in awe.
Normally, coffin nails are secured firmly; even with tools, they're difficult to remove. Yet the boss managed to pull them out using only his fingers.
His hands were as strong as pliers!
The coffin opened, revealing Chen Yao's body wrapped in a shroud.
Zhang Sanfen pulled a small trolley over and effortlessly placed the shrouded body on it.
He then closed the coffin, flipped the plaque to black, indicating it was now empty.
In the midst of this, I noticed intricate runes inside the coffin.
"Let's go," Zhang Sanfen said.
Just as he spoke, the morgue echoed with scratching sounds, as if someone were vigorously scratching the coffin's lid with their fingernails.
The noise reverberated through the empty morgue, grating on my nerves.
Startled, I felt my body break into a cold sweat.
Yet Zhang Sanfen's voice turned impatient, "Quiet down! If you cause more commotion, I'll lock you in the bronze sarcophagus!"
His words silenced the scratching immediately.
Anxiously, I stammered, "Boss..."
Zhang Sanfen explained, "A while back, we received an elderly man. His family was busy fighting over inheritance, so nobody was watching over the body. Cats and dogs got in and tried to fake being corpses."
He said, "I hope you enjoyed the story."