Realm of the Night God

"Fifth sister, you've been in a low state lately. Is there something wrong with your health?"

"You, a single dog, what do you know? Women, you know, have those uncomfortable days every month. Don't bother about it."

"If you ask me, even if I'm not married, do you think I wouldn't know about women's stuff? But look at fifth sister, does she look like she's having her period?"

"You're so crude. Can't you be more civilized and refined? Talking about periods while I'm still eating."

"Haha! I'm not a refined person. Everyone who knows me knows that. You didn't just meet me today!"

On the construction site, a group of workers gathered for lunch, some drinking cheap white wine, others sipping inexpensive beer. After a tiring day, this was their most relaxed moment, with laughter and a decent atmosphere.

However, one person seemed out of place, looking burdened with concerns.

This person was the fifth sister mentioned by the workers, the middle-aged woman who had crossed paths with Yang Haoran at the Death God Temple today.

Fifth sister is the fifth in line at home, so her fellow workers affectionately call her fifth sister.

Working on the construction site is not exclusive to men; there are also women. However, usually, women come with their husbands, and their tasks mainly involve supporting roles.

Here, as long as you can endure hardship, you can earn money, provided the boss doesn't disappear and pays on time.

Fifth sister is not married, so she didn't come with her husband but joined her fellow villagers who work on the same site.

Seeing fifth sister looking dispirited and with heavy dark circles, the other workers present hesitated to continue joking.

"Fifth sister, if you're not feeling well, go see a doctor. Don't force yourself. Some illnesses get worse the longer you ignore them. Don't try to save a few bucks."

"Yeah, fifth sister, we were just joking. Don't take it to heart. Honestly, your current appearance is a bit scary, like you haven't slept in days."

The concern from her coworkers brought a slight smile to fifth sister's face.

"Thank you for your concern. I'm fine; it's just that I haven't been feeling well lately, haven't rested properly, so I look a bit out of sorts."

"If you're not feeling well, take a few days off. Money can't replace your health. What's the use of earning a lot if you lose your health?"

Although the coworkers said this, in a similar situation, their choice would likely be the same as fifth sister's. As fellow workers, they had to offer advice.

"I know. If things don't improve, I'll go to the hospital. By the way, when can we get our wages? The work here is almost done."

Bringing up the matter of wages changed the atmosphere instantly. Some faces showed anger, others helplessness. The previously lively atmosphere vanished.

"Talking about this makes me mad. The work is almost finished, but the wages keep getting delayed. I have elders and children at home, all waiting for money. But the boss treats us like what? If we make a big fuss, he gives us some living expenses. If not, he doesn't even do that. It's infuriating!"

A worker finished his cup of white wine, then slammed it heavily on the table, his face filled with anger.

"Speaking of this, blame Old Zhang. He's the contractor. He promised us good things when he brought us here, but now? We can't even get the wages we deserve. It's infuriating!"

Another worker complained.

"Don't blame everything on Old Zhang. He's trying his best to get our wages back. I've seen him kneel to the boss just to get our money. Old Zhang is stuck in the middle; the boss doesn't pay, and the brothers below complain to him. He's in a tough spot."

A sigh escaped from another worker's lips. He also wanted his rightful wages, but he understood Old Zhang's helplessness and grievances. His words only represented his own perspective, not everyone's. Also, not all coworkers agreed with his point of view.

"He took on the job; if the boss isn't reliable, he shouldn't have accepted it in the first place. Now that we've done our part, and he hasn't done his, who can we blame?"

A female coworker, filled with resentment, spoke up. It was clear she held Old Zhang responsible for their failure to receive their wages. To her, Old Zhang was the one to blame.

Seated beside this female worker was a man who took a sip of his drink, set down his cup, and gave the woman a disapproving look.

The two individuals are a married couple. The man found it inappropriate for his wife to speak like this in front of so many people, so he gave her a stern look.

However, the woman didn't restrain herself due to the man's reaction. Instead, she returned his gaze with defiance.

"Why are you glaring at me? Did I say something wrong? Ask everyone if what I said is not true. Old Zhang is the contractor. If we can't get our wages, who else should we blame? As for how to get the money from the boss, that's Old Zhang's business. We just need to do our job well. The work is almost finished now, but we still can't get our wages. Shouldn't we blame him?"

The woman was quite assertive, and the man, not one to back down, slammed his chopsticks on the table, angrily saying, "Are you done? Will the money come back if you throw a tantrum here? Why don't you directly ask the boss for the money with your arrogance?"

"Why should I ask the boss for money? I'm not Old Zhang. Asking the boss for money is Old Zhang's business. We came here with Old Zhang, so I'll only ask Old Zhang for the money!" The woman responded angrily.

"I thought you were capable, but you only dare to yell in front of your own people!" The man, equally angry, retorted.

"I'm not capable? You are! A big man like you, facing such a situation, can't even assert yourself. You're not as good as a woman. Truly capable!" The woman raised her voice at the man.

"You!!!" The man was furious and abruptly stood up, seemingly ready to teach his wife a lesson.

Other coworkers intervened, pulling and persuading, finally silencing the woman. The man returned to his seat.

"Calm down, everyone. Let's calm down. Getting angry won't solve anything, especially arguing among ourselves won't fix the problem. I called Old Zhang today, and he said he would talk to the boss and get our wages after he finishes dealing with some family matters." One coworker tried to pacify the situation.

"How many times have we heard that? My ears are calloused. It has never been implemented."

The woman, who spoke earlier, dropped this comment and left. Her husband glared at her retreating figure, but he didn't chase after her.

"Alright, let's not argue with a woman. Come, let's drink, let's drink!" Another coworker tried to soothe the man.

The man took a sip of his drink, still sulking in silence. The coworker who spoke earlier continued, "Actually, Old Zhang is really unlucky. Bringing us out to work and encountering such a boss. His daughter also went missing a while ago, and they still haven't found her."

Another coworker chimed in, "Old Zhang has had a tough year. He got married late, at the age of forty, and had this precious daughter. They thought of working hard and earning more money, paving the way for their daughter's education. Now, they haven't earned the money, and their daughter is missing. It's really... sigh!"

"What happened to Old Zhang's daughter exactly? I heard about it these past few days, but the information I got wasn't very detailed." Another curious coworker asked.

This coworker was not from the same village as Old Zhang. He was recruited from another village to work here. He had recently heard others mention Old Zhang's family situation but didn't know much about it. Now, with coworkers discussing it, he had a chance to find out more.

"Old Zhang is the youngest in his family. His siblings are all working outside. Only an elderly mother is left at home. The mother, being old and not familiar with mobile phones, didn't realize the child didn't come home at night. She thought the child might be at a relative's or a friend's place, as similar incidents had happened before and weren't a cause for concern."

"It wasn't until the next day, when the teacher called Old Zhang, that he learned his child hadn't gone to school. At that time, Old Zhang thought the child might be sick, so he called the neighbors and, through them, contacted his elderly mother. That's when he found out the child not only skipped school that day but also didn't return home the previous night."

"Old Zhang considered the possibility that the child mischievously went to a relative's place. So, he called relatives, both those likely and unlikely to have the child. But the result was the same. They hadn't seen the child."

"If relatives haven't seen the child, it complicates matters. So, Old Zhang immediately dropped everything, left all his work, and hurriedly returned home with his wife to search for the child. They've been gone for several days, and there's still no news of the child."

At this point, the coworker took a sip of his drink, and the one who asked earlier continued, "Did Old Zhang report it to the police?"

"Of course, he reported it on the same day they returned home. But even after several days, there's been no good news."