The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 212: The Coffin

Lu Li backed away toward the edge.

The fish carcasses on the conveyor belt were becoming scarcer. Soon, a new net was supposed to move over the passage and open.

Lu Li knew what he had to do.

The next batch wasn't long in coming. After a few dozen seconds, the clang of chains echoed from above, followed by the thunderous crash of falling fish carcasses, like a downpour.

They once again formed a mountain in front of the conveyor, moving ceaselessly toward the "cooks" on the other side.

At that moment, Lu Li slipped out from the shadows beneath the conveyor and approached the mountain of fish.

He seemed to be searching for something, scanning the carcasses caked in the black substance.

The conveyor, laden with fish, moved toward a red-hot furnace. Lu Li watched silently for a moment, then reached out and pulled a large fish, weighing about two and a half kilograms, off the belt.

Prying open the dead fish's mouth, Lu Li held it to the edge of the pile and began to pour the viscous black substance inside until it started to ooze out. Then, taking this fish and another, smaller one, he returned to his original hiding spot—under the conveyor.

His preparations complete, Lu Li set his plan in motion.Hiding beneath the conveyor, he threw the second fish backward and to the side with all his might.

Slap!

The fish struck the dark gray wall, making a distinct sound.

One of the "cooks" by the door turned at the noise. Cleaver in hand, he headed toward the source of the sound.

Lu Li watched as the deformed legs shuffled past him toward the fish. The "cook" bent down, looked at the carcass, picked it up, and tossed it back onto the conveyor.

At that instant, Lu Li hurled the fish filled with the black substance directly at the "cook".

A black gleam flashed through the air. The "cook" instantly raised its short arm and swung its cleaver at the airborne fish, splitting it in two.

The fish flew apart, and the black substance sprayed everywhere, drenching the "cook".

This was where Lu Li's plan diverged from reality.

He had expected that the "cook," doused in the black substance, would be immobilized, that its comrades would come to its aid, and that he could use the opportunity to get to the door.

But the other seven "cooks" paid no attention to their afflicted companion. They continued to hack at the fish carcasses sliding along the conveyor, sending the minced flesh into the furnace of unknown purpose. And the drenched "cook," after letting out an indistinct, gurgling mutter, calmly picked up the bisected fish, placed it on the conveyor, turned around, and walked right past Lu Li.

The plan had failed.

But not entirely. At the very least, Lu Li now understood that these "cooks" weren't very bright.

Having failed, Lu Li lurked in the darkness, contemplating a new plan.

The grinding of the conveyor's gears gave him an idea: if he could seriously damage the mechanism, it might attract the "cooks'" attention.

The spinning conveyor, the rhythmic thuds of cleavers, the minced flesh falling into the furnace.

The scene repeated itself over and over, as if time had frozen, trapping these few seconds in an endless loop.

After several minutes, the monotony was broken by a figure emerging from under the conveyor.

Lu Li returned to the start of the conveyor belt. The mountain of fish had shrunk considerably.

Just like before, Lu Li began to search for something specific among the fish carcasses.

This time, however, the search took longer. The mountain of fish had all but vanished when a new, foul-smelling batch came tumbling down from above.

Hiding at the edge, Lu Li suddenly darted out and pulled a slippery sea snake from the falling mass.

The snake had been dead for a long time and, like the other fish, was covered in the black substance. Lu Li frowned slightly, wondering if he looked the same.

Pushing the stray thought aside, Lu Li crouched down and examined the side of the conveyor.

The conveyor had no protective casing; its internal mechanism was completely exposed. Gears and bearings spun, emitting a distinct sound.

If he could shove something long and thin between the gears, it would be enough to jam the mechanism and cause a chain reaction...

Lu Li didn't act rashly. He hid in the shadows, considering the possible consequences.

If the plan failed, the snake wouldn't get caught in the gears, and nothing would change.

If the plan worked, the snake would jam the gears, the "cooks" would notice, and he could use the opportunity to get through the door out of the "kitchen".

If the plan worked but didn't attract the attention of all the "cooks," they would fix the conveyor, and everything would go back to how it was.

If the plan worked too well, the broken conveyor would make a lot of noise and attract other inhabitants of the ship, making his escape more difficult.

His deliberation finished, Lu Li emerged from the shadows and prepared to act.

In any case, things couldn't get any worse.

Grabbing the slippery snake by the neck, Lu Li reached into the conveyor's innards and brought the snake's head toward the spinning gears.

Suddenly, a force tugged from the other side of his hand, and the snake's head was caught between the gears. They continued to turn, grinding the head and pulling the snake's body inward, gradually tearing it to pieces.

The gears began to jam.

Lu Li didn't wait to see the result. He ran to the middle of the conveyor, sacrificing some of his stealth for speed, and dove into the shadow beneath it.

Just as Lu Li disappeared under the conveyor, one of the "cooks" noticed something and glanced in his direction, but seeing nothing, it turned away.

Grrrind...

Amid the thudding of the cleavers, a new sound could be heard, growing louder and more distinct.

The conveyor began to shake, its smooth surface moving in fits and starts as strange bulges appeared.

The rattling grew louder, and the "cooks" finally heard it. They stopped hacking at the fish and looked toward the conveyor.

Bang!

A dull thud echoed out, and a plume of dark gray smoke erupted from the section of the conveyor where Lu Li had shoved the snake.

The conveyor came to an instant halt.

Silence fell over the "kitchen".

The silence lasted for several seconds, and then heavy footsteps broke it.

On either side of Lu Li, deformed legs shuffled past. The "cooks" were muttering something as they headed for the broken conveyor.

All the "cooks" were preoccupied with the breakdown.

And from the shadow under the conveyor, Lu Li slipped out silently and, like a ghost, headed in the opposite direction.

Reaching the door in the wall, Lu Li discovered that it wasn't a door at all.

It was a wooden panel, protruding from the wall, about the same size as Lu Li himself. Its strange shape and material made it look like... a coffin lid.

With no time to puzzle it out, Lu Li tried to slide the panel.

The panel gave way, revealing a narrow passage and what lay beyond it.

A small space, just large enough for one person.

Before Lu Li could do anything, a force like gravity emerged from the coffin. He was pulled inside almost instantly, slamming against the wall.

Slam!

The coffin lid slammed shut with a deafening crash.