Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 158
Under Kan Chaosheng’s persistent entreaties, he was finally allowed to set out with 300 yuan and a backpack.
He once managed to spend an entire month’s salary in a day, so 300 yuan might not even be enough to fill the gaps between his teeth. Although he wouldn’t die from not eating for half a month, as a creature living in China’s capital and being surrounded by a plethora of cuisines daily, he had developed an insatiable appetite, regardless of whether he was actually hungry or not.
However, under Long Shen’s imposing authority, Kan Chaosheng didn’t dare to protest and could only try to cram as much as possible into his backpack—after all, he could carry it!
Kan Chaosheng brought the octopus to the train station to get tickets and board. After shrinking, the octopus stayed in his pocket. Kan Chaosheng used a blinding spell, so the security personnel neither stopped the octopus nor raised any concerns about him, a child traveling alone.
The octopus peeked its head out of the pocket, looking at the plane overhead, a small black dot in the sky, and said enviously, “Big brother, why can’t we fly? I came from America by plane, and it was really quick!”
Kan Chaosheng responded impatiently, “Taking you to find a master is a personal matter. I’ve spent all my salary; where would I get money for a plane ticket? The train ticket was paid for by the boss. You should be grateful that he, that tightwad1, even paid. Stop complaining!”
The octopus asked curiously, “So, the boss is actually a rooster made of metal1?”
1Clarity: The term Kan Chaosheng is using is an iron cock (铁公鸡) which refers to a stingy person. The octopus, not knowing Chinese well, thinks Long Shen’s true form is a rooster and thus replied like so.
Kan Chaosheng replied, “…No, I was just saying he’s stingy. Your Chinese still needs work, Xiao Zhang!”
Octopus protested, “My name is Meika!”
Kan Chaosheng responded, “Exactly, and since you’re an octopus, shouldn’t your surname be Zhang*? In China, everyone has a surname. It’ll be convenient for you once you transform.”
*[Zhang] (章) means octopus.
Octopus queried, “Can’t I have the surname Mei?”
Kan Chaosheng arrogantly retorted, “Zhang sounds better. You can be Zhang Meika, or you can take my surname: Kan Meika or Kan Zhang! Haha, Kan Zhang sounds fun! When someone asks your name, you can say ‘Kan, Zhang!’*”
*Clarity: The joke here is [Kan] (看) means look. So if Meika takes on Kan Zhang, his name would literally mean look, (an) octopus.
At this point, he couldn’t contain his amusement and kept laughing.
Octopus: …
Unable to understand his big brother’s sense of humor, it finally compromised, saying, “Fine, my Chinese name will have the surname Zhang.”
In its original form, Meika was as large as a small island. In terms of size and power, it wouldn’t be inferior to Kan Chaosheng. But after arriving in China, while Dong Zhi and others rushed to Kunlun Mountain, the octopus spent time with Kan Chaosheng and naturally grew close. Kan Chaosheng treated it like a younger brother. Perhaps due to both being aquatic creatures, the octopus was content following him.
As for playing games, Kan Chaosheng led the octopus astray. Using its eight tentacles to play games was unimaginable for others. Dong Zhi initially wanted Kan Chaosheng to teach the octopus basic cultivation techniques, but without supervision, Kan Chaosheng altered the lessons, turning out an octopus that only knew leisure and games.
Upon Dong Zhi’s return and inquiry, Kan Chaosheng felt a bit guilty. So when asked to take the octopus to the Wuzhiqi, he didn’t hesitate and quickly departed.
“Also, don’t keep popping out. The train is crowded, and I can’t use the blinding spell on everyone. If someone sees you, it will cause trouble!”
Kan Chaosheng pushed the octopus’s head back and sternly warned, “Do you want to be turned into grilled octopus?”
Terrified, the octopus quickly retreated. After a while, its muffled voice said, “I can get big; I’m not scared of them.”
Kan Chaosheng snorted, “You underestimate Chinese people. As long as it’s edible, the bigger, the better. Can you eat human flesh in return?”
Octopus: “…I like to eat fish.”
Kan Chaosheng replied, “See? You don’t want to eat them, but they want to eat you. With over a billion people, can you swallow them all in one bite? But with me around, you’ll be fine as long as you stay in my pocket. Once I’m on the train, I’ll get you a phone to play games.”
The octopus’s phone was confiscated in the capital and couldn’t be retrieved until their return. Hearing this, it brightened up. “Thank you, big brother!”
Seeing that he frightened the octopus, Kan Chaosheng further established his authority as the boss, feeling quite satisfied.
After passing security, Kan Chaosheng headed straight for the train. Long Shen had booked him a soft sleeper berth, which had fewer people and thus fewer problems. Of course, he wasn’t worried about Kan Chaosheng’s safety. Those who would be truly concerned would be those who got in the way of Kan Chaosheng. If Kan Chaosheng caused more trouble, it would eventually be Long Shen who had to deal with it, so the fewer problems, the better.
Inside the soft sleeper compartment, there were four beds—two on each side, one above the other. Kan Chaosheng’s reservation was for the upper left one. Below him was a young man who had arrived earlier. The two beds on the right were still vacant.
The young man, seeing a child with a backpack enter without any parent, found it odd and asked, “Where are your parents, kid?”
Kan Chaosheng casually replied, “They’ve been long dead.”
Young man: ……
Kan Chaosheng then realized he forgot to use his “blinding technique” and hastily added, “They divorced when I was very young. I consider them as good as dead.”
The young man sighed, sympathizing with the mature kid. “So, you’re traveling alone? No adults with you?”
Growing impatient, Kan Chaosheng said, “No, I’m returning to my grandparents’ house in the countryside. Uncle, I’m tired and need to rest. My teacher told me not to talk too much with strangers.”
The young man felt embarrassed, thinking about how precocious kids are these days.
At that moment, a family of three entered the compartment. They booked the two beds on the right. Their child, around five or six years old, was quite noisy—wanting to play a game one moment and eat an apple the next. However, after a few bites of the apple, he complained it wasn’t sweet, then demanded chips. Upon hearing an ice cream vendor outside, the kid clamored for ice cream. His mother tried to appease him gently, but when he didn’t get his way, he began crying loudly. His father tried to silence him with a slap, but it only made the child cry even louder. Realizing they couldn’t be too harsh, the parents continued to coax him, only making the child even more demanding.
For the passengers nearby, this situation was extremely annoying. Those with short tempers could start arguing on the spot. The young man looked at the mischievous child and the parents, barely restraining himself from cursing out loud, when suddenly a loud shout from above said, “Shut up!”
Kan Chaosheng poked his head out from the upper bunk, ominously warning, “Cry again, and I’ll conjure a snake to bite you!”
To others, it looked like a cute kid trying to act tough. If the young man had said that, the parents might have argued, but coming from Kan Chaosheng, it just made things awkward. The child’s mother even tried to pacify her son, saying, “See, even the older boy is getting angry. Try being naughty now!”
However, in the child’s eyes, Kan Chaosheng’s face transformed into a giant snake’s head, with large, blood-red eyes and a long, hissing tongue. The sight was so terrifying that the child fainted.
The parents were shocked. The father whispered, “Our child is so timid!”
But since they treasured him so much, they quickly carried him to find the train conductor.
With their departure, the compartment quieted down. The young man, relieved, took out his phone to play a game.
But after a while, he felt something off. Looking up, he almost screamed. Kan Chaosheng’s head was peering down from the upper bunk, staring at him.
“Little friend, you scared me!” the young man said. He found Kan Chaosheng odd but still preferable to the earlier noisy child. “Want to come down?”
“I’m watching you play,” Kan Chaosheng said mysteriously.
The young man chuckled. “I forgot. Many kids play this game. Want to join?”
Kan Chaosheng looked pitiful. “I can’t on my phone.”
He showed his old Nokia 1280.
Laughing, the young man exclaimed, “Who still uses this kind of phone these days!”
Then, realizing Kan Chaosheng might come from a financially struggling background, he handed him his iPad, saying, “Here, play with this.”
Excited, Kan Chaosheng replied, “Thank you, brother. You’re a kind person!”
The young man smirked. “You just called me ‘uncle’. Now that there’s a game, I’m ‘brother’?”
Kan Chaosheng, engrossed in the game, said, “It’s your kindness that makes you seem younger.”
Young Man: ……
After some back and forth, the two quickly became acquainted. Kan Chaosheng learned that the young man’s name was Deng Po, a senior in college. With few classes left, Deng Po decided to travel solo, planning to visit Tianjin first before heading further south.
“Have you found a job yet?” Out of gratitude for the iPad, Kan Chaosheng shared a bag of snacks with Deng Po and engaged him in casual conversation. “It’s hard for graduates to find jobs these days. You shouldn’t get lost in fun. If you lack self-control, you can give me your phone to keep for a while. I can play games on dual modes and help you earn points.”
He didn’t forget that he still had a little octopus minion eagerly waiting on the upper bunk.
Deng Po couldn’t laugh or cry. “Why do you sound so mature for your age? I don’t need to find a job. I’m interning at my uncle’s company. Everything’s already set up for me. Many of my peers are all about partying, cars, and spending money. Compared to them, me taking a train trip is practically saintly.”
He wasn’t too guarded around a child like Kan Chaosheng.
Kan Chaosheng glanced at him and calmly remarked, “Oh, so you’re a rich second-generation.”
Deng Po found this even more amusing. Most children he had met were either like the mischievous child from before or were polite and obedient. None were like Kan Chaosheng.
“You’re playing games at such a young age, and you’re lecturing me about getting lost in fun?”
“I’m combining work with leisure! I’ll leave the iPad on the upper bunk on auto-play mode and go buy some drinks. What would you like? My treat.”
Without waiting, Kan Chaosheng jumped down from the top bunk, landing safely and effortlessly, startling Deng Po.
“Hey, be careful! Never mind, I’ll go. What do you want to drink?”
Kan Chaosheng responded impatiently, “I said I’m going. Are you having a drink or not?”
Deng Po hesitated. “…Alright, get me a bottle of Coke.”
Kan Chaosheng waved and quickly disappeared beyond the door.
Scratching his chin, Deng Po mumbled to himself, “I’ve never seen such a fierce kid before.”
He himself had a temper, but for some reason, he just couldn’t get mad at Kan Chaosheng. On the upper bunk, two tentacles emerged from a backpack, skillfully playing the game.
Soon, Kan Chaosheng returned with the Coke.
As he passed by other compartments, most had their doors open, while some left just a small gap. He wasn’t interested in the rooms with open doors, but those with a gap caught his attention. A quick glance into one of them made him notice something unusual.
<<< || Table of Contents || Lore Glossary || >>>
Kinky Translations 