Afterlife Department

Chapter 296 - Balance

While their side is started to be filled with panic, on the other side, the main protagonists are filled with relaxed air.

"Two orders for dinner, please." Yi Bing said as he and Huo Ling sat down on the chair in the restaurant.

"'two' orders…?" the waiter that approached Yi Bing said. Then, he glanced at the seat across Yi Bing, where Huo Ling was seated. But, he didn't see anyone. The smile on his face stiffened. "'two… orders'…?" he repeated.

Yi Bing who was looking at Huo Ling's big scowl on his face moved his gaze to the waiter who looked petrified. "Yes. Two orders. Anything wrong with that?" he asked..

The waiter seemed to be wakened up and his mind lit up. Oh! Maybe this customer is a big eater, so he made two orders? His eyes brightened and he widely grinned. "No, no. There's nothing wrong, sir!" he answered. "Two orders, coming up!" he said and hurriedly left.

Huo Ling glanced at the waiter while Yi Bing looked like he isn't bothered by the waiter's strange reaction earlier.

Huo Ling turned to him and spoke. "What does our world look like?" he asked.

Yi Bing took out the table napkin and played with it while waiting for the dishes and talked with Huo Ling. "Our world…" he said. "… has a grim reaper like me, so, what do you think it looks like?" he asked back and looked at Huo Ling.

Huo Ling's brows knitted. Obviously, he doesn't like it when the question is thrown back to him. But, seeing Yi Bing's unperturbed face as if he didn't care whether Huo Ling would answer or not, a fire burned in Huo Ling's chest. Yi Bing looked like he is challenging him. Huo Ling is obviously in the receiving end, since he lacks information about their world. The situation is disadvantageous to him, so he had to comply to Yi Bing's 'wishes', or else he couldn't get the answers he wanted for.

"You said that our world is a Stable World where the birth rate and the mortality rate is equal, as well as the number of male and female…. It must be an ideal world. Where everything is balanced." Huo Ling slowly said. "But, there is your existence – a grim reaper. So – " he said as he pursed his lips. " – the souls should also be balanced?" he said.

Yi Bing's lips curled up. "Smart." He said. He was obviously praising him with no sarcasm in his voice.

However, Huo Ling doesn't feel flattered. "I've thought about it." He said. "You said that the birth rate and mortality rate are equal… no – " he shook his head. " – should be equal in order for the world to maintain its balance. However, it wouldn't always be in balance." He looked at Yi Bing. "Birth could be planned, but death always couldn't be planned. The mortality rate would definitely be higher than the birth rate. So, the balance between the two couldn't be kept forever. Thus – " he took a deep breath. "? -grim reapers are born." He looked at Yi Bing in the eyes.

"Bingo." Yi Bing said as he nodded his head, his gaze on Huo Ling has a look of appreciation. "Grim reapers are born from the 'excess' souls in our world." He said.

But, Huo Ling doesn't need Yi Bing's appreciation. "But, not all 'excess' souls can become a grim reaper, or want to become a grim reaper." He continued. "So, the 'foreign' souls came to." He said.

Yi Bing's eyes twinkled. The longer he looked at Huo Ling, the more he likes him. Huo Ling has never been this smart before. This just shows how much Huo Ling was cultivated in this world by his parents. "You are right." He said. "It just so happened that some worlds, like this one, needs foreign souls. So, you, and the other excess souls from our world, are sent here in the form of reincarnation." He explained.

Huo Ling sneered. "No. Not reincarnation, but 'deception'." He corrected.

Yi Bing chuckled. As the two of them conversed, the people around noticed Yi Bing. Yi Bing was garbed in black, making his appearance look gloomy. However, because of his very handsome face, his clothes and the color of his clothes made him look elegant like a monarch.

But, this image was broken because he was laughing and talking alone. This made people sigh. Why can't everything good remain good but instead become broken? Look at this handsome young man. His face is more handsome than those actors and models. But, his brain is broken. What a pity. They thought.

The waiter who came to serve Yi Bing froze in his feet when he noticed the strange atmosphere surrounding Yi Bing. He also saw the other customers' aversive gazes. Shit… is there really something wrong with this handsome customer?! He thought as his widened in shock. But, nonetheless, he did his job.

He approached Yi Bing's table and, even though his hands are shaking, but he managed to successfully place the dishes Yi Bing ordered on the table. He even placed the second plate and cutleries across Yi Bing, as if there is a person sitting there. "P – please… please enjoy your meal, sir!" he said before he dashed back to the kitchen.

Huo Ling smugly smiled as he looked at Yi Bing. "They thought you are crazy." He told him.

Yi Bing didn't bite Huo Ling's provocation. Instead, he said. "I am crazy." He told him as he started eating.

It was Huo Ling who became speechless instead. He stared at Yi Bing with widened eyes. Yi Bing is indeed crazy, since he is shameless! Yi Bing knows the people around are secretly watching him, but he still continues talking to him! Huo Ling has never seen a shameless person. This is an eye-opener for him!

"Don't you care what they will think of you?" he can't help but ask.

"Should I?" Yi Bing asked back.

Huo Ling shut up. The concern he had a moment ago has disappeared like a smoke seeing Yi Bing's unbothered expression. It feels like, in his world, there's only him, Huo Ling and the food in front of him.

"Aside from grim reapers, there are also monsters, gods, ghosts, and other beings in our world." Yi Bing said.

"Huh?" Huo Ling was surprised with the sudden change of the topic.

Yi Bing drank his water before he looked at Huo Ling. "If there's only the humans, the world would be mundane. One reason of our, grim reapers', existence is to counter this mundane life." He said. "But, our existence isn't enough to balance the mundaneness of the humans. Thus, gods, monsters, ghosts, and other beings exist." He explained.

"These beings exist just for the world to have a balance?" Huo Ling frowned in dislike. "They would endanger the humans' life!" he said, his voice filled with anger.

However, Yi Bing's expression looked calm. "Do you know the importance of a Stable World?" he asked.

"What?" Huo Ling impatiently asked.

"You have already heard about this world's imbalance." Yi Bing said.

"Yes." Huo Ling answered.

"How about the other worlds' imbalance?" Yi Bing asked.

Huo Ling stared at him, waiting to see the tricks he has up in his sleeves.

Yi Bing didn't look like as if he's in a hurry to answer, either. "Waiter. My bill." He called.

The waiter's face paled but he has already been called and so he walked towards Yi Bing. If he knew this man is crazy, he wouldn't have approached him and would have avoided him at all costs. He could feel his colleagues' pitying gazes stabbing him on his back.

Yi Bing didn't 'tease' the waiter anymore and just gave him a paper bill. The waiter's eyes widened in shock. He looked at Yi Bing, but Yi Bing had already walked towards the door and left. The waiter is about to speak, but he felt a cold sensation passed through his body.

His heart sank. He immediately went to the cashier and handed the money. "Eh? Where are you going? The customer's change should be given to you as a tip since he didn't want to take it… hey!" the cashier called, but the waiter just ran away.

The waiter vowed to work in the kitchen from then on.

Meanwhile, Yi Bing, and Huo Ling who didn't notice he also has given the poor waiter a scare, stopped by the side of the road. One is standing on his feet, while the other one, his feet doesn't touch the ground, watched as the vehicles passed by in front of them.

"So?" Huo Ling spoke, urging for Yi Bing to continue the topic earlier.

Yi Bing took a deep breath. "Do you know what the Stable World is called in other words?" he asked.

"A 'Balanced World'?" Huo Ling asked.

"There are many other Balanced Worlds." Yi Bing said.

Huo Ling rolled his eyes as he sneered. "Then, a 'Perfectly Balanced World'?" he said.

But, Yi Bing shook his head. "No." he said. "It is 'Neutral World'."

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