Nicky put on an exaggerated look of horror, her eyes sparkling with mischief, somehow injecting an odd sense of comedy into the live stream. The solemn atmosphere of the funeral home felt significantly less eerie because of it.
"Don't be ridiculous! How could a body come back to life?!" Mia's face flushed with embarrassment at the question. She turned away irritably. "Whatever. Just go in and see for yourself." She stepped aside, finally revealing Tony fully.
Tony's expression was grim, his tone dripping with impatience. "Get inside. The sooner you start, the sooner you finish. Don't waste my time." He turned to leave, muttering under his breath, "This is a complete joke."
"Hey, man!" Nicky quickly caught up and tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
"Ah—!" Tony jumped a full meter away, spinning around to glare at her, his voice cracking. "Are you insane?! You don't sneak up on people in a funeral home! It's bad luck!"
"Does being broke count as a disease? It's my main symptom right now; haven't been diagnosed with anything else," Nicky stated matter-of-factly, completely ignoring the 'luck' comment. Instead, she pressed on: "Thanks for the tip, though. More importantly, what's the pay? Just so we're clear, if it's less than my dishwashing rate from yesterday, I'm out."
It finally dawned on Tony—this girl wasn't here to be scared of bodies; she was here to negotiate her wage! He shot an annoyed glance at Mia, grumbling internally. If it weren't for his niece begging him to "make her look like a fool," he'd never have hired this walking headache.
"Why ask? You can't handle it anyway," Tony said, looking her up and down with disdain. "No offense, but even if you're not scared, you can't carry them. The deceased are… different. Much heavier."
"Oh?" Nicky raised an eyebrow, a hint of pride in her voice. "I carried 200-pound boxes up eleven flights of stairs yesterday. Want a demonstration right now?"
Tony paused, clearly skeptical but choosing not to argue further, and just kept walking. Nicky stayed by his side, Mia and the two other girls followed behind, and Leo dutifully held the phone, being the "silent cameraman," his lens steady on the scene, occasionally panning to read the comments.
The live chat was scrolling wildly:
[She actually went in! Regardless of whether she does the job, I respect the guts! 🙌]
[Going in ≠ doing the job. Wait till she sees a body—she'll probably cry! 😱]
[All talk. When it's time to actually carry one, she'll bolt faster than anyone! 🏃♀️]
[Is that cameraman her agent, Leo? His presence is practically zero lol 😂]
Noticing the comments about Leo, Nicky deliberately slowed down and addressed the camera. "Someone just asked about the guy next to me. This is Leo, my dedicated cameraman. His motto is 'talking costs extra,' so he's on mute duty today. Bear with us."
Leo coughed lightly, his face turning slightly red—his "low presence" had actually been noticed. Nicky wasn't done. She took the phone from him. "Rare opportunity. Let me give you all a 'cloud tour' of a funeral home. Consider it a learning experience."
She held up the phone as she walked, narrating: "We're through the main door now. It's pretty cool in here, decent landscaping… See that white door up ahead? Tony says that's the crematorium, but we're not going there today. We're headed to the loading area."
Just then, a hater's comment popped up: [Wearing shorts just to show off her legs for clicks? Stop pretending to work hard!]
Nicky saw it and smirked, replying calmly: "I wear shorts because it's hot, and my legs look good in them. You wear long pants—is it because your legs are short and you're afraid they won't look as good?"
"Cough, cough—" Leo started coughing violently again, trying to hide his laughter.
Nicky turned to him, feigning innocence. "I was talking about short legs. Why are you coughing? Do you agree?"
"I… I guess I do," Leo stammered after a moment, playing along, which sent the live chat into hysterics:
[LMAOOO! Leo knows how to play the game! 🤣]
[OMG their dynamic is hilarious! Came for a horror stream, got a comedy! 🎭]
[Nicky's comebacks are lethal! That hater must be fuming! ☠️]
They soon arrived at the loading area. A white van was parked by the door. Tony pointed at it and finally gave in. "The deceased are inside. All three need to be moved to the holding area near the crematorium. Get it done, and you get $1,600."
"$1,600?" Nicky's eyes lit up. She immediately shoved the phone back into Leo's hands. "Now that's a rate I can work with!" She turned and thrust her hand out toward Tony. "Where's the protective gear? Let's go. The sooner I finish, the sooner I get paid."
Tony, utterly defeated by her money-driven enthusiasm, fetched a disposable protective suit and gloves from a storage room. Nicky suited up efficiently and pulled the van door open—clang—the metal door hit the van with a heavy thud.
Inside were three black vinyl body bags. Mia and her friends instinctively covered their noses and stepped back. Even Leo's hand holding the phone wavered slightly. The tone in the live chat shifted instantly:
[Whoa! Actual bodies! I flinched back from my screen! 😳]
[Is she gonna back out now? This looks terrifying!]
[Stop faking! Run already! I'm waiting for you to fail!]
But Nicky didn't even flinch. She pulled on her gloves, bent down, grabbed the handles of one bag, and hoisted it onto her shoulder with a single, fluid motion—as effortlessly as if it were another box from the warehouse. She turned to Tony. "This goes to the holding area near the crematorium, right?"
Tony stared at her steady posture, his eyes wide. He could only nod mechanically and point in the direction.
"Great!" Nicky chirped, setting off toward the holding area without a hint of hesitation.
After carrying the first bag, she made a point of stopping by the camera with a smile. "Someone just asked if I'm scared. Think about it: $1,600. This one job pays more than a whole day of washing dishes. For that kind of money, I wouldn't be scared even if it sat up and talked. I'd just gently help it lie back down!"
The stream exploded:
[SHE'S INSANE! ACTUALLY INSANE! Doing this for money! 😵]
[Came to hate, but now I'm lowkey impressed... 👏]
[$1,600 is a lot, but not everyone has the guts to earn it! 💵]
[LEO KEEP FILMING! I need to see her finish! This is wild! 🔥]
Leo quickly adjusted the camera and followed Nicky. Tony stood rooted to the spot, watching her make trip after trip. His muttering shifted from "This is a joke" to "This girl is seriously strong." Even Mia was stunned. She had wanted to make Nicky quit in fear. Instead, she'd helped her land a very well-paid gig.