I'm Trapped in the Block

In the flickering light, a group of strange-looking creatures walked to the shore.

This was a group of Fishmen. While their bodies were human-like, their heads were those of ugly, ferocious fish. They were dark all over, and apart from their different clothes, it was impossible to tell them apart.

They were all dressed in old human clothes, apparently acquired from previous trades. Some wore only a top, others only bottoms, and one Fishman was wearing just a belt, which looked utterly ridiculous.

The lights in the Fishmen’s hands were also human items—flashlights, searchlights, and the like. However, they all seemed low on power. The beams were very dim, and some even flickered nonstop.

A few of the Fishmen were carrying a giant wooden crate. The crate still had numbered human markings on it; clearly, it was another item obtained from humans that the Fishmen were repurposing.

The one in the lead was a Fishman wearing a full set of clothes. What was most peculiar was that this Fishman was also wearing a Santa hat. It was unclear where he had acquired it, but its bright red color was extremely eye-catching.

Despite their ugly and ferocious appearance, the way these Fishmen were dressed was so ridiculous it was hard not to laugh. It seemed they had been seriously corrupted by human culture.

The Fishmen waited obediently below the transport ship. Only after the captain came down did the Fishman in the Santa hat step forward.

"Hello, Captain."

The Fishman actually spoke in a standard human language.

However, due to his pronunciation, his speech sounded a bit stiff and mechanical. Combined with the Santa hat, he looked exceptionally dull.

"You again? Jeff, did your Great Clan Leader put you on work duty again?" The captain seemed to recognize this Fishman.

Though it was unclear whether he recognized him or just the Santa hat.

"I’m on duty. Need a hand?" the Fishman, Jeff, asked earnestly, then started walking directly onto the ship.

The captain quickly waved him off. "No, no. There’s a lot of cargo this time. I’ll get it onto the shore; you all can just help move it from there."

He then looked at the Fishmen behind Jeff. "You guys are a little short-handed. You’ll probably have to make several trips."

Jeff looked back as well, paused for a moment, and said, "Then we’ll make several trips."

"Enough talk for now. I’m going to start unloading." The captain returned to the ship, went to the bridge, and worked the controls. The side of the cargo hold slowly swung open, extending a ramp to the shore.

Only then did Mo Ling notice that there was a conveyor belt at the bottom of the cargo hold. As it began to run, haphazardly packed wooden crates were sent one by one onto the rotting dock.

Jeff quickly began directing the other Fishmen to move the cargo further ashore.

They were incredibly strong. They could even manipulate currents of water to envelop the crates, allowing a single Fishman to lift several at once. In fact, the conveyor belt couldn’t even keep up with the speed at which they worked. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

They even formed a relay line, saving them the time it would take to walk back and forth.

Before long, the Fishmen had moved the last of the cargo. But they just stood there blankly, waiting for instructions.

The captain came out and shouted, "All set! Everything’s unloaded."

Then, he personally led Jeff back into the cargo hold for a look around, gathering up the items that had fallen out during the unloading.

"You can keep these for yourself. Don’t hand them over to the village," the captain said teasingly.

"I can’t do that. These were obtained in exchange for things from the village. I can’t take them for myself," Jeff resisted.

"What’s the big deal? The Great Clan Leader makes you work for nothing, with no compensation. Don’t you want to secretly get a little graft?" the captain said, tempting him.

Jeff froze upon hearing this. After a moment, he asked with a completely baffled expression, "What is ’graft’?"

"It’s... it’s..." The captain was stumped by Jeff’s question, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation.

"Ah, forget it. You wouldn’t get it even if I explained." He grabbed a jar of pepper powder from the cargo, poured a little out, and had Jeff taste it.

Completely unsuspecting, Jeff dipped his finger in the powder and tasted it.

He then sneezed violently, his entire fish head shuddering.

His fish eyes became bloodshot from the irritation, and he kept opening and closing his mouth, completely unable to handle it.

"Doesn’t taste good," Jeff said earnestly, once he had recovered.

"Oh, looks like you Fishmen don’t like this. I’ll swap it for something else next time. What do you like to eat?" Completely unapologetic, the captain put the jar of pepper away and asked casually.

Jeff didn’t seem to mind. He continued to answer the question earnestly, "Seaweed snacks are pretty tasty."

Hearing this, the captain seemed to have an idea. He ran into a small room next to the cargo hold and came out with a pack of seaweed snacks.

Holding the pack of seaweed snacks, the captain had another flash of inspiration.

"Jeff, I’m now going to teach you what ’graft’ is."

"Okay."

"You like seaweed snacks, right? For example, this pack I’m holding—do you know how many pieces are in it?"

Jeff stared intently at the human characters on the packaging and then read haltingly, "This product is for display purposes only. Not for sale. 10 pieces per pack. Contains excessive preservatives. Please do not consume. Please do not take..."

The captain quickly coughed. "Alright, alright, that’s enough reading... Let me continue."

"Okay."

With a rip, the captain tore open the package of seaweed snacks.

Inside were indeed ten pieces of seaweed snack, each individually and neatly wrapped.

The captain took out one, tore open its wrapper, and placed the seaweed snack in Jeff’s hand. "Try it."

Jeff seemed to have already forgotten the warning label he had just read aloud.

He picked up the seaweed snack and swallowed it in one gulp.

"Delicious."

Jeff had a look of pure enjoyment; an expression of bliss actually appeared on his rigid fish face.

The captain watched Jeff with a wicked grin and nodded in satisfaction.

After Jeff finished savoring the seaweed snack, the captain asked again, "All this cargo belongs to the village, right?"

Jeff nodded.

"And this pack of seaweed snacks?"

Jeff nodded again.

Just then, the captain suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! That piece of seaweed snack in your belly right now—that’s graft! Get it?"

Jeff didn’t seem to get it at first. He raised a hand and scratched his head.

Then, his fish head suddenly went rigid.

A strange and intelligent light shone from within his enormous fish eyes.

He seemed to have realized something. He glanced at the remaining seaweed snacks in the captain’s hand, then down at his own stomach.

After a long silence, Jeff finally spoke, his tone still simple and honest:

"I understand."

Hearing this, the captain was incredibly pleased. He patted Jeff’s shoulder. "You get it, right? So tell me, what does it mean?"

Jeff looked up, staring earnestly at the captain, his two fish eyes still looking vacant and simple.

Fluent, perfectly enunciated human speech flowed from Jeff’s mouth:

"Graft is greed. It is theft. It is a blasphemy against the will of the species—a vile act in which personal gain erodes the interests of the collective."

"It is like the woodworm in the rotting timber of a dock, unknowingly eroding its own home. Sinking into the ocean is the only fate that awaits it."

"It is an extremist act that severs the individual from the collective. It is a manifestation of an extremely immature mind and spirit. It is..."

The captain’s face grew pale as he listened. He hurriedly cut Jeff off, "Okay, okay, that’s great, Jeff! You have a very thorough understanding. A truly teachable student! The human language is broad and profound. Keep up the good work."

As he spoke, the captain broke out in a cold sweat. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and kept wiping his forehead.

Hearing the captain’s "praise," Jeff nodded solemnly.

"Thank you, Captain. You have taught me much yet again."

"You are always so very wise."