If Old Hope were to handle both the antlers and the bearskin, it would take at least two months.
Are we just going to wait around like this for the next two months?
Although this old man has a bad temper, his skills are genuine.
If you can learn even a trick or two, given the system's track record, you might even unlock a [ Crafting Module ].
More importantly, it saves money.
Specimen preparation costs are a bottomless pit; if you learn basic processing yourself, you can save at least half of the cost.
On the other hand, if this module is actually unlocked...
It must have some effect, and who knows, the prey I hunt in the future, when used to make specimens, might even have some special effects. Just like the dishes I cook.
Perhaps the specimen will become even more enchanting?
So, he can give it a try.
Bringing his thoughts back, Su Wei watched as Old Hope secured the antlers to the frame and suddenly spoke.
How long will it take to make this?
Old Hope didn't even turn his head; he was measuring the distance between the two main branches with calipers.
"What's the rush? Good things take time. Just the degreasing and bleaching of this skull alone will require soaking it for 72 hours. Add to that the need to preserve the antlers, apply oil, and carve the base; don't even think about it for less than a month."
I didn't say I was in a hurry.
Su Wei walked around the workbench, went to the tool rack, picked up a serrated bone scraper, and twirled it between his fingertips.
The knife is heavy, with a perfect center of gravity.
"Since it's going to take so long, I can't possibly come to town and stay in a hotel every day."
Old Hope finally stopped moving.
He straightened up, his cloudy gray eyes scanning Su Wei up and down with a hint of wariness.
"What do you want? My studio isn't a shelter, and it doesn't offer free accommodation."
Su Wei toyed with the bone-scraping knife, its blade reflecting a cold light under the lamp.
"I'm strong, and my hands are fairly steady. I'll assist you while you work on the bear and deer antlers."
Old Hope acted as if he'd heard a joke.
He dropped the calipers, grabbed the bottle of vodka, and gulped it down, the pungent liquid running down his stubble.
"Help me? Ha. What do you think this is? Playing house? Or do you think I'd take in a nanny just because of Black?"
Old Hope approached Su Wei, his body reeking of a mixture of alcohol and formaldehyde, a stench that gave one a headache.
"This job is dirty, smelly, and exhausting. You have to deal with rotting flesh and maggots every day, and you're also exposed to highly toxic chemicals. A young person like you probably wouldn't even last three minutes smelling that bucket of strong acid cleaning solution before you throw up."
Su Wei looked at him expressionlessly.
Neither was provoked nor did they back down.
He simply turned the bone scraper upside down and handed the handle to Old Hope.
"I moved that bear just now, and I didn't throw up."
Old Hope stared at Su Wei.
The air felt somewhat still.
All you can hear is the whooshing sound of the exhaust fan.
Several seconds later, Old Hope suddenly snatched the knife away, his force almost tearing Su Wei's glove.
"Trying to steal my skills?"
Old Hope saw through Su Wei's thoughts, but he wasn't angry. Instead, he pulled at his wrinkled face, revealing a set of yellow teeth, and smiled in a somewhat sinister way.
"Sure. If you want to come here and do hard labor, I have no reason to stop you. But let me make this clear first: there's no pay, no meals, and you'll have to pay for anything you damage."
Su Wei shrugged.
"Make a deal."
Don't rush to agree.
Old Hope turned and walked to the most secluded and dimly lit corner.
There was a large, messy pile of bones there, including wolf bones, fox bones, and even some unknown rodent remains.
Those were low-end orders that he had accumulated because he was too lazy to deal with them.
The stench of decay was ten times stronger than at the entrance.
A swarm of greenbottle flies buzzed around.
Old Hope bent down and pulled out the carcass of a small animal, probably an otter or something, from the pile of rotten flesh and bones.
The thing had already begun to rot; the flesh was stuck to the bones, emitting a foul stench.
With a "snap".
The foul-smelling object was tossed onto the stainless steel countertop in front of Su Wei.
Juice splattered everywhere.
"Since you're going to be an assistant, let's start with this thing."
Old Hope tossed over a piece of coarse burlap sack stained with blood and pointed at the mass of rotting flesh.
"This is a beaver that a client sent over; they want it made into a skeletal specimen. The meat needs to be completely removed, not a single piece of cartilage can be broken, the fat needs to be thoroughly removed, and the teeth need to be whitened."
Old Hope stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the workbench, looking on with an expression that suggested he was waiting to see a good show.
"The tools are all on the wall, pick one yourself. If you can carve off most of the muscle from this thing within half an hour and spit it on my floor, I'll let you stay."
Su Wei stared at the rather disgusting beaver carcass.
This was certainly a show of force.
The bones of these small animals are the most difficult to work with; even a little too much force can break their delicate ribs.
Moreover, the degree of decay clearly indicates that it had been sitting there for more than just two or three days.
Su Wei didn't waste any words.
He took off his heavy down jacket and hung it on the hook by the door.
He rolled up the sleeves of his flannel shirt, revealing his muscular forearms.
Put on rubber gloves and tie on that coarse linen apron that had clearly been used to wipe countless animal entrails.
He walked to the tool rack by the wall.
They didn't choose the professional boning knife that Old Hope had just used.
His gaze swept over rows of gleaming knives.
Finally, his hand stopped on a scalpel, only the length of a finger, with a crescent-shaped blade.
Old Hope's cloudy eyes narrowed slightly.
This kid's got some interesting.
Choosing this knife means you're either a novice or have absolute confidence in your hand skills.
Su Wei returned to the front of the stage with the knife.
The pungent, putrid stench assaulted my senses.
He wasn't wearing a mask.
If you couldn't even stand this smell when surviving in the wilderness, you would have starved to death in some snowdrift long ago.
Su Wei pressed down on the beaver's smooth back with his left hand, and gripped the knife in his right.
The tip of the knife gently pressed against the layer of rotten flesh clinging to the spine.
Without hesitation.
A flick of the wrist.
The blade slid into the bone crevice.
"Sizzle"
A very faint sound, like a sharp blade slicing through connective tissue.
A complete strip of back muscle was peeled off, revealing the pale spinous processes underneath.
There was no scraping sound of bone being scraped.
Su Wei did not stop.
His movements were not fast; in fact, they could be described as very slow.
Wherever the blade passed, rotten flesh and white bones were cleanly separated.
Old Hope maintained his spectator-like demeanor.
But when Su Wei dissected the ribs, the cigarette in the old man's mouth trembled, and a bit of ash fell onto his leather apron.