Awakened Zhongli Template, Retiring in Terra

Croissant wasn't very enthusiastic. Just from the name, she knew ordinary orders didn't pay much.

"Boss, I don't have time..."

The Emperor lowered his sunglasses and flashed a crooked grin.

"Hmph, now you do."

The Temperature of Daisies (Part 1)

Since the boss had spoken, how could Croissant refuse? An ordinary order was an ordinary order. She was bringing a newcomer along, and it wasn't as if she had never run such jobs before.

"Got it."

Satisfied with her answer, the Emperor nodded. With his hands behind his back, he turned and returned to his office.

In the rugged and honest land of Terra, countless bandits and robbers roamed the wilderness between different cities. Yet Penguin Logistics still maintained a delivery rate of over 99%, becoming the benchmark for the entire logistics industry.

Because there were few Messengers, Penguin Logistics took the route of being small but elite. Its target clientele mostly consisted of mid-to-high-end customers, so its delivery fees were much higher than those of ordinary logistics companies.

However, large orders with high prices and high payouts weren't always available. If there were no such orders for a long time, the Messengers would occasionally take ordinary ones.

When they got too busy, they outsourced ordinary orders to Fengchi Logistics. To maintain the company's reputation within the industry, the Emperor had spent a long time selecting a partner before settling on them.

Basically, the ordinary orders that no one wanted to take, along with the Emperor's records and albums, were all handed over to Fengchi Logistics. Compared with Penguin Logistics, they were more like a normal international logistics company.

Croissant didn't feel much resentment toward the order from her boss. She friendly held out her hand.

"Mr. Shi, please take care of me from now on."

"Haha, just call me Shi Lei. No need to be so formal. I don't have any experience as a Messenger, so I should be the one learning from you at work."

After briefly shaking her hand, Shi Lei quickly let go. After all, the sight of her swinging two grown men around like a Pinwheel in the bar that night had left a deep impression on him.

She was clearly such a sunny girl, yet she could lift someone heavier than herself. Seeing the pair of horns on her head, that kind of brute strength seemed understandable.

Croissant opened the employee backend on her computer and continuously refreshed the orders. Seeing no large orders, she picked one from a scattered pile of ordinary ones.

"Shi Lei, what do you think of this one? Delivering some painting supplies, easels, and unwanted clothes."

"I have no objections. Go with your judgment."

Croissant nodded and called the customer. The customer said she was still at work, but could sneak out for a moment. Her home wasn't too far from the company.

After confirming everything, Croissant and Shi Lei went downstairs. They came to the open space outside the warehouse and got into an orange pickup truck. Its paint job suited her hair color perfectly.

After fastening her seat belt, Croissant gave him a thumbs-up.

"I'm a very steady driver. I'm not as wild as Exusiai, so don't worry."

Shi Lei had never seen Exusiai drive, but he had already heard about her savage driving skills. The way everyone had desperately tried to stop her outside the bar last time had probably left them traumatized.

Shi Lei watched the scenery outside the window rush backward. More than ten minutes later, they arrived at the designated location.

This place sat at the border between Lungmen's Upper City and Lower City, surrounded by rows upon rows of apartment buildings. Many office workers rented homes here, since the street opposite was lined with office towers. Living close to work meant enjoying a few extra minutes of warmth under the covers every morning.

Shi Lei knocked on the door, but no one answered. Croissant called the customer, and before long, a woman with a ponytail hurried over.

"Sorry, my boss came by for an inspection and held me up for a while. You're from Penguin Logistics, right?"

"That's right."

Croissant displayed the work badge hanging from her chest and called out their slogan. "Penguin Logistics, mission guaranteed."

"All right, all right. Then I'll leave it to you."

The woman took out her keys and opened the door. Shi Lei carried the paint, easels, and miscellaneous items out to the truck.

Croissant confirmed the delivery address and reminded her, "Ms. Wang, the total is 2,000 Lungmen Dollars."

Ordinary orders didn't earn much. Compared with major orders worth tens or even hundreds of thousands, the gap was enormous. The earnings from dozens of ordinary orders often didn't match a single large order, which was why the Messengers weren't too willing to take them.

If outsourced to Fengchi Logistics, this job would probably cost around 1,200 Lungmen Dollars. The difference all went into the Emperor's pocket.

The woman scratched her forehead with an embarrassed expression.

"Sorry, I came down in such a hurry that I forgot to bring money. Could we change it to cash on delivery? The delivery address is my home. My dad will pay."

Shi Lei saw at once that the woman was putting on an act. She just wanted to save on the delivery fee. But this was his first time doing transport work, so it was better to say less and see how Croissant handled it.

"Ms. Wang, we can change it to cash on delivery. But if no one's home, we'll return the goods."

"My dad will definitely be home. Just go straight there. Well, that's it for now. I snuck out from work, so I need to hurry back."

With that, the woman turned and left.

Croissant got into the pickup truck. After starting it, she tilted her head to glance at the rearview mirror while backing up, then explained to Shi Lei.

"In principle, we could refuse to change it to cash on delivery and reject the order outright. But since it's your first delivery, it wouldn't look good to go back empty-handed. Don't learn from me in the future, okay?"

"Understood."

The delivery address was in District 28 of the Lower City, within the Slums. It wasn't far from here, only about a thirty-minute drive.

Shi Lei didn't understand why she had called for logistics. She could have brought a little home each time she went back, and after a few trips, she would have moved it all.

When the two arrived at the delivery address, they didn't unload immediately. Croissant got out to confirm the house number, then rang the doorbell.

"Ding-dong."

"Who is it? Is that Xiaoju?"

An old man's excited voice came from inside, followed by the tap-tap of a cane against the floor. Before long, an elderly man in his sixties or seventies opened the door. Seeing two strangers at his doorstep, he couldn't hide the disappointment in his eyes.

"You are..."

"Sir, are you Ms. Wang Ju's father? We're employees of Penguin Logistics. We brought back some easels, paint, and miscellaneous items for her. Please sign here."

"Oh, all right. Please come in."

Seeing that the old man had trouble walking, Shi Lei didn't leave the items at the door and instead helped carry them inside.

Beyond the threshold was a corridor barely a meter wide. The floor had no tiles, and at first glance it looked strangely oily. A few white tiles covered the kitchen stove, their edges already cracked. The old wooden furniture had clearly seen many years; it wasn't much to look at, but it had most of what a home needed.

"Put them over here. Thank you, young man."

Shi Lei carried the things into the designated room. It connected to a balcony and looked like an art studio.

Paintings of all sizes lay on both the easels and the floor. Without exception, they all depicted daisies—daisies from different angles and against different backgrounds.

Seeing the old man's cramped living conditions, Croissant lightly bit her lip and still decided to be the bad guy.

"Your daughter chose cash on delivery, so you'll need to pay the delivery fee. The total is 2,000 Lungmen Dollars."

"Oh, all right. Please wait a moment."

The old man nodded and entered the adjacent bedroom with his cane. Before long, he came out wearing reading glasses and carrying a dark green fleece coat. By the natural light, he searched its pockets and pulled out crumpled banknotes. A shaft of sunlight fell on his aged, sandpaper-like skin, making the bluish veins beneath it clearly visible.

For young people struggling in Lungmen's Upper City, 2,000 Lungmen Dollars might only be the cost of a group meal. But for an old man living in the Slums, it was enough to cover most of half a month's living expenses.

Croissant's expression turned somewhat strange. After looking around the room, she suddenly asked, "Sir, these paintings are quite beautiful. Did you paint them all?"

"Yes, but compared to my daughter's work, they're far inferior."

"You're already very good. They look just like photographs. Are you a professional?"

Hearing the praise, the old man smiled happily. Deep crow's feet creased the corners of his eyes as he revealed his few remaining teeth.

"No, my daughter is the professional. A few years ago, I fell at home and injured my left leg. I couldn't get around much anymore, so painting was all I had left as a hobby."

"Sir, can we discuss something? I'll buy these paintings at 200 Lungmen Dollars each and use them to offset this delivery fee. Would that be all right?"

"How could that be?" The old man frowned, worry appearing on his face. "Don't you have to hand the delivery fee over to your company? Won't you be punished for this?"

When Croissant looked at him, Shi Lei immediately understood. She wanted to make up the difference by setting up a stall to sell the paintings, reducing the impact that the exorbitant delivery fee would have on the old man's life.

"It's all right, sir. These paintings have spirit and are worth the price. Would you be willing to part with them?"

The Temperature of Daisies (Part 2)

"Oh, you two..."

Even though he knew Shi Lei and Croissant meant well, the old man still looked troubled. His body was hunched, and he lowered his head as though he had done something wrong.

Business was business, and personal matters were personal. Using paintings to cover the delivery fee meant others had to pay out of pocket. At his age, the old man understood that perfectly and didn't want to take advantage of them.

"Young lady, young man, I know you're both kind people. If you really like these paintings, I can give them to you. But you still need to collect the money you're owed."

"No need. Ten paintings will be enough."

Croissant wanted to use the paintings to offset the fee, but the two sides couldn't agree. After thinking for a moment, the old man spoke.

"Young lady, how about this? Take these 2,000 Lungmen Dollars first and settle the delivery fee. Then I'll make another request of you: bring some sausages to my daughter.

My legs aren't convenient, so I can't deliver them myself. You can use these paintings to offset the delivery fee, along with some sausages. How about that? You've considered my situation, so I can't make things difficult for you either, right?"

His proposal was very thoughtful.

It both paid the cash-on-delivery fee and accepted the goodwill of the two of them. He would place another private order for them to deliver sausages. That way, even if the logistics company asked about it afterward, they could make up the shortfall in delivery fees.

Croissant hesitated for a moment, then cast Shi Lei an inquiring look.

"What do you think?"

Shi Lei felt the proposal was workable. If she knew how to adapt, she would find a way to return the Lungmen Dollars before leaving instead of stubbornly insisting on giving the money back.

"Not a bad idea."

With both sides in agreement, the rest was easy.

Croissant stayed in the studio to select ten paintings and carry them back to the pickup truck, while Shi Lei accompanied the old man to the kitchen beside the corridor.

A green-and-white old-fashioned refrigerator stood in the corner, so old that the paint on its surface had faded. Leaning on his cane, the old man slowly crouched down, trying to open the freezer compartment below. At his age, even bending over was extremely difficult.

Shi Lei tried to help, but the space around the refrigerator was too cramped for him to squeeze in and lend a hand.

"How about you step back and let me do it?"

"No need. I'm fine."

As the old man tugged at the drawer frozen shut by ice, he chatted with Shi Lei.

"When my daughter was little, she loved the sausages I made. She was only this tall, yet she could finish a huge bowl of rice with them. I knew she had a sweet tooth, so every year I cured them in advance. Seeing her eat happily made me happy too."

At that point, he sighed softly. His phlegmy voice sounded like an old broken bellows that had been working for decades.

"Xiaoju has made something of herself now. I heard she got promoted, received a raise, and moved into a big house. It's just that she's terribly busy with overtime during the New Year, and she hasn't come back in two years."

Remembering the room he had seen while taking the order, as well as Wang Ju's stingy behavior, Shi Lei had already sensed the truth.

Children naturally reported good news but not bad. Only they themselves knew how they were really getting by outside. His eyes shifted slightly, but he didn't expose the lie.

"Crash—"

The old man yanked the drawer open with force and nearly fell backward. Luckily, Shi Lei reacted quickly and reached out to support him.

"Sir, be careful."

The old man thanked him repeatedly, then opened the sausages wrapped in plastic bags. They were tied into small bags of five pounds each, ten bags in total.

"There's fifty pounds here. Take them all. If half of them can reach her, I'll be immensely grateful."

Natural disasters frequently struck Terra, while wild beasts and bandits filled the wilderness. Logistics in this world had always been expensive, nothing like the delivery companies Shi Lei knew before crossing over.

Before the rise of the modern Messenger industry, the earliest logistics transport had been handled by escort agencies. A few hundred Lungmen Dollars wouldn't even be enough to hire the most ordinary escort.

The old man worried that the delivery fee would be too high, leaving little sausage for his daughter after the deductions. His concern for his beloved daughter, never more than a few sentences away, moved Shi Lei deeply.

"Sir, keep ten pounds. What if she comes back for the New Year? What will you do if you don't have any sausages here?"

With that, he grabbed two small bags and forcibly stuffed them into the old man's hands. The old man truly had no choice but to accept them.