Awakening Zhongli Template, Retiring on Terra

Shi Lei walked out of the room, carrying the bag of sausages, and got into the passenger seat. Not long after, Konomi finished moving the ten paintings. As the pickup truck gradually drove away, he asked:

"Deliver the goods first, or sell the paintings first?"

"Let's go back to the company and put the sausages in the freezer at the safe house. It's almost three o'clock, we need to hurry to the calligraphy and painting market to check the prices of these paintings. If they sell well, we can buy from him in the future."

Shi Lei flinched his neck back, a little surprised:

"So, you saw the value of these paintings long ago, and you weren't just being kind?"

"Of course, I occasionally sell calligraphy and paintings. For painters who only draw daisies, reaching the extreme can still be appreciated by some. Although it's not comparable to famous artists and masterpieces, if you find someone to mount them, selling them for one or two thousand Lungmen Dollars is entirely possible. This way, it can increase his income and earn some pocket money. You say, if I don't make money, who will?"

He had long experienced Konomi's marketing methods and knew she had a great business acumen. It was estimated that from the moment she decided to buy the paintings, she had already conceived a detailed follow-up plan:

"Well, I trust your judgment."

"Hehe, I'll treat you to a drink when I make money."

The two drove back to Penguin Logistics and put the sausages in the freezer. They then rushed to the calligraphy and painting market in the upper city to add high-end frames to the ten daisy paintings.

Konomi knew many channels and bargained with the shopkeepers without hesitation. Shi Lei's eyes were opened, and he watched the scrolls become something he could no longer afford step by step.

By the time they finished, it was already 4:30. The calligraphy and painting market closed at 6:00, so they had to hurry.

He accompanied Konomi to choose a remote location, as the good spots were already taken by other vendors. The ten paintings were laid out one by one, waiting for distinguished guests.

Shi Lei assisted from the side, witnessing her superb sales skills once again, and benefited greatly.

When interested customers inquired, Konomi first quoted a price of five thousand. When the other party turned to leave, she immediately called them back and asked the customer to make an offer. Finally, she pretended to be reluctant to sell at a loss, selling them for two to three thousand. After deducting costs and packaging, there was still a profit to be made.

Her exquisite acting skills were truly impeccable; the Oscars owed her a little gold statue.

In just half an hour, five paintings were sold, completely covering the shipping costs of this ordinary delivery.

Konomi did not mention the 2000 Lungmen Dollars the old man gave her again. Shi Lei guessed she had already returned it. He tacitly chose to forget about it, as if it never happened.

The paintings at their stall sold rapidly, quickly attracting the covetousness and envy of some stall owners. Some people felt worse seeing others make money than losing money themselves.

A middle-aged man with cat ears, accompanied by two strong tribesmen, came over to talk:

"Friend, what gang are you from? You come here to sell paintings, have you paid your respects?"

Five more chapters tonight, remember to watch.

[Extra Chapter Preview]

Five more chapters on December 5th, remember to watch.

A total of ten thousand words, so you can enjoy it all at once.

To ensure quality, the author has used all their strength. The Great Silence period is very difficult to endure. Readers who see this, can you move your fingers to cast a vote?

PS: Because there are no drafts, the last chapter may be delayed, but it will be before 1 AM on the 5th.

Lonely Midnight

Typing Online

Delicate Author

Waiting for Votes

See you at midnight tonight~

019 The Temperature of Daisies (Part 2)

Today, I really learned a lot. Setting up a stall to sell paintings can even involve paying respects. It seems there's a whole underworld everywhere.

Small groups like this, trying to build a completely new set of rules on top of the existing framework, clearly violated the spirit of commercial contracts.

Let alone the Rex Lapis, even Shi Lei would not approve of such private unwritten rules.

Konomi glanced at the other party lightly and remained silent. Her hammer and shield were in the pickup truck and she hadn't brought them over, otherwise, she would have loved to smash these Felines' heads!

The three men crowded around the stall and shouted, attracting the attention of other nearby stall owners. Their eyes, some curious, some worried, made the two young people sweat with anxiety.

The two guards, one on each side, had faces full of flesh and fierce eyes, and they sternly threatened:

"Master Du is asking you a question, are you mute?"

"Heh, I guess they're too scared to speak."

Shi Lei's lips curved into a faint smile. He quickly thought of a solution and said respectfully:

"Master Du, I'm sorry. We're new to your esteemed territory and don't understand the rules. How about we find a quieter place to talk about paying respects? There are so many people watching here. If people gossip behind your back, it will damage your reputation."

The middle-aged man's vertical pupils contracted upon hearing this. He chuckled and said:

"Heh, you're quite sharp, kid. Alright, let's go. I know a place."

Konomi's expression was hesitant, but when she saw Shi Lei's sly smile as he lowered his head, she immediately understood. She put away the five daisy paintings and followed them towards the edge of the market.

Not long after, Master Du and the others stopped in front of a gap behind two shops. It was more than ten meters long and less than a meter wide, with the end sealed by a cement wall. Once they walked in, it was a dead end.

They brought electric batons and daggers. Dealing with two unarmed youngsters wouldn't be easy?

Shi Lei walked in first, and Konomi followed. Master Du and the others blocked the only exit, chuckling softly.

"Young man, don't worry too much about temporary gains or losses. Hand over some money now, consider it averting disaster with wealth. Otherwise, don't blame us 'Calligraphy and Painting Trio' for being impolite!"

What a ridiculous title.

Shi Lei thought to himself, then asked, "Do you know who we are?"

When you're out here, you need to talk about power and background. If these two youngsters dare to speak like this, perhaps their families are not ordinary. In the business of collecting protection money, you have to know how to bully the weak and fear the strong. Old Du was unsure, sizing them up for a moment before shaking his head and asking, "May I ask which young master and young lady you are from?"

Shi Lei spread his hands, using Rock Spine to block their escape route:

"You dare to demand money without knowing who we are? You've got some nerve. So, you're saying we can just hit you, right?"

"Damn it, it's Originium Arts, retreat quickly!"

Old Du's face turned pale with shock. He tried to escape but was blocked by thick, long rock pillars. The situation, which was three against two, instantly reversed.

When dealing with bad guys, you can't use proper methods.

She could beat up two burly men with brute strength alone, let alone with the added protection of a shield. Completely unfazed by electric shocks or sharp blades, she was like a war god in the alley.

Shi Lei's lips curved into a smile, his eyes filled with amusement:

"So, Old Du? Are you going to save face and lose substance, or lose face and keep substance?"

Before they started collecting protection money, they had already prepared themselves mentally for encountering tough customers. These self-proclaimed righteous youths were often magnanimous; a simple apology and surrender would usually suffice. At most, they'd get beaten up, but nothing too serious.

"May I ask, young brother, what does it mean to save face and lose substance?"

"Simple. Saving face means I let you go now, preserving your dignity. But if I see you here again, I'll beat you up every time, with the severity depending on my mood."

Old Du's face was contorted with shame. He hadn't expected them to completely block his retreat and swallowed hard:

"Then what about losing face and keeping substance?"

"I'll strip you naked and drag you around the calligraphy and painting market. If you can still conduct business here without caring about the stares, then I won't hit you next time you show up. This way, you lose face, but you keep your substance."

"Pfft."

Kuchen leaned over, covering her mouth, and let out a muffled laugh.

She hadn't expected this new colleague to seem honest on the surface but be so cunning underneath.

However, she didn't dislike it.

"I..."

Shi Lei wasn't interested in wasting time on low-level thugs. He summoned another Rock Spine to block the path:

"I'll give you 10 seconds. If you haven't decided by then, I'll start stripping. 10, 9, 3..."

Old Du's face crumpled. How could he count from 9 to 3? Was this kid deliberately messing with him?

"2..."

Shi Lei didn't believe in playing by the rules with them; his rules were the only rules:

"1..."

"I... I want to save face, I want to save face!"

There's an old saying in Yan Country: "As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn."

If he were truly paraded around naked, not only the calligraphy and painting market but any other place would become a laughingstock for him.

"I'll give you half a day to sort things out. If I see you again tomorrow, you'll face the consequences."

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm leaving now."

Old Du glanced at his groaning companions on the ground, not daring to help them up, and turned to leave.

[Received 2 points of Acting Value based on Host's performance]

The "face or substance" options were purely Shi Lei's personal wicked sense of humor. However, in terms of adhering to the spirit of the contract, it did align with the Rex Lapis's demeanor.

Seeing Old Du flee in a panic, Kuchen burst into laughter:

"You're quite an interesting person."

Messengers often encountered troublemakers. If they didn't want to cause fatalities, they usually just beat them into submission. But the malicious trick he proposed today escalated to a form of psychological warfare.

Shi Lei returned to his jovial state, picked up the daisy painting leaning against the wall, and asked, "Are we still selling?"

"Forget it, it's past five. I need to go deliver sausages now. I'll treat you to dinner after I'm done."

Shi Lei, getting a free meal, how could he refuse? He immediately agreed:

"Heh heh, then I'll trouble you tonight."

"No problem, no problem, we're colleagues after all."

When the two returned to the calligraphy and painting market, they noticed many stall owners looking over and discussing them. Some even came up to offer cigarettes, trying to win them over under the guise of making friends.

Having no intention of taking over Old Du's protection racket, they immediately got into the pickup truck and returned to Penguin Logistics.

Croissant parked the car outside the building and let Shi Lei go into the safe house to get twenty catties of sausages.

The 2000 Lungmen Dollars for shipping had already been refunded, so taking half of it wasn't excessive; in fact, it was a loss.

After closing the car door, he put the plastic bag of sausages in the back and started talking about Wang Ju:

"The female client today, Wang Ju, you still remember her, right? After my observation, I feel like she's not doing too well. But she's too embarrassed to tell her family about her current situation, which is why she lied to her old man, saying she had to stay and work overtime during the New Year."

Croissant started the engine, a bit confused:

"Why are you telling me this? Do you have something planned?"

Shi Lei hid nothing, revealing his entire plan to her:

"We just need to do this, and then this."

Upon hearing this, Croissant burst into laughter, leaning over the steering wheel:

"Hahahaha, you're too wicked!"

020 Daisy's Temperature (End) Two-in-One

November 29th, 5:30 PM

Wang Ju received a call from the catering shop, went downstairs to pick up a boxed meal, and returned to the company with a tired face.

Her work hours were from nine to five, and she should have been off work by now. However, under normal circumstances, she had to work overtime until eight or nine o'clock before she could leave. Especially if everyone else was working overtime and you weren't, it was easy to be ostracized by colleagues and managers.

The key issue was that even with the overtime, the hourly wage wasn't high.

After being scolded by her superior twice, Wang Ju had no choice but to join the ranks of everyone else caught in the rat race.