Chapter 118
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry for not greeting you properly. The sales representative just called me. Are you looking to order custom-designed clothing?"
"Yes, I can draw a rough design. Can you make it?"
"Of course we can do it!"
The store manager readily agreed, a stark contrast to his attitude before answering the phone. Business that hadn't existed before suddenly reappeared.
When a person has enough money (wealth) or enough power (influence), they will find that dealing with many things becomes easier.
"Mister Zhongli, it is our honor to make clothes for you. You can add the designer on WeChat for a chat, and we can start making the clothes after both parties confirm."
Hearing this completely different account, the saleswoman looked puzzled. Just as she was about to ask a question, the store manager glared at her, scaring her into standing to the side, speechless.
Communicating with Chat is much more convenient.
Based on his memory, Shi Lei roughly drew Zhongli's original skin and his white hooded divine armor.
Although some details may not be drawn correctly, the overall design is about 80-90% similar to the original.
After adding the designer, Shi Lei asked:
"Once the design is finalized, how long does it typically take to receive the finished garment?"
"Since there is no template, it takes about five to seven days to make by hand. You can confirm with the designer first, and then come to pick up the goods when the time comes."
Shi Lei nodded in satisfaction and gestured to Texas to pay. Texas, being quite self-aware, had her bank card already in hand, ready to settle the bill at any time.
Upon seeing this, the store manager quickly waved his hand and refused.
"No, no, no, Miss Beatrix instructed before that all of Mister Zhongli's expenses at this store will be charged to her account. You just need to come and pick up the clothes later."
In fact, Swire never said that.
The main reason is that Shi Lei's reputation has spread throughout the entire Schwayer Group and its subsidiaries. Everyone in the group, including the hotels and clothing stores it has invested in, knows about him.
How much are a few custom-made outfits worth?
If you can make a good impression on this important person, it might benefit your career in the future.
Shi Lei is a man of principle; he wouldn't take advantage of someone for nothing. The suit he wore from Swire was at his employer's request, not...
It would be embarrassing for others. Now that I'm not working for Beatrix, how can I expect to get their clothes for free?
"No need to keep track of it. Just pay whatever amount is due, and we'll pay accordingly."
The store manager's strategy failed, but they still want to try:
"Mister Zhongli, if you can't accept this, just consider it a gift from me."
Without a reason, Shi Lei would never agree to this:
"One thing at a time. If you have a commission, place an order at the normal price. Custom-made clothes should cost the normal price. If you keep doing this, I'll go to another store."
Seeing that he remained adamant, the shop manager was at his wit's end. He could only collect a certain amount of material and processing fees in advance, according to the standard price for custom-made suits.
Afterwards, the two left the clothing store, got into a car parked on the street, and prepared to return to the warehouse.
Shi Lei sat in the passenger seat and said:
"Texas, I should be able to get this outfit in about a week. Once it arrives, we'll send Lappland back to Syracuse. She's had a lot of Originium removed, so she won't develop Originium-related illness. She's also had enough time to recover from her fracture, so she should be fine."
"Okay, sure."
Texas tilted her head, casting a grateful glance:
"Thank you."
Shi Lei smiled and reached out to fasten his seatbelt.
"Why thank me? That's too formal. We're such good friends, we help each other out. If I were in that situation, wouldn't you have done the same?"
"Too."
Texas grinned slightly, it was hard to tell whether she was happy or disappointed. She was usually an ice queen, it was difficult to read her emotions from her face.
In the afternoon, Exusiai came over and invited Lin Yuxia to have a barbecue and beer party, and they even played mahjong together.
During this time, Shi Lei mentioned going to Syracuse to her, Exusiai agreed without hesitation.
This outcome was entirely within his expectations.
In a country like Syracuse, where the government is supported by mafia families, violence is certainly not uncommon. She can use this opportunity to vent her pent-up urge to shoot.
Sunday was sunny, so Shi Lei didn't go to visit Mudrock's stronghold. The weather was nice today, so he called Exusiai and Lin Yuxia out to play mahjong. Croissant was setting up her stall on non-working days, so he didn't want to disturb her making money.
On Monday, the Emperor approached Shi Lei to inquire about the trip to Syracuse. It knew perfectly well that the Beast Lord was never the loser in a deal with humans. Who knew when it might send him on a mission that meant certain death?
As Texas is one of their own employees, the Emperor would absolutely not stand idly by while she carries such a ticking time bomb. However, he still has other matters to attend to and will likely depart a week later than Shi Lei and the others.
This trip to Syracuse will be considered a company team-building activity and will not be included in performance evaluations.
Somewhat surprisingly, Croissant on going after learning the whole story. She said she could set up her stall anytime, but she had to go when her friend was in trouble.
This deeply moved Texas, who felt that the friendships she had made over the years had been worthwhile. She prepared a route map and action plan in advance for the trip to Syracuse.
April 15th, 7:40 AM
Shi Lei spent a day communicating with the designer on the chat app, and it took another eight days to handcraft the clothes. Finally, he picked up several finished garments at noon on April 14.
But it was too late to leave then, so we agreed to leave this morning. Shi Lei took the opportunity to get rid of the smell in his clothes and wore this original Zhongli skin as everyday wear.
His body is still his body. His will is still his will.
Wearing Zhongli's original skin was a completely spontaneous idea and had nothing to do with whether or not I was playing the role of the Rex Lapis. Besides, there's an experience cap now; you don't gain Roleplay Value unless you level up.
Besides Zhongli's original skin, Shi Lei also customized several sets of white hooded divine outfits. Although they don't look as elegant as the original Rex Lapis's outfit, they still have a certain charm when wearing the Rock mask.
To put it bluntly, it's something you wear to show off.
Once you ascend to the Archon Realm, you'll probably unleash devastating attacks at any moment. Wearing a suit then will look so outdated.
Texas picked her up early in the morning. Exusiai had been too excited about the upcoming trip and hadn't fallen asleep until late last night, so she was catching up on sleep in the back seat.
Croissant drove up in her orange pickup truck, and the two vehicles set off one after the other. The main reason was that the situation on the wasteland was complex and unpredictable, so having an extra vehicle was always a good precaution.
The four of them drove two cars to the Lower City, picked up Lappland, and headed to the checkpoint. They then left Lungmen, the Mobile Cities, via the outpost in the Upper City.
This trip to Syracuse requires avoiding Kazdel and taking a much longer route. This is mainly because the country has just experienced a civil war, and many roads and bridges are damaged and unrepaired.
Lappland learned this lesson the hard way, wandering around Kazdel for more than ten days before finally finding its way out.
Syracuse is a country located in the east-central part of the Terra, bordering Sargon and Laterano. Originally a territory of Sargon, it later gained independence. Currently, it is ruled by twelve powerful families, headed by the Madam Sicily.
Their destination was Volcini, one of the twenty-two Mobile Cities of Syracuse.
The Saluzzo family, to which Lappland Saluzzo belongs, resides in this city. As for any other families in the city, that remains unknown.
Syracuse has maintained twelve
The family tradition does not include a hereditary system. This means that if a family dies out, it will be replaced by a new family.
For safety reasons, Shi Lei still put the weight stones on Lappland. But this time, the weight was noticeably lighter. The Rock Constructs on her wrists were made into bracelets, and similar rings were made on her ankles.
Keeping this is to make it easier for him to sense the location.
It's unclear whether Lappland accepted her defeat in the duel at the outpost and thus felt remorse, or whether she felt grateful after having her Originium removed. Surprisingly, she offered no resistance during her journey into Syracuse.
However, Lappland clearly developed a strong interest in Shi Lei and tried to approach him several times. Texas focused on one-on-one defense, giving him no openings.
On April 22, the group arrived at White City, the first Mobile Cities in Syracuse.
On April 24, they arrived in Lakmawati City at sunset. The immigration officers there didn't give Shi Lei any special treatment, and the clearance process was extremely slow.
Meanwhile, a horrific massacre occurred at a family mansion in the city.
A masked woman, carrying a Vulpo with Nine Tails, is running away at breakneck speed.
"Lisa, my sweet child, press on the wound and bear with it a little longer. Mommy will take you to see Doctor right away."
180 Let go of my mother! (3K)
A masked woman, carrying her daughter Lisa, raced through the street. The cobblestones carried a cool night air, and her shoes smacked and clicked as they trod across them.
The little Vulpo girl in her arms looked to be about twelve or thirteen years old. But unlike her kind, she had Nine Tails!
Its fluffy appearance is really cute.
Lisa wrapped her arms around the veiled woman's neck, her Nine Tails coiling around her upper body to stabilize her. She raised a hand to wipe the sweat from the woman's forehead, timidly offering words of comfort:
"Mom, I'm fine."
"Lisa, how could you be alright? It's all my fault, it's all my fault!"
The masked woman was filled with remorse, on the verge of emotional collapse. The Bruno family's wolf cub, fearing she was the Konobo family's top enforcer, had secretly sewn Originium crystal into a toy. Her daughter was injured by the Originium when she hugged it.
Those wolves in the Bruno family, once I spread the word, I'll make sure you pay for your crimes in blood!
Tonight, the Konobo family suffered a humiliating attack at the hands of the Bruno family. Their mansion was set ablaze, plumes of black smoke rising against the menacing night sky.
The masked woman glanced back and saw the figure vaguely following her, cursing inwardly.
Those lawless killers, like hunters who have caught the scent of blood, followed leisurely behind, seemingly enjoying the process of torturing their prey.
The masked woman ran for several minutes carrying her daughter, her arms gradually weakening. If she were caught by pursuers at this point, she might not even have the strength to swing her knife. Getting her to a hospital or clinic was out of the question.
She put Lisa down and walked towards the underground clinic, glancing back every now and then.
The masked woman knew perfectly well that Originium-related illness was incurable once contracted. She only felt immense regret, never expecting the Bruno family to target her weakness so viciously.
"Hang in there, my sweet daughter. Just two more blocks, we'll be there soon."
A few minutes ago.
Shi Lei and his group of five are undergoing inspection at the checkpoint in Lakmawati City.
Exusiai first arrived in Syracuse, she was like a schoolchild on a spring outing, looking around curiously at everything new.
She sat on top of the orange pickup truck and soon spotted the flames and black smoke rising from the city:
"Hey, look over there!"
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and indeed saw flames flickering in the center of the city, indicating that a fire had just broken out.
The immigration officers seemed indifferent to the situation. However, their clearance process was noticeably faster; after letting people through, they packed up their belongings and prepared to leave work.
Considering that there might be people specifically responsible for putting out the fire in the city, no one found anything strange about it.
Aside from the main thoroughfare, Lakmawati City is mostly comprised of smaller streets. The architecture here is distinctly Baroque. The houses don't strive for symmetry, unlike the perfectly Lungmen and upright layouts of traditional Chinese architecture.
The staggered, brick-brown roofs give off a rebellious vibe. Each household's decor is very free, favoring opulent ornamentation and reliefs.
Using bold colors and intersecting curved surfaces, an irregular elliptical space is created. The architecture is not confined to structural logic, but rather employs irrational combination techniques. For those with an obsessive-compulsive need for symmetry, this is simply torture.
They parked their car in a nearby parking lot and walked into the city to find a hotel. They would wait for the sun to rise the next morning before taking a car to the next Mobile Cities block.
Unlike Croissant, Exusiai was excited throughout. She spread her arms and played a childish balancing game on the curb.
Suddenly, a masked woman in black appeared from the right. She was carrying a little Vulpo with Nine Tails on her back and was running frantically to the left.
Perhaps all attention is focused on
Behind them, the masked woman in black nearly collided head-on with Exusiai. However, the latter had now abandoned any thought of dodging and remained standing still even when faced with danger, thus narrowly avoiding a collision.
Thump.
The masked woman stumbled and lost her balance, falling forward to the ground. She maintained her posture before landing to prevent her daughter behind her from getting hurt.
"Mom, are you alright?"
Meanwhile, ten masked Lupo assassins arrived. The clatter of their footsteps on the stone slabs sounded like the Grim Reaper knell. Their blades still bore traces of blood, clearly indicating their ruthlessness.
The masked woman's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly put her daughter down. Gripping her short dagger tightly, she gave the order:
"You go quickly, I'll hold them off!"
As soon as she finished speaking, two figures, one on the left and one on the right, stood in front of the masked woman, blocking the assassin's path.