Chapter 153
"Grown ups!"
Before Shi Lei could react, Mudrock dribbled the ball and charged at him, even grabbing his arm in the process.
"You're finally back!"
Seeing her there, Shi Lei was both surprised and delighted, and grinned as he asked:
"Hey, what brings you here? Did something happen to you?"
Texas stood at the entrance of Warehouse Number Three, her expression turning strange at the sight. Why was this Sarkaz here instead of staying at their base in the Slums?
Mudrock nuzzled his arm, then turned around happily and pointed to the location of Warehouse One:
"No, sir. I just bought this warehouse today, so we'll be neighbors from now on."
Shi Lei followed her finger and suddenly remembered Mr. Liu had raised the price, and asked:
"How much did you pay for this warehouse? The owner didn't rip you off, did he?"
Seeing his worry that he had been deceived, Mudrock felt a warmth in her heart and answered truthfully:
"No, he initially quoted 1 million. I said I didn't have that much money and asked if he could lower it a bit, so it dropped to 700,000. I asked around a while ago and found out that warehouses on Taiheng Road are around that price."
Upon hearing this, Shi Lei felt the price was reasonable.
He first glanced back at Texas, then looked back at the Mudrock beside him:
Have you had dinner yet? We were just about to eat, why don't we eat together?
But I'm not sure if there's enough food; if not, I'll go buy some more later.
"No need for you to worry, I've prepared everything."
Mudrock called out towards the warehouse, and soon Sarkaz came out carrying cold meat and vegetables. They greeted Shi Lei very respectfully.
"Greetings Lord Shi Lei."
"Wow, so many people! This is going to be lively tonight. Come on, everyone, have a seat."
With a thought, Shi Lei summoned more than ten rock chairs and distributed them to everyone, as well as a spacious table.
Exusiai took out a case of chilled beer, and upon seeing the Sarkaz present, she grinned happily:
"Wow, so many people! How long do you plan to be back? We'll have to have a good drink tonight."
They recognized Exusiai and quickly explained that they had just moved to Warehouse One that day, and that they would all be neighbors from now on.
"Hahaha, this is so awesome! I just moved to Warehouse Number Three too, so let's drink until we drop tonight!"
Since moving here, Exusiai play mahjong with friends until much later. She can throw parties without worrying about getting drunk. After all, she lives so close by; it's just a short walk to home.
Shi Lei noticed Lisa looking around, leaned over and whispered a few questions before realizing what was happening:
"Mudrock, are you the only ones who came? Where are the women and children? We didn't see them."
Upon hearing this, Mudrock hesitated for a moment, unsure how to explain, when V, who was not far away, interjected:
"Sir, they don't want to move here with us and want to stay at the stronghold to make a living. Is there something you need from them?"
Shi Lei nodded, promptly ending the conversation:
"Oh, I see. Then it's alright."
He promised Lisa that he would take her to meet the girls who were infected every weekend.
If they move here, they can play with Lisa every day. If they don't move, then things will remain the same as before.
"Please sit down first, I'll be right back."
Shi Lei entered Warehouse No. 2 and took out an induction cooker and an iron pot containing hot pot broth.
Due to the limited size of the induction cooker, it can only support a few people to serve food at the same time. Considering that there are fifteen people present, they can only be divided into two tables and each person can sit separately.
Shi Lei sat in the main seat, Texas and Exusiai sat on his left, and Lisa and Mudrock sat on his right. V sat directly opposite him, in the furthest seat.
The remaining nine Sarkaz sat around another square table, not joining them.
"Gurgle gurgle gurgle..."
The water in the pot gradually boiled, and the rising bubbles released the aroma of the broth. They added each ingredient one by one into the pot, and once cooked, they could be taken out and eaten.
Spicy ingredients paired with refreshing ice-cold beer create a sensation that stimulates the taste buds repeatedly.
Lisa has lived in the Higashi and Syracuse for a long time and can't eat spicy food very well. She has to drink a beverage after eating just a couple of bites, and then she breathes heavily, which looks extremely cute.
Mudrock.
After eating for a while, Shi Lei asked:
"Aren't you working for the Lin family? Isn't it inconvenient to commute to work in the Lower City every day?"
The Mudrock bowed slightly as a sign of respect.
"Thank you for your concern, but I already resigned yesterday, and Old Mr. Lin agreed. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I should be staying in Upper City for the foreseeable future."
This was not unexpected for Shi Lei.
For the Schwayer Group to establish a presence in the Slums, the gangs involved in the gray market must be eliminated. As the saying goes, to catch a thief, first catch the kingpin; once the troublemakers are dealt with, the surviving gangs will be insecure and act more cautiously. Furthermore, with the expansion of the Lungmen Guard Department's branch, the Slums no longer need Mudrock to maintain order; his resignation is only a matter of time.
"So what are you planning to do in the future?"
Mudrock bit her lip, her eyes lowered. At first glance, she seemed slightly shy.
"I haven't decided yet, maybe I'll open a shop to sell Clay Sculpture. If I could join Penguin Logistics and commute to work with you, that would be even better."
Texas put down her chopsticks upon hearing this and advised in a tone of someone with experience:
"To be honest, I don't recommend you join Penguin Logistics. The Messenger job is extremely dangerous."
At this point, she glanced at Shi Lei, immediately realizing that her previous words were unconvincing. With him accompanying her on the mission, they were basically safe from danger, so she changed her tune:
"Safety is secondary; the main issue is the unstable income. Sometimes we don't get a single order for half a month or even several months. With so many people under you, it's best to find a stable job."
Shi Lei thought that made sense and echoed it:
"Indeed, Messenger is too leisurely, and the income isn't very stable. With so many people under you, it would be better to choose a more stable job. But ultimately, it's your job search, so just listen to what others say. Whatever decision you make, I support you."
Perhaps influenced by Shi Lei, Mudrock was quite indifferent about whether he could join Penguin Logistics as Messenger. He was the type to take it or leave it.
Listen
It's said that Penguin Logistics currently has four Messenger, all paired up. If I were lucky enough to join, I wouldn't know who I'd be paired with. And most likely, I wouldn't always go on missions with my owner. In that case, joining Penguin Logistics would be pointless.
"Yes, I'll think about it carefully."
The Mudrock was only one or two meters away from Shi Lei, and he could feel the abundance of vitality filling his body at all times.
She thoroughly enjoyed this state.
Seeing that Mudrock didn't continue the conversation on this topic, Shi Lei didn't pursue it further. Work is something that can't be rushed; it can be done slowly.
Sarkaz wanted some chilled beer, so he asked Exusiai if he could get some to freeze. Exusiai readily agreed and even shared her own chilled beer with them.
Seeing that everyone had been poured drinks, Shi Lei raised his glass and stood up:
"I didn't know you were moving here, so I didn't prepare a welcome dinner. We'll just have this simple meal tonight. I'll treat everyone to a proper meal tomorrow."
"Haha, sir, no need. We'll come over for meals from now on, just don't mind."
"No, not at all."
These Sarkaz mercenaries, like Mudrock, were all his officially accepted subordinates. Getting a free meal just meant a few more pairs of chopsticks and a few more dishes; how much could that cost?
"Come on, let's drink to your housewarming!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone drank their drinks in one gulp and then began eating cold dishes and hot pot. Before long, it was time for a drinking contest.
Nine Sarkaz gathered around a square table, drinking and playing drinking games, which heated up the atmosphere.
Exusiai really enjoyed the atmosphere and was quite envious. Before long, she took the initiative to go over and have a drinking contest.
She had her wins and losses, but ultimately, she couldn't overcome the superior strength of the eighteen opponents and was quickly defeated. Exusiai became more determined with each loss, because she vomited in less than an hour.
Seeing this, Texas went over to help him up.
"Everyone, please enjoy your meal. We have to go to work tomorrow, so we'll head back now."
Shi Lei took out his phone, glanced at the time, and thought it was about time. He then asked:
"Is everyone still eating?"
The Sarkaz exchanged glances, indicating they wouldn't eat anymore. Without waiting for Mudrock's instructions, they voluntarily cleared away the bowls, chopsticks, and empty bottles on the ground.
Even the induction cooker used to heat the food was taken away and sent back to the kitchen of Warehouse No. 2.
Texas helped Exusiai to the entrance of Warehouse No. 3, but did not go in immediately.
In less than a minute, she saw Shi Lei heading towards Warehouse One, surrounded by those Sarkaz.
Texas paused for a moment at the door, then helped her colleague inside to vomit. Exusiai been so focused on drinking that she hadn't eaten much. She'd boil some hot water to warm her stomach, and give her some snacks if she got hungry.
Shi Lei knew that Warehouse One hadn't been converted into residential housing, so he offered to come and take a look after the banquet.
"How can you sleep on the floor tonight? Take your luggage out first, I'll do some renovations."
Once the warehouse was emptied, he gently raised his right hand.
In an instant, countless hard, brown rock pillars rose from the ground. Shi Lei had made some modifications to the site, building upon the foundation of Warehouse No. 2.
For example, they didn't need the small shooting range, so they dismantled it. There were eleven people here, and the rooms weren't enough, so they needed to expand. They took part of the hall and built a large bedroom of about forty square meters for Mudrock.
It's normal for girls to have more things.
Other areas, such as the storage room, kitchen, living room, and corridor, were all replicated according to Shi Lei's layout.
The Sarkaz had long known of his exceptional abilities, but witnessing them in person still left them deeply impressed!
After the warehouse used for loading goods was renovated into a habitable warehouse, Shi Lei faced the crowd and gave the following instructions:
"I've already done a rough renovation for you based on my layout. If you have any objections to the area or size of the house, you can provide me with a design plan; making changes is very simple."
Also, the bedrock I've created will be quite firm. If you're not used to it, it's best to buy a soft mattress as soon as possible. Various bookshelves and storage shelves are available; if you want cabinets with glass panels, you'll have to buy those yourself. The electrical wiring inside the room will also need to be handled by an electrician.
The Sarkaz felt that they could ask for more than anything by following a leader who cared so much for his subordinates.
"Lord Shi Lei, thank you so much. Leave the rest of the minor matters to us."
"Yes, if we really can't figure it out, we'll come back to you. Thank you so much for your help."
Suddenly, Shi Lei heard the faint sound of vehicles passing by outside the warehouse, and he frowned and said:
"Don't speak yet."
The Sarkaz were puzzled, but they did as instructed, holding their breath and daring not to make a sound.
Ten seconds later, another car sped past outside, and this time Shi Lei heard it clearly.
Taiheng Road is located outside one of the main thoroughfares of Lungmen Upper City. Traffic flows very frequently.
Walk a few dozen meters from the alley outside the entrance, and you'll find Warehouse One. The bass from passing vehicles can be clearly heard here.
The volume isn't loud, but it's still very disruptive to rest. If a large truck passes by or a car honks its horn in the middle of the night, it will wake people up directly. This is one of the reasons why this place is a warehouse, rather than a residential building.
There was no noise in Warehouse No. 2 where Shi Lei lived because the sound was blocked by Warehouse One.
"As you just heard, this warehouse is located quite close to the street, so it's often noisy. If you don't mind the warehouse's appearance, I can add a soundproofing layer on the outside."
The wall, either semi-enclosed or fully enclosed, is fine.
The Sarkaz had no right to make the decision, so they turned to look at Mudrock, the owner of Warehouse One.
She didn't want to trouble Shi Lei, but seeing the determination in his eyes, she had no choice but to agree:
"Then let's make it semi-enclosed, so that we can occasionally see sunlight coming in and it won't feel too oppressive."
After obtaining consent, Shi Lei added two layers of soundproof rock pillar walls at 5cm intervals on the outer wall.
When he returned to the warehouse and listened again, although there was still a little sound, it was much quieter than before.
"Alright, all done. You guys get some rest."