Awakening Zhongli Template, Retiring on Terra

When a man who has swallowed his anger accumulates enough rage, he will directly break through the shackles of reason.

Shi Lei looked up at the fiery clouds in the sky, the sunset dyeing the clouds layer by layer. It was like spilling fiery red paint on a beach, mixed with waves.

While cooperating with the police officers to take his statement, Texas walked over from a distance and nodded at him.

A simple gesture conveyed that the Infected child was out of danger.

Learning that the other party was safe, Shi Lei felt a sense of accomplishment. He had already done his best to minimize the impact of this incident; the rest of the journey would depend on them.

Shi Lei hadn't bought a phone and had left his company address when giving his statement. Upon learning he was a new employee at Penguin Logistics, the two police officers exchanged a strange look:

"Mr. Shi, thank you very much for your cooperation. We will visit again if we need to ask anything."

"No problem, can I go now?"

Receiving an affirmative reply, Shi Lei walked to Texas's side and walked out of the residential complex with her.

Seeing their retreating backs, Ratman immediately chased after them. He took out all the Lungmen Dollars from his wallet, bowed, and expressed his gratitude:

"Thank you both so much today. I sincerely thank you on behalf of my father. This money may not be much, but it's a token of my appreciation. I hope you'll accept it."

If Shi Lei accepted it, he would lose the 3 guaranteed role-playing points he gained daily at 24:00 due to the [Penniless] status. Therefore, he didn't even touch it and quickly dodged:

"No, no, don't give it to me. It was just a small favor. It's too formal to give money. If you need anything in the future, just patronize Penguin Logistics more."

Seeing that he wouldn't accept it, Ratman turned and shamelessly tried to give it to Texas, but was also refused.

When they reached the vicinity of the burning building, the firefighters working at high altitudes had basically extinguished the fire. Shi Lei glanced up but didn't linger. He left the complex with her and returned to the car parked on the street.

Staring at the parking ticket on the windshield, Texas's expression was unreadable. She stood in front of the car, letting the autumn breeze gently lift the hair on her forehead, and suddenly asked:

"Want to go for a drink?"

Shi Lei had just opened the passenger door and hadn't gotten in yet. He looked up at the sound, gazed at her gradient blue and yellow eyes, and grinned:

"Sure, but let me say this upfront, I'm broke. I'll treat you again when I get paid."

Texas pursed her lips into a smile, opened the driver's door, and sat in the driver's seat. After closing the door, she turned her head to fasten her seatbelt.

Perhaps because of her affluent upbringing, she didn't have much desire for money. The Lungmen Dollars left over from previous deliveries were basically used to support the financially struggling Exusiai and Croissant.

Shi Lei leaned down, looked through the car window at the building whose fire had been extinguished, and retracted his gaze, saying:

"Texas, your swish-swish-swish sword technique was so cool. Can you tell me about the principle behind it sometime?"

In at least seventeen days, or at most two months, he would be able to break through the Genshin Realm and reach the strength of an Immortal in the game "Genshin." If he could then manipulate the rock pillars flexibly, he would definitely want to learn a pillar rain technique.

"Okay."

Texas seemed to recall something, a faint smile on her lips.

In the past, it was a sword for killing.

Now, it was a sword for saving lives.

030 A Late Croissant

Texas was not originally from Lungmen, but she had lived there long enough. She remembered the locations of bars and pubs in various districts very clearly.

At this moment, the clouds were bathed in the sunset, as if paint had been spilled across the sky. She didn't follow the return route but turned ahead and stopped by the roadside.

Shi Lei got out with her and walked into a small tavern with a simple, dimly lit decor and elegant music playing. The atmosphere was good, suitable for chatting with friends, gatherings, or small business negotiations.

Texas took out Lungmen Dollars from her wallet and placed them gently on the bar counter:

"A cup of Winter Approaches."

After speaking, she turned her head and looked at him, spreading her left hand. She indicated that he could order whatever he liked, as she was paying today.

Shi Lei glanced at the strange names on the cocktail menu, completely unaware of what they corresponded to. He quickly looked away and smiled at the bartender:

"The same as hers, thank you."

It was almost six o'clock, time for dinner, so there weren't many customers in the shop. They chose a window seat and sat side by side.

Texas only ordered drinks, nothing else, probably just wanting a small drink after work.

She stared at the pedestrians coming and going outside the window and instinctively reached into her pocket for a cigarette, intending to light one. But remembering that Exusiai had confiscated her cigarette pack, she withdrew her hand dejectedly, not going to an outside shop to buy one.

Before long, the waiter brought over the cocktails:

"Two cups of Winter Approaches. Please enjoy, guests."

The entire cocktail was light blue, and with the ice, it looked a bit like an aquarium. Shi Lei picked it up and took a sip, feeling a sharp burning sensation from his throat. He couldn't help but gasp a couple of times:

"Wow, this drink is strong!"

Texas just smiled faintly, neither commenting on the drink nor teasing him. She picked up her cup, drank a quarter of it in one gulp, and then moved her lips, saying:

"Let's go back after we finish."

"Okay, sure."

Shi Lei paused for a moment, then suddenly changed the topic:

"Actually, I've always been curious about your past experiences, but I wasn't sure if I should ask. Is the real underworld like what's shown in the movies?"

Texas picked up her glass and took another sip, the wine in it now half-empty. She frowned slightly, as if contemplating how to answer the question:

"It's not as good as you imagine, nor is it as bad as you imagine. It's an underground organization that sets rules and expects everyone to follow them."

"A concise summary. Then I won't ask."

Texas's expression remained unchanged; there was no way to tell her emotions from her face:

"It's not that. There's just not much to say. It's just a game where a bunch of people make rules for each other within a limited scope, establishing order amidst chaos. The past is the past. Perhaps the nightmares of the past will catch up to me later, but I believe I'll be able to face them calmly then."

She rarely spoke so much at once, and the latter half of her speech felt more like she was talking to herself than elaborating.

Shi Lei knew when to stop and didn't press the topic further. It seemed this young lady from a mafia family must have had an exceptionally colorful experience before coming to Penguin Logistics.

Texas took another sip, quickly finishing the wine in her glass. After emptying it, she put the cup down. They left the small bar only after Shi Lei had also finished his drink.

As Shi Lei got into the passenger seat, he heard Texas let out a small burp and couldn't help but advise:

"Wait a minute, aren't you driving under the influence? Irregular driving leads to tears for loved ones. Is it far to the company? How about we walk back?"

She glanced at him sideways but didn't take his advice. They drove for about five to six minutes to Penguin Logistics and parked the car in the plaza behind the building.

The two went up to the top floor to clock out. In the office area, they encountered Exusiai, who hadn't left yet.

Just as she was about to speak to Texas, she suddenly seemed to catch a scent and leaned in, taking two deep inhales:

"Oh, you two! You went out drinking behind my back? That's not very nice!"

Texas finished packing her things and turned off her computer:

"We only had one drink."

"One drink is still drinking! Remember to call me next time. Also, do you know you're on TV?"

Exusiai said this while showing her phone screen to Shi Lei, who didn't have a communication device. Someone had posted photos of them rescuing people online.

Lungmen Television used this photo as a backdrop to interview onlookers from the neighborhood where the fire occurred.

Texas didn't pay it any mind, saying she was a bit sleepy and wanted to take a nap. She told everyone not to count her in for dinner and then rested her head on the desk.

Shi Lei felt the same way, having no thoughts about being on TV. He took Exusiai to the safe house, where they would continue their tradition of sausage and cheese pizza for dinner.

They hadn't seen Croissant along the way and didn't know what she was busy with, but they hadn't seen her much lately anyway.

After dinner, Exusiai didn't stay long. After playing some video games, she excused herself and left. Shi Lei continued to play against the computer, falling asleep peacefully around ten o'clock.

December 1st, 1094.

Today was payday, but it didn't have much impact on Shi Lei. He had only been with Penguin Logistics for less than a week, so even if he got paid, it wouldn't be much.

It was the same as yesterday; Emperor had Shi Lei run regular delivery orders with Texas in the afternoon to gain experience. They completed over twenty orders in four hours without any further incidents.

They worked like this until five in the afternoon, when they returned to the company to clock out. After sitting in the office for over fifty minutes, they called Exusiai to go downstairs and meet them.

Lin Yuxia attended the banquet alone, without any attendants or servants. Chen had four people with her: besides Hoshiguma, there was her superior, Nine, and an elite officer from the Lungmen Guard Department.

Shi Lei chose a budget-friendly stir-fry restaurant in District 20 for their gathering. It should be a good choice if one was looking for delicious and inexpensive food.

"Hey, why aren't you answering your phone?"

"Exusiai, what's wrong?"

"Croissant isn't answering her phone. Maybe her phone is dead. Should we wait for her?"

Someone like Chen, who valued efficiency, would find an indefinite wait extremely agonizing:

"What, is someone still missing? Should we go ahead? You can text her the address. She can just find us directly when she's done with her work."

Shi Lei sought everyone's opinion, and they all agreed it was feasible. So, Texas drove, picking up Shi Lei, Exusiai, and Lin Yuxia. Chen's group of four got into a police car and followed behind them to the Yan-style Restaurant in District 20.

Eight people were divided into two private rooms, not combined.

"Since the two of you are treating us today, naturally I'll eat whatever you order. But there are only a few of us here, so don't order too much and waste food."

While the two were ordering, Exusiai beckoned Shi Lei over and whispered:

"Croissant ran into a bit of trouble. I'm going to pick her up right now. Just leave me some roast meat."

"What do you mean, what happened to her?"

031 Two-Sided Cheese

Exusiai's face turned awkward, unsure how to explain:

"Uh, anyway, you eat well and have a good time. Just leave some delicious food for us. We'll be back soon."

Shi Lei tilted his head slightly, looking at her with amusement, which made Exusiai afraid to meet his gaze:

"I haven't been at the company long, but I'm part of Penguin Logistics. If you're having trouble, feel free to tell me. Maybe I can help. Is she getting an abortion? Is it inconvenient for me to be here?"

Such suggestive words startled Exusiai greatly, and she waved her hands repeatedly.

"No, no, she's in a brawl and called us over to help. I figure you haven't been in that kind of situation before, so you'd be better off staying here for dinner."

Perhaps because he hadn't been on a mission with her before, Shi Lei felt he wasn't being treated as one of their own:

"Ah, come on, what are you saying? We're a team, a team, understand? We can eat anytime, but fighting can't be delayed for even a moment."

"Heh heh, I knew I wasn't wrong about you."

Exusiai finished speaking and ran to Texas's side to whisper something. Upon hearing it, Texas immediately stood up.

Lin Yuxia, who was at the same table, asked in confusion:

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"It's nothing, a colleague of ours ran into a bit of trouble and needs us to go handle it. Miss Lin, please wait here. We'll be back soon."

With that, Shi Lei ran to the adjacent private room. He informed Chen and the other three that he needed to leave for a while.

Nine keenly sensed something was amiss and inquired:

"Mr. Shi, have you encountered some difficulty? Just say the word, and we'll all mobilize."

"No, no, no, don't make such a big fuss. Don't worry, it's not a big deal. You guys keep eating, we'll be back soon."

If you called the police for a fight, the nature of the incident would completely change. Judging by Exusiai's reaction, she probably wanted to go fight it out, to the point of skipping dinner.

"Mr. Shi, do you really not need any help?"

"No, no, I'm leaving now. I'll be back later. You guys enjoy your meal, sorry about this."

Shi Lei quickly walked out of the private room, left the restaurant with Texas, and got into the car.