The three women came to the roadside, got into the car waiting there, and drove away. In an instant, only Shi Lei and Lin Yuxia remained outside the restaurant.
Shi Lei turned around and stared into those lively eyes. Seeing that she had no intention of leaving, he asked:
"Miss Lin, is there anything else?"
Lin Yuxia had not drunk much tonight and was completely clear-headed. She tucked her pink hair behind her ear and felt the faint chill of late autumn in the breeze brushing against her face.
"Mr. Shi, now that there's no one else around, I'll be frank. With your abilities, you're more than capable of stepping onto a greater stage. Would you be interested in working for my family? The compensation would be very generous."
Ha, I knew it.
Shi Lei had long found it strange. Why would the daughter of the Slums emperor insist on coming to the Upper City to treat him to dinner? She had used repaying a favor as an excuse, but it had always felt rather forced, as though she had another motive.
By comparison, Officer Chen had also treated him to dinner, but her attitude had been sincere. Shi Lei had genuinely felt that she was repaying his kindness, with nothing else mixed in.
"Sorry, Miss Lin. I'm very satisfied with my current job and have no plans to change it for the time being."
"With your abilities, you'd have plenty of opportunities to prove yourself working for my family. You could earn a great deal of money."
The polite smile on Shi Lei's face gradually faded. He found it hard to agree with the notion that one should work for whoever offered the highest price.
He liked Penguin Logistics' atmosphere, and he would not casually alter a contract once it had been signed.
"Miss Lin, a person can't spend their whole life pursuing money alone. There are many beautiful things in life. I should be going now. Thank you again for your generous hospitality."
"Do you think the Slums are beneath you? I guarantee you'll see an entirely different Slums."
Shi Lei gave a wry grin, but his attitude remained firm.
"A contract cannot be broken. I have no intention of changing employers. All right, it would be impolite to continue this conversation."
The Man
December 2, 7:50 a.m.
After returning home last night, Chen had fallen asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
The moment she heard the alarm, her body reacted almost instinctively, springing out of bed.
"Haah~"
She rubbed her sleepy eyes, feeling the lingering exhaustion and numbness in her limbs from the hangover. Only after splashing cold water on her face did the feeling lessen considerably.
Since graduating from Victoria and returning to Lungmen, Chen had gotten drunk like this only a handful of times.
Other than eating and sleeping, she basically worked every day, filling all of her personal time with endless tasks.
Because of that diligence, along with certain special reasons she was unwilling to admit, she had become Lungmen's youngest Special Inspectorate chief and gained renown throughout the police world.
Such achievements naturally drew plenty of private jealousy. Chen knew, but she did not care.
Beside her full-length mirror was an information board covered with intelligence and newspaper clippings Chen had collected over the years. One severely yellowed newspaper dated back to 1087 and contained Duke Koschei's obituary. The rest were scattered fragments of information, disconnected in content yet all pointing to the same person.
Talulah.
Before leaving each day, she would look at the information board. Like a mirror, it constantly reminded her of something.
Chen bought breakfast from a street stall and quickly finished it, then went to the Lungmen Guard Department locker room to change into her uniform. Afterward, she arrived at the Special Inspectorate chief's office, brewed herself a hot cup of coffee to wake up, and eased the stomach discomfort caused by her hangover.
The smooth liquid went down her throat, bitter yet warm.
Chen quickly adjusted herself, ignored the faint migraine, and threw herself wholeheartedly into work.
"Knock, knock."
"Come in."
A Special Inspectorate member pushed open the door, placed a document on the desk, and said politely:
"Chief, this is the information we were ordered to investigate. It's already been compiled. Please review it."
"Fine. You may leave."
After the team member left, Chen picked up the document while drinking her coffee. The paper was not warm to the touch, so it had likely been printed in advance.
The first page contained the dispatch record from around 6:30 last night at the District 20 docks. According to the report, the Lungmen Guard Department had arrived shortly after receiving the call and arrested nearly a hundred Green Shrimp Gang members on the spot.
The second page explained the sequence of events, stating that Penguin Logistics had assisted with the arrests. Judging by the timing, it should have been what happened after Shi Lei left.
The Green Shrimp Gang members had already been detained and confessed to their crimes. Their statements also implicated them in numerous robberies and missing-person cases over the past few months.
During her time in the Lungmen Guard Department, Chen had advocated eliminating illegal activity within Lungmen and combating violent and organized crime. Gangs that endangered Lungmen's public safety had to be punished severely!
The final page had been issued by her uncle, Wei Yenwu, ordering an investigation into everything that had happened at the District 20 docks around 6:30 last night. However, it did not describe in detail what exactly he wanted investigated.
Holding the document, she lowered her eyes. Wei Yenwu had lived in Core City for years and rarely issued instructions like this. Why had he specifically ordered an investigation into an illegal organization this time?
A superior's thoughts were difficult to fathom.
If she left it to her subordinates, it would likely become a hot potato. It would be better for her to visit him herself and learn what he truly wanted investigated. Even if there was a trap, it would not implicate anyone else.
Chen reviewed the report once more but found nothing unusual. Croissant had been robbed by the Green Shrimp Gang, called her colleagues for help, knocked the entire group unconscious, and reported them to the authorities.
There was also a customs clearance record in the report, stating that what Croissant had been transporting was a motorcycle. But it was not contraband, so it was not worth spending manpower and resources on.
What exactly was he trying to investigate?
At nine in the morning, Chen took a car to Core City. The scenery and facilities there were far superior to those in the Upper City. It was a truly modern metropolis.
In her capacity as the Special Inspectorate chief, she requested to report to the Governor in person. Once her request was approved, she took the elevator to the reception room.
Wei Yenwu was holding a smoking pipe in his right hand. He took two drags of dry tobacco and slowly exhaled rings of smoke.
Perhaps because he retained Ancient blood, simply sitting silently on the sofa gave off an oppressive presence that was almost suffocating.
Seeing his niece standing before him, Wei Yenwu studied her with an interested gaze.
"What is so important that you need to report it in person?"
Chen spoke in an official manner, as though she were merely carrying out routine business. She did not sound like she was speaking with family at all.
"Governor, I came to see you today for two matters. First, I received an assignment this morning and would like to know what exactly you wish to investigate. Without a direction, the Inspectorate's efficiency will be seriously affected. Second, quite a few illegal gang organizations have appeared in the Upper City recently. I hope you can issue an order so I can have all departments cooperate in their suppression and return peace to the people of Lungmen."
Wei Yenwu took another drag, merely staring at his niece without agreeing or refusing.
The name Chen Hui Jie carried deep meaning. Hui referred to noble light, while Jie meant purity. When the name had been chosen, it was hoped that she would one day become a noble and pure light. Looking at her now, however, she was perhaps too noble. Like a sword without a sheath, her edge was exposed.
When Chen saw Wei Yenwu extend his fingers, she immediately understood and handed over the documents in her hand. He accepted them and flipped through them for a moment, but did not find what he wanted to see.
Just as he was about to speak, his wife emerged from the side room.
"Hm? Little Chen, why are you here? It'll be lunchtime soon. Why not stay for a meal?"
Using work as an excuse, Chen politely refused.
"No need. I came here on official business today. As long as the Governor approves, I'll leave immediately."
"You child."
Wenyue shook her head and glanced at her husband. The latter smiled, and the stern air around him instantly vanished.
"Ahem. Eliminating the illegal organizations in the Upper City would indeed benefit the people of Lungmen. I'll notify all Lungmen Guard Department divisions later and have them fully cooperate with your operation."
"As for what happened at the District 20 docks last night, Governor, what exactly do you want investigated?"
Wei Yenwu turned his head toward his wife, apparently wondering whether she would react differently upon hearing about the meteorite.
Wenyue found him rather strange and raised her brows.
"She asked you a question. Why are you looking at me?"
Wei Yenwu gave a slight grin, his smile awkward.
"At 6:30 last night, something fell from the sky and landed at the District 20 docks. Once you determine the exact cause, report back to me."
At that time, Penguin Logistics' employees had been fighting the Green Shrimp Gang. The gang leader's testimony had indeed mentioned a tremendous boom.
Chen often dealt with Messengers such as Exusiai and Texas, and she knew exactly what they were capable of. Could it have been that man?
"Yes, Governor. Understood."
A Little Secret with Texas
December 2, 11:45 a.m.
That morning, Shi Lei did as he always did, checking off the goods in the warehouse downstairs according to the inventory list. He prepared the music albums, posters, and merchandise released by Emperor, then waited for Fengchi Logistics employees to haul them away.
Once he finished all that, there was nothing else to do that morning. He could return to the office area, slack off, and wait for lunch.
Yan was the same as the world he had lived in before crossing over: the Lunar New Year did not arrive until January or February. With the year-end approaching, fewer customers bought products online, so the workload was not particularly heavy.
At around eleven-thirty, logistics manager Isu came to his desk and placed a stack of Lungmen Dollars on it.
"This is your salary settlement for last month, including commissions from regular deliveries. If you want to check the details, log into the employee portal. Report any issues to me within three days. After that, I won't deal with them."
"Okay, okay. Thank you very much."
After watching Isu finish distributing salaries and leave, Shi Lei stared at the Lungmen Dollars on his desk in distress.
He had been in this world for about a week. During that time, he had carefully read the system announcements and learned the methods and rules for gaining Roleplay Value.
Participating in rescues or eliminating evil forces could earn anywhere from one to five Roleplay Value. Imitating Zhongli's mannerisms and tone could earn a reward at most once.
If he maintained a penniless state until the next day, he could gain three Roleplay Value. This guaranteed Roleplay Value was Shi Lei's most stable source.
If he picked up the money now, those three points would be gone immediately.
If Rex Lapis himself came to Lungmen, he would not die even without food, drink, or sleep. He could easily reduce his monthly expenses to zero. But Shi Lei could not do that. He was a living, breathing person who merely possessed Zhongli's ability template.
Because of this, he had specifically looked into this world's financial system. Online payments had not yet been introduced. Commercial cities such as Kazimierz already had credit cards, but Lungmen still primarily used Lungmen Dollars, with gold trading as a supplement.
Shi Lei had asked the system. He could not exploit a loophole.
Whether it was Lungmen Dollars, gold, bank cards, or credit cards, carrying any of them counted as having money. At the midnight settlement, he would be unable to obtain the three guaranteed Roleplay Value.
Since he could not hold the money himself, he could only have someone else keep it for him. That way, whenever he needed to spend money, he could have that person handle the payment.
The first person he ruled out in the entire company was Emperor. Who put their wages in their boss's pocket?
Miss Kong was ruled out too. She only came to the company occasionally, so they rarely had a chance to meet. Logistics manager Isu was usually busy and was unlikely to help with something like this. Exusiai and Croissant lived paycheck to paycheck and were often short on cash. If he let them safeguard it, it would probably all be spent along with theirs.
After thinking it over, there was only one person in the entire company who was suitable for this and willing to manage it for him.
Texas.
But how could he ask her for such a favor for no reason?
Shi Lei sat at his desk and pondered for a long time before suddenly coming up with a solution.
Croissant had slipped away right after clocking in that morning, and Exusiai had gone to the restroom. It was the perfect opportunity, with only the two of them present.
Shi Lei stood, waved, gave Texas a polite smile, and asked:
"Can I discuss something with you?"
Texas was playing on her phone. Hearing him, she raised her brows and glanced at him, her words as concise as ever.
"Speak."
"It's like this. A religion from my hometown considers money the root of all evil. Touching it would entangle us in karma and affect our cultivation in the mortal world. So I'd like to presumptuously ask whether I could leave my money with you from now on. Of course, I won't make you do it for nothing. You can take twenty percent of the savings as a management fee."
Shi Lei could not change the system rules, which was why he proposed this less-than-ideal solution. Using a new contract to resolve the difficulties posed by an old contract was still an option.
Texas had never heard of a religion that forbade people from touching money. In her impression, whether they were religions or gangs, they would stop at nothing to amass wealth.
But the Terra World was vast, and all manner of strange things existed. Especially in remote regions, perhaps beliefs that normal people found utterly baffling really did exist.
At the District 20 docks last night, Texas had been the only one to notice Shi Lei driving off the Green Shrimp Gang's reinforcements. He had scared away more than two hundred people with a single move and caused such a massive commotion. It was clear just how unfathomable his strength was.
A man who was clearly powerful but deliberately hid his strength and never mentioned his past.
Before you continue