Awakening Zhongli Template, Retiring on Terra

Shi Lei smirked from the shadows, "Ah, I've been looking for you all for so long."

040 An Eye for an Eye

The alley was dim, making it hard to see clearly.

The ten youths quickly huddled together, warily looking in Shi Lei's direction. The fact that the other party used Originium Arts to block their path suggested they weren't to be trifled with.

"Friend, who are you?"

"Hmph, my younger brother practiced your damned martial arts and ended up paralyzed. I just happened to pass by today, and I've finally caught you!"

During their fights, some of the moves and stances were identical. And the mention of sparring and senior disciples in their conversation led Shi Lei to deduce their identity. They were likely martial arts or sect disciples, people of the jianghu.

When you encounter these extortionists, if you try to reason with them, they'll act like thugs; if you act like a thug, they'll cite the law.

As the saying goes, an eye for an eye. To deal with them, you had to be more of a thug than they were.

"Paralyzed? Hey, wait a minute. Friend, is there some kind of misunderstanding here?"

The youth, inexplicably burdened with guilt, quickly called out to stop. They could barely handle one Beastkin, and now another, who couldn't be dealt with through violence, requiring reason and law.

Shi Lei sneered and suddenly raised his voice, "Misunderstanding? Then state your names!"

A hot-headed young man stepped forward, ready to fight, but quickly restrained his companions. The previous speaker clasped his fists in a salute, his attitude very polite: "I am the third disciple of the Shang Shu traditional martial arts sect, Iron Fist School, codenamed Iron Fan. I was recently ordered by my master to open a branch in Lungmen. Friend, I've never heard of a paralyzed apprentice like you mentioned; there must be some mistake."

The arrogant demeanor the other party had shown earlier had now shifted to Shi Lei. "Damn it, the person is paralyzed, of course you wouldn't see it at the martial arts school. You've harmed so many people. Today, you either pay up or lose a leg. You choose."

Hearing that this group was made up of repeat offenders, the tiger-faced Beastkin felt a surge of indignation. However, considering they were now trapped like rats in a cage, she didn't interject.

"Friend, it's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding. We are a legitimate martial arts school, we wouldn't..."

"Slap."

Shi Lei covered his face with a folded map while delivering a direct slap with his other hand. This method, which wasn't lethal, illegal, and still served as a deterrent, was very convenient for him.

"Stop beating around the bush. It was you, the Iron Fist School, who did it. Today, you either pay or leave a leg!"

"..."

The youths present were unwilling to part with a leg and retreated, leaving Iron Fan at the front. "Then, friend, how much do you want?"

"Medical expenses, lost wages, nutritional expenses, plus compensation for emotional distress. It should be at least one million Lungmen Dollars?"

"We don't have that much money."

Shi Lei scoffed and repeated their words verbatim, "What does it matter to me if you don't have the money? The wrongs committed by the Iron Fist School should be repaid by its disciples. You extorted a young lady for a million, why can't you give me a million? Are you playing with me?"

Iron Fan glanced at Rock Spine, feeling that the tall rock pillar couldn't be scaled and escaped instantly, so he withdrew his gaze. "We wouldn't dare, but our martial arts school truly cannot afford that much. Look, how about this. She owes us a million, and we owe you a million. How about we transfer this debt, making her owe you a million?"

The Beastkin's eyes lit up, and she clenched her fists, angrily saying, "When did I ever owe you a million?"

Shi Lei was amused by Iron Fan's naive idea. These youths looked no older than twenty, how could they propose such a ridiculous solution? It was truly comical. "Are you saying you'll give me the recording? How do I know the recording doesn't have a duplicate version?"

Unexpectedly, Iron Fan's eyes sharpened as he pointed out the loophole, "Friend, before this, I never mentioned a recording to you. Since you know about this, is it possible that the matter of your brother being paralyzed is false?"

Shi Lei suddenly kicked out, a front kick sending Iron Fan stumbling back into the crowd. "Don't you understand your situation? Still playing clever here? Whether my brother is injured or not is unimportant. What's important is whether your brother still wants to keep his thing."

At these words, all ten youths instinctively covered their crotches, protecting their most vital parts.

"You use violence, I use violence. You use lies, I use lies. I'm just repeating what you did to this lady and applying it to you, so why can't you accept it now?"

"..."

Shi Lei didn't care whether they responded or not and directly issued his final ultimatum. "You are people of the jianghu, but I am not. Hurry up and make a call, have someone bring the recording. For every half hour that passes, I will break one person's leg. Anyone who dares to escape, I will break their leg just the same. Don't think that the ten of you, plus that lady, would be my match."

After speaking, he turned around, exposing his defenseless back to the ten youths.

He actually wanted to pat his own protruding backside with his hand to maximize the mockery, but he recalled that Rex Lapis would never do such a thing, so he abandoned the idea. Acting recklessly could lead to a deduction in his role-playing score, which would be a net loss.

"Watch out behind you!"

No need for the Beastkin's reminder, Shi Lei knew someone among the youths behind him would eventually crack. After all, if they could just deal with him, they wouldn't have to pay for broken legs or compensate with money – it was worth a shot.

A fist the size of a sandbag landed on his back, but it had no effect whatsoever. The youth holding him refused to believe it, took a running start, and delivered a front kick. Still, he couldn't budge the other man even an inch.

After being pummeled like a punching bag for several minutes by multiple people, Shi Lei remained completely unharmed. Seeing some of them getting scared and trying to run, he summoned Rock Spine with one hand, blocking the other exit:

"Hey, are you done hitting me? Hurry up and make a call, get someone to bring the recording over. My patience is limited. If I make a move, your legs and little brothers are gone. Who wants to try first? You, you, or you?"

The youths he pointed at stumbled back, none of them willing to say goodbye to their own brothers. Iron Fan, at his wit's end, had no choice but to call the martial arts school.

Half an hour later, a middle-aged man in a training uniform arrived with a recording. Shi Lei and the others entered the alley, and he raised his hand, summoning Rock Spine to seal the path.

"Here, let's get the unpleasantries out of the way. I'll let this lady go out now to verify the contents of the recording. If you've been faking it, I'll break all your legs!"

The youths had already witnessed his power and advised the middle-aged man not to act rashly. The latter then claimed he had brought the wrong tape and produced another one, no bigger than his palm.

Hah, playing games with me?

Shi Lei sent the Beastkin out to verify. After receiving confirmation, he finally dispelled Rock Spine and walked out of the alley with her:

"If you want these people punished, you can take this recording to the Lungmen Guard Department and report them for malicious editing and defamation. I already know they're disciples of the Iron Fist School, so I might drop by sometime."

The last sentence was directed at the people still inside the alley. Iron Fan's face contorted with embarrassment, but he dared not act out.

"Thank you, sir. If you hadn't helped me just now, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to get away. My name is Waai Fu. I don't yet know my benefactor's name. I'll come to express my gratitude another day."

[Received 2 Role-Playing Points based on host's performance.]

Shi Lei wasn't looking for the Beastkin's gratitude. He did this only to follow his conscience, not wanting to see a tragedy unfold like in those adult films. He felt it was too troublesome to keep using a map to cover his face and wanted to ask Texas to buy him a mask when he got back:

"No need, madam. We'll meet again if fate allows."

041 The Big One Is Coming!

Shi Lei left without giving his name, turning to walk away.

Having observed from the alley entrance for a long time, he could tell the Beastkin's every move was exceptionally well-executed. Being able to fight ten opponents without being at a disadvantage suggested at least ten years of training.

But, that was all it could be.

Had they read Lao She's "The Gunner"?

A lifetime of martial arts skill, gone in a single shot. Beyond seven paces, the gun was faster; within seven paces, it was both fast and accurate.

Unless...

Unless Terra saw the kind of body-cultivating martial artists from those Xianxia novels, the peak of martial arts was already set.

Based on Shi Lei's current understanding, Originium Arts had a much higher ceiling than martial arts. Martial arts were fine for strengthening the body, but when it came to fighting, they were still a bit lacking.

By the time he returned to Penguin Logistics, it was already 5:30 PM. He took the elevator to the top floor.

Shi Lei clocked in and was about to head to the safe house when he saw Texas walking towards him from her workstation.

"Huh, you're still here?"

"Mhm."

She nodded in response and followed him into the elevator.

Texas was supposed to get off at 5:00 PM, but when she realized he hadn't returned, she waited at the company. That way, she could head out immediately if she received any messages about him needing help.

However, with his true strength, he could probably handle any trouble himself.

Texas knew this, but she still chose to stay a little longer after work. This concern for a friend was never shown on her face, but rather in her actions.

Shi Lei pressed the elevator button and asked, tilting his head, "Texas, are you free right now?"

"What's up?"

"It's like this, I've been wearing this outfit for several days. I want to buy a change of clothes – pants, a hat, and a mask. Nothing too expensive, just something to get by."

Texas's gaze swept over him. It looked like he'd been wearing the same outfit for about a week; it was indeed time for a change. She lowered her eyes again, looking at her own clothes:

"New employees get uniforms. There's a tape measure in the safe house. I'll measure you, and then give the measurements to Isu. You should receive the uniform in about two to three days."

Currently, the three Messengers were all wearing black and white uniforms printed with the Penguin Logistics logo. They were form-fitting, well-tailored, and quite good-looking.

"Okay, that would be a great help. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The two of them went to the safe house but didn't see any other colleagues. Texas found the tape measure in the tool room and came over to measure Shi Lei's height, shoulder width, chest circumference, hip length, and other data. She recorded it on her phone to send to Isu later.

"Straighten your back."

"Uh, okay."

Texas's movements were meticulous, like a seasoned tailor. After measuring, she used her phone to compose a message. A moment later, she looked up:

"All done."

"Thank you, thank you so much."

"It's nothing. Let's go, didn't you want to buy a hat? There's a shop across from the company."

Shi Lei and she left the safe house, crossing the street on the crosswalk. It was said to be across from the company, but it was actually about four to five hundred meters away. It was a medium-sized shopping mall, fully stocked with everything from dining and apparel to infant and toddler supplies. He wasn't familiar with the place, so he let Texas lead the way.

Seeing customers enter the store, the saleswoman was very enthusiastic:

"Welcome, what can I get for you two?"

When Texas spoke to outsiders, she always seemed so concise.

"He's buying a hat."

"Sir, what style of hat are you looking for? We have the most popular ones right now..."

"No need, I'll just look around."

Shi Lei raised his hand to interrupt and walked directly inside.

Usually, items placed in prominent positions are the main products of the season. If you want to pursue low prices and good value, you have to go to the back of the store and pick from the bottom shelves.

He walked to the very back and immediately spotted a black baseball cap worth 500 Lungmen Dollars on top of a shelf.

"Sir, you have excellent taste. This is a limited edition from our store. How about buying a pink baseball cap for your girlfriend too? They're a couple's set, and you'd both look great wearing them!"

Texas, with a blank expression, took out Lungmen Dollars and placed them on the counter. The cashier looked a bit surprised, glancing between her and Shi Lei, her eyes filled with envy.

Young man, you've saved yourself decades of detours.

Seeing that Texas disdained to explain their relationship, he naturally wouldn't bring it up either. After buying masks at the pharmacy, he said goodbye to her and returned to the safe house to heat up food.

December 3rd.

Shi Lei had no work today, just like any other day.

He started work at nine, spent an hour and a half taking inventory and shipping, and then returned to his office area until twelve for lunch.