Awakening Zhongli Template, Retiring on Terra

Today's regular single deliveries were few, not enough to go around. Exusiai got her wish to pair up with him on ordinary deliveries, but nothing unexpected happened the whole time, and they finished by three o'clock.

Back at the company, Shi Lei had nothing to do and didn't feel like playing video games, so he went to the public library to read.

He had even specifically asked the system and learned that reading also provided a bonus to Role-Playing Points. He could get 2 Role-Playing Points for finishing a book each day, with a maximum of one acquisition per day.

With this setup, he could get a guaranteed 5 Role-Playing Points daily even with no money. He currently had 42 points, and would have 45 by midnight when they were tallied, leaving him 155 points short of advancing to the next rank.

By calculation, it would take 31 days to advance.

With the end of the year approaching, Penguin Logistics' business had been very slow lately, as if entering the off-season. If no extra Role-Playing Points came in during this period, he would be upgraded to the Immortal Realm by January 3rd at the latest.

It was just a shame he could only gain points once a day, otherwise he could spend all day in the library. Like the legendary Sword God of Shili Slope, he could wait until he reached max level before emerging.

When he returned to the company at five o'clock, Shi Lei saw the beast girl who called herself Waai Fu from yesterday from a distance. She was standing at the crossroads, looking around as if waiting for him.

He knew without thinking what she was planning.

Tsk, why are women nowadays always thinking about repaying kindness?

The incident with Chen and Nine was indeed due to an emergency. He had refused initially, but because

She had argued with Lin Yuxia, he was forced to arrange a dinner.

Shi Lei only heard later that Lin Yuxia possessed powerful Originium Arts. If he hadn't intervened that day, she might have been strong enough to defeat the Infected. But after all, he couldn't just ignore it; he had to save her.

He pondered for a moment and decided to take a detour to avoid her. By the time he returned to the company, it was already quarter past five.

Texas was still in the office area. Seeing Shi Lei return, she clocked out, signaling the end of the workday. Exusiai, having gone days without a party, felt restless. She called Croissant, who had already clocked out, back to the safe house for a pizza party.

As they were eating and drinking, the phones of the three simultaneously chimed with notifications. Exusiai let out a satisfied belch, and after reading the message, stood up and said:

"Let's go, we've got a job, and it's a big one!"

Shi Lei hadn't handled any major deliveries yet. Seeing them all stand up, he asked in confusion:

"What kind of mission is it? Can I come along?"

"Hahaha, of course you can! You're on the list too. This time, the boss personally ordered all of us messengers to mobilize. We'll be assisting the Lungmen Guard Department in arresting illegal organizations in districts 18 to 21 of the upper city."

She took a bite of pizza as she spoke:

"For missions like this, they don't directly call out names for secrecy. Why don't you pick a codename?"

PS: What codename do you think would be good? Feel free to leave a comment to vote.

A: Zhongli

B: Rex Lapis

C: Other

042 My Name is Zhongli (Part 1)

"A codename? What's that? Like a nickname?"

Seeing his confused look, Exusiai explained:

"Something like that. You can think of it as your second name. A codename can be the same as your real name or different, it's entirely up to your personal preference. For example, my real name is Remuella, and my codename is Exusiai. It means the same thing whether people call me by either name."

"I see, then I'll have to think about it."

Shi Lei put a hand on his chin, pondering what kind of alias he should give himself.

The current system was the "Rex Lapis Retirement Edition," not the "Rex Lapis Youth Edition." Names with "Emperor" like Rex Lapis, or "God" like War God, were too high-profile and immediately ruled out.

Morax would be okay, but this wasn't the continent of Teyvat, and there was no currency called Mora here. Outsiders might find it a bit awkward to pronounce, so it wasn't the best choice.

"If you really can't think of one, you can use your surname. For example, Officer Chen's codename is Chen, and Celinea Texas's codename is Texas."

"No need, I've thought of it. My codename is Zhongli."

Croissant took out her hammer and shield to maintain them, diligently preparing for battle. Hearing his words, she looked up and asked:

"Zhongli? It sounds like a person's name. Is it someone very important to you?"

"Something like that. My abilities are inherited from him. Since he's not in this world, I'll use this codename to walk in the mortal realm."

Shi Lei's words were entirely accurate; the real Zhongli had not appeared in the world of Terra.

However, based on the description of inheriting his legacy, they all interpreted it as Zhongli being Shi Lei's deceased master.

It was similar to a custom among some Sarkaz, where the living would repeatedly use the codename of a deceased person. In a sense, it was a way of carrying on their will.

Exusiai glanced at her phone and urged:

"Time is a bit tight, let's hurry. This is our first joint operation as a full messenger team, I'm so excited just thinking about it, hai hai hai, I'm really too excited!"

Croissant packed up her equipment, her expression relaxed. She looked less like she was going on a mission and more like she was heading out to a party:

"Exusiai, did you bring enough rubber bullets? Let's have a blast tonight!"

"Got it, got it, don't worry."

Texas went lightly equipped, only bringing a lightsaber. Dealing with thugs wasn't worth her going all out.

Shi Lei, empty-handed and needing no equipment, followed the three of them and they set off by car.

December 3rd, 6:50 PM.

Lungmen, in front of the Lungmen Guard Department building.

The pitch-black night enveloped the city. Stars dotted the sky tonight, with a crescent moon hanging high.

Hundreds of fully armed Lungmen Guard Department members stood in the plaza in front of the building. Chen guarded Nine, who stood on a high platform, delivering the final pre-battle mobilization:

"For the safety of the people, these tumors lurking in the upper city must be eradicated tonight! If they don't have weapons, just knock them down and handcuff them. If they insist on resisting, live ammunition is permitted. Let them taste the might of our Lungmen Guard Department!"

As externally hired personnel, the four Messengers stood in a corner of the plaza. Officer Hoshiguma, carrying a triangular shield, approached Shi Lei and the others to explain the operational details.

Due to the need to simultaneously crack down on illegal organizations in several areas, the Lungmen Guard Department was stretched thin. Therefore, they contacted Penguin Logistics, paying them to eliminate the gangs at three strongholds to alleviate the personnel shortage.

"That's the situation. Each gang has between 30 to 100 members. With your abilities, knocking them all out won't be a problem. Take this walkie-talkie for now. We'll act precisely at 7:30."

Seeing that none of them reached out, Shi Lei took the walkie-talkie and the stronghold maps, offering his thanks.

After Hoshiguma left, Exusiai raised an eyebrow and smiled:

"So, are we taking on one gang each, or attacking the same one together? Anyway, no matter how you choose, I want to be in a group with Zhongli."

Shi Lei currently only possessed the strength implemented in the game Genshin. Even if he could deploy Rock Spines from a distance, the range was only 50 meters, making it unsuitable for extending the battle line. He suggested:

"Let's act together. That way, we can look out for each other. Otherwise, being suppressed by firepower when facing multiple opponents will only take more time."

Texas crossed her arms and cast a vote of approval:

"I agree."

Croissant raised her right hand, seconding the motion:

"Me too."

With three votes, the majority ruled.

Exusiai didn't mind; she just wanted to personally experience the practical effect of the shield.

Before they left, Chen appeared nearby. Shi Lei met her gaze from a distance, knowing she wanted to remind him to keep a low profile. He nodded in acknowledgment.

"For Lungmen!"

"For Lungmen!"

"For Lungmen!"

The Lungmen Guard Department members raised their right hands, shouting the slogan.

They were like a stream of deep blue, heading towards the cars parked near the plaza.

Shi Lei and the others also returned to their car and drove for over twenty minutes to scout Sector 19. They would wait until 7:30 to launch their attack simultaneously with the other Lungmen Guard Department members.

Hoshiguma had only provided the gang addresses, not specific numbers of personnel. This was mainly because these illegal organizations were not registered, making it difficult to verify their numbers.

The group didn't bring binoculars, so Exusiai climbed to a high vantage point to scout alone. She observed for a moment through her iron sights and, upon returning, reported that there were fifty to sixty people.

Time was short, and the general offensive would begin in a few minutes. There wasn't enough time to check the other two strongholds, so they would have to eliminate one before moving to the next.

The three were old partners and had clear roles. Originally, Croissant and Exusiai were to charge the front, with Texas guarding the back door. Now, with Shi Lei added, he and Exusiai would charge the front, while the other two would cover the back.

"Just so you know, don't count on me for fighting."

Exusiai had been waiting for this. With an air of an older sibling, she patted her chest and promised:

"Don't worry, I've got your back."

Shortly after the four took their positions, the clock struck 7:30.

Exusiai saw a light brown Jade Shield appear around her body and kicked open the iron door:

"Surprise!"

The eight gang members playing cards inside were immediately sent sprawling with cries of agony. Each rubber bullet precisely hit their temples.

"Dada-dada-dada..."

The screams attracted more people to investigate, and without exception, they were all knocked unconscious by the rubber bullets.

Exusiai, wielding two submachine guns, fired in a crisscrossing motion, like an aimbot.

"Dodo-dodo!"

In the cramped space, someone fired a sneak attack from behind her. However, the crossbow bolt fell off after hitting the Jade Shield, causing no damage.

While reloading, Exusiai tilted her head to check and found that the shield hadn't even developed a single crack.

"Cool!"

At the same time, the back door of the stronghold was breached.

Croissant and Texas forcefully entered, blocking the gang members attempting to flee. They formed a pincer attack with Exusiai, successfully knocking out all the members in the stronghold.

Shi Lei used the walkie-talkie to notify the Lungmen Guard Department logistics department to come and apprehend them, preventing anyone from waking up midway and causing chaos in the downtown area.

"Next, next!"

Exusiai felt it wasn't enough; these few people were merely a warm-up for her. Once the Lungmen Guard Department's logistics arrived to secure the scene, the four of them quickly headed to the next stronghold.

Perhaps the gunshots in the area had alerted the gang leader. When Exusiai entered the second stronghold, she was surprised to find a group of children armed with crossbows.

Child soldiers?

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043 My Name Is Zhongli (Part 2)

One couldn't afford to be careless when dealing with these child soldiers, who were barely teenagers. Because they were reckless and lacked any sense of reverence, they could be more vicious than adults.

Their speed, abundant energy, and ability to switch positions flexibly were all advantages of child soldiers.

But their weaknesses were equally obvious; to put it nicely, they lacked experience, and to put it bluntly, they weren't very bright.

Fortunately, there were only a little over a dozen child soldiers, not a significant number. Even so, Exusiai, who was usually cheerful and lively, frowned. She was genuinely angry.

Using children as cannon fodder was disgusting!

"Zhongli, give me a shield, and I'll teach them a good lesson!"

"It's already on you."

Glancing down at the Jade Shield on her body, Exusiai charged forward with her gun, engaging the child soldiers head-on.

"Dada-da-da-da..."

Rubber bullets against crossbow bolts put her at a significant disadvantage in terms of power. However, Exusiai compensated for this with her exquisite shooting skills, landing headshots with every shot!

Some child soldiers, completely disregarding morals and tactics, ran behind to ambush Shi Lei. But the crossbow bolts, capable of piercing wooden planks, struck him without even tearing his clothes.

"Exusiai, two got through here."