Chapter 253
Texas's answer was exactly what Exusiai had predicted, and she echoed her sentiment:
Me too.
The words had barely left his lips when the outcome was decided.
"I also think it's better to go to Ursus."
The Emperor, who prefers a cooler environment, cast his final vote. Exusiai lost the team-building location selection by a score of one to four.
Seeing her immediately become dejected, looking like she'd lost all fighting spirit, the boss grinned and added:
"Let's go to Ursus for our company team building this year, and we'll consider Sistag next year."
Exusiai, being the minority, yielded to the majority and did not engage in further debate.
"Boss, when do we leave?"
The Emperor tilted his head slightly and made a decision on the spot:
"There's no time like the present, let's do it today. We'll leave this afternoon and should arrive at the nearest Mobile Cities by evening. You can all go home after work and meet at the company gate before 5 PM. I'll cover all the expenses for this team building activity."
"Yay! The boss is the best!"
Exusiai was overjoyed and jumped up from her chair. She'd go anywhere as long as she could go out and play. Staying in the office all day was incredibly boring.
"Boss."
At that moment, Shi Lei asked:
Can I bring a few people with me?
Lisa is currently on summer vacation, so we can take her on a trip to relax. Anyone else in the extended family who wants to go can come along.
"No problem, bring it if you want. But you absolutely have to bring that Nine Tails Vulcan."
The Emperor had met Lisa several times and had a good impression of this child who was about the same height as him.
"Hahaha, Lisa will go, boss. Shall we go home now?"
"Okay, you guys can leave early. I'll talk Isu Is about perfect attendance and team building later."
The boss has spoken, how can we not obey?
"Yay!"
The four Messenger tidied up their desks briefly, then took the elevator home to prepare their travel necessities.
Croissant didn't live with everyone; she drove her pickup truck back to the warehouse as soon as she left the company.
Shi Lei and the other two then walked back to Taiheng Road.
The sun was scorching hot today, and even the cicadas seemed to be chirping weakly. All three warehouses had their shutters closed, and people were staying inside, relying on the air conditioning for survival.
Shi Lei went to call Mudrock, and asked Texas and Exusiai to notify the people in Warehouse No. 3.
Anyone who's willing to go, let's go together.
Texas had the key, but she still gently lifted it with her foot. After confirming her identity, FrostNova quickly came over and opened the roller shutter.
"Splash!"
Texas bent down inside the house, and a blast of cool air hit her. She looked up and immediately saw Lisa sitting quietly in the corner of the living room, doing her summer homework.
Not far from her Surtr, dressed in a black shirt. Her long legs were crossed and slightly swayed, making her look delectable and alluring.
Perhaps to cool down, Surtr unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt, revealing a captivating expanse of snow-white skin, so white it was almost impossible to look away. Her lips were slightly parted, a blue popsicle smugly in her mouth. Her soft, fragrant tongue licked it back and forth.
Surtr took a sip, a look of pure enjoyment on her face. Her eyes were half-closed, her entire body completely relaxed, exuding an unusually languid aura.
Hearing the sound of the roller shutter, Surtr opened her eyes. She brushed her hair behind her ear with one hand, making the curve of her fair neck even more alluring.
Texas, witnessing this, secretly rejoiced that Shi Lei hadn't come to call for help. Her youthful and captivating appearance could easily steal a man's heart.
No, that man is a stone!
Seeing this shouldn't elicit any reaction, right?
"Stop what you're doing and listen to me..."
Texas briefly introduced the company's team-building activity and asked everyone present if they wanted to join in.
Will Lisa go?
Yes, it will.
Upon learning that the little angel was going, Surtr said he would go with her, and FrostNova did the same.
If Lisa is going on vacation, Texas has no reason to leave the rest of them behind to watch the house. If Shi Lei finds out later, he'll accuse her of being stingy.
Be generous.
The communication with Shi Lei went very smoothly.
Upon learning about the team-building trip, Mudrock immediately agreed. The remaining four Sarkaz mercenaries also volunteered to help run errands or carry luggage.
The remaining six Sarkaz are unable to leave because they have cooking duties. I can only call them now to let them know.
When everyone had prepared their travel necessities, only Shi Lei was left out; there was one person who hadn't been called.
She went to Warehouse No. 3, shook out Xi who lived in the painting, and asked for her opinion.
As a seasoned homebody, Xi could stay indoors for centuries, hiding within her paintings. To her, the landscapes of various countries and regions were nothing more than paintings.
But if it were this man who extended the invitation, there would be no problem.
Xi can get a sense of security from Shi Lei that no one else can give her, and she is willing to travel around with him.
July 24, 4:30 pm
Once everyone was ready, they gathered at the entrance of Penguin Logistics' company building ahead of time.
Once everyone arrived, they realized there weren't enough cars.
In the Texas car, Shi Lei sat in the passenger seat. Exusiai, Emperor, and Lisa squeezed into the back.
Croissant's pickup truck only has two seats. Besides her as the driver, there's only room for Mudrock.
However, Surtr, FrostNova, Yuri, and the Sarkaz mercenary are all unavailable, making a total of seven people.
"Looks like we'll have to rent two land vehicles."
Upon hearing this, Xi said somewhat timidly:
"No need, you can live inside the painting."
After saying that, she used her hands as a brush to paint Scroll Realm.
The Emperor had never seen such a unique Originium Arts before and found it quite novel.
Seeing that many eyes were on her, Xi felt extremely embarrassed and quickly said with her head down:
"The whole group, including our luggage, can be included in the photo. Just call me when we arrive at our destination."
FrostNova and the others had no objections and carried their luggage into the Scroll Realm. Mudrock, wanting to see its master more often, did not wish to be included in the painting.
Xi did not insist on this. Before she entered the painting, she entrusted the scroll to Shi Lei for safekeeping.
The group set off around 5 p. m. and left the border checkpoint at 5:30 p. m. Heading north, they arrived at the Mobile Cities closest to Lungmen around 10:30 p. m.
Chernobyl.
319 Unparalleled Infiltration of 3K
July 24, 10:42 pm
The two cars spotted Chernobyl in the distance and drove toward the border checkpoint of this Mobile Cities.
Exusiai sat in the back row and leaned forward:
"It's almost eleven o'clock, and there are so many of us here. What if we don't have enough rooms later? How about we just book one room and everyone else can go into Miss Nian's painting? To be honest, I've never slept in a painting before."
If only one room is booked, Shi Lei will definitely be outside to protect the living area.
But he didn't need to rest at night; he would read books almost every night to increase his knowledge.
If only one room is open, it means other people's paintings will have to be hung in their own rooms. The feeling of being secretly watched all night is just weird.
He shook his head slightly, disagreeing with the suggestion:
"The idea is good, but it's unnecessary. If outsiders spread this around, they'll think that Penguin Logistics can't afford to stay in a hotel. Don't you think so, boss?"
The Emperor was mentioned and nodded in agreement.
"Yes, some money should be spent when necessary, don't be stingy. My annual income from records and albums alone is hundreds of times higher than all of your commissions combined, so I'm not short of money."
"Hehe, then I'll do as the boss says."
Exusiai is just offering a suggestion; it's not a must. If you want to live in the painting, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.
Her thoughts jump around quickly, seamlessly switching to the next topic before ending the current one:
"There are several infected people in our group. Will the hotel owner refuse us entry later?"
"You're right, Croissant, stop the car!"
Shi Lei rolled down the car window and asked his colleague to stop.
After explaining the reason, he allowed Mudrock to live in Miss Nian's Scroll Realm.
Given the severity of the persecution of infected individuals in Ursus, she might not even be able to pass through the border checkpoint.
Although Mudrock was very reluctant, it was able to distinguish between priorities and cooperated perfectly in entering the painting.
Of the remaining people, Lisa was once an infected person.
Fortunately, she met Shi Lei, who removed the Originium from her body shortly after she contracted Originium-related illness. Subsequent Originium were also surgically removed. She is currently uninfected and does not need to enter the Scroll Realm.
Exusiai switched places with Croissant and rode in the same car before starting the engine and heading to the border checkpoint.
Soldiers are on duty here at night, and if they see a stranger approaching, they mechanically ask for information.
After Texas answered all their questions, they indeed asked to test whether there were any infected people in the testing team.
If anyone is found to Originium crystal on their body, they will be immediately repatriated or even secretly taken to a secluded place for execution.
Shi Lei and his team made preparations in advance and passed through the border checkpoint without any major incidents.
During the inspection, they even used long mirrors to check under the vehicles to prevent anyone from smuggling themselves in. If they were found, they would be killed on the spot.
After more than half an hour of inspection, the staff found nothing amiss and then notified their colleagues to open the gate and allow passage.
Chernobyl is ablaze with lights at night.
Many buildings feature street art such as graffiti and murals, creating a vibrant and down-to-earth atmosphere.
Driving north in Texas, I noticed that there weren't any particularly luxurious buildings on the streets. Most were three or four stories high, with very few skyscrapers.
She finally stopped in front of a hotel with a sign that said "Open for Business," turned off the engine, and got out of the car.
Exusiai the fastest, pushing open the wooden door to the hall first. Seeing no one at the bar, she pressed the alarm bell twice, while simultaneously looking left and right.
"Hello, is anyone there?"
Shi Lei followed behind, entering the hall. He noticed a broken flowerpot near the bar, leaving mud all over the floor, and no one had cleaned it up. He immediately felt uneasy.
Shi Lei released his Archon Realm Psychic Power, spreading it outwards like radar. He quickly discovered a child-like creature deep within the cabinet next to the bar.
Judging from the distance, it seems to be hiding in a dark compartment.
Shi Lei, bracing himself against the U-shaped table with one hand, deftly flipped himself over into the bar area. He pointed to a cabinet in a certain direction and said in as calm a tone as possible:
"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."
Exusiai looked completely bewildered, not knowing what was going on.
Shi Lei approached the cabinet and felt around on it with his hands, quickly discovering a clip in the corner.
"Clatter".
The moment the hidden compartment opened, the little boy hiding inside suddenly lunged outwards!