"Hahaha, you're the star of this party. There's no need to ask. Even if you don't want to come, we'll drag you there by force!"
He smiled and said in a joking tone:
"Even if that's true, you should at least go through the motions. Otherwise, I'll look like I don't fit in."
"Hahaha, sure. So, are you coming?"
"Of course. After being busy all night, I'm starving."
Hearing that, Texas thought, Weren't you, Shi Lei, the one slacking off the most tonight? Still, considering that frequent use of Originium Arts was indeed exhausting, she decided not to argue with him.
December 3, 7:23 p.m.
Croissant drove to District Nine, found a mobile barbecue stall with a food cart, and ordered a whole pile of food.
The stall owner did not sell alcohol, so they went to a nearby supermarket and carried out a case of beer, mixing it with soft drinks.
Though it was already night, the streets remained packed with traffic.
The aroma of food roasting over charcoal drifted through the air. Wisps of white smoke filled the streets and alleys with the lively warmth of everyday life. General Merchandise
"There's still some on the grill. I'll bring it over right away."
The stall owner placed the cooked food into plastic containers and set them on a small foldable wooden table. The fragrant barbecue whetted their appetites; all they had to do was pick up the bamboo skewers and eat.
Two pieces of grilled meat with slightly chilled beer made Shi Lei let out a satisfied sound:
"Ahhh... Can I ask about something? How much money do you think each of us will get this time?"
Exusiai only ate meat, not vegetables, and answered while chewing:
"We helped out a lot today, so each person should get at least around three hundred thousand Lungmen Dollars. If the Lungmen Guard Department is willing to give more, it might be four or five hundred thousand."
Three hundred thousand Lungmen Dollars from a single major job was indeed far better than earning a few hundred from an ordinary job. No wonder they usually did not take ordinary jobs and outsourced nearly all of them.
"Speaking of money, I need to say something."
Croissant put some vegetables into her mouth and explained: General Merchandise
"The weather's getting colder and colder. If you still want to keep taking ordinary jobs, go ahead. But we can't keep bringing you along. We only take a few jobs when we're short on money."
After all, a major job could earn hundreds of thousands, so it was normal to look down on ordinary jobs. He only needed to familiarize himself with Lungmen's map in his spare time; there was no need to keep dragging them into it.
"Mm, I understand that. But if I stop taking ordinary jobs too, will the boss say anything?"
Seeing that he felt burdened by it, Exusiai reassured him:
"Haha, don't worry. The company only has this many people, and we mainly specialize in Messenger deliveries. The boss personally negotiates the outsourcing for ordinary jobs. We just have to make sure the completion rate for major jobs stays high; nothing else matters. If you can't bring yourself to say it, I'll help you tomorrow. Even if you do nothing for the rest of the month, you won't get fired."
Shi Lei, who had spent two and a half years in the workplace before transmigrating, could hardly believe such a good deal existed. He cast a questioning look at Texas, and she nodded.
"Enjoy your meal, customers."
A moment later, the stall owner brought over the second box of barbecue.
Shi Lei completely relaxed and began eating to his heart's content. As they clinked glasses and drank, they began discussing how they would use their rewards.
Croissant already had a plan and spoke first:
"I used to hold a shield in one hand and a hammer in the other, but now that I'm holding one in both hands, it just feels like something's missing. I want to find a reliable craftsman and forge another identical iron hammer."
Texas ate little, her movements elegant.
"You can't keep relying on his shield forever, can you?"
Exusiai disagreed and shook her head.
"We didn't have that capability before, but now that we do, why not use it? The boss only asks one thing of us: complete the mission. It doesn't care at all how we do it. If you're worried we'll become lazy because of this, then ask Zhongli whether he'll change jobs. As long as he stays with Penguin Logistics long-term, there's no need to worry about that. So, will you change jobs later?"
A job where one major assignment let him slack off for an entire month was practically paradise on earth. Jobs like this were hard to find even with a lantern. Only with enough free time could he read, exercise, and become a better person.
Facing
their unified stares, Shi Lei grinned and gave a high-EQ answer:
"Unless something unexpected happens, I should stay with Penguin Logistics for a long time. I'm very satisfied with the work style, the workplace atmosphere, and getting along with all of you."
"Hahaha, did you hear that, Texas? How great would it be to be happy like this every day? Stop thinking about all that unnecessary stuff. Zhongli, welcome to the Penguin Logistics family. To a better tomorrow, cheers!"
Four glass bottles clinked together with a crisp sound.
"Cheers!!!"
A Day of Leisure
After asking Croissant about her plans for the reward, it was time for Exusiai. But her plan was to have no plan at all; whenever she saw something she liked, she would simply buy it.
Texas had nothing she wanted to buy. Saving her money made her the most rational spender among the three.
"Zhongli, what about you? What do you want to buy?"
Shi Lei thought for a moment and felt that other than a phone, there was nothing else he particularly needed at the moment.
He could buy books from the library, but there was little point. Not a single publication in this world overlapped with books from before he transmigrated, and the free ones alone were enough to keep him occupied.
"Other than buying a phone to make communication easier, I don't think I need anything else. Do you know much about this? Can you recommend a phone with good performance?"
Exusiai gulped down her drink, then wiped the corner of her mouth.
"Hey, don't worry about that. We'll take you to Taigu Plaza tomorrow and just buy the most expensive one. Texas, Croissant, are you coming too?"
Texas nodded in agreement, while Croissant shook her head.
"I won't be going. I bought too much maintenance fluid and rust remover recently, and I've been setting up stalls to clear out my inventory..."
As she said that, she suddenly seemed to think of a good idea and stared straight at Shi Lei.
"Why are you looking at me? I don't need that stuff."
"You don't, but the Lungmen Guard Department does. If any of their people come looking for you, make sure to call me. I can give them a sales pitch then and probably clear out quite a bit of inventory."
Shi Lei did not particularly mind, but he did not understand.
"I've heard you mention rust remover several times now. Isn't that kind of thing not very versatile? Can you really sell it?"
"I can. It's generally used to maintain shields and heavy armor. The product quality is solid, or I wouldn't have bought so much of it. If someone in the Lungmen Guard Department needs it, I can sell it at a discount and recoup some money."
"Fine, I can introduce you. But I can't guarantee they'll buy it, so you can't force a sale."
Croissant gave him a thumbs-up and replied:
"Haha, I know where the line is. If you're worried about the product quality, I can send a can to your place. Oh, now that you've got money, are you still planning to live in the Safe House? Why not rent a place nearby?"
At that, Exusiai had something to say:
"Texas and I live in the same neighborhood. Why not come live near us? It'll be convenient for us to find you and hang out!"
Given her love of parties, if he moved there, would they not be gathering every day and partying until dawn?
Shi Lei thought the Safe House was quite good. It was right below the company building, and he did not have to pay utility bills. Besides, he did not have many personal belongings and did not have high requirements for accommodation.
"Uh, wouldn't it be inconvenient for me to move over there? This place is pretty good for now, so there's no need to move yet. If I need to later, I'll ask you then."
Seeing that Exusiai seemed ready to keep persuading Shi Lei to move over, Texas quickly changed the subject.
"Do you need a weapon that suits you? Croissant can have one made for you when she looks for a craftsman."
Shi Lei currently only had the abilities implemented from the game. Put plainly, he had only three skills: six consecutive spear strikes, Rock Spine from his Elemental Skill, and Planet Befall from his Elemental Burst.
He could have a spear forged, but there was no need.
If Shi Lei became a combatant, he would not be able to slack off properly in the future. With Exusiai, Texas, and Croissant as his three fighters, he only needed to do his support work. There was no need for him to fight personally.
Besides, he would reach the Immortal Realm next month. With Rex Lapis's power, he should be able to create Rock Spears no matter what. Wouldn't forming a Rock Spear with his bare hands be better than carrying an iron spear around?
"No need. I use Originium Arts barehanded, so standard weapons like that wouldn't help much. Besides, they can't be retracted in daily life, so they'd just get in the way."
Seeing him refuse, Texas did not press the matter. The topic had already been diverted, and as long as they did not return to renting a place, that was enough.
They ate until ten-thirty before preparing to head home. Croissant first drove Exusiai and Texas back, then took him to the company before leaving on her own.
Shi Lei let out a full belch, feeling that the day had been especially fulfilling. After returning to the Safe House, he went to sleep early.
December 4, 9:00 a.m.
What a beautiful sunny day, with red flowers and green grass.
Shi Lei clocked in at nine, and everyone went down to the warehouse with him to help inventory stock and send out deliveries.
Usually, this task was handled by one of the three in rotation. After Shi Lei arrived, it had been tacitly assigned to him. Since things were not very busy lately, the four of them working together would probably finish in half an hour.
During this time, Croissant received a call and stepped out to talk for a while. Once they finished, she came back and apologized.
"Sorry, Kong's agency suddenly added a fan meet-and-greet for her today, so I need to go handle security. You guys can take him around Taigu Plaza. If you run into anyone from the Lungmen Guard Department, remember to ask about the rust remover and maintenance fluid for me."
"Sure, but only Exusiai should bring it up. If I say it,
it'll seem too deliberate and might make the Lungmen Guard Department dislike us, affecting future cooperation with the company."
Croissant gave him a thumbs-up, indicating that it was fine. After she left, the three got into Texas's car and headed for Taigu Plaza in the city center.
It was Shi Lei's first time in the Core City. The streets were clean, greenery covered much of the area, and skyscrapers stood everywhere. It felt more like a modern city than the Upper City.
Exusiai took him into a phone store and picked out the trendiest, most popular smartphone available.
It was only a little after nine in the morning, and the Lungmen Guard Department's reward had not arrived yet. Texas paid for it, since Shi Lei's income was currently all under her management anyway.
Seeing this man with a Sarkaz on his left and a Lupo on his right, passersby looked on with great envy.
Once the phone connected to the internet, Exusiai first downloaded a social messaging app similar to WeChat. After opening the registration page, she handed him the phone.
"Here, Zhongli. Register an account and add me as a friend. Then we can chat on it later."
Shi Lei did as she said and added her as a friend.
Exusiai's username was exusiai. Her profile picture showed a hand holding a slice of cheese pizza against a tomato-red background.
Texas's username was texas. Her profile picture seemed to be the system default, with no changes made.
As for what functions the phone had, Shi Lei planned to study them slowly after returning. Rex Lapis did not use such things anyway, and using one would not increase his Roleplay Value.
After the three left the phone store, they went to other areas of Taigu Plaza. Exusiai stopped and started along the way, making Texas pay whenever she saw something she liked.
Gradually, Shi Lei realized something was wrong. The two had clearly come to accompany him in buying a phone, but now he had become the one accompanying them while they shopped, and he even had to carry their shopping bags.
By noon, Exusiai received a notification that the payment had arrived. Each of them got three hundred and fifty thousand Lungmen Dollars. She immediately patted her chest and declared that she would treat them both to lunch.
Halfway there, they suddenly noticed a large crowd of bystanders gathered ahead. No one knew what had happened.
Rich Lady's Shopping Spree?
With his two guardians at his sides, Shi Lei effortlessly squeezed into the crowd. A Feline woman sat collapsed on the ground, while beside her stood a middle-aged Feline man and two burly men.
She clung to the other man's leg and cried helplessly to the surrounding onlookers:
"Help! Someone, please help me! The landlord saw that my store was making money, so he raised the monthly rent by a hundred thousand all at once. He's practically leaving me no way to live!"
The landlord shook the woman off and glanced at her sideways.
"What violation? I'm the landlord, so my rules are the rules! Either sign a new contract today or give up the property. I'll refund the relevant difference. Generous enough for you?"
The onlookers were indignant and spoke up against him.
"Isn't that too overbearing?"
To their surprise, the landlord was completely unafraid and directly snapped back:
"What? Are you going to stand up for her? Before playing hero, think carefully about whether you have what it takes."
The passerby looked at him with resentment but could do nothing. He turned and left dejectedly. The scene became even quieter, as though everyone were watching a circus performance.
Aha!
Seeing someone openly violate a contract, Shi Lei immediately became interested. This was free Roleplay Value. It would be foolish not to take it, so he stepped forward.
"Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. Since a contract exists between you, you should act according to its terms. The rule of trade is contracts, and its fundamental principle is fairness. If fairness is lost, then the contract becomes meaningless, merely proof of malicious profiteering."
Before you continue