Chapter 295
The more abilities you reveal to the outside world, the more likely you are to attract unnecessary trouble.
The 'Zhongli No. 1' drawn by Miss Nian was filled with clothes and bones by him using Rock Constructs. It floated high in the sky near the landmass, attracting the attention of others.
Just now, Shi Lei successfully changed the direction of the plot of land in the Core City. Since Officer Chen repeatedly emphasized that no action could be taken within Lungmen territory, he only needed to push it a few dozen kilometers to cross the Ursus border.
The large engine on the left front side suddenly shut down, catching Shi Lei's attention. This made him realize that someone was on top, trying to land the plot of land in front of him.
To reduce the chances of anything happening, Shi Lei extended his Psychic Power. Through scanning, he locked onto the eight people above.
As if he had activated a cheat code, he remotely summoned rocks to fill the room completely. In no time, these people began to lose Vital Signs one after another.
Although the engine shutdown was unexpected, it was not a difficult task for Shi Lei.
Near the shut-off engine, he conjured two enormous golden hands out of thin air. He pushed them along the edge of the plot towards Chernobyl.
After confirming that there were no humans on the plot of land, Shi Lei tilted his head slightly and quickly spotted the spectators who had caught up with him.
Wei Yenwu.
And many men wearing Black Raincoats.
Their physical abilities were exceptional, and they were much faster than the average person. They all followed behind, maintaining a safe distance.
Seeing that Wei Yenwu did not catch up, Shi Lei continued running, remaining unchanged in the face of any eventuality.
Admittedly, these shadow guards possess extremely strong individual combat capabilities. However, after running seven or eight kilometers in one go, their bodies inevitably feel fatigued, forcing them to slow down.
Even humans have their limits.
Shi Lei wasn't worried that Wei Yenwu would fall behind, because the Texas car quickly caught up.
Wei Yenwu was almost out of breath from running, was overjoyed to see it and, as he had expected, took the initiative to ask for a ride.
The refugees queuing on the wasteland were all on foot; those with cars had already gone to the border checkpoint long ago.
If Wei Yenwu wanted to go to the border with him, the only option was to get into the Texas.
Later, another bodyguard tried to get on the bus.
But Texas showed no mercy, refusing decisively. Because the passenger seat was Shi Lei's reserved seat, she wouldn't allow any other man to sit there.
In the end, it was only after Miss Nian squeezed into the passenger seat that the panting Shadow Guard made room for him.
As they moved further into the Core City, the shadow guards behind could no longer keep up. On the vast wasteland, the refugee caravan was nowhere to be seen; only one vehicle was chasing closely behind.
It is no exaggeration to say that Shi Lei's reputation in both the legitimate and underworld circles of Lungmen has reached its peak.
The legitimate world includes the law enforcement agency, the Lungmen Guard Department, Longmen Governor Wei Yenwu, the wealthiest Schwayer Group, and various celebrities from high society. The underworld is represented by the semi-retired Lin Gerei, whom all these people treat with great respect.
At the end of reverence, there is still reverence.
Even if he prevented the disaster from happening under Zhongli's identity, it wouldn't bring him any additional benefits. He would only receive praise and financial rewards.
Therefore, Shi Lei made a spur-of-the-moment decision to give the credit for saving Lungmen to his own so-called "number one" alt account.
Mr. L is probably just a code name. Perhaps the real name for this pseudonym could be Morax.
This time, by letting Wei Yenwu see him and his alternate account appear together, he can clear himself of a lot of suspicion. From now on, if there's any blame he can't take, he can just let his alternate account take the fall.
The next thing to consider is how to create a convincing pseudonym that can make Wei Yenwu wary, but also prevent a complete breakdown in relations with him.
More than forty minutes later.
The plot of land, traveling at full speed, crossed a sand dune and finally entered Chernobyl territory.
Shi Lei continued running below, and upon seeing the border marker between the two countries, he took action. He manipulated the giant golden hand to destroy the propulsion engine, directly paralyzing the land's power.
Without any supporting force, the landmass seemed to lose its restraint and crashed into the ground with a deafening roar.
Shi Lei moved forward and jumped into the ground. At the same time, he controlled his clone to enter and exchange clothes.
By the time he put on the golden mask and flew away again, Texas's car had finally arrived.
Shi Lei crossed his arms and descended from the sky like a god, hovering directly in front of the car.
Texas and Xi knew about the plan in advance, and now they both had stiff faces, pretending to be calm.
Only the shadow guard got out of the car, his eyes warily blocking the vehicle, looking ready to fight to the death.
"Lord Wei, let's go out and have a chat."
Shi Lei was wearing a mask, which already made his voice sound different from usual. Now, deliberately lowering his voice, it sounded even deeper.
"I helped you intercept a piece of land that was about to crash into the Lungmen, is this how you repay me?"
Wei Yenwu glanced at Texas and Xi; he couldn't possibly hide behind a woman in this situation. He opened the door and stepped out, secretly sizing up the stranger before him:
"I have witnessed your generous assistance, sir. On behalf of all the people of Lungmen, I express my sincerest gratitude to you. However... I do not know your surname, sir? Otherwise, I will not be able to recall your name when I return."
Shi Lei glanced back at the plot of land in the Core City, then looked away and replied with a smile:
"Me? I am the City Lord of Liyue City. You can call me by my code name, Mr. L."
Liyue City?
Wei Yenwu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, as he had never heard of this city before. This Mr. L seemed like a friend but not an enemy; he couldn't afford to speak carelessly and incur wrath.
"Thank you for your help. Would you do me the honor of having a visit to Lungmen?"
"Sure, sure, but don't let my silly little brother know, or we'll end up fighting."
The relationship with the alias was the result of Shi Lei's careful consideration. Taking into account Liyue's proximity to Lungmen, he decided to establish business cooperation with the region in the future.
It's best if their status is slightly higher than the original person's, so that Wei Yenwu and others will be wary and won't cause trouble.
In this way, the scope is narrowed down.
The superior-subordinate relationship had no binding force, and the father-son relationship was too far removed from reality. After much deliberation, Shi Lei still felt that the relationship with his brothers was the most reliable.
Since they are brothers, wouldn't it be reasonable for them to use similar abilities in the future?
Silly little brother?
Wei Yenwu's pupils contracted slightly as he stared at Shi Lei in disbelief, hardly able to believe his ears.
He's Zhongli's brother?!
Upon receiving this information, Wei Yenwu's brain raced as he began to analyze the pros and cons.
Zhongli can summon meteorites, and Mr. L can summon gold; their abilities do indeed have some similarities.
Regardless of whether he can be recruited, his brother wouldn't act recklessly based solely on Zhongli's relationship with Lungmen.
If managed properly, the two brothers might become an even more powerful trump card than Shadow Guard in the future.
Seeing Wei Yenwu remain silent for a long time, Shi Lei created a golden sedan. He then took the initiative to extend an invitation, turning the tables on Wei Yanwu.
"I need to return to Liyue City now. I wonder if Mr. Wei would be willing to give me a tour?"
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Wei Yenwu originally wanted to invite this Mr. L to Lungmen for a casual meal in order to find out more information.
Unexpectedly, the other party took the initiative and invited him to a city he had never heard of.
Perhaps that place is just called Liyue City, and not a city in the true sense?
Shi Lei noticed the Longmen Governor's worry, and a smile appeared on his face beneath his mask as he comforted him:
"Mr. Wei, don't worry. We have no grudge against each other and I have no reason to hurt you. If I really wanted to, you probably wouldn't last three seconds."
After saying that, he unleashed the powerful Psychic Power of the Archon Realm upon Wei Yenwu, only lingering for a second before withdrawing his attack.
"!"
But in that very second, Wei Yenwu realized that the gap in strength between the two sides was like an insurmountable chasm.
His lips parted slightly, but he couldn't utter a single word. Sweat soaked his clothes in an instant.
The shadow guard glanced back and quickly noticed the governor's unusual behavior. However, he hadn't seen the Mysterious Masked Man make a move the entire time, so he could only lower his voice and ask:
"My lord, are you alright?"
Wei Yenwu was drenched in cold sweat, and he raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He couldn't describe his feelings at that moment, and looked somewhat lost and dejected.
"I... I'm fine."
"Mr. Wei, would you like to come with me to enjoy the scenery of Liyue? Perhaps we can have a long-term collaboration in the future."
Shi Lei created a pseudonym to negotiate with Wei Yenwu this time, for a very simple reason.
Personally speaking, in the two years since he transmigrated, he has never encountered an opponent he couldn't defeat. To put it somewhat arrogantly, he might already be invincible.
However, these friends around Shi Lei are his weakness, and he is easily targeted.
Even if the Jade Shield's range can be extended to several kilometers, there will still be times when it cannot cover everything.
Therefore, he was unwilling to use the identity of 'Zhongli' to put pressure on Wei Yenwu, because doing so would be too direct.
In the culture of Yan, euphemism is considered a virtue. This cultural custom is very common in interpersonal interactions, social interactions, and communication.
For example, someone often won't directly state what they want to do. Instead, they'll start by talking about everyday topics, creating an emotional build-up or a turning point. Finally, they'll take a roundabout approach to reveal their true purpose.
If Shi Lei, posing as Zhongli, were to reveal that a city had been built on the border of Ursus, Wei Yenwu would be deeply wary, though he wouldn't say anything.
If we report this to the Great Yan Emperor, who knows what kind of old monster will be sent to take us down with him?
More than 1,000 years ago in the Terra calendar, the Great Yan Dynasty mobilized its entire nation to hunt down numerous colossal Great Beast that could be considered gods. Having developed to this point, they must possess many hidden strengths.
If one feels that his threat is great enough, it would not be surprising if a scorched-earth scenario were to occur.
Shi Lei feels a stronger sense of belonging to Terra, the country most similar to China, than to other countries.
Unless the Great Yan commits an unforgivable crime, he will not provoke a conflict with the Yan.
The path of revealing one's identity directly is not viable. Just like showing off one's Immortal Body Mode with Dragon Horn and tail to Wei Yenwu, it's not a good choice. Therefore, it's necessary to create a disguised identity to lay the groundwork.
He warned Wei Yenwu, in his capacity as Zhongli's brother, not to have any designs on Zhongli in the future.
With this layer of groundwork as a buffer, a subtle sense of balance can be achieved.
Even though Wei Yenwu still harbored some reservations, he knew that as long as he won over Zhongli, he wouldn't break ties with Zhongli's brother and would retain some room for maneuver.
This is the function of a disguise.
Wei Yenwu now knew how terrifying Zhongli was, and dared not disobey him. However, faced with the invitation, he still slyly replied:
"Okay, then let's wait for your brother to come along."
Shi Lei knew what the other person was thinking and teased:
"No need, just go. What, do you feel uneasy without him?"
"No, it's just that there are Inner Guards stationed in the Core City area, and I'm worried he might encounter danger."
Such a lame excuse amused him:
"Heh, it's just a mere Inner Guards. If Mr. Wei isn't afraid, why would my brother be? Hurry up and get in the car while I still have patience."
Upon hearing this, Wei Yenwu's eyelids twitched violently. Now, others were the chopping block, and he was the fish on the chopping block. Even if he resisted, he would still be at their mercy, so he might as well obediently comply.
He opened the back door of the golden sedan, beckoned the shadow guard to get in, and they all got in together.
Shi Lei got into the driver's seat, but instead of starting the engine, he directly steered the vehicle into the air:
"Fasten your seatbelts, we're off."
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire vehicle took off into the air, soaring at an extremely high speed to an altitude of four or five thousand meters.
Having learned from Kristen's experience, Shi Lei this time shielded the two of them with transparent Jade Shield to prevent them from experiencing symptoms such as trembling or difficulty breathing.
As the car soared higher and higher, the scenery outside the window grew smaller and smaller. Even Wei Yenwu, who had seen many grand occasions, could not remain calm at this moment.
He had never seen such a grand scene before.
After the golden car soared into the sky, it completely lost its reference points. No matter which direction it flew in, the passengers could not determine its location.
However, Shi Lei could clearly sense it. Because every brick and tile in Liyue City was made by him. He could perceive it even from thousands of meters away.
Once the vehicle reached the city's airspace, Shi Lei made a rapid descent, carrying the pale-faced Wei Yenwu and the Shadow Guard, down to an altitude of over a thousand meters.