Awakening Zhongli Template, Retiring on Terra

After eating lunch at the safe house, Shi Lei suddenly received a text message on his phone. Opening it, he saw a message from Croissant:

"My motorcycle is gone, come help me find it."

As expected, something unexpected happened. How could a whole motorcycle just disappear?

"Are there any surveillance cameras where you parked?"

"No, this is the slums, there are no surveillance cameras. It was fine last night, but it's gone today. I looked for a long time, and only then did I ask you for help."

Shi Lei was puzzled. A motorcycle isn't light, could it be a group effort?

"How could it be stolen? Did you leave the keys in the motorcycle?"

"Yeah, so that Exusiai could use it. I left the keys in the motorcycle, I didn't take them out."

After hearing Croissant's explanation, he frowned and pondered.

There weren't many surveillance cameras in the lower city, but anyone driving such a conspicuous motorcycle would surely have been seen.

The slums covered such a vast area, with tens of thousands of residents. Searching alone would be like finding a needle in a haystack. To find it before midnight, he would need to ask Lin Yuxia for help.

With that thought, Shi Lei got up and walked out.

"Hey, Zhongli, where are you going?"

"I'm going out to take care of something, I'll be back soon."

050 Unexpected Visitor

Shi Lei didn't have a car, so he asked Croissant to pick him up. After they met, they would head to the slums together.

Watching the scenery blur past the window, Shi Lei asked:

"How could you be so careless, leaving the keys in the motorcycle?"

Croissant knew it was her fault and explained with a guilty expression:

"I put an Exusiai sticker on the motorcycle that day, and I didn't pull out the keys after I finished. Then when I came this morning, the motorcycle was gone. I searched the area for a long time, and when I couldn't find it, I called you for help."

With something like this happening, Shi Lei couldn't do much.

Although he could listen to sounds by touching the ground, that ability had a time limit. By the time he got there, he wouldn't be able to hear anything.

Moreover, the slums were different from the upper city; it was a lawless zone that even the Lungmen Guard Department couldn't interfere with. Reporting the motorcycle as stolen would be useless.

If he couldn't find any clues at the scene, he would have to ask Lin Yuxia for help. It would be better to let the local power players in the slums handle it than for the two of them to search aimlessly.

When asking someone for help, it's best to visit them in person to show sincerity.

Half an hour later, an orange pickup truck passed through the Lungmen Guard Department's checkpoint and arrived at where Croissant had parked her motorcycle.

Shi Lei inspected the area and came to the same conclusion as her – no useful clues were found.

Logically, when the thief drove the motorcycle away, nearby residents should have heard the engine roar. However, after questioning several households, they all claimed to know nothing.

Perhaps the thief deliberately pushed the motorcycle for a distance to confuse people. Coupled with the fact that the ground showed no tire tracks, the trail went completely cold.

Shi Lei pondered for a moment and asked:

"Do you know where Lin Yuxia lives?"

Croissant often delivered goods to the slums. Although she wasn't familiar with the Lin family, she knew their address:

"They have a house in both the lower and upper city. Let's go to the one in the slums first."

Shi Lei owed Lin Yuxia a favor, so asking for her help was a last resort. Croissant knew it wasn't ideal, but time was of the essence, and this was a viable option.

She drove the pickup truck, dropping Shi Lei off at the Lin family's residence in the slums. Then, she turned off the engine and parked on the side of the road, accompanying him to the Lin family mansion.

There were two Zalak guards at the front gate. They immediately became alert when they saw strangers approaching and asked:

"Who are you?"

"Hello, my name is Shi Lei. I have something to discuss with Miss Lin Yuxia. Could you please inform her?"

The guards sized him up for a moment, exchanged glances with their colleague, and nodded:

"Wait here."

After a while, the guards returned. Their stern demeanor was gone, replaced by a respectful tone:

"Mr. Shi, please come in."

Croissant followed him in but was stopped by a guard blocking her with his body. He explained:

"Sorry, you can't come in."

She curled her lips at the words and shrugged helplessly:

"Okay, then I won't go in. Just tell her the motorcycle was stolen last night in District 22."

"Yes, I understand."

Shi Lei followed the guard into the mansion. The interior was very spacious. Many Zalaks were training in the courtyard, making it look like a gang hideout. In the crowded buildings of the slums, having such a mansion was, in a way, a symbol of status.

The guard bowed as Shi Lei entered the central building.

"Mr. Shi, please come in."

He then stood by the doorway, showing no intention of following Shi Lei inside.

Shi Lei didn't mind and walked into the room. The fireplace inside crackled, casting a warm, red glow.

An elder with a rat's head, wearing a white coat, and a kind, benevolent face sat on the sofa. He sized up the young man entering the room and grinned.

"Mr. Shi, my daughter mentioned you before, but we've regrettably never had the chance to meet. You've come to my door today; have you encountered some trouble?"

Shi Lei had read many books recently and knew that these individuals with ancestral reversion phenomena, who resembled animals, were called Ancients. Although he found them strange by his aesthetic standards, on Terra, those resembling animals were considered more sexually attractive.

"Yes, my colleague recently bought a motorcycle from out of town, but it was stolen in District 22 last night. Since it's a birthday gift for someone tomorrow, time is of the essence. I had no choice but to trouble you. I hope you can help me find it."

Lin Gerei leaned on his cane, observing the young man before him. The fact that he cared so much about someone else's affairs suggested his character wasn't too bad.

Emperor, oh Emperor, how I envy you, old man.

His daughter had been too eager before, confessing her feelings after only knowing him for a few days, only to be cruelly rejected. Now, he could use this opportunity to mend their relationship.

"I can send people to help you search, but they can't work for nothing, can they?"

Shi Lei had come seeking help, and the other party was setting a price. It was perfectly reasonable to negotiate terms and form a Pact.

"I understand. How much would you like?"

"Ah, talking about money would be vulgar."

Lin Gerei smiled kindly, showing none of the ferocity of the slum's underground emperor.

My dear daughter, this is all I can do for you.

Only by establishing a friendship with him first, and then gradually increasing contact, can I win him over.

"After my daughter's last falling out with you, she's been unable to eat or sleep properly. Could Mr. Shi leave his contact information and become friends with her again?"

It was just refusing Lin Yuxia's poaching attempt, but it sounded like a breakup and a lost love. However, Shi Lei needed a favor now and had no reason to refuse.

"Sure, as long as she doesn't bring that up again, we can still be friends. My phone number is XXXXXX."

As someone with experience, Lin Gerei immediately felt his daughter had no chance. But nothing is absolute; he could only take it one step at a time. Besides, his words were already spoken, and he couldn't easily go back on his promise to help.

After noting down the phone number, he ordered his subordinates to investigate the motorcycle theft case that occurred in District 22 last night.

"Mr. Shi, would you like a cup of coffee? Please sit here for a while. We'll notify you as soon as there's any news."

"One sugar, please. Thank you."

Upon learning Shi Lei's attitude towards his daughter, Lin Gerei no longer mentioned Lin Yuxia, lest he completely ruin any chance of reconciliation. Like an elder encountered during a New Year's visit, he asked about work, income, and housing.

An hour later, a Zalak gently knocked and entered to report.

"Master, we've found out the thief's identity, but he's not at home, and his whereabouts are unknown."

Oh no, it's over.

Shi Lei had initially held out hope for asking the Rat King for help. Now that even they couldn't handle it, he was even more helpless. Should he ask Croissant to find a different birthday gift?

Meanwhile, in the Upper District.

A blue-haired, black-horned Sarkaz arrived at a park on a motorcycle adorned with an Exusiai sticker. Behind her was a Liberi with fiery red hair.

"Why didn't you return the bike?"

"You saw it yourself; when I was about to return it, Croissant was already back. I didn't want anyone around Xiao Le to know I'd been here."

051 Lost and Found

The blue-haired, black-horned Sarkaz looked playfully at the red-haired Liberi and teased, "What, do you care a lot about whether I return the motorcycle or not?"

"My duty is only to monitor you, Mostima. As for other matters, I don't concern myself with them."

"Really? Then why do I feel like you have something to say? Come on, come on, just say it. Don't bottle it up, Fiamma."

The red-haired Liberi was very helpless. She always seemed to be at a disadvantage in conversations with Mostima. But the other party was right; she did have a question.

"Since you didn't want to appear before her, why did you come back?"

"It's Xiao Le's birthday, after all. I just came back to see. You know, it's not the first time I've done this."

Fiamma snorted and complained, "Heh, you call hundreds of kilometers 'just stopping by'?"

"Oh, don't focus on such details. Coming to Lungmen is just stopping by, isn't it?"

She was too lazy to argue with Mostima about the definition of "stopping by" and steered the conversation back to Exusiai.

"What's the point of just looking from afar? She's never given up looking for you."

"You're wrong about that. After Xiao Le joined Penguin Logistics, she hasn't deliberately sought me out. She has her own life now."

"Then when are you returning the motorcycle?"

"Hahahaha, weren't you the one who said you didn't care?"

"..."

Seeing Fiamma's darkened expression, Mostima stopped teasing her after a laugh.

"That motorcycle was probably a birthday gift from Croissant to Xiao Le. Just send it to her place before midnight."

December 23rd, 2:05 PM.

Shi Lei walked out of the Lin family's residence and informed Croissant about the situation the Rat King's people had verified.

"If someone stole the motorcycle, they probably won't be bringing it back anytime soon. By the time we catch the thief, Exusiai's birthday might already be over. How about we get her a different gift?"

Croissant was very annoyed by her mistake and said dejectedly, "A different birthday gift? What else?"

Shi Lei had only known Exusiai for a month and didn't know her preferences well, so he tried suggesting a few things.

"We could buy a lot of beer and barbecue, order a super-sized pizza, and throw a lively party. I don't know if she likes sweets, but if she does, we could also order a birthday cake. That's all I can think of. See if you have anything to add?"

"These are indeed things she likes, but they don't really count as birthday gifts."

Shi Lei disagreed with her point of view and argued, "But the motorcycle is gone, isn't it? If we could find it, we wouldn't be picking these alternatives. Exusiai isn't a materialistic person. As long as we make her happy, it will be a wonderful birthday."

Croissant lowered her head and sighed helplessly.