Awakening Zhongli Template, Retiring on Terra

"Anything is fine, whatever you want."

Shi Lei didn't know him well, so he naturally had no reservations.

Wei Yenwu smiled, but it lacked the kindness of Lin Gerei. It was like a sharp sword:

"The Lungmen Guard Department has found the mastermind behind yesterday's mission, which was actually a trap. That high-ranking official from the commercial union has been arrested by Officer Chen."

He didn't know what to say and replied indifferently.

"Oh."

Did the Governor come all the way from Core City just to extend an olive branch to me?

Before Shi Lei could continue guessing, the other party revealed the purpose of his visit. If he didn't, the conversation would stall:

"I highly value your skills. Would you be willing to take a position in the Lungmen Guard Department's Special Inspectorate?"

The offer of a position was very vague. Both team members and cleaners were considered to have positions. It was a general invitation that allowed for both offense and defense.

Facing the olive branch extended by Governor Wei Yenwu, Shi Lei had absolutely no interest.

Based on what he knew, being a police officer meant a lot of trouble, low pay, and few holidays. Compared to his current job as a messenger, it offered no advantages other than official employment.

"Governor, thank you very much for this valuable opportunity. I know that only the best of the best can join the Special Inspectorate. The fact that you're offering me a position right away shows you recognize my abilities. This kind of treatment, I believe, is unprecedented in the history of the Lungmen Guard Department..."

Wei Yenwu nodded, baring his dragon teeth in a grin. He figured the kid was smart and it wasn't a waste of his effort to make an exception for him. But then he heard the next second, and his smile froze.

"However, I refuse."

"What?!"

Shi Lei's eyes held an apology as he explained:

"Governor, I haven't received any professional training, so I'm afraid I can't take on this responsibility. Also, I'm quite happy at Penguin Logistics right now. I get along well with everyone, and I have no intention of switching allegiances for the time being."

The Emperor's heart bloomed with joy upon hearing this.

Before they even called him into the office, they had agreed not to influence Shi Lei's decision. Now it seemed he was indeed someone who knew how to repay kindness.

Hahaha, Wei Yenwu, you miscalculated!

"This opportunity isn't something everyone gets. You should think carefully before making a decision."

"No need, I've thought it through very clearly."

The price the Governor offered wasn't enough to attract him, so his refusal was understandable.

"See, I told you you wouldn't be able to poach him. Don't forget to fulfill your promise."

Wei Yenwu didn't press further. He stood up, nodded politely, and prepared to leave the office.

If Shi Lei were an employee of another company, he would have many ways to poach him. But he was an employee of the Emperor, and it was hard to say whether that was good fortune or misfortune.

In the entire Lungmen, the three giants controlling the gray industry were him, Wei Yenwu, and Lin Gerei.

Erl had made his fortune by picking up the scraps that everyone else discarded; he couldn't be considered a magnate of the gray industry.

Lin Gerei, seeing Shi Lei refuse the invitation, seemed to want to say something but didn't. He followed them out of the office.

His relationship with his daughter had just been repaired and wasn't very stable yet. Trying to win him over now would be too hasty and could backfire. He needed to lay more groundwork.

"Little Shi, I have some matters to attend to today. Help me see them out, and then you can clock off."

Holy crap, I get to clock off before noon?

As expected, bosses of private enterprises are so willful.

"Yes, boss."

Shi Lei took his orders and went out, catching up to the two. When the elevator reached the top floor, Wei Yenwu stepped in first:

"Mr. Shi, you don't need to see us out. This is as far as you go. We will meet again in the future."

Hiss...

Why is there such a strong scent of Swire?

Yesterday, he thought Wei Yenwu would capture him for human experimentation when he appeared. He hadn't expected the boss's backing to be so strong that even the Governor would be wary.

Shi Lei clocked out but didn't rush to leave the company. He wanted to wait until noon when everyone else came to work, and then go to the public library to read after lunch.

Meanwhile, the descending elevator slowly rose.

"Ding!"

The elevator doors opened, and Texas, dressed in red, stepped out, holding a pack of Pocky chocolate sticks, which were meant to help her quit smoking. She had driven to the slums yesterday and should have known what was going on when she saw the anomaly in the sky. Seeing Wei Yenwu and Lin Gerei downstairs just now, she asked:

"I saw them downstairs just now. They must have come to see you. How was it? Are you okay?"

"Me? I'm doing great."

"Did they give you any trouble?"

Shi Lei smiled, gesturing for her to relax:

"No, they even extended an invitation for me to work at the Lungmen Guard Department, but I refused."

Texas nodded, confirming he wouldn't have any further issues, and didn't press the matter.

By noon, Croissant finally arrived, fashionably late. Exusiai would be even later, having clearly overslept.

Deductions from performance reviews had become commonplace; they prioritized immediate gratification. Perhaps only a place like Penguin Logistics would have such a unique party culture.

Shi Lei didn't mention he was already off work, to avoid making enemies. Either way, he was going to the public library to read in the afternoon, so it wasn't a huge difference if he was officially on the clock or not.

Speaking of which, he was close to leveling up.

062 I Transform into a Dragon!

January 1st, 1095, Morning.

Yesterday, Shi Lei had attended Exusiai's party as usual, drinking until the early hours before returning to the safe house.

His consciousness was swallowed by alcohol, and he didn't notice the system's level-up notification, drifting off into a hazy dream.

When Shi Lei woke up, he suddenly felt an extreme stiffness in his neck, and his head felt heavy. He casually reached up and touched something that was hard to distinguish as a horn or a bump.

Huh?!

Shi Lei's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly became sober.

He pushed himself up to look in the mirror and only then noticed his hands had become claws, and his body had transformed into a dragon's form, a mix of brown and golden yellow. He was utterly shocked.

Holy crap, I've become a dragon!

Shi Lei stared at his claws for a long time before quickly opening the system interface. As expected, he found the reason for his transformation in the unread notifications from last night.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations to the Host for leveling up!]

[Current Role-Playing Value: 0 points (Reaching 500 points will allow you to advance to the third tier, Archon Realm)]

[Current Realm: Immortal Realm (Possesses strength equivalent to an Immortal, unlocks Immortal Body mode, unlocks exquisite control over elemental forces, can compose Immortal Arts at will)]

[Immortal Body Mode: Maintains a half-dragon, half-scaled beast form. In this state, you can absorb the essence of the sun and moon. Accumulated essence can be used to amplify Immortal Arts. This mode is enabled by default; the Host can activate or deactivate it at will.]

In the game Genshin, most of Liyue's Immortals were beast-like. Deer and cranes were pure-blooded animals. Of course, there were also human-shaped figures like Xiao.

Given Terra's aesthetic appreciation for the Ancients, Shi Lei transforming into a dragon would surely be more popular. But he just wanted to maintain his original appearance and didn't want to be so flashy.

"Transform!"

Seeing his body quickly revert to its human form, a bold idea suddenly flashed through Shi Lei's mind.

It was like he was exploiting a bug; he rapidly switched back and forth between [Immortal Body Mode: On] and [Immortal Body Mode: Off]. After persistent effort, he actually managed to glitch into a 'half-Immortal Body Mode' with a human body and dragon horns.

"Beep."

Hearing a card swipe indicating someone entering the safe house, Shi Lei instantly reverted to his original appearance. While moving, he accidentally knocked something under the sofa, making a clattering sound.

Exusiai opened the refrigerator and called out upon hearing the noise, "Zhongli, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a bit of a stiff neck. Probably slept badly last night and slept wrong."

He put on his employee uniform, not revealing his Immortal Body mode to Exusiai. Otherwise, with her big mouth, the whole company would know within a day.

"Oh, I'm about to bake an apple pie. Want one?"

"No thanks, I'll just have some cookies."

The lingering hangover feeling inside him hadn't completely subsided. Shi Lei wanted to ask the boss for a day off to find a quiet place to test his Immortal Arts and new skills.

Exusiai didn't press further upon hearing this. After breakfast, she quickly headed to the top floor to clock in for work.

Today was January 1st, payday, and being late would be too disrespectful to the boss.

Shi Lei waited until she left before walking out of his room, looking at himself in the mirror multiple times. Touching his smooth cheeks, he seemed no different from before.

He splashed some cold water on his face, grabbed two boxes of cookies from the snack area, and headed to the top floor to clock in.

Texas was still wearing that stunning red shirt today, her black tactical vest capable of holding numerous accessories for different missions.

Unlike usual, she wore a green and white striped tie today. Paired with the red shirt, it made her look even more stylish. Her bare legs were casually exposed, prioritizing style over warmth.

The Emperor arrived at the company a little past ten, wearing only a thin hip-hop shirt and no pants.

It was as if they were on vacation, brewing a steaming cup of coffee and slacking off until 2 PM before leaving.

Mainly, with no album sales during the holidays, Terra's logistics companies also needed to take a break.

Shi Lei sat at his workstation until 10:30. Estimating the time was right, he got up and knocked on the office door.

"Knock knock."

"I'm here, come right in."

Seeing him enter the room, the Emperor immediately broke into a smile. With both Wei Laolong and Chou Laoshu trying to poach him, their attitude towards Shi Lei naturally had to be a bit better:

"Xiao Shi, what can I do for you?"

"I drank too much last night and I'm not feeling too well today. I'd like to take a day off, would that be alright?"

He claimed to be unwell, but in reality, he wanted to go out and test his skills. Some of his immortal arts were not suitable for display in front of outsiders.

"Little Shi, are you alright? Your health is the capital for your work. How about I give you two more days off?"

The boss's concern made Shi Lei feel he couldn't quite accept it. He waved his hands repeatedly, indicating one day was enough:

"No, one day is enough."

Seeing he couldn't persuade him, the Emperor readily agreed:

"Little Shi, you can clock out now. I'll talk to Isu about the attendance later."

Having received permission, Shi Lei bowed politely and left his boss's office. After greeting his colleagues, he swiped his card and left work early, exiting the company.

Although it wasn't Chinese New Year yet, the streets already had the look and feel of the holiday. Red lanterns hung high, and colorful banners fluttered, all exuding a festive atmosphere.

Shi Lei stood downstairs from his company, contemplating where would be a suitable place to test his skills next. The upper city had surveillance, while the lower city had few open spaces and was inconvenient. Was there a place that was in the upper city but also lacked surveillance?

After much thought, he actually thought of a place: the District 21 Docks, where Croissant had hidden the motorcycle some time ago.

He had previously used Meteorite here to deter over two hundred gang members. Later, the Lungmen Guard Department launched a crackdown, wiping out the local gangs and illegal organizations.

The docks had no surveillance, and the numerous containers could serve as cover. It was very suitable for secret testing.

No sooner said than done.

Shi Lei had plenty of time today and walked to the District 21 Docks. During the day, there were hardly any stevedores here; it was filled with red, blue, and yellow containers as far as the eye could see.