Ever since the illegal organization had been shut down, no one had taken over the business here, so it had remained vacant.
He wandered around the docks for a few minutes and found an empty blue shipping container. Its lock had been smashed, and nothing had been left inside.
Shi Lei stepped into the container and tested his shield first.
Back when it had been implemented at game-level strength, he had needed to do a chest-expanding motion to cast it. Now, he could put up a shield through sheer thought alone.
There was no way to test whether the range for shielding others was still fifty meters inside the container. He would test what he could first and leave the rest for later.
Shi Lei cast Jade Shield on himself. It no longer had a twenty-second time limit. Without refreshing the shield, he stood there for five minutes, and it still did not break. Its practical combat effectiveness had soared.
As he focused his thoughts, he could actually create Rock Spears out of thin air. They were about a quarter as thick as Rock Spines, square and rectangular in shape. They felt very light in his hand, but when he knocked one against the container, it rang with a solid clang, proving it was solid inside.
What about Immortal Body Mode?
Bang!!!
At that moment, a lazy-looking middle-aged man with black hair and golden eyes stood by the docks. Hearing the noise, he suddenly looked back.
Go Visit My Place
Seeing the Rock Spear effortlessly pierce through the metal container, Shi Lei was very satisfied with the result.
This advancement into the Immortal Realm had primarily improved his precision, rather than simply increasing his raw power.
However, humans and gods were fundamentally different. Even basic techniques were beyond what ordinary people could withstand.
Immortal Body Mode only came with an effect description and no specific numbers. It merely said that maintaining the state allowed him to absorb the essence of the sun and moon, without explaining how large the boost would be.
It was like a charge gauge. By transforming into beast form, he could gradually accumulate energy. When he cast immortal arts, he could consume that energy in exchange for enhanced effects. As for how effective the enhancement was or what the charge gauge's upper limit might be, the Embarrassing System provided no detailed data whatsoever.
Also, could the half-human, half-beast half-immortal body mode accumulate the same energy?
Shi Lei felt that he would have to rent a large house in the future. He could not keep freeloading in the Safe House. For the sake of privacy, it needed to have plenty of space. There could not be any neighbors nearby, so he could throw parties whenever he wanted without worrying about disturbing anyone.
Wait, why did that sound more and more like a warehouse?
He exited Immortal Body Mode, put his clothes back on, and walked out of the blue container.
After reading books for a month, Shi Lei knew that dragons and qilin were highly revered in Yan. That was why he did not dare reveal his beast form casually, lest it cause unnecessary trouble.
He looked around and saw no outsiders coming over in response to the noise, so he continued trying to summon Rock Spines separately.
Now, summoning a Rock Spine and casting Jade Shield could be performed independently. He no longer had to forcefully plant a Rock Spine just to put up a shield, greatly improving concealment.
The Rock Spine that spread Rock Element and formed resonance was still especially effective against the Infected. He just did not know whether the increased precision would allow him to reduce the intensity of activation. With control comparable to a scalpel, he might be able to make Originium explode within a small area.
That way, the Infected would not die, while the Originium could be removed through activation. In theory, that would cure Originium-related illness. As for actual results, he did not yet have a suitable infected case to practice on.
Previously, Rock Spines had to stand on the ground after being summoned. Now, that restriction was gone, and he could freely control their rise and fall. If he could continuously apply force to their tails, perhaps they could function like boosters.
He should not casually test an elemental burst like Planet Befall. He felt that now, when forming Rock Spears, he could make them plunge diagonally down from midair and create a terrifying rain of spears.
Once he had tested enough, Shi Lei crouched down and pressed his palm against the ground, concentrating on what he felt.
The instant he touched it, his Psychic Power spread out like radar, as if he had opened a holographic map. Information about all the surrounding ground appeared in his mind.
That included a purebred kitten, a middle-aged man, and rows of shipping containers laid out like a maze.
There was someone nearby???
After continuing the scan, he found that the middle-aged man was standing still and had not approached.
Considering there was an outsider nearby, Shi Lei temporarily stopped the remaining tests and left from the other side.
Not long after he left, the middle-aged man leaning against a lamppost lightly flicked the brim of his black top hat with his left hand, his movements exceedingly elegant. Ignoring the tiger-headed girl riding over on an electric scooter, he gazed into the distance.
"Hey, Lee. Aren't you looking for a beast relative? Why are you slacking off here?"
The middle-aged man grinned and raised a hand to point.
"I just heard something. It seemed to come from that yellow container over there. Can you go take a look?"
Waai Fu took out her glasses and put them on, preparing to help search. Hearing that, she froze for a moment, then rolled up her sleeves in annoyance.
She leapt up in a few bounds and really did find the beast relative whose owner had offered a hefty reward. The kitten was so frightened by the tiger-headed and dragon-brained girl that its tail stood straight up. It darted about the cramped yellow container, but after a brief clash, it was ultimately captured and stuffed into a cat carrier.
"Alright, I get it now. You'd been waiting here all along because you wanted me to run errands for you, right?"
"Hehe, not at all."
Lee lowered the brim of his hat and looked in the direction someone had left, a faint smile on his lips.
"I merely ran into an interesting fellow."
Shi Lei left District 21 Docks and entered a roadside library. He picked out a thin illustrated book and used speed-reading to secure his guaranteed Roleplay Value.
He had taken the day off today and gotten off work early. By the time he finished the book, it was only two in the afternoon.
At this hour, he normally would have eaten lunch already. But today, he did not feel hungry at all, nor did he have any appetite. Eating or not eating made no difference.
Did reaching the Immortal Realm mean he had begun fasting?
But fasting was one thing. If he wanted to eat, he should still be able to, right? Otherwise, eating, drinking, and having fun would lose a quarter of their appeal. How boring would life be after that?
"Someone, help! Catch that thief! Catch him!"
"Get lost! Don't fucking block the way!"
To think that such a vicious crime had appeared on the streets of civilized Lungmen.
Shi Lei was truly heartbroken. He could not wait to seize this Roleplay Value opportunity delivered right to his door.
He targeted the fleeing Zhalak across the street and remotely created Rock Element weapons as though controlling Flying Swords.
The next second, eight Rock Spears shot out at high speed from different directions. The intersection of each group of four spears formed a ring. The eight spears neatly trapped the thief's legs inside, completely restricting his ability to move.
The thief shoved hard, but could not budge the Rock Spears.
"Lungmen profanity, what the hell is this?"
The Rock Spears were as thick and long as steel reinforcement bars, welded deep into the ground. He could not pull them out even if he wanted to. Only his hands could move, yet no matter how desperately he struggled, he could not break free.
The enthusiastic citizens of Lungmen immediately came forward to offer New Year blessings. There were Prosperity Punches and Spring Blessing Palms, beating the thief until he wished he were dead.
Before long, the panting female victim caught up. She recovered her stolen handbag and unleashed a Descendants-in-Abundance Kick, delivering intense stimulation to the thief's kidney area.
It was not until officers from the Lungmen Guard Department arrived after hearing the report that Shi Lei remotely dismissed the Rock Spears, hiding his achievement and reputation.
At the same time, a notification sounded in his mind:
Based on the host's performance, 3 Roleplay Value has been awarded.
Not bad, not bad. The concealment was excellent.
From now on, when he acted in secret, he would no longer have to worry about being noticed because his movements were too exaggerated. He could throw Rock Spears whenever he wanted and plant Rock Spines whenever he wanted, stopping enemies before they even knew what happened.
After resolving the sudden incident, Shi Lei continued walking toward the company.
An orange pickup truck drove past him and then stopped ahead. When he passed by, Croissant rested one arm on the window frame and called out to him.
"Hey, what are you doing here? I heard from the others that you took leave. Are you feeling better now?"
Seeing an acquaintance, Shi Lei got into the truck from the other side.
"Much better. Thanks for asking. Are you heading back to the company? Could you give me a lift?"
"No, I was just about to head home. If you're free, why not come visit my place?"
Today's Beautiful Picture.jpg
Never Return Empty-Handed
In Shi Lei's understanding, only people who were close enough would invite each other over to their homes.
The reasons for inviting someone over came in all sorts of forms. Some said their cat could do backflips or their dog could stand on its hind legs. Others got straight to the point and simply invited the person over.
His relationship with Croissant was fairly good, but it had always remained at the level of coworkers and friends. When he heard her invite him over, he was clearly a little restrained.
"Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"
"What's inappropriate about it? I just happened to run into you on my drive home and thought I'd invite you over. It's a simple matter. Don't make it too complicated."
With things said that plainly, Shi Lei could not refuse. He fastened his seat belt and went along to see what the situation was.
Before long, Croissant drove the orange pickup to a warehouse on Fangcao Street. It was roughly the same size as the warehouse behind the company used for shipping goods.
It was Shi Lei's first time coming here, and he found it rather novel.
"You live in a warehouse?"
"Yep. Residential homes are too small, and they have shared common areas. I have too much stuff, and an ordinary home simply can't fit it all. Renting a warehouse was easier."
As she spoke, she pulled up the rolling shutter door.
Clatter...
Shi Lei followed her inside and felt as though he had entered a medium-sized supermarket. The goods on the shelves had been arranged neatly by category and color.
Add price tags, and it would look exactly like a supermarket. There was practically no difference.
Croissant walked over to the shelves and casually pointed.
"Here, feel free to look around. If you see anything you like, I can sell it to you at a discount."
Hearing the word "sell," Shi Lei pointed it out directly.
"So you invited me over because you wanted to sell me things?"
Seeing that her intention had been exposed, Croissant smiled and tried to brush it off.
"Hehe, don't worry about those little details. I've stocked up on some supplies recently, so I'm a little short on cash. I thought I'd sell you a few things and recover a bit of my money. I remember you liked an art book last time. How about I sell it to you cheap?"
"Then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I don't have a single cent on me, and there isn't anything I want to buy right now."
Croissant looked a little disappointed and continued walking deeper inside.
At the very back of the warehouse was a fifty-square-meter tin room, fully furnished with tables, chairs, and everything else. Only now did she seem a little like a host as she asked,
"What would you like to drink? Coffee? Juice?"
"I'm not picky. Either is fine."
Croissant nodded and took a can of coffee beans from a display shelf. As she poured them into the coffee machine, she introduced them.
"These are from Columbia. The beans are plump, the aroma is rich, and the aftertaste is sweet. If you like coffee, you have to try this brand."
Shi Lei knew that she could not go three sentences without making a sales pitch because that was simply her personality, and he did not find it off-putting. After all, everyone who created wealth with their own hands deserved respect.
The impression of a wealth-management-loving online vendor could be seen from Croissant's chat nickname alone.
'AAA Croissant · New Stock Available Anytime @'
She made Shi Lei a cup of Pour-over Coffee. The ground coffee beans gave off the same rich aroma she had described earlier. While stirring the coffee, Croissant did not forget to further promote her other products.
"Today's invitation was too sudden, so please excuse the poor hospitality. Why not browse around some more later? You might find something else you like."
What, she was determined not to let a customer leave empty-handed?
Shi Lei truly did not need these worldly possessions. After thinking for a moment, he stated his personal need.
"I don't really need anything right now. If I had to pick something, maybe a food guide. As an outsider like me, even after living in Lungmen for a month, I still don't know which restaurants in which districts are good. Trying them one by one would take too much time. If you have food reviews in a guidebook, I'd definitely buy one."
Croissant's eyes immediately lit up. She struck her left palm with her right fist and repeatedly praised him.
"Oh, what a great idea!"
"Weren't we talking about a food guide? Why are you suddenly praising me? What's going on?"
Seeing the confusion on Shi Lei's face, she explained on her own initiative.
"There are so many delicious foods in Lungmen, and plenty of tourists come here to eat and drink. Local food reviews haven't really taken off yet. I can draft and compile a Lungmen Top 100 Food Guide. Then I can print and sell it to tourists while charging restaurants advertising fees. Ahahaha, I'm such a genius!"
Feeling the topic drift further and further off course, he tried to steer it back.
"Isn't this supposed to be about food reviews? How did it turn into advertising fees? Don't books like this exist already?"
Before you continue