Awakened Zhongli Template, Retiring on Terra

After passing security and confirming that they carried no prohibited items, Chen led everyone toward the nearby Lower City.

As they passed an open stretch of land, several children eagerly gathered around them and greeted her warmly:

"Big Sister Chen, are you still busy?"

Chen did not mind the children's filthy clothes at all. She smiled gently.

"Not yet. Go play for now. I have something to take care of, and I'll come back once I'm done."

After the children left, she turned back and warned them:

"I'll say this again: now that you've entered Lungmen, live properly from now on. If I find out you dare lay a hand on children or vulnerable groups, I'll chase you all the way to Sargon and bring the murderer to justice!"

Mudrock nodded. She did not regard such a warning as a threat. Instead, it made her feel that this female police leader was someone kind-hearted and easy to communicate with.

Before long, Chen brought them to a dilapidated building. She explained that it had been abandoned because of gang fighting, and the top floor had been blown up beyond use. Still, after salvaging materials and making some repairs, the second and third floors could serve as temporary lodging. Rainy days would probably be rather difficult, though.

"Thank you very much, Officer."

Mudrock did not care about the building's shabby condition and repeatedly thanked Chen. Even if this place could not fully shelter them from wind and rain, at least they would no longer have to live in constant fear. They finally had a home—one that did not need to be large.

As for that gentleman who could wield the power of the earth, they would think of a way to find him once they had gotten back on their feet.

"Achoo—"

Shi Lei had just walked out of the library when he suddenly sneezed. His expression turned strange, and he hurriedly pinched his nose.

"Ring-ring-ring—"

At the same time, his phone suddenly began to ring.

A certain kind of beauty.jpg

Tailless Cat Real Estate

Shi Lei glanced at the caller ID. It was Croissant's number. Guessing that she was probably calling about the warehouse rental, he stopped by the roadside and answered.

"Hello?"

"It's me. Do you remember what I told you last time? I contacted a warehouse rental boss today. It's about a kilometer from the company. Do you have time to go take a look now?"

Shi Lei had plenty of time these days, so he agreed.

"Sure. Where should we meet? If we settle it on the spot, do we need to pay a deposit?"

"Yes, as long as you like it, you can sign the contract. Where are you? How about I wait for you at the company entrance?"

"Alright, I'll be right there. See you."

After ending the call, he immediately dialed Texas's number. For something like renting a warehouse, he needed to contact his "walking wallet" in advance.

After learning about it, she said she was free and would head straight to the company entrance later to save trouble.

Although she lived on the same floor as Exusiai, they did not share an apartment. The main reason was that the Sarkaz halo above Exusiai's head was simply too bright at night. Resting in the same room with her was genuinely torturous.

January 6th, 3:25 p.m.

Shi Lei set out from the library and met up with Croissant at the company entrance. Just as she was about to leave, he stopped her.

"Hold on, someone else hasn't arrived yet."

"Who?"

As soon as Croissant spoke, she caught sight of Texas, dressed in casual clothes, walking over from across the street. The look in her eyes as she regarded Shi Lei subtly changed.

Shi Lei quickly noticed and explained with a smile.

"Forgot to tell you, I entrusted all my money to her to manage. If we like the warehouse and sign the contract on the spot, Texas can pay directly."

"Alright..."

As Texas crossed the street and walked up to them, Croissant's lips twitched. What else could she say?

The three of them set off together toward their destination.

Along the way, Croissant gave Shi Lei a detailed introduction to the warehouse's floor area, its surroundings, and the monthly rent. She also compared it with similar listings for his reference.

"Actually, there's a more cost-effective warehouse in the Lower City, but it's five or six kilometers away, so it's a little far. If you want it to be convenient for work, it's better to choose somewhere closer."

Living in the warehouse was only secondary for him. What he mainly wanted was a bit of private space. Developing immortal arts and figuring out the specific bonuses of Immortal Body Mode both required a quiet environment.

"Huh, that's strange?"

Croissant brought the two of them outside a warehouse, only to find its main gate tightly shut. She hurriedly called the landlord, but no one answered.

"What's going on? Don't tell me they're holding out for a better offer and ignoring the call because someone bid higher?"

Shi Lei took a brief look around the warehouse and was fairly satisfied with its size and surroundings. The nearby buildings were all warehouses, with no residential apartments around. If he secretly threw a party or practiced immortal arts, he would not have to worry about being reported for disturbing the neighbors.

"What's wrong? Can't get in touch with the landlord?"

Croissant had confidently promised that she would handle everything, but now this had happened, leaving her somewhat embarrassed.

"Just wait. I refuse to believe I can't get through."

Just then, a voice came from the southwest:

"No need to call. He was probably kidnapped."

Shi Lei looked toward the voice and saw a black-haired, yellow-eyed Feline crouching at the warehouse entrance. Wearing a white-and-yellow uniform, he picked up a clump of pale fur from the ground.

Beside him stood a burly white-haired man with animal-like facial features. He looked somewhat like a bull, wore a similar uniform, and carried an orange-yellow shield.

Seeing Shi Lei's Penguin Logistics employee uniform, the shield-bearing bullman's eyes lit up.

"Excuse me, are you Mister Zhongli?"

"That's me. What is it?"

"Waai Fu talks about you all the time. I finally get to meet you in person today! I'm Hoshiguma, and this is Aak. We're both employees of the Koi-Style Detective Agency. We're currently investigating several disappearance cases and happened to be in the area."

Shi Lei had no impression of this detective agency. It was only upon hearing Waai Fu's name that he remembered.

That Tiger-headed and dragon-brained college girl?

"You said the landlord was kidnapped. Do you have any evidence?"

Hoshiguma readily shared their intelligence without holding anything back.

"Yes, yes. Last month, the Lungmen Guard Department cracked down on an illegal organization, causing many businesses to stop operating normally. Around then, a large Cat Gang appeared out of nowhere and began taking over those businesses one after another. According to our investigation, these disappearance cases are suspected to be connected to Tailless Cat Real Estate. Some landlords failed to reach deals with them, then vanished without a trace just days later."

That sounded pretty serious...

"I mean actual evidence. Do you have any?"

"Sorry, we're still at the suspicion stage, so we can't provide any. Otherwise, we'd have reported it to the Lungmen Guard Department already."

Shi Lei had come to inspect the warehouse today and did not understand the situation well enough. He could not just charge into Tailless Cat Real Estate looking for a fight based solely on Hoshiguma's word.

"Croissant, what do you think? Should we ask the Cat Gang? Or look at other properties?"

Croissant tried to contact the landlord, but the receiver only gave an endless busy tone. She could only give up and look up.

"The property in Lower City was provided by Tailless Cat Real Estate. I remember they have a branch nearby. How about we go over and find out what's going on?"

Shi Lei turned to Texas. Seeing her nod in agreement, he made the decision.

"Fine. Looks like that's our only option."

He thanked Aak and Hoshiguma for the information, then left with Croissant without lingering. After crossing two streets, they arrived in front of a commercial building.

Before Shi Lei even entered Tailless Cat Real Estate, he spotted many onlookers gathered outside. Eight cat-faced Felines dressed like gangsters—black hats, sunglasses, black suits, and black trousers—were dancing an absurdly mesmerizing dance inside the display window in time with the music.

What the hell was this???

He stepped into the store, and a Female Feline immediately came over to greet him enthusiastically.

"Sir, are you looking to rent or buy?"

Although Aak and Hoshiguma suspected that the landlords' disappearances were connected to Tailless Cat Real Estate, they had no concrete evidence. Bringing it up rashly now would not be wise.

"I want to rent a warehouse nearby. It needs to be quiet and close to my company. Do you have any recommendations?"

"Certainly, sir. May I ask where your company is located? That way, I can check whether we have suitable properties."

Shi Lei had never sent anything to the company and could not remember its exact street address, so he asked Croissant for help.

"What street is Penguin Logistics on again?"

At the mention of the company name, the Female Feline receiving him suddenly froze. The other employees all turned to look at him, their expressions distinctly strange.

Seemingly realizing she had lost her composure, the Female Feline hurriedly straightened herself and forced a professional smile onto her face.

Shi Lei noticed that she had been trembling all over just now, as though she had heard some terrifying name.

Shi Lei noticed something was off and asked:

"What's wrong with you?"

The Female Feline's expression was stiff as she tried to explain.

"Uh, n-no, it's nothing, Mister Zhongli. I'll check for matching properties right away."

Shi Lei's pupils contracted when he caught the important detail.

"How did you know my codename?"

"Ah, well, um..."

The Female Feline stammered, but still managed to force out an explanation. "We've heard of your reputation. The moment you mentioned Penguin Logistics, we knew. Please wait a moment, all three of you. I'll go check right away."

With that, she fled into the store as if running for her life.

The Felines who had been doing that bizarre clapping dance stopped immediately. They crowded in front of the transparent rolling shutter at the back door, as though they were afraid Shi Lei might enter.

He knew there might be something shady inside, but it would not be appropriate to force his way in as a customer. These employees all knew who he was, so it would be nearly impossible to pry any information about the disappearance cases out of them now.

Since that was the case, he had to try another way.

After thinking for a moment, Shi Lei gave the two women a quiet instruction. "Stay here and wait for the clerk. I left something outside. I'll go get it and be right back."

After leaving Tailless Cat Real Estate, Shi Lei directly created a fallen Rock Spine beneath his feet. As long as he infused the tail end of the pillar with a certain amount of Rock Element, he could make the stone pillar glide swiftly across the ground like a skateboard.

Shi Lei retraced his route and returned to the warehouse.

Aak and Hoshiguma had not left yet. They were crouching on the ground, conducting a thorough search of the area. When they saw him suddenly return, both shot him puzzled looks.

Shi Lei slid up to them, braked, and dismissed the Rock Spine.

"Help me out. Be bait."

Aak did not process it at first. His eyes went wide.

"Ah???"

Shi Lei raised a hand and pointed in the direction he had come from, explaining to the two young detectives, "I just went to Tailless Cat Real Estate's branch, but the people there know me. There's no way for me to get into the back office and obtain more useful information. After we leave later, go ask them about renting the warehouse and see how they react. Don't worry. I'll protect you from the shadows."

The two of them were from a detective agency; investigating disappearance cases was their job to begin with. Shi Lei's initiative to cooperate would both help them resolve their immediate problem and allow him to gain intelligence. It was mutually beneficial.

Hoshiguma thought it over and saw no reason to refuse. She pointed at the orange-red shield and replied, "Sure. We can be the bait."

After briefly discussing a few details of the plan, Shi Lei summoned his Rock Spine and began gliding back.

Reaching the Immortal Realm had greatly improved his control over the elements, but he was still lacking somewhat in raw power.

He could forcibly lift the Rock Spine into the air and fly by controlling rock, but he could only keep it up for three minutes at most. If he wanted to fly for extended periods, he would probably need to advance to the next rank first.

Watching him glide away on the stone pillar, Aak felt deeply envious as he watched Shi Lei vanish beyond the edge of his vision.