Chapter 484
While it can't be called Global Tour, it did involve passing through most of the countries on the Terra.
While inquiring with local leaders about their participation in the transnational Communication Project, one can also take the opportunity to inquire whether they have responded to the Allied Forces's call, achieving two goals at once.
Admittedly, there are instances where leaders give one set of statements to your face and another behind your back. No matter how many times this happens, Shi Lei is not surprised.
But since they told him they wouldn't participate, yet turned around and joined other countries in the war, then he couldn't blame Shi Lei for welcoming the guests with a barrage of Planet Befall.
After seeing Wei Yenwu off, Shi Lei returned to the table. He didn't touch his chopsticks, but simply chatted with everyone. In the end, the lunch ended in a cheerful atmosphere.
After everyone finished packing and confirmed that all supplies were ready, they boarded the Rock House and ascended into the air.
Our first stop on our family trip: Syracuse!
[Urge Update Sign-in]
Chapter 558 Goodbye, Mr. Zha (Bonus Chapter)
Shi Lei maneuvered the Rock House to ascend above Lungmen, and then sailed southwest into the territory of Syracuse.
Flying is for saving time traveling through wilderness; if you fly over city attractions, it doesn't count as travel.
He landed in the Mobile Cities of Lakmawati City, and after entering the city, he bought a land vehicle as his means of transportation.
Driving through familiar yet unfamiliar streets, lined with low-rise Italian-style buildings, the drizzling weather added a damp atmosphere to the city.
A couple of days ago, Shi Lei traveled to Volcini to fulfill the treaty signed Texas and the Wolf Lord Zaro. On his En route, he happened to witness the Bruno family wiping out the Konobo family and rescued Lisa, who had just been infected.
The gears of fate began to turn from that moment on.
Fortunately, Shi Lei encountered her in time and removed the Originium Particles from her blood. A month or two later, he also performed surgery on Lisa to completely remove all the Originium Particles from her body before the Originium-related illness infected her organs.
During this year, Lisa's Originium-related illness showed no signs of recurrence. She completely shed her status as an infected person and could be classified as a non-infected person.
Lisa leaned closer to the car window and looked outside.
The streetscape is slightly different from what I remembered of Lakmawati City, but not by much. The buildings haven't been expanded; only some shops have changed.
The hotel where they used to stay has closed down and has now been converted into a high-end furniture store.
On the streets, you can often see gangsters in suits and uniforms. They are performing the functions that should belong to law enforcement agencies, managing the security of the area under their jurisdiction.
The once-powerful Bruno family has been completely swept into the dustbin of history.
When one large gang falls, countless others rise. Someone will always take over the reins of power, accumulating wealth while maintaining a relative balance in the local area.
Shi Lei, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced back and saw her staring blankly at the scenery outside the window. He asked, "..."
"Lisa, do you miss your mother?"
"Um."
"Tell me the address, let's go check it out."
Lisa's mother was formerly a top enforcer for the Konobo family. After the Konobo family was wiped out, her whereabouts and occupation are unknown.
Following Lisa's directions, Texas arrived near an apartment building. After ringing the doorbell, an old man's voice came from inside. He didn't open the door, only saying that the previous residents had moved out and he didn't know where they were now.
Shi Lei didn't have an intelligence network in Syracuse, but that wasn't a problem. As the saying goes, money makes the world go round. If you're willing to spend the money, you can even take care of gangsters.
They returned to the nearby intersection and found a gang member smoking.
After getting out of the car, Shi Lei walked straight up to the other person and generously tossed him a Pure Gold bar.
The gang members initially thought it was a bomb and instinctively retreated to avoid it. But when they realized it was Pure Gold, their eyes widened in disbelief.
He picked it up suspiciously, squeezed it, and found it was very hard. He quickly put it in his pocket to avoid being discovered by his accomplices.
"Gentlemen, is there anything I can do for you?"
Shi Lei gave a polite smile and got straight to the point:
"Take me to your Information Broker; I want to find out someone's whereabouts."
The gang members sized him up upon hearing this, their minds undoubtedly filled with some ulterior motives.
Texas shook her head helplessly, stepped out of the line, pointed to her hair, and asked:
"Don't you recognize who I am?"
The gang members stared at her hair color, their pupils dilating in surprise.
"The... Lone Wolf of the Texas family?!"
"Now that you know, just lead the way. Don't try anything funny, or you'll lose your head."
Now that only Chelinina remained of the Texas family, the gang members, upon learning of her identity, dared not neglect her. Humbly hunching over, they led the way for the group.
Seeing the gang members' embarrassed appearance, Exusiai jokingly said to Mudrock and Yu, who had never been there before:
"Is this your first time here? Don't you find the people of Syracuse to be kind and simple?"
Texas, upon hearing this, turned around and rolled her eyes at her. She didn't want to say another word to this conspicuous woman.
A few minutes later, the gang members led the group to their hideout in the area. In the room at the far end of the corridor sat a fiery red-haired Female Lupo.
Texas's gaze was condescending, making her appear unapproachable. She coldly approached the Information Broker, stated Lisa's mother's name, and then spoke:
"I need to find out where this person is right now. If you can find him, there will be a generous reward."
The Information Broker glanced at her, then looked at the gang member who had brought the person over. Seeing the latter repeatedly waving his hands and shaking his head, he finally picked up his phone and made a call to contact relevant informants and those in the know to verify the information.
A few minutes later, she put down the phone and looked at everyone:
"Found it, but..."
Seeing the Information Broker rubbing his fingers together, Shi Lei took out two Red Gold Bar from his pocket and threw them onto the table. The clanging sound of metal striking wood was quite pleasant.
The Female Lupo, immediately examined the Red Gold Bar and, after confirming their high purity, put them in the drawer with satisfaction.
"She's in New Volcini, that newest Mobile Cities. But what she's doing there, you'll have to ask the local gangs. I'll write down a phone number and address for you; you can go ask them."
It's understandable that Lisa's mother's profession was unusual, making it difficult to gather information. That's just how Syracuse is; he doesn't care about spending money to get such a small amount of information. After accepting the note, he led his group away from the scene and headed to their next destination.
As they approached the city's exit, they passed the overpass where Bruno family leader Soloso had fallen. Below, the ground was overgrown with weeds and was about the height of an adult.
The land vehicle left Lakmawati City and arrived in Palermo, a city primarily known for its mining industry, half an hour later.
The changes here are quite significant; many mines have been filled in and replaced by rows of high-rise buildings. However, compared to other affluent Mobile Cities, it still falls short.
En route the drive, Shi Lei suddenly seemed to sense something. He turned his head to the right and looked at a hotel by the roadside.
When they passed through this area that year, some ignorant gang members planted a bomb, intending to kill them. None of the men were injured, but the hotel was blown to smithereens.
Shi Lei rebuilt the hotel using Rock Constructs, saving the impoverished innkeeper from the fate of becoming homeless.
Seeing these old things again evoked a sense of profound change in Shi Lei's heart. Although only a year had passed, it felt like an eternity had gone by.
It's 2 PM, but there isn't a single guest in the hotel. There's a Barber Shop next to the hotel; to save money, they've placed chairs outside, relying on natural light for illumination.
Texas knew this place and deliberately slowed down as she drove past the gate.
The female hairdresser in the shop suddenly turned around, paused for a moment when she saw Shi Lei in the passenger seat, and then, surprisingly, abandoned the customers in the shop and chased after him:
"My benefactor, my benefactor, wait a moment!"
Seeing this, Texas turned her head and cast a questioning glance at Shi Lei. When he nodded, she pulled over to the side of the road.
The female hairdresser caught up, panting and supporting herself on her knees. Her unmade-up face, dotted with freckles, revealed a very simple and genuine smile.
"My benefactor, do you remember me? My Aya, and I'm the innkeeper's daughter. You helped me before, but I was too naive back then. I only remembered to thank you afterward, but I'll never have the chance to see you again."
After Aya finished speaking, she bowed solemnly towards the inside of the car window.
If it weren't for their benefactor's kindness back then, they would most likely have ended up on the streets after the inn was destroyed.
Thank you so much!
Shi Lei had some impression of her, but not much.
Seeing that the other person was still living a very poor life, he took out a Red Gold Bar from his pocket and handed it to him with a smile:
"I remember your dream back then was to open a Barber Shop. Now you've achieved it, congratulations!"
Aya saw the Red Gold Bar so close to her, but didn't show the greedy look typical of gangsters. She quickly took two steps back and repeatedly waved her hands to politely decline.
"No, no, no, my benefactor. You have already helped my family enough, how could I accept your money again? Since you left Syracuse, family members have come to patronize our business from time to time. But Palermo's conditions are what they are; I am content as long as we can cover our daily expenses."
"Take it, consider it supplementing your household income. Don't feel guilty, we're not short of money."
"No, my benefactor. This has nothing to do with whether I'm short of money or not, I really can't accept it."
Shi Lei noticed Aya's gaze and stopped looking at the Red Gold Bar, knowing she was indeed uninterested. As he put the Red Gold Bar back into his pocket, he casually asked, as if chatting about everyday matters:
"How is your father? Is he in good health?"
"My father..."
Seeing Aya's hesitant expression, Shi Lei instantly realized he had broken a taboo and said apologetically:
I'm so sorry, I didn't know. Please accept my condolences.
"Ah, it's alright. I'm already very grateful that someone as important as you would stay here. My father has a chronic illness from when he was working in the mines, and it's incurable."
I feel so guilty for not thanking you back then. By the time I realized it, you had already left Palermo. Later, I inquired with my family and learned that you had left Syracuse. Perhaps we would never see each other again in this lifetime. I never expected to have this opportunity today."
Shi Lei grinned and replied gently:
"No need to be so polite. It was my fault that your hotel was bombed. Helping to repair it is only right and proper."
Aya knew they wouldn't be staying there for long, so after explaining, she quickly got to the point:
"No, it's different. The hotel was supposed to be renovated anyway, but you built a brand new one, saving us money and helping us get through the toughest times. Oh, by the way, could I take a couple of minutes of your time? Actually, I prepared a gift for you this year."
"Sure, you go ahead, I'm not leaving."
She was somewhat incredulous when Shi Lei readily agreed. She had a feeling that once she turned around and went back to the hotel, her benefactor would drive away and never come back.
"Hey, you, you really aren't leaving?"
"Really, go ahead, but come back quickly."
"Please don't go! I'll be right back!"
Just as Aya said, this encounter might be the last time the two of them see each other.
Shi Lei understood the feeling of constantly carrying guilt and expectation, and didn't want the other person to bear these burdens for the rest of their life.
Exusiai turned to look at the female hairdresser's retreating figure, yawned, and then asked:
"No, you're really waiting for her?"
"Yes, is there a problem? This young girl is so grateful; she's truly kind. If I just leave and let her remember this for the rest of her life, wouldn't I become a sinner?"
Before long, Aya returned with a bag. Although it was full of local specialties, Shi Lei scanned the bottom of the bag and found a Red Ore. The quality wasn't the best, but it was probably the best gift she could think of.
He didn't make a fuss, smiled as he took the bag and thanked Aya, then extended an invitation to her:
"If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can come to Liyue City in the northeast. We'll provide you with a house there, where you can live a stable life."
Seeing that the gift had been successfully given, Aya grinned and said:
"No need, my benefactor. I was born and raised here. I'll probably stay here for the rest of my life. Thank you for your kindness, but I wouldn't feel comfortable living anywhere else."
Upon hearing this, Shi Lei stopped insisting and politely said goodbye.
"Okay, then we'll be going now."
Since Shi Lei and Xi hadn't accompanied us on our last trip to Syracuse, Mudrock and Exusiai recounted their long-ago stories En route.
After passing Palermo, the Mobile Cities of Volcini lies ahead. New Volcini is integrated with Volcini; you can drive directly from there.
Just as they were about to enter Volcini's territory, Eerie Smoke suddenly appeared on the left side of the vehicle. Texas knew what it was and pulled over to the side of the road, turning off the engine.
Before long, the smoke gradually condensed and took shape. Wolf Lord Zaro, emerged from it.
It glanced furtively at Shi Lei, then quickly lowered its head. In just over a year, the other's strength had grown to a level that even it could not match.
Zaro has lived for thousands of years and has never seen such an outrageous growth rate; it's truly unbelievable.
Looking at the Wolf Lord blocking his way, Shi Lei asked:
"Is there something you need?"
Zaro lowered his head, avoiding eye contact, and his attitude was very respectful.
"Could we talk somewhere else?"