Awakened Zhongli Template, Terra Retirement

"Come in."

Only after receiving permission did he walk in. Texas stood at the ten o'clock position, as if reporting to the Boss on the latest developments in yesterday's warehouse explosion case.

"Texas, you did well on this. If any more clueless idiots pop up looking for trouble in the future, once you've investigated thoroughly, go ahead and handle it. You may leave now. I have something to discuss with the new employee."

"Yes, Boss."

Once she left, Emperor shifted in his chair, sizing up the man before him from behind his sunglasses:

"Have a seat. You've been here two days now. What do you think of our company?"

Today was Shi Lei's second day here. Aside from helping with the shipment earlier, he'd barely done anything:

"Uh, it's alright."

"I just learned about your performance over these past few days. After considering everything, I've decided to approve your early probation-to-full-time transfer. But before that, I need to look into a new employee's background. Just a few simple questions—please cooperate."

Shi Lei's expression turned awkward. He was a black-market resident with no papers. What background could he possibly have? And it wasn't something he could just make up on the spot—one internet check and he'd be exposed.

"Are you a native of Lungmen? Or do you have any family members who are?"

With the arrow already nocked, he had no choice but to shoot. Shi Lei licked his lips and shook his head in denial:

"No."

"Then do you have any local relatives in Lungmen, or very close friends?"

Huh, was this what a background check asked about?

Shi Lei found it a bit odd but didn't dare question it. He figured it might be standard interview procedure on Terra, so he answered nervously:

"No. I just arrived in Lungmen recently."

Emperor propped his chin on one hand, looking thoughtful. If Shi Lei was an outsider, why would he be tangled up with that stinking rat Lin Gerei?

Anyway, whoever that guy was looking for, he wasn't about to let go easily. It wasn't that there was any deep grudge between them—Emperor simply didn't want Lin Gerei to have his way.

"Alright, I have no more questions. Go find Isu later and get your employee badge processed. Mr. Shi, welcome to Penguin Logistics!"

Under normal circumstances, a company stuck to the probation period it set. Only if an employee made an extraordinary contribution or landed a huge deal during the internship could they be promoted early—otherwise, it was by the book.

Shi Lei had his doubts but didn't sense anything off. Maybe private company bosses were just that capricious—if they were in a good mood, they'd give an early promotion?

"Ah, thank you, Boss!"

"You're welcome. Go on down. I've got things to handle. If you have questions, talk to them first."

Shi Lei left the office and shared the good news with Exusiai. Strictly speaking, she was the first friend he'd made in Lungmen. Officer Chen was just a cop-civilian relationship—not yet at the friend stage.

"Haha, congrats, congrats! Now I can invite one more person to the parties. I haven't been to one in four days—I feel like I've lost my work drive. How about we hit the bar when Kong and Croissant get back?"

Emperor ran a bar in Lungmen, but internal staff still had to pay for their drinks. Texas shot her a glance and reminded:

"Do you still have any performance bonus this month?"

Exusiai pulled out her wallet to check, and her face froze. She sidled up behind Texas, hands on her shoulders, grinning:

"Heh heh, I'll pay for the drinks. If that's not enough, you can spot me. Work's tiring enough—we gotta have fun after hours. It's rare to get a new employee, so let's treat it as a welcome party for him."

Texas looked disgusted and couldn't be bothered to expose this slacking Sarkaz in front of Shi Lei. Exusiai didn't have enough cash to cover even a bar counter fee. Saying she'd "spot" was just a high-probability way of making Texas foot the bill.

On the surface, she was dismissive, but her body was honest:

"No ordering expensive drinks."

"Hell yeah!"

Exusiai moved in for a hug to show gratitude, but Texas shoved her away in annoyance. Normally, messing around like that was fine, but there was an outsider now.

As the noon bell rang, the three took the elevator down to the basement-level Safe House to make food.

Shi Lei poured everyone a glass of water and grabbed a bag of chips and a box of cookies. Exusiai skillfully prepped the ingredients, popped them in the oven, and set the timer.

Texas didn't seem hungry—she grabbed a box of chocolate bars and sat on the sofa, legs crossed, her gaze cool and distant, giving off an air of detachment.

Exusiai saw her eating so little and took the initiative:

"It'll be done soon. Want some apple pie?"

Texas shook her head, holding up the chocolate bar box to show that was enough.

"You can't just eat that all day. You need something else. Tell you what—next time I take a commission, I'll bring you along. We'll do a couple extra jobs to improve your lifestyle."

Texas found this speechless. When the two worked together, this slacker usually just stood around. When someone tried to snatch their goods, she was the one doing the heavy fighting.

But she didn't want to argue and ruin the mood, so she shoved a chocolate bar into Exusiai's mouth to shut her up.

Exusiai crunched it down and said:

"Shi Lei, let me tell you a little secret. Actually, Texas..."

Before she could finish, a second chocolate bar was shoved straight into her mouth. Seeing her keep talking after finishing it, a third and fourth followed in quick succession.

Soon, the whole box was gone.

With Texas unable to block her anymore, Exusiai chewed and flashed a sly, triumphant grin.

"Haha, just kidding. Now that the chocolate bars are gone, we can have apple pie, right?"

Texas immediately caught on, feeling both exasperated and amused. Only Exusiai would pull such a childish stunt—there was just no way with her.

Seeing this, Shi Lei let out a heartfelt sigh:

"You two really get along well."

"Heh heh, of course we do. With me looking out for her, she'll never go hungry a single day."

Texas shook her head, choosing not to explain further, letting her talk big.

"Ding!"

The oven chimed, and Exusiai quickly put on gloves, dividing the steaming apple pie among everyone.

This kind of harmonious team atmosphere was something Shi Lei, with his two and a half years of workplace experience, had never experienced before.

It felt... pretty nice.

011 Lungmen, a City of Simple Folk

Top-floor office area, 6:00 p.m.

Penguin Logistics operated on a nine-to-five work schedule. For large orders or business trips, there were extra overtime and travel allowances.

After work, Texas headed out, apparently planning to go home and change clothes. Exusiai walked alongside her, also intending to return to her rental place first. Seeing Shi Lei sitting alone at his workstation, she waved and said:

"There are still a few hours until the party starts. If you're bored, you can go to the safe house and play some video games. Or take a walk outside—otherwise, staying cooped up in a closed space too long will make you feel stuffy."

"Yeah, I know. Go ahead."

Shi Lei had just gotten his employee badge from Isu that afternoon, so he could swipe into the safe house anytime. Finally, he had a place to sleep instead of sleeping on the streets.

He took the elevator down with Exusiai and Texas, said goodbye at the building entrance, then turned and walked in the opposite direction, planning to take a long stroll before heading back to the safe house.

Towering buildings stacked up like an impenetrable steel forest. Car horns blared at every intersection, and the crowds flowed endlessly. Colorful shop signs hung everywhere, all showcasing the vibrant side of a bustling city.

After walking for over ten minutes, Shi Lei reached a small park in the middle of the street. It sat at a three-way intersection, filled with street vendors and tourists with their families.

He strolled along, slowly browsing, until he came across a rather unusual stall. Besides daily necessities, it sold lubricants, maintenance oils, fragrances, and other items—a messy mix. Shi Lei even spotted a large poster signed by Emperor in a prominent spot.

Seeing a guest stop by, the stall owner was very enthusiastic. Walking over, he struck a pose ready to pitch:

"Sir, is there anything you'd like to buy?"

Shi Lei looked up at the sound, meeting the gaze of the orange-haired horned girl. He was flat broke right now—even if he wanted to buy something, he had no money. And even if he did, he wouldn't carry it on him.

"Not for now. Just browsing."

Shi Lei's eyes swept over the stall and landed on a picture book introducing the customs and cultures of many nations across Terra. He couldn't help but crouch down, wanting to flip through it.

The book was secondhand, with some wear on the cover. But the landscape paintings inside were genuinely top-notch.

The horned girl leaned forward slightly, her left hand resting on a thick ballistic shield. She raised her right thumb and praised him proactively:

"Guest, you've got a great eye. This picture book took countless photographers' hard work to create, capturing the customs of many countries. If you want to travel the world but don't have the time, buying this book can fulfill your travel dreams. Since it's not brand new, I'll give you a discount—how about 4000?"

Whoa, this vendor sure could talk.

Shi Lei gave a polite smile and declined:

"I'm just looking. If I'm interested, I'll ask you about the price."

"Oh, alright."

The orange-haired horned girl stared at him for a moment, then tried to push a little more:

"Sir, the original price was 12,000. If you're serious about buying, I can't lower it further, but I can throw in a small gift."

Shi Lei thought the vendor knew how to do business, but he really had no money on him. Among the people he'd met in Lungmen these past few days, Emperor seemed to be the richest:

"Yeah, I'll think about it."

Shi Lei crouched down to browse, and when he looked up, he noticed the Penguin Logistics logo on the vendor's clothes. Before he could ask, someone suddenly stormed up and started yelling:

"Hiyah, I finally found you!"

He took off his hat and lowered his head, revealing a balding patch on his scalp, his voice dripping with fury:

"It's you! Last time you sold me a hair growth cream. And look—this whole chunk of my scalp is going bald! You swindler, give me back my hair!"

The horned girl looked puzzled, tilting her head slightly:

"Sir, I've never sold hair growth cream. Are you sure you've got the wrong person?"

The man pulled out a round tin box, shook it in his hand, and snapped:

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! I brought the cream with me, and you still want to deny it?"

The horned girl glanced at it—the tin box had no product name written on it. Spotting the logo, she immediately understood and explained:

"Sir, you've misunderstood. This is rust remover, used for maintaining protective gear. It contains strong chemical ingredients—using it will definitely make your hair fall out."

The man bent down to check and indeed found the words "Rust Remover" on the bottom of the tin. He knew he was in the wrong, but there were already so many people watching. If he slunk away now, it would be too embarrassing:

"Hmph, this is just counterfeit junk! If you don't pay up today, I'll flip your stall!"

The Horned Girl didn't want to keep arguing with the Guest. After a moment's thought, she proposed a compromise:

"Sir, I really never sold you any Hair Growth Cream. You misapplied it to your hair. But since you're still my customer, here are a few small gifts as a token of goodwill. Let's just call it even today."

"I lost all this hair, and you want to call it even? Pay up, now! You hear me? Pay up!"

Shi Lei figured this wasn't about standing up for his rights anymore—it was extortion. He stood up and said a fair word:

"Buddy, no need to go that far, right?"

"Who the hell are you? I'm not your buddy. Say one more word, and I'll fucking kill you, believe it?"

Baldy flashed a dagger tucked into his waistband—clearly he'd come prepared.

Huh. Just casually carrying a blade around town.

This Lungmen sure had a down-to-earth vibe.

Before he could make a move, the Horned Girl suddenly charged in with her Ballistic Shield. Caught off guard, Baldy stumbled back, dropped his dagger, and got disarmed on the spot.

"According to Lungmen safety regulations, carrying a blade in public poses a risk to citizens' safety. On behalf of the Lungmen Guard Department, I'm confiscating your weapon."

Knowing he was in the wrong, Baldy spat out a threat and stormed off.

"Damn it, you just wait!"

Seeing he'd probably gone to call for backup, the Horned Girl quickly packed up to make a run for it. Once everything was stuffed into her backpack, she turned to Shi Lei with thanks:

"Thanks a lot just now! Next time you need to buy something, look me up—I'll give you a super discount!"

Though it sounded like gratitude, she was really trying to lock him in as a customer with the promise of low prices. Shi Lei figured this colleague was a little business Genius, but didn't call her out on it:

"Sure thing. We'll meet again."

The Horned Girl figured this deal was in the bag. She gave him a thumbs-up, then turned and left.