Chapter 63
"Are you tired of living? Are you looking for death?"
Mudrock reached out to stop his subordinate, speaking very politely:
"Boss, everyone works hard to earn money. If you said 4,000, then it's 4,000. Don't raise it any higher."
"Ha, what are you saying? Who makes money easily? This toy is discontinued; it's a limited edition. Don't think you can buy it in the Upper City; I'm the only one left in the entire Lungmen. If you don't buy it, plenty of other fans will."
At the same time, Shi Lei entered the store. Seeing that he wasn't infected, the owner greeted him politely:
What would you like to buy?
Shi Lei didn't respond. After looking around, his gaze fell on the figurines on the counter.
He had seen it in a movie book; it was a figurine of a martial arts star from Yan, I think his name was Iron Eater Beast. He was forced to retire from acting due to Originium-related illness, his business contracts were terminated, and related products were subsequently discontinued.
Shi Lei pointed and asked:
How much is this?
The boss caught a glimpse of the company's logistics logo on his clothes and quickly realized who the man was.
We can disregard the feelings of those infected, but we must give Zhongli face.
This rising star, with connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles, has already made his name known in the black market. Even the most audacious boss wouldn't dare to ask for an exorbitant price of ten thousand.
"Is this Mister Zhongli? If you want it, you can take it for 1500, no, 1000 Lungmen Dollars."
The blatant discrimination immediately sparked discontent among the infected individuals, who began verbally abusing their relatives.
"Damn it, what a swindler! Didn't he just quote 10,000? How come it's only 1,000 here?"
"What, you're not happy about it? This is my shop, I can sell it for whatever price I want, what's it to you?"
Shi Lei remained calm and reminded him:
"Put it in a bag, I'll take it."
"Okay."
As the shop owner went behind the counter to get the packaging bags, Shi Lei held out his palm to the infected woman. She immediately understood and gratefully handed him the money.
Shi Lei has been in Lungmen for over a month and knows that discrimination against infected people is a common phenomenon.
Punishing the boss now is useless. The priority is to help the woman complete this transaction.
"Guest, it's all packed up for you."
After paying, Shi Lei handed the remaining balance and the packaging bag to the infected woman.
The boss realized he'd been tricked and looked embarrassed.
"Mister Zhongli, you..."
Shi Lei looked at him, his expression turning serious:
"You make the offer, I pay, it's a very fair deal. I think she needs this figure more than I do, so I'm giving it to her as a gift. What, is there a problem?"
The boss clicked his tongue, not knowing what else to say.
"Transactions are all about fairness and impartiality. I hope you can do the same for every client in the future. If I ever hear that you discriminate against infected people, I guarantee you will have no place in Lungmen."
Shi Lei could certainly use more extreme methods, such as giving his boss a severe beating, or letting the infected cause trouble so he wouldn't get his hands dirty. Doing so might feel good in the moment, but it would inevitably sow the seeds of hatred afterward.
What if the boss becomes even more aggressive when he's not around? What if he incites others to join in the discrimination?
As the saying goes, it's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. The goal is to defuse tensions, not escalate them. A combination of a sweet treat and a slap is very effective in deterring conflict.
This is the black market, not a shopping mall. Even if the owner lowers the price to 1000, he can still make a profit.
If the Rex Lapis were in this situation, he wouldn't prioritize violence either; he would probably try to treat everyone fairly.
"Thank you, thank you all."
The woman got what she wanted, thanked them repeatedly, and quickly left, carrying the bag home.
[Gain 5 Roleplay Value based on the host's performance.]
After this brief incident, the group inquired about the motorcycle's whereabouts along the way. It wasn't until they reached the exit of the black market that they managed to gather some information.
They said that in the afternoon, a woman with purple hair wearing a mask was seen loitering around the area on a motorcycle. She didn't stay long before driving away. Mudrock and the others followed the directions, asking around, but to no avail.
Feeling the vibration in his lower back, Shi Lei took out his phone and answered the call from Lin Yuxia. After a brief exchange, he ended the call and called out to someone nearby:
"Exusiai, your motorcycle has been found. It was taken to the Lin Residence. Let's go there now."
It's estimated that the purple-haired woman found out the car owner's information, which is why she hesitated and then gave up on selling it.
Destroying or discarding the motorcycle would be difficult to explain should the authorities come knocking. Therefore, donating the motorcycle to the Lin family is the best solution.
Exusiai was overjoyed to have it back.
Upon learning that Texas's car was still in District 30, Mudrock ordered his men to take the keys and retrieve it. The group then set off again for the Lin family's mansion in the Lower City.
102. Why don't we take her in?
Lin family Residence, 8:28 pm
The group walked through several blocks and arrived at their destination.
The overall decoration style of the Lin Residence is a bit more refined than the surrounding residential buildings, but not by much.
Lin Yuxia, dressed in a red silk Qipao with gold trim and embroidered clouds, stood at the door, eagerly waiting.
The New Year is just around the corner, and it seems that many women like to wear Qipao, which have a classic beauty.
Upon seeing Shi Lei, she took the initiative to greet him.
The infected people led by Mudrock dispersed on their own, showing no intention of following them into the Lin Residence.
The infected who work under the Rat King are all capable young men. They are well aware of their situation on Terra. Staying with other non-infected members would easily lead to fights due to mutual dislike. It's better to leave voluntarily to avoid conflict.
"Mister Shi Lei, please come in."
Lin Yuxia, with a beaming smile, led the five people through the courtyard and into the spacious hall of the mansion.
Lin Gerei was leaning on his cane, admiring a painting on the wall. Seeing his daughter bring the person back, he smiled kindly like a retired old man.
"Mister Zhongli's presence is an honor to my humble abode. I heard you've been busy looking for a motorcycle until now; have you eaten yet?"
Shi Lei shook his head; it was already past his usual dinner time. He had planned to go home after getting the motorcycle, but it seemed someone was treating him to dinner tonight.
Not yet.
Lin Gerei's smile remained unchanged, as if he had already known the answer, and he politely said:
"I've asked the kitchen to prepare some home-style dishes. If you don't mind, please have a simple meal at my humble abode."
When someone invites you to Shi Lei refuse?
"Since Old Mr. Lin is so kind as to accept, then I will respectfully comply."
"Haha, okay, please!"
Although Lin Gerei was using a cane, he moved very quickly and arrived at the exquisitely designed wooden table.
There are many rules about how guests should sit.
Lin Gerei, as the head of the family, undoubtedly deserves the seat of honor. To his right is the seat of honor for the guest of honor, where Shi Lei will sit as the most distinguished guest at the banquet. Further to his right are the seats for the attendants, where Mudrock will sit to help look after things.
To the left of the head of the table is the second most honored guest. Lin Gerei arranged for Nian to sit in this position.
To the left of the left is the third guest seat, and to the right of the right is the fourth guest seat, where Texas and Exusiai are seated.
Opposite the main seat is the secondary seat, also known as the second-in-command seat, which is presided over by Lin Yuxia. She helps take care of the third and fourth-in-command seats, whose distance from the main seat is uncertain.
Lin Gerei had met Shi Lei several times, but they had hardly exchanged any words. Today, he finally had the opportunity to host the game and make the most of his home advantage.
After his daughter repaired her relationship with Shi Lei, she followed his advice and started visiting people around to get acquainted with them. As a result, in less than a week, she grasped a completely new way of fighting.
In the afternoon, she even heated the sand into glass in a very short time right in front of me.
The glass shield is harder than the Sand Shield, significantly increasing its defensive capabilities. Even if a powerful enemy breaks the Glazed Shield, the scattered fragments can still cause secondary damage.
Lin Gerei only has one precious daughter, and he is genuinely happy to see her strength increase.
Within five minutes of being seated, the table was covered with dishes. They must have been cooked in advance, otherwise it wouldn't have been so fast.
"Slap, slap."
As Lin Gerei clapped his hands, the Butler unscrewed the plastic seal on the wine jar, carried it over, and poured wine for everyone.
Exusiai was already starving; she brought her nose to the rim of the glass and sniffed. She didn't even need to drink it to know it was good wine.
"Mister Zhongli, my daughter has been fortunate to receive your care recently. Here, let me offer you a toast first."
Lin Gerei knew that Shi Lei didn't want to change jobs, but the necessary procedures still had to be followed, and he couldn't be impolite.
After offering his toasts and exchanging pleasantries for a moment, he poured more wine for the younger guest in the secondary seat, his attitude respectful.
"Miss Nian, I'll have to rely on you for my daughter's future. Here, let me toast you."
Nian keenly sensed his intention to win him over, so she explained the situation beforehand, thus dashing the other party's hopes.
"Oh, it's alright. But if you have any questions in the future, just ask Zhongli. I'll be going back to Rhodes Island in a few days, so I won't be able to guide Miss."
"Rhodes Island, I've heard of that organization. Perhaps we can increase cooperation in the future."
She wasn't responsible for business matters that year and had a lot of freedom at Rhodes Island. She wasn't sure if Lin Gerei was just being polite or genuinely wanted to collaborate in the future, and was deliberately disclaiming responsibility.
"Sure, you can just talk to Rhodes Island about whatever you need to do. It has nothing to do with me."
Seeing that she was as impenetrable as a fortress, not giving them a chance, even the Rat King was helpless. According to etiquette, toasts were offered in turn to the Messenger in the third and fourth seats of honor.
Texas and Exusiai are old acquaintances; they usually run errands in the Lower City and their business occasionally overlaps.
"After listening to this old man talk for so long, you must all be hungry. You all eat first, and I'll go and ask someone to drive the motorcycles to the front yard."
Everyone waited for those words, then lowered their heads and ate in silence.
More than ten minutes later, an infected person came to see him. He handed the car keys to Texas and left quickly.
The subsequent conversation at the dinner table consisted either of pointless topics or mutual flattery. It felt like eating with elders during Chinese New Year—lacking any real enjoyment.
Everyone toasted and ate until 9:30. We thanked Old Mr. Lin for his hospitality and got up to leave.
Mudrock stared at the many uneaten leftovers on the table and timidly asked Lin Gerei:
"Can I take these with me?"
"Oh?"
She was a little embarrassed and explained:
"I still have children and subordinates there who haven't eaten all day, and I wanted to bring them some food."
To pay off his debts, Mudrock had to manage the infected for the Lin family for two months. The remaining people weren't capable of handling the sculpting and creation of the Clay Artisan. The Sarkaz mercenaries, who used to make a living by killing, were now losing business in the Lower City, effectively cutting off their source of income.
In other words, it's Mudrock that's supporting a small team.
After hearing her reason for packing the food—that it was to bring food to her subordinates— Shi Lei felt pity for her.
Mudrock is gentle in his dealings with people and things, and possesses extremely strong abilities. He remains composed even when faced with important matters. As a leader, he has a unique personal charisma.
Shi Lei could sense that this beautiful Sarkaz girl truly respected him.
In anime/manga terms, Mudrock is a typical fan of the Emperor. She listens to everything he says and strictly follows his orders. Coupled with her occasional air of naivety, she gives off a Ganyu vibe.
Shi Lei had never considered building his own Personal Faction before. Partly because he thought it would be troublesome and difficult to manage, and partly because he wasn't ready.
But after learning about Mudrock's situation today, he felt somewhat shaken.
Why don't we just take her in?
103 The Lone Wolf in the Distance
Lin Gerei had been to the Mudrock's Squad's base and knew the Sarkaz's current living conditions. She genuinely needed to pack up the leftovers, so she nodded in agreement.
"No problem, someone come here."
He summoned his subordinates and ordered them to help pack up the leftover food on the table. He also sent someone to the kitchen to fetch some rice and sausages that were easy to store for Mudrock.