When Reason Fails, Use Physics

Liu Zheng walked up to the food cart and inspected the meal.

The meal box was exquisitely packaged. Not only was the iris pattern more intricate, but the box was also wrapped in many ribbons.

Fortunately, the ribbons were tied simply enough. Otherwise, he would have had to worry about how to restore them later.

When he opened the lid, he found a transparent glass jar inside.

The jar was filled with thumb-sized eyeballs, cleaned thoroughly without a trace of bloodshot veins.

They were exceptionally fresh too, glistening as though they were still growing on a lamb.

Thick mucus clung to the inside of the jar. He had no idea whether it had been added or secreted by the eyeballs themselves.

"Name: Supreme Black Goat Kid Eye Sashimi"

"Type: Item"

"Quality: Fine"

"Effect: Repairs defects and heals injuries. High chance of gaining the 'Flesh Mutation' status, extremely low chance of gaining the 'Flesh Rebirth' status."

"Note: The Black Goat of the Forest, which births countless offspring. Its young await the Gospel."

This thing...

...seemed especially bad.

Looking at the system description, Liu Zheng had an ominous feeling.

But no matter what, he still had a job to do.

He repackaged the meal box and entered the employee passage again.

The second time he entered, Liu Zheng realized he had grown used to the darkness and silence.

He even felt that the walls had become softer and warmer, like the skin of a mature woman.

He even found himself becoming immersed in it.

"Heh, heh."

The familiar suffocating sensation struck again. Liu Zheng instinctively grabbed his own throat with one hand, snapping himself awake.

Only then did he realize that his other hand had sunk into the wall and was making some extremely primal movements.

"Fuck!"

Liu Zheng jerked his arm back as if electrocuted and vigorously wiped it against his work uniform.

He had never imagined that he would molest a wall.

If anyone found out, they would fire him straight into Indian citizenship.

But to be fair, it really did feel good.

If I make it back to reality alive, I should buy a few slime toys to play with.

Liu Zheng pondered this thoughtfully.

After leaving the passage, he did not head toward First-Class Sky Villas. Instead, he sprinted in the opposite direction.

Before long, he saw that French Plane Tree again.

"I'm back."

Liu Zheng waved.

"Did you come to pee?"

Dai Lego asked excitedly.

"Uh, no."

"Then did you get Maotai?"

"Uh, also no."

"Then what did you come here for?"

Dai Lego closed its eyes disdainfully.

"I got a can of this."

Liu Zheng pulled a can from his pocket and shook it.

Hearing the sloshing liquid, Dai Lego opened its eyes again.

"Oh, it's actually this."

It sounded somewhat surprised.

"You've had it before?"

"I used to love drinking it, until I got diabetes."

Dai Lego shrugged its branches.

"Trees can get diabetes too?"

This time, Liu Zheng was the one surprised.

"Don't think only you humans have metabolism."

Dai Lego said proudly.

"Then do you still want some?"

He did not care about this bizarre biological knowledge.

"Yes!"

Dai Lego answered quickly.

"Aren't you diabetic?"

Liu Zheng squinted at it.

"A little drink doesn't count as drinking."

"If it doesn't say it has sugar, then it's sugar-free."

Dai Lego began spouting incomprehensible nonsense, and the street was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

"Stop, stop. Quit chanting sutras."

He walked over to the black soil and opened the can.

A powerful, pungent smell rushed into his nostrils. The burning sensation quickly spread from his nose to his lungs.

Liu Zheng thought for a moment, then brought his mouth closer.

"Hey, what are you doing?!"

Dai Lego shouted.

"Don't be so stingy. Just one sip. You said it yourself, a little drink doesn't count as drinking."

He waved a hand.

And he truly did not drink much. After taking a small sip, he poured the rest for Dai Lego.

The French Plane Tree closed its eyes, seemingly enjoying the rock music in its mind.

Whatever it heard, green juice began to seep from its eyes.

Perhaps because Liu Zheng had drunk too little, he heard nothing at all.

"I remembered the first rain beneath the setting sun. That was my lost youth."

Dai Lego sighed.

"Three hundred years ago?"

Liu Zheng casually replied.

"What kind of bullshit are you talking about? I'm only eighteen this year."

Dai Lego said furiously.

"My apologies. I failed to recognize that."

He looked at its rough, cracked bark and said it sincerely.

"Good that you know. Since the song was pretty good, tell me. What do you want in exchange?"

Dai Lego said.

"Do you have—"

Liu Zheng's voice abruptly stopped.

He suddenly thought of something. Would telling it about Snake Game count as revealing information about the restaurant?

The connection was somewhat forced, but he was not willing to take that risk.

Liu Zheng carefully reconsidered his wording and asked another way.

"I need to clear a game. Do you have anything that can improve my dynamic vision and reaction speed, or something that can clear it directly?"

"You mean Snake Game, right?"

Dai Lego's answer caught him by surprise.

"You know about it?"

"I've eaten quite a few of your restaurant employees' brains. Though they all tasted strange."

Dai Lego sounded rather disgusted.

"Can you digest all their memories?"

Liu Zheng asked curiously.

"Not really. I can only digest a small part of them. Also, I can't know too much about the restaurant either. You'd better not ask."

Dai Lego shook its crown.

"Oh. Since you know, pick something suitable for me."

Liu Zheng did not intend to ask any further questions.

The last time he had casually asked about the female boss, Cow-Horse had nearly beaten him to death.

Judging by Dai Lego's appearance, it was probably even stronger than Cow-Horse.

"You're one lucky kid. I really do have something good."

After the black soil churned for a moment, tree roots tossed a golden finger at Liu Zheng's feet.

"Name: Copper Finger"

"Type: Item"

"Quality: Excellent"

"Effect: When used under suitable circumstances, grants one chance to S/L (save and load)."

"Note: Life is a shitty game because it can't S/L."

"Goodbye."

Putting away the Copper Finger, Liu Zheng raced toward First-Class Sky Villas.

Behind him, Dai Lego's rock music seemed to have reached its climax.

The French Plane Tree wildly shook its branches and leaves. Dozens of roots covered in bones burst from the earth and danced madly through the air, letting out shrill howls.

Bones of all shapes and sizes collided with one another, like a horde of demons dancing wildly.

--

"First-Class Sky Villas."

Four gilded characters stretched across the marble archway, with an oval-shaped building rising behind it.

Two security guards stood ramrod straight at the gate's ceremonial posts. Another guard was inside the security booth, while one more watched the entrance to the underground garage.

"The property management fee in this complex must be ten yuan per square meter, right?"

Seeing that staffing arrangement, Liu Zheng secretly clicked his tongue.

He adjusted the takeout box in his hand and walked toward the gate.

"Stop. What are you here for?"

A security guard blocked his way.

The man was powerfully built, his chest muscles nearly bursting through his uniform.

His waist bulged with something unknown, perhaps a weapon.

"Bloodstained Restaurant. I'm delivering food."

Liu Zheng puffed out his chest as well.

His chest was not as big, and his clothes were not as sharp, but he had won by a landslide in terms of bearing.

"Where's the order?"

The guard held out a hand.

"This."

He took out the delivery slip and handed it to the guard.

"Unrelated personnel are forbidden from entering this complex. Give me the food, and I'll deliver it for you."

The guard said this after reading the delivery slip.

Here it comes!

Sure enough, the delivery would not be that easy.

The guard probably would not dare steal the food, nor would he likely deliver it to the wrong place, but there was no way to confirm the recipient's identity.

"The restaurant requires it to be delivered directly to the person who placed the order. Brother, could you make an exception?"

He tried to negotiate.

"Who's your brother?"

The guard gave him a contemptuous look.

"Either give it to me, or don't deliver it at all."

He clasped his hands behind his back and spoke down to Liu Zheng.

"No room for negotiation?"

"Give me a piece of meat, and I'll let you in."

The guard licked his lips.

"Fine."

Liu Zheng frowned, but ultimately chose to compromise.

"And us."

Suddenly, the light above his head dimmed.

At some point, all the security guards had surrounded him, wearing malicious smiles.

"Heh heh."

Surrounded on all sides, Liu Zheng merely flashed a wicked grin, pulled out his phone, and made a call.

"Boss, have you finished delivering the food?"

He asked respectfully.

"I'm on my way back. What is it?"

"I've run into a little trouble. The security guards won't let me into the complex."

Liu Zheng said.

"What the hell does that have to do with me? Figure it out yourself."

Cow-Horse said irritably.

"I got something good. Boss, you wouldn't want to miss the game's clearance reward, would you?"

"Fuck!"

From the other end of the call came the sound of screeching brakes.

"There's no way I'm stepping in to help you."

After a moment, Cow-Horse said.

"But if they refuse to listen to reason, you can use physics instead. Got it?"

"I see."

Liu Zheng hung up, then suddenly leaped into the air and kicked a security guard squarely in the crotch.

"You should've said so earlier."

He flashed the security guards a friendly smile.