The world has turned into Hell's Game, why should I stay human? Chapter 1376 836: Zhuge Ling: The Wisdom of Mortals_2

Zhuge Ling halted his motion.

"I've come to find you whenever something is happening. You seem rather bored when you're alone. By the way, I completely forgot this time; I'll bring you some Unlucky Coffee next time."

Liu Zheng considered it and opted against offering Zhuge Ling any Dried Fish.

Even Niu Ma found those tough to chew; he didn't want to risk damaging this kid's teeth.

"I'd like an extra-large cup of Yangzhi Ganlu, with less ice, low sugar, and pearls," Zhuge Ling stated promptly.

"So many specific requests, I understand," Liu Zheng replied, waving his hand as he departed Zhuge Mansion.

Driving once more towards Seastar Street, this time Jiang Weisheng was waiting for him right at the entrance.

"Welcome back, Mr. Liu. We're honored by your return," Jiang Weisheng said with a smile.

"Mr. Jiang, you are too kind. Please refrain from such elaborate welcomes in the future, or I'll feel too embarrassed to visit," Liu Zheng responded.

"Haha, understood, understood. Please, come inside."

Jiang Weisheng escorted Liu Zheng into Conch House and instructed someone to bring out a box.

Upon opening it, Liu Zheng saw it was brimming with clamshells, coral, pearls, gems, and various other items.

"Are jewels also considered smuggled goods?" Liu Zheng inquired, looking perplexed.

"It's not exclusively illegal items that are classified as smuggled goods. Anything that enters Metropolis and is distributed without adhering to official procedures is deemed smuggled," Jiang Weisheng clarified.

"Ah, I see. What's the price for all this?" he asked.

"Since Mr. Liu has decided against taking any dividends, please accept these as a token of our appreciation," Jiang Weisheng stated.

"Very well, I shall accept them. Infinite Heavenly Venerable," Liu Zheng replied without further pleasantries, promptly storing the box within his Qiankun Ring.

"Time is short, so I won't linger. I must be going now."

"Take care, Mr. Liu."

Leaving Seastar Street behind, he made haste towards their designated meeting point.

After a drive exceeding thirty minutes, he followed the directions from his pocket watch, arriving at an industrial zone.

Numerous factories, both large and small, dotted the landscape, interspersed with only a few tall buildings that appeared to be residential, likely employee dormitories.

Liu Zheng brought his vehicle to a stop in the middle of an intersection, the needle on his pocket watch spinning erratically.

If the watch wasn't malfunctioning, then he had indeed reached his destination.

Liu Zheng delayed exiting the car, opting instead to first contact Ace.

"Brother Pai, I've arrived," he said into the phone.

"Excellent. What's the precise location?" Ace inquired.

"Let me check. It should be here at the Golden Dragon Industrial Park."

By correlating the route he had taken with the distinctive features of the industrial park, Liu Zheng pinpointed his current whereabouts.

"I'm not entirely familiar with that area. Let me look into it," Ace responded before ending the call.

More than ten minutes later, Ace called back.

"I've found out. The person in charge around here is named Big Carby. If you run into any trouble later, just mention his name and call me, and I'll handle the communication," Ace informed him.

"Will this cause you any trouble?" Liu Zheng asked.

"No issues at all, as long as you have something to provide them with for their performance boost. Of course, the crucial condition is that the smuggled goods you've acquired shouldn't be excessively problematic, otherwise, they'll be compelled to follow protocol," Ace cautioned.

"I hope that won't be the case," Liu Zheng mused, uncertain about the nature of the goods he was expecting to receive this time.

Following that conversation, he initiated a call to Silver Wolf.

As he was still within the city limits, there was a possibility of encountering either the anti-smuggling unit from the Security Department or the one from the City Supervision Department.

"I'll send Lie Chang over. He'll handle it based on the circumstances," Silver Wolf stated after hearing Liu Zheng out.

Silver Wolf lacked the same level of influence as Ace; he couldn't resolve matters with a single phone call.

However, he couldn't personally intervene either, as that would leave no room for negotiation. Therefore, sending Lie Chang to represent him was the most appropriate course of action.

"Understood. Thank you, Brother-in-law," Liu Zheng said, his tone warm.

"Hmm. Did you happen to kill Bai Shanmin?" Silver Wolf inquired.

"That's correct."

"A good kill." Silver Wolf offered a slight smile.

Upon hearing the news, he had deliberately placed a call to Bai Shan Yiyi to offer his condolences, which had infuriated her sufficiently to smash both the landline and her desk in a fit of rage.

"Was he close with Bai Shan Yiyi, the one who vied for the position with you, Brother-in-law?" Liu Zheng asked.

"Not intimately, but not entirely distant either. There are whispers within the department now that Bai Shanming's demise is linked to me," Silver Wolf replied.

"Oh? Won't that be disadvantageous for you, Brother-in-law?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"It certainly proves disadvantageous. The deputy director personally summoned me this morning, emphasizing that colleagues should prevent minor disputes from escalating. However, there's a silver lining; knowing Bai Shan Yiyi's temperament, she would have confronted me directly by now. The fact that she merely vented her frustration on the table suggests she's also feeling apprehensive."

Silver Wolf stated.

While workplace rivalries can indeed be fierce, they typically involve subtle machinations rather than overt aggression. Direct elimination of a rival and their kin invariably leads to unending repercussions.

Yet, as Silver Wolf was genuinely uninvolved, he felt no concern regarding potential repercussions and relished the perceived respect it garnered.

"Haha, well, that's an unexpectedly pleasant outcome."

"Indeed. The influence of the Bai Nation is substantial, so you should remain cautious as well."

Silver Wolf offered this caution before concluding the call.

Shortly thereafter, Lie Chang appeared, arriving on a motorcycle.

It noticed the spirit car but did not halt, instead executing a subtle, concealed gesture as it sped past.

Liu Zheng understood the need for discretion and refrained from calling out, merely observing its departure around the street corner.

Only after Lie Chang had completely vanished from sight did he finally disembark from his vehicle.

The pocket watch ceased its ticking, then detached itself from Liu Zheng's grasp and took flight towards the southeast.

A short while later, a group of individuals in plain attire approached from a distance.

"Bloody Restaurant?"

The apparent leader surveyed Liu Zheng and inquired.

"Isn't it rather obvious?"

Liu Zheng gestured to his uniform in response.

Concurrently, he discreetly observed the smugglers before him.

Their leader was an unremarkable middle-aged man, possessing thinning hair and a prominent red nose, reminiscent of someone who frequents bars and indulges in copious amounts of beer.

The others, while varied in appearance, shared a common trait of being nondescript, easily blending into any crowd.

Their rigid expressions led Liu Zheng to suspect they might be employing some form of human-skin mask.

"The order originated from the Bloody Restaurant's kitchen."

The smuggler leader stressed this point.

"Salmon, you can come down now."

Liu Zheng opted not to engage in further discussion and instead summoned San Huamao.

"You recognize it, yes?"

He inquired, holding San Huamao.

"Greetings, I am Salmon Meow."

San Huamao extended a paw in a polite salutation.

"We recognize it."

Upon seeing San Huamao, the smuggler leader gave an affirmative nod.

"Since identification is confirmed, let's proceed with the exchange swiftly; my time is limited."

Liu Zheng urged.

The smuggler leader cast a sideways glance at him but remained silent, signaling his associates instead.

Several smugglers stepped forward, retrieving chalks of various hues from their pockets.

They assumed a squatting position, meticulously drawing a formation on the ground, comprising rhombuses, triangles, circles, and numerous other symbols.

With a final clap, they touched the formation, which erupted in a brilliant luminescence, causing a substantial fish tank to materialize from it.

Contained within the tank was a large fish, appearing moribund, somewhat resembling an anglerfish but decidedly more grotesque. Its body was afflicted with tumorous growths, and serpentine tendrils emerged from its ocular regions.

"Salmon, is this the one?"

Liu Zheng posed the question.

"Deep Sea Snake Lumps King Fish, this is indeed it, meow."

Salmon circled the tank, examined its contents, and then confirmed with a nod.

"King fish?"

Liu Zheng scrutinized the aquatic creature once more and observed a crown-like structure formed by tumors atop its head.

"Then let us proceed with the exchange. Infinite Heavenly Venerate."

Liu Zheng produced a container, previously provided by White Feather Chicken, from his Qiankun Ring.

He remained oblivious to its contents, whether currency or otherwise, as it was of no concern to him.

"Halt!"

Precisely as the smuggler leader was about to accept the container, a forceful shout echoed from behind.

His form trembled, and his immediate instinct was not to turn but to direct his gaze towards Liu Zheng.

"This has no bearing on me; I have no need for this payment."

Liu Zheng conveyed, shaking his head. He then retrieved several gold bars from his System Space.

"The transaction is therefore void."

The gleaming gold bars, coupled with his nonchalant demeanor, served to momentarily convince the smuggler leader.

"No need; just take the container and depart. I shall manage the situation here under my own terms."

Liu Zheng stated, refusing the offer.

"Very well."

The smuggler leader made a swift decision, seizing the container and departing with his companions, neglecting to dismantle the ground formation.

"Sloppy execution; the quality of smugglers seems to decline with each passing generation."

He remarked with a shake of his head but made no move to assist in the formation's disposal.