Wang Manni said.

"Alright, come over now."

Liu Zheng said bluntly.

"Okay, I’ll go to the finance department to get the money now."

"What are you staring at?"

He hung up the phone and found Xia Kai watching him.

"Boss, do you often take jobs for money?"

Xia Kai asked.

"Yeah, any problem with that?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"No, no, it’s just very unusual. Normally, players take jobs in instances to complete tasks or obtain items. It’s rare to see someone like you doing it solely for money."

Xia Kai replied.

"The money in Metropolis is quite valuable. It can hire strong people to help you complete tasks or buy extraordinary items. If you’re daring, I can arrange some work for you to earn money."

He said.

"Huh? I’d love to help you with work, but I’m afraid my lack of strength might cause problems for you."

Xia Kai politely declined.

"It’s up to you. Anyway, if you want to work, just let me know."

Liu Zheng didn’t force him.

"Yeah, thanks, boss."

Xia Kai thanked him.

"By the way, Doctor Nile has a daughter named Sasha. She has some issues with her intelligence but is a good girl. Don’t disrespect her, and definitely don’t think about her. Otherwise, even if the doctor doesn’t kill you, I’ll come to clean up. Got it?"

Liu Zheng remembered to remind him.

Though Xia Kai didn’t seem like that kind of person, you can never tell. Many people look proper on the surface but are twisted and sneaky behind the scenes.

Besides, people don’t always control their actions; they can do anything on impulse.

"Don’t worry, I promise not to cross any lines."

Xia Kai quickly replied.

"Hmm. Here, try some Metropolis cuisine."

Liu Zheng handed him a few pieces of dried fish.

"Thank you, boss."

Xia Kai stuffed one in his mouth and casually chewed.

"Crunch!"

A crunchy sound echoed.

"Damn!"

Xia Kai opened his mouth and spat out half a chipped tooth.

He licked his gap-toothed smile, looking mournfully at Liu Zheng.

"My fault, my fault, I forgot your teeth aren’t that strong."

Liu Zheng said somewhat awkwardly.

He indeed wanted to joke around but forgot Xia Kai’s constitution couldn’t compare to that of real Transcendents.

"Let the doctor fix your tooth later; I’ll cover the cost."

Liu Zheng said.

"It’s okay, boss. The system will fix it after the instance settles. But this dried fish of yours is absurdly hard; it could be used as a weapon. Are all Metropolis dishes this absurd?"

Xia Kai waved his hand.

"There are many normal foods, but the dishes from the Bloody Restaurant are indeed extreme."

He replied.

"Is the Bloody Restaurant the place you work?"

Xia Kai recalled when he first met Liu Zheng, who claimed to be a procurement officer for the Bloody Restaurant.

"Yes, once I get the money, I need to hurry back to the restaurant, or I’ll face penalties."

Liu Zheng nodded.

"Your strength should be quite impressive in this world, right? Does the Bloody Restaurant really pressure you that much?"

Xia Kai asked curiously.

Although he knew little about Metropolis, Liu Zheng, who can pick people up from Bathhouse Street outside the city and make money off the company, couldn’t just be a nobody.

"The waters in Metropolis are deep; my strength is nothing. But the Bloody Restaurant isn’t an ordinary place; it’s one of Metropolis’ landmarks. A significant part of the reason I can make waves outside is because the restaurant supports me."

Liu Zheng replied.

"What are landmarks?"

"They’re special buildings with unique and powerful abilities that other structures lack. If Metropolis were a person, these landmarks would be its organs."

He mused.

Of course, that’s just his subjective view.

Liu Zheng’s strength hasn’t reached the level to truly understand Metropolis and its landmarks.

"Sounds impressive."

Xia Kai said, confused yet intrigued.

After chatting a bit more, Wang Manni finally arrived with the money.

Receiving the cash, Liu Zheng returned to the restaurant.

"Tsk, you really know how to come back, huh?"

As soon as he entered the break room, Niu Ma snarked.

"Look at what you’re saying; the takeout department is my home. How could I not know to return home?"

Liu Zheng replied cheerfully.

"Hmph, if you were a minute later, I would have kicked you out of this home. Other newcomers are all scared and dare not delay outside after delivery. You’re something else; you let others order to boost your performance and dawdle outside after delivering. If you don’t want to come back, don’t; this isn’t a hotel with hourly rooms for you to stay."

Niu Ma said sternly.

"Which hotel has hourly rooms without a bed..."

He muttered softly.

"What did you say?"

Niu Ma’s eyes widened like saucers.

"Nothing. You’re right, boss. I’ll definitely manage my time better to ensure I don’t delay deliveries."

Liu Zheng replied sincerely.

"Alright, since you admitted your mistake, I’ll let you off this time. Write a 3,000-word reflection and submit it before dinner. If it’s not good, I’ll use you as a bed tonight."

Niu Ma ordered.

"Yes!"

He responded loudly.

Just moments ago, he was acting like a boss outside, now punished here with a reflection, quite a plot twist.

But Liu Zheng wasn’t resentful, only curious as to why Niu Ma suddenly did this.

It was normal for Niu Ma to knock him down, whether for fun or to extort him, but writing a formal reflection was out of character.

Could it be...

"Boss?"

Liu Zheng called Niu Ma, slightly tiptoeing.

"Hmm."

Niu Ma nodded slightly.

"Turns out it’s the restaurant."

He realized.

It’s certainly not Si Xue; if Si Xue wanted to deal with him, he’d be bait in the office.

"Seems the restaurant’s been acting up a lot lately."

Liu Zheng pondered.

First checking the Driver’s accounts, now having Niu Ma tidy him up. Who knows what they’ll do next.

Problem is, aside from showing loyalty to Si Xue, he hasn’t done anything against the restaurant. Could their conflict have escalated this much?

"No, this must be clarified."

Liu Zheng decided.

He still needs to stay in Metropolis for a while; if the restaurant keeps targeting him, it’ll be tough.

"Boss, can you call the owner for me? Say I want to report some work."

Liu Zheng asked Niu Ma. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"What work could you report at this time? If an order comes, I’ll have to deliver it myself."

Niu Ma grumbled.

"Then drive, rent the most luxurious car, and take your wife for a spin; I’ll cover the costs."

He generously offered.

"Forget it. After the drive, I’ll be sore all over."

Niu Ma rolled his eyes but still got his phone.

"Sorry to bother, boss, Liu Zheng says he wishes to report some work."

When the call was connected, Niu Ma instantly turned into a lackey.

"Yes, yes, okay, I’ll have him go over right now. Rest assured, resting is for better work, after all. You can trust that the takeout department won’t have any issues with me here."

Niu Ma said with righteousness.

"Hehe."

Liu Zheng chuckled maliciously.

Just now, Niu Ma was reprimanding him, and now it’s getting chastised by Si Xue. What goes around comes around.

"What’s so funny? If an order comes and you’re still not back, you’ll regret it."

Niu Ma raised a threatening hoof.

"I promise I’ll be quick."

Liu Zheng said and left the break room, quickly heading to Si Xue’s office.

Today’s office theme was the treasure cave, filled with countless gold and silver coins, along with numerous gems that dazzled the eyes with their brilliance.

Si Xue lay in a silk nightgown atop the largest pile of gold coins, propping her head with one hand and playing with an ostrich egg-sized black gemstone.