Survival Game: Call Me an Honest Businessman

Li Zhi was awakened by an urgent message from a little white dove.

5:47 am.

I've only slept for less than three hours.

Li Zhi's face fell, and he opened the chat window:

A little white dove: [Your Majesty! Our spies from the Imperial Household Department have discovered that the snake-clan beastmen of the Beast Alliance are preparing to join forces with other beastmen to search for your whereabouts! It is highly likely that there is an assassination attempt. The Imperial Household Department has sent this little dove to sound out your intentions. Should we send a detachment of imperial guards to protect you?]

Li Zhi's morning grumpiness vanished instantly, and he became fully awake.

Celia had just said that lower-level races would send people to kill her when the authorities already received the news.

These orcs are fast!

Fortunately, she had made some preparations in advance.

But it doesn't seem to be enough.

Li Zhi got out of bed, brushed his teeth and washed his face, and knocked on Wu Yin's door.

dong dong dong-

There was no movement.

dong dong dong-

"Wu Yin".

Inside, one could hear someone turning over and making very impatient clicking sounds.

dong dong dong-

"Wu Yin".

There was a loud thud as something hit something, followed by rustling sounds of climbing and the wheelchair rolling.

Wu Yin clutched his swollen elbow, his voice squeezed out from between his teeth and throat: "You'd better have something important to say, or I will definitely kill you."

Li Zhi: "You set up a stall at the Soma Ghost Market, so you must know that Li Lingjun is there too, right?"

Wu Yin attached the prosthetic leg to his leg and then pulled a modified gun from under the wheelchair: "That's it? You woke me up before 6 a.m.?"

Li Zhi ignored her: "I want you to help me buy a few masks from her, preferably masks of women of different ages that can increase attribute points, and the higher the concealment level, the better."

She transferred 20 gold coins to him.

Li Zhi: "Consider the rest as a reward for your hard work."

Wu Yin sneered as he twirled the gun in his hand: "Who do you think you're trying to fool? I used to be the richest man in District 16, okay? Give me another unit of Apocalypse Shard."

Li Zhi leaned against the doorframe: "Have you gone back to the Hunter Corps recently? What were you doing there back then? And that beast-eared woman, do you know her true identity? Answer these questions and I'll give you 0.1 units of Apocalypse Crystal Shards."

Wu Yin pointed at Li Zhi: "Get as far away from me as possible before I fire my gun."

Li Zhi: "I just wanted to tell you that if you're hiding there because of that beast-eared woman, then there's no need. I have a way to control her. If it's for some other reason, tell me, and I might be able to help you solve it."

Wu Yin narrowed his eyes, pulled out another gun with his prosthetic arm, moved one towards Li Zhi's heart, and pointed the other at her chin.

"Look at you, you're in such a hurry again." Li Zhi turned to leave, but turned back halfway. "Remember to buy me a mask."

Before Wu Yin could even think about the 1 unit of Apocalypse Crystal, he quickened his pace and returned to his room.

Since he had nothing better to do, Li Zhi finished his breakfast and then teleported from the airship, which was still undergoing final modifications, to the Green Market.

The mornings at the lush green market are the quietest.

As the night's hustle and bustle subsided, most of the vendors had not yet come out, but there were many little tree people, moving in groups among the giant trees, playing with branches or swinging their companions on swings.

Li Zhi recognized the little tree person who had been working part-time selling information in the information hall and greeted her.

The little tree man was surprised: "You don't have to go to school, why are you here so early?"

For a moment, Li Zhi was at a loss for words.

"I'm waiting for someone here."

She did arrange to meet Celia here, but it will be some time before she does.

The little tree-man stretched out a small branch with a copper coin on it: "Could you help me ask for leave? Just say that the person you invited is me."

A voice came from behind Li Zhi: "Not only can't you do that, your part-time job this afternoon is also canceled, and you have to make up three classes."

The little tree person shook its branch, and the copper coin fell to the ground. She screamed, picked it up, and ran away.

Li Zhi was slapped again.

She suspected that Zero did it on purpose.

"You're here so early, are you hiding from being hunted down?"

Li Zhi's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Why does it seem like the whole world is after her, and the whole world knows she's being hunted?

Zero: "Since we're just killing time anyway, let's listen to a lecture together."

Li Zhi's eyes lit up: "Free?"

Zero: "Would a miser like you ever give me money?"

Li Zhi smiled and said, "Ling, you know me so well! No wonder I felt an instant connection with you. Seeing you made me want to be your friend. What did you talk about today? Does your school have any textbooks? Can I borrow them to take home and read?"

She had never seen any books since she came to the Tianqi Continent.

—The instruction manual for the microcrystalline energy converter does not count.

She had previously asked Celia where she could buy books about the various races of the Apocalypse Continent, and Celia told her that they were available in libraries in various cities.

But to this day, she has never been to the city.

Zero: "Today we'll talk about talent and career."

Li Zhi was a little disappointed: "It's fine too..."

Zero scoffed and turned to leave: "You think you understand your talent and profession? I'm worried you won't be able to learn it."

Li Zhi immediately followed.

"With a teacher like you, there's absolutely no way I wouldn't understand, but I bet you don't know what this means."

Li Zhi crossed two fingers to make a heart shape.

Zero glanced at it, then looked away: "I don't want to know about such boring things."

Li Zhi quickly walked a few steps ahead of her, turned around, and made a big heart shape with his hands: "It means I love you~"

Ling remained unmoved, quickened his pace, and passed Li Zhi.

Li Zhi watched her retreating figure, a hint of suspicion and conjecture flashing in his eyes, before finally turning into indifference.

"Zero, should I call you teacher?"

"There's a saying on Earth: 'A teacher for a day is a mother for life.' If anyone bullies me in the future, can I tell you?"

Ling paused, then said, "What you said was clearly 'A teacher for a day is a father for life.'"

Li Zhi's eyes widened in surprise: "How did you know?"

Zero: "You humans have become so overpopulated that you're not surprised if I know anything about humans."

Zero: "So, it's your business if others bully you, it has nothing to do with me."

Li Zhi clicked his tongue and caught up with her: "Look at what you're saying, it's too simplistic. You're a teacher, don't you know that teachers can be male or female? A master's wife is called a master's wife, but what if a master's wife doesn't have a partner? Would she still be called a master? Isn't that strange? Besides, you're a girl, that's why I said 'a mother for life.' We young girls all say that, it's just that you haven't realized it yet."

Zero: "I know everything—"

Li Zhi tilted his head: "All what?"

Zero: "It's nothing. I won't protect you no matter what you call me. This is your own path."