This time it was the Sea Lady who voiced her refusal.
She looked at Liu Zheng, with all the admiration in her eyes turning into hostility.
"Who sent you, exactly?"
"It matters. It decides whether I ask you to leave or toss you into the crucible."
Something beneath the Sea Lady’s clothing was rapidly rolling, as if about to burst forth from the fabric.
"Alright, I was sent by the Fisherman."
Liu Zheng admitted candidly.
"I knew it was that old jerk."
The Sea Lady let out a scoff.
"What did he promise you? A fish, a bag of bait, or a fishing rod?"
"He promised the gratitude of a father."
Liu Zheng pondered before answering.
"Gratitude of a father? Hahahaha!!!"
The Sea Lady let out a shrill and hollow laugh upon hearing his words.
"Does he even know what a father is? Which father sends his daughter’s mother to the Garbage Processing Plant?"
"Which father lets his daughter live alone on the surface from a young age?"
"Even the livestock in a breeding farm know to protect their young, but he only knows about accompanying his fish in the sewers."
"Has he become as fat and stupid as those fish by now?"
"No, he looked quite slim, not as fat as you."
Liu Zheng recalled the middle-aged man’s appearance and spoke candidly.
Player Number 7 couldn’t help but laugh.
"What are you laughing at?"
The Sea Lady glared at him.
"Can’t help it, this guy is too funny,"
Player Number 7 spread his hands.
"Hmph. Go back and tell him, I’ll do what I want without his meddling."
His interruption seemed to have defused some of the Sea Lady’s anger.
"Why don’t you tell him that yourself?"
"Human, don’t push your luck. My fondness for you hasn’t reached the life-saving extent."
The Sea Lady warned with a menacing tone.
"Whether you admit it or not, the Fisherman is still very concerned about you. Even without me, he would send someone else to interfere with you. He has the power and the time to do so."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Have a fishing contest with me. If I lose, I’ll deal with the Fisherman for you, make sure he won’t bother you."
The Sea Lady was clearly doubtful.
"That old jerk might be no good, but he has some strength. Let alone a mere delivery guy like you, even the boss of your restaurant might not be able to handle him."
"The local official beats the high ones, I still have some connections in the sewers. Otherwise, how could I have fished so much from your dad’s pond and left unscathed?"
The Red Ghost and Fire Mage, either of them should be able to suppress the Fisherman.
Of course, solving this with force was the last resort.
To deal with a weirdo, he had to either confront directly or use the rules to his advantage.
But to handle a father, he had many plans up his sleeve.
"I still don’t believe you,"
The Sea Lady shook her head.
"How about this, if I break my word, you can just order takeout to finish me off, okay?"
Liu Zheng said with resignation.
The Sea Lady’s lips curled into a smirk.
If she were to place the order actively, even if Liu Zheng were to deliver, it would cost her a great deal.
But if he offered it himself, the price would be much less.
This world is like that, logic and causality are always somewhat elusive.
The moment Liu Zheng heard the Sea Lady agree, he felt the Fisherman’s finger in his pocket vibrate abruptly.
"She might have agreed, but I haven’t,"
Player Number 7 interjected.
"Do you still have any exclusive board games after the Regicide Chess?"
"No. Do you have something in mind?"
"Ever heard of Killers of the Three Kingdoms?"
"The rules are simple. There are four roles: Monarch, Loyalist, Rebel, and Traitor..."
Liu Zheng briefly explained the rules of Killers of the Three Kingdoms, and mentioned the Skills of a few typical military generals.
"How come I’ve never heard of this country?"
Player Number 7 asked in confusion.
"Because I made it up. If you don’t like it, just change its name to something like Monster Kill, Strange Kill, and so on,"
"I feel like you’re insulting me."
"That’s your hallucination."
Liu Zheng stated without changing his expression.
"Forget it. Your idea is really quite impressive. Alright, I’ll compete with you."
"If you lose, not only will you have to solve the mermaid’s trouble, but you’ll also have to give me this board game for free."
"If you win, I’ll buy this board game, but I want it to be exclusive."
He nodded in agreement.
After all, Youka Company couldn’t possibly come into the instance to charge him royalties.
"Hold on, you all wait a moment, I’ll go handle a handover."
Having said that, the mermaid was about to leave. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
"We can’t compete today, I’m actually here to deliver your food."
Liu Zheng hurriedly spoke.
Then he took out the takeout from the delivery box.
"Name: Sour Fish Dish"
"Effect: Restores stamina, temporarily grants +2 to strength and constitution, lasts for one instance."
"Note: Vegetables grown with fermented sewer fish as fertilizer, acidic enough to make even a rock giant’s face contort."
"Can it be taken out of the instance: Yes"
"Did that old guy order this for me?"
She said without hesitation.
Liu Zheng sighed as he had grown accustomed to it, preparing to say something when Player 7 interjected.
"Take it, mermaid, after all, this will be his last time bothering you."
After hearing his words, the mermaid bit her lip and took the takeout.
"Then leave me your number, I’ll tell you the time and place tomorrow."
He recited a string of numbers.
"That works, what should I call you?"
"Just call me Nightingale."
Clearly a name he had just made up.
But Liu Zheng didn’t care much, after all, people in this world are not fond of using their real names.
Speaking of which, whether Dai Legao and Napoleon’s names are real is also up for debate.
"Then, I hope you enjoy your meal."
He said and turned to leave.
"Wait a moment, human."
Nightingale called out to him.
Liu Zheng turned back and saw Nightingale removing the mask from her face.
A cascade of golden hair fell over her shoulders, almost blinding his dog eyes.
However, what truly blinded his dog eyes was Nightingale’s face.
Even though her features were somewhat rugged and her contours too sharp, she could still be considered a great beauty.
Especially those slightly upturned eyes, they were undeniably soul-stirring.
"So it’s this Huang Mao."
Liu Zheng said subconsciously.
Now he understood why the Fisherman was so intent on breaking up Huang Mao and the mermaid.
Nightingale looked at him.
"Nothing. Was there anything else?"
"My earlier offer still stands, if you’re thinking of switching jobs, you can call me as well."
"OK. Oh, this coffee’s on me. Goodbye," he said, placing a cup of Unlucky Coffee on the table before leaving the room.
Nightingale picked up the coffee but didn’t drink it, lost in thought.
"Are you interested in that delivery guy?"
The mermaid turned to Nightingale, her tone indescribable.
"Don’t you find him interesting?"
"He’s somewhat curious, but he’s just a human in the end."
"Even after a full conversion, there’s a high chance he’ll end up becoming a cognitively defective kin."
"I guess he won’t. But that’s not the point; the important thing is, I sensed the aura of the Chaos Club on him," Nightingale whispered in her ear.
"And you still dare let him work for you? Aren’t you afraid City Hall will give you trouble?"
"Fortune favors the bold. Anything that flows from the Chaos Club, isn’t it all staggeringly profitable?"
"Regicidal Chess is good, but after all, it’s a second-rate product that has changed hands a few times. To make a fortune, Regicidal Chess alone isn’t enough," Nightingale said.
"You’re really crazy."
The mermaid shook her head.
"In these times, you’re not tough enough if you’re not mad, and if you’re not tough, you don’t stand a chance. I don’t want to end up as fertilizer for my brothers."
The mermaid, caught off guard, could only utter a faint whimper.