Chapter Ten: Mr. Li

“Ah!!!”

A piercing scream echoed through the clouds.

Watching the security guard’s distorted face, Liu Zheng felt an inexplicable sense of comfort.

This replica world was filled with things that seemed real but weren’t, constantly weighing on his mind.

Those native inhabitants, half-human, half-creature, only deepened his inner irritation.

Yet Liu Zheng had been suppressing his thoughts, keeping himself rational to the point of numbness.

Now, this familiar wail returned.

It felt as if he wasn’t trapped in a replica world but had returned to reality.

Being hit would make you scream; being killed would mean death—what a reassuring law that was.

“Hahaha.”

Liu Zheng laughed wildly, tearing open the security guard’s uniform.

A standard sheathed dagger appeared before his eyes.

“Oh, so it’s this.”

He drew the dagger, reversing his grip so the blade extended from the hollow of his fist, pointing downward.

“You’re really out of luck.”

Liu Zheng ducked a punch from a guard and then thrust upward, piercing the neck.

Though he hadn’t trained in formal combat, he knew a bit of dagger techniques.

The unlucky guard’s eyes bulged as he grabbed the dagger, trying to stop Liu Zheng.

But the next moment, Liu Zheng pulled the dagger out, slicing through two tendons in the guard’s fingers.

Bright red blood sprayed from the ruptured artery under high pressure, splattering all over Liu Zheng’s face.

This only fueled his excitement.

“Bang!”

A heavy, forceful punch struck his right cheek.

Liu Zheng shook his head, looking at the guard who had hit him.

The latter’s face had lost all traces of a smile, replaced by stern seriousness.

“Don’t be so tense. How about a smile?”

He tried to soothe him.

The guard said nothing, swinging another punch at his face.

Liu Zheng kicked off with his right foot, sidestepping smoothly, then struck below the guard’s ear with his dagger-clenched fist.

The hard metal handle bit painfully into his palm, but the guard’s pain was far worse.

Dizziness overwhelmed the guard as he staggered and collapsed to the ground.

Liu Zheng kindly supported him, then slit the corners of the guard’s mouth with the dagger.

Apparently unsatisfied with the opening, he forced his fingers to stretch the lips apart until the bright red gums and white molars were revealed.

“See? What a sweet smile.”

Liu Zheng nodded with satisfaction, then turned to the other guard.

That guard let out an incoherent scream, wildly swinging a plastic baton as he charged forward.

Liu Zheng could have easily dodged, but a sudden violent spasm in his windpipe stopped him.

The baton struck his head solidly, blood flowing down his forehead and covering one eye.

“Damn!”

Liu Zheng cursed, desperately trying to focus.

But a concussion was not something willpower alone could overcome, and his vision blurred.

In the haze, he saw the guard raise the baton again.

Without thinking, Liu Zheng leapt into the guard’s embrace.

Caught off guard, the guard could only swing the baton against Liu Zheng’s back.

One strike, two strikes, three...

Gradually the guard ceased his assault and rested his head on Liu Zheng’s shoulder.

Liu Zheng pushed him away forcefully, plunging the dagger into the guard’s chest, the blade sinking to the hilt.

“Huff, huff.”

Liu Zheng sat on the ground, gasping for breath.

Not only was his throat sore, but his back stung sharply, and his lungs ached.

After half a minute of rest, he propped himself up on the guard’s corpse and stood.

Though badly injured, he had work to do.

Fortunately, although the elevator hadn’t stopped on the first floor this time, the One-Grade Sky Villa had one apartment per elevator.

When the elevator doors opened, he staggered to apartment 301’s door.

*Ding ding ding.*

He pressed the doorbell.

“Please wait a moment.”

A woman’s voice came from inside.

“Hm?”

He frowned slightly. Wasn’t this Mr. Li’s place?

After several seconds, the door opened. A white-silk clad maid in a gothic dress looked up at him.

Seeing Liu Zheng’s bloodied head, her face showed no hint of emotion.

“I’m the delivery person from Bloody Restaurant. This is the order Mr. Li placed.”

Liu Zheng took the initiative to speak.

“Thank you for your hard work. Please hand it to me.”

The maid replied calmly, her tone and demeanor as composed as a butler who had served for generations.

“Sorry, the restaurant requires delivery directly into the customer’s hands.”

He had no intention of handing it over.

“Please wait; I will ask the master.”

Without causing trouble, the maid turned and went back inside, then ascended the stairs.

Minutes later, a silver-haired elderly man descended the stairs with the maid’s support.

He was thin, his face deeply wrinkled, but with few age spots; his eyes were clearer than those of many young men.

He wore a pink silk pajama set embroidered with a pattern of some kind of spore plant.

“Has my sashimi arrived?”

The old man called out loudly.

“Are you Mr. Li?”

Liu Zheng asked.

“Yes, that’s me.”

The old man nodded.

“Sorry, Mr. Li, I’m new here. Do you have anything to verify your identity?”

Liu Zheng asked.

Though this might anger the man, it was better than risking disaster from a false alarm.

“No problem, young man.”

The elderly man smiled kindly and took a phone from his pajama pocket.

“Xiao Jiu, please call Miss Si.”

“Understood, master.”

The maid took the phone and dialed a number.

By some strange coincidence, Liu Zheng memorized the sequence.

“Hello, Miss Si? Sorry to bother you. Your employee arrived with a delivery and wants to confirm my identity. Could you please tell him it’s okay?”

Once the call connected, the elderly man spoke, then handed the phone to Liu Zheng.

Taking the phone, Liu Zheng brought the microphone close to his ear.

“Hello, boss. I’m the new delivery person, Liu Zheng.”

He spoke respectfully.

“I know. Identity confirmed. Give him the delivery.”

The voice on the other end was indeed Si Xue’s, cold and emotionless.

“Understood, boss.”

Before Liu Zheng finished speaking, the call ended.

“How about it, young man? Can you hand over the delivery now?”

Mr. Li asked with a laugh.

“Of course. Here is your order.”

Liu Zheng handed over the delivery.

Mr. Li glanced at the receipt and sighed.

“So this is today’s order. What a pity.”

“Is there something wrong with the food?”

Liu Zheng inquired.

“Nothing wrong. I like this dish very much. But unfortunately, I’m ill lately, and the doctor advised me to avoid foods related to the five senses.”

Mr. Li said regretfully.

The five senses in appearance refer to eyebrows, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth; medically, they denote eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and tongue.

Whichever sense Mr. Li meant, the eyes were included.

“Well, I wish you a speedy recovery.”

Liu Zheng said politely, turning to leave.

“Wait, young man. Such fine ingredients shouldn’t go to waste. Why don’t you eat it yourself?”

Mr. Li called after him.

“Huh? Me?”

Liu Zheng turned around, shocked like a catfish spirit.

Good grief, he had been waiting here all along.