Chapter 63: How to Fish Without a Fishing Rod

"I want to go get something."

Liu Zheng said bluntly.

"Are you addicted to stealing? Absolutely not."

Niu Ma refused just as directly.

"You think the kitchen is your home? You can just go whenever you want and take whatever you please."

"If you get caught again, your death is a minor issue, but me getting blacklisted by Napoleon is a huge problem."

It grunted unhappily.

"Aren't you about to run away? Do you still care about being blacklisted?"

"I haven't run away yet, have I? Besides, not working at the restaurant doesn't mean I can't take restaurant gigs. Given my relationship with Napoleon, smuggling is as easy as pie."

Niu Ma daydreamed about counting piles of cash, almost drooling at the thought.

"You think the Circle God Cult will agree to that?"

"They'll have to agree whether they want to or not. When Oink and I join forces, can a pathetic little cult really turn the tables?"

Niu Ma snorted coldly.

"Can Oink get out of the black market?"

"In theory no, but it's not entirely impossible."

Niu Ma said.

"The price must be huge, right?"

"At least two years of profits."

Niu Ma twitched the corner of its mouth.

And that was assuming it could turn a profit every single time.

However, given its strength and the connections it had accumulated as a delivery driver, the possibility of taking a loss wasn't very high.

"I actually have a way where we don't need Oink to intervene."

Liu Zheng rolled his eyes and said.

"Oh? Let's hear it."

Niu Ma asked with considerable interest.

"Partner with De Gaulle."

He said.

"That tree? No way, absolutely not."

Niu Ma shook its head frantically.

"It's a miracle I haven't burned it to the ground, and you want me to cooperate with it? Not a chance in hell."

"You didn't even lift a finger when the Circle God Cult sold you out. De Gaulle just beat you up, and you were the one who sold it fake wine first—where is this deep-seated hatred coming from?"

Liu Zheng persuaded.

"The Circle God Cult was helping Napoleon out, but cooperating with that tree would mean I initiated it, and that would be so humiliating."

Niu Ma muttered.

"You only have face when you have money. When I went to deliver food to the office building this time, the security guard took the initiative to swipe his card for me, the client who ordered the food was wiped out by me, and his assistant even thanked me. How prestigious is that?"

"Why? Because I smashed them with money."

"Did you forget when the two of us went to the casino and almost had all our money swindled by demons?"

"Don't you want to make a fortune in peace and quiet?"

Liu Zheng fired off questions like machine gun rounds, finally prying Niu Ma's mouth open.

"Even if I'm willing to cooperate with that tree, it can't help with anything anyway."

"The people in the Circle God Cult aren't stupid; they won't enter its territory."

Niu Ma said.

"That's why I need to go into the kitchen and get something."

Since they had brought it up to this point, he decided to spill everything.

"There might be a wood sprite stored in the kitchen. De Gaulle needs the acorn from her so it can complete its evolution, and its range of activity can expand to the surrounding streets."

"When the time comes, we can use this to lure the people from the Circle God Cult in and wipe them out in one fell swoop."

Liu Zheng said.

This way, he would fulfill the transaction with the French plane tree, help Niu Ma eliminate its competitors, and solve his own potential enemies.

It was killing three birds with one stone.

After hearing what he said, Niu Ma pondered for a long time, then abruptly stood up.

"Wait here, I'll go ask."

It dropped those words and dashed out.

After about half an hour, Niu Ma returned.

"Napoleon said, if you want the acorn, sure, but you have to trade something for it."

It said.

"What kind of thing?"

"A giant-mouthed whale."

"A whale? Isn't Napoleon overestimating me a bit?"

Liu Zheng wore a face full of question marks.

Although he did have an acquaintance with the Mermaid Princess, whether she would acknowledge him was another matter entirely.

Even if the Mermaid Princess was willing to help, he wouldn't be able to drag it back.

Killer whales alone weighed several tons, let alone a giant-mouthed whale.

"What are you panicking for? It's just a name, not a real whale."

Niu Ma said.

"Then what is it?"

"It's a kind of catfish found in many places. But Napoleon specifically named the one in the sewers."

Niu Ma replied.

"Why?"

"The sewer water nourishes people. All the wastewater in the city has to pass through the sewers first, and it's full of essence in there."

Niu Ma licked its lips.

"Ew~"

Liu Zheng made a disgusted expression.

"What do you know? Let me ask you, what is the second half of 'the rich rely on technology'?"

Niu Ma asked.

"The poor rely on mutation?"

"Spot on. The sewers lack everything except things that can make you mutate. Take a bath in that water, and you might crawl out as a hermit shrimp."

Niu Ma nodded.

"Are you insane? Why are you suddenly using slang and acting cute?"

Liu Zheng looked at it with contempt.

"Who the hell is using slang? I literally mean a hermit shrimp."

Niu Ma said angrily.

"This is the most common mutation type in the sewers. No matter what race you originally were, you turn into a brain-dead shrimp, and your only thought for the rest of your life is to find a shell that is big and hard."

"Is that supposed to be a good thing?"

"Isn't it a good thing?"

Niu Ma looked at him strangely.

"In this world, the smarter you are, the more painful it is, and the more you want, the more tormented you become. You'd be better off as a hermit shrimp, living a simple and cozy life, and finding a shell can make you happy for days."

When it said this, its expression actually carried a hint of profound compassion for all living beings.

"Copied from Byron's collection of poetry again?"

However, Liu Zheng immediately exposed it.

"None of your business. Are you going or not?"

Niu Ma said, turning anger into embarrassment.

"I'm going, definitely. But judging by what you're saying, this place isn't very safe."

"Duh, apart from this lounge, where is there a safe place?"

Niu Ma said as if it were only natural.

"Ha."

Liu Zheng glanced at it.

You are the biggest safety hazard yourself.

"Didn't you kid want to go to the garbage disposal plant? That place is way more dangerous than the sewers. If you don't even dare to go to the sewers, you might as well give up now."

Niu Ma provoked him.

"Can't you go with me?"

"I don't have the time. Besides, the sewers don't welcome me; if I went, I'd more likely be swarmed."

"A mutated monster like you, on the other hand, might just fit right in with them."

Niu Ma said.

I think you mean physically fitting right in, smashed to pieces.

Liu Zheng thought to himself.

Complaining aside, he started calculating in his mind.

First, the white-feathered chicken already knew he wanted the wood sprite's acorn.

Stealing was out of the question, and robbing it was a pipe dream; he could only trade the giant-mouthed whale for it.

Second, Niu Ma saying that the danger level of the sewers was lower than that of the garbage disposal plant was probably true.

He could use this to warm up and adapt to the intensity in advance.

Finally, Liu Zheng going to the sewers wasn't completely without advantages.

First, he still had the "Never Skunk" status active, which could drastically increase his fishing success rate.

Second, in the water, the Heart of the Ocean could grant him two powerful effects, and combined with the bonuses from his legendary attire, self-preservation shouldn't be an issue.

"Fine, I'll go."

After finishing his mental calculations, Liu Zheng said.

"Here, this is a picture of the giant-mouthed whale."

Niu Ma fished a black-and-white photograph out of its mouth.

The photo showed a middle-income man smiling brightly, with a catfish roughly his size lying by his feet.

Honestly, just looking at its face, it really did look a bit like a baleen whale.

Seeing the appearance of the giant-mouthed whale, Liu Zheng felt a trace of disappointment.

Compared to the other ingredients he had seen, it was far too unremarkable.

"What else?"

He asked.

"What else could you possibly want?"

Niu Ma looked baffled.

"A fishing rod, how are you supposed to fish without a fishing rod?"

"Who told you fishing requires a fishing rod? Look at what the person in the photo is using to fish."

Niu Ma said with utter disdain.

Liu Zheng looked at the photo again; aside from the man and the giant-mouthed whale, nothing else was in the background.

"No way..."

He had an ominous premonition.

"You guessed it."

Niu Ma said leisurely.

"He used himself as bait."