Chapter 65: Oxen and Horses Are Truly Beasts

Why was this dame so eager to take advantage of him?
Could she really be a female praying mantis?
"I'm not available right now, currently in my egg-changing period," he replied evasively.
"Oh, well." The novelist sounded somewhat disappointed.
"Just like last time, I'd like you to order some takeout for me, and make the delivery time as long as possible," Liu Zheng said.
"No problem at all," the novelist agreed readily.
"As for the money, I'll pay you when I drop off the food," he added.
Since he had money now, getting a free ride wouldn't be right.
For reliable connections like the novelist, he needed to nurture the relationship carefully.
"No need, I'm not short on money," the novelist refused.
"Then shall I bring you a cup of Bad Luck Coffee?"
On the return trip, the rest of the coffee had been given to the French plane tree to drink, and this cup was the one he had saved for himself.
"Wow, thank you, senior!" the novelist said happily.
Liu Zheng hung up the phone and noticed Niu Ma staring at him with a bizarre look.
"What is it, boss?" he asked.
"You write novels, kid?"
"It's alright. But my talent was lacking, and after writing a few books, things started going downhill, so I changed careers."
"What did you switch to?"
"Being a journalist."
"Which newspaper?"
"A nameless tabloid, not worth mentioning," he replied indifferently.
"With writing skills like yours, how'd you end up delivering takeout?"
"Offended a big shot and got fired."
He had previously written an article exposing a housing development built on former industrial land, which was severely polluted with vast amounts of toxic substances accumulated underground. The luxury interior renovations of the new apartments had also utilized numerous substandard materials.
Consequently, the editor-in-chief demanded that Liu Zheng issue a public apology admitting to falsifying his report, or else he would be fired and blacklisted within the industry.
At the same time, the developer contacted him, holding an envelope in one hand and another envelope in the other.
Except, one envelope was stuffed with cash, while the other contained a lawyer's letter.
Between professional ethics and a career, he didn't hesitate long before choosing the money.
But just as Liu Zheng was about to contact the developer, the hospital's test report came out.
He was diagnosed with ALS.
Well, that settled it.
A cultured person with martial prowess, as long as he had nothing to lose and no family, could unleash almost infinite destructive power.
The details of the process need not be elaborated; suffice it to say that both the editor-in-chief and the developer paid the price they deserved.
"I wouldn't have guessed it. You're quite a man of stories, kid," Niu Ma curled his lip.
"Who doesn't have a story these days? Take you, for example, boss. Your story of escaping the breeding farm with the Boar-man back in the day must have been quite thrilling, right?" Liu Zheng flattered him slightly.
"You've got some nerve, kid. I wouldn't even dare call him that. He has another moniker: the Butcher of Heaven." Niu Ma shot him a sideways glance.
"The Butcher of Heaven?"
"That's right. He and I weren't even from the same breeding farm. His was called 'Heaven,' specially bred for his specific species. Mine was called '103,' which raised two or three dozen kinds of large livestock," Niu Ma recalled.
"Then how did you end up being sold by the Circle God Cult?"
"Bad luck, didn't I? The moment I escaped from the breeding farm, I ran right into the Circle God Cult members who were there stealing things."
"Damn it, if I'd gotten out a minute earlier or a minute later, I wouldn't have had to suffer through this ordeal," Niu Ma said with grievance.
"Every disaster survived brings blessings hereafter," Liu Zheng comforted him.
"And then you were sold to the restaurant?"
"That's right. At first, I was backup ingredients, but after he slaughtered most of the kitchen staff, I applied for a job as an employee. Later on, the delivery department was short-handed, so I transferred over," Niu Ma explained.
"So the Butcher of Heaven is practically your savior."
"Heh, how do you think he got off the roast pig rack?" Niu Ma sneered.
"Boss, is it okay to say things like that out loud?" Liu Zheng was startled.
"Doesn't matter," Niu Ma flicked a hoof.
"Except for Britain, the current management of the restaurant all came to power later on. If anything, they owe him their thanks."
"Is Britain really that strong?"
"Strong indeed. In a clash of raw power, I can't beat him," Niu Ma admitted.
"As for Napoleon, unless he invokes the Seven Deadly Sins, he probably can't win either."
"Damn it, I'm just missing a suitable set of gear, otherwise none of them would be my match," Niu Ma cursed.
"Don't worry, I'll leave the legendary deliveryman set to you," Liu Zheng said.
"Keep it for yourself. I'm quitting after I get back from vacation anyway. I've figured it out over the years—working for others has no future; if you want to get rich, you have to be your own boss," Niu Ma stated.
"I suppose they each have their own pros and cons," he replied.
He wasn't as extreme as Niu Ma.
For a powerhouse like Niu Ma, working for someone else naturally felt unprofitable.
But for a weakling like Liu Zheng, it was still better to shelter beneath a big tree.
In fact, even for Niu Ma, had he not been a restaurant employee, the French plane tree probably would have beaten him to death during the fake alcohol incident.
"By then, we'll first expand the restaurant's channels, devour all the resources of the Circle God Cult, and then take the business to the black market," Niu Ma mapped out his business empire.
"Will you go steal things from the '103' breeding farm like they do?" Liu Zheng asked.
"Isn't that obvious? How else do you get low costs without stealing?" Niu Ma said righteously.
"What about the stolen livestock? Will you sell them to the restaurant too?"
"Sell 'em!" Niu Ma said with absolute certainty.
"Even if it were my own wife and kids, if there comes a day when we've got nothing to eat, I'd sell them just the same."
"Dominant." Liu Zheng pressed his four tentacles together and pretended to give a thumbs-up.
"That's just how this world works. Do you know how I escaped from the breeding farm?"
"How did you escape?" he asked cooperatively.
"By lying to them, telling them that once I got out, I'd open the gates and let them all go."
"And they believed it?"
"They believed it. They volunteered to be my stepping stones, charging wave after wave into the high-voltage electric fence to overload it."
"A bunch of complete idiots, believing a lie like that just because I took a few beatings for them? Just because I told them what the outside world was like?"
"How the hell should I know what the outside world was like? I made the whole thing up," Niu Ma cursed bitterly.
"If you hadn't been caught by the Circle God Cult, would you have opened the gates for them?"
"Of course not," Niu Ma replied without hesitation.
"Boss, you really are a beast." Liu Zheng raised a large tentacle again.
"If your skin is itching, just say so, and I'll go borrow a skinning knife from Napoleon to scratch it for you," Niu Ma slanted a look at him.
"No, no, I can just scratch it myself. By the way, aren't you afraid I'll be on my guard against you after being so frank with me?"
"If I didn't tell you, wouldn't you be on your guard against me anyway, kid?"
"Heh."
"Heh."
The two beasts smiled at each other.
"With smart people, you have to talk straight. If you can really help me build up this business and don't cheat me out of my money, I've got your back," Niu Ma said.
"Rest assured, I just want to stay alive. Money is just a tool to me."
"Best that way," Niu Ma nodded.
Just as the two were about to wrap up their conversation, the Ghost Hand quietly crawled in.
Only this time, after dropping off the order slip, it didn't leave.