Hell Game: Starting from Metropolis

He was about to call a driver to rent a car when his phone rang.

"Mr. Liu, we have confirmed that the London plane tree has indeed evolved."

"That's what the bald manager said."

"What do you say?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"In that case, all we need are the bark and branches."

"That's what the bald manager said."

"Okay. Then can you tell me what benefits I'll get first?"

"this one"

The bald manager was still somewhat hesitant.

"If you don't want to talk about it, then let's just pretend it never happened."

He frowned.

Liu Zheng wasn't playing hard to get; he genuinely intended to give up.

They need to find someone to write funeral couplets, get bark and branches from plane trees, and spend money to buy talismans. If all of this doesn't benefit him in the end, then it'll be ridiculous.

“Alright. Our funeral home has a secret technique that can enhance the fortune of those who come to pay their respects by borrowing the luck of the person who writes the elegiac couplets and the good deeds of the deceased and their ancestors. The shorter the duration, the stronger the effect.”

The bald manager finally spoke up.

"How strong?"

"We don't know. We haven't tested the limits of this secret technique either. In any case, it's enough to make people win every gamble and turn bad luck into good."

"That's what the bald manager replied."

"Is it acceptable for anyone to participate in the worship?"

"At the very least, the person writing the elegiac couplet must genuinely approve of it, as does the deceased. Forcing someone to use it is not impossible, but the effect will be greatly reduced or even backfire."

"That's what the bald manager said."

What will happen to the person whose belongings are borrowed?

"Once luck and good deeds are borrowed, they are gone. Even if they are not completely used up, they will not be returned."

"That's what the bald manager said."

"That's pretty unfair. So this secret technique has a lot of limitations, then why are you keeping it so secret? It's a bit like you're hoarding your own treasures."

Liu Zheng complained.

"Mr. Liu may have high aspirations, but there are very few ways to defy fate in the metropolis, and most of them either have significant side effects or violate laws and regulations. It is no exaggeration to say that our funeral home's secret technique is among the top ten in terms of overall ability."

"That's what the bald manager said proudly."

"Alright. Will I charge you extra for using this secret technique?"

"Of course it's necessary. We can give you a cost price, one million."

"That's what the bald manager said."

"That's really not cheap."

he sighed.

"Luck is an ethereal thing; its value depends entirely on how you use it."

"That's what the bald manager said."

How will Liu Zheng use this?

Of course, he'd use the money to buy lottery tickets. Going to the Ten Thousand Mountains was still a long way off, and the White Feather Chicken was eyeing him covetously. It was hard to say whether it would kill Liu Zheng if things dragged on any longer, but it certainly wouldn't help anymore.

Without the help of white-feathered chickens and the kitchen, his resource leverage has lost an important support point.

Putting everything else aside, Liu Zheng simply couldn't accept the fact that he couldn't pet the calico cat.

Moreover, even if you get a randomized die, the result may not be as you wish.

After all, the rules didn't say that the probabilities after shuffling would definitely be different from the originals, and he often found himself getting nothing when re-rolling the dice during the game.

Who should we ask to write the funeral couplets?

After hanging up the phone, Liu Zheng fell into deep thought.

The problem isn't too big with the earthbound spirit. He's already become a Buddha, so what's there to be upset about? It's just a little bit of good karma. He has no descendants, so who else could he give it to if not Liu Zheng?

But borrowing the luck of a living person is not so easy.

Niu Daji, Vampire Girl, and Cleaner should be willing to lend it, but with their limited luck, they'd probably only win a second prize at best.

Although Fisherman, Killer Sauce, and French Sycamore are strong, their luck may not be so great.

After all, they are either prisoners or wanted criminals, and the plane tree has two more life-or-death ordeals waiting for it.

Among the people he knows, there are only a few who are both powerful and have a stable position, but each one of them is more difficult to deal with than the last.

"Looking for a novelist? Or perhaps Red Ghost?"

Liu is hesitating between the two candidates.

The novelist's luck goes without saying; a noblewoman from a wealthy family, a bestselling author, and a homebody, she's unlikely to face any major misfortunes.

Needless to say, Red Ghost survived the power struggle and even threatens the current regime, which is not only a testament to its strength but also a manifestation of its luck.

Look at the Empire, which also once vied for power with the City Hall. Now, only a colonel remains, and he's been recruited by the Bloody Restaurant as a driver. The difference in their status is obvious.

"Let's find the Red Ghost first."

Liu Zheng made a decision quickly.

Anyway, he was going to find the plane trees to get bark and branches, so it was just something he did on his way.

If that doesn't work, he can always contact the novelist.

After calling a driver to rent a car, Liu Zheng quickly walked out of the delivery lane, where the familiar Koenigsegg One-1 was parked.

"where to?"

The driver asked, gripping the steering wheel.

"Let's go straight to Rose Street."

He said.

Anyway, that "steamed Oedipus's foot" won't spoil in the system space, so there's still time to send it next time.

"it is good."

The driver didn't say much and kept the accelerator floored until they reached their destination.

"Only a tank could handle the way you drive."

Liu Zheng said, gagging as he opened the car door.

At that speed, let alone a car crash, even a bird dropping could destroy a car and kill someone.

“I’m already going very slowly. If it weren’t for you, this car wouldn’t have had a chance to land.”

The driver said proudly.

"You were actually an Air Force staff officer before, weren't you?"

He squinted and said.

"I have no respect for those sissies who only know how to throw bombs from a high place. Only the ramming and shelling of armored vehicles is the romance of soldiers."

The driver said with disdain.

"Wouldn't it be more romantic to throw sticks and stones at each other?"

Liu Zheng complained.

"Of course not. Romance is based on efficiency and a holistic approach. What you're describing is like primitive people fighting."

the driver said.

"That's quite meticulous. Speaking of which, are you the only one left on your side, Colonel?"

he asked curiously.

"Probably. There might be some survivors, but they're probably not in much better condition than me."

the driver said.

"And what about your supreme ruler?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"The original leader has already sacrificed himself heroically, there is no doubt about that."

The driver immediately replied.

“Unlike those cowardly gray beasts.”

Seemingly knowing what Liu was thinking, he immediately added a sentence.

"Ok."

“And I see the shadow of the former chief in you, Liu Zheng.”

The driver suddenly said.

"Ah I?"

He couldn't believe it.

"That's right. They are equally energetic, equally bold and meticulous, equally detached from worldly desires, equally well-connected, and even their twisted calmness when angry is so similar."

The driver said, somewhat intoxicated.

"Hi! Adolf!"

The driver suddenly raised a hand and stretched it forward.

As his finger pointed to himself, Liu Zheng felt as if countless hands were reaching out to him.

Behind the outstretched palms were countless expectant eyes.

They were craving food, beer, and work.

These expectant gazes were mixed with even more fervent and greedy ones, yearning for wealth, power, and glory.

As long as Liu Zheng makes a promise, they will become his sword and plow, conquering every piece of land for him.

"I can't promise anything."

He firmly shook his head at the outstretched hands.

Food, beer, and jobs—the city hall can provide them all.

As for wealth, power, and glory, he himself had none, so he gave them his head.

Faced with Liu Zheng's rejection, the expectation in their eyes quickly turned into disappointment, and disappointment quickly turned into despair.

What arises from despair is an rage to destroy everything, including themselves.

Faced with the impending wave of public backlash, Liu Zheng's response was simple.

He raised his tentacles and gouged out both of his own eyes.

As those hands and gazes disappeared into the darkness, so too did those earth-shattering shouts fade into the distance.

"Colonel, stop testing me. I really have no intention of reviving the empire."

Liu Zheng sighed.

If someone else kept messing with him like this, he would have turned on them long ago.

But the driver was generally easy to get along with and had saved him many times, so he could only complain a little.

“The Red Ghost is not just the Red Ghost, and the Colonel is not just the Colonel. We have inherited the legacy of many people and are inevitably influenced by their will.”

The driver replied.

"Then saying sorry is at least acceptable, right?"