Chapter 569: Chapter 569

"Of course, the daily cost for just one patient inside is enough to sustain a family of three for a year."

"Looks like Metropolis has no shortage of money-grabbing projects."

He said thoughtfully.

Hospitals, cemeteries, Bloody Restaurant, psychiatric institutions, household registration tax, scratch lottery tickets...

From the top elites to non-citizens, it’s all about indiscriminate and comprehensive monetary recapture.

Based on the coercive power of City Hall, they’ve forcibly created a highly competitive legal currency in an Extraordinary World.

Then, through various administrative and non-administrative measures, they recapture circulating legal currency to avoid vicious inflation.

Liu Zheng took back his previous statement; that Supreme Councilman, even if not human, must have a think tank predominantly composed of humans.

"Hey, are you hinting at me? Spill it, how much did this cost?"

Doctor Nile rolled his eyes and asked.

"Look at you, that wasn’t what I meant at all. But since you asked, let’s settle for 400,000."

Liu Zheng thought for a moment and said.

Though the 300,000 was spent on Red Pig, without the coffin from the French Plane Tree, the Tomb Guardian definitely wouldn’t have helped. So it wasn’t unreasonable to pin the cost on Doctor Nile.

"I’ll give you 500,000. But I don’t have that much on me right now, so come to the clinic to get it later. While you’re at it, let’s complete the ’Lad’s Favor’ ritual."

An extra 100,000 wasn’t much, but that buff promising an extra life had Liu Zheng intrigued.

He picked it up and saw it was a call from Nightingale.

"If you don’t call me soon, I’m taking Sea Girl to a nightclub to hook up."

Nightingale said half-jokingly.

"Sorry, too much happened earlier, but it’s all sorted now."

Liu Zheng caught the grievance in her tone.

"I see, busy people forget everything. How would you have time to remember us three little ladies?"

Nightingale said sarcastically.

"Three? Since when are you so cozy with Emile?"

"No choice. That Bat Girl may be dumb and smelly, but she counts as one of us. When it comes to facing a certain promiscuous jerk, of course, we have to unite against the common enemy. Sigh~"

Nightingale pretended to sigh.

"Such a pity for you. Anyway, isn’t Sea Girl supposed to be off work now?"

Liu Zheng changed the subject.

"She’s already off, but I spiked her milk tea. She’s in the bathroom right now. Praise me!"

Nightingale stood on tiptoes seeking compliments.

"Impressive, as expected from you."

"Typical dismissive man. Spill the details quickly, or I won’t stall for you once she comes out."

"Fine, I’ll tell you, but you absolutely can’t tell Sea Girl."

"We’ll see." The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel•fire.net

Nightingale didn’t give him a clear answer.

"Sea Girl might be targeted by the Monk."

Liu Zheng shared the information the Fisherman had given him with Nightingale.

"So that’s it. Ha, that old geezer is utterly useless."

As Sea Girl’s lover, she naturally didn’t think highly of the Fisherman.

"Don’t be too quick to curse the Fisherman, figure out a way to stall her a little longer."

"There’s nothing I can do. I can’t play bathroom games with her, and even then, it’d only stall for an hour or two. Even if I buy you today, I can’t buy you tomorrow."

Nightingale expressed helplessness.

"One day at a time. Stalling for another minute could lead to a solution."

He had lived ever since entering Metropolis.

"Fine, I’ll give up my dignity for this. You better figure something out fast, I’ll call you later."

Nightingale hung up the phone.

"Sigh, what a day..."

Liu Zheng rubbed his temples with his tentacles, feeling waves of headache.

The favors kept piling on, and the matters only grew.

"Still your believers causing trouble."

Liu Zheng recounted everything to him.

"It’s pretty normal, isn’t it? Expecting people to willingly cooperate is naive. Divine grace is like the ocean, divine might like a prison; people are often too ignorant. Sometimes you need thunderous measures. Many subordinate deities under God La were originally converted from opposing pantheons."

Doctor Nile didn’t seem fazed.

"What if they’ve targeted Sasha instead?"

"Then I’ll make those bald monks into donkey meat hotpot!"

Doctor Nile flew into a rage.

"Heh, such a hypocrite."

He sneered at the doctor.

"Every sentient life form is hypocritical."

Doctor Nile replied matter-of-factly.

"I need to head back to the sewer and ask the Fisherman for some supplies."

Along the way, he planned to deliver the honey yogurt to Red Ghost and see if he could get some kind of lethal contraption.

"Alright, go on. You’re useless here anyway."

When it came to stirring trouble, Liu Zheng was an expert.

But as a bodyguard, he was even less useful than Niu Daji with a properly equipped family heirloom.

"Hey, stating the truth doesn’t mean you have to rub it in."

Liu Zheng flipped Doctor Nile off with a tentacle before heading toward the sewer entrance.

With the Zhengzhong massage parlor and Jidao Public Bath staff already withdrawn, whether those black-armored men dared to storm the Sanitation Department work zone made little difference whether Liu Zheng stayed behind or not.

As he walked, he was already on the phone. By the time he reached the sewer, the Fisherman was waiting at the exit.

"Can’t you convince Sea Girl to just stay and live at the board game café? Problem solved."

The Fisherman admonished straight away.

"Then go ahead, try it yourself. Isn’t the sewer way more spacious than the board game café? I’m at best her accomplice, but you’re her actual dad."

"I don’t care. You promised me you’d protect Sea Girl, so you have to find a way."

The Fisherman acted shamelessly.

"Bullshit, I promised to help you break her up with Nightingale, not protect her."

"And you didn’t accomplish that either."

"If you want to put it like that, don’t blame me for being ruthless. I’ll hand her straight to those baldies. If she gets brainwashed and forgets Nightingale, my job’s done."

Liu Zheng chuckled darkly.

"You wouldn’t dare! I’d skin you alive!"

The Fisherman glared at him angrily.

"I’ve caught eggs from the sewer, bombed streets by City Hall, burned Peacock’s buildings, and chopped off deity heads—what wouldn’t I dare?"

"Without me saving you, you’d have died on your first step."

"And like you didn’t rely on me either."

"Kid, are you itching to fight me today?"

"No, it’s you who’s itching to fight me. I have my own problems piling up every day, and now you expect me to handle your family crap. Can’t you be a little nicer to me?"

"You think I’m not nice to you?"

The Fisherman’s lips trembled with outrage.

"Big fish others can’t buy at any cost, I bagged just for you. My fingers—I snapped them off to give to you. Over at the sewer, I’m constantly putting in good words for you."

"Kid, don’t forget to speak with a conscience."

"Stop acting like I’ve been bad to you. I’m talking about attitude, do you even get that?"

"I run around dealing with your family messes all day. I’m not asking for tea service or massages, but could you at least stop questioning me the moment we talk? It’s like we’re discussing something important, but any outsider would think we’re about to duel to the death."

"Hmph, I talk to you because I treat you as one of my own. If it were someone else, I wouldn’t even bother speaking."

The Fisherman pursed his lips.

"Being one of yours sounds like a real curse. Fine, I’ve got thick skin, I don’t mind. But imagine talking to Sea Girl —how do you think she feels about it?"

"I... I’m her dad; everything I say is for her own good."

The Fisherman said stubbornly.

"Fine. Your only weakness right now is Sea Girl, isn’t it? For your sake, I’ll go and kill Sea Girl outright, then you’ll be invincible—how’s that for a deal?"