"You kid, how do you always manage to get yourself into this sorry state?"

Looking at Liu Zheng who had lost yet another circle of weight, Bullhorse said speechlessly.

"Of course it's because I'm not strong enough. Do you think I enjoy this?"

Liu Zheng was speechless at its speechlessness.

The well-fed don't know how the starving suffer—for an ordinary person like him to survive until now was already a miracle.

"I think you're actually enjoying it quite a bit. Huh?"

Bullhorse looked at his chest.

"You actually managed to get the Honorary Resident Medal?"

"Yeah, participated in some rooftop no-rope bungee challenge or something."

Liu Zheng replied.

"Mmm, that one's definitely suitable for you. If you can collect five medals, you won't get yourself into such miserable shape delivering takeout anymore."

Bullhorse nodded.

"What happens when you collect all five?"

He seized the opportunity to ask.

Coincidentally, the system description in the item info was rather vague.

"No more rejected deliveries, for starters. Those security guards won't stop you anymore either. But this only applies to mid-to-low-end residential areas—high-end places like Heavenly Villa don't count."

Bullhorse shook its head while speaking.

Liu Zheng nodded; this matched what he had roughly imagined.

"So how many medals have you collected?"

He asked.

"Not a single one."

"Why?"

Liu Zheng found this somewhat strange.

Given Bullhorse's capabilities, even if it didn't encounter perfectly suited challenges like he did, it should still be able to brute force its way through.

"I'm not afraid of rejected deliveries anyway—if security guards dare to stop me, I just throw heavy punches. The high-end residential areas I don't dare to mess with, so these medals are useless to me anyway."

Bullhorse said proudly.

So, for it, this thing was just a worthless trophy.

"Tch."

Liu Zheng curled his lip.

"Besides, this thing isn't all benefits either. Wearing it might make those who order food ask you for favors. If you're lucky you can refuse, but if you're unlucky it could be even more troublesome than a rejected delivery."

Bullhorse added.

"I actually did run into that."

He recounted the incident about walking the miniature person's dog.

"Hahaha!"

Bullhorse erupted in earth-shaking laughter.

"That tree actually got its comeuppance today, hahaha!"

It laughed so hard its head nearly fell off.

"But you kid really do have some guts—that dog is famously the most vicious in the whole city, and you actually dared to walk it."

"Walking it meant death, not walking it meant death. So I walked it."

Liu Zheng shrugged.

"Really can't figure you out. By the way, what did you get from that tree in exchange for that case of Maotai?"

Bullhorse asked curiously.

"Traded for this."

He pulled out the sick leave note.

"Delago said Wolf Knight's brother Fire Mage wanders around the city, so I plan to use these three days off to try and find him."

Liu Zheng revealed his plan.

"Fire Mage..."

Bullhorse's expression showed apprehension.

"I've never dealt with him personally, but I heard from Black Claw that his strength might even surpass Oink's."

"That doesn't really matter—everyone's stronger than me anyway."

He shrugged.

"You certainly know your limitations. However, I don't recommend you look for him, and I don't even recommend you use this sick leave note."

Bullhorse said.

"Why?"

"Remember the second rule of the deliveryman code?"

"Without an active delivery, do not leave the break room."

Liu Zheng answered promptly.

He remembered life-or-death matters like this very clearly.

"Correct. Now think about it in reverse—what happens when you don't have to accept deliveries?"

He thought for a few seconds, and his expression changed.

"Does it mean you can't enter the break room?"

"No."

Bullhorse shook its head. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by novel_fіre.net

"It means you fundamentally cannot enter the Bloody Restaurant. Plus, during sick leave, your status as a restaurant employee becomes invalid."

Liu Zheng's face drastically changed.

"See what I mean? Without the restaurant's protection and without a place to stay, you might get by during the day by sheer luck, but once night falls you're absolutely doomed."

Bullhorse said coldly.

He clenched the sick leave note tightly.

He originally thought it was like a one-fifth vacation voucher, but it turned out to be a death warrant.

"Is there no way to avoid this?"

Liu Zheng asked unwillingly.

"There are actually ways."

"First, you can't enter the restaurant as an employee, but you can enter as a customer."

"Second, you can't stay in the break room, but you can stay at an inn."

Bullhorse said.

"Which of these two options is better?"

He asked.

"Each has its pros and cons. The restaurant is absolutely safe, but it's very expensive. With the little money you have, it'd probably be gone in a day."

"The inn is cheaper—you could stay for ten days or even half a month. But it's filled with all sorts of shady characters, and safety is only slightly better than sleeping on the streets."

Liu Zheng fell into thought.

First, the restaurant option was definitely out.

After the incident with the Water Truck, he realized money still had significant uses in this world.

The casino had blacklisted them now, so he probably wouldn't have any opportunities to make big money for quite some time.

Second, the inn option wasn't a great idea either.

Even novice NPCs like Delago and Bullhorse were full of malicious schemes—the advanced NPCs at the inn would only be more vicious and ruthless.

Without the Legendary delivery jacket bonus and his restaurant employee status, recklessly going in would be like sending a lamb into a tiger's den.

"You'd better decide soon. In a few days I'll be going on vacation, and by then you won't be able to request leave even if you want to."

Bullhorse said.

With only one deliveryman left, Si Xue obviously wouldn't approve leave for Liu Zheng.

And Bullhorse certainly wouldn't postpone its vacation plans for him either.

Just as he was pondering, Bullhorse's phone suddenly rang.

It glanced at the number and immediately became serious.

"Boss, what are your instructions?"

Bullhorse said respectfully.

"Okay, okay, how many people do you need?"

"Okay, okay, I'll make sure to explain the rules to the newbie."

Bullhorse repeatedly acknowledged the instructions.

After a few sentences, it hung up.

"Don't know if you're lucky or unlucky."

Bullhorse sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"All the goods from the same batch as that Maotai had problems. Several kitchen staff ended up in the hospital. The boss wants both of us to help out in the kitchen."

Bullhorse said.

"Helping out is fine by me."

Liu Zheng said indifferently.

He'd been delivering takeout for so long already—what harm could some kitchen assistance do?

Especially since he'd be going with Bullhorse.

"Heh, have you forgotten the sounds you heard when you first arrived?"

Bullhorse sneered.

He frowned, the woman's screams echoing in his ears.

"If you couldn't even handle the sounds, how will you endure seeing the real thing?"

"Let me tell you—I could protect you if you caused trouble at the casino. But if you break the rules in the kitchen, I'll be the first to take you out."

Bullhorse stared straight at him as it spoke.

Its expression had returned to how it looked when it first kicked him flying—ferocious and twisted.

As if their friendly cooperation these past few days had just been an illusion.

"Big shot, don't you know me by now? I'm someone who values my life above all else."

After a moment of silence, Liu Zheng smiled.

"Hmph, you'd better be. Let's go."

Bullhorse stood up.

He followed behind Bullhorse out of the break room, past the three-way intersection, and finally arrived before that blue curtain.

"Let me remind you one more time—no matter what you see, act like you didn't see it. You're here to work at the restaurant, not to play hero."

"Even if you want to seek death, do it somewhere far away and don't drag me down with you."

Bullhorse turned its head to say.

"I'm fully aware."

Liu Zheng smiled.

Bullhorse stared hard at him for a moment, then finally turned its head away.

The curtain was lifted, and one human and one bullhorse entered that profound darkness.