Liu Zheng hung up the phone.

After thinking for a moment, he decided he should inform the novelist.

Whether she goes or not is her choice, but if he doesn't even give her a choice, he can't blame her for holding a grudge.

"Senior~ You called me again so soon."

The novelist said happily.

She wasn't at all afraid of Liu Zheng asking her for help. The more she helped him, the closer Liu Zheng got to her heart.

"Do you have time tonight?"

Liu Zheng inexplicably shivered before asking.

"I'm free!"

The novelist replied without hesitation.

"I have to go to the grand theater at seven tonight to kill someone. I thought I'd invite you to tag along for some performances. If it's inconvenient for you, just forget it."

"Convenient!"

The novelist's answer was still decisive.

"Need my help?"

She asked proactively.

"Oh, no need. I just want to watch the performance with you. If you don't go, I'll just go by myself."

Liu Zheng said.

"I'll definitely go!"

The novelist said determinedly.

"Good. Then you'd better wear something light. There's a possibility we'll need to run."

He recalled the descriptions of high society outfits in novels and gave a reminder.

"Rest assured, senior, I definitely won't be a burden to you."

The novelist said sincerely.

"With your skills, it's mostly me who would be a burden to you."

Liu Zheng said self-deprecatingly.

"I want to go too!"

Fei Shibu's voice suddenly chimed in.

"I'm going there to get things done. Why are you joining in on the fun?"

He said helplessly.

"Just killing someone, what's the big deal? I'll buy my own ticket. Don't need your money."

Fei Shibu said proudly.

"Is this about money? Even if I didn't want you to go, the novelist won't want you there either."

Liu Zheng tried to divert the trouble.

"I... Senior, let her come along."

The novelist wanted to refuse, but seeing Fei Shibu ready to throw a tantrum if refused, she eventually agreed.

After all, even though she was a bestie, they still shared the bond of having spent time together in confinement.

"Alright, alright. You can come. I'll even get the ticket for you. But let's be clear, just watch the show and don't cause trouble for me."

Liu Zheng said, resigned.

"Hmph, let's see who'll be asking for my help then."

Fei Shibu said disdainfully.

"When I need something, I'll ask the novelist, what does that have to do with you? A show of bravado with an empty threat."

He scoffed, then hung up before Fei Shibu could explode.

After telling the Red-crowned Crane to buy three of the most expensive tickets, he called Doctor Nile.

"Doctor, do you have a way to block someone's precognition ability or danger sense?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"I do, but the necessary herbs are not in stock, even if expedited, they'd take half a month to mature."

Doctor Nile replied.

"Forget it then."

In half a month, who knows where the Black Swan would have hidden itself.

"The Dark Elf might know, you could ask her."

Doctor Nile suggested.

"Alright."

After hanging up, he called the Yaksha.

"Do you know how to block precognition or danger sense?"

Liu Zheng asked straight to the point.

"Yes, but it requires materials from the person's body, the higher the mystical value, the better the effect."

The Yaksha replied.

"What do you mean by mystical value?"

"It's hard to explain to someone who doesn't understand magic. For example, a gram of blood has a higher mystical value than a hundred grams of hair."

The Yaksha explained.

"Oh~"

What's so hard to explain about that? He understood right away.

Isn't it just the mystical version of 'a drop of essence, ten drops of blood'?

"So, I'll contact you when I have what I need?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"Alright, but I'll say this up front, if things seem off, I'll cancel the ritual."

The Yaksha said.

"Alright."

Right now, he and the Yaksha were merely strategic partners. It was already good enough that she was willing to help for free.

Of course, Liu Zheng wouldn't just freeload; he would definitely prepare a gift of equal value.

Having found someone to perform the spell, he now just needed the materials for the magic.

It shouldn't be too hard to get, after all the Black Swan is a dancer, always doing those big movements every day.

Not to mention, there's definitely a pile of fallen feathers.

But first, time is tight, with only a few hours left to collect.

Second, the other party might already be on guard, so going to collect its body materials now could easily alert them.

"Huh?"

A light bulb went off in his head.

"Alright then."

Yaksha said and was about to hang up the phone.

"Wait."

Liu Zheng stopped her.

"What else?"

"If a person is occupying someone else's body and fate, can the blood and flesh of the occupied person serve as ritual materials?"

He asked.

"... In theory, it should be possible, but I've never practiced it."

Yaksha wasn't very sure either.

"Then let's give it a try."

Liu Zheng hung up the phone and called the Big White Goose.

"What's up, brother?"

The Big White Goose said with a smile.

"What are you talking about? It's you, big brother, who has instructions for me."

He replied with a smile.

"Just now, the British Minister was praising you a lot, saying if everyone in the customer service department could be like you, then there would be no place for other restaurants in the Metropolis."

The Big White Goose said in an exaggerated tone.

"The British Minister overpraises me, I'm just a newcomer in the delivery department, how can my service level compare to the seniors in customer service? The reason the British Minister praises me so much is just out of respect for my boss and the bond between the two departments."

Liu Zheng said shaking his head.

"Huh?"

Niu Ma looked up blankly.

Does it have a lot of face in front of Britain? Since when do the delivery and customer service departments have such a bond?

"You're still so tactful with words. If Li had half your eloquence, he wouldn't have offended so many people. Sigh."

The Big White Goose sighed.

"Alright, let's get to business, what do you need from me?"

It asked.

"Well, I need some of your body materials for casting a spell."

Liu Zheng explained the Black Swan's leave and his conjecture to it.

"Does it have to be this way?"

The Big White Goose frowned slightly.

Blood is a very private thing, and voluntarily giving out blood is even more taboo; even someone of its strength has to think carefully.

"If you don't want to, it's fine, I'll think of another way."

He said considerately.

Although the client should provide necessary help, giving one's own blood is indeed beyond the necessary range.

"...I'll be right over."

The Big White Goose neither agreed nor refused, just hung up the phone.

Quickly, it knocked on the lounge door.

"Here."

Without a word, it handed over a perfume bottle filled with half a bottle of bright red blood.

"Thanks for the trust, big brother."

Liu Zheng solemnly accepted the perfume bottle.

"Don't rush to thank me. I'm old, it's hard to trust people, even though I think highly of you. So, you have to take this."

The Big White Goose took out the little triangle-eyed figurine used for makeup last time.

"It's my eyes, you have to carry it until you return it to me."

The Big White Goose said.

"I don't mind, just hope it can keep up with the intensity of my work."

Liu Zheng shrugged.

It's no big deal to go back to the restaurant after Yaksha completes the ritual, and he really doesn't have any unspeakable things.

"Don't worry, its vitality is strong."

"Alright. By the way, since your blood can be used as ritual materials, can't you also send some takeout to the Black Swan?"

Liu Zheng suddenly thought of.

"Brother, I barely made it to retirement, can't you let me live a few good years?"

"You're asking for my blood, now you want me to order takeout, I'm starting to wonder whose commission you're actually on."

The Big White Goose looked at him as if looking at a devil.

In the Metropolis, power and longevity don't necessarily correlate.

The Big White Goose, though laid-back now, was once a fighter; otherwise, the restaurant wouldn't allow its retirement.

Though still powerful, its foundation and potential are nowhere near what it was in its youth.

The Fisherman and the novelist can order takeout, which caps their growth but they can still improve with training.

The cap deducted from ordering for the Big White Goose is real, without some extraordinary event, it can't regain those limits.

"Hehe, I'm just thinking about improving the success rate of the operation."

Liu Zheng said shamelessly.

"Then you'd better think of other ways to boost that success rate."

The Big White Goose pulled out a piece of gum from its pocket.

"Here's some money for risking your life, just don't think about this old body of mine anymore."