Chapter 292: Life is Unpredictable, 5000 Monthly Tickets Requested
Hearing Lane's words, everyone present collectively let out a long sigh of relief.
The Pope was involved in a worldwide terrorist attack incident, and the matter was also related to the Stargate and the World Security Council.
Even with the Church's vast resources, they couldn't bear the consequences. The member countries of the World Security Council might be wary of the Church's influence and unable to completely wipe them out, but while they might not be able to act openly, some methods would be enough to give the Church a headache.
Not to mention anything else, a portion of their Church's secret funds were stored in banks in Italy, the Federation, and Switzerland. Once these bank accounts were frozen, their Church's funds would be in trouble.
The Director of the Inquisition was an unremarkable elderly man nearing fifty. He walked up to Lane, made the sign of the cross on his chest, and said with a smile, "Mr. Lane, we must thank your Tang Group for your mediation in this matter!"
Lane saw his hesitant expression, waved his hand, and a black-clothed bodyguard standing by the door walked over with a silver briefcase, placing it in front of Lane.
Lane calmly pressed the password for the silver briefcase, opened the case, and inside were a crude crown that looked woven from wicker, a beetle in white amber, and an old silver cross.
Lane picked up the silver cross, smiled, and said, "These are the relics left by the Pope during the terrorist attack incident. His entourage was attacked by terrorists in a suicide attack at the hotel, and only these few things were found at the scene!"
Lane's finger was looped through the silver chain of the cross. As his finger gently shook, the cross spun lightly with it.
As he moved, the gaze of everyone present followed the cross.
This silver cross looked unremarkable, but it was the inheritance token of the Church's Pope. Within the Vatican, several secret vaults could only be opened with this cross.
Lane looked at West and the others, whose expressions had suddenly turned tense, smiled, and placed the cross back into the briefcase. He pushed the briefcase, and it slid across the conference table, stopping in front of West, who was sitting opposite Lane.
"Now these things are returned to their rightful owners. Our boss said that since he is also a member of the Sacred Shield Brotherhood, he should naturally do what he can for the Brotherhood!"
Several principal figures of the Sacred Shield Brotherhood exchanged glances, completely surprised that these things had come so easily. They had thought they would have to pay a very high price.
It should be known that although they had frequently used the influence of the Sacred Shield Brotherhood and the Church to help the Tang Group over the years, the Tang Group had been donating hard cash to the churches controlled by the Sacred Shield Brotherhood every year.
Just the silver-plated gold crosses alone, they received several large boxes of donations every year, not to mention elegant but valuable small things like gemstone brooches.
In recent years, precisely because of the Tang Group's financial contributions, their Sacred Shield Brotherhood's influence had been able to expand rapidly within the Church.
They just hadn't expected an angel to suddenly appear out of nowhere, disrupting the Sacred Shield Brotherhood's excellent situation.
"A long time ago, I knew that Tang was a benefactor of our Sacred Shield Brotherhood!"
"I truly envy West, having such a good disciple—"
"West has good judgment, but unfortunately, Mr. Tang is not an internal member of the Church, otherwise the position of Pope would definitely be his!"
"Come on, do you think with Mr. Tang's influence, he would care about the position of Pope?"
When they heard Lane say that these things didn't require remuneration, the group from the Sacred Shield Brotherhood kept complimenting Boss Tang with a pile of free pleasantries.
West's usually stern face was now smiling like a blooming chrysanthemum. Just as one of the bishops next to him said, Tang Song was West's disciple. The stronger Tang Song's influence and the higher his prestige, the higher his own status within the Sacred Shield Brotherhood would rise accordingly.
It was a pity that he was in the Inquisition, not a Cardinal, and therefore not qualified to run for the position of Pope. Otherwise, with Tang Song's support, he might not have been unable to contend for the throne of Pope.
West opened the silver briefcase in front of him and was checking the three holy artifacts inside when he suddenly felt a gaze fall upon his body. He slightly raised his head and met the eyes of a plump bishop who resembled Santa Claus. The two exchanged a look, and West nodded slightly towards him.
"I am here for another matter. I was entrusted by the World Security Council. Professor Charles of Utopia died on the front line resisting the terrorist attack. Although this matter is officially called a terrorist attack, everyone present knows that it was done by the Angel that performed the Holy Descent. Now Magneto has gone to the World Security Council demanding an explanation. The World Security Council asked me to inquire what kind of explanation the Church intends to give Utopia?"
After the people from the Sacred Shield Brotherhood put away the briefcase containing the three holy artifacts, Lane slowly spoke, revealing his other purpose for being here.
"Utopia, the country established by Mutants?" The Inquisitor of the Inquisition paused, "This matter is the responsibility of the former Pope. We were also imprisoned by that alien monster.
However, this matter is indeed the Church's responsibility, and we will not shirk it. What compensation does Utopia want? Money, or other aspects? Because of the terrorist attack incident at the Central Cathedral, we have recently been fundraising worldwide. So far, we have raised 3.5 billion US dollars. We can compensate Utopia with this money first!"
The Inquisitor didn't take a newly established Mutant country seriously, but he knew that the Tang Group backed Utopia.
No wonder they didn't ask for any benefit when they just delivered the three holy artifacts. So, they were waiting here. A hint of understanding flashed in the Inquisitor's eyes. He thought this money was being demanded by the Tang Group and readily waved his hand generously, "If it's not enough, we can add more to the compensation amount later!"
Looking at the Inquisitor, who had a wealthy and imposing air, Lane put down his teacup of black tea, sighed, and said, "Lord Inquisitor, you've misunderstood. Utopia doesn't plan to ask for money. I've talked to Magneto. Professor Charles's status among Mutants is extraordinary. Without him, Utopia's external deterrent influence is arguably reduced by more than half. This is not something that can be measured by money!"
"Then, what does he want?" The Inquisitor looked at Lane, fearing he would make an exorbitant requirement.
"Endorsement! Utopia wants the Church to endorse Mutants. To announce in the Name of the Lord that Mutant abilities are God's grace, not some gene mutation disease or some Demon Punishment!"
Hearing Lane's words, the Inquisitor immediately frowned, and the several high-ranking bishops present also looked at each other.
"Inquisitor, won't doing this cause resentment among the believers?" A regional archbishop couldn't help but speak.
"Resentment? Bishop Gaily, have you been in the Church for too long that you've forgotten we are the Sacred Shield Brotherhood, not true believers!" Cardinal Hyde, who had some previous interaction with Tang Song—no, he should be called Cardinal Hyde now—refuted the regional archbishop's words.
"But, the Church is our base now. If the parasitic tree falls, where should we vines attached to the tree go—"
"Vines? How long has the Church been established? Our Sacred Shield Brotherhood's history is no shorter than the Church's. Don't include me in your self-deprecation!"
"You!—"
Lane stroked his teacup of black tea, watching the group from the Sacred Shield Brotherhood fall into self-argument. He silently noted down the people who held negative opinions.
For these high-level staff of the Sacred Shield Brotherhood, they could satisfy Utopia if they wanted money. After all, with the Church's thousands of years of accumulation, they weren't just wealthy and imposing; the donations from their believers alone kept them well-fed.
Once they controlled the position of Pope, the entire Church would be theirs.
But using the Church's name to endorse those Mutants...
Regarding the condition proposed by Utopia, these members of the Sacred Shield Brotherhood argued for at least ten minutes. During this time, the servants came to change the tea several times, but they still hadn't argued out a result.
"Inquisitor, Mr. Vickers, and all the bishops, I have delivered the things and Utopia's requirement. It's getting late, and I have some matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first. You can contact me by phone once you've reached a result!"
Lane raised his wrist and looked at his mechanical watch, then stood up and said to the crowd.
As he stood up, there was a rustling sound of chairs being pushed back. Including the Inquisitor, all the high-level staff of the Sacred Shield Brotherhood stood up.
"I'm very sorry, Mr. Lane, for making you come all this way. We will give you a result as soon as possible!" The Inquisitor held Lane's hand and saw him off all the way to the stairwell on the second floor.
"It's my duty, Lord Inquisitor, you are too kind. Please go back!" Lane waved to the Inquisitor.
The Inquisitor looked behind him, "West, go see Mr. Lane off for me!"
West nodded and chased after Lane's figure.
The crowd from the Sacred Shield Brotherhood watched the two disappear into the distance. Someone spoke, "Ah, who would have thought that a disciple of West would rise to his current status? When West introduced him to the Brotherhood, he was just a thug, right? Now, we all have to treat one of his subordinates with such respect! Life is unpredictable indeed!"
For a moment, the entire second floor fell into a dead silence.
"Phew!"
West saw Lane off downstairs. By the pond, the two stopped tacitly. West took a cigar from Lane's hand and put it in his mouth. Lane took a match from a bodyguard nearby and personally struck the match to light his cigar for him. West smoked the cigar, exhaling a puff of white smoke.
"Master West, has the Pope been selected?"
In front of the castle's fountain, Lane also lit a cigar for himself, accompanying West in puffing smoke.
"I favor Bishop Hyde. He's one of us, and his rise to Cardinal was largely thanks to your group's money offensive!"
"Bishop Hyde!" Lane's mind quickly flashed with that plump face, resembling Santa Claus. He nodded, "I will explain it to the boss!"
"So, what exactly does Tang want? He never used to pay so much attention to the Pope's election. Is it because of that Holy Descent Angel?" The firelight from the cigar flickered in the dark corner. West's eyes shone with a sharp gaze in the night sky.
"Our boss thinks the person on the cross has been hanging there for thousands of years, it's too hard on him, so he plans to replace him!"
West hearing Lane's seemingly casual words, his body trembled, and he gasped inwardly.
"You're crazy!" West felt his fingers holding the cigar were trembling.
Lane gave a cold laugh. He said to West, "Angel, God, what does it matter? One was still taken down at the Forward Base!"
After a round of mockery, Lane continued:
"Master West, from this Angel's Holy Descent, you of the Sacred Shield Brotherhood should be able to see that to control the Church, you must turn the Church into a true religious ornament organization, and the Gods and Angels backing them are the biggest obstacles to your control of the Church!"
"But that's an Angel, the legendary God, he is Omnipotent." West took two hard drags on his cigar and frowned.
Lane sneered mockingly a few times, "Omnipotent? That's just what's recorded in the Bible. The Bible wasn't re-interpreted by humans, was it? In my opinion, the only one who can be called Omnipotent is our boss!"
West trembled again. He asked with a dry laugh, "Is this your boss's meaning? What does Tang plan to do?"
Lane glanced at West. He said gently, "The boss's meaning is that after the new Pope takes office, he will come forward to invite religious scholars from various countries to re-interpret the Bible and archaeologically re-examine Christ Jesus!"
As Lane spoke, he reached into his clothes pocket and fumbled around for a bit, pulling out an injection of green agent like jade and handing it to West.
He smiled, "Master, you don't have to worry about encountering resistance. This is the first batch of divine serum produced by our laboratory. This agent can break a person's lifespan limit, raising the theoretical lifespan limit of the human body to one hundred and fifty years!"
West clutched the agent in his hand, his heart shaking violently. He licked his somewhat dry lips.
Something that extends lifespan, even in the supernatural world, is a rare treasure that is hard to buy for a thousand pieces of gold. Moreover, most supernatural objects that can be bought have various flaws.
Just like the Vampire's The Embrace, it can indeed turn ordinary people into long-life species, but unless absolutely necessary, no one wants to become a bloodthirsty monster that can only feed on human blood.
"Don't worry, Master West, we have already conducted human experimentation on this agent, and there are no side effects. The boss asked me to prepare fifty doses. I believe with these agents, you will definitely be able to find a group of like-minded friends within the Church!"
West's complexion changed for a while. He asked again very seriously, "What exactly does Tang want to do?"
"I've already told you, Master West. Our boss plans to reshape a new God and replace the one on the Cross!"
West shouted hoarsely, "You're truly crazy! What benefit is there for you in doing this?! My God?!"
West really couldn't understand Tang Song's intention. Even if the person on the cross was replaced, what benefit would that be to Tang Song? Could it be that Tang is a heretic?
Lane didn't speak. He just looked at West.
He firmly believed that no one could refuse the conditions offered by the boss. An agent that extends lifespan, he believed no one could resist the temptation of living.
As for the boss's true purpose... he had some guess in his heart.
West's face was shifting between clear and overcast, taking deep drags on his cigar. The smoke he exhaled seemed to indicate his mood.
"How do you plan to deal with those Angels? From the Holy Descent, those Angels aren't baseless legends; they are real—"
Lane smiled, "We will solve that problem! Master West only needs to be responsible for the later matters of re-interpreting the Bible!"
West took two hard drags on his cigar, threw the remaining half onto the ground, and stepped on it fiercely to extinguish it. He clenched the injection in his hand, "Alright, I don't care what Tang plans to do, but the purpose of the Sacred Shield Brotherhood's establishment is to protect Earth from alien invasion. Since this God is an alien, then I will help you!"
"Regarding the matters here at the Church, I'll leave them to you. If you need anything, feel free to contact me anytime!" Lane nodded towards West.
West saw Lane all the way out to the Ancient Castle Gate. The black stretch limousine followed slowly behind the two of them the entire time.
"Then I won't see you off!"
West watched Lane get into the car and saw the car drive away before slowly walking back into the Ancient Castle. During this time, he carefully tucked the injection in his hand into the inside of his clothes, securing it properly.
"Big Brother Ryan!"
After Ryan got into the car, he was greeted by a goofy smiling face. He sighed helplessly.
"Alright, the matters here are resolved. Then come back to the Manor with me!"
Adam heard Ryan's words and immediately beamed with joy. He eagerly offered a beverage from the car refrigerator inside the car to Ryan.
Moonlight was like water, and the night wind was like water.
Heaven and Earth seemed like a large piece of glazed tile. In the distance, the sea surface was slightly undulating, with waves crashing repeatedly.
In the Norwegian Sea, on a small island that wasn't large. Although uninhabited, the small island was full of wildflowers, and at night, the sound of insects chirping was incessant.
Tang Song, dressed as a Daoist, leaned lazily against a large rock by the coast. A striped fierce tiger nestled at his feet, giving him the elegant demeanor of an Immortal from The East.
Carried by the sea wind, besides the sound of waves hitting the rocks, there seemed to be the sound of thunder and roaring curses, as well as a sharp woman's voice cursing gleefully.
Rumble—
A flash of lightning tore through the night sky, illuminating the ocean in front of Tang Song. An elder wearing a white trench coat appeared somewhat disheveled in front of Tang Song.
"Tang! I'll leave it to you!"
Tang Song watched as the old fellow Odin disappeared behind him with a few leaps.
A puff of black mist suddenly drifted from the sea surface. The black mist landed in front of Tang Song, and a woman with long black hair and wearing dark green armor walked out from the black smoke.
Her eyes scanned Tang Song up and down, and she asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "Who are you? Where did that old fellow Odin hide?"
Tang Song silently sized up the black-haired mature woman in front of him, pointed his finger backward, indicating that Odin was hiding behind him.
The black-haired mature woman, Hela, cautiously glanced at Tang Song. She raised both hands, and countless sharp black short blades appeared in mid-air, pointing at Tang Song from a distance.
"Who are you? A helper Odin invited?"
(End of chapter)