I open a restaurant in Mysterious Recovery

Chapter 689 The "Shop Manager's" Blind Date Plan, The Ghost Church
The Ghost Church is located in the western suburbs of Greater New York and is a building that has been passed down for over a century.

Because the building was too old and dilapidated, it was renovated a few years ago. As a well-known building in the area, religious citizens often come here to rest or repent.

"So you're telling me that this church was only recently renovated?"

Lin Yuan looked at him strangely, pointing to the moss on the wall and the dilapidated steps, his words full of doubt.

He knew, of course, that these were all caused by supernatural forces, but now he was playing the role of the "shop manager," representing only his own ordinary, human consciousness, so he naturally had to act convincingly.

The manor owner explained awkwardly, "The situation here is a bit special. It has been... well, destroyed by some people who don't believe in their gods, and they even used corrosive agents, which is why it has changed so much."

As for heretics, everyone knows they are enemies of principle, the kind that must be defeated with all our might.

The church has only been damaged, not demolished, but aged prematurely by several decades, which seems understandable.

Lin Yuan also expressed his understanding, "This land is indeed free. Luckily, there are many of us here today, otherwise..."

"Don't worry, boss. As long as I, Old Man Zhuang, am here, I will not let anyone harm you, unless they step over my dead body!" the manor owner said immediately, his tone solemn, as if he were making a vow.

Lin Yuan looked at the manor owner intently for a long time, then suddenly laughed, "Okay, I believe you."

Seeing this harmonious scene, Li Jun's heart was filled with alarm bells. "This is bad! It seems that the manor owner has gained the shopkeeper's trust even more. If we let him continue like this, I'm afraid our relationship with the shopkeeper will be greatly delayed."

They were the ones who knew about the "manager's" existence first, and now there are even more compatriots at the Peace Hotel.

In contrast, there is still some skepticism about the existence of the Peace Hotel abroad. But now, the relationship between the manor owner and the "manager" seems to have progressed even faster than theirs.

“That’s quite normal, after all, the manor owner really treats the shop manager like a god. If you were the shop manager, would you be closer to people who trust you, or to those who are just restaurant guests, or those who are dispensable?” Li Leping asked calmly.

The answer to this question is obvious.

Li Jun's expression grew increasingly grave. "No matter what, this situation cannot continue. We cannot allow the manager's stance to shift overseas, otherwise the blow to us will be fatal. Over the past year or so, everyone has clearly seen the changes in the domestic paranormal community. Although the frequency of paranormal events is increasing, the survival rate of ghost controllers is also constantly improving because of the Peace Hotel. The overall situation is still within a controllable range... no, not controllable, but showing a counter-offensive posture."

As long as something is edible and is a resource, no matter how dangerous it may be, it will eventually be defeated or even domesticated by the people of this land in the East.

Those with poor reproductive ability will directly become protected or endangered animals!
Nowadays, in China's paranormal community, vengeful ghosts have become synonymous with resources. Because the development of the new era is too short, the scale and strength of "ghost-catching teams" still have some gaps.

But as long as this continues, with the Peace Hotel serving as a semi-logistical supply base, the future is destined to be very bright!
But what if the Peace Hotel were to relocate, or even just move its headquarters overseas?

Without the most direct support, obtaining commemorative coins becomes problematic, and the casualty rate in dealing with paranormal events will rise sharply.

At that point, let alone turning vengeful spirits into endangered species, even humanity itself will struggle to protect itself!
Everyone is well aware of this, but there's not much that can be done to address this situation.

“Being a believer in God has such a huge advantage. Before the shop manager turned his attention overseas, everything was fine, but now he's clearly eyeing this land. Compared to the relatively peaceful atmosphere of the paranormal community in China, although it's more dangerous overseas, there are more resources and it's more attractive.” The more Ah Hong analyzed, the more desperate she felt.

Yang Jian glanced at the group of people, then finally fixed his gaze on Guo Fan. "Ordinary customers are indeed incomparable to believers of God, but what about shop assistants? From another perspective, believers are still outsiders, while shop assistants are the ones the shop manager recognizes as his own people. Guo Fan, it's time for you to show your strength."

Guo Fan said irritably, "Yang Jian, are you doing this on purpose? The manor owner is a believer, but don't forget that he is also a shop assistant. He invested all his wealth in the Peace Hotel. Do you think I, an ordinary driver, can compare?"

“We have to give it a try, no matter what. Our biggest advantage right now is that the store manager used to live on our land. He’s attached to his hometown, so let’s try to do it from multiple angles,” Li Leping suggested.

Ah Hong's eyes suddenly lit up, and she said, "Captain Li is right, but I think we can add something else, such as family, friendship, and love. These can all be ties."

"Without equal status, so-called friendship is nothing but a joke. As for family ties, we don't even know when the store manager was born. Headquarters has searched through nearly a hundred years of records, but we can't find any trace of him or his descendants. Then there's love. Who do you think would be a suitable candidate to provide a romantic bond if someone can refuse even a woman like He Yuelian who throws herself at him?" Yang Jian asked.

Ah Hong shook her head. "Captain Yang, you don't understand. Love isn't about lust. No matter how beautiful He Yuelian is, she's just a pretty face. True love is the fusion of souls, a mutual recognition of self-awareness and understanding. And you're mistaken about something. He looks down on everything like a god, but the shopkeeper is just an ordinary person. Whether it's He Yuelian, Liu Qingqing, or He Yin'er and Tong Qian, their bodies have been corrupted by supernatural forces. They're no longer pure people, or even real people at all. No matter how beautiful, attractive, or proactive they are, how could the shopkeeper possibly accept them?"

Ok?
Previously, the headquarters had conducted extensive analysis and verification regarding Liu Qingqing and He Yuelian's active pursuit of the "store manager".

Even initially, Tong Qian suggested using the word "emotion" to establish a bond with the "store manager," or even to control the "store manager."

However, later, as everyone gained a clearer understanding of the "store manager" and realized that his essence had reached a "god-like" level, they put aside this idea.

However, Tong Qian's theory is feasible.

This can be seen from Fang Shiming's use of marriage to control the ghost messenger Lao Fan. This is true, but the headquarters did not take it seriously at the time, or thought it was just a joke, which is why Fang Shiming got such a good deal.

Even so, the headquarters never set its sights on the "store manager".

Until now, Ah Hong's sudden point of view made the people present seem to have discovered some blind spot, and they were obviously stunned for a while.

“We can give it a try. There are quite a few eligible single women at headquarters. If the store manager really likes ordinary people, then they would be the best choice,” Ah Hong continued.

There are indeed quite a few eligible single women at headquarters.

They are young, beautiful, highly educated, and professionally trained. They possess a strong sense of loyalty to their country and family. If they were to be with the "store manager," it would be a huge positive development. As for whether they would agree?
Ah Hong didn't consider this point, or rather, under the current trend, any petty feelings and love must be compromised and yielded.

Compared to the team leaders and those in charge of handling paranormal events who stand on the front lines to fight against vengeful spirits, their efforts are not necessarily better or worse, but they are the same kind of sacrifice.

“Your idea is good, but ordinary people can’t get into the Peace Hotel unless they are like Wang Chaling. Or, we could try to get the manager out of the Peace Hotel through matchmaking, just like when the manager took pity on Xiong Wenwen and arranged for her to go on a blind date with Xiong Wenwen’s mother?” Li Leping also offered his idea.

"That's acceptable, but we'll need to have headquarters discuss and arrange the details when we get back. We must make sure the plan is well-developed and implemented. Also, we can't let Xiong Wenwen know about this, otherwise he'll definitely cause trouble." Li Jun was also convinced.

If they can really use love to hold back the "store manager," it will be a huge advantage for the situation going forward, and it's definitely worth a try.

They were having a very lively conversation, unaware that Lin Yuan had overheard everything they said.

Or rather, they knew that "He" was able to know everything in the White Mist Ghost Realm, but they didn't know that the "He" they thought was standing not far from them was the "shopkeeper" whom they believed only normal people could recognize.

Discussing this matter in the White Mist Ghost Realm was also a way of testing his attitude.

If it is unwilling, it will definitely provide some feedback through the White Mist Ghost Realm, so that they can know whether this matter can be done.

Now that we've reached the end, all the plans have been laid out, but the surrounding white mist and ghostly realm remain unchanged, proving that at least it doesn't oppose this matter.

In that case, there is a lot of room for maneuver.

Lin Yuan understood what these people were thinking, and at this moment, besides being speechless, he also felt a bit expectant.

Blind dates, especially with those outstanding, normal women, are indeed very attractive. Although they certainly don't have the kind of appearance that He Yuelian has, which seems out of place in the normal world, they are still normal people.

Meanwhile, his casual conversation with the manor owner had also come to an end.

Lin Yuan came here under the guise of "having fun," but the Ghost Manor didn't look like a place suitable for tourism at all.

Finally, the manor owner, at his wit's end, could only come up with an idea: "This place is actually a horror-themed amusement park with a church as its backdrop. There are staff members dressed as ghosts and monsters inside, and if you can defeat them, you can take away a gift. As for what the gift is, I'm not entirely sure."

Hearing this, Lin Yuan seemed intrigued. "That sounds interesting. Since we've all come all this way, why don't we all go in and have some fun together?"

This last invitation was addressed to Li Jun and the others.

Li Jun, Yang Jian, Li Leping, A Hong, and Guo Fan exchanged glances, knowing they couldn't refuse the "shop manager's" invitation, so they all agreed.

The haunted church incident occurred a year or two ago and remains unsolved, which speaks volumes about its terrifying nature.

At least in terms of horror, it is definitely not comparable to an S-level paranormal event.

However, with the "shop manager" around and the White Mist Ghost Realm around, even the most terrifying supernatural events will eventually become what the "shop manager" deems appropriate.

Since we're talking about a horror-themed amusement park, then it is a horror-themed amusement park and there shouldn't be too much danger.

It just so happens that Chen Qiaoyang and Zhang Jun's satellite phone positioning signals are inside, so they might be trapped inside. It would be necessary for them to go in and check.

Chenqiao sheep?
That doesn't matter; what's truly important is Zhang Jun.

That's our captain, who's been abroad for a long time to gather information for headquarters. He's done a great job, so we have to bring him back!

The group quickly entered the Ghost Church.

"Under the shopkeeper's influence, these corroded things are starting to seem like mere decorations, artificial artifacts. This journey should be much easier. Speaking of which, the manor owner has been quite helpful to us in this matter." Li Jun touched the moss by the door and breathed a sigh of relief.

The others nodded to each other, but their vigilance remained undiminished.

Besides Lin Yuan and his group, the manor owner and the projectionist also came in this time, while the others stayed outside the Ghost Church.

The changes that Li Jun noticed were also noticed by everyone else.

After entering the gate, there is a spacious hall with rows of benches. In the far distance, there is a high platform with a statue on it, which looks like a god.

Before the statue stood a figure in a long robe, with his back to the crowd but facing the statue.

The floor and benches were covered in moss, looking as if they had been dilapidated for decades, exuding a natural charm. The walls and ceiling above were also covered in moss.

The entire space was filled with a damp atmosphere, which made people feel a little uncomfortable. On the benches, which had more than a dozen rows and were divided into two columns, several people were sitting quietly.

These figures also had their backs to the crowd, facing the statue on the platform, with their heads slightly bowed, as if they were regretting something.

(End of this chapter)