Storm of Gods

Chapter 177 An Impulsive Date with Christy
When Lao Luo was mentioned, Li Xin's expression became solemn, and he said seriously, "Don't worry, boss, I won't do anything to betray the Night Patrol."

"Haha, it's not that serious. Let's get down to business. I've got some information: not all of the Undertaker's men were burned at the stake. There's another big fish in there, currently imprisoned in the Undertaker's cell." Ma Zhe said, taking a puff of his cigar, preparing to retaliate.

"Ah, is he a very powerful person? Even the funeral procession is wary of him?" Li Xin was a little curious. Even His Majesty the King's orders were being questioned.

“Hehe, that’s right, Viscount Anthony, he’s quite a figure. Anthony Nasser, the Nasser family is one of the most powerful families in Montaleta, and Duke Nasser is currently the one with real power. Anthony is one of the direct descendants of the family. His viscountcy was not inherited, but earned through hard-fought battles on the battlefield,” Ma Zhe said. “There have been constant small-scale skirmishes on the border between Montaleta and Black Meteor. Anthony is a centurion of the vanguard army and a former captain of the Divine Knight Academy. He returned to the capital a few months ago to report on his duties, and his future was bright. But a few days ago, he raped a woman while drunk, and accidentally used too much force, sticking his hand into the woman’s chest. Just then, the Undertaker was conducting a large-scale search and arrested him. Normally, the nobles in Heldan would just turn a blind eye to this, but it happened to happen at this critical moment. The Undertaker is also in a bind. This hot potato is hard to handle, and it’s also difficult to keep it.”

"Are you looking to report on this?"

“Yes, the Zheng family and the Nasser family have both invested in the Herdan Daily. They definitely won’t report it. I suspect they’ve even kept it from the King. If we retaliate, we’ll definitely bring back the bird newspaper!” Ma Zhe put down his cigar. “So I need you to confirm this.”

Li Xin's mind raced. Ma Zhe had received this news and decided to venture into this minefield, which was clearly something he had planned. At this moment, he certainly didn't want to hear Li Xin's thoughts.

"President, I'll try to find out what's going on with Simmons."

"Well, I'm telling you all this so you understand the situation and can be careful about how you interact with Simmons. I've already gathered the basic intelligence from multiple sources, and this extra layer of insurance makes it even safer. This is our chance to turn the tide; strike at the heart of the problem!" Ma Zhe stubbed out his cigar, revealing the ruthless side of a night watchman.

Li Xin left the president's office. The president hadn't mentioned salary or novel royalties at all, which made Li Xin somewhat resentful. But seeing Ma Zhe's excitement, it would seem a bit tactless to bring up these things at this time.

As employees, it's only natural to ask for a salary. You can't bring it up with the company president, but you can bring it up with our sexy and radiant Christy.

Li Xin knocked on Christy's office door.

"Come in."

Christie, as if she knew Li Xin would come, was grinding coffee beans, the aroma filling the air. "Try the dark roast, these are new beans."

"If I keep drinking good food all the time, what am I going to do in the future?" Li Xin touched his nose, his appetite had been spoiled little by little like this.

“That’s life, just enjoy the moment,” Christie laughed. “Did the president assign you a task?”

"Yes, about the counterattack against the Herdan Daily, let me find out about Anthony's situation."

Christy nodded, put the ground coffee powder into the filter, and began brewing.

"Ahem, sister, how's the reaction to 'The Utopia Grudge'?"

Christie chuckled. "I thought you could hold back. From the information we've received so far, things are looking pretty good. At least the editorial department's feedback is that you can continue the serialization. The idea of ​​advertising in the newspaper is also on the agenda, but we'll save it for the day of our counterattack. If we're going to do it, we'll do it big."

"Ah, does this mean I can get royalties?" Li Xin said casually.

"Royalties? What are those?" Christie asked in surprise, noticing Li Xin's strange expression. "You're a member of the Bird Society, isn't it your duty to work for them?"

???

Is it possible to explain a confused mother opening the door for a confused person like that?
Seeing Li Xin's stunned expression, Christie burst into laughter. "Just kidding. Here, this is 600 lira for this month, plus your 100 lira royalties."

Li Xin didn't know whether to be happy or cry. Was it really that bad? He had stayed up for several nights and lost hundreds of millions of brain cells, only to receive 100 lira?

"What, you think it's not enough?"

"Ahem, no, I heard that Herdan is a country that particularly reveres art." Li Xin was speechless. He was hoping to make a fortune from this. Either the Herdans wouldn't accept it, or if they did, he would make a fortune. But he still overlooked the nature of capitalists.

“Little brother, are you in a hurry? This is Bird Company’s basic standard. There isn’t enough feedback in terms of sales and reputation yet. If I raise it for you right away, what will other people think?” Christie laughed, giving Li Xin a light glare.

Her mature gaze, stable emotions, and unintentional charm made Li Xin's heart flutter. Since coming to the Path of Dao Abyss, Christie was the person he had met who was closest to the feeling of communicating with her in his previous life.

"Sister, I don't have many good points, but I'm very bold." Li Xin said "bold" loudly, puffing out his pectoral muscles.

Christie chuckled. "Always joking around. Anyway, let's get back to the point. What did you find at the Undertaker's place? Travis isn't someone to be trifled with."

“They’re quite conflicted. They want to use us, but they’re also worried that we’ll steal their thunder. I think they’re definitely investigating Isaac internally. The Viscera Harvesters—to be precise, some of the Viscera Harvesters do want to create androids.” Li Xin still provided Christie with the dice’s judgment.

Christie frowned. "An artificial human?"

“It’s about piecing together a person from various organs,” Li Xin said. “But I don’t know what motivates anyone other than a crazy doctor like Isaac to do this.”

To challenge the authority of God? Perhaps, but Li Xin didn't believe that divine power could be usurped in such a way; that would make God far too weak. Christy looked at Li Xin, "Where did you get this information?"

“I went with Simmons, and he told me this while we were chatting on the way back.”

My dear Simmons is truly multi-talented; the bond between brothers needs no explanation.

Christie frowned slightly. Coming from the George family, one of the two major intelligence families in Montcarette, this was clearly not a baseless claim. An artificial human?

“This information is very important; it’s definitely an unexpected bonus. Get along well with Simmons; his goal should be clear: the performance of the Holy Zealots’ Institute. You can also gather more information through this,” Christie said. “I’ll follow up on this matter. Anthony’s situation is more urgent; get it resolved as soon as possible. We need to counterattack!”

Li Xin nodded, looking at Christie, who also realized what he meant, "What kind of look is that?"

"Sister, you look so beautiful when you're serious!"

Already sexy and mature, Christie's unintentional display of seriousness had a significant impact on Li Xin.

Christie smiled charmingly, then paused, "What are you saying, you little brat? How dare you flirt with your older sister?"

"Sister, I got paid. You've been so kind to me since I came to Bird Society. I'll treat you to drinks tonight." For some reason, Li Xin blurted it out, only realizing his mistake afterward... He'd acted impulsively.

Christie looked at Li Xin, her eyes flickering. "Little brother, you just got paid and you're already thinking of splurgeing? Well, what can I do? I happen to have some free time."

Li Xin thought he was going to be rejected, "Bluebird Bar at 18 Crimson Street, George District."

After leaving Bird Club, I fumbled for my wages and heard from David that this bar was the best in George Town, and the owner didn't add much water to the drinks.

Li Xin hailed an open carriage and went directly to the Order House. It was better to deal with Anthony's matter sooner rather than later, as any delay could lead to unforeseen changes. He decided to have lunch with Simmons at noon. Simmons was overjoyed to see Li Xin; yesterday's lightning bolt was not just a flash of lightning, but a beacon of hope for him.

During the meal, Simmons also told Li Xin about the changes, "Brother Li, do you think it's possible for me to awaken the power of thunder if I continue like this?"

"I don't know if you can awaken the power of thunder, but your endurance will definitely increase," Li Xin said with a smile. "There's something you know."

Li Xin told Simmons about Anthony Nasser, and Simmons nodded, "It's not exactly a secret, and it wouldn't have been a big deal in the past, but he just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time. Why is the newspaper trying to retaliate?"

"Yes, won't this cause trouble for your family?"

Simmons smiled. "I don't know what they're planning, but since Grandpa has invested in Bird Newspaper, he's obviously planning to start a war."

"Okay, I understand."

"Brother Li, I'm actually quite surprised. You don't seem like the type of person who would pay attention to this kind of thing."

"Oh, you're not very good at judging people, huh? I'm that kind of person, haha." Li Xin laughed as he finished his meal. In the afternoon, Li Xin and Simmons participated in the training at the Holy Ze Academy, and Simmons once again displayed the demeanor of a captain.

In the distant city of Diva, at Lighthouse No. 108, the resurrected Bati is cleaning the area around the lighthouse. Yesterday, another Licker attacked the lighthouse. Bati, who has come back to life, is not the same as before. His eyes are no longer rigid and dull, but more lively. In the past few days, he has been thinking about what the black knife in his hand really is.
The Great Compassionate Dakini Blade that can see death and life, and the Destiny Star—what exactly does it mean? And what is its connection to that mysterious starry room? He clearly stabbed himself in the chest, so why is he still alive and unharmed?

In the outside world, in the misty world, why do those people not care about their own identity and still call themselves "sir"? Why are they born sinners in the city of Diva? Why are they sinners?
The sign is dark skin; the darker the skin, the more serious the crime. Why?

Previously, Batty would never have questioned anything, but now it's as if the valve in his mind has been opened, and one question after another keeps emerging uncontrollably. Perhaps it's because he has died once and no longer resists, but instead begins to think.

If, just suppose, there really is a peaceful and friendly world outside, could he take his sister out with him?
Once the thought arose, it was impossible to suppress, but the tremor never came. Although his mind was in turmoil, Barty still meticulously carried out the lamplighter's task of clearing away the monsters.

However, while clearing the area around the lighthouse, Barty discovered a strange phenomenon: his black knife could dispel the fog within a certain range. Driven by curiosity, Barty became much bolder than before. He tried to venture deeper into the fog, where it was desolate, but he dared not go too far. The range of his black knife was limited, and he had to keep the lighthouse's light in sight, otherwise he would be completely lost in the fog.

Although it was dangerous, Barty was still enjoying the exploration. He discovered that the world inside the fog was different, and in one direction he actually found a dilapidated road, which was amazing.

The priests in the city of Diva said that the mist was a cursed land, a forbidden zone for life. In fact, there was life there, and it was not a forbidden zone at all. The mist and the Lickers were the real threats.

The nights were particularly difficult to rest. His delirium became more intense than ever before, sometimes feeling like his brain was being drilled open, and he even experienced hallucinations. Barty didn't know what was wrong with him. Was it because his soul had questioned the Triad God, and the God was no longer protecting him?

Barty couldn't change anything, he could only endure it. He now longed to see those people again, whether they were demons or whatever, he wanted answers...

(End of this chapter)