Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

"Long live His Holiness the Pope."

Having said that, he turned and left gracefully, not caring what Wei Yanwu might imagine because of his words.

Wei Yanwu was left standing in the dimly lit living room, lost in thought.

Why would Prince Victoria, Wayne, have this necklace?

Why does his necklace look even more expensive than mine?

nmd, why?

Chapter 58 The Ascension Stairs of Urbino

"Phew, I'm exhausted."

Strolling along the streets of Lungmen, Wayne let out a long sigh of relief.

He wasn't a serious person to begin with; manipulating people's hearts and using political tactics were things he had never considered before. It was only after transmigrating that, for the sake of his dreams, he was forced to start learning them one by one.

Even so, he almost messed up when facing a cunning and shrewd guy like Wei Yanwu.

If it weren't for Mostima acting as an inside man within Penguin Logistics, if it weren't for his high status forcing Wei Yanwu to take a high-stakes gamble with little chance of success, and if it weren't for his recognition of the Lateran cross and his past dealings with His Holiness the Pope, this journey wouldn't have gone so smoothly.

However, all coincidences are inevitable, and all luck is predestined. The truth has come to light, and Wayne has been able to fulfill his promise and give Chen an explanation, so he can be considered satisfied.

He paused his steps on the way back to the Elizabeth Hotel, then turned to survey the brightly lit city.

Longmen, the largest commercial metropolis on the eastern side of the land. Wei Yanwu single-handedly built it, making Longmen a dream city coveted by countless people. At this moment, Wayne didn't want to think about the corruption and darkness hidden beneath the prosperity. He simply wanted to experience this land firsthand.

It's a fantasy city that blends elements of Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and many other cities. In his previous life, Wayne regretted never having visited this so-called "only designated city for large-scale events in China," nor had he attended any major events like anime conventions or game expos. Now that he's personally traveled here, shouldn't he experience it for himself?

This isn't cosplay; everyone here is a real kemonomimi (animal-eared girl).

He pulled out his phone and dialed Theresa's number. Theresa's serene voice came through the receiver:

"Mr. Bruce, is the work finished?"

"Done. Quite a haul." Wayne smiled slightly. The haul was indeed substantial. Not only did he learn what was in Wei Yanwu's box, but he also learned about Wei Yanwu's backer and even uttered a classic line he had long wanted to say.

It's anyone's guess what Wei Yanwu will imagine based on this. Given the unparalleled imagination of the Yan people, this is truly something to look forward to.

However, these things were not suitable to discuss on the street. Wayne paused, then changed the subject, revealing his purpose:

"Want to go for a walk, Theresa?"

"Should we bring Vina along?" Theresa didn't refuse, but instead asked.

Wayne thought for a moment and replied, "Is she asleep?"

"No, I'm watching the news." Theresa turned her head and glanced at the Chinese announcer sitting in the living room, watching TV and repeating what he said, practicing her Chinese pronunciation.

She put in the effort. Wayne was right; learning a foreign language wasn't a bad thing. Although, logically speaking, choosing Ursus, which she would encounter more often, would be more appropriate than the language of the closed-off Yan Kingdom. But in order to understand Wayne's strange Yan proverbs, she decided to learn Yan first.

"Let's wait until she's asleep before we talk about it."

Wayne said dismissively.

Theresa gave a helpless laugh:

"Don't do that, I promised to take Vina out to play."

Wayne waved his hand subconsciously: "Just kidding. Let's not wait for next time, let's invite Vina this time. But it's a promise, you have to keep an eye on her with me later, don't let her eat too much, and definitely don't let her drink alcohol."

"Understood." Theresa nodded.

"Then I'll wait for you at 'the end of the earth.' Take a taxi here."

After finishing speaking, Wayne paused, said goodbye to Theresa and hung up the phone.

He planned to go to the 'end of the earth'.

As a proper lion, how could he refuse Exusiai's invitation? Given Exusiai's personality, since she'd already offered her business card, she'd definitely be waiting for Wayne at the ends of the earth every day. A young girl's curiosity is a terrifying thing. Wayne didn't want to stand Exusiai up and keep her waiting too long.

Late at night, in a place like Longmen, if you're invited to the Emperor's Bar, listen to expensive vinyl records, drink a cocktail made by Texas, enjoy the dazzling neon lights, and chat with someone you like, wouldn't that be a lack of appreciation for life?

You know what, it actually has a bit of a cyberpunk romance drama feel to it.

With that thought in mind, Wayne took out Exusiai's apple-red business card from his bag, turned on his mobile terminal, connected to Lungmen's local area network, and began to walk towards the End of the Earth Bar according to the map.

He didn't plan to take a taxi like Theresa and Vina. While that would save time, it would also mean missing out on the scenery along the way. According to the plot of "The Law of Loudness," Lungmen's night market was an indispensable part of the city's charm, and Wayne wanted to experience it for himself.

Who knows, you might even find some buildings that evoke memories, or some familiar food?

Although he has gradually integrated into and changed this world, as a stranger, Wayne still feels sentimental to some extent when he sees things.

With the setting sun behind him, its twilight reflection illuminating him, Wayne walked tall and straight toward the street. With each step he took, a neon light would illuminate, until the entire city was lit up. Step by step, without stopping.

...........

Lateran, the holy city.

Towering buildings, sharp or rounded domes, churches lining the streets, worshippers bustling about. This is the Kingdom of God descended to earth. The final homeland of all Sakotas on earth.

The heavy doors were pushed open by the religious knights guarding the gate. Cardinal Urbino, dressed in a red robe and wearing a magnificent crown, had a smug smile on his face.

He is now a favorite of the Pope, the most outstanding, youngest, and bravest cardinal—Father Urbino. These prestigious and respected titles are not something that can be obtained through mere flattery. He, Urbino, is undoubtedly the most capable cardinal in Lateran today!

Since taking office, he has accomplished three major feats. First, he won over Wayne Bruce, a member of the Victorian royal family, securing a valuable ally for Victoria. Although this ally is now somewhat useless, since there is no conclusive evidence of his betrayal, this is still a significant achievement, much like Urbino's. Second, he turned the tide, preventing the church from collapsing. At the height of the Reformation, he successfully convened the Holy City Council, which covered the entire Lateran religious world, implementing reforms to a certain extent and stabilizing the Catholic Church's core membership with minimal cost.

Thirdly, there was the conversion of Colombia, which revitalized the authority of the Catholic Church. Through negotiation and diplomacy, an agreement was successfully reached with the remnants of the western parliament, also Orthodox members of the former federal government. In exchange for Lateran Catholicism—the entire nation converting to Lateran and making it the state religion—the Colombian government secured its aid. This marked the first step in the expansion of Lateran's influence, which had significantly diminished after the Reformation!

His contributions are invaluable and immense! Although Urbino is still a cardinal, he has become a leading figure among the new generation of Lateran clergy in the quest for the papacy.

However, he still needs a stepping stone. A stepping stone of sufficient weight to take the final step on the long stairway to godhood!

That is, to knock on the door of that ancient empire and spread the faith of the Catholic Church to a land that had never been cultivated before!

Chapter 59 Urbino angrily rebukes the Church

Lateran, the Holy City, the Papal Palace, the Cardinals' Council Chamber.

Urbino strolled in, and the other cardinals who had arrived earlier nodded and greeted him. Some seemed genuinely convinced, while others looked quite reluctant.

Urbino didn't care about any of that. He knew that those forcing smiles were all old people. They were remnants of the old era, still clinging to the glorious days of Lateran. They believed that His Holiness the Pope was the representative of God, the supreme being on earth, and that they, the cardinals who handled secular affairs for the Pope, were equivalent to kings, emperors, and presidents of the various kingdoms.

But Urbino knew that those were things of the past.

Lateran today is no longer what it once was. Although Iberia remains under its control, the other nations that were once restrained have largely awakened and, riding the wave of the Reformation, have broken free of their shackles. The current Pope is no longer the sole representative of God within the Lateran religious system; every Protestant believes in their ability to communicate with God and that they theoretically possess the right to become Pope.

His Holiness the Pope is now nothing more than a secular lord. Since the Church fell from its pedestal, he has secluded himself, perhaps trying to maintain his stubborn pride by clinging to his last vestiges of "mystique."

These old men, or rather, "people with outdated ideas," were not taken on by the new era of Lateran, and the future Lateran no longer needs such a group of arrogant and self-important cardinals.

If they don't learn humility, then in the future, Urbino will teach them humility. And then kick them out!

"Greetings, everyone."

Urbino smiled, but the light in his eyes grew even brighter.

There must be a reason why he dared to make such a bold statement and set such a grand ambition.

"Gentlemen, the matter has been basically settled."

He remained expressionless, but inwardly he was secretly pleased.

"Wei Yanwu of Longmen has agreed to our cooperation. Our support—money, weapons, technology, advisors, and even instructors—will soon arrive in Longmen. The Great Yan Empire, that fortress known as the forbidden zone of the gods, will soon begin to crumble from within, and I will open up a brand new world for the Catholic Church!"

A variety of emotions, including shock, excitement, and contemplation, appeared on the faces of the crowd. After a moment, Bishop Raymond, a member of the conservative faction, spoke up, accusing them:

“Bishop Urbino, your enthusiasm for opening up new places of faith for the Catholic Church is commendable, but isn’t your behavior a bit reckless? It is our duty to spread faith to that land that lacks divine nourishment, but it is also their honor. We can offer them some friendly assistance, but isn’t your exaggerated aid a bit excessive?”

Most of the other people also showed hesitant expressions, clearly feeling that Bishop Raymond's words made some sense.

How much did Urbino give?

Simply put, he gave Wei Yanwu ten "Wien".

This is a deal that seems outrageous to anyone. Back when Laterano wanted to expand its sphere of influence into Victoria, it only spent a few tens of millions of Laterano gold coins to win over Wayne Bruce, the heir to the throne. But this time, just to win over Wei Yanwu and support him in a gamble with an uncertain success rate, they've directly staked the price of ten Waynes.

That's too extreme. The College of Cardinals would never have passed this bill without that person's tacit approval!

But Urbino, faced with the rebuke, curled his lip in disdain and laughed. He spread his hands and said:

"Gentlemen, aren't you all being a bit too naive? Is the Lateran of today the same as the Lateran of the past?"

"What we had before: elite troops, powerful generals, ancient technology, a wide following, influential nations, and a vast sphere of influence! What we lacked back then was money! To maintain our sphere of influence, we were short of money, desperately short of money!"

"So what did we do? At a crucial step in our plan, when we were trying to extend our reach into Victoria, that ancient and vast country, when we were trying to unify the intellectual world of the entire Terra with the Catholic Church, we hesitated because of a lack of funds!"

Urbino raised his voice and rebuked without any mercy:

"It was you, Bishop Raymond! It was you who voted against my proposal to increase funding for Mr. Wayne Bruce in the council! It was because of you, you short-sighted bastard, that His Highness Wayne failed to win over the people and ascend the throne in the shortest time, that gave the nobles of Victoria time to react, unite, and elect an anti-Latland queen, and that allowed the flames of the Reformation to ignite right under our noses!"

"Imagine if you hadn't been so arrogant back then, if we had given you more, if we had been more careful with Victoria, none of this would have happened, and Laterano wouldn't be what it is today! And all of this is because of your arrogance! Do you understand?!"

Urbino slammed his fist on the table, pressed his hand to his heart, and loudly proclaimed:

"And now, we face an empire no less ancient and vast than Victoria's. The man we've chosen, his claims, his power—he's not even as strong as Prince Wayne was back then. And yet we're unwilling to spend a single penny more to support him! Short-sighted fool, do you want to be arrogant a few more times? Do you want to destroy Laterano?!"

Urbino's expression shifted abruptly, becoming one of deep sorrow. He changed the hand he had been clutching his chest into a claw shape and lamented:

"Our poor, loyal ally, His Highness Wayne, still insists on sending greetings to His Holiness the Pope every month, reporting on Victoria's thriving situation and the injustices he has suffered, hoping that His Holiness the Pope will provide him with another missionary maintenance fee so that he can make a comeback. We have already reduced one ally to such a state; do you want another friend who has just begun to believe in us to suffer the same fate?!"

Urbino took a deep breath and said sarcastically:

"Do you know what Laterano has in abundance right now? Money! Because of the misjudgment of some of us, the funds we used to maintain our vast network of influence are now completely free. So, give it to him, not just ten Waynes, but twenty! He can have as many as he wants!"

"All for the glory of our Lord, all for Lateran!"

Urbino swore an oath, adding in his mind, "All for my papacy."

He talks a lot about principles, but his mind is all about business. Spend some money to support Wei Yanwu, and you can get his papacy in return. What a lucrative deal.

As for Raymond, I've disliked him for a long time.

Chapter Sixty: If you haven't completed the mission, you don't need to come back.

"you!"

Bishop Raymond was furious. He had served as a cardinal for decades, working diligently for the Vatican, only to be called a sinner of the Church by a newly powerful young man. Bishop Raymond was immediately enraged and wanted to retort.

However, before he could speak, the door behind him leading to the Papal Palace slowly opened.