It was clear to everyone just how powerful Su Baadao’s presence was.
With a single sentence calling her a liar, he completely stifled everything Sister Qu had prepared to say.
She had thought she understood Su Baadao’s way of doing things, but after a real confrontation, she realized that theory was just theory after all.
“That is not a memory worth revisiting. I...”
Before Sister Qu could finish, Su Baadao raised a hand to cut her off.
“I find it hard to trust someone who lies the moment we meet. Furthermore, if you were in my position, would you trust someone from the Killer pathway who is spreading a religious faith?”
Sister Qu fell silent. She felt that Su Baadao had a point.
However, she quickly snapped out of it. Not only had she failed to draw Su Baadao into her rhythm, but she had also fallen into his!
It was only then that Sister Qu realized she and Su Baadao were in completely different leagues.
“Mr. Su, let’s be direct. What do you want?”
“For you all to leave Mangliang City.”
Su Baadao’s tone left no room for doubt.
“That’s impossible.”
Sister Qu was equally firm.
She knew very well that while these followers did believe in the Lord of Rebirth and Communion, it was unrealistic to expect them to leave their homes for their faith.
She had worked hard to attract these followers, and she naturally didn't want to watch them scatter.
Su Baadao leaned back in his chair and said calmly.
“Miss Qu, I am not negotiating with you.”
Sister Qu frowned. “Mr. Su, I don't understand. Although Great Wei manages deities strictly, surely it isn't this harsh?”
“For instance, the mountain gods, lake gods, and sea gods are recognized by Great Wei and allowed to have followers, aren't they?”
“Our Lord of Rebirth and Communion saved so many people during this disaster. I believe you are aware of that. Why is it that we are not allowed to preach here?”
Su Baadao clearly looked a bit impatient, yet he still answered seriously.
“In consideration of the fact that you have indeed performed some meritorious service, I will explain it to you.”
“You are right. The higher-ups do indeed confer titles upon certain local gods and allow them to have followers in their respective areas.”
“But what is the most important part?”
“It is the 'local' part. The specific area. Do you understand?”
“Whether it's a natural deity like a mountain, sea, or lake god, or a living deity like a Cat God or Dog God, they all have their own territories and jurisdictions. They cannot expand their faith beyond those borders.”
“Miss Qu, can your Lord of Rebirth and Communion do the same?”
Sister Qu opened her mouth but ultimately didn't dare to say that they could. After all, a True God could not possibly preach only in a tiny place like Mangliang City.
“It seems you've understood.”
As Su Baadao spoke, he took a file out of his desk drawer and tossed it to Sister Qu.
“Take a look.”
Sister Qu opened the file and saw detailed information on a family of four from Huanggang.
It was a family named Lu.
The further she read, the more alarmed she became. That family was actually composed of followers of the Lord of Rebirth and Communion, and they even owned a temple dedicated to him in their local area!
Even more absurdly, they had obtained officially recognized permits!
“You can take a look at what happened to their daughter.”
Hearing Su Baadao’s reminder, Sister Qu turned her attention to the personal profile.
When she finished reading, she froze on the spot.
“Notice it?”
Su Baadao’s voice was filled with a suggestive quality at this moment.
“You are very much like her, aren't you?”
“Before she returned to Huanggang, the place was filled with followers of the Whale God. No one had even heard of the Lord of Rebirth and Communion.”
“But not long after she returned, people began to promote this so-called Lord of Rebirth and Communion.”
“The most enthusiastic promoter was a fisherman named Wang Yang.”
“They used unknown means to get the preaching qualifications approved.”
“And then, guess what happened there?”
Without waiting for Sister Qu to answer, Su Baadao continued.
“Huanggang was destroyed by an evil god!”
“A port with centuries of history wasn't destroyed earlier or later; it was destroyed right when a new faith appeared.”
“Furthermore, whether it's you or that woman named Lu Zhao, you both have painful pasts. One could even say you are a carbon copy of her.”
“Could it be that your Lord of Rebirth and Communion primarily looks for people like you to be his followers?”
“In my view, the only difference between you two is that you are more capable and are a transcendent.”
“With such an example right in front of me, tell me, how can I not be wary?”
Standing behind the crowd with the cat in his arms, even Yin Yang was somewhat swayed by Su Baadao’s words.
Indeed, if he were in Su Baadao’s position, he would be wary too.
“Huanggang was destroyed because of an evil god, not because of our True God!”
“Miss Qu!!”
Su Baadao’s voice grew louder, drowning out hers before he continued.
“I believe I’ve made myself very clear. I cannot take that risk.”
“Moreover, the higher-ups only allow the existence of regional gods. Even those regional gods must be under the jurisdiction of a specialized department.”
“The Lord of Rebirth and Communion you speak of has already been registered in Huanggang. Even if preaching is allowed, it can only be done in Huanggang. Do you understand?”
If it weren't for the fact that Sister Qu had been a great help during the earthquake, Su Baadao wouldn't have bothered explaining so much to her.
Just as Yin Yang thought Sister Qu would surely be out of options, she took two deep breaths to steady her emotions and spoke with extreme seriousness.
“Mr. Su, since there’s no room for negotiation, can we cooperate instead?”
“Hmm?”
Su Baadao looked at her with surprise.
“Cooperate?”
“Yes!”
Sister Qu turned to look at the crowd, her gaze scanning around twice before finding Yin Yang. She pointed at the cat in his arms.
“Mr. Su, you must have heard the stories about this cat over the past few days, right?”
Su Baadao nodded. He had indeed heard quite a lot recently.
“I heard before that you are developing the South District and want to drive its growth by turning Mangliang City into an influencer city.”
“What do you think of a 'Cat Hero'?”
“Its actions during this earthquake have been witnessed by all. We can completely mold it into a hero of Mangliang City—a Cat Hero!”
“Compared to a human hero who emerges to save the masses in a time of crisis, wouldn't a cat be much more buzzworthy?”
“Since we cannot spread the faith of the True God in Mangliang City, we will spread the glory of his Divine Envoy. Surely the rules don't forbid that?”
Su Baadao’s eyes narrowed slightly. For the first time, the way he looked at Sister Qu changed.
Preaching was definitely out of the question.
But if it was a win-win cooperation, then that was something they could discuss.
Yin Yang and the other representatives of different social strata had become mere background characters, quietly listening to the two parties converse.
In the end, Su Baadao agreed. While the Lord of Rebirth and Communion could not be promoted within Mangliang City, his cat could be.
In exchange, the followers of the Lord of Rebirth and Communion would help mold Canned Food into a hero of the earthquake!
This was the limit of what Su Baadao could tolerate.
In fact, if they hadn't saved so many people during the earthquake, Su Baadao wouldn't have given them the time of day.
...
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