Chapter 98

Upon hearing Ren Jie's answer, Shang Jianyao thought for two seconds and continued to ask:

"Who is the Holy Master?"

Ren Jie smiled:

"This is not something you should know now.

"Once you become a 'Guide,' the Holy Master will summon you personally.

"At that time, you will know who he is."

Shang Jianyao, undeterred, pressed on:

"Then how can I become a 'Guide'?"

"By performing well enough." Facing her newly adopted son, Ren Jie was very patient.

Before Shang Jianyao could ask more, she added:

"As long as you perform well enough, the Holy Master will not overlook you."

As she spoke, her expression turned serious again:

"The Holy Master is always watching us."

At this moment, people who had been returning due to the streetlights about to go out passed by one after another. Ren Jie looked around and said:

"Let's talk about the rest later."

Shang Jianyao nodded slightly and then said quickly:

"I really can't bring myself to say it;

"Let's just forget about what happened earlier..."

After saying this, he turned and left, not giving Ren Jie a chance to ask more.

Ren Jie was taken aback and laughed, saying:

"This kid, he's even blushing..."

...

The next morning, after having breakfast, Shang Jianyao went to Room 14 on the 647th floor.

Jiang Baimian had arrived even earlier and was already there, flipping through some documents.

"So early?" Jiang Baimian lifted her head and laughed, "Are you thinking about practicing combat again?"

She looked eager to try.

Shang Jianyao walked to her desk, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

Without any small talk, he asked directly:

"Leader, does an Awakened have the ability to make someone's heart stop?"

"I'm not quite sure. I don't know much about the abilities of Awakeneds," Jiang Baimian answered with a hint of confusion, "If it's not a direct heart stop, but through indirect means, I know one. Hehe, you should be able to guess it too. Yes, it's the Nightmare Horse 'True Nightmare.' If you die in a dream, it's likely that your heart will stop in reality."

"Was he not sleeping at the time, but working?" Shang Jianyao asked without any pretense.

"Such detail? Did it really happen?" Jiang Baimian, being so perceptive, immediately sensed something was off.

She then recalled the news at the hour last night and frowned slightly:

"Was it Wang, the 'Material Supply Market' manager who died of a heart stop?

"Do you suspect he was killed by an Awakened?

"Is there any evidence? Many people die of heart problems every year within the company."

Shang Jianyao said frankly:

"I joined a cult within the company, one that often gathers to distribute the Eucharist.

"Yesterday morning, during the gathering, they accused Wang Yafei of desecrating sacred fertility and using his power for personal gain, suppressing a member of the cult.

"At the time, the 'Guide' in charge of our floor said, 'God will punish the sinner.'

"Less than four hours later, Wang Yafei died."

"This does seem suspicious," Jiang Baimian commented fairly, then realized something, "Wait, you said you joined a secret cult? Is there a religious belief that has emerged or infiltrated the company?"

This was a big issue!

"Devoted to the Fate Master, the December Enforcer," Shang Jianyao's tone was very calm, as if discussing who the principal of the elementary school in the building was.

Jiang Baimian felt both amused and a bit strange, and asked directly:

"If you suspect the cult, why not report it to the 'Order Inspector' directly?

"This would be a good deed, and you don't have to worry about being implicated.

"Or, are you attached to the cult?"

"A little, their Eucharist is very delicious," Shang Jianyao answered sincerely.

Jiang Baimian had long given up on reasoning with Shang Jianyao and forced a smile:

"Just because of that reason?"

Shang Jianyao was silent for two seconds and then said seriously:

"Most of the cult members are good people, who joined due to some sad past events.

"They haven't done anything bad; they gather mainly to find spiritual solace and comfort each other."

Jiang Baimian nodded thoughtfully:

"You're worried that if the company finds out about the cult, they will be implicated and severely punished?

"If it turns out that Wang Yafei died naturally, and the whole thing was just a coincidence, would it be unfair for the cult to be reported and dealt with?"

Shang Jianyao nodded, indicating that this was his concern.

Jiang Baimian's eyes flickered, and she smiled:

"You're willing to tell me the secrets of the cult because you trust me?"

"Yes," Shang Jianyao didn't hide it.

Jiang Baimian's smile became more evident.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao added:

"Even if you're not trustworthy, I can rely on the 'Reasoning Clown' ability to make you trustworthy."

"..." Jiang Baimian narrowed her eyes, raised her left hand, and let small silver-white arcs of electricity dance in her palm, "Say that again."

"Right, you are trustworthy," Shang Jianyao agreed readily.

Jiang Baimian put down her hand and asked casually:

"Why did you think of consulting me?"

"You have a better mind," Shang Jianyao was quite honest.

Jiang Baimian smiled again:

"Good to know."

She asked curiously:

"If you had to handle it yourself, how would you do it?"

Shang Jianyao had already considered this and answered smoothly:

"Find the Holy Master above the 'Guide,' find the person who issued the order, find the Awakened who carried out the task, find the restless high-ranking members of the cult, and secretly kill them all.

"Then the cult would be completely harmless, just a place where people share knowledge, troubles, and food."

He spoke as if he was planning to go to the 'Material Supply Market' to buy vegetables on a rest day.

Jiang Baimian was momentarily at a loss for words and said after a few seconds:

"That's a bit difficult... An Awakened with the 'Heart Stop' ability is not easy to deal with, especially in the narrow environment of the company. Besides, the cult might have more than one Awakened, and some high-ranking members might be Awakeneds too. It would be extremely difficult to eliminate them all, and you would likely die.

"Also, killing so many people and trying to cover it up is almost impossible.

"Do you think the company is just for show?"

Jiang Baimian continued:

"Although you have the 'Reasoning Clown' ability, conducting your own investigation is not as effective as the company leading it, which can mobilize all resources to quickly uncover the truth and solve the problem.

"So, my suggestion is still: report it to the company.

"As for the ordinary cult members, as long as they haven't done anything bad, the company's punishment won't be too severe, just a lesson, after all, everyone is a valuable resource.

"Moreover, you can use your merits to help reduce their punishment."

Seeing Shang Jianyao's thoughtful expression, she added:

"We all live here, and we all want the company to be stable.

"If such issues are kept hidden and you try to solve them on your own, they will only get worse."

Shang Jianyao stood up abruptly:

"I'll go to the 'Order Inspector Bureau' now."

"Wait, wait! No need to rush, I haven't finished yet!" Jiang Baimian quickly called him back.

Shang Jianyao sat down again, looked at Jiang Baimian, and waited for her to continue.

Jiang Baimian nodded:

"First, tell me the whole story again, from beginning to end, in detail."

Shang Jianyao recalled everything without hiding anything, even mentioning the exact time he went to the bathroom.

Jiang Baimian listened attentively, not interrupting Shang Jianyao to avoid affecting his train of thought and causing any omissions.

Even though she was very familiar with Shang Jianyao's style, she still opened her mouth in surprise and amusement when she heard that he had called Ren Jie 'Mom' to gain her trust.

"... Every time I think I understand you, you surprise me again," Jiang Baimian sighed a bit helplessly.

Then she nodded slightly:

"There's an illogical aspect to this matter."

"Where?" Shang Jianyao asked very cooperatively.

Jiang Baimian organized her thoughts and said:

"If Wang Yafei's death had happened in two or three weeks, or a month later, I wouldn't see any problem, it would be a normal progression.

"But at around 6 a.m., the 'Guide' just defined Wang Yafei as a sinner and said God would punish him, and three hours later, Wang Yafei died of a heart stop.

"This would create an obvious issue: all the members present would connect Wang Yafei's death to divine punishment."

"Right, that's exactly what everyone thought," Shang Jianyao confirmed Jiang Baimian's statement, "Everyone thought so."

Jiang Baimian smiled and asked:

"What were their reactions?

"Were there fear, panic, confusion?"

Shang Jianyao nodded.

Jiang Baimian continued:

"Under such a powerful emotional impact, different members would inevitably make different choices based on their personalities and experiences.

"I admit that most would become more reverent, thoroughly believing in the existence of the Fate Master, and become extremely devout, but there would definitely be a few who, out of fear, panic, guilt, or a sense of justice, would think of reporting to the company.

"You are a clear example of this."

Shang Jianyao thought for a moment and roughly understood Jiang Baimian's point:

"If Wang Yafei's death had happened a month later, people would have had time to process it, and the impact would not be so great. They would mainly speculate and become more reverent. But now, with such a strong impact, different people might make different choices?"

Jiang Baimian nodded seriously:

"This leads to a question.

"How can the high-ranking members of the cult be sure no one will betray them?

"Two explanations: one, they are religious fanatics who don't consider the consequences or their own safety, only wanting to judge sinners; two, they are confident that any betrayal or reporting will not succeed."

Jiang Baimian then looked into Shang Jianyao's eyes and asked seriously:

"Which one do you think it is?"

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