Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 196 - 116: May There Be Maggots in Your Coffee

Chapter 196: Chapter 116: May There Be Maggots in Your Coffee

The baptism’s good day did not last long.

After enjoying a hearty breakfast and admiring the changes Duan Mingyuan and his companions had brought to the flagship, when she returned to the office of the inspector, a new directive from headquarters had just arrived.

The order was concise and to the point.

The current Archbishop was very interested in the newcomer Old Duan and commanded that she must recruit this person into the church, using force to knock him out and bring him back to headquarters if necessary.

The Consortium was in great need of such talent.

In the eyes of the ordinary faithful, the article "Approach ’The Impure,’ Reveal the Secrets Behind Them" sparked a uniform frenzy of party opposition, marking the beginning of the oppressed’s rebellion. However, upon careful reading by the higher-ups of the Ashen Consortium, they were greatly shocked.

The mutual conversion of different energies was an ultimate problem that had troubled the Consortium for years, yet Old Duan, after participating in just one symposium, made several practical suggestions. Following the methods outlined in his paper, the church hierarchy attempted and found energy conversion efficiency visibly increased.

For the ordinary faithful who were not ’The Impure,’ many suggestions in the article were also of great benefit to them. It significantly enhanced the output of Scorching Sun Power; mastering this method could potentially double the productivity!

What did it mean to double per capita energy output?

The Archbishop couldn’t sit still after reading the article.

At this moment, the liaison officer delivering the baptismal message had not seen the Archbishop so excited in a long time, so agitated that he slammed his tablet onto the table, creating several cracks on the screen. The myriad of thoughts in the Archbishop’s heart were condensed into one word that echoed long in the temple.

—Man!

The Archbishop wanted Old Duan to appear in the Holy City immediately and to be at his post before lunch time.

Just one symposium had led to such a breakthrough discovery; heaven knows what changes a year’s stay at the church would bring.

The liaison officer’s passion, however, was doused with cold water by the baptism.

"How should we investigate?"

Baptism sat down at the desk, her eyes became sharp. As soon as the keyboard appeared on the tablet, she was in battle mode—her aggressiveness had increased by six levels, making her one of the most aggressive beings in the universe.

If this had been a face-to-face conversation, she would have only bowed her head in silence.

But now the situation was different; Baptism had a keyboard, so it was no wonder she’d lash out.

She felt the Archbishop and the liaison officer were like sipping soup when speaking. The reason she was sent to this star system as an inspector was because Old Duan was suspected of planning a terrorist attack that blew up the flagship of the Cosmic Relations Coordination Department.

That’s dangerous, okay!

"Of course, it’s routine. We need to verify his identity and background; after all, it may involve diplomatic relations, and we still need to go through the official procedures."

"What if he’s unwilling?"

"Then you find a way to make him willing."

"What if I find a way and he’s still unwilling?"

"Then you continue to find a way!"

This exclamation point seemed to explain the liaison’s increasingly impatient heart; he was prominent in the Consortium, a spokesperson for the Archbishop, whose orders were absolute and rarely questioned.

"What if he hits me?"

...

The liaison officer didn’t immediately reply, obviously stumped by Baptism’s question.

Baptism didn’t give him any chance to breathe and continued to press on.

"What if my flagship also gets blown up? Will the Consortium reimburse me?"

"Reimbursed!"

"And if someone dies? If I die, can the Consortium create another ’me’?"

Then you might as well die!

Facing a series of questions, the liaison officer became increasingly flustered. Yet, since the appointment was earned through merit, even if the words spoken were infuriating, the position would remain secure unless a significant error was committed.

When everyone was back at headquarters, how come he never noticed how good at asking questions the inspector was?

In his memory, the inspector was always the silent one, with an impassive face that never betrayed any emotions. He never got angry or overly excited, and even when receiving orders of extreme danger, he would just nod silently. Over time, the other inspectors took advantage of this trait, passing on the orders they were reluctant to take to him.

This time was no different.

As soon as the inspectors heard that this mission might involve a Transcender and that a company flagship had been previously blown up, they all either had health issues requiring rest or sudden urgent matters on their home planets.

"This is the Archbishop’s command."

The liaison officer invoked the Archbishop. In the church, the Archbishop held supreme power, and each Archbishop was regarded as the proxy of the Sun King. Their commands were considered the Sun King’s will on earth.

The inspector’s refined eyebrows furrowed.

Such insufferable bureaucracy!

"I understand."

"This matter is of the utmost importance; you must devote your full effort to it."

The liaison officer, having gained the upper hand by invoking the Archbishop, again adopted an official tone.

"Oh."

"Now that you understand, go and do it. May the Sun King bless you."

"May the Sun King bless your coffee with caterpillars."

"?"

"A cat just jumped on the keyboard."

The communication was cut.

The inspector pushed the tablet aside with a sweep of her hand and stood up. Even though she was reluctant, the Archbishop’s order was absolute and represented the will of the Sun King.

Moreover, she had long sensed Duan Mingyuan’s understanding of Scorching Sun Energy was different from the common man, even more profound than that of true believers.

Golden light flickered in the inspector’s eyes as Scorching Sun Energy swirled around her.

It seemed she had no choice but to go all out.

So, before noon arrived, Duan Mingyuan, walking through the ships, was stopped in his tracks.

The one blocking his way was petite, gazing up at him like a porcelain doll.

Duan Mingyuan did not underestimate the young girl blocking his path because of her stature. Through her golden eyes, he saw more.

Her energy shone as bright as the Sun itself, Scorching Sun Energy on a level unmatched by any believer he had encountered on the ship. The vigorous energy uplifted her body, allowing her to float mid-air and appear anywhere she desired without using her feet.

And more so, the girl had appeared suddenly.

Her body seemed to have turned into refracted light, appearing before his eyes in the blink of an eye.

"What is the matter?"

After a long confrontation, Duan Mingyuan took the initiative to ask.

The girl did not speak; she merely stared at him.

An eyeball-shaped robot floated up from behind her and spoke in a synthesized mechanical voice, "The Archbishop wishes for you to assume a position in the Holy City. What say you?"

"I refuse."

The moment he spoke, Duan Mingyuan was prepared for an argument or even to come to blows.

However, the formidable young girl, upon receiving his reply, simply nodded silently, then bowed her head to clear the way for him.