Lord of Prayer
Chapter 447 - 285: Spinning Gold Coin
Jason immediately took command authoritatively. Despite his grievous injuries, he calmly directed the army against the Salvation Army for two hours, successfully repelling them before finally passing out on his feet.
From then on, he earned the nickname "Iron-blooded Colonel." He was promoted and given significant authority by the government, becoming the Salvation Army’s number one enemy and a legendary figure in North Carolina’s history.
More than a decade later, with the support of the North Carolina Government, Jason advanced to Tier Four, becoming one of the few Ascenders in North Carolina. He possessed great power and high status, second only to that Crowned King. ’And now he’s personally going to hunt down the Black-robed Man?’
This indirectly revealed a crucial piece of information—in the eyes of the North Carolina Government, the Black-robed Man was so threatening that only a Tier Four Uncrowned could kill him.
The North Carolina Government’s comprehensive intelligence was certainly more accurate than the rumors Zhou Chen had been hearing. In other words, the Black-robed Man was most likely Tier Four.
Zhou Chen figured he’d have to be completely clueless to still covet the Wish Box now.
’Two Tier Fours, a B-Level Activated Forbidden Object... Even if my main body were here, I couldn’t get involved in this mess.’
"Besides, even if the Black-robed Man were willing to wait for you, I wouldn’t have let him stay. We didn’t know how long you’d be unconscious, and every extra second he spent here, the danger grew. I have to think about the entire Poisonous Sore Gang."
The Plague Doctor continued, "However, we’re still in contact. Once he’s out of trouble, I will immediately fulfill our contract and arrange for you two to meet.
Mr. Siegfried, if I wanted to deceive you, why would I go to the trouble of telling you I’d met the Black-robed Man? Wouldn’t it have been much easier to just say he was caught up in trouble and I couldn’t contact him for the time being?"
’Please don’t arrange a meeting. I can’t afford to mess with a Tier Four powerhouse. How about we just forget this ever happened...’ Zhou Chen cursed inwardly, then feigned silence for a moment before saying, "You’re certainly frank."
"Frankness is a good thing; it’s good for both of us," the Plague Doctor said. "I’ve said all I need to say. Please consider it, Mr. Siegfried. Even if you refuse to join the Poisonous Sore Gang, we will still consider you a friend."
This was the very sentence Zhou Chen had been waiting for from the Plague Doctor. But he didn’t answer immediately, instead putting on an appearance of deep contemplation.
For now, he had lost interest in the Wish Box. The Status involved was far too high for someone like him to covet.
So, he decided to shift his focus to brainwashing... ah, no, to recruiting new employees.
Now that "Siegfried" had helped the Poisonous Sore Gang carve out a small territory for themselves, he was starting to make a name for himself and was deeply respected. There was no better time to join the gang. However, agreeing so quickly wouldn’t fit "Siegfried’s" persona; he needed to "consider" it for a while.
A few minutes later, "Siegfried" seemed to have made up his mind. He nodded.
"I’ll join."
"Welcome, Mr. Siegfried. From now on, you are a member of the Poisonous Sore Gang." The Plague Doctor shook his hand, unable to conceal the delight in his voice.
’With such a talented person joining our ranks, the growth of the Poisonous Sore Gang, and even the Salvation Army, is just around the corner!’
"By the way, every member of the Poisonous Sore Gang is required to read *On North Carolina*, written by Havier. After finishing the book, you’ll have to take a test. You shouldn’t have a problem with that, right?" the Plague Doctor asked.
Zhou Chen froze.
’What the hell? A test? What kind of gang are you people running?’
·
That night, after a welcome dinner with the core members of the Poisonous Sore Gang, Zhou Chen received his first mission since joining.
"We’re in dire need of funds right now. We need you to go brainwash the richest man in the city center and have him transfer all the money from his overseas bank accounts to ours." Catherine handed him a file.
Zhou Chen opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it. He felt these people were becoming addicted to "Siegfried’s" Ability, wanting to solve everything with brainwashing.
But it couldn’t be helped. To be fair, brainwashing was indeed addictive, and it was far more convenient and cleaner than other methods.
Zhou Chen took the file, flipped it open, and asked casually, "Didn’t Sidelong and his people have any assets?"
"Of course they did. The Rusted Iron City Government... ah, I mean, there isn’t a single city government that isn’t corrupt. Even the low-level employees are on the take. But half of the money they embezzle has to be paid upwards as tribute. All their savings from all these years combined wouldn’t even cover half of your commission..."
Catherine glanced at him. "So, can you guess why we’re so desperate for funds?"
"..." Zhou Chen hadn’t expected the Rusted Iron City’s higher-ups and the Poisonous Sore Gang to be this poor. Scraping together two million US Dollars was enough to bankrupt them... ’Okay, two million US Dollars isn’t a small amount,’ he conceded.
"So Rusted Iron City’s richest man is this guy named Wick?"
"Yes. He’s the boss who controls three of Rusted Iron City’s factories. The conditions for the workers under him are horrendous, and the mortality rate is high. But because the pay is relatively good, he never lacks for new laborers. He became the richest man in Rusted Iron City by harvesting the blood, sweat, and lives of batch after batch of workers."
Catherine stared coldly at the man in the photo. "Him, his wife, his son, his daughter... the whole family is scum. You don’t need to have any reservations. The Poisonous Sore Gang only moves against those who are guilty. We hope you’ll abide by that rule as well."
Zhou Chen nodded. The file listed out all of the family’s various crimes, clear as day in black and white. There was no reason for the Poisonous Sore Gang to lie about this.
"I’ll be right back, then."
"Not so fast. Do you know how to disguise yourself?"
"A little."
"Then disguise yourself first. We can’t have you being recognized. This is a sensitive time; not a single whisper can get out."
·
「Rusted Iron City Center.」
An exquisite garden villa stood on the estate. This was the home of Wick, the richest man in Rusted Iron City.
"Big Brother, you’re so much better than Father..."
"Really? Mother and Third Sister say the same thing..."
Outside the bedroom window, hidden in the darkness of the night, Zhou Chen’s eyes widened. ’Fuck, what the hell? What the fuck are you two doing?’
He decisively made a Prayer to brainwash the people in the room, then opened the window and jumped inside, only to find the two of them were just playing a video game.
...Zhou Chen was slightly disappointed. He sized up the two people in the room, confirming they were Wick’s eldest son and second daughter.
One of them had committed murder, arson, rape, and pillage, stopping at no evil. The other... had also committed murder, arson, rape, and pillage, stopping at no evil.
"Where is Wick?" he asked.
"The study!"
Wick’s eldest son declared, filled with righteous indignation, "That old scoundrel Wick is utterly devoid of conscience! He bullies the innocent, abuses his servants, exploits his laborers, and kidnaps women... He must be brought to justice!"
"That’s right." The second daughter nodded firmly. "We were once led astray by him and committed many unforgivable crimes. From now on, we will join the Poisonous Sore Gang and devote ourselves to the struggle to liberate the lower class. We hope this can atone for the mistakes we’ve made."
Then, they said in unison:
"We will lead the way. This way, please!"
Led by Wick’s eldest son and second daughter, Zhou Chen arrived at the study. Everyone he encountered along the way was brainwashed and turned into a loyal intern.
The study was unlocked. Zhou Chen pushed the door open and walked in.
On the sofa, Wick, a man over fifty, was talking with a thuggish-looking man. They both turned their heads at the same time, stunned for a moment to see a stranger barge in.
In the next instant, their eyes changed, becoming clear and resolute.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Zhou Chen grunted in surprise, sensing something was off.
The thuggish-looking man, who one could tell was a gangster at a glance, was shrouded in a layer of Mysterious Power.
—Zhou Chen was currently in a "Divine Descent" state achieved through the Prayer Space. Although his Power wasn’t very strong, he could perceive many forms of high-Status Power.
This man bore the traces left behind by a high-Status Ascender.
Zhou Chen mobilized more Power from the Prayer Space to observe more closely. The next second, he saw a Gold Coin materialize above the man’s head.
A continuously spinning Gold Coin.