Confirmation

Tang Zhean felt he'd used up every last bit of bewilderment he had in him that day.

His long-planned escape had worked, only for him to arrive in the Dark Matter World after death and run straight into an organized, disciplined White Soldier Squad. It had made him feel as if the US Government had gotten its hands on him all over again.

But then he'd arrived at the base and wondered if he'd been overthinking things. Maybe this wasn't a US Government base at all, just a gathering place for some cultists who'd gotten lucky.

That was, until he saw Alfred Austen, a high-ranking member of the US Cabinet. At that moment, Tang Zhean felt he finally understood everything.

No doubt about it: this was a force that wore a cult's trappings on the outside but was actually controlled by the US Government. They'd probably learned from their last failure and established another base in the Dark Matter World.

What a mighty empire, one that had gradually led human civilization ever since the First World War.

Tang Zhean sighed. He really hadn't expected that, after the previous total annihilation and the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of people from the Material World, the US Government would still have the nerve to keep exploring the Dark Matter World. And they'd secretly sent down high-ranking cabinet officials—the real power brokers in American politics—to personally run the operation. Even Tang Zhean, their enemy, couldn't help admiring their sheer audacity.

(But we're enemies, after all. They made me die and separated me from my family forever. The USA is too powerful for me to do anything about it right now, but this is the Era of Great Change. The Material World is a world where civilizations unite, while the Dark Matter World is one where power belongs to the individual. Sooner or later... I'll destroy the USA once and for all!)

Tang Zhean made up his mind, but didn't let it show. He simply followed Alfred into the Bank Main Building. The bank's interior had been decorated to look almost like a huge church. What struck Tang Zhean as strange, though, was that the spot where a deity should have been represented held not only a gigantic cross, but also a statue of an indistinct figure in armor, holding a longsword. There was no Jesus Crucifixion Statue or Virgin Mary Statue.

(Does Christianity, Protestantism, or Eastern Orthodoxy have religious statues like this? How have I never heard of it?)

Tang Zhean stared at the statue, dazed. Alfred was still chattering beside him when Tang Zhean suddenly asked, "Mr. Alfred, this isn't a US base, is it?"

Alfred looked taken aback. He seemed to freeze for four or five seconds, then let out a soft laugh. "Dr. Tang, do you think this is a US Government base? You really are overthinking things."

Tang Zhean slowly broke into a calm smile. He found a chair and sat down. "Yes, maybe I really am overthinking it... But I can't help it. My life isn't even my own. When you're trying to survive and win your freedom, no amount of thinking is too much."

Alfred merely smiled without saying anything. After all, he'd been part of the organization that had persecuted Tang Zhean. Though he'd left it now, Tang Zhean would have every right to take revenge on him. The most important factor, however, was that Tang Zhean was from Z Country, as was Lu Yuanming. If Alfred's involvement with Tang Zhean caused him to offend Lu Yuanming, humanity's Savior, that would truly be a terrible mistake.

Alfred promptly explained Lu Yuanming's existence in detail. To keep Tang Zhean from letting his imagination run wild again, he made sure to be thorough. In particular, he explained that Lu Yuanming could return to the Material World and draw Faith Power from it—and that all the crops they were growing now had come from Lu Yuanming.

The more Tang Zhean listened, the more incredulous he became. He stared at Alfred with wide eyes, his expression practically screaming, Are you messing with me?

When Alfred finished, he smiled and said, "Mr. Lu's out leading a team to clear out monsters. Judging by the time, he should be back soon. He'll bring the team to the base before dinner, so you can have a proper talk with him then. Mr. Lu's been worrying about something lately, so perhaps you'll have something in common. As for a position for you, I'm sure Mr. Lu will find one you're happy with."

By the time Alfred went off to handle the various farming matters and organizational chores, Tang Zhean had completely lost his composure. He was torn between wild joy and wondering if he'd lost his mind.

"Is he really from Z Country? Can he really travel back to the Living World in 2024? Can he really use this so-called Faith Power? This is just..."

Tang Zhean couldn't think of a word to describe it all. He knew too much, and that only made him more aware of what Lu Yuanming's abilities meant.

Tang Zhean spent a while longer in a state of nervous anticipation, torn between hope and anxiety. As dinnertime approached, bells began ringing throughout the base. He saw a long line forming, with the public cafeteria at its end. The people who'd worked all day queued up to receive—or buy with work points—food and fresh water.

The sense of order delighted Tang Zhean. He stepped out of the bank, and before he could join the line, he saw more than a dozen soldiers approaching from a distance. They all had guns, as well as sharpened melee weapons. At the head of the group was a giant, about two and a half meters tall. Everyone nearby bowed or saluted when they saw him, and he smiled and returned their greetings. But to Tang Zhean, the giant's smile looked so strained that his face was about to twitch. Clearly, returning all those greetings was painful for him.

That was Lu Yuanming. Tang Zhean knew it the moment he saw him.

He could also tell that Lu Yuanming really was special. His height alone said it all.

This was a path Tang Zhean had never even considered!

(This is a better path than gaining Xu and climbing step by step until you become a spirit. As long as he can keep drawing Faith Power from the Living World, he might truly be able to break through the deadlock and lead human civilization out of danger!)

Tang Zhean stared intently at Lu Yuanming. When Lu Yuanming finally made his way through the crowd and entered the bank, Tang Zhean rushed up to him. Without caring how Lu Yuanming might react, he groped the muscles on his body and even measured his height with his hands. The more he confirmed, the more ecstatic Tang Zhean became. Then he cleared his throat to speak, but Lu Yuanming got in first. "Ahem. How should I put this? I respect your eighty-four genders, or eight hundred genders, or whatever, but I'm sorry, sir. My gender is fixed as male, and my sexual orientation is fixed as heterosexual, so I'm sorry..."

Lu Yuanming looked resolute and discreetly edged away from Tang Zhean. He also glanced around, hoping one of the Disciples would come explain who Tang Zhean was and why he was allowed inside the bank.

With Alfred's involvement, the organization's management rules had been getting more and more formalized. That was the benefit of having an established structure.

For that very reason, the bank building, the base's heart, had taken on special significance. Aside from the Disciples, only Charlie could enter the bank and vault freely. Other officials had to apply for permission. People who appeared in the bank without warning, like Tang Zhean, were usually brought in personally by a Disciple. This had happened several times recently: a Disciple would recognize someone's exceptional talent and bring them into the bank, then introduce them to Lu Yuanming. That was how they could quickly rise to become senior officials.

So when Lu Yuanming saw Tang Zhean inside the bank, he hadn't thought much of it. It was only when Tang Zhean started groping him that he got genuinely scared. He immediately put up a firm refusal and looked to the Disciples inside the bank for help, hoping they'd tell him who this man was.

Alfred immediately cleared his throat and said awkwardly, "Lord, this is Dr. Tang Zhean, the man I've been telling you about. He's finally died. I only saw him today, so I brought him here. The doctor is... a little eccentric, but he does have talent..."

The more Alfred said, the guiltier he felt. He looked at Tang Zhean with displeasure.

Tang Zhean, however, didn't care in the slightest. He never worried about what other people thought, because they were usually wrong. He'd become more composed after being battered by society, but when he found out that Lu Yuanming was also from Z Country—and confirmed that Lu Yuanming was following the exact path of the perfect Xu he'd envisioned—Tang Zhean let himself go completely.

He laughed at Lu Yuanming. "The king covers the tiger! Brother, I'm here to help you!"

"Heh."

Lu Yuanming gave him an awkward but polite smile, then edged even farther away.

Help!

Lu Yuanming was so embarrassed he couldn't even speak.

He really had no idea what to do with this sort of overly familiar person who had no sense of boundaries!