The older man, his face gentle yet firm, his gaze deep and calm, spoke softly. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone around, traveling far.
"…Let us cling tightly to the Lord, and find eternal solace in His embrace!"
"We wish only to believe in God!" many people replied piously.
'The God Worship Sect.' Chu Bamboo's eyelid twitched. The Dream World was a world where religion flourished, and the God Worship Sect was the foremost among its many faiths.
Chu Bamboo had always thought this was because he'd read stories about the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom at some point, which naturally produced the impression of the God Worship Sect in his mind and led to its appearance in the Dream World… but now, it seemed that wasn't the case.
The younger man noticed Chu Bamboo. Or rather, Chu Bamboo was just too conspicuous right now. Of the people around, thirty to forty percent had their hands clasped in prayer. Even the rest, who didn't believe in the God Worship Sect, showed a reverent attitude.
Chu Bamboo's attitude was neither respectful nor reserved. It was as if he was sizing them up, and with an air that made the younger man uncomfortable.
However, before the man could decide whether to approach and ask questions, Chu Bamboo quickly turned and ducked into a small alley. He was all too familiar with the sprawling shantytown.
Soon, he arrived back inside the industrial district.
'It's been a while since I've seen the master-disciple pair, Zhang Hai and Zhang Xu… Oh, wait, that's not right. In the current main timeline, I'm the only one who knows them. They don't know me!' Chu Bamboo's expression was cool. There wasn't a single big shot in this city beneath his feet that he didn't know.
Zhang Hai, the older man, was the host of the Jinghai God Worship Sect… That's right, a host, not a Bishop! Generally speaking, although the God Worship Sect worshipped God, it was a highly Easternized organization.
In fact, based on the information Chu Bamboo had gathered in the past, the God Worship Sect was quite divided internally. Some followers worshipped the Western God, while others believed the so-called God of the God Worship Sect was actually the Eastern Celestial God… The fact that this religious organization could somehow stick together on the surface and hadn't descended into a holy war over heresy had always seemed rather normal in Chu Bamboo's eyes. But to the Chu Bamboo of today, it was quite incredible.
'If nothing unexpected happens, those two should also possess Extraordinary Power! Hmm…' Chu Bamboo's steps suddenly halted as he wondered if he should first run to Zhang Hai's house, dig out his stash of dirty magazines, and then say, "Mr. Host, you wouldn't want…"
'I can try that next time! But for now…' Chu Bamboo arrived before a sprawling complex of buildings. 'Since I'm already here!'
The place was filled with pavilions, terraces, and towers, exuding an ancient charm. It resembled the residence of a prince or nobleman, replete with the style of a Suzhou garden, yet its main gates were wide open, with people coming and going.
On the plaque above the entrance, a few non-simplified pictographic characters were written in a flamboyant, calligraphic style.
[Jinghai City Third District Government Office]
This was the Government Office of Jinghai City's Third District.
That's right. After thinking it over, Chu Bamboo hadn't gone straight to robbing a bank… He planned to scout things out first and see if he could get any useful information from the Captain's Office. If not, he'd just reset again!
Chu Bamboo took a deep breath and walked into the Government Office. But instead of crossing the paved stone bridge to enter the main government building, he abruptly turned and headed for a more ordinary-looking concrete and stone building located in the western area.
Third District Police Chief Bureau.
Straightening his collar, Chu Bamboo strode brazenly through the door. "Yo, Susan, you're on duty today? By the way, is Uncle Li around? I'm looking for—"
The next moment, a piercing alarm blared.
Chu Bamboo: "!??"
'What the hell?'
Chu Bamboo froze for a second, his mind racing. 'Did the dog-headed man and his crew start robbing the bank again? No, the timing is wrong… Even with the butterfly effect, there's no way what I've done could have affected their bank robbery this quickly.'
Susan, who had just been smiling at the sight of Chu Bamboo, froze. In almost an instant, she drew her handgun from her waist and aimed past Chu Bamboo toward the main entrance. "...No one there?"
"Who is it? Where are they!"
Susan was clearly drenched in sweat, her aim darting between the windows and the other rooms. The other officers in the hall tensed up, but no matter how many times they scanned the area, they couldn't spot the problem.
"Panicking like this, what's become of you all?" a slightly deep voice suddenly rang out. The door to the inner part of the station was pulled open, and a tall, middle-aged man walked out, holding a phone… er, a tablet computer.
His muscles looked like those of a freak built from chemical concoctions. The lines were grotesque, bulging as if they were balloons about to pop. The curves of his musculature were bizarrely off; while incredibly strong, they lacked the harmony a human body should have.
It was Li Kang!
Chu Bamboo clicked his tongue in wonder as he sized him up. To be honest, he'd known Li Kang since he was very young. He even had a little help from Li Kang and a few others when it came to managing the grassroots governance of the shantytown redevelopment area…
'Even though he doesn't look like a good guy at all, Li Kang really is… Huh?!'
'...Those muscles!' A bolt of lightning flashed through Chu Bamboo's mind, setting off a tidal wave in his heart. Li Kang's muscles looked exactly like his own had when they swelled up during his mutation from the high-intensity radiation.
'You too…?'
The screen of the tablet in Li Kang's hand was also flashing red. Li Kang stared intently at the tablet, walking step by step until he was in front of Chu Bamboo. He looked at the red dot on the screen that perfectly matched his own position, then glanced at Chu Bamboo standing before him, his expression stiffening.
Chu Bamboo: "..."
Li Kang: "..."
"...Huh?!" It finally dawned on Susan. The one who triggered the alarm was Chu Bamboo??? But... how, that can't be, it makes no sense, what is…
Her mind was a complete mess, but Susan still subconsciously aimed…
"Alright, it's fine!" Li Kang said calmly, pressing a finger on the screen. The piercing alarm instantly fell silent!
"You, come with me." Li Kang didn't seem worried that Chu Bamboo would harm him, nor that he would try to run. He simply turned around.
Chu Bamboo pondered for a good while, then ground his back teeth together. There was a small pill there. If he crushed it and swallowed, he'd be beyond saving in one second and dead in three. This wasn't specifically for Li Kang; Chu Bamboo normally did this, ensuring he could "restart" at any moment.
After confirming his backup plan was in place, Chu Bamboo followed.
After a series of twists and turns, they soon reached the end of a hallway. A plaque on the door, written in flamboyant calligraphy, read, "Office of the Special Forces Captain."
This was Li Kang's office.
Just as Chu Bamboo was about to walk in, Li Kang grabbed him.
"You're going the wrong way... It's this way!"
Chu Bamboo followed Li Kang's finger and stared at the restroom, falling into deep thought. Finally, he looked back at Li Kang in disbelief.
'It's one thing that it's a restroom… but my god, you're actually pointing at the women's restroom?!'