Enforcer Manual
Chapter 289: Among the Stars_1

Chapter 289: Chapter 289: Among the Stars_1

Song Lan had never been to church, had never worshipped, and his entire understanding of the Church and theology was limited to what he’d seen in films and television, which did mention the methods and procedures of confession.

What he encountered the most was the consultation slice of a certain cyber nun.

In a small, dark room, separated by a partition, he would confess the deepest sins of his heart to the clergy, thereby seeking God’s forgiveness. In that program, Song Lan realized that he often seemed out of place with the confessors because he wasn’t disturbed enough.

He arrived at the location provided by Lu Xiang full of anticipation.

Julu Road, North District, Log Church.

He decided to explore what differences there were between the clergy of 2166 and those of 2020.

Indeed, as Lu Xiang had said, the church had been abandoned for a long time; the courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and from a distance, the entire church looked sinister. At nightfall, passersby would mostly avoid this place, and the 17th District was rife with bizarre legends about the Log Church.

In reality, before the monks of the Third Nation entered the church, it was a large socializing spot for vagrants. Lu Xiang said most of the terrifying ghost stories were made up by the homeless, partly out of boredom and partly because they didn’t want others encroaching on their living space.

But after the Lunar Eclipse Sect moved in, all the outsiders were driven away.

"Hello, I’ve heard this is the Lunar Eclipse Sect."

Approaching the church entrance, Song Lan took the initiative to speak with a believer at the door. "I saw your advertisement, and to tell you the truth, my recent days have been awful. Because of work, I didn’t sleep at all last night; life just can’t go on like this."

"Please follow me."

A believer in a gray and white nun’s outfit greeted Song Lan.

After they released the advertisement, the Church welcomed a steady stream of visitors, but almost all of them came for the same reason, which could be summed up as "life’s disappointments."

But that’s to be expected.

In a place like the 17th District, how many could truly say their lives were going well?

"Father Bruno will guide you through your confusion."

At least the nuns of the Lunar Eclipse Sect treated them nicely, guiding Song Lan to the waiting area.

There were more people coming to pray than Song Lan had imagined, and the waiting area had a row of long benches. There were several people ahead of him, and just as he reached the waiting area, someone happened to walk out of a room similar to a confession room.

However, the Lunar Eclipse Sect called these soundproofed little rooms "Star Rooms."

The expression on the face of the person who came out was a stark contrast to those waiting; his eyes shone brightly as if he had shed all his burdens and was ready to embrace his brand-new life.

This person was a member of a gang.

As a Law Enforcer, Song Lan recognized the gang tattoo on his neck at a glance, and he still had a gun tucked at his waist.

"He’s here to collect protection money."

A scruffy middle-aged man sitting next to Song Lan whispered, "He wasn’t like this when he came in."

He had witnessed the entire process of the gang member pulling a gun and bursting into the Star Room, demanding loudly that all the money be handed over like someone high on contraband substances.

No one knew what Father Bruno had said to him in the Star Room, to transform a violent gang member into what he was now.

Song Lan replied, "That shows the Church indeed has some tricks up its sleeve."

"At such a young age, what made you think to come here?"

The scruffy middle-aged man continued the conversation smoothly.

"Work’s been tough."

Song Lan said nonchalantly, producing the excuse that 99% of the average citizens in District 17 would resort to, "And you?"

"Lost my job, wife ran off with someone."

There was a mixture of helplessness and exhaustion in the man’s tone, "Heard this place might help, so I thought I’d try my luck."

...

In the next fifteen minutes, Song Lan witnessed the entire process of the Lunar Eclipse Sect changing a person.

The disheveled middle-aged man he had spoken with entered and was gone for less than five minutes. He didn’t know what Father Bruno had said to him inside, but when he came out, he was completely transformed and even gave him a thumbs-up as he passed by.

In less than five minutes, to reignite the passion in a middle-aged man who had lost hope in life, this Father Bruno...

Must possess the ultimate art of ’verbal evasion.’

He had tried to console the middle-aged man during their conversation but failed to have any positive impact.

Motivated by a desire to learn and exchange ideas, Song Lan, at the invitation of the clergy, entered the Star Room. Unlike the small, dark chamber he had expected, a deep blue glow illuminated the room. The walls were adorned with holographic images, constructing a night sky all around and making one feel as if they were amidst the stars.

Could it be that they were enlightening these people through profound topics like "the edge of the universe"?

Just as Song Lan began to entertain this thought, an idea that wasn’t his own barged into his brain.

"Open your heart to the Moon God and the stars."

The whisper in his mind said.

This sudden, intrusive thought was somewhat similar to the last time he tried to communicate with a Devourer, but it was much more simplistic, like a pre-set command repeating incessantly in your mind until you comply with its will.

Song Lan instantly understood why the people who left this room appeared to be so enlightened.

This was not verbal evasion at all, but a rewriting of thought by the will of the Queen’s Nest.

Medea had told him that without the α-inhibitor, an ordinary person was simply no match for the will of the Queen’s Nest. She also pointed out that he was an anomaly for being able to communicate with a Devourer without needing an inhibitor.

In the records of Cloud Biological Pharmaceutical, even those Ability Users skilled in thought alteration couldn’t resist the invasion of the Queen’s Nest’s consciousness.

Having realized this, Song Lan was deeply disappointed.

He had hoped for a seminar on the techniques of verbal evasion but did not expect such direct and brutish methods.

This was essentially the forced integration of the citizens.

"I knew you would come."

Father Bruno’s voice came from the other side of the partition, "Instead of looking for you, it’s better to let you come to us."

Clearly, this was not something one would say to an average petitioner.

They believed that the person who knew about the Lunar Eclipse Sect’s effect on ordinary citizens and was immune to the influence of the Queen’s Nest’s thoughts was precisely the target they were looking for.

They seemed to have realized that the Queen’s Nest’s thoughts were ineffective and thus deduced Song Lan’s identity and the purpose of his visit, "So, where shall we start?"

Father Bruno said, "Let’s start with the fact that you’ve stolen something from us... Xinyue, where is it now?"

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