Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 216 - 137

Chapter 216: Chapter 137

The second floor of the factory and the first floor are completely different worlds.

The female believers who were fortunate enough to attend to the bed on the second floor have all vividly described the wonders of the ’other shore’... The Master is someone who has already attained liberation, capable of returning to simplicity, using superpowers to create a paradise on earth.

But in Fushimi Roku’s eyes, the so-called paradise on earth was nothing more than a bunch of LED lights in a dark room. At first glance, colorful fluorescent spots were all around, with the subtle sound of water flowing from the corners, like walking on the path to the underworld, the atmosphere filled to the brim.

After all, high-brightness gallium nitride LEDs had not yet appeared in ’91, and the range of colors was not very complete. The production scale was quite limited, naturally restricting market promotion and application. Some technologies that seemed commonplace in later generations were used by people with ulterior motives to do bad things.

The Japanese faced with rapidly developing technology were quite confused and uneasy. In many cyberpunk-themed anime or movie works, such emotions about unknown technology, the tide of the times, and the gap between rich and poor were infinitely magnified.

Fushimi Roku walked through the corridor filled with light pollution, at the end of which was a sensor door. As soon as he approached, the door opened, and speakers on both sides started playing the sacred song "Om Truth Light"... He wanted to complain but didn’t know what to say.

The overhead lights in the room lit up one after another, the view shifted from bright to dark, the walls were pure white, a plaster angel statue stood in the center of the hall, and the air was filled with a strange fragrance, with rows of pure white gauze hanging on both sides.

Asano Yoshi sat at the head of the long table, which was filled with a lavish spread of dishes. The red wine in the clear vessel refracted an alluring glow. Behind him was a religious mural that could be considered a magnum opus... Fushimi Roku immediately recognized it; this guy was replicating "The Last Supper."

In the famous painting, the table is laid horizontally, with Jesus sitting in the center. But here, the long table is vertical, stretching nearly ten meters from front to back, with core members of the sect sitting on both sides.

Only the seat at the far end was empty.

Fushimi Roku used his imagination to know how oppressive it was for an ordinary believer to sit in that position—distance creates majesty, violence demonstrates power, both vividly exhibited in this hall.

Asano Yoshi knew Fushimi Roku had arrived, but he pretended not to see him, cutting steak by himself. The sect members poured wine for him and then enjoyed their meals, the sound of silverware and chewing merging into one, no one looked up.

If it were an ordinary person, they would feel uncomfortable at this moment, either quietly greeting to remind the other or going over to find someone familiar, trying to integrate themselves.

But Fushimi Roku was different; he crossed his arms, left hand holding his right wrist, stood calmly at the door, silent, overlooking the crowd, his gaze like watching pigs scramble for food.

The sect members gave Fushimi Roku a sidelong glance, not a hint of embarrassment, nor did he appear flustered, so they instinctively looked back at Asano Yoshi. The latter did not speak, just kept eating steak, and everyone was at a loss for words.

This awkward silence lasted for about ten minutes, during which Asano Yoshi repeatedly examined Fushimi Roku through the mirror on the floor, seeing that his composure was not feigned. Only then did he raise his head and pretended to just discover Fushimi Roku: "Ah! Mr. Fushimi, when did you arrive?"

"Just got here." Fushimi Roku smiled and said.

"Please sit," Asano gestured invitingly, "Beef and lamb would hinder your cultivation, so we didn’t prepare them, please forgive us."

"I understand, the Master’s good intentions are to tempt me with delicious food, thus hindering my detachment from desires."

Fushimi Roku pulled out a long chair and sat at the end of the long table, crossing his fingers on the tabletop.

At that moment, all the core members instinctively stopped chewing. They turned simultaneously to scrutinize Fushimi Roku, who remained calm, exuding an indescribable aura.

The long table seemed to reverse at that moment. When Fushimi Roku sat down, he became the head seat.

Lv7 Social Charm encompasses more than just affability; it naturally includes majesty, anger, emotional contagion, subtle suggestion, and other complex and idealistic abilities.

Kamei Yuusaku could, by intuition, change Minamoto Tamako’s first impression of him, relying not only on language abilities but also on facial expressions, external aura, body language hints, and other factors.

It’s like Emperor Wei armed himself while standing by his bed, having Cui Jigui meet the Xiongnu envoys in his stead. The latter said: "The fame of King Wei is extraordinary, but the man holding a knife by the bed, he is the hero."... At this moment, Fushimi Roku, just by calmly sitting, was outstanding.

Seeing this, Asano Yoshi was increasingly satisfied. If Fushimi Roku were willing to be the front of the Aum Truth Sect, that would be perfect—a charismatic personality is also an extremely scarce talent, and he lacked such a capable ’second in command.’

But being satisfied is one thing; whether he could be taken in as a subordinate was another matter entirely.

When Asano Yoshi and Matsuboto Toshitsuo founded the sect, they already planned how to divide the sect’s hierarchy: the highest level was undoubtedly the Sect Hierarch, Matsuboto Toshitsuo himself; next was the Grand Master, second only in status, which is Asano Yoshi’s position now; then the True Enlightener, who also played an important role within the sect, responsible for managing and brainwashing believers; followed by Master, Teacher, and Sha Men.

Ordinary believers, no matter how hard they try, can only ascend to the level of Master. This is an unspoken rule of the Aum Truth Sect: only those who do not believe in superpowers can pass the so-called ’test’ and become high-level sect members [True Enlightener].

It sounds ridiculous, but that’s the truth.

The Aum Truth Sect wanted to grow and prosper in real society; its leaders must possess relatively sound worldviews and a strong desire for power... At least the leaders must understand that the entire sect is a scam and not fool themselves, only then can things proceed smoothly.

The difference between a large sect and a small sect lies in the former being purposefully and organized in brainwashing and deceiving people, while the latter truly believes in it themselves, making it easier for others to expose and ridicule.

In other words, as long as Fushimi Roku passes the ’test’ now, Asano Yoshi could announce the next day that Fushimi Roku had also attained sudden enlightenment, acquired superpowers, received the True God’s favor, and was elevated to the rank of True Enlightener.

But if Fushimi Roku failed to pass the test, remained obstinate, or intended to report to the police, they would have to eliminate him themselves, making it seem like Mr. Fushimi met with an ’accidental’ death.

At the moment, as per usual, Asano Yoshi first exchanged pleasantries, in his capacity as Master, verbally praising Fushimi Roku, saying he was very satisfied with the latter’s recent performance;

Fushimi Roku also pretended to be clueless, sincerely expressing gratitude and promising to continue working hard, striving to attain enlightenment soon. Once he gained superpowers, he would contribute to the sect’s growth...

Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone present became somewhat peculiar.

The bright lighting accentuated the wrinkles on Asano Yoshi’s face. He swirled the wine glass, letting the fragrance disperse, then took a sip and softly said, "Mr. Fushimi, there’s no such thing as superpowers."

"Uh, I don’t understand..."

"What I mean is, it’s all a scam."