In an inconspicuous house in San Francisco.
In the eyes of the neighbors, this was a small company that could be seen everywhere, but they did not know exactly what the company did. They only knew that it was an old-fashioned trading company. Every day, there would be boring middle-aged men in suits and carrying handbags going to and from work punctually. The receptionist they hired was not beautiful, and the old interior decoration of the company was no different from that of the 1990s. It did not arouse anyone's interest.
In short, in San Francisco, which was adjacent to Silicon Valley, in this era of information technology sweeping everything, it was a miracle that such a company was still struggling.
The homeless people nearby seemed to find that there were more taxis or private cars parked in front of the company today than usual. Several unfamiliar faces who had never been seen in the vicinity got out of the car and walked into the company with serious faces.
But in fact, in San Francisco, where the population was highly mobile, no one would meddle in other people's business. The homeless people were even more so. They only cared about where tonight's dinner was and whether there was any charity that gave out free food.
Another taxi stopped at the door of the company.
Father Yang got out of the car in a suit and looked around. He saw an old homeless man next to the company basking in the sun with disheveled hair and dirty face. From time to time, he put his hand into his clothes and rubbed the mud.
He took out a $10 bill from his pocket and placed it at the feet of the homeless man.
"Thank you, kind-hearted man! May God bless you! "The homeless man beamed and quickly put the bill into his trouser pocket. He felt that his luck in this place had run out. He got up and planned to change places. Of course, it was best to buy some breakfast with this bill first, or go to a shop opened by a Chinese or Vietnamese to get a haircut?
Father Yang was about to walk into the company when he suddenly remembered something. He took out another $10 bill, bowed his head, and asked, "Can I ask you a few questions?"
The homeless man stared at the bill with his eyes shining, revealing a mouth that was missing a few teeth. He smiled and said, "I'll tell you everything I know, sir."
"Recently, have there been any homeless people like you who have joined some suspicious organizations?" Father Yang asked.
The homeless man was stunned. "Suspicious organizations? Ah, you mean organizations like the Cosmological Information Society? "
He observed Father Yang's expression and knew that he had guessed correctly.
"There are a lot of new vagrants. I know a young man. He was just basking here with me the day before yesterday, but he disappeared yesterday. I heard that he went with those people because they gave out free food coupons, blankets, and new shoes … God is my witness, it's really cold these few nights! But I tell you, sir, I've been in this town for years, and I've seen everything, and I've told him not to go. Nothing's really free, and whatever you want, you've got to pay for it — for your ten dollars, for instance, I'll tell you everything I know, "the tramp babbled, his words leaking from his lack of teeth.
Father Yang looked at the pair of leather shoes on the tramp's left foot that revealed his thumb. "I didn't ask for anything from you for the previous $10."
"I've given my gratitude, and at the same time, I've satisfied your conscience." The tramp smiled proudly. "Not everything I give is tangible."
Father Yang didn't comment and asked, "Do you know where they went?"
"North and east. I heard that those people built houses in the woods, and anyone can live there if they want, but I don't believe that no one in this world would pay so much just to satisfy their conscience. I told the kid that those people might be gathering the homeless to conduct some kind of experiment. I mean drug experiments, you know, right? Some drug companies often post advertisements in universities, recruiting college students who volunteer to participate in drug experiments. The rewards are very high. After all, they have to swallow some suspicious pills. But if they use homeless people for experiments, as long as they give a few worthless food coupons, the cheapest thin blanket, and a pair of old leather shoes that may have been worn, there will be a lot of homeless people fighting to be the lab rats … "
In order to prove his worth, the homeless man spouted a lot of nonsense.
"Homeless people like us, even if we go missing, no one will care, and no one will call the police. We're the best candidates to be lab rats, aren't we? Or rather, I think the mayor will be very happy to see us disappear. Maybe the mayor is also in cahoots with those people! "
Father Yang frowned. The homeless man's words were getting more and more outrageous. It was simply wild speculation, but one thing was right — in the secular world, nothing was really free.
"It's yours." He handed the $10 to the homeless man.
The homeless man took it. "I won't thank you this time. I've already paid the price for it."
Father Yang smiled slightly, straightened his clothes, and stepped into the company.
The homeless man was thinking about how to use the huge sum of money. Should he get a haircut and fill his stomach, or should he endure until the evening and go to the remote red-light district to find the cheapest female illegal immigrant to satisfy his long-suppressed physiological needs? Although $20 could only find an old, ugly, and toothless woman to do oral sex once, he hadn't been in contact with a woman for a long time, so he wasn't picky.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but hum a popular song from more than a decade ago, walking like a Wall Street billionaire.
Father Yang walked to the front desk of the company and handed out his passport to the female receptionist, who wasn't beautiful but had a very dignified temperament. The latter compared the photo on the passport with his face, and after verifying his identity, she handed him a magnetic card.
He took the magnetic card and walked into the elevator. There was no one else in the elevator. He waved the magnetic card in the sensing area, and the B2 floor, which usually wouldn't light up, lit up.
The elevator didn't go up into the company's office area, but went down.
Ding!
The elevator stopped on the B2 floor, and the elevator door opened.
What appeared in front of Father Yang wasn't an underground parking lot or a warehouse, but a spacious office that looked quite old.
Around the long oval table sat a few people in gray robes.
Father Yang's appearance didn't surprise them. They just glanced at him and didn't say anything.
He nodded slightly to them and sat in the only empty chair.
The oldest man in gray robes slowly stood up, a shining cross hanging on his chest, and his eyes were as bright as the cross. He glanced at the crowd and said, "Everyone, evil has come to this city, and the people and animals we protect are suffering. Let us activate the ancient seal and wipe out the heretics."
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