Sun Jack picked up a cigarette, tapped it on his prosthetic arm, and clenched it between his lips to light it again. As the white smoke gently drifted in the curtain of rain, the Priest had already approached Sun Jack.
Sun Jack sized up the Priest in front of him as well as the tattoo on his neck.
He knew the other was a clone created by Guan Sanke to irritate him, but he still couldn't help treating him as a real priest.
"I heard Tapai had issues? Is there anything I can do to help?" As the Priest slowly began to speak, that familiar deep voice resonated.
"It's alright, it has been handled."
After their brief exchange, a prolonged silence followed. A few minutes later, the Priest spoke again, "I didn't expect you to be the former Li Jack."
"Haha, Priest, you really have a long reaction time," Sun Jack chuckled dryly.
"I never saw what you used to be; during the times of other Cardinals of Liberation Theology, I was just a minor character. And to avoid being targeted by the Holy Grail, you didn't often show your true face."
"It doesn't matter anymore; it's all in the past."
"If you were once Li Jack, have you really forgotten everything from back then?"
Sun Jack shook his head. "I haven't forgotten, but we failed. We can't make the same mistakes again, no matter how many times you repeat those clichés."
The Priest sighed deeply, standing like a monolith before Sun Jack. "If you haven't forgotten, then what are you thinking right now? What are you doing now?"
"I need to win, no matter the method. I must win first! Even if I have to resort to means I once despised, I have to win first!" Sun Jack's expression suddenly turned serious. "After winning, I'll agree to any way of building Utopia, but first, I must win!!"
"But how are you different from those corporations in this way? Even if you win, you'll just become another Holy Grail."
"I won't, I said I won't, and I mean it!" Sun Jack fiercely removed the cigarette from his lips.
Normally, the Priest would start arguing with him again, but this time he did not.
The Priest looked at Sun Jack with a complex expression, "I hope you remember what you're saying now."
Just when Sun Jack thought the Priest was about to leave, he instead heard him say, "Your company just started; you need more of your own people to help, and my children and I can come and assist you."
Sun Jack was stunned, almost thinking he had heard wrong, but after reviewing the recording, he realized the Priest genuinely intended to help him, and his expression turned to one of ecstatic delight. "Of course, you're welcome."
"I hope... this isn't a wrong choice."
Following the Priest's words, the children from the orphanage came back, joining Utopia Security once more.
And as the last to enter, the Priest, who had sourced a ladder from AA, positioned it at the entrance of Utopia Company to straighten the crooked Sickle Hammer Cross right at the center.
"Priest, why did you change your attitude so quickly this time?" Sun Jack asked, somewhat surprised, as he steadied the ladder. Before, the guy's attitude had been extremely resolute.
"A few days ago, a woman from your company named Linda Linda came to my church to confess to God; she told me some things about Utopia Security Company and changed some of my views. Although they look the same on the outside, it seems your company is not just a cold system of performance metrics."
"I don't know how long you can maintain this situation, and I'm not sure if it's right, but now I don't have any better solutions."
"Was it Linda Linda?" Sun Jack was struck by the thought.
A few minutes later, after the Priest had completed his onboarding process, he went to the third-floor medical department to find Linda Linda.
At the moment, Linda Linda was dressed as a nurse, busy calibrating a surgical mechanical arm, looking very busy.
Sun Jack approached her from behind and said, "I don't know how you knew about the issues I had with the Priest, but I still want to thank you for helping us smooth things over."
Linda Linda didn't turn around, but kept working, "No need to thank me for that little thing. I'm not like you; I'm no good at killing, but luckily, having been a prostitute, I'm a bit better at managing relationships than you are."
Sun Jack realized he had guessed right; Linda Linda didn't believe in Liberation Theology; she couldn't have been praying and confessing for no reason.
Sun Jack thought for a moment, then looked at Linda Linda's slender silhouette and spoke again, "Someone with your talents is underused in the medical department. Are you interested in moving to the Public Relations Department to help handle some PR and public opinion issues for the company?"
The help from her made Sun Jack suddenly realize that having someone like her by his side could solve many problems.
Linda Linda flipped her hair around, turned, and leaned against the desk as she faced Sun Jack. "Our mercenary company has such a department? I don't remember that."
She was surprised; she just didn't want to owe him a favor, and she hadn't expected there to be additional gains.
"It will once you join; not only will you handle internal relations, but external ones as well," Sun Jack invited her again.
After thinking for a moment, Linda Linda said, "Alright, I'll help you, but don't shortchange me when it comes to compensation." She finished, throwing a flirtatious glance at Sun Jack.
"Done, that's settled, then. I'll send two clones over to assist you. You'll be responsible for coordinating with Gaofeng Technology and other company personnel," Sun Jack said and turned to leave.
However, the next second, Sun Jack felt a soft body press against his back, and Linda Linda's fragrant voice whispered in his ear.
"Is this your stiff way of recruiting someone? It's a bit crude, isn't it? It's almost quitting time; how about we have a meal together, neighbor?"
Sun Jack's mind was stirred; since he was going to employ her, he indeed needed to understand this woman better. "Sounds good."
But when Sun Jack was led to her apartment and saw that the drones had delivered various dishes neatly arranged on the table, he then realized that her invitation to eat meant having a meal at her home.
"Come on, this meal cost me quite a bit," Linda Linda said as she gently brushed the back of Sun Jack's hand and walked towards the table.
"The clones told me about what happened before, I'm sorry."
"You're going to be my boss now, so let's skip the apologies. The boss is always right, even if wrong, it's because the subordinates failed to grasp the true intents of the plans."