Matt chuckled upon hearing this:
“The Jade Emperor went to the West, but that was to see the Tathagata, not to the West itself.”
Upon hearing this, Danock’s flawless eyes flickered with a spark of light:
“I wonder if God will appear when brother Zhang Wei arrives.”
As soon as she spoke,
Matt knew this was a child’s wild imagination at play. Children always liked to fantasize about cool, outlandish scenarios. He couldn’t help but smile and rub her head:
“What’s wrong, do you want to see the Jade Emperor and God drinking coffee? No, I mean tea? Haha.”
“No, I want to see the Jade Emperor and God play chess. That doesn’t seem right either, does the Jade Emperor know chess? Then Go, that’s also not right, God probably doesn’t play Go, how about Gomoku?”
And so,
Matt and Danock, the young priests, chatted and laughed as they headed to the dormitory, preparing to pack their bags for a trip to the Land of Thieves.
…
That night.
After busy packing until evening and arranging the itinerary for Danock and their trip to the Land of Cherry Blossoms, Matt murmured as he booked their flights:
“Okay, everything is prepared. Now I just need to find Mr. Zhang Wei tomorrow. Oh, right, I need to inform Mr. Zhang Wei first.”
As he spoke,
Matt glanced at the time on the table. It was 6:30 PM:
“Mr. Zhang Wei should be eating now, shouldn’t he? Or should I wait until after dinner to call him?”
…
On the other side.
In the Land of Thieves, at the cafeteria of Seoul University.
At this moment,
Zhang Wei was eating with Lu Lianxue and the others. As the food was served, Zhang Wei took a bite with relish and asked Zhang Chao and Wu Nian beside him:
“How was it? Any interesting news from the Dharma Association today?”
“Haha, Zhang Wei, you’re not thinking of messing with the president again, are you?”
“No, no, I’m just concerned, after all, we’re in the Land of Thieves, so it’s natural to be concerned about the local situation.”
“Come on, still concerned? The current situation is all thanks to you, the main culprit.”
Zhang Chao gave Zhang Wei a middle finger, but his face was smiling as he continued:
“The Dharma Association is very busy. I went to inquire at noon. They are busy looking for a new headquarters and also adjusting personnel. Regarding Abraham’s matter, the president and the others probably really want to trouble you, but they have no reason. After all, the way you fanned him with that fan, it’s hard to say if you planned it deliberately.”
“Now Abraham is sealed, but four or five high-ranking officials have died, along with several Dharma Masters of the Ghost King level. They’ve lost so many talented people, the Dharma Association is having a terrible headache. They’re completely screwed, unless they send someone of the National Guardian level to find you, otherwise, they can’t find you… Mmmph!!”
Before he could finish the words “trouble you,”
He saw…
Wu Nian seemed to have thought of something and realized what Zhang Chao was about to say. With a quick move, he covered Zhang Chao’s mouth and clasped his hands together:
“Amitabha, Zhang Chao, you shouldn’t say more. Have you forgotten your crow’s mouth?”
As Zhang Chao nodded, Wu Nian released his hand.
Then,
Zhang Chao teased:
“Damn it, Wu Nian, you believe I have a crow’s mouth too? I thought only you and Zhang Wei believed it. You, a monk, believe in this? Aren’t you afraid the Buddha will call you superstitious?”
Wu Nian shook his head with a wry smile:
“Amitabha, this humble monk didn’t believe it before, but after so many times, it’s better to believe it than not. How many times have you been right? It’s best to be cautious with your words and actions.”
In response,
Zhang Chao chuckled:
“Hehe, I don’t believe that whatever I say will come true. If I say the world is ending, will it really… cough, let’s not talk about this. It’s not impossible. With global warming, let’s think of something more outrageous… Got it!”
Zhang Chao seemed to recall something and said directly:
“If whatever I say comes true, I was just thinking, Zhang Wei fanned Abraham away, ignoring God’s protection. What if God, in his old age, lost face? After all, this is his protection, and Zhang Wei’s actions are blasphemy. Will God trouble Zhang Wei?”
“It’s not like I just thought of this and casually said it, and then God really comes looking for Zhang Wei, hahaha.”
“Uh…”
Wu Nian was stunned for a moment, then clasped his hands together:
“Amitabha, it shouldn’t be. Although this humble monk doesn’t know God, God and the Buddha are equally famous. God is known for his benevolence, so he shouldn’t be so petty…”
Before he could finish speaking,
Ding Ling Ling.
Zhang Wei’s phone rang. He picked it up and saw the caller ID was Father Matt.
Immediately,
Zhang Wei answered the call:
“Hey, Matt, long time no see. Why are you calling me today?”
“Mr. Zhang Wei, long time no see, haha.”
After a brief greeting with Zhang Wei, Matt didn’t beat around the bush and stated his reason for visiting tomorrow, saying directly:
“Mr. Zhang Wei, are you free tomorrow? My flight is at 11 AM tomorrow. If you are, shall we meet for lunch? I have something to tell you. It’s like this, His Holiness the Pope instructed me today that he has something to discuss with you. It’s a bit impolite to say it over the phone, so I’ll tell you in person.”
As he spoke,
Zhang Wei was somewhat surprised:
“You said the Pope wants to see me? The Pope of the Vatican?”
His voice was not loud, but Zhang Chao and Wu Nian, who were sitting at the same table, both heard it. They looked at each other, stunned.
The next second,
Zhang Chao’s eyes widened, and he swallowed:
“Holy hell, the Pope wants to see Zhang Wei? What does he want with Zhang Wei? Could it be… what I said came true? Damn it, I know I have a crow’s mouth, but it can’t be this ridiculously accurate, can it? Is God that petty?”
Wu Nian’s expression turned strange, and he stopped clasping his hands, saying strangely:
“Amitabha, Zhang Chao, your mouth…”
They dared not say more and looked at Zhang Wei, waiting for him to finish his call with Matt.
Soon,
After the phone call ended, Zhang Chao quickly leaned over to Zhang Wei, nervously saying:
“Damn, Zhang Wei, why does the Pope of the Vatican want to see you? Has the Almighty God really gotten angry and sent down a divine decree for the Pope to deal with you? This really isn’t my fault. I just said it casually. I won’t speak nonsense anymore.”
Wu Nian also clasped his hands and replied:
“Amitabha, if Zhang Chao talks nonsense in the future, this humble monk will definitely cover his mouth and prevent him from creating bad karma. Sin, sin.”
Zhang Wei chuckled upon hearing this and waved his hand:
“Haha, you don’t need to be so scared. Zhang Chao has a crow’s mouth, but this is dragging gods into it. How could it be so accurate? I think the Pope wants to see me not because God is looking for trouble, but probably out of curiosity as to why I could ignore God’s protection.”
“That’s a relief, I was so scared. I really feared you going to the Vatican… and then accidentally angering God or something… *slap*!”
Before he finished speaking,
Zhang Chao lightly slapped his own mouth:
“My apologies, I spoke out of turn again.”
…