Working Records in a Weird World - 29

 

| WRIAWW | Joshua: ? | 29

"Lord Joshua, good day."

Bai Shao stood in the center of the reception room, so awkward that he didn't know where to put his hands.

The man he had once admired so deeply was standing right in front of him, yet he couldn't bring himself to look up. His entire body felt as if it were crawling with ants, his stomach clenched tightly, and he was overwhelmed with discomfort.

Just the thought that "Patriarch Joshua is gay" made him feel a wave of nausea rising in his throat.

Bai Shao didn't want to have such a severe physical aversion just because of someone's sexual orientation.

But the truth was, the high-level male survivor who had stalked and harassed him back then had been so perverted that it left a lifelong psychological scar.

At that time, Bai Shao was just a lowly D-level survivor, new to the Infinite Space and with little influence. He never expected to be targeted by an A-level survivor during a mission.

The man had tried every means to coerce him, even resorting to force. If Bai Shao hadn't already decided to specialize in agility, strengthened his agility twice, and even unlocked the advanced skill "Instant Flash" at a critical moment, he might have truly been violated and lost his virginity.

Since that incident, Bai Shao had a time where he couldn't stand being close to men during missions, keeping a distance of several meters. At night, he was plagued by nightmares of being pinned down on a sofa by a faceless, burly man, unable to sleep peacefully.

It took many years for him to climb up the ranks of survivors, strengthen his abilities, and finally reach the pinnacle as an S-level survivor. Only then did his wounds slowly heal, and the memories gradually fade.

The A-level survivor who had dared to force himself back then was eventually retaliated against by Bai Shao, who took advantage of his downfall, leading to his death in a high-level mission within an A-class dungeon.

Yet, the instinctual fear still lingered, accompanying him to this day.

Even though Bai Shao felt that his admiration for Joshua remained unchanged, he couldn't control his instincts. Just the thought of terms like "gay," "homosexual," or "men" made his stomach churn.

This subtle shift in emotions didn't escape Joshua's notice.

Not only did Bai Shao's emotional value plummet like a dive, but his trembling hands by his side also betrayed him to Joshua's keen, analytical eyes. Taking it all in, Joshua maintained his usual smile, though the warmth didn't reach his icy blue eyes.

"You're back so soon. I assume you have news."

Seeing the conversation shift to the main topic, Bai Shao felt a wave of relief and quickly reported all the intelligence he had gathered during the mission.

He started with how he strictly followed the task assigned by Joshua, then swiftly participated in a C-level mission, where he encountered the D-level survivor from a previous S-level mission. 

He went on to explain how he had added the black-haired man as a friend and successfully obtained his contact information.

Hearing that Bai Shao had successfully added the most suspicious individual as a friend, Joshua narrowed his eyes.

In his mind, he thought, "As expected," and immediately attributed Bai Shao's emotional plummet to this encounter.

"What's his name?"

"Zong Le. His name is Zong Le."

Bai Shao pulled out his phone and showed his friend list.

Among the neatly arranged names of S-level and A-level survivors, the C-level named Zong Le stood out like a sore thumb.

Seeing the ID, Bai Shao was momentarily surprised at how the guy had already reached C-level, but considering his talent, he quickly understood.

"Good," Joshua murmured, his deep blue eyes already plotting a hundred and eight ways to eliminate the man.

As a strategist, Joshua preferred underhanded methods, especially since he appeared to have no combat prowess, making him a master of unconventional tactics. 

Without having to lift a finger, he could devise countless ways to kill someone without leaving a trace. The best part was that 99% of people in infinite space wouldn't think to guard against him, as they automatically associated his lack of physical strength as harmless in their minds.

Yet, Joshua's expression remained calm, and he smiled gently. "You've done well. I knew I didn't choose the wrong person."

Joshua's words were as warm and soothing as a spring breeze, effortlessly instilling a sense of achievement and honor in the listener.

Normally, Bai Shao would have been thrilled by such praise, but this time, he shivered and quickly changed the subject.

"Oh, by the way, Lord Joshua. You truly are a god of foresight, with an eye for talent. During this mission, I unexpectedly discovered that the survivor named Zong Le is the talented newcomer who caused quite a stir on the forum some time ago."

"Oh?"

Joshua raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Although he had already gauged the audacity of this little mouse from the fact that it dared to eavesdrop on his conversation from the skylight of the prayer room. After all, while he was widely known as the zero-combat healer within the limited space, his 1st rank was a deterrent. 

It was the first time someone had the guts to provoke him on his own turf.

What intrigued Joshua even more was that, according to Bai Shao, this bold eavesdropper was the talented newcomer could conceal his presence so well. 

Not bad, perhaps he is the agility type?

It was really interesting.

"From my brief conversations with him, I noticed that he seems unaware of his own identity, and even his knowledge of the Watchtower Guild is only superficial."

This was also the most perplexing part for Bai Shao: "Logically, this shouldn't be the case. Although Zong Le has only completed four missions, the forum went crazy over him at the time, with dozens of new posts appearing on the homepage every day, speculating about his information. Not to mention, the guilds would certainly not let such a promising talent slip through their fingers and would do everything to recruit him. The merchant guilds are like hyenas that pounce at the scent of blood, there's no reason they would let him go."

"But he is an exception, he was even completely unaware of all this, which is truly baffling. Moreover, judging from the attitude of the Spiritual Guild, their last statement seemed to show that the information they released might have been false... Sorry, I digress. What I mean is, Lord Joshua, would you consider bringing him under the banner of the Temple? If you have such an intention, I could take the initiative to contact him and cultivate him carefully."

"No need," Joshua said nonchalantly. "He's only at C-level now, he's not qualified yet."

Whether he was qualified or not was, of course, just an excuse.

The real reason was that Joshua had no intention of wasting effort on cultivating a dead man.

For some people, the moment they discovered Joshua's secret, their fate was sealed—death was inevitable.

"By the way, there's a special tool in the temple's storeroom that allows you to check the tasks someone is currently undertaking through the friend list. I'll have the assistant priest take you to register and receive it later. Next time he goes out on a mission, remember to check in advance and keep an eye on it. I need a comprehensive evaluation of his performance in other tasks."

The Patriarch words were indeed a bit strange. He had clearly said that Zong Le wasn't qualified, so why did he need to constantly monitor the other's task progress?

If it were in the past, Bai Shao wouldn't have thought twice about it. He would have simply memorized and executed the Patriarch's orders without question and blindly following them. 

But today, with his mind in turmoil, he found himself having unnecessary thoughts, and the more he thought about it, the more he couldn't stop.

To be fair, Bai Shao had indeed harbored some doubts about Zong Le.

Not about the truthfulness of his words, as that had already been indirectly confirmed by the main system.

What he doubted was where Zong Le had heard it from.

It was common knowledge that Joshua, the 1st Saint of the temple, was untouched by desires, untainted by worldly matters, and lived a life of purity. How could he have personally spoken about such a private topic?

But this question was far too intrusive and overstepping boundaries. As a subordinate, Bai Shao simply couldn't bring himself to ask.

Under what circumstances had Zong Le heard it, and in what situation would such a conversation have taken place?

At first glance, it might have been during some private conversation, but he had a fear of another possibility. What if Joshua had said those words directly to Zong Le?

Bai Shao didn't even dare to think about it anymore.

Seeing Bai Shao hesitate, Joshua understood perfectly.

He had been puzzled about what exactly had happened during this mission to cause Bai Shao, who had always been fiercely loyal to him, to not only fail to increase his favorability but even drop it to a barely passing 60. 

Although the suspect was obvious, the process was more important than the result.

To find out the details of the mission, he would first have to pry open the lamb's mouth.

With Bai Shao's favorability dropping so much, Joshua naturally couldn't resort to issuing commands to force him to reveal the truth.

He could have done so, but the risk level was too high. Joshua didn't want to lose this useful S-level pawn, so for now, he could only resort to the most primitive method—psychological inducement.

In this regard, Joshua was a master. Sometimes, he didn't even need to use the power of the Eros code. With just gentle interrogation, he could break through someone's psychological defenses and get the answers he wanted.

"Bai Shao, is there something else you want to tell me?"

Joshua, who usually maintained a deliberate distance to preserve his aloof and holy image but in reality had a severe case of mysophobia, took a step forward.

He raised his hand, the copper chain connecting the rings on his slender fingers dangling, intending to place it on Bai Shao's shoulder like a confessing priest, and then gently guide him to speak.

But to his surprise, the moment Bai Shao realized what was happening, he reacted like a startled bird, instantly jumping back, even using a flash step to dart ten meters away, nearly pressing himself against the expensive velvet tapestry on the meeting room wall.

"I-I'm sorry, Lord Joshua!"

After instinctively performing this series of exaggerated actions, Bai Shao wished he could bury his head in the ground like an ostrich.

"I-I just finished a mission, and I'm not feeling well. I'll take my leave now!"

He was too embarrassed to face Joshua, let alone look up to see the 1st Saint's expression. He could only hastily bow at a ninety-degree angle, repeatedly apologizing as he ran out. His panicked demeanor didn't resemble someone facing their sworn lord but rather someone fleeing from a ferocious beast.

Joshua: ?

Watching Bai Shao's retreating figure, he could barely maintain the fake smile on his face.

Fortunately, the assisting priest had already closed the doors of the sanctuary, allowing Joshua to drop his smile and adopt an expressionless demeanor.

"Could it be that that little mouse leaked what happened in the prayer room?"

This possibility was quite low. The carefully crafted image of the Patriarch he had built over the years wouldn't be so easily shattered by a few words. Moreover, within the confined space, there were always those who believed Joshua was a fraud and harbored intense hatred for him.

What they didn't know was that such strong hatred could also serve as a shepherd's whip.

Furthermore, perfection itself could be a flaw, so Joshua was content to let these individuals exist, allowing their animosity to add a layer of authenticity to his saintly compassion.

Bai Shao was a lamb he had personally chosen, created opportunities for, bestowed grace upon, and thoroughly brainwashed. There was no way he could be swayed by mere words.

Joshua skilled in manipulating hearts, was confident of this.

Even if he is widely regarded as "the most brilliant mind in the infinite space," Joshua was at a loss to explain Bai Shao's sudden and drastic change in attitude.

However, there was one thing Joshua could be certain of.

Somewhere beyond his knowledge, a variable had emerged that was beyond his control.

"To untie the bell, one must find the one who tied it..."

Joshua lowered his gaze, murmuring to himself.

His silver-white hair slipped from his shoulders as he shook his head, shimmering in the morning light.

The man's slender fingers unconsciously caressed the cross on his chest, while the blue eyes behind his monocle were cold and inscrutable.

As the Patriarch of the Temple, Joshua had stood at the top for too long. 

Those in high positions were accustomed to controlling everything within their grasp. It was precisely because of this that the emergence of a variable that might slip from his control left him so deeply unpleased.

"It seems I need to act sooner rather than later."

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