Chapter 0001: The Theft of the Golden Talisman (Part One)

The director's wife, with cheeks as white as jade, unexpectedly flushed with a youthful blush reminiscent of a lovesick girl, her heart racing suddenly due to the smile of the young pastor. Biting her cherry-like, luscious lips, she asked, "Can God fulfill my wishes?"

Luo Lie had already stood up, throwing his empty wallet onto the blind man's broad back, while all the cash was tucked into his own pocket. He walked slowly to the window with that photograph, taking advantage of the afternoon light to see it clearly.

Only after ensuring that the group of constables had left did Luo Lie return to the office and gently knock on the cabinet door

Luo Lie smiled, and his handsome face instantly became lively and bright, while also appearing enigmatic and profound

God said, "Let there be light," and there was light

Bang! Bang! Bang! A hurried knocking sounded at the door, followed by a breathless voice pleading for help: "Open the door... quickly open the door... Luo Lie... it's me... the blind man... I am the blind man..."

Gazing at the black sedan that sped away, Luo Lie could only shake his head and sigh. Before he had the chance to return to his small chapel, more than ten officers rushed over aggressively. Luo Lie took the initiative to greet them, raising a silver cross with his left hand while his right hand expertly made the sign of the cross on his chest: "We are born sinners, and the suffering we endure in this world is the penance for our sins. As long as we atone for our sins, we can enter the gates of heaven when we pass away. Gentlemen, why not come in and have a seat, and listen to me preach for God..." His right hand expertly made the sign of the cross on his chest: "We are born sinners, and the suffering we endure in this world is the penance for our sins. As long as we atone for our sins, we can enter the gates of heaven when we pass away. Gentlemen, why not come in and have a seat, and listen to me preach for God..."

Luo Lie did not pay him any attention, his gaze still focused intently on that photograph

Luo Lie swiftly reached out his hand and snatched the wallet from the blind man's grasp. The blind man was taken aback and reached out to reclaim it, but Luo Lie lightly poked him in the chest with a finger, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground, chair and all, in a disheveled heap. As he cried out and struggled to get back up, Luo Lie had already seated himself on the sofa across from him. Not only had he taken the wallet, but he had also confiscated the five silver dollars that the blind man had just placed on the table. While counting the amount, he remarked, "The harvest is quite good! Your hands are still as nimble as ever!"

The director's wife stood in place with a look of bewilderment until Luo Lie said, "Madam, please!" Only then did she come to her senses, stomp her foot, and lift her leg to leave, her exaggeratedly swaying figure symbolizing her status, while her high heels tapped rapidly on the red oak floor, producing a sound reminiscent of a chick pecking at grain.

At this moment, Luo Lie took out a photograph from his wallet. The photo depicted a beautiful girl in traditional attire, and he was momentarily stunned, but it was not the girl's beauty that captivated him.

"Who?" The blind man seemed to sense an unusual smell.

The blind man laughed meaningfully, his small eyes squinting into a narrow slit: "In the past, we were fellow townsmen, then we became classmates, and now we are a pair of unfortunate souls who have gone astray. How much do you think this fake pastor is worth?" He pulled out a wallet from his waist, took out five silver dollars, and slapped them heavily on the table. Then, with a smug expression, he propped his feet up on the edge of the desk, looking quite pleased with himself, almost provoking.

The blind man smiled broadly and said: "No wonder she is so beautiful, she is mine. Let me make it clear from the start, there is a sequence to everything, and you are not allowed to compete with me! This is your future sister-in-law!"

Hearing the sounds from outside, Luo Lie finally set his anxious heart at ease and let out a quiet sigh. He saw the director's wife had tidied her clothes and restored her usual frosty demeanor. She gave Luo Lie a glance, signaling him to open the door, and the myriad of tender feelings from just a moment ago had instantly vanished.

The stout man remained silent, and the excess flesh on his body did not hinder his agile movements as he swiftly dashed towards the wardrobe in the northwest corner of the room, pulling open the cabinet door and hiding inside.

Luo Lie propped up the chair that had fallen behind his desk, then sat back down, crossing his legs on the tabletop, with his fingers interlaced over his abdomen. He slightly furrowed his brows and said: "Her name is Ye Qinghong, the newly popular top singer at the Bailemen."

The voice of the director's wife trembled slightly with excitement: "Then please bless me on behalf of God..."

Before the words were finished, a constable roughly pushed them aside, saying: "Step aside, do not obstruct official duties"

Master Mu San

Before Luo Lie could finish his serious statement, the wife of the Director of Health interrupted him in a delicate manner: "Pastor Luo, you know, I did not come to you seeking any glory; I simply want a child."

Luo Lie further stated: "The matter of donating medicines..."

The blind man pointed at Luo Lie, his face flushed with urgency: "She is ungrateful; she must leave me half of it..."

Luo Lie walked over and opened the door. As soon as the door was opened, a chubby man wearing round-framed sunglasses and a melon-shaped hat rushed in like a headless fly, lunging towards the director's wife. The director's wife was so startled that she let out an extremely exaggerated scream, as if she were a cat whose tail had been stepped on

The blind man rushed forward in a panic, hoping to take advantage of Luo Lie's moment of distraction to seize back the wallet from his hand. However, before he could get close, he was tripped by Luo Lie's outstretched right foot, losing his balance once again and crashing down to the ground like a small mountain. The floor creaked and trembled under the weight of this fellow.

Luo Liefei was not angry; instead, he started to laugh, half of his butt resting on the table: "I assure you, Jesus, I, Luo Lie, have never committed any heinous acts. All along, I have been upholding justice and helping the poor. As the weather turns cold, the children at the Gospel Primary School still have not received their winter coats, and many of them have fallen ill. I could have persuaded the director's wife to provide sponsorship today, but unexpectedly, you, this scoundrel, have ruined my good deed."

At this moment, Luo Lie's expression was aloof and restrained, yet his large hands clearly increased their grip, distinctly pulling that delicate little hand towards his embrace. His voice carried a deep, magnetic quality: "Do not forget that I am the apostle of God; even if He is unwilling to help you, you still have me."

Luo Lie's reaction was even quicker than hers, as he swiftly approached the coat rack to take down the director's wife's coat and thoughtfully draped it over her shoulders

Luo Lie hurriedly caught up and said: "Madam, how about we schedule a time to discuss this next time?"

The blind man, with tough skin and thick flesh, although he had fallen twice, was still largely unscathed. His once slicked-back hair, which had been meticulously styled, had become somewhat disheveled. He took a deep breath and forcefully blew up, sweeping the stray lock of hair from his forehead back behind his head. Undeterred, he climbed back up, but after two failed attempts, he no longer dared to try to snatch it away easily. With a wide grin and a fawning smile, he leaned closer to Luo Lie and said, "Good brother, could you spare me a sip of soup while you enjoy the meat?"

The office door was violently slammed, but since it was locked from the inside, it did not open immediately. The sudden noise startled the two people inside, causing them to hurriedly separate. The director's wife turned pale with fright and quickly stood up to tidy her makeup. Her makeup was exquisite, showing no signs of disarray, yet her heart was already in a state of turmoil.

The director's wife let out a cold snort

The blind man gazed at Luo Lie, whose outline was close yet indistinct, then took a deep breath, still able to detect the lingering scent of powder in the air. Like a hunting dog, he sniffed twice more: "Others may not understand you, but do I not understand? You are nothing but a hypocritical deceiver, masquerading under the guise of preaching and teaching, ensnaring virtuous women, deceiving ignorant young girls. Jesus the shepherd, you are merely a wolf in sheep's clothing, lurking among the flock and preying on the ewes"

Fortunately, Luo Lie timely blocked him: "Are you blind?"

The wife of the Director of Health stopped in her tracks, turned her face, her eyebrows raised in anger, her phoenix-like eyes filled with authority, and bit her silver teeth as she spat, "You liar! You are nothing but a liar!" As the excitement subsided and reason returned, all that remained was a mix of anger and humiliation, with venting her frustration on others being the most natural choice, and Luo Lie happened to become that unfortunate target

The director's wife not only did not blame this fellow for his abruptness, but her voice became increasingly soft and sweet: "What if he refuses to help me?" Her pair of phoenix eyes had already turned watery, filled with tender emotions as they fell upon the young pastor's face, as if a hunting dog had locked onto its prey.

Luo Lie handed him the photograph, which was two inches in size, appearing particularly small in the chubby hands of the blind man. He brought the photo close to his eyes, almost touching his nose. Once he clearly saw the girl in the photograph, his mouth widened even more, revealing his back molars: "Not bad! Delicate features, fair and tender, tall and graceful, charming and lovely, truly a perfect match for me, An Zhai!"

The blind man pleaded for mercy while struggling, and after much effort, he finally managed to make Luo Lie let go. He then boldly sat down in the position that originally belonged to Luo Lie, took off his melon-shaped hat from his head, and casually threw it away, landing perfectly on a coat rack. He then extended his chubby white hands, pinched the gold-rimmed glasses with his thumb and middle finger, and carefully removed the sunglasses. Beneath his sparse eyebrows, a pair of small eyes shone brightly. His real name was An Zhai, and he was called the blind man because during the day, his vision was blurry, and he could not even see the outline of a person's face within one meter. However, at night, his vision would enhance several times, allowing him to see easily in pitch-black environments. Of course, this secret was known to very few, including his best friend Luo Lie.

The blind man, feeling somewhat impatient, complained in exasperation: "What the hell is there to see! It's just a little woman!"

There was still no trace of a smile on Luo Lie's face: "I am not clear about her identity, but her godfather is somewhat well-known in the French Concession."

Luo Lie nodded, his gaze falling upon a pair of delicate hands on the desk, resembling spring onions. Without hesitation, he clasped these hands in his palms and, with a face full of sanctity and righteousness, said: "As long as you believe in the Lord, any wish can be fulfilled"

The cabinet door slowly opened, and a languid voice said, "Damn! It's been so long, I was almost falling asleep!" His words carried a strong Shandong accent.

Luo Lie glared at the fat man curled up in the wardrobe like a meatball, and instantly felt a surge of inexplicable anger. He grabbed the man's little ear and scolded, "Damn it, are you blind? You've ruined my important matter!"

O Lord, please forgive the sins of these lost sheep