Chapter 6: The People at the Venue
On the top floor of the building, inside a luxurious suite.
A Caucasian man in a black suit stood by the window, looking down at the crowd gathering below.
"Johnny, what are the exhibits this time?" the man in the suit asked.
Johnny, also a man in a suit, was holding a glass of whiskey.
"A Witch Hunter's musket, a Knight's sword from the Crusades, a medium..."
Johnny took a sip of his drink.
"These were all personally procured by Gail from across the states."
The suited man turned around. "Excellent. They will all be offered up during the sacrificial ritual."
"What about you, Saint? What's the Church's attitude?" Johnny asked.
Saint turned around.
"The Vatican has sent a letter. Their agent happens to be in the city and will be attending to 'observe the ceremony'."
Hearing this, Johnny looked excited and downed the rest of his whiskey in one gulp.
"Saint, it's been five years! We've been lurking in the Anomaly Council for so long, and finally, the day has come."
Saint had also been looking forward to this day for a long time, but his face remained calm.
"It's not over yet. We can't celebrate prematurely. Are the people downstairs ready?"
Johnny smiled and shook his head. "Saint, you're always so careful."
Then he continued:
"Isolation arrays have been set up inside the building. No one will notice what's happening inside.
"Five of the exits have been sealed. The last door will be closed once admission ends.
"Of course, all the 'Exorcism Items' will be properly stored before the ritual..."
Johnny licked his lips as he finished.
Saint finally nodded. "You've worked hard these past five years. Once the 'Descent' is complete, I will recommend you for a seat on the Management Committee."
"Thanks."
...
Outside the Exhibition Hall.
William pretended it was his first time here.
A welcome banner hung over the entrance, marking the check-in area.
He was informed that the expo was divided into two parts.
The first hour was for free networking and trading. After that, the main event would begin.
William walked into the hall.
The spacious interior, oil paintings, and plush carpets all screamed luxury.
There were already quite a few people in the hall, chatting amongst themselves.
William scanned the room.
There were several women with heavy makeup holding crystal balls;
Some men in plaid shirts fiddling with electronic equipment on tables;
Aside from them, there was even someone wearing silver armor and carrying a very long suitcase.
But most people were gathered around one woman.
"Look, that's Gail Thiago, the young manager of the Council."
"They say this lady could perform solo exorcisms at the age of 17."
"She's one of the organizers of this expo."
...
William followed their gazes.
In the crowd stood a tall, striking woman.
With beautiful features, long wavy brown hair, and a white suit dress, she exuded elegance and dignity.
Gail wore a friendly smile, her speech and mannerisms flawless.
William glanced at her once and then lost interest. He had no desire for a romantic encounter with a beauty.
Right now, there were countless men surrounding Ms. Gail.
They were subtly competing with each other—walking trouble magnets.
William went to the wall where many long tables were set up for participants to use as display stands.
He looked around and saw some good spots near the center.
But he immediately ruled them out.
Competition for those spots would be fierce, and he didn't know if they were reserved by the organizers. Taking one rashly could make him a target.
So William went to a spot near the door.
It was a bit out of the way, but there was still plenty of foot traffic, which perfectly met his needs.
He didn't know if it was his imagination, but as he walked through the hall, he felt people staring at him.
Just as he finished setting up his items, trouble arrived.
"Look, there's an Asian priest here. Is the God you believe in a monkey?"
"Who believes in that cross nonsense anymore? That stuff is so last century."
...
William looked up to see several young men looking at him with mocking eyes.
They were holding EMF detectors and other communication equipment, clearly proponents of modern technology.
William sighed.
He hadn't expected that even with all his caution, trouble would still find him.
"Let me see what you're selling."
One of the men, named Henry, saw that William didn't speak and reached out to touch the items on the table.
But his hand was caught mid-air by William.
"Hey! What are you doing? Let go!"
William smiled. "Child, you are so impatient. Is there something troubling you in your life?"
Henry looked confused. "None of your damn business..."
He was about to curse, but when he looked up, he met William's compassionate gaze. Suddenly, he felt a pang of guilt.
"S-sorry... I've been in a bad mood lately."
The people next to him were shocked!
Henry was the "problem child" of their group, usually fearless. Why was he acting like this today?
William continued, "Everyone has troubles. Why not speak them out? The Lord's love will help you."
Henry felt an inexplicable urge to trust the priest, so he nodded. "Last week, I slept with Kyle's mom... I think I'm in love with her..."
As soon as these words came out, the air froze.
Everyone else looked at a blonde young man in unison.
Evidently, this was Kyle.
Kyle had been laughing at Henry's cowardice a moment ago, but hearing this, he froze.
Then, his face twisted in rage, and he rushed over to grab Henry by the collar.
"Henry, you motherf..."
The group drifted away, arguing loudly.
William sweated a little. He hadn't expected such a melodramatic development.
He marveled once again at the simplicity of the American people.
However, it did increase his progress.
[Psychological Counseling +1]
[Current Progress: Tier 1 (15/100)]
"Are you okay?"
A soft voice asked.
William looked up to see a pair of long, slender legs.
It was the expo organizer, Gail Thiago.
"Uh... I'm fine."
Gail looked apologetic. "I saw those people earlier... do you need me to help you move to a different spot?"
"No thanks, they meant no harm," William refused decisively.
He had already sensed quite a few hostile gazes.
"That's good. If you have any problems, feel free to find me."
Gail smiled gently. She was indeed beautiful.
"By the way, I want to buy this." She picked up an amulet from the table. "How much is it?"
Seeing William stare blankly, Gail laughed. "What? Is it not for sale?"
She had seen someone bullying William earlier and came over specifically to help him out of the situation, but he had handled it himself.
Since she couldn't help, she decided to buy an item to show her support.
Seeing him freeze, Gail had a guess.
After all, she had seen that look in men's eyes many times, so she waited quietly.
Meanwhile, William had noticed several men edging closer.
No, I have to decide quickly! How much should I charge? he thought.
The cost of this amulet was less than a cent, but William was broke!
Should I rip her... cough, make a profit?
So he tested the waters. "Ten... dollars?"
William's heart raced after saying it. That was his price for a full field exorcism!
"Deal!"
Unexpectedly, Gail agreed readily and paid immediately.
Damn! I quoted too low!
William was filled with regret, but at least he made a sale.
Before leaving, Gail reminded him—the Church generally didn't participate in such events, and since he was Asian, people were naturally curious about him.
...
"Father William, you're here too!"
Just as William pocketed the money, a sweet voice rang out.
It was Judy. Standing beside her was an adult woman.
"Hello, Father William. I'm Lorraine, Judy's mother."
Lorraine smiled and extended her hand.
William nodded and returned the greeting.
During the conversation, she mentioned that she was an agent of the Vatican and was here to help out.
Lorraine looked at William with interest.
She had heard about Ms. Isa from her daughter.
From the description, this gentleman's strength was extraordinary, at least Bishop-level.
But looking at him now, he seemed to be just a priest?
"Father, what are you selling?"
Judy leaned in curiously. After the last incident, she considered William a good friend.
"Just some useless trinkets. Since we meet again, take this as a gift."
William picked up an amulet and gave it to Judy, who happily accepted it.
Lorraine wanted to pay, but William refused.
He had a pile of these things anyway, and it was good to build a relationship with this famous demonologist.
Lorraine thanked him on behalf of her daughter and prepared to leave.
On the way out, Judy turned back and pointed to the amulet, signaling that she would treasure it.
After that, a woman named Renai bought a crucifix.
Income: $10.
Then came a chubby boy wearing a baseball cap, missing a front tooth.
William recognized him as one of the four main kids from Stranger Things.
The boy said his name was Dustin. He was traveling here and wanted to bring gifts back for his friends, but he only had three dollars.
So William flexibly adjusted his bottom line and made a deal.
Income: $3.
After that, business at William's stall dried up.
Fortunately, the networking hour was coming to an end.
Gail walked into the center of the hall and announced that the main exhibition was officially beginning.