Trafford's Trading Club

The grass on the lawn seemed to have come to life not long after the sunshine of the early morning was shed onto the ground. There, upon the grassy lawn, a tiny figure was seen to be climbing a fence clumsily.

A lady, who seems to be preparing to send her daughter to school, was still calling out to the name of the tiny figure.

Watching this scene with interest, the club boss smiled with amusement. He was amazed by such an evident display of love.

Though, isn’t this a pretty common domestic scenario?

Luo Qiu shook away his thoughts. With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked with the maid towards the tiny figure while he took some time to appreciate the scenic view along the roadside.

Shortly after, Boss Luo had to stop in his tracks.

Along the sidewalk, where Antonio had just passed by, there was a man in a black robe that was leaning against a tree trunk.

The man was holding a thick book which had a black cover. He looked as if he was intensely focused on his reading.

He was probably at around the same age as Luo Qiu. Judging from his pretty face, people would have thought that he was a girl if they did not notice his masculine figure.

As his moved forward, Boss Luo shifted a few glances to examine the man thoroughly… It wasn’t until he passed by the man, did the man put down the book in his hand. He murmured, ”Heaven is a paradise, the redeemed soul which believes in God can rise to heaven. Not believing in God, sinners who do not repent, will be punished as their souls go to hell.”

Luo Qiu stopped walking and threw an amused glimpse at You Ye. He then reevaluated the man. This time, he noticed that at the sleeves of this manʼs robe, there was a silver necklace that was coiled around his wrist. The pendant that was hanging down turned out to be a cross.

The attire had revealed the identity of the man. Considering it was Moscow, Luo Qiu asked, ”The Eastern Orthodox?”

No longer leaning on the tree, the man has straightened up and placed his hands in front of him. He walked in a stroll and said, ”Heaven is the place of God, there are angels standing before the throne, and Christ is sitting on the right-hand side of God. There, pavements are laid with gold and mansions are adorned with precious gems. If our eyes can witness such beauty and our ears can listen to such music, our senses would experience euphoria...”

He finally came to face to face with Luo Qiu and You Ye. Then, he paused and said, ”There is an eternal fire burning in hell, with fierce vipers biting away. Those who can neither rise to heaven, nor go to hell will first go to Purgatory. They will experience a temporary suffering to refine their soul. Only then can they rise to heaven after the redemption of their sin.”

When the man has finished, he stood in silence.

Luo Qiu shook his head and said, ”Can each of our senses experience euphoria? Well ... Heaven is indeed a very good place. Unfortunately, I cannot go anywhere.”

”The Lord is willing to forgive every sinner.” The man smiled, ”We never refuse those who sincerely want their atonement.”

”Oh? What should I do first?” Luo Qiu asked curiously.

The man demanded coolly, ”Please return the soul of Kamala. She is a pure believer of my Lord and she can rise to paradise as long as she gives up her mortal thoughts. You should not stand in her way.”

”I am not in her way.” Luo Qiu was still shaking his head, ”We are only fulfilling her wishes.”

‘Though, I still haven’t thought of what to do... Boss Luo did not share his inner thoughts.

The man said, ”Kamalaʼs soul has been hovering, refusing to leave. We, the Lordʼs followers, did not force her, instead we let her stay. The point of it is to wait for the day when she comes to a realization. It will be a day when she can rise to heaven.”

Luo Qiu replied, ”In other words, you have been secretly observing her ever since became a soul?”

”As long as the believer is calling my Lord in his heart, we will appear before him.” Again, the man replied calmly.

”We are about the same.”

Luo Qiu smiled.

Suddenly he recalled some information that he had read randomly from the old books at the basement of the club.

---After Exodus ... Moses pays for 20,000 souls, it made the water of the sea recede overnight, turning it into dryland.

...

”Are there many pure souls existing in the heaven?” Luo Qiu asked suddenly.

He looked at the man who was wearing a black robe. This was the third time he reevaluated the man. This is because he and You Ye were walking in such a way where their presence was hidden. Besides beings with desperate needs, they are largely undetected. However, people with the ability to see them seem to be much more complex than ordinary folks.

”For God loves people, he will open the gates of heaven to all those who sincerely become a convert. Naturally, there are many souls attaining eternal bliss.” The priest in black said it lightly. Although he did not understand the question before, the answer was evident.

Luo Qiu suddenly asked, ”Do you think you will rise to heaven as well?”

The young priest answered plainly, ”That is the only ultimate destination for us.”

Luo Qiu nodded, ”Oh ... well, I will try to pray to your Lord and I hope he has a way to open this door for me. As for Ms. Kamala, I am afraid I cannot give her to you. First of all, she does not belong to me; secondly, there is still an unfinished business between us. ”

”Sinners, who don’t repent for their sins, can only be excused under the holy light to cleanse the evil in their hearts.” The man sighed, ”I will not preach the use of force.”

Suddenly the man waved, the cross on his wrist suddenly dropped into the palm of his hand. It turned into a golden light which transformed into a golden cross in the shape of a sword.

Luo Qiu agreed, ”I am not an advocate of violence either.”

With a smile on his face, Boss Luo appeared in the front of the man instantly --- as if he teleported.

Unexpectedly, a figure appeared extremely close to the man’s own eyes. It made his pupil shrink slightly.

Despite this, the golden sword which had been in his had only received a gentle tap by his opponent’s finger.

”So, don’t use violence unnecessarily.”

The golden cross sword shattered in an instant, like a glass broken into pieces, and the gold shards disappeared before they even landed.

The priest in black, took a number of steps back, he unclasped his hand which held the cross--- the cross pendant in his palm was now broken.

”If you can recall what happened today at some point in the future, please say to your Lord at the time of your prayers—in a few years we will pay a visit to heaven, because heaven is about to pay rent ...”

”What ...”

The young man from East appeared in front of him again momentarily. However, he only felt that his forehead was being gently tapped.

All he could hear before he lost consciousness was such a statement to the Lord ... How profane it was!

...

Soon after that, he placed the young priest next to the tree that he was just leaning on earlier. Then, he made him sit up as if he was just taking a nap.

Luo Qiu looked at the maid curiously and said, ”By the way, did those people interfere when the club started its business here?”

You Ye answered, ”Unlike you, the previous boss did not go outside. Transactions were completed in an instant ... Ah, of course, the previous boss deliberately hid them but he intended to set them free…”

Looking at the young priest who had fallen asleep, You Ye said softly, ”Since the priest is still too young, he may not be able to gain access to some things.”

”People like me, always wandering around outside. I am modest enough to hear that.”

Luo Qiu nodded and smiled, ”You can just say it that it is easy to get attacked when it comes to people like me. I’m always wandering around outside. Well, I cannot deny that.”

The maid replied with a smile.

They looked like they were taking a stroll, as they walked out of the tree-lined lane while they talked. When he passed by a convenience store on the street, Boss Luo promptly bought a piece of chocolate.

...

When Anatoly woke up, it was already near dusk. He looked blankly at where he was, and he unconsciously rubbed his forehead.

There was a strange sensation in palm of his hand. Anatoly was surprised.

As he spread out his palm, he saw that the cross pendant he had carried was now... a broken piece of accessory.

The young priest went pale, and broke out in a cold sweat. He no longer cared when or why he fell asleep; instead, he immediately knelt down on the ground to pray.

It was all because his faith was unexpectedly broken!

In a daze, Anatoly vaguely felt that he has forgotten something.

…

…

”Where are you?”

”Where are you?”

”Would you like some chocolate?”