Chapter 105: Gotta Make a Living Too

Li Lekang found a place to sit down.

The two of them discussed over the phone how to plan the live event, how to perform magic in front of a crowd of tens of thousands.

This so-called divine manifestation was nothing more than a magic show as far as Li Lekang was concerned! But for the saints, the Messiah event held extraordinary significance—something equivalent to a once-in-a-century spectacle. It had been planned for years, from Rudolph all the way to Stell.

The other bishops kept a wait-and-see attitude, and some were just waiting to watch the show fall apart. But everyone knew exactly what was going through the minds of the top leaders.

Just like politicians—no matter how fake or hypocritical you are, if you can fool the public into giving you their votes, then you're the king, you're the boss. That's the rule!

Stell ranked last among the five bishops, and because he'd given up so many benefits after his last coup attempt, he was now constrained by others on major decisions.

So he desperately hoped Li Lekang would deliver—show off his extraordinary abilities to awe the congregation on site, then have the whole thing filmed into polished videos to be distributed internally for promotion.

As long as Stell's popularity surged, nobody would care about the dark history of how he'd risen to power. And he'd be able to wield greater control—approval ratings were everything!

Li Lekang stood to gain plenty as well. He needed the secular power to provide convenience, and he also wanted to take the opportunity to poach believers from other factions. Who wouldn't love such an easy freebie?

The more they talked, the more Li Lekang felt it would be a waste not to use the budget—they should shoot several promotional videos while they were at it. Besides the live event footage, there could be a special Messiah edition, a limited edition for senior believers, and so on.

Marketing, videos—wasn't that the core of it all?

Same logic as leaders going to shovel a pile of dirt at a photo op on Arbor Day!

But Li Lekang decided to overturn convention—shoot more, make it vibrant and energetic, keep up with the times. Nothing made young people more obsessed than idol dramas!

And all that "God loves you" blah blah blah—who among today's youth still believed that? They'd probably rather shout "Hail Satan!" with Marilyn Manson!

So Li Lekang explained in depth "the essence of brainwashing in modern information society."

Why did movie stars and singers drive young people wild? Because they possessed heights ordinary people couldn't reach, or embodied elements people yearned for.

Then think about those illegal pyramid schemes—the key was promising people something they desired: profit, drawing them in until they were hooked.

Religion was basically the same when you stripped it down—souls ascending to heaven, no sickness no pain, getting rich—the key was having an ideal to cling to.

So Li Lekang's conclusion was twofold: the effect had to be thrilling, and the visuals had to be dazzling!

Stell was ultimately an amateur in the art of marketing and performance, and since Li Lekang's track record spoke for itself, he readily agreed: "I'll discuss it with my colleagues in the Eastern Diocese and give you full support for your work."

And so Li Lekang transformed into the producer and general director of the saints' grand promotional film.

The leading man was, of course, the Messiah himself—the charlatan of charlatans.

With a lead came supporting roles, and since one shouldn't let good fortune flow to outsiders, they could be picked from those closest to him—his nun corps, for instance, could look pretty sharp on camera.

Once the cast was set, next came time and place.

The timing would be around this winter, and the location would be a majestic castle, shot in cinematic style to create a grand, awe-inspiring effect.

The budget?

Between filming costs, labor costs, venue fees... a hundred or two hundred million was unavoidable. After all, they needed to book the whole place, put on a show with full scale and flair, and have custom props made on-site.

Then skim half the funds into another pocket of his. Perfect!

And don't say—"Li Lekang, you're already this rich, why still embezzle this little?" Go ask those corrupt officials: you've already embezzled over a billion, why won't you stop?

When it comes to money, there's never enough!

Even a priest's got to eat!

He knew full well the saints were loaded. They poured over a billion into marketing and promotion every year, and their charity work was the gold standard of the industry. They definitely wouldn't mind.

Besides, this wasn't embezzlement—this was... an investment to help the saints develop better, a necessary expense for building a new-era corporate culture!

After hanging up, Li Lekang found Judy.

"Darling, can I borrow a moment of your time?"

He called her aside and told her the news.

Judy was equally sharp: "Actually, for the scriptwriting and filming crew, we can get them from LAA. Invoice them at the normal price, and we set up a separate contract to split half."

Li Lekang was floored!

The ad hadn't even started filming, and they were already carving up 75% of the budget?

Her scheming ways made Li Lekang burst out laughing, and he praised her: "Right! Chloe's still got college to save up for—clothes, handbags, a Porsche. Makes total sense now!"

Honestly, ever since Judy learned the saints were a bunch of fat cats and that Li Lekang's whole priest gig was just conning people out of money, she'd loosened up plenty when it came to raking in cash.

Whatever—as long as the results were good, that's what mattered. This wasn't a magic show where a botched performance would ruin your reputation. A promo video wasn't a film—who cared about IMDB scores!

The saints dumped mountains of cash into advertising and image polishing every year, donating to politicians—they're allowed to spend it their way, but we're not allowed to spend it ours?

Skim a little here, skim a little there—who knows, maybe the private jet for Li Lekang's China trip would just materialize out of it. After all, a brand-new Gulfstream G650 only ran sixty or seventy million dollars!

A bigger Boeing BBJ was about the same price, could carry more people, had more spacious accommodations... damn it! He was already torn between the faster G650 and the roomier BBJ!

Private jets for global travel—that was the dream! Why squeeze into commercial flights!

Especially in the US with its free airspace—the crappy excuse for high-speed rail (nonexistent) is offset by airports everywhere. Even cities with populations of a few tens of thousands have airstrips. Flying really was just so convenient.

So making reasonable use of the budget, appropriately trimming costs, outsourcing related projects—what I manage to save in the end is profit earned through my own ability and brains. Fair and square!

Everything needed a justification, and Li Lekang figured this one was more than enough!

The idea was a match made in heaven!

Li Lekang had every reason to believe that if the saints ever ended up drowning in debt, he'd have contributed more than a few of the final straws on that camel's back!

But then again—without the saints, he could always find something else. Without money, though, you truly had nothing!

The two of them were now partners in crime—no wait, they were kindred spirits, two minds with but a single thought!

So naturally, they had to pour two glasses of champagne and clink glasses to celebrate yet another money-making venture!

Good things kept coming one after another, and only a good drink could express their exuberance.

They drank and chatted deep into the night. Li Lekang walked a slightly tipsy Judy back to her room, but stopped at the door, smiling: "I won't come in. You know, every single woman has her own unique beauty!"

Having known him for a while, Judy knew he was just being sweet-tongued, and she smiled back: "That's another reason I love this job—you always know how to keep the mood beautiful."

Li Lekang opened his arms and hugged her, then said: "Get some good rest, and then we'll do another big thing. Nothing's more exciting than making money, right?"

"Right!" Judy laughed. "Kiss me goodnight!"