Chapter 9

Finally, under Bonuwa's persistent persuasion, Oceania reluctantly got into the car.

Bonuwa immediately locked the doors, afraid that Oceania might change his mind.

"Find a restaurant," Oceania tapped on the back of the driver's seat.

Bonuwa glanced at him through the rearview mirror, "Do I look like a taxi driver?"

"No, you're not that professional. We're just hitchhiking," Oceania replied.

Bonuwa boasted, "Then I must be the most generous person ever. Not only did I take you to the three-Michelin-star restaurant La Pergola for free, but I also booked two pool-view rooms at the Cavalieri Waldorf Hotel and covered all the expenses."

"I've heard of rooms with river views, sea views, and mountain views, but it's the first time I've heard of pool-view rooms," Oceania said.

Messillon explained, "Rooms that overlook the swimming pool."

Oceania became interested, "Wow, can I see a bikini party from there?"

Messillon replied, "You can see a very beautiful pool."

Oceania said, "..."

Bonuwa was pleased with his arrangements, "No need to thank me."

"I think you still have a little way to go before becoming the 'most generous person'," Oceania said.

Bonuwa replied, "Breakfast is included, and I'll cover the cost of the poolside chairs."

Oceania asked, "Is everything included?"

"What?" Bonuwa asked.

"My master wants to buy a bag," Messillon said.

Bonuwa was confused, "What bag?!"

...

During a red light, Bonuwa sent a text message to his superior: Can I get reimbursed for buying a bag for Oceania Genghis?

The night was cool and picturesque. Oceania sat by the window with a large LV bag next to him.

Two main courses were served on the table. Bonuwa held his fork and knife tightly, trying hard not to look in the direction of the bag. There, a black cat was poking its head out and staring at the food with green eyes.

Oceania picked up a scallop and offered it to the cat.

The cat quickly took a few bites and swallowed them, then licked its tongue on the fork.

Oceania smiled and used the same fork to pick up a piece of scallop and put it in his mouth.

Bonuwa covered his eyes.

Oceania asked casually, "Is it not good?"

Bonuwa took a sip of red wine and cleared his throat before replying, "How does it taste?"

Oceania lightly shook the base of his wine glass with his finger and said, "I really wish the liquid inside was flowing out of your veins."

Bonuwa lost his appetite for wine.

After finally finishing the meal, they got into Messillon's rental car.

"Why don't you take my car?" Bonuwa held onto his seatbelt, not sure whether to buckle up for safety or leave it unbuckled for a quick escape.

"Because I don't want to ride in a car controlled by a cell phone," Messillon said.

"What?" Bonuwa asked.

"Isn't that so? Maybe I misunderstood because you kept looking down at your phone while driving," Messillon paused and said, "I even thought that 'Need for Speed' had developed to the point of controlling real cars."

Bonuwa: "..."

Messillon asked, "Where are we going now?"

Behind the solemn church was a bar street. The Italian league had just ended, and the street was a bit deserted.

Bonuwa pushed open the door of one of the bars. The bar was sparsely populated, and the people sitting there turned their heads at the sound, then quickly turned back.

Oceania held an LV bag and glanced indifferently at the bar counter, muttering, "I smell the scent of holy water decay."

Bonuwa led him through the lobby and into the backstage area - a small room of about ten square meters, with closed windows and a stuffy feeling.

An old man sat there, quietly writing something. When he heard the noise, he lifted his head slightly and said, "Please sit for a while. I'll finish this report."

Oceania sat down on a chair, gently playing with a cat with his fingers, while Bonuwa kept Messillon outside, leaving only the sound of the pen scratching on paper in the room.

"Do you remember me? Tarek Thompson," he put down his pen, put the paper in an envelope, and stood up with his cane, turning on the wall-mounted fan.

The fan made a strange rattling sound.

Oceania made a flicking motion with his finger, and the fan turned to blow directly on Tarek's head. "I remember your cane," he said.

Tarek flicked his hair and leaned over to turn off the fan. "Sorry, I forgot your blood runs cold. Would you like something to drink?"

Oceania lightly touched his lower lip with his finger, smiled with a hint of a fang showing, and said, "You know what I like to drink."

Tarek took out two bottles, "Beer and holy water."

Oceania flicked his finger, and both bottles poured out simultaneously. Tarek caught the holy water, and the beer bottle jumped up suddenly a second before touching the ground and landed in Oceania's hand.

He opened the bottle cap and smelled it. "Mixed with holy water?"

Tarek said, "I knew I couldn't hide it from your nose."

Oceania took a sip, then shook his head. "It tastes bad."

Tarek looked at him with a complicated expression, "Has holy water also lost its effect on you?"

Oceania shook the beer bottle. "Is the Church planning to deal with the vampires? At the moment when they captured the witch and declared war on Hell? That's quite a grand plan. I'm looking forward to it."

Tarek said, "No. I just want to confirm whether it is holy water that is ineffective against witches or if the holy water itself is ineffective."

Oceania placed the beer on the table. "The Church's holy water is still thirty percent spring water and seventy percent distilled water, right?"

Tarek's eyes flickered. "Less than one percent in the beer. This is just an experiment... Do you really not feel anything?"

Oceania opened and closed his fingers. "I am full of power, very energetic. Can I take a few bottles with me when I leave?"

Tarek was skeptical."So," Oceania impatiently tapped the armrest with her fingers, "are you planning to open a brewery or a nightclub? If it's the latter, I could introduce you to some clients. I think they would be happy to receive the services of a witch."

Tarek said, "If we give you the witch..."

"Forget it," Oceania ruthlessly rejected the hot potato.

"Tarek said," She's immune to holy water, and we can't dispose of her."

Oceania's mouth curved with a mocking smile. "So you're telling me that the Vatican's only means of dealing with women is to help them bathe? That's not how you did it during the Holy War. You inserted silver stakes wrapped in packets into the chests of female vampires, lured them with silver-coated candies... What else, let me think."

Tarek said, "But she's a witch."

Oceania stood up and slammed his beer bottle heavily on the table next to Tarek's hand. "Then use the Light Sword that taints the Holy Spring to pierce her chest."

"That's not it..."

"Then what is it? Kick the witch's ball to the blood clan, start a war between the blood clan and hell, so that humans can benefit from it?"

"No," Tarek looked at the beer bottle and hesitated for a moment before saying, "We're allies now, right? Can I trust you?"

Oceania neither confirmed nor denied it. "The blood clan crisis has been resolved and the passage to the blood clan world has been closed. If you want to accuse me of killing Old Benson, go ahead, I have nothing to fear."

Tarek stood up, leaning on his cane and the table, looking unsteady enough to evoke sympathy from any elder-loving person. But Oceania was not human.

Impatiently, he beckoned to the black cat, which lazily wagged its tail and ran to his leg, letting him pick it up.

Seeing Oceania turn to leave, Tarek had to shorten his performance time. "Cough. When the witch entered the human world, the Central Church received the news."

Oceania narrowed his eyes dangerously.

Tarek said, "This is not our fault. We didn't know what they were going to do. Just like when Barr first came to France, we were just watching from a distance and didn't interfere."

"Later, you knew," Oceania said.

"Yes, during that time we were waiting for you to contact us - after all, it was a matter between Hell and the Blood Clan, and we had no right to interfere without sufficient reason. But you didn't."

"I'll remember that next time and go to church to pray when I'm in danger," Oceania shrugged.

"It wasn't until Old Benson was killed and a pocket watch with the Macavity badge was found at the scene that we had sufficient reason to contact you. This is the human world, and we trust you, whom we have lived beside for years, more than the witches who accidentally entered. You should feel that after reaching a cooperation agreement with you, we spared no effort to help you."

"More than that, I'm curious how you found out about my identity. Even Winston, who is also a member of the Blood Clan, doesn't know my information, but the Church seems to know everything. This has to make me vigilant."

"Because someone saw you," Tarek said.

"We?"

"You and Ansbillis Macavity."

"That person is still alive?"

"He has passed away, but he left behind your portraits."

Oceania pondered for a moment. "During the Holy War?"

"I've told you everything I know. Please allow me to invite you sincerely again to cooperate with us."

"What do you want to cooperate on? Dealing with witches? Lilith has gone to the Blood Clan world, and the Blood Clan crisis has passed. I really can't think of a reason to get into trouble again."

"Don't you want to know where we met the witch?" Tarek asked.

"No."

"The Strait of Magellan. At the time, she was coming from the direction of Antarctica," said Oceania, looking down at the cat and laughing nonchalantly.

Tarek said, "Since I have provided you with so much information, at least tell me why the witch would appear in Antarctica."

"If I were you, I would rather use a shovel to pry open her little cherry mouth than waste time on me," Oceania replied, walking towards the door.

Tarek's patience was exhausted, "Oceania, you will regret giving up cooperation with the Holy See."

The black cat let out a cry.

Oceania's hand on the door handle paused, "Give me some time to think about it."