48 Hours a Day

If Chen Huadong were now in the maid cafe, he would have instantly recognized the beautiful Japanese girl that attracted everyone’s attention. That girl was none other than Nanako Mukaiji, and at that moment, she was still learning Mandarin from Chen Huadong.

However, she did not sound like someone had just started learning Mandarin. Her pronunciation bettered Uncle Zhang’s, who had been living in the alley next door for seventy years.

“It’s your father, not mine.” The bartender finally put down the phone and looked at Nanako Mukaiji, “I’ve lived here longer than any one of you.”

“But you are one of us now,” Nanako Mukaiji smiled. “Thank you for the birth of literature, movies, animations, and games. It spread faster than any known religion in this world. All those obscure stories carved on the stone slabs can never be compared with the modern entertainment culture. All those popular videos on YouTube and Station B have tens of millions of views. We needed at least tens of thousands of preachers to spend several years to achieve such an achievement back in old times. Let’s take you as an example. You are just a tiny, insignificant part of the original divine system. You are supposed to play the stepping stone for all the heroes that would achieve great things. However, with Marvel comics and movies gaining more and more fame, your name has become something that everyone has heard of.”

“Yes. That’s right. Thanks to pop culture, my identity has undergone changes too.” The bartender lady’s tone turned cold. “Become one of you.”

“Something like this happens from time to time,” Nanako Mukaiji nodded. “In fact, all myths and legend undergo all sorts of changes when passed down from generation to generation. Sometimes they change to adapt to local customs, and at times, change due to fights between different religious sects. The winner will get the right to reinvent the stories. They do it for entertainment sometimes or just to mess with others. As long as they are given enough time, you will realize stark differences between a new legend and its original tale. As long as you are willing to spend some time and effort to do some digging, people will realize how messy our backgrounds can be.”

“So, why does the messenger of the Three Pillars of God look so ridiculous now?” The bartender sneered, “And you no longer rely on deception to lure mankind into despair to gain joy? I can see that you’ve transformed yourself into this stupid, cute-looking girl. You are quite suitable for the maid café. Would you like me an opportunity to make some extra money? Or should I just introduce a couple of sugar daddies to you?”

Nanako Mukaiji was not angry when she heard what was said about her. Instead, she just blinked. “Thank you. But, I don’t think I want to compete for business with Kama.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

Nanako Mukaiji sighed, “I don’t know the reason for your hostility. I’m just doing my job. I’m a messenger. Once the old god wakes up, I need to start running around and do some propaganda work in advance. Besides, the most powerful existence in our divine system is about to be awakened. Half of all popular horror culture today is related to him. His existence has inspired tens of thousands of creators. We can see his presence in games, movies, and novels. Although World of Warcraft is getting less popular, there’s still Bloodborne, Hearthstone, and Dota. DC and Marvel have referenced him in their comics and movies, and their best-selling merchandise is related to him. And the most important thing is that the entire divine system is named after him. In other words, we all work for him.”

“What’s your point?” The bartender lady’s expression remained unchanged.

“He is very powerful, and he knows where our power comes from. One is our existing description, and the other is our popularity. Unfortunately, he excels in both of them. And according to popular culture, his power is still increasing. In just a few decades, the power that he possesses has overpowered most of the ancient gods. When the Jewish gods decided they wouldn’t participate in this game, no ancient god wast gods were more powerful than him. Although the new gods seem unstoppable in terms of popularity, they also have weaknesses. Without exception, almost all of them are not good at fighting… To this point, I believe you understand why so many people don’t want him to be awakened.”

“Otherwise, why do you think I’m sticking with him?” A fierce gaze flashed across the bartender lady’s eyes. “Do you really think that I’m working this hard so I can earn more money to buy a Fourth Ring Road house? Why do I torture myself squeezing into the overcrowded subway every day?”

“I am not worried about you. You are his follower, so it is impossible for you to harm him. I am talking about someone else.”

“Who are you talking about then?”

“Kronos. I know you’ve made some agreements with him in private, but you know that he cannot be trusted, right?” asked Nanako Mukaiji. “He has a good relationship with all the other ancient gods. During the previous few games, he had sided with the ancient gods. He fought for their interests. I don’t think we should let him intervene in our affairs, especially in such a major event.”

“Interestingly, Kronos also warned me to not fully trust you because you are only loyal to Azathoth. He also said that you are Azathoth’s most loyal lackey. You have always wanted to help Azatoth to regain the throne, haven’t you?” The bartender lady continued lightly, “Compared to you, at least Kronos got him back.”

“Don’t be silly, Little Snake.” Nanako Mukaiji shook her head. “Does Kronos look like someone who likes to help others? He must have his own agenda. The old man who seems harmless to humans and animals has always been the most ambitious god among the ancient gods.”

“I don’t know what Kronos has in mind. On the other hand, I can see the petty moves that you made. Earlier, at the bookstore, why did you place that book in front of him?” The bartender lady squinted her eyes While holding an empty glass. It seemed as though she would throw the glass on Nanako Mukaiji’s face if she gave the wrong answer.

Nanako Mukaiji put on an innocent look and shrugged.

“Just like you, I miss our old friend, and I want to see him sooner.”

“You’d better not do something so dangerous anymore,” the bartender lady warned her. “He will return when the time is right. All we have to do is to wait patiently, and you better stay away from him.”

“Sounds like reasonable advice to me.” Nanako Mukaiji nodded, and a cute smile appeared on her face. “I’m done talking business. It’s time to talk about personal affairs. Shouldn’t you buy an old friend a drink after meeting her?”

“Forget about it,” the bartender lady replied casually. “Everything you drink here will be deducted from my salary. Besides, I know your true form. So, you should stop acting cute in front of me.”