Upon hearing this word, Winslow beside her turned her head in surprise, and then her eyes were filled with disbelief.
Not to mention the identity of a priest, it somewhat contradicted the inherently imbalanced and restless atmosphere of Reesi's villa party.
Just from his appearance, this elderly white man named Piero couldn't be described as neatly dressed, only as disheveled.
The loose shirt, oversized shorts, and somewhat unruly slippers, simply didn't match the image of a priest in Winslow's mind.
Luo An, by relying on "emotional perception," confirmed that the other party was telling the truth, smiled and asked:
"Can pastors already attend such parties?"
"You're mistaken, kids."
Piero took a big gulp of beer, wiped his mouth, and smiled:
"I am indeed a priest, but not the kind you're imagining; I am a Gospel Priest of Liberation Theology."
"Liberation Theology?"
Winslow was somewhat confused; he wasn't well-versed in religious matters and only knew the most basic differences between Catholicism and Christianity.
Upon hearing this term, Luo An became solemn, not out of admiration for Piero, but because he had heard of the theoretical concept of Liberation Theology.
Whether it's Christianity or Catholicism, their core doctrine states that humans are born sinful and require salvation and redemption.
The founder of Liberation Theology successfully combined Biblical theory with Marx's theory, stating that exploitation is a sin, class inequality, capitalism's pursuit of maximum profits, and economic vampirism are sins.
These sins contradict the doctrines advocated by God; therefore, they need to be eradicated, or defeated, to liberate mankind.
The internal logic of Liberation Theology is coherent and compelling, quite convincing at a glance.
However, Luo An understood the limitations of these religious and theoretical views, so he ignored Piero's subsequent suggestive words and directly asked:
"When did you meet Reesi?"
"No need to be nervous, Group Leader Luo An."
Piero laughed and said:
"I am Reesi's distant uncle, I was just passing through Washington D.C, so I came to see her.
Over the past few days, as I chatted with Reesi, I realized she admires and trusts Group Leader Luo An a lot, even somewhat idolizes you.
You worry I might harm Reesi, I worry about you deceiving Reesi, so that's why I joined Reesi's housewarming party."
Luo An's "emotional perception" confirmed that Piero was telling the truth, he raised his eyebrows slightly and relaxed a bit, picked up a beer bottle, clinked it with Piero's, and they started to chat about other matters.
Aside from some religious content, Piero's other thoughts were quite open, such as his perspective on Reesi's sexuality, which he didn't see as a problem; rather, he viewed it as a unique gift from God.
As for other aspects, Piero's points of view were pretty straightforward:
Although I curse, drink, smoke, fight, and like women, I am a devout believer in God.
After chatting for a while, Piero finished his second bottle of beer, opened the third one, raised it and clinked it with Luo An, his face serious as he expressed his gratitude to Luo An.
Piero was well aware of Reesi's financial situation; prior to meeting Luo An, though she was frugal, her salary was just that, and saving money alone wouldn't make her quickly wealthy.
Thus, buying a house was always a distant dream for her; back then, her main goal was to pay off her student loans. Piero himself wasn't wealthy and was doing well enough by not dragging Reesi down; he couldn't provide her any help.
After meeting Luo An and subsequently traveling to Los Angeles with Luo An and Mona, Reesi's financial situation rapidly improved, and she even had surplus funds to help Piero.
With a slightly reddened face from the alcohol, Piero burped:
"Thank you very much, Group Leader Luo An."
Luo An smiled, just about to say something when Piero suddenly leaned forward and whispered:
"Group Leader Luo An, I can see you're not very interested in my faith in Liberation Theology.
However, I have many friends, one of them being a Mormon priest, yes, that Mormonism which allows polygamy.
If you're interested, I can contact him and help you get into Mormonism."
The next day, Sunday, still a day off from work. Follow current novels on NoveI★Fire.net
With his shoulder wound largely healed, it took Luo An and Mona quite a while intertwined before they got out of bed and left the bedroom.
They made breakfast... and while making lunch, Luo An's phone suddenly rang.
The familiar male voice on the phone was from IRS Supervisor Elmer.
Luo An picked up an oyster he had prepared and stuffed it in his mouth, laughing:
"These past few days, your news has been everywhere, quite the spectacle."
If there were a ranking of news events this year by size and impact, the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme would definitely be in the top ten.
As the official leading investigator of the case, Supervisor Elmer naturally gained a lot of attention.
Many media outlets focused on him, praising Supervisor Elmer while his entire resume was nearly dug up.
Seeing this segment in the newspaper, Luo An became even more certain that his initial decision was correct.
Supervisor Elmer's resume these years was merely average, yet the media praised him as "the sharpest supervisor in the IRS."
If Luo An had truly gotten involved back then, and his 100% case-solving rate was dragged out, who knew how big of a label that group of media would have placed on him.
"It's all thanks to you, Luo An."
Supervisor Elmer's voice from the phone carried an undeniable fatigue, yet spoke with lively tones.
After Bernard Madoff was arrested, his compliance was good, cooperating with every question, making the interrogation process hardly a waste of time.
The only difficulty was the funds within the foundation; under immense pressure, Elmer had ordered the arrangement to reimburse the victims in alphabetical order, rather than prioritizing corporate banks over middle-class families.
When Luo An saw this news, he briefly worried whether Supervisor Elmer might end up shot in the back and suicided one day.
However, Luo An eventually let go of the worry because Supervisor Elmer had support from others behind him; it was a result of multiple negotiations.
"I can take a rest tonight."
After exchanging pleasantries briefly, Supervisor Elmer laughed:
"How about coming over for dinner at my place? My wife's lobster will definitely make your mouth water!"
Being invited over to dine with someone's family is generally a sign of close relations in federal customs, Luo An did not decline and gladly accepted.
"That's settled then!"
Supervisor Elmer laughed heartily, chatted casually a bit more, and then both hung up. Luo An patted Mona, who was by his side, and said with a smile:
"We don't need to cook tonight, we're going to someone else's place for lobster."
Mona, while tidying up the utensils, casually asked:
"Is it Supervisor Elmer from the IRS?"
Luo An nodded, clearly understanding that Supervisor Elmer's invitation was a gesture of gratitude, which he, of course, wouldn't reject.
Mona wiped her hands and sat at the dining table to start lunch with Luo An, saying:
"What gift should we bring tonight?"
"How about some red wine?"
Luo An replied offhandedly, when suddenly his phone rang again; he pressed the answer button, and Vireness's voice rang out:
"Luo An, come to my office, now."