What do you mean by quitting the business? I'm not a big shot.

Chapter 632 Reform, Victory

It sounds like “church reform”, which aims to consolidate the Anglican Church’s position in Hong Kong by integrating cultures, establishing a new God, and making the Church’s position in Hong Kong more secure.

The integration of religious cultures is not something that can be done overnight. Ideally, it requires the approval of the ruling class and official promotion. Secondly, it requires the recognition of local gentry who take the lead in contributing incense.

It spreads from the top down, step by step, day by day, until a consensus is formed.

To achieve religious integration, the support of influential local figures must first be secured. Edward then set his sights on this, which at first glance seemed astonishing, but upon closer examination, made perfect sense.

If the same conditions were offered to big bosses like Guo Desheng, Li Jiacheng, and Li Zhaoji, they would likely easily agree. But they have no faith, so why would they contribute to their beliefs?
If you need something, offer a prayer; if not, use it as toilet paper.
Don't expect them to be working really hard.

In the eyes of religious people, believers are a thousand times, ten thousand times better than non-believers.

In Edward's eyes, Mr. Wan was the only one in Hong Kong worthy of the Anglican Church's bet.

Yin Sheng's faith in Guan Sheng was so sincere.

Once Guan Sheng becomes a member of the "Anglican Church," wouldn't his sincere faith be infused into the Anglican Church? With Yin Sheng leading the way, wouldn't all of Guan Sheng's followers in the underworld, the police force, the business world, and even the political arena have the potential to become followers of the Anglican Church?
Normally, he wouldn't have the ability to control Yin Sheng, but now that he had the chance, he definitely had to give it a try. After finishing his speech, he was filled with trepidation, staring intently at Yin Sheng with expectant eyes.

After his initial surprise, Yin Zhaotang fell into deep thought and asked, "Establishing a new god is tantamount to creating a minor sect, which is a matter of great importance. Do you have the authority to do so?"

The believers who came for "Guan Sheng" were nominally members of the Anglican Church, but in reality, they were still followers of "Lord Guan Er".

There is a risk of backdoor listing and assimilation/separation.

Edward said, "I have submitted a proposal to the chairman of the Lambeau Conference and it has been tacitly approved. Please rest assured, Mr. Yin, Guan Di's status in the Anglican Church will not be low."

"He will be one of Jesus' apostles, an agent on earth, a symbol of male loyalty and ferocity, to put it another way, in contrast to the Virgin Mary."

Yin Zhaotang could imagine how much criticism the Anglican Church would face after "Guan Sheng joins the church," and if the localization went smoothly, the Anglican Church would be happy to acknowledge it.

With this achievement, Edward will be firmly established as the Archbishop of the Hong Kong and Macau Diocese, and may even be promoted to the Lambeth Conference, where he can serve as the leader of reform and become the President of the Anglican Church.

If the localization process doesn't go smoothly and the Hong Kong Anglican Church is used as a shell company for listing, it will become a minor sect, not recognized abroad, and its status will be at most similar to that of Protestant churches in mainland China.

Forget about getting promoted to Lambeau Council; you'll be stuck on Hong Kong Island serving Guan Yu for the rest of your life!

“Since it’s just tacit approval, then I can only tacitly approve as well. When there are large-scale sacrificial ceremonies, all the Guan Yu statues in Hong Kong will be worshipped. It’s not impossible that they will worship the Guan Yu of the Anglican Church.” Yin Zhaotang spoke rather reservedly and did not firmly support Edward.

Edward, however, was overjoyed and said, "Thank you, Mr. Yin. The Anglican Church will mobilize its members to vote for you in Kowloon District because of Mr. Guan's reputation."

"Hehe, you're really something." Yin Zhaotang raised his teacup, a cryptic smile playing on his lips. Using Guan Yu as a bargaining chip didn't sound good, but on second thought, promoting Guan Yu's faith wasn't so bad after all.

Unlike Edward, who was always thinking about climbing the ranks, he did not aspire to swallow up the entire Anglican Church. Hong Kong Island and Britain were not comparable in size, and the Anglican Church had no power in mainland China.

Edward's becoming chairman of the Lambeth Conference and then Pope had absolutely nothing to do with him. Did they really expect the Pope to favor a Hong Konger?
A person's brain follows their buttocks.

He only wanted to protect his small territory on Hong Kong Island and help his master swallow up the Anglican Church's Hong Kong and Macau dioceses. A minor branch is fine; it'll help ensure his master's lineage flourishes.

The religious reformation in their hearts wasn't a true reform, but both left with a pleasant experience. Edward, too, was aware of the risks, but after 97, with Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule, the issue of religious development became urgent. Without localized reforms, the Anglican Church would inevitably decline; they decided to take a gamble, and the outcome would depend on their individual abilities. Although Yin Sheng was adept at business and politics, religion was their specialty!
Six days later, it was city council election day.

Wong Tai Sin District.

Wearing a suit and a red sash for running for councilor, Chen Xianzong stood at the polling station entrance and bowed to the citizens who came to vote.

“Thanks for your support.”

"Thank you for participating in the vote and contributing to the development of Hong Kong Island."

At the entrance, there was not only one candidate, but also five other candidates dressed similarly, all bowing to the voters who came to cast their ballots.

Reporters had already set up their cameras to take photos and record videos.

A mere district councilor may not even make the front page of a newspaper, but if someone rises to a high position in the future, their photo will be unearthed and featured on the cover.

Voters can only stand on the heads of their members of parliament and receive the bows of local gentry on election day.

A reporter, looking at the long lines of voters, exclaimed in surprise, "This year's election is so intense, the number of voters far exceeds that of previous years!"

The photographer, sweating profusely, hid under a parasol outside the coffee shop and whispered, "More than 3,000 people in the morning, and there are five polling stations in Wong Tai Sin. By the end of the day, the total number of votes will exceed 50,000."

"It was only a little over 30,000 last year, right?" the reporter asked, puzzled.

The photographer nodded: "Over thirty-eight thousand, but the previous speaker was undisputed. This year, it's a speakership contest, and the pro-establishment and reformist camps are locked in a fierce battle."

"It's another campaign to support Shanghai, another corruption scandal, and another ICAC scandal."

The reporter nodded slowly: "I've heard that even the Anglican Church has gotten involved."

The Hong Kong Island legislator elections are held on a single day, ending at 10 p.m. Voting closes the following afternoon, and the results are announced.

But by observing the polling stations, one can usually get a sense of who the frontrunners are. By midnight, all ballots must be delivered to the counting office.

A dedicated task force will begin counting votes late at night on schedule. Generally speaking, the results of the first hour of counting, after careful calculation, can roughly determine the winner, and by the sixth hour, given the population of Hong Kong Island, the probability of victory is already 100%. Therefore, it is a tradition for candidates to hold late-night parties after each legislative election to wait for the election results with their backers.

Chen Xianzong got into the car, spread his arms, yawned, and then looked pained. He quickly rubbed his back and said wearily, "Damn it, no wonder there are so few people in their fifties running for office. Bowing all day long, my back is about to break."

The driver smiled and, without being told, drove the car to the Peninsula Hotel. Upon arriving at the hotel entrance, Chen Xianzong took a new set of clothes from the trunk, took a shower in his room, and then hurried to the banquet hall.

Boss Yin was arm in arm with his girlfriend, Ms. Zhou, a famous singer, as they danced confidently on the dance floor. Hu Bochao, Zhang Zhouren, Ge Zhixiong, and others stopped to watch.

The moment Chen Xianzong stepped into the hall, he seamlessly entered a brand new world, and all the storms he had experienced and the sweat he had shed seemed insignificant.

Success and fame will be achieved tonight, and you will be elected to power!

(End of this chapter)