The post-war statistical team submitted their final report to the Hong Kong Government Office, but the results shocked everyone. The list of losses for the entire city during this disaster consisted of only one item: the disappeared ancient Taoist temple. Aside from that, there was not a single trace left to indicate that the area had been attacked by Kaiju.
There were no collapsed buildings, no destroyed blocks, no broken bridges, and most importantly, no list of casualties.
"This is simply a miracle!" the Hong Kong Chief Security Officer exclaimed, his voice trembling with emotion during the press conference.
Major media outlets scrambled to report this astonishing outcome, with every headline placing the word 'Miracle' in the most prominent position. In every street and alleyway, people talked about only one thing: Erlang Shen.
As the news spread, a wave of folk belief surged rapidly. Within just two days, temples dedicated to Erlang Shen sprouted up across the country like bamboo shoots after rain. Existing temples became so crowded with incense-burners that crowd control measures had to be implemented. Managers of the Erlang Temples were forced to post signs at the entrances: "Incense offering time is limited to one minute per person. Please do not occupy the space in front of the statue for extended periods."
Factories worked overnight to manufacture statues of Erlang Shen, yet they still could not meet the demand. Consequently, the price of these statues skyrocketed; some crafted from special materials were even bid up to astronomical prices. Even more absurd was the pet market, where Xigou hounds were now in short supply. Some merchants even went as far as to use slogans like "Descendants of the Howling Celestial Dog." Despite this being obvious exaggeration—bordering on the ridiculous—they still sold like wildfire.
Meanwhile, inside the PPDC headquarters meeting room, the atmosphere was heavy. Over a dozen top scientists had bloodshot eyes; they had spent three consecutive days repeatedly analyzing the combat footage from that day, but they had found nothing. Every frame had been enlarged, deconstructed, and modeled, then fed into supercomputers for simulation analysis. The result was always the same: Unparseable.
"Perhaps we should admit," the chief scientist said, removing his glasses and rubbing his temples tiredly, "that this has exceeded the scope of science."
Across the conference table, a general slammed his hand down. "Impossible!"
The scientist smiled bitterly. "General, when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Perhaps it really isn't technology. Perhaps it really is divine power!"
In the wake of this battle, the international political landscape underwent a violent shift. Those countries that had clamored on livestreams to sever diplomatic ties with China were now falling over themselves to contact the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conditions they offered were increasingly generous, each fearing they would be left behind.
The Eagle Country directly proposed a zero-tariff trade agreement and even promised to open up certain military technologies, all for a chance to speak with 'that deity.' Faced with this sudden 'goodwill,' China's stance was surprisingly firm. "I'm sorry, we are currently unable to contact Mr. Yang as well," the diplomatic spokesperson said calmly at a press conference.
A reporter pressed further: "So does the Chinese government admit that he is the legendary deity, Yang Jian?"
The spokesperson smiled slightly. "We do not comment on his identity, but he is a symbol of Chinese culture. That much is beyond doubt."
This crisis gave China a taste of overwhelming power. They were no longer passively accepting terms but actively leading. After this event, China would finally no longer be restricted at every turn internationally, finally able to pursue common development peacefully without external interference.
As the official attitude became clearer, the frenzy of folk belief intensified. However, those netizens who had insulted Ian during the livestream began to encounter strange 'retribution.'
In Texas, Eagle Country, a Mrs. Emily Jones was preparing dinner as usual. Just as she was cutting a steak, the blade suddenly veered off course, slicing her wrist. Blood flowed down her arm, staining the kitchen floor. Normally, she would have immediately wrapped the wound with a towel and gone to the hospital. But at that moment, an indescribable fear seized her heart.
She remembered the comment she had posted on social media three days ago: 'This fake charlatan should be thrown into the sea to feed the monsters!'
Fear rushed in like a tide. Emily sank to her knees in the pool of blood, her hands clasped in prayer, her lips trembling uncontrollably. "God, forgive me, I didn't know you were real..."
When her husband returned home, he found his wife unconscious in the kitchen. After being rushed to the hospital, doctors diagnosed her with excessive blood loss combined with psychogenic shock. Local news reported it as a "self-harm incident caused by religious hallucinations," but those in the know understood: the majesty of a god is not to be profaned.
This was just one case among many similar events globally. Those who had once recklessly posted disrespectful comments now felt themselves in danger, fearing the next 'divine punishment' would fall on their heads. Psychologists termed this phenomenon "Collective Theophobia," viewing it as a type of anxiety disorder that arises when humans face unexplainable phenomena.
While these 'divine punishments' could be said to have a slight connection to Ian, they were mostly driven by the massive Power of Faith now surrounding the planet. The unified will of the believers was now strong enough to slightly influence the physical world. Most believers unanimously felt that those who spoke insolently against the deity needed to be punished, leading to a slight decrease in the luck of those individuals recently.
Three days after the Hong Kong Kaiju incident ended, high-level Chinese leaders held an emergency meeting. Inside the room, over twenty heads of important national departments looked on with solemn expressions.
"According to the latest monitoring data, the energy fluctuation pattern of the wormhole is completely different from before," a Lieutenant General in military uniform said, pointing to the waveform graph on the large screen. "Although the current intensity is weak, its duration is exceptionally long."
"Are there signs of a Kaiju appearing soon?" a white-haired leader asked.
"Currently, no energy fluctuations of large biological entities have been detected, but this abnormal state of the wormhole is worrying."
Previously, various governments analyzed that this fluctuation might allow some Category I or II Kaiju to pass through. But days had passed, and the wormhole remained in an abnormal state without a single monster in sight. This unprecedented situation made everyone uneasy.
"The Eagle Country has proposed sending Jaegers like Crimson Typhoon for a close-range observation of the wormhole," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative said. "They specifically requested our opinion."
Discussions broke out across the room. Ultimately, after careful consideration, the leadership agreed to the proposal. Sending Jaegers for a close-range look might provide more information.
"Then it is decided," the leader presiding over the meeting finalized. "Please notify PPDC headquarters that we agree to deploy Jaegers for the observation mission."
As the meeting ended and everyone rose to leave, an officer hurried into the room with an expression of disbelief. "Leaders, someone—"
Before he could finish, the leaders in the room had already noticed the anomaly. At some point, an extra person had appeared by the window of the conference room. The man wore white robes and golden armor, leaning casually against the window frame. Sunlight streamed through the glass, plating him in a layer of gold.
Upon closer inspection, it was none other than the deity who had appeared in Hong Kong a few days ago.
The entire room fell into a dead silence. Every gaze focused on this uninvited guest, with emotions of surprise, awe, and curiosity surfacing in everyone's eyes.