There are Two Gods in Heaven, vol. 2: There are Two Gods in Heaven, #2

By MaitreyaGem

"So, you want me to give you a brief summary of our adventures?
Fine, I'll try:

The codenames DIANA and ARTEMIS belong to two members of a mysterious underground secret agency.
After the failure of their first mission together, their own financial crisis will force these soul mates to work alongside in the crime world.
With the help of IT expert and surgeon genius Abhi, they will try to find their place in a world that has erased their names from all records.

Discover the heartbreaking lives and heart-wrenching backstories of these lost souls…
Love can bloom in the abyss, but the name is CLASSIFIED!

So what do you think?"

"'Damn, we're cool as fuck …'"

 

//There are Two Gods in Heaven is an action-comedy about two dangerous soul mates who try to escape poverty thanks to a mysterious criminal organization. POV changes, unreliable narrators and lots of bad words rain down on the pages like bullets, and useless things like ethics aren't part of their training. Illustrated by a god-tier artist (Iciriini), you may enjoy reading through the Bayesian mind games, pop culture references and childhood traumas, because in the end it's a story about healing, found-family and finding peace with one's identity.//

• Language: English
• Publisher: MaitreyaGem
• Release date: Feb 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9791039639033

Book preview

Episode 6:

Triads

What I would do to my shidi

Not now… I mutter sleepily as I raise my hand to cover tian huo’s approaching lips.

It’s almost time for work, and we’ve overslept again.

He mumbles something unintelligible as he pushes my hand away by leaning further.

His arms stretch out on either side of me, effectively trapping me in his embrace. Our faces are just centimetres apart, but I’m not in the mood for a morning kiss. My mood is always terrible when I wake up.

Get off, I grumble.

But he doesn’t seem willing to let go, and he bites my hand with determined eyes.

Ouch! I exclaim. Fine, you asked for it.

While he’s still pushing my hand with more strength than before, I remove it in an instant, causing his head to fall perilously close to mine. However, just before his lips reach mine, I turn my face a few centimetres to the side and grab the back of his head with my other hand, guiding it away.

With his face now pressed into the pillow, I use it as a platform to gracefully balance my body on top of his.

So, I find myself standing on his back with great elegance.

The swan beats the phoenix once again, I say, 15

smirking with pride.

With his face still buried in the pillow, he makes muffled noises before turning his face to the side to catch a breath.

This whole situation amuses me, and I even decide to step on his cheek with my barefoot.

I can’t understand a word if you talk into the pillow!

I tease.

This little game continues for a minute, and I can tell from his expressions that he’s actually enjoying it.

"Thanks to you, we’re going to be late for work!

Haven’t we played enough during the night?" I scold him.

I apologize, he finally concedes.

Good, I say, leaping off his back with a backflip and landing gracefully on the floor. "Now, get ready to leave. We have a meeting with Jinqian Shi in 30

minutes."

I grab my blue hanfu with white patterns and toss tian huo his red one with black patterns.

I get dressed quickly, unlike my partner who moves at a nonchalant pace. As usual, I help him put on his clothes correctly.

We leave our room simultaneously and make our way to the bathroom, which suddenly falls silent and empties out the moment we enter.

Despite the communal atmosphere of the dormitories, I can’t help but think that sharing bathrooms is a form 16

of evil.

H-hey, tian shui-xiong, tian huo-xiong, I really need to use the bathroom now. Can I go first? It’ll only take five seconds, please, I beg you?!

Who is this now? Someone I don’t recognize, probably a new recruit. His petite stature and cute pyjamas somewhat make up for his lack of manners, but unfortunately for him, we can’t afford to lose a minute.

No, wait your turn. We’re in a hurry, I reply coldly.

I-I’m really sorry, but I’m about to pee on myself. I came from the East building, and all the bathrooms were in use. I came all the way here, and this was free—.

Before I can even process his plea, a rapid kick narrowly grazes his face and slams explosively into the wall. tian huo’s power and precision are undeniable, but I notice the boy’s reaction time is surprisingly quick. I intervene just in time by pushing tian huo away slightly with the tip of my finger, preventing the boy’s head from being blown off by the force of the kick.

You know, I remark, "the reason this bathroom is empty is precisely because we’re here, every day, at this hour. The same goes for the other bathrooms. The only solution is to find a place to relieve yourself that won’t leave a lingering smell and adjust your schedule so you don’t need the bathroom at this time of day. Be thankful you look so cute; otherwise, I wouldn’t have saved you.

Now, go away. You’re wasting our time."

Something about this situation strikes me as odd.

Firstly, he doesn’t appear startled in the slightest, and secondly, he had the reaction time to raise his arms 17

slightly in self-defence.

I’m terribly sorry for wasting your time! he says while hastily retreating from the bathroom, his eyes displaying neither fear nor anxiety.

This shidi isn’t half bad, I mutter.

After washing our faces and brushing our teeth, we head downstairs to the superior square in the dining hall, where we’re supposed to meet with the Master of Finance.

tian huo, tian shui, are you trying to test my patience? he chides us while sipping his tea. I thought I taught you that time is money, right?

We sincerely apologize, I respond, bowing slightly.

The Master of Finance is an 80-year-old capitalist who only talks about money, but the elders claim he’s essential to the clan for some reason. I suppose it’s impossible to survive in this world without caring about the economy.

Your comrade is showing disrespect by not apologizing himself, he remarks, a sly grin playing on his lips.

He knows perfectly well how proud tian huo is and seems to be deliberately trying to provoke him. I’m sure tian huo despises him too, but he swallows his pride and adds two simple words that probably cost him all his patience.

I regret.

That will suffice. Now, let’s discuss your mission.

Jinqian Shi places his tea cup on the table and pulls a 18

sheet of paper from his sleeve.

After months of research, the Master of Intelligence has finally made contact with the infamous secret society on the island.

I gulp nervously. This is the first step of our mission on Omond.

But it’s nearly impossible to reach the higher-ups in the society right now; it’s like trying to meet the king of flies. So, we decided to make a direct request, but due to various unknown variables and potential risks, our budget has become extremely tight. All we could afford was to hire some low-ranking individuals. Your mission is to gather any information you can about the secret society during the next three months, working alongside these insiders.

That sounds like a task for the elite agents of the Master of Intelligence. Why involve superior students from the Master of Defiance? I inquire.

That’s because if you discover that it’s a trap or decide that you won’t be able to obtain any relevant information, we want you to eliminate them. And that’s not a task just anyone can handle.

What—

It’s crazy. Killing members of the secret society after seeking their help would be tantamount to declaring war. Considering we’re on their territory, I don’t see how we could possibly win.

"If you consider yourselves incapable of carrying out this mission, you’ll both be sent back to the mainland 19

and face charges of desertion."

This is ridiculous, tian huo mutters.

I stare at him in shock. Did he just say that out loud?

What? Jinqian Shi coughs, taken aback.

There’s no need to doubt us. tian shui and I will obtain all the information you require without causing any casualties. As the elders are well aware, we are the best at what we do. Just provide us with the location, and we’ll return to Shensu Shu with success.

A long, tense silence follows tian huo’s audacious statement, leaving me flustered.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! You’re the real deal, tian huo!

Very well! I’ll show you the way!"

I’m relieved that Jinqian Shi didn’t misinterpret tian huo’s words. This old man has slightly risen in my esteem.

The elders insisted on ordering a cab, although I disagreed due to our tight budget…

I take the paper with the address and enter it into my phone’s GPS.

It’s not really that far. We can walk, I suggest with a shrug.

Oh, really? You two are so young and energetic; I admire your spirit! Jinqian Shi responds, scratching a line off his notebook.

Never mind what I said earlier; this man still disgusts me.

20

Let’s go, Jinqian Shi, I say, eager to get away.

Good, good. Make Shensu Shu proud! And don’t forget to contact me once you arrive! he finishes with a smile.

As if we’d ever willingly contact him. With that, we set off on our long, long walk to the address he provided, nearly 15 kilometres away. I’d rather endure this trek than spend another minute with that creep.

Walking in silence alongside tian huo isn’t a bad feeling at all.

What a piece of shit, he occasionally remarks.

Yes, I know, I sometimes reply.

I should kill him, he continues at times.

No, you shouldn’t, I sometimes retort.

As we walk, I also enjoy checking my phone, scrolling through the group chat where shidi and shixiong post amusing memes.

Oh, tian huo, check this one out.

21

I catch tian huo laughing, and that warms my heart…

BZZZ BZZZ

Oh, the Master of Romance is calling me… Langman Shi?

Damn, it’s noisy wherever he is…

Oh, tian shui, I’m glad you picked up! Can I ask where you and tian huo are headed?

We’re on a mission from Jinqian Shi’s orders. And why are you in the club at noon?

"You disrespectful bastard, don’t talk to me like that!

Wait, how do you know that?"

22

I can hear the noise and music, and Lianjie Shi posted a shameful picture of you in the discussion group.

What can I say…? I love women so much…

That’s quite a pathetic answer…

Did you need anything?

YES! Actually, can you two slow down? The place you’re heading to is empty right now.

"But we’re already there. Are you sure it’s empty?

There’s some noise inside."

tian huo swings open the main door of the building, revealing a truly intriguing scene.

What? Hello? tian shui? Are you still there??

Before our eyes, a murder unfolds.

Right by the door of the flat on the left, a person has just stabbed another in the stomach.

And, against all odds, we have no connection to this crime.

How can this get even more confusing?

So much noise is coming from outside the flat.

I knew it was a bad idea to let the idiot open the door. Maybe it’s some Jehovah witnesses asking for money. Or worse, agents coming for the census of the population. Or maybe the worst option… Schwa forgot 23

to pay her taxes!

She’s taking so long to come back… Well, of course she is, that stupid girl is not supposed to be here, so they must be asking her infinite questions! This is crap; she might be saying bullshit to the federal agents!!

I walk to the lobby and try to peep at the front door.

The light of day enters through the glass doors of the building and slightly hurts my eyes, so I take a few seconds to understand what’s going on.

What is that idiot doing on the floor? And this stranger doesn’t look like a government official. All the red flags are wavering quickly in my head, and I hide myself when my eyes almost meet those of the newcomer.

What a terrifying look that person has.

I rush to the computer room and barricade it with some chairs. I still have the bunker if something happens.

I turn the camera videos on, so I have a view of the outside.

It turns out the person isn’t alone but has two companions behind.

I put my headphones on.

Schwa, can you hear me?

For fuck’s sake, Abhi! I’ve been trying to reach you for so long!

My bad, something crazy happened…

"Me first. If she ate everything in the fridge or broke something, it can wait. For now, two people are coming to the hideout, so they might ring. Don’t open the door 24

before I come in, act like it’s empty, okay?"

Two? But I see three.

Oh my god, they’re already here? This fucking short man did nothing at all! Wait, three?

Yeah, and the stupid girl got stabbed.

SHE WHAT?!

She thought it was you at the door, except I told her you would never forget your keys, but she opened without thinking and now she’s on the floor losing her blood.

I wish I died in that building.

Now, now, don’t say that, look at the bright side of things, she won’t destroy our belongings, eat our food, and take hours in the bathroom trying different kinds of shampoo anymore.

"Yeah, but she was