Chapter 7, Deception
The old man pulled out a piece of jade from his pocket that looked quite good: "I will only charge you 5,000; this is genuine sheep fat jade, make sure you see it clearly!"
"I want to jump, don't pull me!" Xu Guangli shouted loudly, his emotions running high, and it truly seemed like he was about to jump.
The old man exclaimed somewhat exaggeratedly: "Ah, that place is notoriously sinister. How could you be so unfortunate as to run there in the middle of the night? This is troublesome; that female ghost must be looking for a substitute. It is draining your vital energy. In the future, it will grow stronger, absorbing yang to replenish yin, and eventually, it will completely drain you dry"
The dream of becoming wealthy has essentially shattered, and as night falls, another pressing issue presents itself before me: how to prevent the harassment of the female ghost tonight
I still have a slight fever, my mind cannot concentrate, and I feel dizzy when looking at the screen. My thoughts are not in the game, and the more I play, the less interesting it becomes. I can't endure it for long and end up lying down. I don't know how much time has passed, but I feel a chill creeping in from my feet, entering that state where I cannot move or speak, as if in a dream yet not quite awake.
What kind of filth did you see
The events of the past two days have left me feeling very depressed and angry. I shouted: "At the beginning, it was agreed that you would take charge, and I would just accompany you for support. How has it now turned into my sole responsibility? Don't think I don't know; you have deceived me and used me as a shield. That's why that female ghost came after me instead of you. Now you want to wash your hands of it?"
The old man was slightly taken aback and also stood up: "Do you not even want to keep your life? Enough, enough, it is fate that we meet, I cannot just watch you walk to your death. I have a piece of ancestral spirit jade here, which can ward off evil and protect the body, avert disasters and save lives. I will sell it to you at a low price."
I awoke from a state of bewilderment and looked up and down at the person before me: appearing to be in their fifties or sixties, with more than half of their hair turned white, sporting a beard about half a foot long, a gaunt face, bright eyes, and dressed in an old-fashioned long robe even in the sweltering heat, their expression was serious
I have never believed in this kind of person, but this old man could tell at a glance that I was in trouble, which suggests he possesses some genuine skills. Perhaps he is even a remarkable figure or a master from the folk tradition. Thus, I sat face to face with him on a small stool, allowing him to observe me thoroughly.
I do not have the courage to go alone to the underground parking lot of Liyuan Square in the middle of the night, and I am unsure of what to do specifically. Helpless, I can only call Xu Guangli again, asking him to come and help resolve this matter. However, I dialed several times but no one answered. This unscrupulous scoundrel actually refuses to take my calls!
To ! ''
I asked calmly, "How much does it cost?"
The old man widened his eyes and examined my face from different angles for a full three minutes. He then looked at the lines on my palms and said that my career was not going well and my romantic life faced setbacks, which was quite accurate. He then asked for my birth time, counted on his fingers while muttering some incantations, and after a long calculation, he finally said: "You are encountering the Seven Killings and the Yang Blade in your major fortune, which is a sign of great misfortune. This year, your annual fortune is also unfavorable, and your luck is extremely poor. Cough... Have you been experiencing insomnia frequently lately?"
Although I may be desperate and seek help from any source, I will not be deceived by such clumsy tricks. Old man, you should go back and practice some more!
After walking for a while, a person suddenly stood by the roadside and stopped me, saying, "Sir, please hold on!"
The agitation in my heart could no longer be contained, and I jumped up, pointing at his nose and cursing: "You bastard, it was you who repeatedly assured me that everything was fine, yet it ended up going wrong. If it weren't for your insatiable greed piling up so much, and if you hadn't been blind enough to trust a scoundrel, could the money have been taken away? From the very beginning, you have been using me, and now you are burning the bridge after crossing it. You are truly despicable..." From the very beginning, you have been using me, and now you are burning the bridge after crossing it. You are truly despicable..."
If it weren't for my great confidence in Xu Guangli and being troubled by the female ghost, after winning the prize, I would have been focused on watching the mouse and waiting for the money, ensuring he wouldn't escape. Human nature is treacherous; having suffered a significant loss, how could I not be doubly cautious?
I said I urgently needed to find Xu Guangli. My phone was out of battery, so I borrowed that boss's phone to dial Xu Guangli's number, but no one answered. That unscrupulous businessman has actually started to go missing as well
The onlookers were frightened by him and quickly stepped back. Xu Guangli rushed to the edge of the railing, one foot stepping out, pretending to jump. This was the fifth floor, and below was a concrete surface; jumping down would either result in death or severe injury.
Cousin, you must resolve this matter for me. I can only place my hopes on Xu Guangli.
If I had heard this on a normal day, I would have definitely called him crazy and walked away. But at that moment, it felt like a drowning person grasping a piece of wood, or a traveler in the night spotting a bright light. I hurriedly said: "Yes, yes, I really did see a ghost. Do you have a way to resolve this?"
I immediately became alert; I had heard of this scam before. Just because the old man has some skills does not mean he is not a fraud. Skilled con artists often possess a bit of genuine ability. Whether he is a fraud can be determined with a simple test. I stood up and said, "I have no money; I will look for someone else."
I know he has always been afraid of death and would never jump down. He sneered, saying: "Go ahead and jump, no one is stopping you. Jumping down here will definitely not lead to death; the worst that could happen is a compression fracture of the lumbar vertebrae, and you would spend the rest of your life lying in bed."
Xu Guangli stood there in a daze, while several doctors and nurses took the opportunity to rush over, grab him, and drag him into a hospital room where he was administered a sedative
In a daze, I was unaware of how much time had passed; when I regained consciousness, it was already bright outside
There are a total of forty-nine numbers, and betting on just one number results in an extremely low probability of winning. Therefore, it is common for small-time operators at the bottom level to act as their own bookkeepers, not reporting the buyers' bets upwards. Lao Shuan believes that Xu Guangli could not possibly win; as long as the drawn number is not 22, the three hundred and ten thousand will fall into his pocket. Thus, he could very well take the risk of not reporting it upwards. Unfortunately, we ended up winning, and since he cannot afford to pay, he can only run away. We are now like a mute eating bitter herbs, unable to find him and too afraid to report to the police. Lao Shuan believes that Xu Guangli could not possibly win; as long as the drawn number is not 22, the three hundred and ten thousand will fall into his pocket. Thus, he could very well take the risk of not reporting it upwards. Unfortunately, we ended up winning, and since he cannot afford to pay, he can only run away. We are now like a mute eating bitter herbs, unable to find him and too afraid to report to the police
A person appeared beside me, precisely that long-haired shadow. She touched my face with her cold hands, and after a while, her entire body pressed against my back, her hands roaming over my chest and back. The clothing offered no barrier; it felt as if a snake was slithering over me. I was filled with a mix of shock and anger, wanting to struggle and scream, yet I was powerless and unable to control my body. What the hell, is this considered sexual harassment or lewdness? Is there any department that accepts complaints regarding this matter? I was filled with a mix of shock and anger, wanting to struggle and scream, yet I was powerless and unable to control my body. What the hell, is this considered sexual harassment or lewdness? Is there any department that accepts complaints regarding this matter?
We were sitting on the chairs in the hospital corridor talking when Xu Guangli suddenly jumped up, his small eyes wide and red: "Did I say I don't care? Can't you see that I'm being harassed by those scammers and can't get away? Don't I feel distressed about losing 300,000?"
I asked in confusion: "What is it?"
I did not stop, continuing to move forward, when the old man shouted: "Two thousand, it cannot go any lower!"
Cough... Sir, please take a seat, let me take a closer look. The old man made a gesture inviting me to sit, and only then did I notice two small stools and a small sign by the roadside that read "Fortune Telling".
Xu Guangli inquired everywhere but could not find any information about Mouse An. Through another small dealer, he finally got in touch with Mouse An's superior, who stated that he had not received any single bet exceeding 100,000 yesterday, and Mouse An did not report it. Ultimately, he mentioned that such large bets were not something he would dare to accept lightly; he would only do so after receiving approval from the higher-ups. When Xu Guangli placed his bet, Mouse An did not report it to the next level in person, indicating an intention to embezzle the funds.
This is exactly what I am most worried about, and I hurriedly asked: "Is there a way to resolve this?"
I found an internet café on the street and went inside, deliberately choosing a computer in a crowded area. While eating instant noodles with ham sausage, I opened various games to see which one was interesting.
I wander aimlessly on the street, unsure of where to go or what to do. Why have all the unfortunate events happened to me? What should I do now? What does that female ghost haunting me want?
There is no way! The old man said with great certainty, much to my surprise. He continued, "My abilities are limited, and I cannot resolve this matter. However, I can introduce you to a master. Let me be clear, this master is not easily accessible; without my introduction, even if you are willing to pay, you would not be able to meet him!"
Xu Guangli's face twitched as he hesitated several times, clearly unwilling to get involved in this matter any further. With the money not yet in hand, he was overwhelmed and had no mood for this. Moreover, since the female ghost was not bothering him, he felt no urgency. Finally, he said in a hoarse voice: "We need to buy cow heads, pig heads, sheep heads, as well as paper-made villas, yachts, luxury cars, incense, and paper money offerings, etc. There isn't enough time today. You can handle it yourself tomorrow, and I'll give you whatever amount you need."
In the midst of a heated argument, Xu Guangli's phone rang; it was his wife calling, asking for money. Xu Guangli cursed a few times, smashed the phone on the ground, and shouted, "Get lost, all of you get lost, I don't want to live anymore, I'm going to jump down right now, no one is allowed to stop me!"
The old man stared at me intently, looking left and right, up and down, and said very seriously: "Sir, your forehead is dark, the whites of your eyes are blue, and your spirit is scattered. You must have encountered some evil. If this is not resolved, there will surely be great misfortune in the near future"
I was filled with rage, bought a kitchen knife, and wrapped it in a garbage bag to take to the community where he lived. I did not intend to kill anyone; I just wanted to scare him a little, to let him know that I am not someone to be trifled with. However, after ringing the doorbell for a long time, no one responded to me. I then went to his antique shop, but the shop had been completely renovated and was under new management.
With the rapid proliferation of personal computers and smartphones, the business of internet cafes has been declining. In fact, there are not many people in the internet cafe; by midnight, a few more have left, leaving only six or seven individuals in the empty hall. The administrator has shut down the computers that are not in use and turned off most of the lights, making the hall dim.
The female ghost moved back and forth around me for a while, then began to draw my breath mouth to mouth. I knew it was absorbing my vital energy, and over time, I would become increasingly weak, even to the point of death, while it would grow stronger. Therefore, I was filled with horror and dread; there was not a hint of seduction to be found.
"What?" Xu Guangli stared blankly at me
I hesitated for a moment, but ultimately recounted the events that had occurred to me, omitting the part about "Please, ghost, ask for a code." I only mentioned that after passing through Liyuan Square in the middle of the night, I was followed by that female ghost
Given the situation, I cannot possibly ask Xu Guangli to accompany me to "fulfill my wishes". I can only accept my misfortune. However, the thought of the female ghost appearing tonight sends chills down my spine. In any case, I cannot go home to sleep tonight; I might as well find an internet café to play games all night. In a crowded place, it probably won't dare to show up
Xu Guangli also lost his temper, cursing loudly, which attracted a crowd of onlookers. The family members of the injured were also present, and upon hearing that Xu Guangli had no money, they surrounded him, demanding either valuable items as collateral or that he be taken to the police station for handling by the authorities. In the midst of the chaos, Xu Guangli's gold watch, agarwood prayer beads, and jade ring were all taken away.
I did not respond, turned around and left. The old man hurriedly said: "I know you are currently facing financial difficulties. Forget it, heaven has a benevolent nature. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Here, take 3,000!"
That female ghost comes to torment me every night