Chapter Four, the Wheel of Reincarnation Three

Only those who are knowledgeable in the field can spot something amiss at a glance

Perhaps due to his personal temperament, Professor Shen exudes an air of "noble integrity" with every bow of his head and nod. Even when speaking with Zhao Yunlan, where his gaze may occasionally drift awkwardly, it is surprisingly not uncomfortable for those around him

Zhao Yunlan has long been in contact with various schools of thought and social circles, and his eloquence has become both smooth and slick. Usually, with just a few words, he can evoke a sense of familiarity in others. Even Guo Changcheng, who is as timid as a quail, seems to resonate with him on the issue of "math homework," and the way he walks behind them appears somewhat more human.

Zhao Yunlan suddenly asked him: "Professor Shen, aren't you curious about what this matter is all about? Generally, when people encounter such situations, they tend to ask a few more questions."

"Are there any supernatural events?" Shen Wei asked with a smile that seemed to conceal something.

A faint male voice could be heard in the elevator: "Mr. Shen, what are you going to the 18th floor for?"

Guo Changcheng's face suddenly turned pale. Instinctively, he followed Zhao Yunlan's words and glanced at his watch. This time, however, he saw an old man in the glass—her...! ... of medium build, slightly plump, dressed in all black, staring at him expressionlessly!

The college office building features a tall tower architectural style. The term "tower" generally refers to a structure where the elevator is centrally located, and upon ascending, the corridor encircles the central "tower," resulting in a building that is both tall and slender

Zhao Yunlan placed his palm on the back of the black cat, gently stroking its fur: "There are not many enthusiastic good citizens like Professor Shen. My Da Qing never gets close to people; I think you two get along quite well."

Zhao Yunlan almost suspected that his face was about to freeze in a smile

Uncertain whether it was due to the air conditioning, as soon as one entered the administrative building of the academy, a cool breeze rushed towards them. The cat, Da Qing, which was lying on Zhao Yunlan's shoulder, shivered slightly, its sharp claws extending from its paw pads, tightly gripping the man's shirt.

Guo Changcheng let out a sigh of relief and, with a hint of embarrassment, smiled as he said: "Oh... oh, so it's the security guard. I thought it was..."

Softly, rustling, like the sound of soft-soled shoes dragging on the ground

The three individuals walked along, chatting as they went, their footsteps echoing rhythmically on the floor, the sound reverberating erratically in the corridor, overshadowed by the boisterous laughter of the man... the footsteps of the fourth person mixed in between.

Shen Wei immediately turned to ask: "Have you caught a cold?"

Only the office building near the west gate has been newly constructed in recent years, with relatively high floors. It stands out distinctly among the old buildings, resembling an incongruous patch that disrupts the overall atmosphere of the campus.

Shen Wei stated that he did not recognize the student, and thus took the initiative to offer to take them to the college office to inquire.

Zhao Yunlan rubbed his nose and said: "No, I just feel that as soon as I enter this corridor, I can smell a kind of... an endlessly unfinished math homework... a special scent of misfortune."

Even the one who diligently interrogates every individual at the top level may not necessarily be a ... "security guard".

In the past, some real estate developers avoided constructing residential buildings with eighteen floors. However, as housing prices soared and the number of developers increased, many who previously engaged in other businesses began to enter the real estate market. Additionally, due to height restrictions in many areas, in pursuit of profit, developers generally aimed to build as high as possible and sell as much as they could. Consequently, this old custom of avoiding the number "eighteen" due to "feudal superstition" gradually fell out of consideration.

Zhao Yunlan smiled faintly, not responding immediately. His face was obscured by a cloud of smoke, making it difficult to discern his expression. Fine ash fell from the cigarette butt, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, some landed in Shen Wei's shadow

Zhao Yunlan briefly closed his mouth, his gaze flickering. He felt that Shen Wei was quite unusual; apart from the initial accidental glance they shared, Professor Shen seemed to be deliberately avoiding his gaze

However, Shen Wei... the expression on his face when he listened to Zhao Yunlan speak gave Zhao Yunlan a sense of illusion, as if he were not just casually chatting away, but rather reading a highly difficult listening comprehension exercise in some extraordinary foreign language that could only be read once, with each word being treated with utmost care, making Professor Shen reluctant to miss even a single word.

As soon as he finished speaking, the elevator returned to normal, the lights were restored, and the elevator that had been stuck in the middle continued to ascend with a creaking sound... It was as if nothing had ever happened

However, this brand-new college office building made Zhao Yunlan's eyelids twitch involuntarily—this building has 18 floors, and he knows it without needing to count.

Shen Wei smiled gently and said, "It is only right."

Zhao Yunlan furrowed his brows

It seems that Shen Wei, who had decided to completely ignore him, could no longer help but frown: "Smoking and drinking are harmful to health. Officer Zhao is so young; it would be better to exercise a bit of moderation."

We leisurely made our way to the rooftop, where the entire eighteenth floor was desolate, not a single mosquito or gecko had made this place their home, cold and damp.

Zhao Yunlan said with a smile: "Evil spirits love to wear red. I think the feng shui of this building is not good; who knows where it might be hiding dirt and filth, or perhaps it is the shadow of something being cast upon it..."

Then, Guo Changcheng discovered that at the edge of that shadow... something was moving

Shen Wei adjusted his glasses, once again avoiding his gaze, and said slowly: "The ancients said, 'Outside the six harmonies, the sage does not speak.' Whether it truly exists or not, no one can say for certain. However, I believe that if it exists, it exists; if it does not, it does not. There is no need for everyone to delve too deeply into it. 'Not asking the living but inquiring of the spirits,' that was the act of tyrannical rulers in ancient times. If a person cannot even understand their own affairs, how can they have the leisure to concern themselves with whether there are spirits in the world? Isn't that rather absurd?"

That old disgruntled youth said, "Zhao, look at you, I wasn't wrong, you have now grown into a standard uniformed thug."

Startled, Shen Wei turned around, still only looking at Guo Changcheng, deliberately avoiding Zhao Yunlan, and explained with a smile, "That was probably the building's security. Last semester, a student jumped off the roof to commit suicide. After that, apart from those from the Mathematics Department and the library, if anyone else goes to the rooftop without a reason, the security will stop the elevator and ask a few more questions to prevent such incidents from happening again"

It is as if there is a person hiding there who secretly peeks out, and then something emerges...! ... It seems to be in the shape of a hand!

Oh, that voice seemed to respond a bit sluggishly, taking a while to answer, and then continued in that faint, slow manner, saying, "Alright, please pay attention to safety"

Shen Wei said without changing his expression: "There has been an incident at the school, and these two are public security personnel. I will take them to the Mathematics Department to understand the situation."

This statement is filled with the flavor of literary discourse, yet it is ambiguous and does not directly address the question. Zhao Yunlan, seeing that the probing was unsuccessful, simply smiled and nonchalantly shifted the topic: "Is Teacher Shen a humanities instructor?"

It is unclear what purpose this serves, but the corridors in this building are not smoothly rounded at the corners; they approach a right angle. Not only do they appear awkwardly angular, but a person reaching the corner will also have their line of sight obstructed by the protruding angle, resembling a large overbite. If two individuals happen to be walking towards each other, it is quite easy for them to collide.

I teach college Chinese and some elective courses in the humanities

Calculating, the old campus of Longcheng University was actually built during the Republic of China era, and it has a history of nearly one hundred years. The campus is filled with ancient trees that almost block out the sun, and the old teaching buildings hidden among them still exhibit the unique Western architectural style characteristic of the concession areas of that time, appearing both aged and unwelcoming

"Have you ever seen a color-changing mouse wheel? It's the same principle; this foolish kid takes it seriously just because he was given a club." Zhao Yunlan teased the intern for a moment, but the next second, without any warning, he suddenly turned to Shen Wei, "Professor Shen is an intellectual who values materialism; surely you don't believe in such nonsense, do you?"

Shen Wei arched his eyes in a cooperative manner, offering him a gentle yet restrained smile

As they walked forward, Guo Changcheng inadvertently noticed that Zhao Yunlan's watch was quietly undergoing a peculiar transformation. From the point where the two hands of the watch were connected, a shade of rose red, deeper than light red yet lighter than true red, began to spread outward in ripples, like the undulations of water. This made his men's wristwatch appear almost like an expensive piece of art. The metallic strap clasped around the man's pale and slightly thin wrist exuded an indescribable, eerie sense of luxury. A shade of rose red, deeper than light red yet lighter than true red, began to spread outward in ripples, like the undulations of water. This made his men's wristwatch appear almost like an expensive piece of art. The metallic strap clasped around the man's pale and slightly thin wrist exuded an indescribable, eerie sense of luxury.

Guo Changcheng's footsteps suddenly came to a halt

Guo Changcheng honestly shook his head

Guo Changcheng hesitated for a moment and quietly asked, "Zhao... Zhao, your watch..."

Shen Wei shook his head, while Zhao Yunlan had one hand in his pocket and with a gentle flick of the other hand, he pulled out a cigarette. He slightly lowered his eyes to light it, and after a moment, he leisurely exhaled a puff of white smoke, resembling an old smoker.

Shen Wei seemed to want to say something, but the words were on the tip of his tongue, and he forcefully swallowed them back. After a while, he frowned and awkwardly shifted the topic: "There aren't many departments in the old campus, and there aren't that many teachers either. In the entire eighteenth floor, only a few offices facing south are occupied, while most of the other rooms are vacant. It just takes a turn from here to get there."

Even though he does not engage in eye contact with others, his question still appears remarkably sincere

Shen Wei led the way ahead, while Zhao Yunlan followed closely behind, holding a cat. Guo Changcheng brought up the rear. As they gradually approached the corner, Guo Changcheng suddenly felt as if something might leap out from the shadows. At that moment, he could no longer hear the conversation between the other two; he was fixated on the corner—the dim light streaming in through the awkwardly angled window, casting a long shadow of the window frame on the ground, creating a flickering boundary there.

That student's ID indicates that they are from the Mathematics Department, and the office of the Mathematics Department is on the top floor. Shen Wei took two people into the elevator and pressed the button for the floor.

This academy, whose feng shui has deteriorated to the extreme, has professors who are so peculiar that I have never dared to look them in the eye

The elevator reached the fourth floor, suddenly shook, and came to a stop without any warning. The light above flickered a couple of times, seemingly due to a poor connection. Guo Changcheng anxiously looked up at Zhao Yunlan, but that man, whether due to a lack of sensitivity or some other reason, didn't even blink, still seemingly deep in thought as he studied Shen Wei.

Zhao Yunlan seemed to see nothing as he let out a hearty laugh, twisting a small button on the side of the dial. Suddenly, a cloud of mist surged up from the dial, instantly diluting the previous hint of red. Upon closer inspection, it was still a clean men's watch, with a conventional design, devoid of any strange red color or reflective female ghost.

What happened? Did it turn red? Zhao Yunlan, who was walking in front, turned back with his characteristic mischievous smile and asked, "Do you know why?"

"Don't laugh," Zhao Yunlan joked, "Professor Shen, I won't hide it from you. When I was studying, teachers were my arch-enemies. Our homeroom teacher predicted back then that I would definitely grow up to be a little rogue. Who would have thought that after growing up, I became a people's police officer? The last time I ran into him at the school anniversary, I was just about to show off a bit, and guess what he said?"

Shen Wei assumed a serious listening posture and asked, "What is it?"

Zhao Yunlan could not help but sneeze

Yet he truly is one who "listens attentively" but does not dare to raise his eyes to look at himself. At first glance, the smile on his face appears gentle and refined, but over time, one can discover that it is quite formulaic, as if it were painted on his skin.

Zhao Yunlan lowered his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the ground, and then he brushed aside the smoke with his hand: "In our line of work, sometimes we work day and night, and our living habits can indeed become quite poor"

Guo Changcheng's face was awash with a pallor resembling a sea of vegetables

In a desolate corner, it is easy for mold and moss to grow, as well as other things

No wonder—however, I did hear from an acquaintance in real estate that there are very few newly constructed residential buildings designed this way; such towers are generally commercial office buildings over 100 meters tall. Firstly, they are difficult to clean, and secondly, they lack ventilation, making it hard to manage natural light, which also makes living in them quite uncomfortable. I suppose the idea of 'bad feng shui' might refer to this. Zhao Yunlan took out a cigarette case from his pocket and shook it, saying, 'Oh right, is smoking prohibited here? Do you mind?'

Shen Wei slightly lowered his head and said softly: "The deceased is of utmost importance. I will assist you in investigating the case to the best of my ability. As for other matters, it is sufficient for you to be aware of them; whether I know or not is not important."