6. Professor Song, a folklorist

Feng Junzi: "I have also asked Zhou Song about this issue, but Zhou Song said that Zhao Dongshan is definitely someone he cannot provoke, and from a legal perspective, there is no way to deal with him."

When the wave of business began to rise, the first institutions to be impacted were undoubtedly the universities of finance and economics. Initially, these elite students aimed to apply their knowledge practically and personally venture into the business world to achieve success. Unfortunately, most of them were not very successful. However, being elite, they eventually changed their strategies. Those with smaller opportunities began to organize various certification and training courses in society, while those with larger opportunities joined think tanks for the government or large enterprises. The power of knowledge as a form of wealth began to manifest, and most individuals had already entered a moderately prosperous stage.

Professor Song then revealed a strange expression: "What do you need the Luoyang shovel for? Are you going to conduct archaeology or commit tomb raiding?"

Feng Junzi: "Your words remind me, I will inform Xiaoya."

Feng Junzi continued, "It's not quite a buy-one-get-one-free deal, but the average price of these two plots combined will definitely not be too high. However, what is truly valuable is the land that Zhao Dongshan is developing for the Shilin community."

Today, Feng Junzi does not know how many times he has sighed: "If Zhou Song can complete the project but ultimately fails in the sales of the illustrations and books, only he will be unfortunate. However, if he runs away now, many innocent people will suffer. I advise him to act not from the perspective of friends, but from the standpoint of social ethics."

Feng Junzi: "Alas! What I am thinking about now is merely to do my part. Could you help me borrow a Luoyang shovel, one with a smaller diameter? I need it by tomorrow."

Feng Junzi: "What? Have you heard the same thing? What exactly is going on?"

Professor Song: "Do not rush, let me explain slowly. This seems to be a case study from a finance class, concerning reasonable tax avoidance. I cannot recall which country this occurred in, but the situation is as follows:"

Professor Song said leisurely: "If goods remain in the customs warehouse for a certain period, they will be treated as unclaimed goods according to local regulations, and the method of disposal is public auction. Who would buy a glove that only has a right hand? Therefore, the disposal price is very low, and in the end, the importer naturally buys it back, at a price much lower than the original customs duties. The overall process is roughly like this"

The gentleman Feng coughed once, avoiding the topic, and then asked Professor Song: "What is your opinion on the matter of the Zhou Song?"

Gentleman Feng: "Is there a difference between the two? In any case, just help me borrow it; this item cannot be bought here, and only you can help me obtain it." Professor Song seemed to understand and nodded in agreement

Professor Song's tone softened as he said, "There are always causes and effects in the world. Zhao Dongshan's deception is evident, but it seems inappropriate to involve the deceased. Disturbing the spirits of the dead will surely lead to unfavorable outcomes. Perhaps your suggestion is correct; let us not discuss supernatural matters for now, and simply do what we can as humans."

Professor Song: "Xiao Ya? You call her so affectionately, what is your relationship with her, you charming gentleman?"

Professor Song, after listening to Feng Junzi's account, expressed great interest in the events that had transpired over the past two days. In a scholarly tone, he said to Feng Junzi: "First, let us discuss the matter of the five thousand pairs of left-footed leather shoes; I seem to recall having heard of such an incident."

It is unexpected that Feng Junzi was indeed correct. After entering the 21st century, there seems to have been a subtle shift in social atmosphere, as leaders across various regions suddenly adopted the concept of urban management overnight. Various international cultural activities held in the name of the government have suddenly increased, and it has become fashionable to develop the so-called tourism industry and attract investment under the banner of folk culture. Song Zhaonan's academic status has become significant; his specialization is no longer revolutionary theory, but traditional culture and folklore. Not only has he been promoted from associate professor, but he also frequently participates in various festivals and celebratory events organized by the government, becoming an important expert guest. He is no longer the Song Zhaonan who was once overshadowed by his wife, but rather the renowned folklorist, Professor Song.

Feng Junzi had finished dealing with Qin Xiaoya's matters, and since it was still early, he was not in the mood to work. He thought about finding a place to stay for a while or someone to chat with. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, and he remembered Professor Song. Professor Song, whose full name is Song Zhaonan, is a professor at a finance university, but he does not teach finance; he is a professor in the social sciences department.

However, Song Zhaonan was an exception at the beginning. In the market economy, the position of the social sciences department at the finance university appeared somewhat awkward. As someone who studied Marxism-Leninism, Song Zhaonan did not have many means of making a fortune, which led to him receiving quite a few disdainful glances from his wife. Feeling unfortunate about his fate, Song Zhaonan began to pay attention to metaphysics, through which he came to know Feng Junzi

Professor Song continued to elaborate: "Zhao Dongshan also employed a series of cunning strategies, seeking collaboration with out-of-town developers whose details were unclear. He took the opportunity to use this grave site as a bargaining chip, saving on the construction costs and library expenses for his Shilin community, allowing Zhou Song to build houses for him without any cost. He truly is a master of empty-handed tactics."

The Wind Gentleman once read the fortune of Song Zhaonan, comforting him with a mix of deception and encouragement: "You have experienced many ups and downs before the age of 40, but after 40, you will achieve success and fame. There is no need to worry now; sooner or later, there will be a day when you will enjoy the spring breeze and success."

Professor Song continued in a leisurely manner: "Although there are many possibilities, there is only one possibility that is the most significant. That is, someone once discovered that this land was a burial site, making it difficult for the local government to handle. Zhao Dongshan took advantage of this opportunity to purchase both this burial site and another piece of land. This also serves as a bargaining condition; although these two pieces of land appear to have been bought simultaneously, in reality, this burial site was a personal favor, likely a buy one get one free deal"

Professor Song said lightly: "These two matters are not the same. The five thousand pairs of left-footed leather shoes are clearly a targeted trap. You would do well to ask your friend Qin Xiaoya if there is someone in particular who wants to deal with her. There is always a reason behind strange occurrences"

A certain country has very high tariffs, especially on high-end ready-to-wear garments. Someone wanted to import a batch of high-end leather gloves but sought to evade the tariffs, so they devised a plan. They first imported a batch of gloves through customs, labeled as books, but the packaging contained only left-hand gloves. The remaining right-hand gloves were separately packaged and sent directly to customs from abroad, but they did not go to collect them

The Wind Gentleman lamented: "It seems that swindlers all have their mentors; it is possible that this case inspired them to come up with this trick. Although the methods differ, there are similarities in their essence."

The gentleman Feng became very interested upon hearing this, and he quickly asked, "What happened next?"

Professor Song suddenly asked Feng Junzi: "Even if Zhou Song is not deceived, Zhao Dongshan will find someone else to take the bait. However, from what you said, it seems you are advising Zhou Song to persist in continuing this project. In fact, given the current situation, it seems more feasible for Zhou Song to take the tens of millions in funds and leave while he still can"

Professor Song happened to have no classes today, nor did he participate in any activities. He was idly sitting at home and was quite pleased when Feng Junzi came to visit for a chat. Of course, Feng Junzi's visit was not merely for casual conversation; he had questions to consult Professor Song about. Although he disapproved of Song Zhaonan's approach of speaking to Chinese people about foreign matters and to foreigners about China, he also recognized that Professor Song indeed possessed more knowledge than he did.

Professor Song coldly said: "Social morality, can a mere gentleman like you uphold it in today's society? The one who should be unfortunate is Zhao Dongshan. It is truly strange, does Zhou Song have no way to deal with him at all?"