Chapter 5: The Video of the Dead

Master Ma firmly insisted that I had encountered something unclean, which instinctively caused a jolt in my heart, leading me to believe him to some extent

Indeed, young brother, as you passed by me, I sensed a murky chill surrounding you. This must be a result of your recent encounters with unclean entities. It is an ominous sign, and you are in constant danger to your life

Is your phone still with you

I recalled that I had received a multimedia message while browsing the internet in the afternoon, which contained a photo of a little mustache, along with the time of twelve o'clock midnight

Master, are you referring to me

Master Ma, seeing my distressed expression, continued: "That filthy thing carries a strong aura of resentment; it has come to claim your life. You have owed this person in both past and present lives, and it is destined to appear in your life. Typically, it will come to find you between midnight and two o'clock, commonly referred to as the ominous hour of the tiger. If I have not miscalculated, this entity also met its demise during this time period"

I was deep in thought when suddenly I heard someone call out to me, "Young brother, you must be here for divination, right? I can see that your forehead is dark, your eyes lack luster; you must have encountered some unfortunate and dirty things these past few days"

The sea seems to recall something: "Zheng Yan, didn't you find an Apple phone the day before yesterday?"

I glanced at the time, and the timestamp of the video sent on WeChat was exactly midnight twelve. Damn! Doesn't that mean it's an omen of Little Hu's death

Little brother, don't get too worked up. Sit down and let me take a good look for you. Everything has its cause and effect. Encountering something unclean is not frightening; the key is to resolve the blood ties involved. I ask you, have you recently eaten something you shouldn't have? Watched something you shouldn't have? Or picked up something that doesn't belong to you?

Upon hearing this, Hai was rather surprised: "Zheng Yan, didn't you say your phone was in the dormitory? Why are you so excited? The phone I see looks like yours, and the chain hanging from it is quite similar to yours, isn't it?"

I felt a bit uneasy: "Yes... what is it?"

After watching the suicide video of the man with the mustache, I trembled in the corner of my bed for a long time. The man with the mustache is already dead, so who exactly sent me this video? ... Could it be that indistinct female ghost standing behind me?

I paused to take a look; the one who spoke was a Taoist priest dressed in a large yellow robe. The priest sat cross-legged, his cheeks gaunt, with a hint of a mustache at the corners of his mouth. In front of him lay a massive bagua diagram, a brilliant yellow that gave off an impression of profound depth.

During the journey, I received a call from Dahai, asking whether Di Xiaohu and I would be going to work. I replied that I might not be able to go in the next few days as I have encountered some strange matters. I will check on Di Xiaohu's situation this afternoon.

The sea detected the peculiarity in my tone and quickly asked me what was wrong. I replied that it was nothing and that I should be able to handle it in a few days

Yes, yes, yes, Master, you are absolutely right. I have indeed encountered something unclean these past few days, but I... I do not even know what that thing is, let alone have offended her. Why has she come to seek my life?

Hahaha... The Taoist, upon hearing this, stroked his beard and laughed, extending his hand to gesture for a seat: "I, as a humble Taoist, never speak falsehoods. Why must you force a smile and deceive yourself? Allow me to offer you a reading; if you do not find it satisfactory, you need not pay, but do refrain from tarnishing my reputation at any time."

I thought to myself, why not give it a try, after all, I have nothing to lose, so I sat down in front of him and asked, "May I ask how to address you, Daoist?"

I was once again jolted back to reality; this Master Ma is truly remarkable, as he was able to predict that I had found something. It seems that this time I have hope for rescue

The flow of people on the street is sparse, with various reclusive masters seated at their stalls. Some offer fortune-telling and name-giving, others predict marital and romantic fates, while there are also blind practitioners who read fortunes through pulse diagnosis. I am dazzled by the array of options and do not know which master to seek for assistance

I was momentarily at a loss for words, unable to comprehend the logic behind it. The phone had clearly been taken by the boss with the small mustache for 1,500, so how could it end up in Xu Xiaohong's hands? Such coincidences cannot possibly exist in this world or in the publishing industry, can they

Whether or not you have touched it is not for me to say; you know better than anyone else, little brother. You are not allowed to destroy my stall at any time.

Yes, yes, yes, Master Ma! You have indeed calculated everything. To be honest, just the day before yesterday, I found a mobile phone... I was almost in tears, excitedly recounting everything that had happened during this time to Master Ma in detail

As soon as dawn broke, I set out with money in hand and boarded the bus to Nanjiao. I knew that there was a famous fortune-telling street in Fengxian Town, where there are no shortage of skilled practitioners of the yin and yang arts. Perhaps they could help me unravel some of my confusions

I sold the phone to Little Hu for 1,500, and before it even warmed up, he ended up hanging himself in this manner? Doesn't that mean whoever picks up that phone will be out of luck?

This matter cannot continue to drag on like this; I must seek the help of an expert. Otherwise, sooner or later, the fate of the little mustached man will befall me.

After Master Ma finished this segment, my heart couldn't help but race. Upon careful reflection, the first time the woman in black approached me was at one o'clock in the morning, and last night, the moment I received the video of Little Hu's death was just after midnight, perfectly aligning with Master Ma's statement, as if everything he said was spot on.

Master, have you made a mistake? I haven't had anything special these past few days. I was just passing by here... I forced myself to remain calm and casually said something as if it were nothing.

I am not accustomed to using the iPhone, and I have always kept it in my dormitory! I was sweating profusely while explaining, wondering if the sea had noticed something.

I casually made a few remarks to the sea before hanging up the phone, reassuring myself that it must be a coincidence, and that the phone in Xu Xiaohong's hand had nothing to do with me

This is almost the standard opening line of these fortune tellers. I am not foolish enough to believe their one-sided words. My situation is inherently mysterious, and I must seek the assistance of a genuine expert with extraordinary skills, rather than these second-rate frauds

I am not particularly interested in this type of girl. Although I do not have a girlfriend, I would not go for someone as promiscuous as her. Therefore, I usually treat her with indifference. She sends me greetings almost every day and frequently invites me out for meals.

While taking the bus, I inadvertently passed by the mobile phone store from yesterday. The shop's doors and windows were tightly shut, surrounded by caution tape, and I occasionally saw uniformed police officers moving about. I knew that Xiao Huzi was truly dead, especially that strange smile he had before he died; I think I will never forget it for the rest of my life

I nodded repeatedly, realizing that Master Ma's reputation was indeed well-deserved. Before I could even speak, he had already guessed my situation, as if a blind cat had stumbled upon a dead mouse, indicating that I had encountered a remarkable person.

Xu Xiaohong is also part of our assembly line, responsible for welding signal and book light components. She sits directly opposite me and Di Xiaohu, is twenty years old, has an average appearance, and tends to be quite talkative. During work, she always enjoys engaging me in conversation.

... ...

That night, I did not know how I managed to get through it, truly experiencing what it means to live each day like a year. My phone was thrown on the floor, and I did not even dare to look at it. Picking up a phone unexpectedly led to a matter of life and death.

The bus jolted along the way, and by the time we reached Fortune Teller Street, it was already noon. Fortune Teller Street is located diagonally across from the bus station. After getting off the bus and walking a few steps, I saw several fortune-telling stalls set up on both sides of the street.

"What? The sea! Are you sure that phone is the one I picked up?" I suddenly shouted, startling the other passengers on the bus.

My surname is Ma, and I just came to Shanghai from Anhui. Back in my hometown, people call me Master Ma. Master Ma explained with his mouth, then took my hand with one hand and examined it carefully. After that, he slightly shook his head and let out a deep sigh. "Young brother, your central meridian's vital energy is weak, and your original energy is unstable. This directly proves one thing: you have recently encountered something unclean, and you were quite frightened by it!"

Ah? Master Ma, why do you say that

It’s fine... This morning, when I went to work, I saw our online colleague Xu Xiaohong also got an iPhone 6. That phone looked familiar to me, and the phone strap seemed like the one you picked up. I thought you were getting close to that girl!