Fengcheng fliegender General

Kapitel 1

Shanghai, a bustling metropolis. The under-construction high-rise "Fenghe Shuiyuan" collapsed with a deafening roar. The nearby "Tianyuan Apartment" development teeters on the brink of collapse. Feng Shui master Yang Jiupin, after his seven-year hiatus, intervened, only to discover that the site was a place of great misfortune and utter instability! The collapse of Tianyuan Apartment was imminent. Could the crisis be averted? How could it be salvaged?

"People presented the Yellow River and Luo River as gifts, asking what they were. The Emperor replied, 'The Book of Heaven.'" — *Simplified Daode Yijing*

Chapter One: The Building Collapses

Shanghai, Huangpu District, Bund Center Office Building

Monday, June 29, 2009

Zhou Haisheng, the manager of the Vermilion Bird Department of "Prophet Company," with a square face, gold-rimmed glasses, a gray shirt and matching trousers, and meticulously combed hair, appeared in the office building lobby precisely at 8:55 AM. Three office ladies lingered at the elevator entrance, glancing left and right. Upon seeing Zhou Haisheng, their faces lit up with smiles. One, wearing a Ports purple abstract floral silk shirt and a matching A-line skirt, eagerly held the elevator door for him. Another, carrying a 2009 limited edition LV black bag, couldn't resist joining them. Only the young woman in a white Lady's House Swan Lake limited edition tulle dress stood still, her face a mixture of shyness and excitement. The elevator doors opened, and all three insisted that Zhou Haisheng go first. After a few polite exchanges, Zhou Haisheng stepped into the elevator first. The three women immediately followed. "Me first!" the woman in the black bag rushed to Zhou Haisheng. "It was clearly my turn to go first today!" the Ports woman retorted sharply. “It’s Sasha’s turn to ask first today,” Zhou Haisheng said with a smile. Hei Caibao pouted, and although unwilling, she stepped back.

The elevator instantly transformed into a mini press conference. Zi Baozi eagerly asked, "How's the market? Just as you predicted last week, Thursday and Friday were consolidating. What about today?" "It will break out today, with a gain of around 1.5%. The upward trend will continue this week," Zhou Haisheng immediately replied. "Then, will Fangxing Technology, which I bought, surge? Do you have reliable insider information?" "Sorry, I don't predict individual stock movements," Zhou Haisheng politely declined. "My turn! My turn!" Hei Caibao pushed past the still-enthusiastic Zi Baozi and eagerly asked, "What do you think about my husband's question about investing in a commercial office building in Hongqiao for rent?" "Office buildings aren't a good option. We could consider buying a few residential units. And they should be located due west of Hongqiao, where metal generates water, matching his birth chart—a sure-fire way to make money." Hei Caibao beamed, pulling over the timid white-skirted woman, and said, "This is my cousin. I introduced her to this job, and she has a small question to ask… Is that alright?" Zhou Haisheng kindly... After measuring, he said, "Of course." The woman in the white dress hesitated for a moment, then asked softly, "Master Zhou, I just want to ask, in this Friday's Super Girl semi-finals, the 15 to 10 round, will Zeng Ge be able to advance smoothly?" Zhou Haisheng was taken aback, then coughed and said, "Well... I need to go back and look into that. Do you have MSN?" "Yes, yes, I don't have a business card yet, well—" Zhou Haisheng took out his business card and said, "It's okay, just add me. I'll tell you the results before Friday." The woman in the white dress's eyes lit up with excitement.

Zhou Haisheng hurriedly entered Building B on the 13th floor, the office of the manager of the Zhuque Department of Xianzhi Company. Before he could even sit down, Zhou Haisheng quickly turned on his computer, opened the Shenyin Wanguo stock trading software, and placed a pre-order to buy 120,000 shares of Fangxing Technology at a price 30 cents higher than yesterday's opening price. Then he dialed his cell phone and said, "Old Qian, the news is right, there's definitely something going on in Hongqiao! Try to negotiate a lower price for that office building, it's time to make a move. Also, keep an eye out for apartments west of Hongqiao for me, I'm planning to get a three-bedroom apartment, you have to waive the agent's fee... Okay, call me if you have any news." Zhou Haisheng finally calmed down. He made a cup of tea and strolled out.

With a baby face, delicate eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, long flowing hair, and a petite figure, Qiqi, the head of the Zhuque department, wearing a white Adidas T-shirt and white No Name sneakers, sat in a comfortable IKEA office chair by the window, sipping milk and carefully reviewing the minutes of last Friday's company meeting. Qiqi was clearly a "white enthusiast"; within her sight, everything—tables, chairs, teacups, folders, and trash cans—was pure white. Zhou Haisheng came up behind her and said, "Isn't your mom into stocks? Don't say I didn't help you, tell her to buy some Fangxing Technology, it's a sure thing." "Oh. I'll tell her tonight. Was it that fund manager's wife who told you?" Zhou Haisheng didn't answer, then added, "Property prices in the Hongqiao area are going to skyrocket. Didn't you want to buy a house? You could consider it." "Isn't it a bit far? Besides, they're building a transportation hub there, won't it be noisy every day... Was it that planning bureau director's wife who told you?" "Who else could it be! If you don't like it, you can sell it anytime. Hey, let me ask you something, is Super Girl the same as the old Super Girl? How come they allow men to participate?" "Yes, but there are no men, only women." "Wait a minute, there's someone called 'Brother Zeng,' this Friday, the 15 to 10 round..." Zhou Haisheng said suspiciously. "Haha!" Qi Qi couldn't help but laugh. "How old-fashioned, Manager! That's a girl named Zeng Yike. Because her style is similar to Li Yuchun's—tomboyish—her fans affectionately call her 'Brother Zeng.' I've been following her closely too. Last week, I even posted a prediction on our company's daily news section asking for predictions." "Quickly check if anyone has replied yet!" Zhou Haisheng asked anxiously. Qi Qi opened the forum, found the post, and said, "Qin Ge and Tian Xin both gave their predictions, saying she'll advance." As the two were talking, they suddenly heard a scream from the side. "Holy crap!"

With a face that looked like it had a bitter, resentful expression, thick eyebrows, small eyes, an upturned nose, and protruding ears, her yellowish-brown curly hair tied in a crooked ponytail, and heavy makeup, Weiwei, an intern dressed in a dark Lolita-style cosplay dress, secretly picked up the *Oriental Morning Post* next to Qiqi's computer. She glanced at it, then screamed "Ah—!" and sprawled out in an exaggerated "X" shape before collapsing back into her chair. Wearing a Converse short-sleeved T-shirt and beige casual pants, she was fair-skinned and thin, with the typical Shanghainese buzz cut and square face. In her early twenties, a recent university graduate, Song Yu, another intern, was munching on bread, unmoved, browsing the company's internal forum. Qiqi and Zhou Haisheng, used to Weiwei's antics, continued their discussion as if they hadn't heard her. Weiwei suddenly puffed out her stomach, jumped off her chair, and shouted, "I really fell!!" The three of them reluctantly looked up, giving her a forced glance, as if to say, "Weren't you standing there perfectly fine?" Then they went back to what they were doing. Weiwei panicked, slapping the copy of the *Oriental Morning Post* in her hand and shouting, "I'm not talking about me, it's a building under construction that collapsed!" Weiwei then read aloud, "According to this newspaper: At approximately 5:30 AM on June 27th, a building under construction collapsed at a site on the west side of the intersection of Fenghe Road and Luoyang Road in Minhang District, Shanghai, resulting in the death of one construction worker. The accident occurred at Building 7 of the 'Fenghe Shuiyuan' complex on the south bank of the Pudian River. This 13-story residential building under construction was being built by Shanghai Fenghua Construction Co., Ltd. Because the building had not yet been completed and handed over for use, no casualties were reported among residents." Qiqi's almond-shaped eyes widened. "Only one person died? I don't believe it! The developer is truly wicked, a prime example of shoddy construction! Last year during the Wenchuan earthquake, so many substandard buildings collapsed. Now, it's even worse, it collapsed on its own before the earthquake!" Saying this, she put down her milk and went to Weiwei's side to read it with her. Song Yu squeezed the last piece of bread into her mouth, mumbling, "I knew it! It's near my house. I think there was no one inside when they said it was closing." Zhou Haisheng slowly strolled over, pushed up his glasses, and said in a drawn-out voice, "Qiqi, hurry up and check the files at Tianxin's place. See if it's one of our clients' properties. If it is, quickly write a report for the boss and try to take the initiative." Qiqi shook her head: "What are the chances of that happening!"

Zhou Haisheng said earnestly, "Qiqi, why didn't you think of that? We're the Vermilion Bird Department. If this kind of news comes out, and you don't find out beforehand, how embarrassing would it be if clients or other departments in our company asked you and you couldn't answer? You need to have professional awareness!" Weiwei immediately raised her hand and said, "Manager, manager, I'll go! Sister Tianxin has so much gossip, maybe she knows some inside information, I'll go dig it out!"

Just as Weiwei reached the door, Song Yu's phone rang. He habitually adjusted his frameless glasses and picked up the phone: "Hello, Sister Tianxin... Don't you have an appointment with Qianqiu Real Estate?" Zhou Haisheng quickly came over, grabbed the receiver, and said, "Ah... I know, I know, no other clients have appointments this morning... Then let Mr. Lin come up." After hanging up, Zhou Haisheng said seriously to Song Yu, "Work must adhere to principles, but for a top ten real estate company in Shanghai like Qianqiu, do they even need appointments? We can't even get them to come! Go back and memorize the ranking list of companies in various industries in Shanghai that I gave you. You should be able to recite at least the top ten by heart. I'll check tomorrow afternoon!" Song Yu nodded obsequiously and immediately pulled up the statistical table that Zhou Haisheng had mentioned on his computer, and began to review it carefully.

Weiwei tiptoed out of the office glass door. Zhou Haisheng didn't even look at her, saying, "Come back. Didn't I tell you that during your internship, you were responsible for leading guests to my office, asking if they wanted coffee or tea, and then bringing it over? You can't do anything right, all you do is run around to Tianxin's place!" Weiwei mouthed "Yay~," then paused for five seconds, her body stiffening as if petrified. Then she turned to Zhou Haisheng: "Manager, I was just going to the elevator to meet Mr. Lin... Tianxin's palmistry and face reading class is this afternoon." Zhou Haisheng snorted, not calling her out, and turned to enter the manager's office. Before closing the door, he turned back and said through the crack, "Qiqi, we need to secure big clients like Qianqiu. If we maintain good relationships with just one, our department can achieve half of our annual performance target." Qiqi casually responded.

Weiwei had absolutely no liking for this guy surnamed Lin. In his thirties, he was arrogant, with thin, bony cheeks, a rigid center-parted hairstyle, and a cunning look. Most infuriatingly, he reeked of strong perfume, making Weiwei feel nauseous and causing her to cough dramatically, covering her mouth. The skinny Lin walking behind her didn't even care about her; was he even a man? Weiwei asked gruffly, "Mr. Lin, you must be a Capricorn, right?" Lin, the skinny man, stopped, surprised. "Oh my! You wouldn't happen to be the legendary Master Qiqi, would you? You're amazing, you guessed it right away!" Weiwei pouted and said, "Qiqi is my supervisor. I've only been with the company for a week; I'm a trainee." But in her heart, she thought, "That little brat, all skinny and weak, can't lift a finger. What's so great about her? You'll see how amazing Master Weiwei is later! Humph~" Lin, the skinny man, chuckled like a goat, "Looks like I came to the right place. The Prophet Company lives up to its reputation; even the trainees are exceptional. They'll definitely be able to solve our chairman's problem… Little sister, how did you figure out I'm a Capricorn? Teach me!" Weiwei turned around, giving a mysterious smile, "I'm sorry, Mr. Lin, that's a company trade secret." Lin, the skinny man, nodded repeatedly, "I understand, I understand. Such a grand company!"

As Lin the Skinny left, he beamed, shaking Zhou Haisheng's hand repeatedly at the elevator entrance. Weiwei thought with disgust, "He looks better when he doesn't smile." Zhou Haisheng, for the first time since Weiwei joined the company a week ago, smiled at her: "Hey Weiwei, not bad! Mr. Lin was full of praise for your accurate predictions. Your astrological knowledge is amazing! If you do well on this deal, I'll submit a report to apply for your early promotion!" Weiwei laughed uncontrollably, saying, "Capricorn, Pisces, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer—which one do you think he's like? Even if he's a Taurus, he'd have to have that physique, right?" Lin the Skinny pretended not to hear, maintaining his professional smile. Zhou Haisheng probably felt that the deal was going well, so he suppressed the urge to slap Weiwei to death and laughed and scolded, "You crazy girl, all you know how to do is play with your horoscope. Instead of learning palmistry and face reading from Tianxin, I don't think you can fail the test at the end of the month!" After saying that, he went into the manager's office, and when the door was closed a crack, his voice floated out from inside: "Qiqi, come here for a moment."

At the mention of the test, Weiwei panicked, frantically rummaging through the folders in her cubicle, pouting, "Oh no, where did I put the palmistry and face reading review questions? I clearly saw them the day before yesterday..." Song Yu, sitting opposite her, immediately became alert and said, "Don't look at me, they're really not here this time. Didn't you say you took them home to study?" Weiwei paused, then slapped her forehead, "Oh dear! Who said otherwise? They really are at home?! I've been regretting not bringing them back these past few nights! If I had finished reviewing them earlier, with my IQ, I would have passed!" As she spoke, she stood up and walked towards Song Yu. Song Yu became even more vigilant, protecting the review questions on her desk, saying, "The test is the day after tomorrow! I'm not very smart, so I need to study more. You just need to review them once tonight..." "Ah!!! Oh dear... what are you trying to do..."

Although Song Yu had anticipated Weiwei's attack, he hadn't expected her to go so far as to climb onto his desk in broad daylight and launch herself into a ferocious attack, using both hands and feet. Seeing that ugly face looming over him, Song Yu quickly let go. "Oh~ you even copied the answers! Great, I'll give you my copy tomorrow, remember to remind me tonight." Speechless, Song Yu could only sit down, muttering a phrase in Shanghainese, "Xiang wu ning..." Adopting a "good man doesn't fight with a woman" attitude, he patted the footprints Weiwei's high heels had left on his pants and began reviewing the rankings of major companies in Shanghai's various industries.

Weiwei only glanced at it a few times before getting sleepy. She said, "Song Yu, can you even remember all those interpretations? There are hundreds of meanings just for moles on the face alone, damn it… just looking at that face-covering diagram makes me want to vomit! If you look like that, you might as well just kill yourself." Song Yu chuckled, "Who wants to memorize all that old-fashioned stuff in classical Chinese? It's all for the company's end-of-month test." Weiwei leaned closer and whispered to Song Yu, "I heard the test questions are set by Sister Tianxin. Maybe we should try to build some connections this afternoon and see if we can…" "Don't even think about it." "!" Song Yu quickly moved her chair, trying to keep a few centimeters away from Weiwei so that Weiwei wouldn't sense her dislike, and focused intently on the screen: "Look at Sister Tianxin, always laughing and carefree, but I heard from some seniors in other departments that she's very strict, showing no mercy during exams." As the two were chatting, Qiqi hurriedly came out of Zhou Haisheng's office, loudly saying, "Weiwei, Song Yu, pack your things right away and come with me." The two asked in unison, "Another simulated field internship?" "This time it's for real!" Qiqi shouted.

Qiqi looked radiant. She hadn't prepared much; she was already dressed in sportswear, and the only thing she ever picked up was her ever-present violin case. In her first week at work, Weiwei had begged Qiqi to play a piece for her more than fifty times. Qiqi not only refused to play, but she hadn't even shown Weiwei the violin inside, which Weiwei still resented. "Remember, the entire survey process needs to be videotaped, audiotaped, and photographed. If necessary, we need to keep written records on-site so we can compile them into a report later—our general manager loves reading reports, after all." Song Yu was bringing a Panasonic miniature camcorder, while Weiwei was bringing a Canon digital camera. Zhou Haisheng came out and said to Qiqi, who was already at the door, "You should bring a compass; without it, you can't fool laymen." Qiqi sighed and said to Song Yu, "Bring the compass from compartment C of filing cabinet number two." "I'll do it! I'll do it!" Before Song Yu could move, Weiwei jumped over and took the key from Qiqi's hand. Zhou Haisheng said with some concern, "Weiwei, be careful. This Rixingtang compass is made in Taiwan. It was personally customized by the general manager and is worth over 30,000 yuan. It must not be bumped or knocked, and it must not be near a strong magnetic field." "I know!" Weiwei shouted out in standard Sichuan dialect, opened the C-section drawer, and took out the red cloth handbag inside.

Qiqi's white Beetle speeding through the sea of cars no longer elicited any exclamations from Weiwei; she was even dozing off in the back seat. Qiqi was meticulous in everything she did, having passed her driving test three times. Ironically, the first two times, it wasn't the examiner who failed her, but rather she herself felt she had made mistakes during the road test and voluntarily requested a retake. So, one can imagine how superb her driving skills were. Even more impressive, she got an A license, meaning she was qualified to drive a bus. The car drove onto the Yan'an Road elevated highway. Reaching the intersection of Yan'an East Road and Huangpi South Road, a sleepy Weiwei suddenly spotted something unusual, rolled down the window, and stuck her head out to look.

"Quickly pull your head back, it's dangerous!" Qi Qi shouted. Wei Wei didn't pull her head back, and said, "Wow! What a magnificent dragon pillar!" Qi Qi glanced at it sideways and said, "You're so naive." Song Yu also said, "You don't even know about this dragon pillar on Yan'an Road Elevated Highway? Wei Wei, you've been in Shanghai for over a year for nothing." Wei Wei pulled her head back, and said unconvinced, "Isn't it just a dragon carved on it? What's so special about it!" Song Yu laughed, "You're still not convinced when I say you don't know? This dragon is very famous." Wei Wei stared at him, gritted her teeth and said, "Tell me!" Song Yu leaned closer to her, away from her, and said, "I really don't like talking about this. Shanghainese people's ears are calloused from hearing about it, don't you think so, Sister Qi Qi?" Qi Qi nodded with a smile. Wei Wei was most afraid of things she didn't know, and she made a vicious gesture of grabbing Song Yu's neck. Qi Qi said, "Just tell her, there are always people who don't know. Anyway, it's boring on the road." Song Yu had nowhere to escape, and quickly begged for mercy, "I'll tell you, I'll tell you, Sister Qi Qi, please don't listen, it makes me nauseous."

Song Yu sat up straight, cleared her throat, and began to speak: "Back when they were building the elevated highway here, they couldn't get the foundation piles into the ground no matter what they tried. The ground below was harder than iron, and they couldn't find any geological structure. Experts from all walks of life tried every method, but nothing worked. Later, the relevant departments asked the head monk of Longhua Temple for help. The head monk said that there was a dragon vein below, and it was best not to drive piles in. But the project plan was there, and the elevated highway couldn't be completed without it. The head monk sighed, sat down and started chanting sutras. After chanting for three days and three nights, he got up and left. Strangely enough, when they tried to drive the piles again, they succeeded on the first try. Then they heard that the head monk of Longhua Temple passed away the night he returned home. To suppress or commemorate the dragon below, the construction team built this dragon pillar—it's the only elevated highway pillar in Shanghai with a copper-encased carving; the others are just ordinary cement pillars. So you can't deny it!" Weiwei listened with fascination, clamoring that next time she should tell Qiqi to drive slower so she could get a closer look at the dragon.

Chapter Two: Tianyuan's car drove onto Hehua Road in Minhang District. Wei Lai, now brimming with energy, exclaimed, "Sister Qiqi, I know! That goat that just came by was sent by the developer of 'I Collapsed Building,' right? It really is a big case, haha. Once it's cracked, won't it cause a national sensation?" Qiqi asked in surprise, "What 'I Collapsed Building'?" "It's Fenghe Shuiyuan. It lay there so straight, just like the 'I Collapse' thing we say in QQ chat, so it should be called 'I Collapsed Building'!" Qiqi chuckled, then slammed on the brakes, saying, "Get out of the car."

Weiwei was about to say it was still far when Qiqi got off the bus. Song Yu followed, and Weiwei reluctantly got off as well. She was stunned. The bridge over the river where "I Collapsed Building" was located was packed with people, and police cars were parked haphazardly on both sides of the road. Whether the police were there to maintain order or were also there to watch the spectacle, the relationship between the police and the public was harmonious; everyone was enjoying watching the collapsed building and exchanging their opinions. A pretty female tour guide holding up a sign that read "Qinglong Travel Agency" walked past Weiwei, speaking in a high-pitched voice to a dozen or so foreigners behind her in English. After she finished speaking, the foreigners' eyes lit up. They all raised their cameras and video cameras and started snapping pictures of "I Collapsed Building" from a distance. Weiwei, unable to understand English, nudged Song Yu and whispered, "What was the tour guide saying?" Song Yu frowned and said, "That's outrageous! They actually developed such a bizarre 'Tower Collapse Day Tour'! How could this travel agency even think of that!" Weiwei laughed so hard she almost fell over, saying, "Foreigners have to pay to see it, but our company organizes its own tour, it's free. Sister Qiqi, we can't see clearly from here, let's squeeze over to the bridge." Qiqi said, "One glance is enough. We have important business to attend to, so take your things and follow me."

Their destination was Tianyuan Apartments, a residential building for sale just a few dozen meters behind the building where "I Collapsed." The sales office outside the main entrance of Tianyuan Apartments was bustling with noise. The sales staff were all huddled inside their offices, afraid to show their faces. Five or six security guards were on high alert, preventing the crowd from entering. Among the crowd, some spoke Shanghainese, others various dialects, and still others Mandarin, all converging into a chorus of voices: "Refund! Compensation!"

Two police cars, flanking a black Porsche 911 Turbo sports car with its duckbill nose, round headlights, and fastback design, roared in. The crowd fell silent. Eight police officers jumped out of the two cars to maintain order. Lin, the skinny guy, got out of the Porsche first, then scurried to the other side and respectfully opened the door. A young man over 180cm tall, with a high nose, deep-set eyes, and sharp features, wearing Dior sunglasses, Lee jeans, and Ariat cowboy boots, stepped out. Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, "Gao Jinze! That's Gao Jinze! The general manager of Qianqiu Real Estate's Shanghai branch! Everyone surround him! He's not allowed to leave until he gets a refund!" Gao Jinze turned his head, glanced at the person who shouted, and his cold, electric gaze sent a chill down the man's spine, causing him to shut up. Gao Jinze slowly walked towards the crowd, and everyone instinctively made way for him, watching him enter the sales office. Lin Shouzi had already spotted Qiqi and called the three of them to follow him into the sales office. As soon as the door closed, the noise outside returned.

After listening to Lin the Skinny's introduction, Gao Jinze, sitting in his large executive chair with a furrowed brow, made no attempt to hide his disdain as he looked Qiqi up and down. He said in heavily accented Cantonese, "You're quite the pretty girl, aren't you? Your general manager's mistress?" He then turned to Lin the Skinny, displeased, and said, "Lin, does Prophet Company even have the sincerity to cooperate? My 500,000 yuan prepayment has already been transferred, and this is the girl they send me? I might as well go to a nightclub; they're not that expensive!" Before Qiqi could react, Weiwei exploded, stepping forward to Gao Jinze, her eyes wide with anger, and roared, "Who are you calling a mistress? I think you look more like a gigolo!" Qiqi quickly grabbed Weiwei's arm and pulled her back, but Weiwei just snorted at Gao Jinze again.

Gao Jinze was stunned. Having been pampered since childhood, he had never been yelled at like that before, especially not by a girl so ugly she was practically a marshmallow, dressed in bizarre costumes with thick, brush-like false eyelashes, and then insulted as a gigolo?! His hands trembled as he pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket, calmly wiping the spittle Weiwei had spat at his face. He then abruptly threw the handkerchief to the ground, tilting his head, gritting his teeth, and glaring at Weiwei. Weiwei, a little frightened, stubbornly refused to back down. Qiqi stepped forward, blocking Weiwei's path, and calmly said, "Mr. Gao, you came all the way from Guangzhou to resolve the crisis caused by the collapse of Fenghe Shuiyuan for Tianyuan Apartments' sales, not to see me, your mistress, or to argue with our company's interns. If the problem cannot be resolved, our company will provide a full refund."

A few words calmed Gao Jinze down. He had been appointed to this critical mission. As the nominal general manager of Qianqiu Real Estate's Shanghai branch, he rarely appeared in Shanghai, focusing more on the real estate business at the Guangzhou headquarters. He always felt that while the selling price of real estate in Shanghai was high, the costs were also high, making it generally unprofitable. Therefore, he usually entrusted the management of Shanghai's properties to Vice President Lin You (Skinny Lin). He was woken up by his father's phone call this morning and only then learned about this situation. What angered him even more was that his father, a firm believer in feng shui, had desperately sought out some feng shui company in Shanghai for him. In his view, this should be handled through crisis management, utilizing all the connections and funds the head office had in Shanghai to resolve the issue. Gao Jinze was a person who only believed in himself and not in others, let alone superstitious or supernatural things. He was a top student in the architecture department at MIT, and he had advised against buying this land at the board meeting. Building high-rises on a riverbank with complex geological conditions and turbulent currents, and digging underground parking garages, was inherently dangerous. As a result, Xu Qin, the executive director of the head office who supposedly knew about feng shui, argued with him heatedly, saying that he had drunk too much Western knowledge, had forgotten his roots, and didn't know the principle of "water in the Mingtang (bright hall) signifies wealth," and that the building would definitely sell well once it was completed. Now that something went wrong, that executive director has fallen silent, and his father had to send him over to clean up the mess.

He recalled his father's earnest words to him before boarding the plane: "This trip to Shanghai concerns your future position, whether you can succeed me. The company I've hired, Prophet, is renowned in Shanghai. Every property they advise on sells like hotcakes; your Uncle Xu even mentioned it." Uncle Xu was Xu Qin, the executive director who claimed to understand feng shui, but he'd become a coward when Tianyuan Apartments was in trouble. Seeing that Prophet hadn't even sent a dignified, intimidating old man, only a baby-faced pretty girl and two young assistants, he felt utterly disrespected! However, he couldn't explain himself to his father if he didn't put on a show.

Gao Jinze patiently asked Qiqi, "What's your company's business process?" Qiqi calmly replied, "This morning, Vice President Lin and our Zhuque Department Manager communicated and anticipated that some residents would cause trouble. Our company is responsible for assisting in resolving this matter." "'Assisting'? You should know that even the municipal government is helpless right now. How can you assist?" Gao Jinze was somewhat annoyed. He disliked Qiqi's confident and composed demeanor. A young girl, barely 160cm tall, looking at most 20 years old, pretending to be a feng shui master? Just wait and see how she embarrasses herself. "The key issue now is—whether the Tianyuan Apartment building will collapse," Qiqi stated bluntly. Gao Jinze frowned and said, "Of course not. I participated in the entire design process of this building, and its construction quality is among the best in Shanghai." Qi Qi remained calm: "I believe you, but my belief is useless. The owners who have already bought Tianyuan Apartments don't believe it, and neither do the potential buyers." Gao Jinze's brows furrowed deeply, and he said in a low voice, "Indeed... The trouble is that no one believes us. Once Building 7 of Fenghe Shuiyuan collapsed, none of the surrounding buildings were able to escape unscathed. So tell me, how should we resolve this?" "Delay it." Qi Qi said decisively, "Don't give in, don't refund a single unit, otherwise it will become uncontrollable. Anyway, the focus of the conflict is on Fenghe Shuiyuan right now. Before the government gives a clear explanation, Tianyuan Apartments is safe." Gao Jinze immediately instructed Lin Shouzi: "Go to Xuhuiyuan and get eight security guards for me to guard Tianyuan Apartments day and night. Remember, they must not fight back or talk back. Each person will receive a bonus of two hundred yuan per day." Lin Shouzi immediately made the call to arrange for the men. Gao Jinze said, "However, my dad spent 500,000 yuan not just to hear your advice, right?" Qi Qi sighed and said to Song Yu, "Take out the compass." Gao Jinze's eyes lit up, thinking that Qi Qi was beginning to follow the procedure. In fact, in Qi Qi's view, her survey was already over.

The compass was wrapped in several layers of red soft cloth. Gao Jinze was very curious. He knew that the compass, one of China's Four Great Inventions, was actually the same as the feng shui compass. The compass was invented for feng shui purposes, just as gunpowder was supposedly invented by Taoist priests to refine elixirs of immortality—a rather absurd notion. This compass was exquisitely crafted, square on the outside and round on the inside. The square was made of red bakelite, and the inner round disc was made of brass, densely engraved with characters, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura. In the center was a small disc containing a compass needle, which was constantly moving.

The main entrance of Tianyuan Apartment is beautifully constructed, featuring a white marble archway. The complex boasts bridges, streams, pavilions, willows, and cobblestone paths. It comprises ten elevator apartment buildings, each 15 stories high, in a typical antique style. A pair of lifelike stone Pixiu statues, each over two meters tall, stand at the entrance. The steps and walls are covered with solid pieces of white marble, gleaming like mirrors. Building C of Tianyuan Apartment directly faces the collapsed Building 7 of Fenghe Shuiyuan. Building 7 was built along the Linpu Dian River; now, with Building 7 gone, Building C faces the river directly. A gentle river breeze makes it quite pleasant. Based on her feng shui intuition, upon entering Tianyuan Apartment, she immediately sensed that Building C was likely the most prone to problems among the ten buildings, as it directly faced the collapsed Building 7 of Fenghe Shuiyuan, sharing a high degree of similarity in location and conditions. Qiqi noticed that Building C was different from Buildings A and B, which she had just seen. The entrance to Building C seemed a bit narrow, and the height seemed a bit too high.

Outside the narrow, tall, turquoise-green apartment building C, Qiqi held a compass horizontally, her hands resting on her lower abdomen at the navel level. The compass needle swayed gently, gradually stabilizing with Qiqi's subtle adjustments to her body and hands. Qiqi said to Song Yu, "Qian Mountain, Xun Direction, write it down." Song Yu put down the camera, picked up a notebook and pen, and quickly jotted it down. Weiwei took photos nearby. "This is called 'Sitting Qian, Facing Xun,' it's the building's air intake. The good and bad fortune within the building are related to the orientation of this air intake. You two take a look at the compass. In a little while, we'll measure the orientation again in the center of the lobby; it'll usually match the outside measurement," Qiqi explained. Because this was their first practical survey, Weiwei and Song Yu were both very attentive. They both leaned in to look at the compass needle. Gao Jinze also wanted to take a look, but fearing it would be beneath his dignity, he only glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and didn't get close.

Qi Qi entered the lobby of Building C, a space of about 80 square meters with white marble floors and a light blue wooden frame ceiling carved with dragons and phoenixes. The lighting was soft. Two light blue leather sofas sat in the lobby, looking quite comfortable. A huge ink wash landscape painting hung directly opposite the door; upon closer inspection, it turned out to be painted in oil painting style—unexpectedly, yet possessing a classical and fashionable beauty. Below the painting was a row of neat green wooden mailboxes, labeled with the names of each apartment. There were five apartments per floor, with two staircases on each side, totaling 150 apartments, all neatly arranged. After visually assessing the surroundings, she chose what she considered the center point of the building, stood still, and used the compass again. The compass needle pointed directly to the line where the Qian and Kan palaces met. Qi Qi frowned, gently turning the compass; the needle remained firmly on the boundary line. Song Yu peeked over and took a look, noting it down. Qi Qi shook her head: "Impossible... Such a good orientation, how could it turn into an ominous sign of 'Great Void' as soon as you enter the building..."

Weiwei, seemingly lost in thought, exclaimed, "What 'Great Void'? Sounds pretty cool!" Qiqi pointed to the red line running through the compass face and said, "Simply put, the entire compass face is divided into eight equal parts, each representing one of the eight trigrams. Just now at the door, the orientation I measured was in the Qian Palace of Tianyuan Apartment, but now there's a slight change in degree, and the orientation is now exactly at the boundary between the Qian and Kan Palaces. In Feng Shui, this is called 'Great Void'! It's a very ominous sign. I've rarely actually measured it." Gao Jinze said dismissively, "The reinforced concrete inside the building affects the compass's magnetic field, so a slight change in degree is normal. So what if it's 'Great Void'? My building is still selling like hotcakes." He thought to himself, "Sensationalism, trying to rip off more money? No way!"

Qi Qi didn't argue with him. She put away the compass, looked down at her feet for a while, and then gracefully approached Gao Jinze, who was looking at her. She asked in a low voice, "What problems occurred when the foundation of Building C was laid?" "The foundation took a long time to lay... Lin, do you know what the problems were?" Gao Jinze turned to ask Lin the Skinny. Lin the Skinny's eyes flickered, and he said repeatedly, "There was an underground current, so the piles weren't strong enough, which wasted more materials and time. You approved the increased budget later, didn't you?" Gao Jinze thought for a moment and nodded. Qi Qi pressed Lin Shouzi, "Did you consult a feng shui master when laying the foundation? Did you really just add a few ingredients and it's fine?" Lin Shouzi's face darkened, and he said unhappily, "Miss Qi Qi, even if you're a feng shui master, you can't possibly know more about foundations than I do, can you?" Qi Qi smiled, brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and said, "My compass tells me there's a problem with the cement in the foundation." Gao Jinze chuckled and said, "Miss Qi Qi, you're probably just speculating, aren't you? If products from a listed company like Conch Cement have quality problems, then no building could be constructed." Qi Qi shook her head and said, "I'm afraid the cement poured into our foundation isn't Conch brand." Gao Jinze exclaimed, "How could that be! Conch Cement is our Qianqiu's strategic partner and our sole supplier. How could the cement in our foundation not be Conch!" Qi Qi smiled without answering, only looking at Lin Shouzi. Lin Shouzi, as if burned by fire, averted his gaze towards the elevator beside him. Gao Jinze seemed to casually ask, "Right, Lin?"

Lin, looking suffocated, mumbled a reply, finally saying, "The foundation for Building C is 30% more expensive than the other buildings..." Gao Jinze's tone remained unchanged as he asked, "I mean, all the cement used in our company's buildings is from Conch Cement, right?" Lin's face contorted in a grimace, "Mr. Gao... I had no choice... This foundation is way over budget, all to ensure the building can be successfully constructed—" "Don't you understand my question?" Gao Jinze's voice suddenly sharpened. Lin, the skinny man, trembled and said in a trembling voice, "Yes, no, no, it's... a cement factory in Kunshan... the quality is absolutely top-notch, it just passed ISO quality certification!" Gao Jinze reached out to Lin's waist, grabbed the wide end of his tie, and rolled it around his collar, bringing Lin's flushed face close to his own. He said, word by word, "This morning I was bragging to my dad that I designed this building, and the building materials are top-notch, there's definitely no risk of it collapsing—" Gao Jinze pressed on, "How many units have been sold in Building C? Is the occupancy rate high?" Lin breathed a sigh of relief and said, as if taking credit, "More than eighty units have been sold, and more than thirty households have moved in." Gao Jinze broke out in a cold sweat, weakly pushing Lin away, and said, "Have the residents move out immediately, the company will cover the rent, and then secretly reinforce the building immediately, at any cost, quickly!"

Lin, the skinny guy, had just rushed to the main entrance when he was stopped. Two men, one tall and one short, who looked like government officials, showed him a piece of paper stamped with an official seal and said, "Are you the person in charge of Tianyuan Apartments? We are from the municipal government. All the buildings under construction and for sale on Hehua Road must now be maintained as they are and undergo a unified safety inspection and assessment by the government. Please cooperate." Lin, the skinny guy, quickly agreed, then glanced back helplessly and saw Gao Jinze's cold, piercing gaze fixed on him. He hurriedly lowered his head again. At this moment, an old woman, dressed in stained coarse cloth clothes, worn-out black cloth shoes, with a head full of messy silver hair and a hunched figure, dragged a dirty woven bag in one hand, the empty cans and bottles inside making a crisp sound against the white marble steps. She leaned on a cane and shakily entered the lobby, heading towards the elevator on the right. The two civil servants exchanged a puzzled look. The taller one said sternly to Lin the Skinny, "From now on, all residents of this building must move out. No one may live here until the government's safety assessment report is released." Lin the Skinny nodded obsequiously, put his hands on the old woman's side, and whispered in her ear, "Grandma Qian, you can't live in your house now. I'll find you another place to live!" Grandma Qian's blank eyes instantly revealed a deep despair and terror. Her legs went weak, and she knelt down before Lin the Skinny, holding onto her cane.

Lin, the skinny man, was extremely embarrassed. He squatted down to help her up, but Granny Qian dropped her cane and clung to Lin's arms, stammering and unable to utter a complete sentence. Two streams of tears flowed down her cheeks. As if afraid Granny Qian would speak, Lin half-helped, half-dragged her towards the door, gesturing for the two security guards to come and assist. The short civil servant, somewhat disapproving, said to Lin, "Show some respect to the elderly. I forgot to tell you, if there are widespread complaints or petitions from homeowners, the development will be suspended from sales for six months to two years, depending on the severity!" Lin, with a pained expression, said, "Comrade, I understand. Can't I arrange for this old lady to stay at the company hotel?" The short civil servant nodded in satisfaction. Unexpectedly, Granny Qian jumped up and shouted in a shrill voice, "I'm not going anywhere! I'm staying with my son!" The short civil servant nodded and said to Skinny Lin, "That's right, the old lady needs care. Her son can stay in the hotel with her, okay?" Skinny Lin looked troubled and hesitated, "Well..." The short civil servant's face darkened. He was ostensibly discussing it with Skinny Lin, but in reality, there was no room for negotiation. He hadn't expected this skinny guy to dare disobey!

Lin the Skinny, of course, noticed the short man's unfriendly expression and hurriedly explained, "This old woman is crazy. Her son is a construction worker for the Tianyuan Apartment project. He mysteriously disappeared last year while this building was under construction, and there's been no news of him since. He probably went home, but nobody knows where he is. Where am I supposed to look? Besides, her son works for the construction contractor; he has nothing to do with Qianqiu Real Estate!" The short man nodded and said, "I see. But she's so poor, how could she afford such an expensive apartment in Tianyuan? Does anyone take care of her?" Lin the Skinny quickly replied, "She didn't buy an apartment. She came all the way from her hometown to look for her son, and she won't leave if she can't find him. She should be looking for the construction contractor... Our company is just taking pity on her and letting her stay temporarily." "In this empty apartment... Don't worry, our company will take good care of her." Grandma Qian lay on the ground, affectionately stroking the white marble floor in the center of the lobby, murmuring in her broken teeth and difficult dialect, "Awu, Awu, Mother won't leave." A young security guard with a dark complexion entered, helped Grandma Qian up, and said to Lin the Skinny, "Manager, Awu and I are good friends. I've been taking care of her. Let Grandma stay in my rented room for now, and I'll continue to take care of her." Lin the Skinny took out his wallet, quickly counted out 1,000 yuan, and stuffed it into the young security guard's hand, saying, "Xiao Wei, take good care of her. I'll give you 1,000 yuan every month from now on." Security guard Xiao Wei silently accepted the money, carrying a woven bag and a cane in one hand, and supporting Grandma Qian with the other, they clattered and jingled as they went out. This time, Grandma Qian didn't cry or make a fuss, and obediently followed.

Qi Qi bid farewell to Gao Jinze and Lin Shouzi. Gao Jinze, no longer daring to underestimate this pretty young woman, possessed a strong logical mind and often judged people's character based on their abilities. He immediately felt a sense of goodwill towards Qi Qi and personally escorted her to the lobby. The homeowners in front of the sales office had mostly dispersed, presumably having heeded the advice of the two civil servants and gone home to await their "explanation." Gao Jinze proactively shook hands with Qi Qi and said, "I'm ashamed. If it weren't for you, I would have been careless and lost the initiative. For this alone, 500,000 is worth it." Qi Qi calmly replied, "Fortunately, the occupancy rate wasn't high, so a major mistake wasn't made. Better late than never." Gao Jinze nodded and said, "Ever since I studied architecture, I've been determined to build the most stable, reasonable, and affordable buildings, 'to shelter all the poor and make them happy.'" Qi Qi smiled and said, "The ideal is good, but a bit unrealistic. If Mr. Gao can handle this Tianyuan Apartment well, he will have already accumulated countless merits." "Goodbye." "Don't go yet!" Gao Jinze asked reluctantly, "When will you come again? Can Tianyuan's current crisis be resolved with feng shui?" Qi Qi thought for a moment, sighed, and said, "Feng shui can solve natural problems very well, but it is often powerless against human problems. Because people are too 'dynamic.' Tianyuan's foundation has problems, big problems. You need to find a way to solve them first." Gao Jinze quickly said, "I already know that, I will secretly reinforce it!" Qi Qi looked at Lin Shouzi following behind Gao Jinze, hesitated, turned around and left. Song Yu and Weiwei followed closely behind.

Chapter 3: On the way back, the prophet was sullen and unhappy.

Upon entering, I saw Zhou Haisheng pacing around in the center of the Vermilion Bird Department office. Upon seeing Qiqi, Zhou Haisheng beamed and asked, "What did you gain from the trip to Tianyuan Apartment?" Qiqi shook her head and said, "Nothing much, just routine business." Weiwei exclaimed in surprise, "How can you say 'nothing much'? That was so exciting! I just realized how amazing Sister Qiqi is. She just turned the compass and saw that the cement at Tianyuan Apartment was counterfeit. She's incredible! That guy surnamed Gao was completely terrified. He looked so funny, right, Song Yu?" Song Yu nodded in agreement and said, "Sister Qiqi is amazing. That Mr. Gao was running around like a baby, completely flustered." Hearing the compliment, Qiqi didn't show any joy. Instead, her face turned cold. She said, "I sent you two kids to learn how to do things, not how to flatter. Instead of being so dramatic, why don't you help me write today's case report! Mr. Zhou, you can ask them for the report tomorrow. I'm going to lunch!" Song Yu and Weiwei exchanged glances, wondering what had happened to the usually gentle and kind Sister Qiqi. Wasn't she quite impressive during the business she was handling earlier? Zhou Haisheng pulled the two of them to sit opposite each other on the sofa and said, "Qiqi has this bad temper of hers. She's so compassionate. When I was mentoring her, she would take other people's sad stories as her own. Don't mind her, she'll be fine tomorrow. You two should talk about the whole process of your meeting with General Manager Gao of Qianqiu Real Estate's Shanghai branch today. Make sure you don't miss any details."

Weiwei described the story like a storyteller, while Song Yu occasionally added important details. Zhou Haisheng listened silently, his thoughts unknown. After they finished speaking, he offered no comment, only saying, "Write a report tomorrow. Your involvement in this case will make you stand out among these interns, greatly benefiting your promotion to full-time positions in three months. I'll speak to Vice President Shang on your behalf." Weiwei and Song Yu were deeply grateful. Zhou Haisheng kindly sent them off to eat.

The company's cafeteria was located in a 30-square-meter private room on the 13th floor corner. In a super-A-grade office building where every inch of space is incredibly valuable, costing $8 per square meter per day, having a dedicated cafeteria was undoubtedly a luxury for any company. It was during lunchtime that Song Yu and Weiwei met their colleagues and leaders from the Azure Dragon Department and the Planning Department, but they didn't know most of their names, let alone talk to them. However, the other trainees from other departments who joined at the same time were all recent graduates in their early twenties, newcomers to the workforce. They often greeted each other when they met, and although they didn't know each other's names, there was a strange sense of kinship. Except for—that strange guy named "Xiu." Only "Xiu" was someone Song Yu and Weiwei knew his name, yet they just couldn't get to know him.

This Xiu always goes alone, never accompanied by anyone, nor does he exchange pleasantries with anyone, not even his superiors in the Azure Dragon Department—the beautiful Xi Shu and manager Qin Ge! That's incredibly audacious! Wei Wei tried to greet Xiu a few times, but he completely ignored her. However, she wasn't annoyed. In her words: "He dares to ignore his superiors, so it's understandable that he ignores me."

What's strangest about Xiu isn't his aversion to socializing, but rather that he always wears a black, traditional Chinese jacket, spotless white socks, and black cloth shoes with thick soles. Weiwei forgave him because of his flowing, waist-length hair. Weiwei felt he was perfectly qualified to audition for a Pantene commercial or act in an idol drama like "Palace." The way he walked exuded melancholy and loneliness; his indifferent eyes and delicate features combined the best qualities of the two male leads in "Palace," "Xin" and "Lu." Moreover, his name was only one character. He was most captivating when he pursed his lips. Unfortunately, from the job fair to the company in the past week, Weiwei hadn't heard Xiu speak a single word. Weiwei increasingly longed to hear Xiu's voice, fantasizing, like a teenage girl in puberty, that it must be a deep, gentle, magnetic voice, endlessly charming.

As usual, Xiu hid in the west corner, eating slowly alone against the wall. He was almost always the first to arrive and the last to leave, spending the company's lunch break from 12 to 1 a.m. eating. Weiwei even suspected that he counted each grain of rice before eating and ate while sleeping, otherwise why would it take so long? But she couldn't verify it. A few times, out of curiosity, Weiwei glanced at his stainless steel plate after he got up and found that there wasn't a single grain of rice, a single leaf of vegetable, or a drop of soup left; it was so clean that it could hold a new meal.

Weiwei and Song Yu arrived late. The dining room was empty except for Xiu, not even Qiqi was there. Normally, she wouldn't eat so quickly. Xianzhi Company is located in the heart of Shanghai's central Huangpu District, on the Bund. Its rooftop features a large lotus flower, making it a Shanghai landmark. It borders People's Square to the west, offering panoramic views of the Huangpu River and the Bund. However, the surrounding restaurants are incredibly expensive, far beyond what a junior intern like Weiwei could afford. Fortunately, the company's management was understanding and ordered lunch from a nearby restaurant, delivered promptly at noon. Since Weiwei was new to Shanghai and often only had leftover vegetables at the nearby market after work, lunch was extremely important. She had a huge appetite, so she cultivated a good relationship with the delivery lady. The lady would always give her extra food, ensuring she could barely stay full until the end of the workday, allowing her to travel for over an hour by bus and subway before finally arriving home in Hongkou District without collapsing from exhaustion.

Weiwei casually greeted Xiu with a "Hi." She immediately regretted it, thinking she should have been more reserved; this guy never responded, which always made her lose face. Luckily, only Song Yu was there today, and Weiwei already considered Song Yu "one of her own." Unexpectedly, Xiu miraculously turned halfway around and nodded slightly at her. Was that a nod of greeting? Weiwei increasingly suspected it was her imagination or that Xiu had planned to make that gesture, and that her "Hi" was purely coincidental. However, Xiu quickly turned his head away, leaving the two of them with his tall, slender back.

The Azure Dragon Division Chief, Xi Shu, swayed in with an air of elegance! Her chestnut-brown, shoulder-length, wavy hair was perfectly styled, fluffy and curly. Her oval face was meticulously made up; there were no visible traces of makeup, but it was undeniably applied, a testament to her skillful makeup artistry. She wore a white silk blouse with the collar plunging three centimeters above her chest—a perfect position. It subtly outlined the curves of her full breasts, yet revealed nothing. One's attention was immediately drawn to the necklace around her neck, adorned with perfectly rounded pearls, each no less than 1.5 centimeters long, worth tens of thousands. She raised a hand, revealing long, elegant fingers and meticulously manicured nails. Her nail polish was never chipped; it was changed weekly, leaving them gleaming and flawless. Every expression and movement, at any time and in any place, seemed meticulously rehearsed, a feast for the eyes. Whether living or non-living, everyone around her was instantly captivated, willingly or unwillingly revolving around her. She was haughty towards almost everyone, yet no one ever found her rude. This same woman, starting from the job fair a week prior, had been unusually warm and kind to Song Yu and Weiwei, leaving them flattered, apprehensive, bewildered, and sweating profusely. Whenever Song Yu saw Xiu and Xi Shu together, he would naturally recall the day he attended the Prophet job fair a week earlier. The impression that day had left a deep impression on him. In fact, even now, Song Yu still often finds it hard to believe that he's already working at the Bund Center!

One week ago, Shanghai, Xuhui District, Shanghai Stadium

Under the scorching sun, Song Yu listlessly wandered around the job fair at the Shanghai Gymnasium. That morning, he had intended to stay indoors playing World of Warcraft, but he couldn't stand his mother's nagging any longer. He slammed down the mouse, turned around, and said, "If you and Dad hadn't forced me to study that damn 'Business Administration' major, would I be having this much trouble finding a job?" His mother paused, then said, "Who told you that this major was the hottest when you took the college entrance exam… Besides, Dongfang University is a prestigious university, and a prestigious university's Business Administration program—" "—It's no use! Mom, do you know how many MBAs come back from overseas every year? They're all considered 'seaweed,' stinking on the streets, nobody wants them. What company would want a mere undergraduate like me?" "Well, you can't… just play games all day…" His mother, typical of Shanghai old ladies, unconsciously lowered her voice an octave when others raised their voices. "How many times have I told you! I'm not playing games, I'm selling equipment and game currency! I'm making money! I don't think I've asked you for any money this month, have I?" Song Yu retorted. Neither of them spoke.

"On a night when nine moons are full, swim across a lake formed from the tears of lovers at minus 40 degrees Celsius..." The phone rang, seemingly both inopportune and perfectly timed. This was a ringtone Song Yu had set specifically for Shu Shu. Song Yu deliberately hesitated for a moment before answering: "Why didn't you answer my calls yesterday?" Shu Shu replied cheerfully, "I was having an interview yesterday, how could I answer? Let me tell you, I got a job, a clerk at a Japanese company in Hongkou. Why did you turn off your phone after yesterday? I was hoping you'd treat me to dinner to celebrate! And you? The company you interviewed with yesterday—" Song Yu suddenly felt disgusted by Shu Shu's voice. He remembered the contemptuous look the fat HR manager had given him during the interview yesterday. He had almost wanted to run away then, and the subsequent questions and answers were incredibly dry. Song Yu felt like he was just going through the motions. Heaven knows why that fat man was so dramatic when he heard that Song Yu had just graduated: "Our company only hires salespeople with more than two years of experience. What's wrong with you?" Song Yu was furious, but he stammered, "You should have seen my resume before... Didn't the job posting say 'no experience required'?" The fat man sneered, "Wait until we've trained you, and then you jump ship to another company?" Song Yu didn't know what to say to him. Lowering his stance to apply for a sales position at this small company was already infuriating enough, but he still got the cold shoulder. He said calmly, "Then I'll go back and gain two years of experience before coming back." After saying that, he grabbed his resume from in front of the fat man, stuffed it into his bag, and turned to leave the dimly lit, rudimentary office with simple desks and chairs and walls that were only lightly painted white.

“Who has time to go to that shabby little company! Another multinational trading company invited me for an interview today; their office is near People's Square,” Song Yu said in a cold voice. “Oh, that’s great! Once you’ve decided, let’s go to Haoleidi KTV in Xujiahui to celebrate…” Song Yu hung up the phone before she could finish. Song’s mother had been listening intently; usually, when her son answered Shushu’s calls, she would impatiently gesture for her to leave. She asked incredulously, “No wonder you didn’t go to the Shanghai Stadium… so a big company is interviewing you. It’s at People’s Square, right? Take bus 56 to Xujiahui and then transfer to subway line 1. The subway is crowded in the morning; won’t it be too packed? Or maybe you should buy a scooter to work…” Song’s mother grumbled as she opened the wardrobe, took out Song Yu’s only white shirt, and put it on him. Song Yu let her button the shirt tightly around the neck with a blank expression, then put on his leather shoes and silently left.

The sweltering heat almost suffocated him. The June sun was intense, even in the morning.

Song Yu boarded the No. 56 bus with stiff knees. The air conditioning, blasting, made him a little more comfortable. He had nowhere else to go, so to kill time, he decided to visit the Shanghai Stadium, an hour's drive away. Shanghai is a vast, flat plain, without slopes or mountains. It consists of 13 districts, each filled with buildings and streets, with no farmland. A single long street can be longer than the city center of a small city. There are no dividing lines between the districts, making it feel like 13 medium-sized cities strung together. Crossing downtown Shanghai takes about 3 or 4 hours by bus, so often, a single trip to run an errand can take up an entire day.

He regretted it the moment he arrived at the entrance of the Shanghai Stadium. It was even more outrageous than the previous job fairs; not only was it a sea of people, but you were practically being pushed forward without even walking. Song Yu nervously clutched his Converse shoulder bag to his chest, struggled a few times, and was quickly squeezed into the "Investment, Foreign Trade, and Logistics" recruitment area. The venue seemed less crowded inside, but the booths of some well-known companies were still surrounded by layers of people; he couldn't even see the staff or the job openings, let alone submit a resume. Song Yu sighed, letting his guard down. He only had one resume in his bag today, which he'd taken from Fatty yesterday. The previous times he'd attended these job fairs, he'd brought over twenty resumes, keeping one for each booth he thought was suitable. Today, he watched like an outsider, observing the hopeful faces of job seekers drift by. He knew that what awaited them was only a long wait, followed by disappointment, and then despair.

Many companies, not wanting employees, still attend job fairs. Many individuals, not seeking employment, also attend. Song Yu overheard his cousin, a few years his senior and a successful recruitment manager, saying, "Many bosses are cunning. Advertising in newspapers is too expensive now; job postings are much cheaper. They exaggerate their company's reputation during introductions, and with so many job seekers at the fair, what a great advertising effect! They collect resumes but don't even take them back to their offices; they just throw them in the trash." As for himself, he had absolutely no intention of seeking employment. Why was he there? For Shushu? For his mother? Or for himself? After wandering around the stadium for half an hour, it was lunchtime. Like everyone else, with no other choice, he spent 10 yuan on a boxed lunch that looked rather stale, intending to find a corner to eat it. Against the wall, a group of loudly talking migrant workers and country girls were already squatting together eating their boxed lunches. The girl closest to Song Yu was a chubby woman, less than 150cm tall, with a crooked ponytail, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with a strawberry pattern, khaki breeches, and blue Nike shoes (Song Yu knew at a glance they were fake). She actually offered him her dirty, footprint-covered newspaper as a seat. He was horrified and fled before finishing his lunch. The thought of her loud, animated chewing and animated talking made Song Yu feel nauseous.

He moved mechanically. Most of the company booths had already been cleared away, and many resumes lay scattered under the long tables in the small cubicles, covered with messy footprints. Strangely, in the "Advertising, Consulting, and Services" recruitment area, there was still a large booth with four long lines. As a true Shanghainese, Song Yu never bothered with the jostling and pushing of others—things like crowding onto buses or rushing to get food in the school cafeteria were utterly despised. On the contrary, he felt that orderly queuing was a sign of good manners, and sometimes he would even unconsciously join the line, only asking what they did when it was his turn. Was he perhaps a "queue addict"?

This time, he was once again drawn in without realizing it. Standing behind four rows of people, he peered through the gaps at the company's promotional display boards inside the booth. The building used as the backdrop for the boards was all too familiar to Song Yu. Or rather, every Shanghainese, and even those from other parts of China residing in Shanghai, would be intimately familiar with it—the Bund Center—comprising a super-A-grade office building, the Westin Shanghai Hotel, and Westin Apartments. It occupies 20,000 square meters, with a total construction area of 190,000 square meters and a total investment of 400 million US dollars. The office building has 50 floors and is 198 meters tall, currently the tallest building on the Bund. Song Yu remembers the historical background and data of all the famous and even lesser-known buildings in Shanghai. He has a fervent passion for collecting catalogs, photos, and information about these buildings. Actually, he had previously wanted to study architecture at Dongfang University and then go abroad to study architecture at MIT. Unfortunately, he only had a mother who was on sick leave and a father who often only received a basic salary and whose factory was barely surviving. So he gave up his idea of studying abroad early and chose to study business administration at Dongfang University.

He softly read the company introduction on the display board: "Prophet Special Affairs Consulting Co., Ltd., founded in 1999, is headquartered in Manhattan, New York, USA. Its Greater China headquarters is located on the 13th floor of the Bund Center in Shanghai. It is a real estate and personal life planning consulting company. The Greater China region has four departments: Vermilion Bird, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise. Due to company development needs, we are now recruiting one White Tiger Department Manager, one Assistant to the Deputy General Manager, one Black Tortoise Department Supervisor, one Pudong Office Manager, one Clerk, and two trainees each for the Vermilion Bird and Azure Dragon departments. Excellent benefits are offered. Applications are welcome." Could this be the legendary Feng Shui company?! Song Yu had vaguely heard tales about such companies. Almost all real estate developers consulted Feng Shui masters when buying land and building; they wouldn't dare act rashly without a Feng Shui consultation. In fact, many high-rise buildings and structures have many legends, especially their rooftop signs. These signs even involve magical battles with surrounding buildings! He relished such tales. However, he believes that the lotus flower on the roof of the Bund Center office building must have a story, but unfortunately he has almost never heard any related legends, which makes him particularly concerned about news related to the Bund Center.

His pause in thought resembled queuing. He was second in line. So, he was essentially staring at the back of the person in front of him. His back was tall and slender, a typical "inverted triangle" physique honed through years of gym training. His hair was long, flowing down his back. The dark outfit he wore was one Song Yu had seen his father wear when he was little, and he vaguely knew the fabric was called "Xiangyun yarn," a very expensive material. The person received a form and was guided aside by the knowledgeable staff to fill it out. Just as Song Yu reached for the form, it vanished from the staff member's hand in a flash. Then, someone behind him chuckled, "I write slowly, I'll fill it out first." The voice sounded familiar. Turning around, Song Yu almost bumped into a warm, chubby, smiling face. He shuddered, quickly shrinking back, and as he focused his gaze—first he saw a familiar crooked ponytail, then a pair of small eyes, a flat nose, and thick, parted lips, all smiling in an exaggerated, distorted way—he remembered! It was that country girl who had enthusiastically offered him her newspaper earlier! Song Yu felt suffocated and dared not speak. She slowly turned her head, took her form, and ran to the table next to her to fill it out in silence.

The girl stared at the form for a while, then looked at the woman's name tag and asked, "Tianxin, what's this? Isn't it a resume?" The woman was around thirty years old, with a gentle appearance, kind eyes, red lips and white teeth, and neatly permed wavy hair. She wore a loose-fitting, modified beige collarless short-sleeved linen top with a hand-painted yellow orchid on the right waistband and an asymmetrical hem, paired with light blue capri pants and wedge hem sandals, giving her a refined and demure look. Her soft voice, like her soft curls, was captivating: "You can submit your resume later. Please fill out this questionnaire first. Thank you."

The girl frowned, looked the form up and down, then shook it, making a rustling sound. She said gruffly, "How can such a big company be so old-fashioned?" Behind the sign for the Azure Dragon Department across the street sat a tall, slender, fair-skinned, and handsome man with a gentle smile, wearing glasses. Seeing that there was no one in line behind Weiwei, he leisurely asked, "Miss, what's so old-fashioned about our company?" The girl pouted, "What era are we living in? You're hiring people who don't know astrology or tarot cards, but those weird I Ching and feng shui? Are you kidding me?" The handsome man smiled charmingly, "You mean the twelve Western zodiac signs and tarot cards? Okay, let me test you. By the way, you're a Capricorn, right?" The girl was surprised, "Huh?? You know astrology too? How did you know?" The handsome man smiled slightly, "That's based on experience."

The handsome man continued, "Let me ask you, which zodiac signs were the unluckiest in 2009?" The girl answered without hesitation, "Pisces, Gemini, and Cancer!" The handsome man nodded and asked, "Which months were the worst for these three signs?" The girl stammered, "I saw it online, isn't it bad all year round?" "No, it's from May to July. Because Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Chiron—the major slow-moving planets—are all in sync, making people of these three signs feel restless, exhausted, worried, and indecisive." The handsome man smiled tolerantly, "One more question, in the Tarot, what does the Chariot card in the Triangle Love card represent if it appears in the 4 position?" After thinking hard, the girl said, "The Chariot card means a well-trained mind… um… in love, it means there's a third party involved." "What?" The handsome man shook his head and said, "The main thing is not to give up, control your emotions, and resolve conflicts rationally." The girl nodded convincingly, leaned closer to the handsome man, stared at his name tag, and read, "Azure Dragon Department Manager: Qin...Ge..." Qin Ge nodded and said, "Astrology and Tarot cards are also ever-changing things, not as easy to fully grasp as they seem on the surface. If you understand the Chinese Yin-Yang and Five Elements, you will be able to handle astrology and Tarot cards with ease." A glimmer of hope instantly ignited in the girl's eyes, but then she shook her head uncertainly, "This... I can't learn classical Chinese; my Chinese grades are terrible." Qin Ge said, "Interest is the best teacher. Liking astrology and Tarot cards is also a kind of interest in mysterious culture. You can fill out a form."

The questionnaires and resumes were all collected. Department heads quickly reviewed the questionnaires, adding their comments. Tianxin was responsible for compiling the results. Of the thousands of applicants, fewer than ten would remain. Many knew they had no chance after filling out the questionnaires, and without even attaching their resumes, they gradually left, abandoning their dreams of working at the Bund Center. A few young people with a background in I Ching even thought the questionnaires were too simple, not allowing them to showcase their talents. Song Yu should have left voluntarily. The only reason he stayed was because he saw someone—she was about 170cm tall, with a slender figure and a curvaceous silhouette. She wore a beige silk short-sleeved shirt, a maroon pencil skirt, a beige Prada handbag, and a pair of eye-catching bright red peep-toe heels with heels at least 12cm high. Every expression and movement of hers seemed meticulously rehearsed, so pleasing to the eye and flawless. Whether living or non-living, everyone around her would be immediately captivated, willingly or unwillingly making her the center of their world. She was like a princess, or rather, a queen, capable of captivating people with her aura. As she passed by Song Yu, exuding an alluring fragrance, Song Yu stole a glance at the name on her name tag—Head of the Azure Dragon Department: Xi Shu.

Tianxin had already finished compiling the questionnaires and resumes, placing them in two stacks on the table. One stack was thick, the other thin. Xishu chuckled sweetly, "I'm late, everyone. You've all worked hard. Looks like you've selected a lot of talent this time!" She greeted her colleagues with a seductive air, then swayed her hips as she sat down next to Qin Ge, asking, "Manager, have you recruited any handsome guys to be my subordinates?" Her voice was slow and melodious, like raindrops falling on a silver plate. Her eyes quickly swept over the faces of the remaining twenty or so people, finally settling on the long-haired man in black. Xishu beckoned to Tianxin, who leaned close to hear a few words from her ear. Tianxin then pulled a form from the thinner stack and handed it to Xishu. Xishu glanced at it occasionally, then wrote something on it before returning it to Tianxin.

Then, she turned her head and glanced sideways at the middle-aged man from the Vermilion Bird Department beside her, asking in a coquettish voice, "Manager Zhou, where is your Supervisor Qiqi? Vice President Shang stipulated that all department managers and supervisors must be present at the recruitment event today..." Manager Zhou smiled humbly and said, "Vice President Shang temporarily sent Qiqi to Pudong to handle a tricky case..." Lowering her voice, "It's that incense and candle shop that the Pudong office messed up last time..." Xi Shu snorted and said, "I thought it was something serious... With Manager Lu from the Pudong office gone, things really aren't going smoothly." She deliberately drew out and raised the last syllable so that the supervisor from the Pudong office could hear her. However, the supervisor just lowered his head and pretended not to hear. Xi Shu continued, "Someone like Manager Lu, where can you find someone through recruitment? I already told Vice President Shang that we need to hire these kinds of extraordinary people... Also, Manager Zhou, have you decided on the trainees?" Zhou Haisheng flipped through a thin stack of resumes beside him and said, "Yes. I want Xiu, and Lin Xiao." Xi Shu smiled, his eyes glancing at the little girl who still refused to leave. A thought struck him, and he asked, "Miss, what's your name?" The girl was overjoyed and leaned closer, "My name is Weiwei! Your company is really fun, I want to work there..." "Qin Ge is learning astrology and tarot!" Xi Shu nodded and said, "Actually, the top expert in astrology and tarot in our company is Sister Tianxin—you should learn from her..." Tianxin smiled, placed the thin stack of forms on top of the thick stack, then pulled out a form from the bottom and placed it on the table in front of Xi Shu, saying, "There aren't many girls applying, and this little girl is rare because she has some basic astrology and tarot knowledge. Manager Qin just tested her... My skills are nothing compared to our Brother Qin." Xi Shu smiled slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. She turned to Manager Zhou of the Vermilion Bird Department: "I've discussed it with Vice President Shang and recommended a female intern to work in our Azure Dragon Department. Vice President Shang's idea is that the company still has too few female employees and needs to increase them. Perhaps we could keep Weiwei in the Vermilion Bird Department..." Manager Zhou, being very experienced, nodded without showing any emotion and said, "Vice President Shang's idea, of course, must be followed. It's quite suitable for our department to have one male and one female intern."

Xi Shu then glanced at Song Yu, who was lurking not far away, her eyes constantly glancing at her face, and reached out to Tian Xin: "Let me see that young man's form and resume." Tian Xin took Song Yu's form from below and handed it to Xi Shu. Xi Shu only glanced at it casually and handed it to Manager Zhou: "What do you think of this young man? He's a local from Shanghai, a graduate of the prestigious Oriental University, suitable as a reserve talent." Manager Zhou frowned, took Song Yu's form, glanced at it casually, and said: "It's alright... but—" "Oh, Manager Zhou—" Xi Shu suddenly tugged at his suit sleeve in a very coquettish way: "Let Xiu have that one—in our department. Qi Qi isn't here today, so you can make the final decision..." Manager Zhou smiled ingratiatingly and said: "Since you put it that way... anyway, he's just an intern, whether he can become a full-time employee is still uncertain." And so, Song Yu and Wei Wei became interns in the Vermilion Bird Department of Prophet Company.

Chapter Four: The Gluttonous Beast. Song Yu was puzzled. If Xi Shu liked him and Weiwei so much, why didn't he recruit them into the Azure Dragon Division? In Song Yu's view, the Azure Dragon Division mostly dealt with ordinary people, making them easier to work with, unlike the Vermilion Bird Division, which was filled with multinational corporations or super-rich individuals. He preferred the ordinary life of ordinary people; at least it suited Weiwei better—because she could barely understand a word of English!

Like all office ladies, Xi Shu, while claiming to be on a diet, loved chocolate and always couldn't finish her meals. She wasn't fat, just a little bit plump, the kind of curves men find attractive. She greeted Song Yu and Wei Wei warmly, then took her tray and sat down to Xiu's right. Xiu, however, seemed to have just finished eating. He turned around to the left, placed his tray on the sink, and walked towards the dining room door. Wei Wei chuckled, "So Xiu's still ignoring you?" Xi Shu felt a little embarrassed and raised her voice, "Xiu, I came to ask you why you didn't hand in last week's internship report?" Xiu stopped. The air seemed to freeze. Xiu didn't turn around, his deep, gentle, magnetic voice, as Wei Wei had imagined, brushing against everyone's ears: "Before leaving get off work..." After saying that, he walked out of the restaurant at his usual pace. Wei Wei stared at Xiu's back and made an exaggerated fainting gesture. Song Yu pretended not to see or hear anything, just burying her head in her food.

The next day, as soon as Qiqi arrived at work, Zhou Haisheng called her to the manager's office. After personally brewing her a cup of Dongding Oolong tea, Zhou Haisheng said in a kind voice, "Qiqi, I'm telling you, you just can't shake your old habits. You only know how to do things, but you can't write reports. This report was drafted by Song Yu, and I polished it up, especially mentioning how you managed to keep the Shanghai general manager of Qianqiu Real Estate in check. Now it seems like this is a big fish indeed. I offered a million yesterday; that was too lenient!" As he spoke, Zhou Haisheng clicked his tongue and shook his head, sighing with regret. Qi Qi looked up, somewhat disdainfully, and said, "I didn't say anything because I knew you'd take advantage of the situation. I think Gao Jinze is a decent guy; he can solve the problem." Zhou Haisheng said with exasperation, "Look, look, Qi Qi! We, the Prophet, are in this business to make money, not a charity. The Vermilion Bird Department also has performance targets. The Azure Dragon Department's orders, though smaller in amount, are numerous, and they've been thriving this year. Our Vermilion Bird Department has always been competitive. If you don't help me, who will? Aren't the two of us the closest in the whole company? Qianqiu Real Estate, a top Shanghai real estate developer, spends money like water. They've come to us; we'd be doing them a disservice if we didn't take advantage of them! Besides, this time it was their Guangzhou headquarters chairman who personally facilitated the connection. Won't the Shanghai branch have to bow down to us?" Qi Qi continued drinking her tea, seemingly oblivious to what he was hearing.

Zhou Haisheng said in a low voice, "You managed to subdue Gao Jinze yesterday, which is great. He'll listen to you from now on. Let's set up some expensive feng shui arrangements for him and spend an extra one or two million. I'll give you a 10% commission!" Zhou Haisheng's so-called commission usually just disappeared after the deal was closed, so Qiqi didn't take it seriously.

Qi Qi glanced at Zhou Haisheng and said, "I'll try my best, but the water-blocking formation I'm setting up might not work. The biggest threat to Tianyuan Apartment comes from the apartment itself—" Zhou Haisheng was startled: "What 'itself'? What did you find wrong yesterday?" A hint of confusion appeared in Qi Qi's eyes as she pondered, "I can't quite put my finger on it. The Pudian River outside Tianyuan Apartment is a typical 'reverse bow,' so it's only a matter of time before it causes trouble. But it shouldn't be enough to knock down an entire building... Besides, the entrances to the other buildings in Tianyuan Apartment are all square and off-white. Only the entrance to Building C is long and narrow, which belongs to the wood element in the Five Elements theory." "The entire building is a rare shade of blue, enough to transform negative energy into positive energy. It must have been inspected and advised by a feng shui master..." Zhou Haisheng was also a little doubtful: "Wasn't it said that the cracks in the building were due to the quality of the cement?" Qi Qi shook her head: "That was to keep Gao Jinze in check, and most importantly, to keep that skinny Lin in check. I always feel that he knows a lot of things, especially some inside information about Tianyuan Apartments." Zhou Haisheng immediately said: "You can go to Tianyuan again today and continue to observe! In addition, I will ask Tianxin to investigate and see if we can find out who did the feng shui consultation for Tianyuan Apartments in the first place, and follow the clues."

Qi Qi was just thinking about how to take the opportunity to go to Tianyuan Apartment again when Gao Jinze called. Of course, he didn't know that Qi Qi's call was being transferred through the company's main switchboard in Tianxin. Gao Jinze's voice was urgent: "I spent the whole night surveying the hydrogeology near Building C of Tianyuan Apartment and found that the building's foundation has a major problem. It's settling, and several cracks have appeared in the building structure. If it's not reinforced, there will be a major problem!" Qi Qi stood up and asked, "What's the worst that could happen?" There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, then a low voice said, "It might follow in the footsteps of Building 7 of Fenghe Shuiyuan and collapse... The problem is—there are more than twenty residents here who refuse to move out, and we dare not take coercive measures... If this building has a problem, it will be more serious than Fenghe Shuiyuan! I don't know how many people will die or be injured..." Qi Qi's voice turned cold: "Mr. Gao, I think it's not that the owners refuse to move out, it's that you refuse." "Tell the truth! Otherwise, no one would dare risk their life living in a dangerous building that could collapse at any moment!" Gao Jinze whispered, "How can I tell the truth? If the truth is revealed, not only will all the current owners of Building C have to return their properties, but the other nine buildings in Tianyuan Apartment will also become unsellable. Do you know that's—that's a huge sum of money?" "Money? How many lives are you planning to exchange for that money?" Qi Qi said angrily, "I thought you, Mr. Gao, would be different, but I didn't expect you to be just another greedy person!" Gao Jinze also got angry and raised his voice, "I'm calling you because your company took my money! I don't need you to lecture me! I want to talk to your Manager Zhou!" The phone went dead. Qi Qi was furious and slammed the phone down. Then she heard the phone ringing in Zhou Haisheng's office.

A few minutes later, Zhou Haisheng opened the door a crack and beckoned to Qiqi. Qiqi jumped up, entered the manager's office, and sat heavily in the chair opposite Zhou Haisheng, awaiting his reprimand. Zhou Haisheng smiled and refilled Qiqi's Dongding Oolong teacup with hot water. He began by saying, "President Gao asked me to apologize to you." Qiqi was taken aback and looked up at Zhou Haisheng's fair and round face. Zhou Haisheng took a sip of tea and said slowly, "Qiqi, I know you're a very righteous person, which I've always admired... However, you should also consider the clients' feelings, shouldn't you? This is a high-end apartment building, worth billions in assets. You can't just throw it away, can you? If Gao Jinze refuses to tell the owners the truth, some owners will stay, and if the building collapses... even if not for Gao Jinze, for the lives of those owners, you should intervene, right?" Qiqi listened and finally nodded. Zhou Haisheng relaxed and said, "President Gao is treating you to lunch at Shuyou Seafood Restaurant in Minhang District." Qi Qi stood up and turned around. "I'll increase your commission by 5%, since you're buying a house, aren't you?" Zhou Haisheng added. Qi Qi didn't respond and left.

At 11:30, Weiwei and Song Yu were on their way to the dining hall when Qiqi stopped them, saying, "Come with me, I'll take you to eat something good." Weiwei cheered loudly, "Long live Sister Qiqi! I don't have to eat communal meals anymore!" Song Yu pouted, "Are you so sure communal meals are bad? I bet they're better than what you make yourself." Qiqi seemed to be in a good mood on the way, playing Wu Ke-qun's original CD. Weiwei followed behind, singing "General's Command" loudly in a completely off-key voice, making Song Yu and Qiqi laugh. Weiwei, however, closed her eyes and sang to herself, completely absorbed in her own enjoyment.

The grandeur of Shuyou Seafood Minhang branch immediately overwhelmed Weiwei. Her eyes darted around, unable to take it all in. It was a Cantonese restaurant, and the thick carpet made no sound underfoot. Qiqi gave Gao Jinze's name and was led to a private room on the second floor. When the hostess opened the door, Gao Jinze's smile froze when he saw Weiwei and Song Yu following behind Qiqi. He tried to compose himself and said, "Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Miss Qiqi. Please have a seat." He didn't even glance at or greet Weiwei and Song Yu. Clearly, he had only intended to invite Qiqi today, but these two annoying tagalongs had arrived, especially Weiwei, whom he didn't want to look at even once!

Weiwei, without needing to be invited, casually sat down opposite Gao Jinze, grinning at him with what she thought was a professional smile. Gao Jinze felt uneasy, quickly averting his eyes and frowning. It was a large round table that could seat eight people. Gao Jinze had originally intended to sit next to Qiqi, as a larger table would allow for more food and a more dignified appearance. However, with so many people, everyone ended up occupying their own space. Song Yu sat to Weiwei's left, and Qiqi to her right. All three were about two or three seats away from Gao Jinze. Gao Jinze quipped, "I guess I chose a table that's too big. I should have chosen a six-person table."

The waiter handed over the menu, and Gao Jinze asked Qiqi, "What do you like to eat? Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

Before Qiqi could answer, Weiwei interrupted, "The more meat the better, less seafood, it's easy to get diarrhea. Also, I'm from Sichuan, I like spicy food, do you have Sichuan cuisine here?" Gao Jinze stared in disbelief, and Qiqi and Song Yu also turned to look at Weiwei. Weiwei didn't seem to find anything wrong with it, chuckled, and said, "I'm just craving meat, the company's lunches aren't enough every day. Not spicy is fine too!" Gao Jinze coughed and continued, "Miss Qiqi..." Qiqi quickly replied, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Gao Jinze said, "Linzi recommended this place's king cobra two ways—" Before he could finish, Weiwei excitedly interjected, "Snake is delicious, snake is delicious! I used to go to my grandma's house in the countryside during summer vacation, and my cousins would catch snakes and cook them for me. The taste—" Weiwei became self-absorbed again, as if she was still savoring the snake meat from back then. Gao Jinze ignored her complaints, fearing she might cause further trouble, and quickly ordered four dishes: a braised platter, sea worm jelly, two ways of preparing salt and pepper king cod, steamed grouper, "icing on the cake" (a dish of braised fish), "dragon swimming in a golden nest" (a dish of braised fish and sea worm), and fresh red abalone. For dim sum, he ordered fried five-spice rolls and golden rich cakes.

When the large, bright red abalone was served, the waiter placed four portions in front of each person. Weiwei suddenly started gesturing excitedly, then quickly pulled out her new phone, held it up, and adjusted the distance to the abalone in front of her. Qiqi was extremely embarrassed and kicked Weiwei's shin under the table. Weiwei was completely oblivious, so Qiqi had to poke her arm under the table. Weiwei swung her right hand sharply, pushing Qiqi away, and focused intently on focusing, then clicked the shutter. Looking at the picture on the screen, she seemed dissatisfied, deleted it, then turned the phone horizontally and took another picture. Looking at it again, she seemed pleased. Qiqi, standing to the side, felt like dying. She cursed a thousand times in her mind, vowing never to bring Weiwei out to eat with strangers again. After putting her phone away, Weiwei sighed with satisfaction and said, "I'm going to tell my mom that her daughter has eaten abalone in Shanghai! What's so great about that? If I don't take a picture, she'll think I'm bragging!" Qiqi and Song Yu both lowered their heads and cut the abalone with their knives and forks.

Weiwei found knives and forks troublesome and didn't know how to use them. She grabbed a chopstick, stuck it vertically into the middle of the abalone, held it upside down, and, ignoring the dripping sauce, exaggeratedly tilted her head and took a huge bite! With broth on her lips, she closed her eyes and chewed with feigned bliss. Gao Jinze stopped using his knife and fork, his eyes frozen in shock. Qiqi and Song Yu looked at Weiwei, whose mouth was constantly moving, making loud smacking noises. They exchanged glances, shook their heads, and then buried their heads in their own abalone, chewing slowly. Weiwei devoured the abalone in just a few bites, like Pigsy eating ginseng fruit. Still wanting more, she stuck out her tongue and circled her lips, collecting the remaining broth to savor. This scene was witnessed by Gao Jinze, who was sitting directly opposite her and accidentally looked up. He almost vomited up the abalone he had just eaten, staring at the ceiling in indignation for a while before managing to suppress the spasms in his stomach. This time he was even more careful, and for the rest of the time he resolutely refused to look at Weiwei again, even trying to avoid glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

After the meal, only Weiwei seemed truly satisfied, letting out two loud burps and patting her belly occasionally. Clearly, the meal had completely dispelled her hostility towards Gao Jinze. She deliberately walked alongside him in the corridor, saying, "Mr. Gao, since you're the big boss, next time you treat us to a meal, don't order anything else. Nothing is as good as that abalone. Just order a few more plates for each of us." Gao Jinze nodded with a bitter face, quickly walked a few steps, rushed downstairs first, and turned to Qiqi from afar, saying, "Tomorrow at ten o'clock, I'll be waiting for you in the lobby of Tianyuan Apartment!" After saying this, he glanced at Weiwei, who was quickly catching up and clearly still had something to say, and then strode away in a hasty retreat. Weiwei turned to Qiqi and asked, "Is this Mr. Gao such a nice guy that he's going to treat the three of us to lunch tomorrow?" Qiqi waved her hands frantically and said hurriedly, "No need, no need. You and Song Yu have palmistry and face reading tests tomorrow afternoon. I'll go by myself." Upon hearing this, Weiwei suddenly remembered that she had completely forgotten about it and immediately wilted. She turned to Song Yu, who quickly said, "Don't worry, don't worry. I'll make a copy this afternoon, and then we'll all have ours to read." Weiwei nodded repeatedly, praising Song Yu for being a true brother.

With nothing much to do in the afternoon, Qiqi started browsing the company's internal forum. The Xianzhi Company's internal forum was an incredibly gossipy and lively place. The forum's original purpose was simply for work supervision, communication, and business exchange. However, at some point, it changed its nature and became a hodgepodge. For example, the original "Daily News" section referred to daily news from the head office and various branches and offices, but now it's become daily gossip news, with endless streams of things like "sex scandals," celebrity rumors, and all sorts of rumors. It's mainly staffed by people from the Qinglong Department and the Beijing office, predicting the truth of celebrity rumors, the sex of celebrities' babies, and their fortunes. As for the "Prediction Exchange" section, it's not too outrageous; it does discuss "prediction" related issues, but the main focus is definitely not on the cases the company is currently handling. Instead, it's about—lottery, stocks, exchange rates, futures, even the contestants for the Super Girl competition… This is mostly done by people from the Xuanwu Department, who are often incredibly accurate, allowing viewers to make a small profit. The "Work Summary" section is the most tedious forum, containing monthly work schedules for each department, archived processed cases, progress updates for unprocessed cases, and assignments for newly acquired cases. Everyone in the company, no matter how busy, must post a daily summary of their work. Posts about cases involving overlapping departments tend to be slightly more active, as people from different departments often pass the buck and even hurl insults at each other when problems arise. However, it doesn't go too far, as this section requires real-name registration. As for other sections, those who prefer real names can use them, and those who prefer multiple accounts can use them.

Qiqi knew that although each of the company's four departments appeared to have only five or six people, each department actually had a large external team behind it, proficient in the department's business. These people were either not short of money, or they were located all over the country, or they were in Shanghai but chose to work part-time because they didn't like to be in the office. In short, they were nominally employees of Prophet Company, but they rarely appeared at the company headquarters or branch offices. These people also frequented forums, often making surprising remarks, and were rarely seen.

Qiqi came here to update her work schedule; everyone's work schedule is a separate post. She updates her post daily, and department leaders or other relevant personnel can also comment, offering explanations, instructions, or discussions. Sometimes, even Vice President Shang would appear, saying a few words, attracting everyone's attention on the forum. Only the mysterious General Manager of the Shanghai headquarters never appeared on the forum. There were even four versions of the General Manager's surname—Yang, Zeng, Liao, and Lai. Why this speculation? Because these four surnames are the four most famous families in Feng Shui history, each with its own strengths and producing many renowned figures throughout history. It's normal for the General Manager to have any of these surnames; it would be abnormal if he didn't. In the two years Qiqi had been with the company, she had never seen any General Manager. She even doubted whether Shanghai Xianzhi Company truly had a General Manager.

Yesterday before leaving get off work, Qiqi briefly reviewed the entire investigation process at Tianyuan Apartment and posted several pictures, marking the compass readings and the "Great Void." Unexpectedly, today the post's views jumped from over 50,000 to over 53,000, meaning at least a hundred people viewed Qiqi's work log. There were also fourteen replies. Because this forum is the only one in the company that requires real-name registration, people actually reply less frequently. A dozen or so replies in one day is definitely a record! It's clear that people in the company are very interested in the Tianyuan Apartment case. To put it bluntly, they're interested in the gossip related to "my building collapse."

Inside, four or five colleagues from other departments and branches inquired about the progress, and several specialists from the Zhuque branch in other cities drew diagrams based on news photos to help Qiqi analyze the reasons. The most detailed analysis came from Yao Beibei, a feng shui specialist in the Nanjing office. Yao Beibei is a graduate of the China University of Geosciences, specializing in ancient Chinese architecture, especially vernacular architecture. Her drafting skills are top-notch; she can often draw accurate compass coordinates using Google satellite images without even going to the site, often more accurately than data measured by feng shui masters using actual compasses on-site. Even Qiqi admired this. Qiqi met her twice during business trips to Nanjing, and the two talked late into the night each time, becoming fast friends. Yao Beibei's greatest wish is to decipher ancient Chinese feng shui into something suitable for modern people, making feng shui as accessible and beneficial to all as it was in ancient times.

Yao Beibei's post was long and very professional. She first analyzed the main reasons for the collapse of "My Building" from a geological and architectural perspective: 1. The foundation was too shallow; 2. The soil structure was unsuitable for building an underground garage; 3. Underground currents caused the collapse; 4. Inferior building materials and crude construction techniques. Then, she analyzed the dangers of Building C of Tianyuan Apartment using Google satellite images. She compared the speculated causes of "My Building's" collapse with the relevant conditions of Tianyuan Apartment. Qiqi admired her analytical approach and read it very carefully. After several comparisons, Yao Beibei's preliminary conclusion was that Building C of Tianyuan Apartment, with simple reinforcement, should not follow in the footsteps of "My Building's" collapse. However, at the end, she mentioned the strange "Great Emptiness" hexagram that Qiqi obtained using a compass in the lobby of Tianyuan Apartment. She said that with the level of the feng shui master of Tianyuan Apartment, they would never make such an unforgivable mistake, allowing such a large amount of negative energy to exist in the apartment. She suggested that Qiqi get a new compass and retest, as the previous one might be inaccurate. She also criticized compass manufacturers for their shoddy workmanship, saying it was causing serious harm.

Qiqi replied, sincerely thanking Yao Beibei, and saying she would go to Tianyuan Apartment again tomorrow to use a different compass to check, as there might not be any "Great Void" at all, just a malfunctioning compass. The last reply was from Tianxin. She said she was trying various methods to find the person who arranged the feng shui for Tianyuan Apartment, but hadn't found anything yet. Qiqi listed the time and place of Gao Jinze's dinner invitation for today, then logged out.

The next morning, upon logging in, I found a reply from Xi Shu: Why didn't you list the menu? Qi Qi replied: I only remember the two ways of preparing king cobra and the fried five-spice rolls; I've forgotten the rest. Also, it was a client's treat, so the company doesn't need to reimburse me. Song Yu and Wei Wei were both diligently reviewing their palmistry and face reading exam questions. Qi Qi picked up her violin case, forgetting the compass Song Yu had taken last time, and went out.

Chapter Five: When Seven Seven was driving alone, she liked to listen to the guzheng, the kind with no other instruments accompanying her, the sound of which hadn't been synthesized. Every note played in the silence seemed to pluck the strings of her heart, rippling outwards in circles, bringing an indescribable joy to her entire body. Her phone rang. Seven Seven turned off the guzheng and put on her Bluetooth headset. "You damn Seven Seven, you turned off your phone so early last night. Didn't I leave you a message telling you to call me back as soon as you turned it on this morning? Did you find a gigolo and were you having sex last night? Hahahaha." A crisp, unrestrained laugh came from the headset. "You idiot, calling me at 1 a.m., expecting me to turn my phone on? I've been fighting a war this morning, I don't have time for casual conversation. And now I'm rushing to handle a tricky case. When are you going to bring out that rich kid you mentioned you recently met so I can take a look?" "That one? I dumped him a week ago! A typical 'rich second generation,' no substance, no taste, and unwilling to spend money on me, not even a house. No future! I've hooked up with a diamond bachelor now, the creative director of a famous AAAA-level multinational advertising agency! I'll show him to you next time we eat. But—" "—" "But what? Little rich girl, you already have three or four houses, isn't that enough! Hurry up and find a reliable man to marry, there's no need to just find a rich one, right?" "It's about the building, the low-priced apartment that secretary-general I knew sold me last time... collapsed... He called me and told me not to go and cause trouble with the owners, otherwise he'll definitely be in trouble. What should I do?" Qi Qi was shocked and slammed on the brakes, asking, "What? You're also an owner of 'my collapsed building'??" "What 'my collapsed building'? I mean 'Fenghe Shuiyuan'..." Youyou said reproachfully. "I know, that's the building. Just listen to that secretary-general, don't do anything rash," Qi Qi instructed. Youyou said sullenly, "You said I'd have a run of bad luck this year and told me not to invest, but I didn't believe you... The market has risen by 50% this year, but my Tonghua Dongbao shares just won't keep up, and now this cheap house I bought has gone down... I'm a strong contender for the 'unluckiest year' award!" "Alright, Youyou, you made a lot of money in the past two years, so just take a break this year. Remember not to invest anymore, including your friends who are in venture capital; try to avoid them this year," Qiqi advised. Youyou immediately said, "Qiqi, you're right. Those friends of mine who play the venture capital game have suffered terribly this year. The foreign venture capital funds they're affiliated with have withdrawn their investments en masse, returning to their home countries to bail them out, leaving behind a lot of unfinished projects. Now they're hiding everywhere from their creditors, I can't find them anywhere! But Qiqi, I heard that house prices are still going up. Didn't you want to buy a house? I can introduce you to a few properties." Qiqi laughed and said, "Sure, but I don't have much money. Forget about detached villas and high-end residential complexes, I'll just buy an ordinary apartment of about 80 or 90 square meters, something to live in casually." Youyou immediately said, "Don't worry, I've already cast a wide net for you and carefully selected two small apartments. Are you free this weekend?" Qiqi said, "Of course I'm free to look at houses. Let's have lunch at the Typhoon Shelter on the 8th floor of Longemont near Zhongshan Park on Saturday, and then you can come with me to look at houses in the afternoon." "No problem! See you then." Youyou hung up the phone.

Youyou is the public relations manager of the famous Shanghai fashion magazine *LOW*, and also a second-tier model and a third-rate actress. This isn't what others say, but how Youyou defines herself. Youyou says, "I'm not afraid you're a second-tier model or a third-rate actress; I'm afraid you won't admit it." First, one must find their niche. It's the same principle as advertising. Advertising villas on cable TV is a waste of money and time; it should be targeted at high-end private clubs to accurately define the target audience. She's Qiqi's senior in university and the student union president. She looked after Qiqi during their time at university; even they were surprised that two people with such different personalities could become best friends. Perhaps, personality differences are complementary; they can each fill a void in the other's life, allowing the other to live a different way.

After graduating, Qiqi joined the company "Prophet" and lived a very conventional life. Youyou, on the other hand, thrived. She changed boyfriends more frequently than she did her periods, according to her own words. She absorbed the best qualities of each man: some were bosses, for promotions and raises; some were handsome, for eye candy; some were in the car business, so she'd have them deliver cars; some were in real estate, so she'd have them deliver houses; some were officials, so she'd enjoy certain privileges… In short, Youyou's greatest skill was dating multiple boyfriends simultaneously without any overlap, and even after breakups, she could maintain ties and get them to stand up for her when necessary. Youyou once showed Qiqi a large crocodile-skin business card holder with gold trim in her villa, filled with men's business cards from various industries and titles, leaving Qiqi in awe. Youyou proudly said, "In the industry jargon, this is called 'stamp collecting.' Of course, sometimes I'll pursue men myself, as long as it's worth it!"

Thinking about Youyou, Qiqi drove to Lotus Road. The number of people on the bridge was still there, and there were even more police cars around. Just like last time, Qiqi parked the car and walked to Tianyuan Apartments. Gao Jinze was already waiting at the gate. Qiqi exchanged a few pleasantries with him. The security guards were busy preventing protesting residents from attacking Gao Jinze. Gao Jinze seemed nonchalant, but Qiqi could see a hint of worry in his eyes.

Qi Qi crouched down, placed the violin case on her lap, and solemnly unzipped the headstock. She pulled out a soft red cloth bag, unfolding it layer by layer to reveal a small, weathered boxwood compass. She carefully held it in her palm, facing the door. After a while, she walked step by step towards the door, her eyes fixed intently on the compass needle, unblinking.