Der Himmel ist das Ufer des sterblichen Staubs

Kapitel 16

Feng Junzi: "A few days ago, Xiaowei appeared in my dream and seemed to have something to tell me." He paused and then said, "Xiaowei asked me to come and ask you, so I came."

Han Shuang seemed startled again: "Brother Feng, don't scare me. There's a cause for every grievance, and the debtor should be held responsible. Xiao Wei's matter has nothing to do with me."

"No relation at all? More than a year ago, you were the one who dragged Xiaowei into working as a prostitute at the nightclub. If you hadn't pulled her into this mess back then, maybe things wouldn't be like this today."

Han Shuang: "It seems Xiaowei has told you everything. How can you blame me? What would a useless scholar like you know about this world? I didn't introduce Xiaowei to the nightclub to harm her; on the contrary, I wanted to help her. Besides, even if she hadn't worked as a nightclub hostess, would this incident have been avoided?"

Feng Junzi felt a pang of sadness. He had never asked Hu Shiwei why she worked at a nightclub. He was a smart man, and after hearing about Hu Shiwei's background, he understood everything: she lost her father at a young age, lived in the countryside with her widowed mother and younger brother, and was "luckily" admitted to a Chinese university in the new century. There was nothing he could say about her taking this path. He had never asked, and Hu Shiwei had never told him about it either.

He then asked Han Shuang, "I don't want to make things difficult for you today, and you shouldn't make things difficult for me either. I just want to ask what Xiaowei said to you before her accident?"

Han Shuang sighed and replied, "Do you men even have a heart? Xiao Wei once told me that the company boss had contacted her, and she felt very embarrassed. Later, she thought the matter was over and didn't want to talk to you anymore. She also vaguely mentioned to me that she had discovered some things in the company that she felt were very strange, but she didn't tell me exactly what was wrong. It seems that Xiao Wei really cares about you and doesn't want to cause you any trouble, so she hasn't said anything."

Feng Junzi's eyes seemed a little red. He suddenly said to Han Shuang in a vicious tone, "I know you're no good. I'll settle all these scores one by one. Today, I'll start with you. Now that Xiao Wei is in trouble, I won't let you off the hook."

Han Shuang saw a sudden flash of ferocity in Feng Junzi's eyes and felt a pang of fear. She wanted to call for help or run away, but there were only the two of them in the room, and no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't outrun him. Fortunately, she was a woman who had been around the block and had seen it all. She steeled herself, forced a coquettish smile, and instead swayed her hips as she moved closer to Feng Junzi, saying in a sweet, affected voice, "Brother Feng is angry. Why are you bullying us poor, weak women? If you want to vent your anger, I'll let you, as long as you're not angry."

Han Shuang had probably seen far too many men, and she was quite confident in herself. Her body was her weapon, and now this weapon might help her avoid potential danger. Seeing that Feng Junzi didn't speak, she felt that he was already a little tempted, so she simply sat on Feng Junzi's lap and continued to act coquettishly, "Xiaowei is my sister. Now that she can't be with you, I should comfort you on her behalf."

Feng Junzi suddenly laughed and whispered in her ear, "The first time I went to Ziye, I heard that you were very skilled, and some of the girls said that you were a masochist, so your prices were particularly high. Today, there is something I want to clarify."

Han Shuang felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing this, but then she thought that if that were really the case, it wouldn't be a big deal. So she continued in a coquettish voice, "Brother Feng, how do you want to figure this out?" Her other hand began to reach towards the teasing area.

At this moment, Feng Junzi suddenly stopped smiling and whispered something in her ear. To Han Shuang, these words were like a thunderbolt; she felt as if her entire body had been plunged into an ice cellar. She only heard Feng Junzi coldly say, "Han Shuang, tell me, how did Qiao Fangsi die two years ago?"

Han Shuang almost instinctively tried to get up and run away, but Feng Junzi seemed to have anticipated her reaction. He grabbed her and pressed her back onto his lap. He could feel Han Shuang's body trembling, but he ignored it and continued coldly, "Miss Shuangshuang, why aren't you being horny now? You'd better behave yourself in front of me. I know far more than you think, and I didn't come here today just to settle scores with Xiao Wei."

Han Shuang's voice was almost breaking with tears: "I really don't know what your relationship with Qiao Fangsi is. I have no idea how she died. You can ask the police."

Feng Junzi still held her shoulder with his left hand, and took out his phone with his right hand. The phone screen showed a picture of Chen Xiaosan. He asked Han Shuang, "Don't you know anything? You saw this person the night Piaopiao died, right? You think you're safe just because the police couldn't find you? You should know that doing bad things will have consequences. There are gods watching over you. There are many eyes watching you in the dark."

"Piao Piao," Han Shuang murmured, "that's Qiao Fangsi's nickname. What are you to her? Are you a human or a ghost?"

Feng Junzi sneered, "I am a vengeful spirit seeking death. You had better tell me honestly what happened that night, or you will die a horrible death. I mean what I say."

Han Shuang was on the verge of collapse, her body going limp. Feng Junzi, who had been holding her hand, now supported her. Han Shuang stammered, "That happened two years ago. This guy booked my table at midnight and gave me a lot of tips, but he seemed to know a lot about me, even having photos of me working as a prostitute at a hotel. I was terrified, but he didn't seem to be trying to blackmail me. He just insisted that I invite a girl from my class to a bar for drinks. That girl is Piaopiao. He also said that if I didn't do it, they would not only get me expelled from school, but also ruin my future career..."

Feng Junzi then asked, "A few days before this incident, did your department organize a student physical examination, or something like a 'healthy learning themed activity'? I heard it was co-organized with the Weida Group?"

Han Shuang: "There was a physical examination, but I don't know what kind of activity it was."

Feng Junzi: "You'd better explain what happened that night."

Han Shuang: "I drank a few drinks at the bar and got drunk. Someone took me home, but I don't remember what happened after that... Later, when I went back to school, I heard that Qiao Fangsi had disappeared, and then I heard that she had died. I was so scared that I didn't dare to say anything. That's all I know. You know who the person who was looking for me is, so don't ask me anymore."

Feng Junzi sneered, "This man is called Chen Xiaosan. He's a gangster. His boss is Wei Boxi. I'm sure you've heard of him. I never expected these people to be so ruthless. They actually kept you alive... Well, since they didn't kill you, let me collect the debt for Piaopiao."

Han Shuang was so frightened she could barely speak: "W-you, what do you want to do?"

"I'll just take your life." Feng Junzi suddenly lifted Han Shuang up and pressed her onto the sofa, locking her throat with his left hand and pressing his knee against her abdomen, rendering her unable to struggle. Han Shuang only saw a gleaming dagger suddenly appear in Feng Junzi's right hand. She tried to cry for help, but only a "woo-woo" sound came from her throat. She only saw a flash of light as the blade pierced her left chest, the slender blade disappearing to the hilt.

Han Shuang felt waves of heat and cold wash over her body, a piercing, icy sensation in her heart. She seemed to be both unconscious and conscious. Her consciousness seemed to float out of her body, drifting to the ceiling, where she saw herself below, lying on the sofa, a section of a knife hilt protruding from her chest near her heart. At that moment, the walls of the room seemed to become transparent, and she saw someone standing in the hallway outside—this person was none other than the deceased Piaopiao. Piaopiao was looking at her with a strange expression.

Just as she was about to say something to Piaopiao, she suddenly felt dizzy and saw two sharp cracks in her ears. She fell heavily back onto the sofa, as if she had been bounced back into her body by some force. This force came from Feng Junzi. Just as Han Shuang "saw" Piaopiao, Feng Junzi suddenly grabbed her hair and slapped her hard twice, waking her up.

Han Shuang felt her cheeks burning and swelling, and tears streamed down her face. When she opened her eyes, she saw Feng Junzi staring at her with a half-smile. She asked in a weak voice, "Why did you want to kill me?"

"Do you regret it now?" Feng Junzi's tone seemed to carry a hint of pity.

"I hate everything in this world, including myself. Now you think you've gotten your revenge, but unfortunately I no longer have the chance to take it," Han Shuang said, tears streaming down her face.

"Did you see Piaopiao?" Feng Junzi asked.

"I saw her. Now I know what karma is."

"Good to know!" Feng Junzi suddenly withdrew his hand, pulling the dagger from Han Shuang's chest. To Han Shuang's surprise, there was no blood splattering; the blade was gone. Feng Junzi said to Han Shuang, "This is a fake knife," and then pulled the blade from the hilt. "You're not injured, not even your clothes are torn. I never intended to kill you. Piao Piao made me do it; she just wanted you to experience the feeling of death. Those two slaps were to bring your soul back, and they were also slaps I gave for Xiao Wei."

Han Shuang finally came to her senses. She felt her body was drenched in cold sweat, and she was almost completely exhausted. Then she heard Feng Junzi continue, "Now you believe me, right? What does it mean to be able to see the gods even when you're three feet above your head? I hope you can do something to help Piaopiao and Xiaowei. Will you refuse?"

Han Shuang said, panting, "Not everyone can have this feeling of being resurrected. I saw Piaopiao and then woke up. I felt like the world had suddenly changed. Tell me, what do you want me to do? As long as I can do it, I won't refuse."

Feng Junzi: "Are you lying?"

Han Shuang: "I wouldn't dare lie to a ghost even if I lied to you!"

Feng Junzi: "Alright, listen up. What I'm going to do is very simple. I want to kill someone, and that person is Wei Boxi!"

"What? Wei Boxi! This kind of person is not a gigolo like us who can be bullied by everyone, nor can you scare her with a fake knife. You're practically asking for your death."

"I want to kill him, but I don't want to die. Don't worry, I don't want you to become an assassin. I just need your help with a small matter. I won't harm you. I want to kill him not to kill him, but to make him lose everything and be disgraced, so that he will spend the rest of his life experiencing what it feels like to be a pitiful person who was bullied by him before!" Feng Junzi said with a sneer.

Han Shuang: "We can't beat him. You're neither an official nor a businessman nor a villain, while he has power, influence, and money. How could we possibly bring him down? You're just a scholar. Haven't you heard that a scholar can't rebel for ten years?"

Feng Junzi: "Is that so? Then let me tell you something today: A gentleman kills without using weapons!"

Part Two: Ghost Alley, Episode 16: Murder Doesn't Always Require Knives and Guns

"Old Shi, what do you want with me on a Saturday?"

"Xiao Feng, I need you to help me with something, and after thinking about it, you're the only person I know who I can ask."

This was in the general manager's office of the Binhai branch of Tianlu Securities, where Feng Junzi and Shi Dan, the general manager of the Binhai branch, were talking. Upon hearing Shi Dan's words, Feng Junzi laughed and scolded, "What is it this time? An internal assessment system or a brokerage business reform plan? Or perhaps an experience summary to be submitted to headquarters? Or a rectification report? I have to write these things for you every year, isn't it annoying! I say your company is really funny. It's only been established a few years, and you're already doing reforms every year. But the people are still the same, the work is still the same. The market is like this, don't you know how to take a break and regroup?"

Stan laughed and said, "If we don't come up with some new ideas every year, what are the leaders at headquarters supposed to do?"

"How could nothing be wrong? Aren't there enough important things to do right now?"

"There are plenty of important things to do, but they can't get them done. Some of our comrades only know how to do these things."

Feng Junzi said unhappily, "At first, I put a lot of effort into helping you with these plans and gave you a lot of ideas. But later I saw through you. You're no better than anyone else. You just change whoever you don't like, don't you? I think you don't need to write them anymore. Just rewrite what I wrote last year and revise it."

“You’ve misunderstood this time. I don’t need you to write the proposal. I want you to write a few articles for me. I’d like to use your subtle writing skills to do something important that others probably can’t do.”

Feng Junzi was a little surprised: "Oh? What article is so important?"

Old Shi got up and walked to the door. He opened it, looked around to see that no one was in the corridor, locked the door, and sat down opposite Feng Junzi. They both lit cigarettes, and then Old Shi quietly told Feng Junzi about the matter:

"Our company has a new president named Xiang Xiaolong. He was brought in by the chairman and president himself. This time, Lao Wang (Old Wang) is stepping down as president and only wants to be chairman. As soon as President Xiang arrived, he immediately started reforms. It seems that all of us old employees from the Binhai system are going to be purged. This has caused a lot of resentment in the company, and everyone is insecure. It looks like he's going to ruin the company, but no one dares to give Lao Wang any advice. You know how stubborn Lao Wang is. I've come up with a plan. I want to spread the current situation in the company to the market and get feedback from the outside. Lao Wang can ignore the internal criticism, but he can't ignore the pressure from public opinion in the market. Even if Lao Wang is stubborn, the company's major shareholders won't sit idly by."

"Is it really that simple? You just want to leak the company's secrets?"

"Of course it's not that simple. My goal is to force Xiang Xiaolong to leave. If he doesn't leave, Tianlu Securities is finished."

"I think this new president is quite ambitious. How can you say the company is doomed? Maybe it will be better after the changes."

“Sigh! People’s morale has collapsed. How can we do anything anymore? Let me tell you the truth. Half of our senior executives have resigned. These are the real business backbones. A few days ago, some senior executives even invited a group of middle managers to dinner in their private capacity, saying it was a farewell dinner. The company has already collapsed halfway. I have to think about myself. I can’t just watch Tianlu Securities continue like this.”

Feng Junzi said, "I understand. Do you think a few articles can drive Xiang Xiaolong away? Things in this world are never that simple."

Stan: "Things in the world are not simple, but people's hearts are even more complicated. The power of the pen, if used properly, can kill without leaving a trace. Your pen skills should be beyond reproach. I just need to point you in the right direction."

Feng Junzi: "It's fine if I help you, since you're the one who did the bad thing, not me. But isn't what you're doing a bit unethical and insidious?"

Stan: "I meant well. It's hard to say whether sacrificing one person can save a company, but at least it can keep Tianlu running for a while longer."

Feng Junzi thought for a moment and agreed to Shi Dan's suggestion. Shi Dan then gave Feng Junzi a detailed account of the inside story and instructed him on how to write it, what key points to emphasize, and what effect to achieve. Two days later, a post titled "Tianlu Securities, A Crisis-ridden Tomorrow" suddenly appeared on the forums of major financial websites across the country. The post aptly revealed several inside stories about Tianlu Securities and was immediately reposted widely, attracting countless comments.

Before the initial surge of attention had subsided, a second major post emerged two days later, similarly dominating all the well-known financial forums in China. Titled "I am a pitiful employee of Tianlu Securities," the post, written from the perspective of a low-level employee at a Tianlu Securities branch, described the recent chaotic situation within the company. This post was widely reposted, attracting countless comments, with Tianlu employees also expressing their opinions.

The media also began interviewing and reporting on the chaotic situation at Tianlu Securities. Some even wrote speculative comments and published them in various media outlets. The situation at Tianlu Securities had attracted the attention of higher-ups, and shareholders also felt the events were unusual. Just then, three posts titled "Tianlu Securities: Things That Must Be Said" appeared everywhere. Written in the voice of a former senior executive at Tianlu, these posts thoroughly exposed and criticized the company's internal chaos, directly targeting the new president. To any discerning reader, these were articles written by an insider, their arguments quite reasonable and almost impossible to refute.

At this point, Feng Junzi's mission was complete. He didn't actually hope that Stan's goal would be achieved; he was merely going through the motions. However, Stan seemed quite satisfied. Later events proved that Stan was indeed a cunning old fox. Two months later, Xiang Xiaolong, the new president of Tianlu Securities, left without even having a chance to warm up his seat. Of course, that's another story, unrelated to this article, and we'll leave it at that for now.

Through Stan's conspiracy, Feng Junzi also learned some lessons: how to leverage the immense information dissemination advantages of modern internet media to mobilize public opinion as a weapon. He also gained an even more important insight: who says scholars are useless? A scholar with malicious intent can be terrifying! This experience was extremely helpful in dealing with Wei Boxi later on; it was also Xiang Xiaolong's bad luck that Feng Junzi unintentionally tested him.

Part Two: Ghost Alley, Chapter 17: Psychological Suggestion

A whiff of sweat, smoke, cheap air freshener, and perfume hit Feng Junzi, making him almost vomit. He still forced himself to go into the Red Forest Ballroom with Han Shuang. Of course, they weren't the only ones there; there was also a "ghost"—Piaopiao.

So-called public dance halls like Red Forest are perhaps the cheapest entertainment venues on the coast, colloquially known as "poor man's paradise." Although these places are dirty and chaotic, they are very attractive to many. If you had to sum up Red Forest in one sentence, it would be "crowded." A dance hall the size of a warehouse could hold at least a thousand people.

Feng Junzi suppressed the unpleasant smell in his breath, his eyes gradually adjusting to the dim environment of the dance hall. He carefully observed this place he had never been before, and for a moment, he was struck by its "spectacular" scale. The dance hall was packed with people. Along the dance floor, around the seats, and even along the aisles leading to the restrooms, almost every aisle was lined with two rows of "dance girls." There were at least several hundred dance girls here, of all shapes and sizes, and all ages. In the dim light, it was impossible to tell how heavy their makeup was. Feng Junzi only glanced at them briefly, but he knew that most of the dance girls were around thirty or forty years old, while the customers were mostly also quite old, and the younger people were mostly migrant workers. Customers looking for dance partners were wandering through the crowd, selecting their preferred girls.

Midnight Nightclub isn't considered a top-tier entertainment venue in Binhai, but compared to this place, it's practically a palace. Han Shuang had never been here before, and even she wrinkled her nose upon entering. However, Red Forest has its advantages: it's spacious, crowded, and cheap—entrance is only three yuan, and a dance costs ten yuan to your partner. Under the dim lights, men and women huddle together, dancing a single step called "Huang Er," where they can rub and tease each other. Some unruly customers can even grope each other. There are also "private rooms" and "elegant seating" around the dance hall, but Feng Junzi wasn't sure what kind of entertainment they offered.

Feng Junzi wasn't here for lowbrow entertainment; he was looking for someone—Dr. Chen Yidao, a surgeon at the Affiliated Hospital of Binhai Medical University. Chen Yidao was Chen Xiaosan's cousin. He was a surgeon whose skills were so excellent, and of course, he accepted bribes quite readily, that many people privately called him Chen Yidao. As for his original name, people were no longer familiar with it.

Chen Yidao's income was high enough, and he was a respectable person in society. Feng Junzi never expected him to frequent places like this. Truly, the world is full of wonders! After some investigation, Feng Junzi discovered that Chen Yidao had a hobby: after taking off his white coat, he would stuff a wad of ten- and twenty-yuan bills into his pocket and go to the Red Forest Dance Hall for illicit affairs. According to Chen Yidao himself, "It's the pleasure of finding gold in the sand. Even in such a low-class place, if you look carefully, you can find high-quality women, and the price for taking them out is very cheap. A surgeon can tell what kind of woman a woman is in the dark."

Upon entering the Red Forest and witnessing this scene, Feng Junzi couldn't help but think Chen Yidao was somewhat perverted. In such a dark environment, finding Chen Yidao among so many people was virtually impossible. Fortunately, he had brought Piaopiao with him. The crowd and darkness had no effect on Piaopiao; however, seeing this chaotic scene made her face turn bright red, and she almost turned and left immediately. After Feng Junzi coaxed her gently for a long time, she finally stamped her feet and steeled herself to go into the crowd to find Chen Yidao.

Just as they had calmed Piaopiao down, Han Shuang encountered another problem. The Red Forest Ballroom had no female customers; any woman who entered was a prostitute. It was rare to see a young and beautiful woman like Han Shuang there. Before Feng Junzi and Han Shuang had taken more than a few steps, a group of all sorts of men swarmed around them like flies, reaching out to invite Han Shuang to dance, their hands and feet quite lewd. Feng Junzi also encountered similar lewd advances. Before he had taken more than a few steps, a heavily made-up woman reached out to him, leaning in intentionally or unintentionally while saying, "Boss, dance for me."

Feng Junzi was very impatient, his brow furrowed as he was about to explode, but Han Shuang, being from the entertainment industry, was unfazed. She grabbed Feng Junzi's arm, broke through the crowd, and quickly entered the dance floor, pretending to be a customer dancing with the ladies. The dance floor was packed like dumplings in a pot. Feng Junzi wasn't used to the "swaying" steps, and immediately adopted a ballroom starting stance. Before he could even take two steps, he had already bumped into three couples, drawing a chorus of quiet curses in the darkness.

Han Shuang chuckled and said softly, "You really want to dance? Quickly take your hands off my waist and just wiggle around in place."

Feng Junzi looked around and saw that it was indeed the case; couples were huddled together, just swaying aimlessly. He frowned and said, "It's best not to stay in a place like this for too long. If a fire breaks out here, I don't think we'll be able to escape."

Just then, Piao Piao appeared and told them that the person had been found. Feng Junzi and Han Shuang pretended to dance while carefully following Piao Piao through the crowd towards Chen Yidao, and soon spotted him. Chen Yidao wasn't dancing; instead, he was squinting his lecherous eyes, searching through the crowd. Feng Junzi, arm in arm with Han Shuang, quietly approached, separating as they got close, and Han Shuang happened to appear right in front of Chen Yidao.

Chen Yidao was searching for a suitable partner among the rows of young ladies when he suddenly saw Han Shuang and his eyes lit up. Without thinking, he immediately reached out and grabbed her, saying, "Miss, let's dance."

Feng Junzi saw Chen Yidao's sticky hand wrapped around Han Shuang's waist, and the two figures quickly disappeared into the dark dance floor. The rest was up to Han Shuang to decide what to do. He left the dance hall and waited in the lobby outside the exit.

Feng Junzi seemed completely unhurried. He had enough confidence in Han Shuang that Chen Yidao would most likely not miss this opportunity to seduce her. Sure enough, after a while, Chen Yidao came out arm in arm with Han Shuang. The two smiled ambiguously and talked quietly before hailing a taxi and leaving. Han Shuang didn't deliberately look at Feng Junzi, but subtly made a hand gesture before getting into the car. Feng Junzi didn't move and gracefully followed.

...

At midnight, Chen Yidao suddenly awoke from a daze to find himself lying naked in the bathtub. He felt a headache coming on and remembered that he was in a hotel room bathroom. He slowly recalled how he got to this place. He remembered that he had a rare encounter with a beautiful and passionate dancer at the Red Forest Ballroom, who had aroused him to the point of losing control on the dance floor. After two songs, he couldn't wait to take her to the hotel to book a room.

The remaining memories were sometimes clear, sometimes blurry. He seemed to have done something, yet also seemed to have done nothing; he had actually fallen asleep in the bathtub, which, judging by the time, must have been when he was burning with desire and hurriedly taking a shower. He was a doctor, and immediately became suspicious. How could he have fallen asleep? Had someone tampered with the tea he drank after entering the room? A panic gripped him as he struggled to sit up, when he suddenly noticed a note beside him. It appeared to be written in bright red ink: "Call the police immediately, or you will die!"

Chen Yidao was terrified when he saw the note; his blood seemed to freeze. He suddenly felt the scene was so familiar; he had experienced the same thing two years ago, but back then, it wasn't him lying in the bathtub, but an innocent young girl. He had taken money from his cousin, Chen Xiaosan, who had implied that he was being coerced by a powerful figure into performing an organ harvesting surgery. He thought it was all over and no one would know, but he never imagined that today he would be lying in the bathtub again, seeing the exact same note.

Upon seeing the note, Chen Yidao suddenly felt a chill behind him. He "found" himself lying on a pile of ice. He couldn't believe he had experienced the same thing. He struggled to reach his hand behind his back and vaguely touched two long cuts. All his willpower collapsed in that instant.

...

"This person died very strangely. He died in the bathtub with his eyes wide open, but there were no wounds on his body, and the forensic examination did not find any cause of death."

Feng Junzi and Chang Wu were drinking. They had enjoyed eating barbecue together ever since they came to the coastal city. Today, Chang Wu had invited Feng Junzi out, and they were discussing Chen Yidao's case.

"Chang Wu, you just said that this case is related to the case from two years ago, so the cause of death should be the same?"

Chang Wu took a sip of his drink and continued, "That's precisely what's strange about this case. On the surface, it's exactly the same as two years ago—someone was found dead, naked, in a hotel room bathroom. But the difference is that this person hadn't suffered any harm before death and was in good health. There was also a piece of paper next to him..."

"What words are written on the paper?" Feng Junzi interjected.

"A blank sheet of paper, with no words written on it."

"So he was also lying on ice?"

"No, there was nothing unusual about the bathtub. It's speculated that he fell asleep while taking a bath and died mysteriously. If it weren't for the case from two years ago, I wouldn't have thought too much about it. That's why I called you out today to talk."

"Chang Wu, have you ever heard the story of 'seeing a snake in a cup'? Perhaps I think your forensic experts should examine whether this person had a large amount of adrenaline secreted before death."

Chang Wu: "Old Feng, what do you mean by that? Are you saying he was scared to death?"