Der Himmel ist das Ufer des sterblichen Staubs

Kapitel 36

Chang Wu's guess was correct. When Feng Junzi returned to the beach the next morning, he found obvious signs that it had been tidied up. It seemed that the large area of pebbles had been dug up and replaced with gravel. It was immediately apparent that the gravel on the beach had been smoothed by the sea, and even shards of glass would be worn smooth after a few days. The stones on the beach had clearly just been laid out.

...

Before returning home the next day, Feng Junzi insisted on treating Chang Wu and Yuan Xiaoxia to lunch to express his gratitude. Yuan Xiaoxia told them that there was a very unique and popular restaurant serving wild game along the national highway from Longwangtang Town to Pingyou Port.

The restaurant was indeed very popular; despite its remote location, the area outside was filled with cars bearing various license plates. When Feng Junzi and his companions arrived, all the private rooms were already full, so the three of them managed to find an empty table in the main dining area. While ordering, Feng Junzi noticed that the main dishes were all game, and rare birds of prey, even including falcon meat. He asked Yuan Xiaoxia curiously, "Where do all these things come from?"

Yuan Xiaoxia shook her head and replied, "The mountains of the coastal peninsula are habitats for migratory birds. There is a bird nature reserve nearby, and poachers' bird nets are hanging everywhere in the reserve. Many villagers in the nearby mountains poach birds in the reserve. This restaurant has its own supply channels."

Feng Junzi: "You're the police, aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Chang Wu replied, "We are criminal police officers in charge of serious cases. This is a matter for other departments, and it's not appropriate for us to interfere."

Yuan Xiaoxia: "The local law enforcement agencies have cracked down on this several times, but the situation has not been stopped. I came here today to see if it is still the same. I will report it to the relevant departments when I get back."

Feng Junzi sighed and said, "This is the consequence of prioritizing economic interests. Where there is demand, there will be a market. As long as people are willing to spend money to eat wild game here, it will be difficult to eradicate poaching. The relevant departments you mentioned may not be able to play a good role sometimes... Although I am treating today, I would like to start with ourselves and not order these wild game. You two do not object, do you?"

...

The diners here all seemed to be people of status, and their behavior was fairly civilized. Although the hall was crowded, their conversations were not loud—except for one table of guests. Not far from Feng Junzi and his group, six people had ordered a table of wild game and were drinking and talking loudly. Feng Junzi couldn't understand a word they were saying; it sounded like gibberish, like Japanese.

Feng Junzi didn't understand Japanese, and he knew Chang Wu didn't either, but judging from Yuan Xiaoxia's expression, she seemed to understand what they were saying. Yuan Xiaoxia was listening intently, and then she frowned. Chang Wu asked, "Xiao Yuan, can you translate for us what those Japanese people are saying?"

Yuan Xiaoxia frowned: "It's not a nice thing to say. If you don't know, then forget it."

Her words piqued Feng Junzi's interest even more: "We'll only know if it's good or bad after hearing it. Just tell us."

Yuan Xiaoxia: "They were talking about wild game here. One person asked why there were restaurants selling wild animals next to the nature reserve. Another person said that Chinese people have no compassion for animals, just like they treat their own compatriots. They also said that in this country, man-made disasters often cause shocking losses, but the people who cause the disasters often go unpunished and even profit from them."

Feng Junzi frowned as well: "Anything else?"

Yuan Xiaoxia: "Another person said that Chinese people grow up in poverty and lack proper education. Many Chinese people don't know elegant manners and basic politeness, even after they become wealthy. The education they receive in their youth is on how to lie and solicit from others. Many Chinese people who go to Japan don't want to return to China, and the people of that country admire them rather than criticize them..."

"Damn it, these Japanese devils are too arrogant!" Chang Wu couldn't sit still any longer.

"Captain Chang, watch your discipline and don't act impulsively," Yuan Xiaoxia reminded him from the side.

Chang Wu angrily replied, "I'm wearing casual clothes today."

Yuan Xiaoxia: "Don't forget that we have guns on us."

Feng Junzi: "So what if we have guns?"

Yuan Xiaoxia: "In such situations, if a conflict breaks out and a gun accidentally goes off, or if someone takes advantage of the chaos to steal it, it will be troublesome."

Feng Junzi: "I used to think that carrying a gun was cool, but I didn't know that guns can sometimes be quite a hindrance. Chang Wu, don't be impulsive, listen to what they're saying."

Yuan Xiaoxia continued translating: "The Chinese claim superiority in their moral traditions, but they don't understand the meaning of life. Instead, they are more obsessed with material enjoyment than the more materially abundant West. The Chinese always like to boast about Chinese cuisine; their thinking is still stuck at the pitiful level of animalistic desires. This is the only thing the Chinese have to brag about. Most Chinese don't understand the concepts of 'spirituality,' 'freedom of belief,' or 'mental health.' For many Chinese, life is like that of pigs—eating and defecating."

Feng Junzi shook his head and said, "That's utter nonsense. They travel all this way to eat wild game and still have such unclean mouths... Officer Yuan, I've noticed that you have excellent writing skills. Are you a Chinese literature major? That passage was very difficult to translate, and you translated it so well. I think the original words spoken by those Japanese people certainly didn't have your writing skills."

Chang Wu said huffily, "Feng Junzi, you never forget to flatter beautiful women, aren't you angry at all?"

Feng Junzi: "A gentleman is pleased to hear criticism. I am a Chinese gentleman, why should I get angry? Besides, some of what the Japanese said does have a ton of nonsense. Officer Yuan, what are they doing?"

Yuan Xiaoxia: "Judging from your words, you seem to be in the investment business. Someone just said that in China, planning imbalances and repetitive investments can easily lead to overproduction and waste, which is the result of government and bureaucratic interference. Having both power and money is commonplace for Chinese people. In fact, money has always been accompanied by power in China. The corruption born from money and power has become a social phenomenon and a way of life for people. This phenomenon has existed for as long as China has existed."

Feng Junzi sighed, "It's sharp, but too biased. Chang Wu, do you know when a dog observes a person most closely?"

Chang Wu: "What do you mean?"

Feng Junzi: "When a dog wants to bite someone, it always has to find a weakness to attack. Although sometimes this dog looks very carefully, a dog's eyes are still just a dog's eyes, and can only see a black and white world instead of a colorful one."

Chang Wu: "I have no interest in listening to what you're saying. Xiao Yuan, you hold the gun for me."

Yuan Xiaoxia replied, "Captain Chang, how about I give you the gun? I trained at the police academy."

Feng Junzi quickly grabbed the two of them: "Gentlemen, don't be in a hurry, the best is yet to come."

Chang Wu: "What good show?"

Feng Junzi smiled mysteriously: "You think I'm really not angry? But we don't need to step in today, those little devils are about to be in trouble."

Before Feng Junzi could finish speaking, a young Japanese man who had been boasting at the other table suddenly screamed, clutching his mouth and collapsing onto the table. A chopstick had somehow come flying from nowhere and struck him squarely in the front tooth. The chopstick had struck with considerable force; upon closer inspection, half of his tooth was still embedded in the table.

Part Four: A Pair of Chopsticks, Episode 14: The Legacy of Our Ancestors Remains in Our Hearts

A chopstick suddenly flying towards them seemed to stun everyone at the table. After a few seconds, one person, seemingly recovering, stood up and started shouting and yelling at the others, making no clear what they were saying. At this point, everyone else in the restaurant stopped eating and looked at the Japanese guests with curiosity.

The man who had stood up was shouting and yelling when he suddenly stopped. A chopstick had somehow appeared in his mouth. Someone had thrown it in when he opened his mouth, and when he closed it, something was suddenly inside. He must have bitten his tongue or his teeth; when he spat out the chopstick, there was blood in his saliva.

No one saw how the chopstick got into his mouth, and the entire restaurant fell silent; no one uttered a word. Suddenly, a loud laugh rang out, and Feng Junzi abruptly stood up, clapping and laughing, "Good, good, good!"

The group was looking around to see who had done it when they saw Feng Junzi step forward, so they naturally assumed he was the one who had attacked them. Then, one of the young men, who seemed to be the leader, charged forward shouting, this time in Chinese: "You, what kind of people are you?"

However, before he could reach the table, another hidden weapon flew from somewhere. This time, it wasn't just one chopstick, but a pair, striking his left and right limbs respectively. The man's knees buckled, and he collapsed to his knees before Feng Junzi. He struggled to stand up, but his legs remained weak, and he knelt down again with a thud. This happened three times. Just moments ago, only Feng Junzi was clapping and laughing, but now the entire restaurant erupted in laughter.

At this moment, the Japanese men realized that the person who had launched the sneak attack was definitely not one of Feng Junzi's group. Faced with the unpredictable chopsticks, they felt a chill run down their spines. Two men helped the man kneeling on the ground to his feet, and the group whispered a few words before embracing each other and walking towards the door, looking utterly disheveled. Suddenly, Yuan Xiaoxia stood up and shouted loudly, "Ma da, oh ga lai, hala yi ma se!"

Although Feng Junzi couldn't understand what Yuan Xiaoxia was shouting, he could guess, so he also shouted loudly, "Boss! Someone's trying to eat for free and run away without paying!"

The group then remembered they hadn't paid the bill and ran to the counter to pay. While they were doing this, Feng Junzi whispered a few words to Chang Wu, and the two of them slipped out the door, their destination unknown. After paying, the Japanese hurriedly left the restaurant. As they exited, one of them bumped into Chang Wu, who was entering from outside. Chang Wu apologized, and Feng Junzi followed him in.

...

After the six Japanese men fled in terror, the restaurant returned to quiet, with people still whispering about what had just happened. But Feng Junzi walked over to a table with a smile. Only a young man sat at the table, with a dish of rice, a soup, and a bottle of beer on it. The man didn't answer Feng Junzi's approach, continuing to eat. Feng Junzi chuckled and said, "This fellow has impressive skills, but you should probably pay the restaurant for two pairs of chopsticks." As he spoke, Chang Wu and Yuan Xiaoxia also approached.

The young man then looked up and said, "This gentleman has a good eye." He looked at Chang Wu and said, "This gentleman is a skilled martial artist." He then looked at Yuan Xiaoxia and said, "This young lady has also practiced martial arts and has some foundation." Finally, he said to Feng Junzi, "But this gentleman seems to be hiding his true abilities. He was able to see through me. He is truly a master who doesn't reveal his skills."

Feng Junzi laughed: "I am not a true immortal, nor do I have any essence to conceal, because I know nothing at all. The two beside me have indeed practiced martial arts, but as for my eyesight, I'm afraid it can't compare to your sister Xiao Yunyi."

The young man was surprised to hear Feng Junzi mention Xiao Yunyi's name, and then stood up and asked, "So you know my sister."

Feng Junzi: "We've met twice. I've also met your grandfather and your father. I saw a family photo when I visited your home last time. When I saw you today, you looked familiar, and then I remembered who you are."

...

This person was none other than Xiao Zhengrong, the grandson of Old Master Xiao and Xiao Yunyi's older brother. As mentioned earlier, Xiao Zhengrong had learned martial arts from his grandfather since childhood, so his skills were naturally extraordinary. It was unexpected that using chopsticks as hidden arrows could be so miraculous. Everyone was young, and after introducing themselves, they felt a strong connection and sat down at a table to chat. Like his grandfather, Xiao Zhengrong came from a military background, graduated from military academy, and was currently a major at the Pingyou Port naval base. Xiao Zhengrong had come to Longwangtang Town on business today, but unexpectedly encountered this scene while eating. Even in the military, there are rules; fighting is not allowed in civilian clothes. However, Xiao Zhengrong possessed exceptional skills and calmly dealt with those unruly Japanese men.

Chang Wu and Yuan Xiaoxia had heard of Master Xiao's reputation before, and today, witnessing firsthand the extraordinary skill of Xiao Zhengrong, Master Xiao's successor, in using hidden weapons, they expressed their admiration. After chatting for a while, Xiao Zhengrong suddenly said to Feng Junzi, "My sister has been talking about you a lot at home these past few days, saying you're different from others. It seems you are indeed quite special. Why were you stealing that Japanese man's wallet just now?"

Feng Junzi was a little embarrassed: "I knew I couldn't escape your watchful eye. I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to know where those people came from." As he spoke, he took out a wallet and placed it on the table, teasing Chang Wu: "Officer, I found a wallet and I'm handing it over to you now. You can all testify that I didn't touch anything. Please find the owner and return it to him. I just want to know who the owner is. I don't need the reward."

This time it was Yuan Xiaoxia's turn to be surprised: "Did you two just go out to block the door and steal your wallets?"

Yuan Xiaoxia guessed correctly; the whispered conversation between Feng Junzi and Chang Wu as they left was part of this whole charade. After paying, the Japanese customer casually put his wallet in the side pocket of his suit jacket, then "accidentally" bumped into Chang Wu at the door, and Feng Junzi promptly retrieved it. Yuan Xiaoxia didn't see this series of actions clearly, but Xiao Zhengrong did.

Feng Junzi replied with a smile, "That's right, it's pickpocketing. This isn't the first time your Captain Chang and I have worked together on something like this. But last time I was the one covering for him while he did the work. This time, I'm the one who does the work."

Chang Wu: "Xiao Yuan, don't listen to his nonsense."

Feng Junzi: "Who stole Lin Zhenzhen's wallet at the Hunan restaurant last time?"

Yuan Xiaoxia: "Captain Chang, who is Lin Zhenzhen?..."

As these people continued their entanglement, Xiao Zhengrong asked, "Why are you interested in the backgrounds of these people? Isn't it unnecessary to keep getting entangled in this kind of thing?"

Feng Junzi: "Because I know two of them; they once stalked one of my friends."

Feng Junzi had indeed recognized two of the people in that group as the ones who had followed Tao Muling on the street that day. Today, another heavy weight was lifted from Feng Junzi's heart: it turned out his memory wasn't faulty at all; in fact, it was quite good. He had recognized the two Japanese men and even identified Xiao Zhengrong through a photograph.

Chang Wu put away his wallet. Everyone was very interested in what Feng Junzi had just said and asked what had happened. Xiao Zhengrong also said, "My sister told me that a Japanese woman is living in your house. Your trip to Longwangtang is also related to this Japanese woman. Even my grandfather is involved. What exactly is going on?"

Feng Junzi didn't want to mention Tao Muling, but under repeated questioning, he couldn't refuse any longer and briefly recounted how he met her. The other three people present were astonished. Chang Wu said to Feng Junzi, "Was the girl you mentioned, Miss Tao Muling, who came to the Longwangtang Police Station with a pair of chopsticks last time?"

Feng Junzi: "It's her. You don't need to be curious; you'll see her next month. Remember when you told me that your team was going to do a psychology research project with Binhai Normal University? She's the expert from America."

Chang Wu: "So she was living in your house... Don't worry, I won't tell Lin Zhenzhen."

...

After mid-April, the stock market performed very poorly, experiencing a continuous and almost unstoppable decline. Under these circumstances, Feng Junzi's mood was not much better. For several days in a row, he felt unwell, as if he were ill. When he woke up in the morning, he felt that he had lost a lot of hair; when he washed his face, he felt that his complexion in the mirror was a bit pale; and when he went up and down the stairs, his legs felt weak.

That evening at dinner time, Feng Junzi said weakly to Tao Muling, "Mumu, I think I'm sick, but I don't know what it is. I just feel unwell."

Peach Bell: "Have you been to the hospital?"

"After a check-up, the doctor said all my organs were normal, but I just felt something was wrong with my whole body."

Tao Muling looked into Feng Junzi's eyes and suddenly laughed. Feng Junzi said somewhat unhappily, "What do you mean by that? Are you gloating?"

Peach Bell: "I know what illness you have. Have you been in contact with anything dangerous recently?"

Feng Junzi: "I have been exposed to radioactive materials. Now that you mention it, I do remember. But I have common sense. Such a short exposure is not a problem, and I didn't take it to heart."

Peach Bell: "You really didn't take it to heart? Think about your symptoms these past few days. Aren't they all consistent with radiation sickness?"

Feng Junzi: "Really? Are you saying I have radiation sickness?"

Peach Bell: "You're not sick, your body is perfectly healthy, the doctor has already said so. Your symptoms are a psychological reaction. You've been exposed to radioactive material, and on the surface you don't seem to care, but human consciousness is a strange thing. I ask you, do you really understand the radioactive material you've been exposed to?"

Feng Junzi: "I don't know, it's just a deduction. I don't even know what it was. It disappeared in the blink of an eye."

Peach Bell: "That's the cause of the illness. You have no idea how harmful that stuff is. You just think it's nothing to worry about. But this shadow has been lingering in your subconscious, and unconsciously your body is showing these symptoms. Actually, your subconscious senses are very sharp, otherwise you wouldn't have heard those sounds from the chopsticks."

Feng Junzi: "I see. So how can I get better?"

Peach Bell: "That's simple. You're all better now. That's the magic of the mind. Try to feel if you still feel as uncomfortable as you did before."

Feng Junzi: "Hey! You're right. I'm feeling much better now. Oh, right, I forgot to tell you something. I'll find out who's been following you soon. I ran into two of them at Longwangtang the other day."

Momoki Rin didn't seem surprised and asked, "Those people are Japanese, right?"

Feng Junzi: "So you knew all along, why didn't you tell me?"

Momoko Rin: "I really don't know, this is just speculation. When you came back from Longwangtang, you seemed to have some inexplicable dissatisfaction with me. I guess you encountered someone you disliked, and these people are related to me, so that's what I thought. You seem to have a subconscious prejudice against the Japanese."

Feng Junzi: "This is not prejudice, but something that can't be helped. It's a memory left by our ancestors."

Feng Junzi thought Tao Muling would retort, but to his surprise, Tao Muling replied calmly, "According to biologists, animals can retain traces of ancestral memories, which can even be traced back to ancient times. Some people have offered explanations from a genetic perspective, but the evidence is not sufficient. However, it is a fact. As I said, you have memories that you need to retrieve, and I can sense that."

Part 4: A Pair of Chopsticks, Episode 15: Bloodstained Souls Return in the Dark Night

(I'm going to see a movie tonight, so I won't be able to update at 7 PM. Therefore, I've decided to update one chapter at 4:30 PM and another at 11 PM.)

On his way home from work that day, Feng Junzi passed by a supermarket and decided to buy some things to take home. The colorful fruits in the supermarket were quite lovely, and Feng Junzi, for some reason, decided to buy two of each kind. When he was weighing them, the supermarket clerk was very unhappy and said with a sullen face, "How can you buy fruit like that? You're just making trouble for me. There are so many people in line behind you."

Feng Junzi glared at her, his face expressionless, and asked, "Do you dare not sell?"

The waitress fell silent, pouting as she weighed and packaged each item. Feng Junzi, seeing her expression as if someone owed her ten strings of cash, found it amusing. Just before leaving, he suddenly bowed to the waitress and said, "I'm sorry for the trouble!" His movements and tone were identical to Tao Muling's. The waitress watched Feng Junzi's retreating figure, her expression utterly comical.

Feng Junzi carried seven or eight pounds of things home. When Taomuling opened the door and saw so many different kinds of fruit, she was overjoyed, as if she had discovered a treasure. She clapped her hands and jumped up and down like a little girl. Feng Junzi wondered, "Is she from Mars? What's so special about fruit?"

Tao Muling didn't eat much for dinner. After finishing, she started preparing the fruit. Feng Junzi had bought two of each kind—one for her and one for herself—so there wasn't much to prepare. But Tao Muling arranged them meticulously, like carving an intricate design. Feng Junzi sat watching, finally unable to resist, and took the small knife from Tao Muling's hand: "These pears are best eaten raw, why did you cut them into so many small pieces? Pears aren't meant to be shared. Just peel them... Never mind, I'll do it."

Perhaps he wasn't paying attention when he reached out, but Feng Junzi's finger accidentally grazed the blade. This fruit knife, which usually couldn't even cut through thick paper, was inexplicably sharp at this moment, and blood flowed out almost immediately, dripping down Feng Junzi's arm and onto his body, leaving his clothes covered in bloodstains.

The two were startled to see so much blood flowing from such a small cut. Tao Muling quickly apologized and asked Feng Junzi where the first-aid kit was. Feng Junzi pressed his wound and said nonchalantly, "It's just a small cut, it's nothing, why look for a first-aid kit? It'll be fine in a bit... Look, the bleeding has stopped."