Fengcheng fliegender General - Kapitel 10
Tianxin looked at Qiqi helplessly and said, "You have no patience at all. What kind of woman is she if she doesn't gossip? The biggest deficiency in a woman's life is not a man, but the lack of gossip and vanity, you know? Here—" Tianxin took out a bag of Tianwo bayberries from the drawer and asked, "Want some? It's a new product."
Qiqi could only manage a wry smile at her profound remarks.
Tianxin glanced at Qiqi's waist, which was covered by her oversized white tracksuit, and said with a hint of sympathy, "Actually, you're not bad looking. You don't need to always wear such baggy clothes to hide your thick waist. Men under thirty are attracted to a woman's face; it's only those over thirty who care about their figure. You should try wearing something different next time. A woman's prime years are short, don't mistreat yourself..."
Qiqi found it unbelievable that Tianxin would assume her waist was only 1.7 feet and therefore thick, based on her own experience. However, being used to wearing loose clothing, she didn't want to offend anyone over such a trivial matter. If she were to criticize Tianxin, whose waist was over 2.2 feet, she wouldn't be able to walk today.
Qiqi raised her hands in pleading, "Sister Tianxin, I'm really eager to know about Xu Qin and Tianyuan Apartment. I'll come to you next time to learn the true meaning of gossip and vanity, okay?"
"Xu Qin probably did the feng shui analysis for Tianyuan Apartment, but there's no concrete evidence. Guess who did the feng shui analysis for that collapsed building in Fenghe Shuiyuan?"
Tianxin asked mysteriously.
Cloud Gate.
Qiqi answered expressionlessly.
Tianxin was startled, grabbed Qiqi's arms, and asked, "How do you know?? You know my inside man too??"
Qiqi shook her head mechanically and said weakly, "I just happened to know, please, Sister Tianxin—"
"Then do you know who the master of Cloud Gate is?"
Tianxin was very unconvinced and asked as if she was competing with Qiqi.
"Lai Yixian..."
Qiqi answered listlessly.
"Oh my god! Qiqi! You're stealing my job! When did you become so gossipy?"
Qi Qi almost pleaded, "I'm sorry, Sister Tianxin... Your title as the queen of gossip in the company is unshakeable... I just happened to stumble upon some information about Yunmen by sheer luck, but compared to you, it's nothing, just a drop in the ocean! You see, I'm still constantly asking you for advice about Xu Qin..."
Tianxin's eyes darted around Qiqi, and she asked in a long voice, "Who looked at the feng shui of Tianyuan Apartment? It's not that important, is it? If you want to hear my gossip, you'd better provide me with some gossip... You went to the Yufo Temple to see Master Juehui, right? Is it related to him?"
Qi Qi exclaimed in surprise, "I'm impressed by your professional gossip! You even guessed that! I didn't tell Manager Zhou the truth either—Master Juehui said that the one who tied the knot must untie it, and he doesn't want to face the person behind Tianyuan Apartment. He told me to negotiate with that person first before he would go to Tianyuan Apartment to deliver the Buddha statue."
Tianxin shook her head and sighed, "Juehui is really something, does he have some kind of divination ability...? He also knows that Xu Qin is not someone to be trifled with!"
Qi Qi said, "Alright, alright, now you should talk, right?"
Tianxin smiled mysteriously and said, "Guess where that Cloud Gate is now?"
"Didn't he run away? The Fenghe Shuiyuan feng shui firm he used to work for collapsed, so where can he find a place to stand? Even his master can't find him."
Qiqi said casually.
"Still in Shanghai."
Tianxin said mysteriously, "Moreover, it's very close to us, just across the Huangpu River."
"You mean—in the tallest building?" Qi Qi exclaimed in surprise.
"clever!"
Tianxin nodded approvingly, then said, "The China headquarters of Japan's Takashima Corporation is located in the tallest building. And Yunmen is already the feng shui consultant for a special affairs consulting company under Takashima Corporation."
Qi Qi's mind was in turmoil. It seemed that Xu Qin must have been infamous in Shanghai, which was why Master Juehui had chosen to stay out of it and not want to be his enemy. If there were problems with the feng shui of Tianyuan Apartment, Xu Qin could certainly solve them himself. If he needed help, then Xu Qin himself would have to ask Master Juehui for help.
Qi Qi secretly admired Master Juehui's worldly wisdom and shrewdness.
However, Gao Jinze was clearly unaware that the issue of the feng shui of Tianyuan Apartment might have been caused by Xu Qin. What unknown secrets are hidden behind the feng shui arrangement of Tianyuan Apartment?
Looking at Qiqi, who was deep in thought, Tianxin said softly, "Qiqi, the head of that special affairs consulting company under Takashima Corporation is called 'Kaoru,' and he's a master of the Japanese Nine Chrysanthemum School. The Nine Chrysanthemum School is known for its insidious and ruthless methods, especially skilled at setting traps to destroy feng shui and dragon veins. Back then, they used seven large iron nails to kill the dragon vein of Korea, causing the country to split in two and never recover. You had a quarrel with that Yunmen before, so don't mess with him in the future. He has a powerful backer now, and I'm just reminding you because I'm afraid you'll suffer."
Qi Qi frowned and asked, "Sister Tianxin, you're overthinking it. I won't have any dealings with that Gaodao Consulting Company."
Tianxin shook her head and said, "Things are unpredictable... Fenghe Shuiyuan was managed by Yunmen and it's gone. Now Tianyuan Apartment is going to go down too... It would be best if you told Zhou Haisheng to withdraw from this case."
Qi Qi shook her head slowly but firmly.
“Sister Tianxin, I know you mean well. But I’m the kind of person who won’t turn back until I hit a wall, and even if I do, I won’t turn back. I’ll just keep going until the wall is knocked down.”
Tianxin hesitated, as if she wanted to say something more, but in the end, she held back.
Qiqi stood up and said, "Thank you, Sister Tianxin. I will be careful. It's just work. I don't think anything life-threatening will happen."
As soon as Qiqi stepped out, she called Gao Jinze and said bluntly, "I suspect that the feng shui of Tianyuan Apartment was determined by Director Xu of your Qianqiu Real Estate. You can ask him what the feng shui of Tianyuan Apartment is all about."
Gao Jinze said in surprise, "Really? Then I'll have Lin Zai ask him. He's Uncle Xu's old subordinate. Uncle Xu and I have never gotten along, so I won't ask him directly!"
Qiqi suddenly felt that Gao Jinze was a bit childish.
Perhaps it is precisely this childlike quality that makes him less of a businessman and more endearing.
That evening, Gao Jinze called and said that Lin Shouzi had asked Xu Qin, who denied it outright. He also stated that Tianyuan Apartment was a matter for the Shanghai branch, and the Qianqiu board of directors had fully authorized Gao Jinze to handle it, so he would not get involved.
Qiqi had nothing to say.
Chapter Eleven: Mu Feng Qiqi lives in a 50-square-meter one-bedroom apartment on Wuyi Road.
This apartment was originally rented by Youyou. Starting in her sophomore year, Youyou stopped living in the school dorms and rented this room all by herself. She was lucky; the apartment was rented to her by the landlord's workplace, costing her only a symbolic 70 yuan per month. Later, the landlord and his wife bought an apartment near the old West Gate, and this one was sublet privately. Because it didn't have a property certificate and couldn't be listed for rent through a real estate agency, and because it was an unfurnished apartment, the 700 yuan per month price was a third cheaper than other apartments of the same size in the area. Seeing that the location was good and the price was cheap, Youyou immediately signed a six-year contract with the landlord. The landlord probably saw that she was a student from a prestigious university and wanted stability, so he actually signed the contract with her. As a result, a year after Youyou graduated, she used the money she earned in college to buy a one-bedroom apartment in Gubei with a loan. At this time, Qiqi also graduated. With the mindset of keeping the good stuff in the family, Youyou sublet the apartment to Qiqi. Not only did she not raise the rent by a penny, but she also generously gave Qiqi all the furniture and appliances she had bought over the past four years. This greatly deepened her relationship with Qiqi.
My mom was so bored living alone in our hometown in Sichuan that she rented out our house and moved to Shanghai to live with Qiqi.
However, a few days ago, Youyou relayed some bad news to Qiqi: the landlord of this old apartment has bought it from his workplace and obtained the property certificate. After the six-year contract expires, it will definitely not be rented out for 700 yuan per month anymore; it will rise to at least 1,500 yuan per month.
This prompted Qiqi to decide to buy a small apartment so that the rent would cover the mortgage payments.
I've been dealing with the Tianyuan Apartment issue all week, it's been exhausting. I finally got a chance to sleep in on Saturday, only to find that my mom was gone.
She usually sits intently in front of the computer, watching stock market news. On Saturdays, when the market is closed, she'll definitely be out early in the morning playing mahjong with her neighbors.
In less than two years, my mother had become close friends with the housewives in the building, which I admired.
After washing up, Qiqi quickly ate a bowl of porridge with some preserved mustard greens, then put on her light white casual suit, slipped on her pure white Puma sneakers, and slung a white leather shoulder bag over her shoulder before heading out.
She and Youyou often meet at "Dragon Dream".
Longemont Shopping Center is located at the intersection of Changning Road and Kaixuan Road in the Zhongshan Park area, at the intersection of Metro Lines 2 and 3.
They either drank mocha and ate desserts at Coffee Bean & Tea on the first floor, or ate at Typhoon Shelter on the eighth floor.
Youyou, who is usually late, arrived early today for the first time ever, and she brought someone with her.
This man was in his early twenties, with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, a straight nose, and a square mouth, looking every bit the scholar from Jiangnan. Qiqi really liked his well-made white casual suit, which was clearly the work of a famous French designer.
Qi Qi was secretly annoyed that Youyou had brought someone without prior notice. Although the person seemed nice, Qi Qi was still very nervous. Outside of work hours, she was particularly afraid of meeting strangers. She often felt flustered and at a loss.
Instead of taking the opportunity to attack Qiqi for arriving late, Youyou introduced the talented man from Jiangnan directly: "My biggest headache is how to introduce this Mufeng. First of all, he is the behind-the-scenes boss of 'Fudi Real Estate Agency,' which has 92 stores in Shanghai; secondly, he is an investment consultant for the Shanghai branch of 'Wanjia Real Estate'; then he is a member of the Shanghai Writers Association and the secretary-general of the Shanghai branch of the China Zhouyi Society. He can be considered a living map of the Shanghai real estate circle. I brought him here today to be your expert advisor for buying a house."
Of all these titles, what interested Qi Qi the most was his identity as a writer, but what surprised her the most was that he was actually an investment advisor for "Wanjia Real Estate," China's largest real estate company, listed simultaneously in mainland China, Hong Kong, and the United States! As far as Qi Qi knew, Wanjia only had one investment advisor per branch, a highly prestigious position equivalent to a vice president. And this person appeared to be no older than twenty-five, yet he had already reached such a high position, not to mention he was a member of the I Ching Society.
Mu Feng smiled elegantly, looking intently at Qi Qi with a half-smile, his eyes seeming to speak volumes.
Qiqi couldn't help but recall a line from "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" in which Yingning described Wang Zifu: "The young man's eyes were as piercing as a thief's."
However, Qi Qi didn't dislike his gaze; she simply lowered her head slightly.
Mu Feng's voice was like a gentle breeze: "Miss Yang, the leading lady of Xianzhi Company, a rising star in the real estate and feng shui industry, I have long admired your name!"
Upon hearing this, Qi Qi felt not smug but rather extremely embarrassed. Because of her special status as a real estate feng shui master, she didn't own a house and had to personally go through the trouble of buying one.
What I fear even more is that Mu Feng might start recommending several villas to me right away—what am I going to do then!
Youyou complained that she hadn't had breakfast yet, so she ordered a congee with preserved egg and lean pork.
Qiqi immediately added duck chin and shrimp dumplings, which she liked to eat.
Afterwards, Qiqi ordered an iced orange tea, and surprisingly, Mufeng also ordered an iced orange tea. This made Qiqi feel a little bit of tacit understanding.
Qiqi is a man who has always enjoyed drinking tea.
A man who drinks tea will be serene.
A man who drinks coffee is elegant and refined.
Men who drink alcohol tend to be bold and domineering.
Qiqi could only glance at men who drank coffee or alcohol from afar; she could never get close to them.
Although, iced orange tea doesn't seem to qualify as a proper tea bar.
Youyou quickly drank half a bowl of congee with preserved egg and lean pork. Seeing that Qiqi and Mufeng hadn't gotten into a conversation yet, she nudged Mufeng and said, "Hey, why are you so serious? Don't you usually burst into tears whenever you see a girl?"
He then said to Qiqi, "Don't ever think that Mufeng is honest and kind. When he starts talking, he can go on and on for seven days and seven nights without repeating himself. And don't think that he's just here to help you choose a house. He's here to see the beautiful women and to ask you some questions."
With Youyou's encouragement from both sides, Mufeng and Qiqi became less distant.
Qi Qi asked Mu Feng, "You're a writer, what questions don't you have?"
Mu Feng smiled calmly and said, "Everyone has their own expertise. Writers are generalists, but they are not experts in anything."
Qi Qi smiled gently and said, "Not necessarily. Wan Jia, the number one real estate company in China, has invited you to be its investment advisor. You are also a member of the Chinese I Ching Society. When it comes to feng shui, I might be the one who needs to consult you."
Mu Feng said seriously, "In terms of the I Ching, I only have a purely academic understanding, and my knowledge of its application in divination is like looking at flowers through a fog. Not to mention the many schools of Feng Shui. It's impossible for me to know more than Miss Qi Qi."
Youyou quickly interjected, "Hey, you two are both my good friends. But what I hear is that you two are flattering each other on the surface, but actually about to fight!"
Qiqi and Mufeng both laughed.
Mu Feng said, "Actually, my main job is still as a writer. I mainly write about the local customs, anecdotes, and history of Shanghai. I recently accepted a commission from The Washington Post to write a series of columns on the anecdotes of Shanghai's feng shui... To be honest, I know a little about the I Ching, but I know very little about feng shui. I'm afraid of embarrassing myself abroad, so I wanted to consult some feng shui experts in China."
Qi Qi sighed, "No wonder Youyou praised you for being so eloquent. With just one sentence, you elevated our conversation to the level of patriotism. I had no choice but to help!"
Youyou nodded repeatedly: "Qiqi, you don't know, this guy might be talking nonsense. He said that the emergence of Liu Xiang and Yao Ming is related to the feng shui of Shanghai."
Mu Feng immediately stopped him: "No, no, Youyou, don't expose my secrets. That's all just a joke, meant to fool the American devils. If you say that, even a feng shui expert like Qiqi will laugh his head off."
Qiqi, on the contrary, became interested: "Oh? That's interesting. These two are among the few Chinese men who can enjoy worldwide fame, and they are both from Shanghai. I also want to know why."
Ignoring Mu Feng's slightly flushed face, Youyou said vividly, "Our great writer Mu claims that for a city to produce great figures, it must first have corresponding terrain and architecture. Where there is a pattern, there must be auspicious omens. Shanghai built the Jin Mao Tower, which is the tallest in China and the second tallest in the world, so it produced Yao Ming, a great man who plays basketball in the United States and earns hundreds of millions of US dollars every year. Shanghai built the world's fastest maglev train on Longyang Road, so it produced Liu Xiang, who can't even outrun black people."
Qiqi nodded with a smile and said, "What a brilliant idea! My imagination is not enough; I am ashamed to admit my inferiority."
Mu Feng waved his hand and said, "It's purely something to fool foreigners. Nowadays, from Bill Gates to Obama, they all firmly believe in Chinese feng shui, making many Americans flock to this mysterious Chinese culture and eager to get close to it. I think that many people in China who promote feng shui only have a superficial understanding of it. If this continues, the global 'feng shui craze' may turn into a 'pseudo-feng shui' craze..."
Looking at the worried Mu Feng, Qi Qi felt a warmth in her heart and felt even more that this man was honest and had the world in his heart.
“I’m willing to help. If you want to promote authentic Chinese Feng Shui, I can consult you anytime.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Qiqi regretted it a little, wondering if she had been too eager.
Mu Feng's eyes lit up with joy, and he clapped his hands, saying, "That's wonderful! With Miss Yang as my powerful ally, wouldn't I become the 'number one feng shui master' among Chinese writers! May I ask how I can consult Miss Yang?"
They're already asking for my contact information.
Qiqi knew that if he wanted his contact information, Youyou had plenty of it.