Das Geheimnis des alten Hauses

Kapitel 12

A pen-shaped flashlight lay discarded a few steps away, casting a beam of yellow light. Following the direction of the light, Jian Xiang saw the camera lens pointed directly at him.

—Did it succeed...?

---hqszs

Reply [65]: Jian Xiang impatiently crawled toward the camera. He raised his hand and turned the camera's LCD screen toward himself, seeing that the square screen was completely dark.

Jian Xiang didn't have time to recover his strength before getting up to turn on the fluorescent light on the wall. He quickly turned the camera back on, only to see a message on the edge of the screen indicating that the videotape had reached the end.

This camera has been tampered with... It can't be anyone else but Xia Yongyu!

Sure enough, his soul-summoning spell succeeded?

Jian Xiang held his breath, pressed the rewind button, and immediately pressed play as soon as the videotape finished rewinding. The image flickered irregularly before stabilizing, and his heart pounded faster.

A few seconds later, a conscious version of myself appeared on the screen, sitting on the floor!

“Officer, um… perhaps I should add an adjective—an exceptionally intelligent officer. I really didn’t expect you to do something so dangerous just to summon my soul.”

Jian Xiang was stunned for a moment, unable to think straight. Although the man in the image was indeed himself, his expression and manner of speaking were completely different from his original self. It was like the movie "Face/Off".

—That's right, that's right. This is Xia Yongyu's summoned spirit.

"I'm sorry, I can't find Zhimei for you. My soul can't leave this room, nor can it linger in the mortal realm for long. I can only use my last strength... cough, cough cough... to answer the questions you raised."

Xia Yongyu's voice was hollow and his pronunciation labored, as if he were suffering immense pain in his throat. He had been killed by a vengeful ghost who had pierced his neck with a small round shovel, rendering him unable to speak normally. Jian Xiang felt a profound sense of unease and unease upon seeing himself possessed and speaking in this manner.

"...I met Zhimei on the street of Jianguo Road. Cough...it was near Zhongshan Road, under the arcades there...there were many clothing stores and stalls selling all sorts of girls' trinkets."

"I remember it very clearly, it was March 4th... a Saturday afternoon. Because it was a holiday, there were a lot of people on the streets. I was working at the time—I think, seeing those photos in my darkroom at home, as a police officer, you can easily imagine that my job was extortion. Maybe you... think extortion is a very despicable act... but I don't want to know your opinion. I just simply think that this is the most exciting, challenging, and high-return job I've ever done."

"It was because of the crowds that I lost track of a rich young man and his secret girlfriend. Looking back now, it's probably because my whereabouts were exposed and he discovered me; otherwise, it was just a short street, and I wouldn't have lost them. Anyway... I felt very frustrated at the time—I had investigated for a long time before I could pinpoint that young man's movements. I strolled... into a shop, casually looking at the large pile of imported Japanese dolls hanging on the wall."

"Then, I saw... Zhi Mei. The small shop was deserted, which only added to her desolate expression. My sixth sense detected a heavy gloom surrounding her and an inexplicable fear in her heart. I can't read minds, but I've had an incredibly accurate sense of perception since childhood. This ability allows me to precisely sense whether there is an ambiguous relationship between a man and a woman, which is why my blackmail is so successful."

"Anyway, I noticed her. She was a cute girl, but she was terrified of something. The moment she looked back at me with a questioning gaze, I found myself instantly smitten. Her eyes seemed to cast a spell of love on me. So, I mustered my courage and asked bluntly, 'Tell me, what are you afraid of?' 'I don't know,' she replied, 'but I'm really scared.' Then I started talking to her more, but I couldn't get any information out of her. I gradually became convinced that she had lost her memory of that fear. I thought it must be my heroic instincts acting up! I boldly asked her if she would believe me, that I was willing to try to dispel the shadow in her heart."

“She agreed. In fact, I could sense a longing in her. A longing... a need to be protected. I think that's the main reason why she agreed so easily. I went shopping with her, took her out to dinner, drove her around, showed her the night view, and drove her home.”

---hqszs

Reply [66]: Jian Xiang nodded. The image of Zhang Zhimei in that DV tape also aroused his strong urge to protect her.

"She had no close friends and lived a lonely life, renting a cheap little apartment on Andong Street. In addition, she worked as a clerk in an ice cream shop near the intersection of Shiquan Road and Jilin Street. Her salary was not high, and she spent it all on clothes. I knew that this was the only way for her to temporarily forget her fears."

"Within a week, our relationship grew closer and closer. I didn't let her know about my work, and when she visited, I would lock the door to the darkroom. Seeing her gradually become happier because of my company, my heart... was also filled with joy. I originally thought that I could help Zhimei get rid of the shadow of her long-standing fear, but I never expected that real danger would soon be closing in on me. It all started with that strange dream!"

Xia Yongyu took a difficult breath, her gaze becoming somewhat timid.

“Studying Western magic is a personal interest of mine that I am very passionate about, and I have always aimed to become the best medium. The beginning of this strange dream has an irresistible attraction for me.”

"I dreamt that I was holding a cane and walking into a dilapidated cemetery in the wilderness. It was midnight, and the bright moonlight shone on the earth, making the crumbling tombstones among the weeds dazzling. Undecipherable phonetic characters were carved on each tombstone, and I didn't know what I was looking for among the graves."

"Walking along the path lined with stone tablets, I heard the hooting of owls, the howling of the wind, and the cries of black cats. In an instant, I arrived at an ancient and mysterious cemetery. On either side of the entrance to the cemetery stood two three-meter-tall stone statues of Machusias, monsters with eagle wings and serpent tails, who came from hell and constantly spewed nauseating swamp gas from their mouths."

"Deep within the cemetery, a magnificent and imposing stone monument stood before me. It emitted a foul, stench-filled miasma and groaned in agony. After a tremor, a crack appeared in the monument, and it snapped in two at its base. A grotesque, withered hand forcefully emerged from the black soil beneath, and after a violent struggle, a sallow-faced, emaciated, and ragged old man slowly crawled out."

The old man's face was ashen, his features skeletal, and he stared at me with eyes filled with white. My legs were immobilized, and I could only watch as the old man approached me with his hunched gait.

"I had absolutely no idea what his intentions were, and my heart was filled with unknown fear. The old man came within twenty centimeters of me, his withered hand grabbing my hair and pulling me close, his bloodless lips pressed against my ear. His breath on my cheek sent a chill down my spine. Then he began to speak, his voice like a marine iguana sucking at a corpse: 'Do you know? I am Cornelias Agrippa.' I was utterly astonished. The name was very familiar to me; he was the greatest magician in fifteenth-century Europe, an expert in alchemy, Jewish mysticism, and psychic arts. There was ample evidence that he had sold his soul to Satan to learn magic, and that he had imps at his side, carrying out his evil schemes."

“‘Now I will tell you,’ Agrippa said, ‘that there exists a supreme form of magic in the world that can allow you to see ghosts. Would you like to learn it?’ Though I was in a dream, I found myself still possessing a free will, and so, almost without thinking, I answered, ‘I would.’ After I answered, I found my body was no longer stiff and I could finally move freely. Agrippa led me to a corner of the inner chamber of the cemetery, where there was a stone staircase leading to a basement. At the end of the staircase was a tightly closed black iron door, which looked like a dungeon.” Agrippa said to me, "The other side of this door leads to the realm of the dead. I will draw the 'Key to Breaking the Seal' on your right palm, which will lift the seal on the gate." Agrippa drew on my palm with his index finger. His claw-like fingertips cut through my skin, causing blood to seep from my palm and leaving bruise-like blue marks. I saw him draw four concentric circles, and write the titles of various demons in hell between each circle. Finally, he drew a pentagram in the central circle.

After he finished drawing, the blue pattern gradually sank into my palm and disappeared. The old man said, "Now go! Go open that door! As long as you knock on the door twenty times first, and then turn the doorknob with the 'Key to Break the Seal,' you can open the gate to hell." I did as he said, went down the steps, and began to knock on the door, silently counting to twenty.

"Just as I turned the doorknob and opened the black door a crack, I heard Agrippa's sudden, raucous laughter behind me, emitting a piercing, eerie sound. The iron door suddenly transformed into the door to my bedroom, and it was quickly opened. I saw a bottomless door behind which came a noisy, terrifying scream, as if it wanted to devour me... ---hqszs replied [67]: "Then I woke up from the dream. Everything seemed unchanged; I was still in my own bedroom, and Zhimei was still sleeping peacefully beside me. However, the dream was so vivid that I couldn't help but look at my palms. You can't believe it! There were several fresh, fine bloodstains on my palms! As if someone had just cut them with the tip of a knife."

"I felt uneasy, so I got out of bed to check the bedroom doorknob... You know what? The bedroom door was really open, and I was absolutely certain I had closed it before going to sleep. And there was even some blood on the doorknob! I couldn't believe my eyes! Behind the door was complete darkness and silence. But even in the absolute stillness, I felt like I could hear something... From that day on, I suddenly became afraid of opening the door in the middle of the night. I always felt like something was stirring behind the door. Those things made low whispers, groans, and laughter behind the door that I couldn't see. In fact, after studying magic for so many years, I really hoped to see a ghost with my own eyes, but I never expected the real feeling to be so disgusting."

"Zhi Mei seemed to sense my abnormality, and she secretly left me a few days later. I think she was also afraid. I tried to use hypnosis to find her lost memories, but she kept claiming to have a headache and refused to cooperate, so this work was interrupted by her disappearance and could not be continued. In fact, I believe that if I conduct one or two more hypnosis sessions, I will definitely be able to uncover what she is truly afraid of... In short, I have to face the ghosts that may suddenly appear around me at any time. Every night, I can clearly hear their voices close at hand, and I can also see shadowy figures flashing by all around, like illusions. On March 18th, something very terrifying happened."

“I woke up at 1:30 a.m. that day. Because I needed to urinate, I went upstairs to the toilet. At that moment, I heard a slight knocking sound coming from the kitchen next door. Feeling uneasy, I opened the kitchen door and peeked inside, only to find that the refrigerator door was open. There was a person squatting in front of the refrigerator, his clothes were filthy, and he was eating something with his back to me. He heard me open the door and turned around... I saw his face... he…” Xia Yongyu’s voice began to tremble as he said this. Jian Xiang looked at himself on the screen, too frightened to speak, and couldn’t help but tremble as well. Room 401 was quiet, but after listening to Xia Yongyu’s detailed description of the strange dream, Jian Xiang also began to have ghostly hallucinations in the room.

"The man's abdomen had been ripped open, his internal organs spilling out onto the floor. His face was ashen, like dried amber, parts of his skin peeled away, revealing black, rotting flesh. He was panting, drinking milk from my refrigerator, and voraciously devouring his own entrails, his hands covered in broken flesh and yellowish-green vomit… He stared at me with his swollen, murmured 'Grin' eyes. Then I realized he was about to get up and pounce on me, so I immediately ran back to my bedroom on the third floor and locked the door tightly. Peeking through the crack under the door, something happened that nearly made me faint—the ravenous ghost followed me from behind, and he… he was also looking at me through the crack! Right there in the crack, a pair of eyes filled with bloodshot veins and a sticky substance were visible!"

"I was so frightened that I quickly retreated to the edge of the bed. Then, from behind the door, I heard a noise of a hungry ghost scratching at the door with its fingernails, trying to turn the doorknob to open the door, and constantly moaning, 'Come out, come out!'... I didn't leave the room until dawn, huddled under the covers to avoid those terrifying sounds, completely unable to sleep. This was the first terrifying experience I had since gaining the ability to see ghosts. Originally, I thought that seeing those shadowy figures and hearing those disturbances were just my imagination, but then I finally realized that the magic Cornelias Agrippa had cast on me in my dream was absolutely real."

"For the next few nights, I would hear loud, undisguised footsteps outside my bedroom. The ghosts behind the door became more and more numerous, shouting and constantly searching for my location. Whenever they found me in the bedroom, they would start banging on the door... I think you will never understand this experience, it was really too scary, too terrifying!"

---hqszs

Reply [68]: "For this reason, I became sleep-deprived and my sleep schedule became reversed. I would be disturbed by ghosts again and again while I was fully conscious, and then fall into a deep sleep after sunrise. I remember one morning I fell asleep in the living room and when I woke up I found that night had already fallen."

"I saw a young girl standing on the balcony outside the French windows, holding a large meat cleaver. Her hair was disheveled, her skin was pale with prominent veins, and there was a deep, long gash on her body starting from her left shoulder, from which blood kept gushing out, splattering the entire French windows with bloodstains. When she saw that I had woken up, she suddenly pounded the glass window with the handle of the cleaver, and cracks began to appear in the checkered glass."

"I knew she wanted to kill me! Because her gaze was fierce, and she was whimpering with hatred through gritted teeth. I didn't have time to escape to the third floor; I rushed into the dark room and slammed the door shut. The female ghost quickly broke one of the windows, and I heard shards of glass crashing to the floor. She limped towards the door of the dark room in her heavy wooden clogs and began to slash at the door with the tip of her knife. I rushed to the metal cabinet, intending to push it against the door to block it, but unexpectedly... on the shelf inside the glass cabinet, a human head appeared!"

"This head looked as if it had been tightly bound with barbed wire. The face was covered in crisscrossing, bloody gashes, some of which were even deep enough to reach the bone. The end of the neck was a bloody mess, from which milky white viscous fluid was oozing. His eyes were staring at me with a dazed look, and his mouth was wide open as he gasped for breath."

"When he saw me, he started jumping around wildly, crashing against the cabinet walls. Only then did I realize that the back of his head, behind his ears, was long gone, and bright red brain matter was spilling out as the head jumped around."

"I was terrified. I never imagined that such a terrifying head was hidden behind the cabinet door. The thought that suddenly flashed through my mind was that from now on I probably wouldn't be able to open even a small door or a cardboard box! But I quickly regained my senses and pushed the metal cabinet hard to the doorway."

"So, I spent the night in the dim red light of the darkroom, amidst the clanging and rattling of the metal cabinet, and the fierce shouts outside the door; all night, I had to stay conscious, constantly pushing against the metal cabinet so the female ghost couldn't break in. If it weren't for your police finally breaking into Room 401, I probably would have died in my own room..." At this point, "Xia Yongyu" fell silent, his hand instinctively resting on the left side of his throat, where there was no visible wound. Hearing "himself" recount this harrowing experience of being chased by a vengeful ghost, Jian Xiang felt as if he had personally experienced it.

Jian Xiang fell into deep thought during this silence. Why would Xia Yongyu—and probably Zhong Sizao as well—have such a bizarre dream? And if it was simply a magic that "allows one to see ghosts," how did it end up as a "hunt by vengeful ghosts"?

What role did Zhang Zhimei play here?

Jian Xiang finally gained a deeper understanding of the entire paranormal event. However, like Xia Yongyu, he was unable to explain these mysteries.

"Officer, you must find Zhi Mei no matter what. My relationship with her was short, but I could clearly feel her helplessness and confusion. She needs your help. You mentioned that you've been suspected by your colleagues—I think ordinary police officers certainly wouldn't accept psychic abilities or magic. Therefore, only you can truly save Zhi Mei!"

"I hope you can find Zhimei as soon as possible and continue my deep hypnosis of her. Since you were able to successfully learn how to summon spirits, I believe hypnosis won't be too difficult for you... Ha, ha. Just kidding. Actually, what I mean is that when I hypnotized Zhimei, I planted a 'key' to unlock her subconscious mind."

“This ‘key’ is like the button on a starter machine. I think you’ve probably seen those TV shows where ‘you just say a keyword and the other person will act according to the pre-set instructions,’ right? Yes, it’s something like that…” Hearing “Xia Yongyu” mention it, Jian Xiang remembered that he had used this trick against him before.

"This 'key' is a sentence of fifty words. When Zhimei hears the tenth word, her head will start to throb with pain; by the twentieth word, she might faint from the pain. But no matter what, you must finish saying all fifty words to her, even if she resists almost frantically... I guess I'm just too chivalrous, which is why I couldn't bear to continue after the twentieth word several times."

"Actually, I could have taught you a gentler method, but there's no time left. I'm starting to feel my consciousness fading and my mind unable to concentrate. If you wish to use the Soul Summoning Technique again to ask me more questions after you wake up, I advise you not to. I've spoken too much and exhausted too much energy; I think my soul will soon dissipate."

"The DV tape is almost empty. If the tape isn't recorded properly, all our efforts will be in vain. Ha, ha... Okay, let's make the most of this time—this sentence is a powerful and difficult-to-control 'key.' In the process of unlocking the subconscious, if you say the fortieth word but don't let Zhi Mei finish listening, there is an 80% or higher chance that she will go crazy."

Chapter Six: Phantom Lady

---hqszs

Reply [69]: "That's not just magic, it's a curse. If you have such a dream while you're investigating the mystery of magic... you must refuse the magic bestowed by Agrippa! You absolutely cannot agree to it! You must say you never want to see a ghost again!"

After Jian Xiang had repeatedly taught Xia Yongyu to remember the fifty-word "key," Xia Yongyu looked exhausted and extremely tired. His speech became intermittent, interspersed with severe coughing.

"Only you know the whole story, so only you... can break this terrifying curse... save Zhi Mei, save more victims..." Before Xia Yongyu could finish his last sentence, the videotape abruptly stopped. The tape had reached its end. Jian Xiang stared at the silent, flashing power switch of the camera, feeling as if everything that had appeared on the screen was an illusion.

According to Xia Yongyu, Jian Xiang at least grasped the process of magic.

—First, there's a bizarre and vivid dream in which a wizard appears and asks if you want to see ghosts. After obtaining your consent, he will cast a spell on your palm and ask you to open the door to the ghost world.

—You followed the wizard's instructions exactly, but that door turned into your house door.

—When you wake up, you'll find that your palms have indeed been enchanted, and the door has truly opened. The dream has become reality. From then on, you can really see ghosts at night, but these ghosts appear to take your life… Jian Xiang's strength has fully recovered, but his mind is in turmoil, and he doesn't know what to do next. Just as "Xia Yongyu" said he had a splitting headache due to ghostly possession, Jian Xiang also suffered the same pain due to his possession.

Is this a subtle communion between the soul and the medium?

Jian sat up, rubbed his temples with his right thumb, and made sure he was fully conscious.

Just then, Jian Xiang suddenly cried out in surprise without a sound. He realized a new possibility—a headache!

Headache!

Although Xia Yongyu mentioned it very rarely, Zhang Zhimei did indeed suffer from severe headaches due to the loss of some parts of her memory. More precisely, the reason Xia Yongyu rarely mentioned it was because he completely overlooked the importance of this clue. He certainly never imagined that this would be the right direction to find Zhang Zhimei!

Jian Xiang became more and more excited as he thought about it, realizing that he had found a brand new way out.

Zhang Zhimei's two boyfriends died suddenly in succession. Whether she knew about their deaths or not, she was very likely hiding in her new residence out of fear and no longer going out shopping. This is the main reason why Xia Yongyu was unable to find her despite following her leisure habits.

However, Zhang Zhimei had been hypnotized by Xia Yongyu, which caused her headaches. The interruption of the powerful hypnosis should cause her headaches to recur continuously…that's it! Even if she stopped shopping, she still had to go out to buy painkillers. Jian Xiang believed that Zhang Zhimei couldn't endure the excruciating pain indefinitely and would have to leave her residence to buy medicine at a nearby pharmacy.

As long as Zhang Zhimei still lives in Kaohsiung City—she must still be in Kaohsiung City, it's a familiar environment for her, she has no friends, and she wouldn't have a place to stay in other cities—Jian Xiang is confident he can find her!

Thinking of this, Jian Xiang's spirits lifted. He quickly packed up the camera he had brought and left Room 401 without looking back. Before leaving, he silently told himself that he would never go back to this hellish place.

The next step is to take Zhang Zhimei's photo and visit various pharmacies in the city. If that fails, the investigation will continue to include clinics and hospitals.

For the next week, Jian Xiang spent his days running around the streets of Kaohsiung, searching for the missing Zhang Zhimei. Meanwhile, the police station remained busy with the Zhong Sizao case and other minor cases they had taken on.

The day after the "Summoning Night," Team Leader Gao immediately assigned Jian Xiang to investigate other minor cases. Team Leader Gao may have already sensed the private conflict between him and Shao De, which is why he transferred him to another team. As a result, Jian Xiang was able to take advantage of the limited spare time during his field investigations to interview the owners of various pharmacies.

On the other hand, although Shaode confirmed that Zhong Sizhao did indeed make a living by stealing and selling stolen goods, it was clear from his words and actions over the past few days that he had not been able to find further evidence of Jianxiang's involvement through the channels of selling stolen goods, which also relieved the pressure on Jianxiang.

---hqszs

Reply [70]: -- Zhongshan Road 1 / Nanxing Pharmacy, Liang'an Pharmacy; Hebei Road 2 / Gaohecheng Pharmacy; Jianguo Road 2 / Ci'an Pharmacy, Xinde Pharmacy, Wenqin Pharmacy; Zili Road 1 / Mingsheng Pharmacy, Zhongzheng Pharmacy; Jiuru Road 1 / Renren Pharmacist Pharmacy; Road 2 / Jiuru Pharmacist Pharmacy, Dazheng Pharmacy, Zhendong Pharmacy; Nenjiang Street / Honglong Pharmacy, Dasheng Pharmacy; Hankou Street / Hanliang Pharmacy; Harbin Street / Zhengren Pharmacy, Kunsheng Pharmacy, Qisheng Pharmacy; Jilin Street / Zhongsheng Pharmacy.

—Liaoning Second Street / Jingtian Pharmacy; Rehe First Street / Qiyuan Pharmacy, Xinji Pharmacy, Chongliang Pharmacy, Zhenyuan Pharmacy, Jiayi Pharmacy; Second Street / Songyuan Pharmacy; Shiquan First Road / Yoshida Pharmacy, Xing'an Pharmacy, Jianchang Pharmacy; Chahar Second Street / Ancheng Pharmacy; Beiping Second Street / Zhongwei Pharmacy… Jian Xiang, carrying Zhang Zhimei's photo, investigated her whereabouts street by street. Centered on Sanmin District, he expanded to the neighboring Xinxing District and Qianjin District. On his Kaohsiung City map, he circled various symbols in red and blue, noting the areas he had investigated, the pharmacies whose testimonies needed to be reconfirmed, and the locations and times where women with similar appearances and behavior appeared.

This wasn't a difficult task, but the sheer number of details far exceeded Jian Xiang's initial expectations. Although it was only three administrative districts, Jian Xiang was searching alone, which was far slower than when the branch office always mobilized a special task force for investigations.

On April 6th, Jian Xiang finally abandoned the search of the Sanmin, Xinxing, and Qianjin districts. Based on the investigation, he was completely certain that Zhang Zhimei did not live in these places, meaning that Zhang Zhimei had gone far away after leaving her two boyfriends.

All he could control was a videotape and a photograph.

However, Jian Xiang was not discouraged. He knew that following this line of investigation, however long it was, would eventually lead to the destination, and his filtering and selection had gradually narrowed down the scope of the search.

During this period, Zhang Zhimei's image on the videotape became Jian Xiang's stimulant. After a long day, he would return to his quiet bedroom, turn on his younger brother's camera, and repeatedly play the DV tape. In the illusory, yet unattainable, LCD screen, Jian Xiang imbued Zhang Zhimei with a perfect image through his imagination.

"Ken, please love me forever."

For some reason, Jian Xiang felt as if he heard Zhang Zhimei's heartfelt confession to Zhong Sizao, which was actually directed at him.

On the afternoon of April 10th, Jian Xiang arrived at the main road in Yancheng District. He had just finished questioning witnesses in a hardware store robbery and, after organizing the statements, immediately took advantage of the free time to search for Zhang Zhimei. Starting this week, he would begin a new investigation focusing on Yancheng District.

As the investigation expanded further and further away from the precinct, Jianxiang found that his available resources were becoming increasingly limited. Even simple, minor cases were progressing slowly due to his distractions. Jianxiang knew in his heart that this made his colleagues at the precinct deeply puzzled by his actions and increasingly suspicious of his attitude.

Continuing like this... would ruin his previously stable life and his bright future... 3:20 PM was the moment when the blazing sun would unleash its final power. Jian Xiang had visited three newly opened large convenience pharmacies in the Yancheng District, but without any clear results. There happened to be another pharmacy not far from the intersection of Dagong Road and Jianguo Fourth Road.

"Xiao Wu, where are you?" The voice on the cell phone belonged to Liwei.

"In...Yancheng District."

"Hello? Hello?" Liwei said, "Please! What are you doing in Yancheng District? The director is furious!"

"What? I can't quite hear you..."

"The chief wants you back immediately. He said there's a problem with your report on the gang robbery yesterday—in fact, the chief described it as 'a load of nonsense.' Also, you haven't reported on the progress of the hardware theft case yet..." There was no time to explain to Liwei now. Jianxiang silently turned off his phone.

---hqszs

Reply [71]: "Boss, could you please repeat what you just said?" Jian Xiang said gently to the pharmacy owner: "I'm sorry, my colleague called and I didn't hear what you said clearly."