Любовь ядовита

Глава 15

This collapsed building has become, in a way, a novel and exciting toy.

A few Fenghe Shuiyuan residents emerged from the tent and noticed Qiqi and her group.

Just as they approached to strike up a conversation, a young policeman appeared out of nowhere and stepped between them.

The young policeman asked Qiqi and the others, "Who is in charge of this group?"

Vice President Shang stepped forward and said, "That's me. I've already spoken to your captain."

The young policeman's expression softened considerably, and he said, "A group of researchers from Japan will be arriving soon. Please leave immediately."

Mark was having so much fun that he didn't want to leave: "We haven't even walked around this building yet, we've only seen one side... Anyway, we're all 'researchers,' so why don't we bring those Japanese 'researchers' over with us, and we can do 'research' together? Maybe we can find out the real reason for the building's collapse today!"

Mark's standard Mandarin left the young policeman stunned: "You, you, are you Chinese or a foreigner? How come you speak Chinese so well!"

Mark smiled smugly and said, "I can also speak Shanghainese. Does it sound familiar to you?"

The young policeman, along with everyone else present, had never heard a foreigner speak Shanghainese so fluently before, and they all found it very interesting.

The young policeman waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, you're very capable. However, our rules here only allow one group of people to visit at a time. Would you all please do us a favor?"

Seeing the vice president's hesitant expression, Mark didn't press the matter further, saying, "Alright, at least we can report back to the mysterious client at headquarters. It's just that those Japanese are getting a good deal. We'll come back another day."

Chapter Fourteen: As the five people in swimsuits followed the young policeman across the cordon, they immediately spotted a man and a woman standing outside the cordon!

A young man, around twenty years old, with his hair parted in the middle, long, narrow eyebrows, and thin face, wore a black Kenzo suit. His eyes and expression carried a hint of weariness. Most striking was the black silk tie he wore over the exquisite lapel, the knot embroidered with a flamboyant little chrysanthemum in gold thread. Though a small, exquisitely embroidered detail, it exuded a strange, twisted, and menacing aura, sending chills down one's spine at first glance.

Beside him stood a girl wearing a white kimono with gold chrysanthemum patterns and furisode sleeves, over which she wore a pale purple shirt. Her face was deathly pale, as if coated with chalk. Her skin was delicate and snow-white. Her black hair was tied back with a white paper strip, neatly trimmed and reaching her knees. Her fingers were slender, and the veins beneath were visible through her skin. However, the girl's eyes were unusually empty, her thin lips tightly closed, and her expression was indifferent. Judging by her age, she appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen, like a lifeless puppet.

As the two groups passed each other, the young man wearing KENZO suddenly whispered a sentence in Japanese.

Xiu, who was at the very back, stopped.

However, he stood there for less than a second before lifting his foot again to catch up with the four people on his side.

The young man stopped, raised his voice slightly, and said in broken Chinese, "Xiujun, you can choose not to greet your old classmates, but you can't just ignore your old flame, can you?"

Xiu stopped, but did not turn around.

The young man turned around, looked at Xiu's back, and said, "Working as a lackey for such a small company is a disgrace to our colleagues at Waseda University Theological Seminary!"

Xiu turned around.

Qiqi, Xishu, Mark, and Vice President Shang also sensed something was wrong and turned to look at the young man.

The young man continued, "I also work for a special business consulting firm in Shanghai now. The headquarters is located on the top floor of the world's tallest building, which is much better than your company's small Bund Center... We're classmates, so if you beg me, maybe I can get you a job at my company..."

Seeing the contempt and sarcasm on his face, Xiu calmly said, "Xun-jun, the main reason your company is located in the top floor is probably because your father can waive your rent and property management fees, right? As for the size of your company, as far as I know, including security guards and cleaners, there are no more than fifty people. My company, Prophet, has more than five hundred people in the Greater China region alone... If your company ever goes out of business, you can consider coming to me for help, and I will introduce you to an intern position in our company."

Qiqi almost burst out laughing.

She realized for the first time that Xiu, who was usually quiet and reserved, was actually a person with such sharp and sarcastic words.

Kaoru, panting, said, "Well, Xiu, it's been a year and you're still as sharp as ever. You're a good opponent. Take care of yourself. Yuko works as an Onmyoji at my company. If you want to see her, you can come anytime. I'll treat you to sake and sashimi."

Xiu glanced at the graceful back of the kimono-clad girl who hadn't turned around, stared blankly for a moment, then looked down, then up again, and asked, "Yuko, are you—alright?"

Yuko shrugged and tilted her head back.

Her long, white neck formed a sorrowful, curved arc, supporting her beautiful head so it wouldn't bow down.

However, she neither turned around nor answered.

Mark was particularly interested in this mysterious girl. He stepped forward and, facing her back, asked in fluent Japanese, "You're an Onmyoji, right? Do you do the same work as a medium like me?"

The girl's once jet-black hair suddenly turned deathly pale, her sunken pupils seeming to be two bottomless blood holes. She fiercely warned Mark, "Don't bother me! You are you, and I am me!"

Then, that face quickly returned to the back of his head, covered in thick black hair.

Mark was stunned.

Qiqi only caught a glimpse of the Japanese girl's face for a moment, but didn't hear her speak.

Qiqi couldn't understand why Mark, who was usually so carefree, was so frightened.

Mark's mouth was agape, his face deathly pale. Suddenly, he turned and strode away.

As soon as he left, the other four people from Prophet Company followed suit and left together.

Weiwei weathered the storm caused by the television interview incident unscathed, but then reverted to her old ways.

She continued to speak loudly and eat snacks in the Suzaku Department office.

Especially since Qiqi wasn't here today, she became even more excited and unrestrained.

He ignored Song Yu's furrowed brows and silence.

Weiwei only cares whether anyone listens to her when she speaks, and doesn't care whether others pay attention to her.

As soon as Qiqi entered the door, Weiwei jumped up and went over to her, winking and asking, "Sister Qiqi, what does that handsome and cool little brother with a full head of white hair do this morning?"

Qiqi had just returned from the Fenghe Shuiyuan construction site, looking somewhat tired, and said indifferently, "A specialist from headquarters."

Weiwei, oblivious to any subtle cues, pressed on, "Does that mean this handsome foreign guy will be working at our company from now on? That's so cool! At least I can get a good look at him every day during lunch, haha!"

Qi Qi glared at her and said, "Did you come to the Prophet's Temple to learn from the masters or to see the handsome guys?"

Perhaps because Qiqi was always kind and gentle to Weiwei, Qiqi's not-so-stern words made Weiwei angry and embarrassed. She glared at Qiqi, turned around abruptly, and strode towards the Vermilion Bird Department office.

Qiqi stood there somewhat bewildered, wondering why Weiwei had reacted so strongly to what was supposed to be a half-joking remark. But then she thought, Weiwei is just a post-90s girl, and a Sichuan girl at that, so it's understandable that she might have a bit of a fiery personality.

Because he was in a hurry to find Zhou Haisheng, he didn't have time to deal with Weiwei anymore and went to knock on the manager's office door first.

Zhou Haisheng's eyes remained fixed on the screen.

He gestured for Qiqi to sit down in the chair opposite him, then the sound of an MSN message came from his computer. He typed a reply and then looked up.

His gaze toward Qiqi was gentle and kind.

"I heard from Vice President Shang that Specialist Mark at headquarters is very satisfied with you? This is an honor for our Vermilion Bird Department!"

Zhou Haisheng was all smiles.

Qiqi gets embarrassed when praised, and says with her head down, "It's nothing, I just accompanied him to see the collapsed building of Fenghe Shuiyuan."

Zhou Haisheng suddenly asked, "Have you bought your house yet?"

Qiqi was taken aback and said, "No. I'm still choosing."

Zhou Haisheng asked somewhat abruptly, "Qiqi, you've been to Lotus Road several times. What do you think of the feng shui around there?"

Qi Qi casually said, "It's not bad. If the Pudian River is used properly, it can bring in a lot of wealth. It's just that the Fenghe Shuiyuan building was unlucky. It was built in a position where the river is 'reverse bow', and with other bad luck combined, it collapsed."

Zhou Haisheng pondered for a moment, stroking his chin, and said, "What do you think... what if I invested in a property there?" Before Qi Qi could answer, he quickly added, "I mean, this morning, the wife of that planning bureau chief was being all mysterious, telling me to buy a few properties around Lotus Road, either residential or commercial... I was just telling you..."

Zhou Haisheng leaned closer to Qiqi and lowered his voice.

Qiqi instinctively turned her head back slightly and asked somewhat warily, "What did you say?"

Zhou Haisheng pulled his head back in disappointment and said in a drawn-out voice, "There will be at least a 50% return on investment!"

Qi Qi was startled. She immediately thought of what Mu Feng had said to her last Saturday after they finished looking at houses: "Qi Qi, I solemnly suggest that you buy at least one house near Lotus Road!"

She knew that Mu Feng must have received some inside information that he considered absolutely reliable to warrant such a serious suggestion to Qi Qi. Zhou Haisheng's source of the information was also reliable; the wife of the planning bureau director was known for her uncanny ability to predict the future of properties, accurately predicting which area would see property prices rise—more accurate than the I Ching.

Qiqi was still skeptical: "A building just collapsed in Fenghe Shuiyuan, and the place is filled with bad luck. Everyone is avoiding it like the plague. Many nearby residents are selling their houses. How could there be an investment return rate of over 50%?"

Zhou Haisheng slowly sipped his tea and said, "Qiqi, as your boss, I have an obligation to teach you a lesson. You're in the real estate industry, so you need to understand that houses not only serve a residential function but also an investment function. Just like stocks, they not only represent ownership of shares in a listed company but also the ability to profit from price differences. From this perspective, houses and stocks are essentially 'bargains,' bargaining chips used to make money."

Zhou Haisheng really enjoyed teaching Qiqi.

In his eyes, Qiqi was seriously lacking in intelligence. Her emotional intelligence was incredibly low.

Her only redeeming quality is that she is relatively obedient and has some merit in the feng shui business, so Zhou Haisheng sometimes gives her a few words of advice out of frustration.

Of course, he refused to reveal the key points of interpersonal relationships in the workplace.

Otherwise, given Qiqi's expertise in feng shui, wouldn't he have been ousted immediately?

Seeing that Qiqi seemed to be listening attentively, Zhou Haisheng continued his sermon with satisfaction: "Stock trading is all about 'themes,' that is, topics and narratives. There are thousands of stocks on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges. Why would people buy your company's stock and not someone else's? So you have to create topics! For example, being acquired by a foreign company, or cooperating with a well-known enterprise... Regardless of whether it's true or not, as soon as the news comes out, people will buy your stock. How expensive is advertising these days? Hundreds of millions of yuan. Just release a piece of news in the stock market, and hundreds of millions of shareholders will remember your company's name and products. It's a risk-free way to make huge profits!"

Although her mother trades stocks and is often forced to watch news and stock reviews on CBN with her, Qiqi always lets it go in one ear and out the other, leaving no trace.

Zhou Haisheng continued unhurriedly, "This hype, there's legitimate hype and malicious hype, just like martial arts, there are righteous and evil schools. In our Feng Shui world, aren't there also righteous and evil schools? Righteous Feng Shui masters, like your Yang family ancestors, are known for 'saviors of the poor,' helping people and bringing blessings to their descendants; evil Feng Shui masters, like the collateral branches of the Lu Ban School and the Japanese Nine Chrysanthemum School, have malicious intentions, destroy Feng Shui, causing continuous misfortune, and even wiping out entire clans..."

For some reason, Qiqi suddenly remembered the gold-threaded chrysanthemum on the tie of the Japanese man she had seen that morning! Then, recalling Tianxin's comments about the tallest building's eight trigrams, she vaguely felt a mysterious connection between the two…

Qi Qi's distraction led Zhou Haisheng to mistakenly believe it was due to his insightful explanation, which emboldened him further: "So-called speculative trading is about taking risky, reckless actions! For example, if a company incurs losses for two consecutive years and is designated as 'ST' (Special Treatment), it stands out from the vast majority of listed companies, at least attracting attention. Then, it continuously releases negative news, forcing existing shareholders to sell at a loss. Finally, it finds a similar company to restructure, transforming itself from a sparrow into a phoenix, soaring to new heights—"

Qi Qi couldn't help but interrupt him, saying, "Manager Zhou, I don't understand stocks and I don't want to speculate on stocks. Please talk about real estate instead."

Zhou Haisheng waved his hand and said, "Young people just lack patience. I'm just using an analogy; if I were to talk about the housing prices on Hehua Road all at once, you'd understand even less... The real estate market and the stock market have many things in common. For example, a place that was originally calm can suddenly see its housing prices skyrocket due to a certain 'theme.' For instance, when Shanghai successfully bid for the World Expo, the housing prices and land prices for the Expo site on both sides of the Huangpu River instantly soared by more than 50%. Another example is Baoshan District; before the subway was planned, it was a desolate place, but as soon as the subway line was announced, its housing prices immediately became similar to those in other districts. If the Fenghe Shuiyuan buildings hadn't collapsed, how many people in Shanghai, let alone the whole country, would know about this development? Look at it now, everyone in the world knows about it! What is that? That's brand awareness! That's intangible assets! If you're buying for your own residence, it's not that significant; it might just satisfy your vanity. But if it's for investment, it's different. Brand awareness is money; it can be converted into real cash!"

After Zhou Haisheng finished speaking, he took a big gulp of water.

Qiqi found this absurd. It was clearly a bad thing, but they were trying to turn it into a good thing and then make money off it. She really didn't know what to say.

Zhou Haisheng said with some pride, "This is not my conjecture. In fact, the housing prices in the Hehua Road area of Minhang have quietly climbed from an average of 11,000 yuan to around 13,000 yuan in just over a week."

Qi Qi shook her head and sighed.

Zhou Haisheng also sighed: "Fine, whatever you want. I'm going to buy at least one anyway. As soon as July comes in, the Shanghai real estate market starts to stir. The average transaction price is rising by more than 100 yuan a day. Even if I buy a house on Hehua Road, it will still rise by more than 10% if it doesn't increase by 50%. We'll see."

If housing prices rise further, I'm afraid I won't have enough cash on hand for a down payment...

Qiqi felt a strange sadness.

Just then, Qiqi's cell phone rang in her white handbag.

Zhou Haisheng went back to watching his stocks and waved to Qiqi that she could leave.

The call was from Gao Jinze.

He asked anxiously, "I have an important negotiation right now, and the other party has brought a famous feng shui master. My dad told me that if the other party has a feng shui master to guide them during the negotiation, it will greatly increase their chances of winning. Can you come and negotiate with me?"

Qi Qi was completely confused and replied, "I've never heard of feng shui masters having such a use... Thank you for your trust, Mr. Gao, but if it's an important negotiation, my position wouldn't be proper, so it wouldn't be convenient for me to be with you..."

Gao Jinze said with a hint of annoyance, "If I had known, I would have hired you as Qianqiu Real Estate's feng shui consultant a few days earlier... I'm not superstitious at all, but ever since I met you—"

"Oh, Mr. Gao, I can't bear this sin. How could a top student from MIT like you be led astray by a mere feng shui master like me?" Qi Qi said coquettishly.

Gao Jinze chuckled and said, "Stop joking, Qiqi. This negotiation is crucial to my life. You must teach me how to prevent the other side's feng shui master from setting up a trap, or you can directly teach me how to set a trap for the negotiating party."

Qi Qi said, "The more serious you make it sound, the less I dare to give advice..." But in her mind, she was quickly thinking about the relevant knowledge points of feng shui arrangement in negotiations.

Gao Jinze said in a low voice, "This negotiation involves a sum of over 100 million. I have to be superstitious whether I want to or not... How about this, you give me feng shui guidance for this negotiation, and I'll give you a commission, one ten-thousandth of the total amount, how about that?"

"One ten-thousandth is too little... The industry standard in Feng Shui is one percent."