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Tao Muling entered the study upon hearing the sound and saw Feng Junzi holding a pair of ivory chopsticks, examining them closely. Upon seeing her enter, he handed them to her and said, "Take a look, isn't this the pair you carved?"

Tao Muling took the chopsticks and examined them carefully for a long time. She looked up and said, "They look very similar, but the aging process is not as good as yours. They are not the chopsticks I carved, but they are almost indistinguishable from the real thing."

Feng Junzi muttered under his breath, "What kind of world is this? Even counterfeit goods are being switched!"

About three or four days later, Feng Junzi returned home and, as usual, checked the pair of chopsticks that had been switched. However, he was shocked when he entered his study. The chopsticks were gone, and the wooden box was gone too. Feng Junzi cursed to himself, "What kind of world is this? Even counterfeit goods are being stolen! One group is cunning, while the other is brazen. How are ordinary people supposed to live?" Although he said this, a smile kept playing on his lips.

The one who secretly switched the chopsticks was Tao Mujianci's subordinate, while the one who openly took the box along with it was Sun Weidong's subordinate. Sun Weidong's men secretly discovered someone moving around a wooden box in Feng Junzi's study at dusk, seemingly taking something out and putting it in. Through binoculars, they observed that it was actually a pair of chopsticks. Upon hearing the report, Sun Weidong, though unsure of the details, sensed something was amiss. True to his domineering ways, he simply sent someone to retrieve it for inspection.

Feng Junzi knew all of this perfectly well. Even though he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, Aoba Masako's ghost knew exactly what had happened. The secret of the chopsticks actually lay in the map. Feng Junzi hadn't forged any map; he had simply changed the coordinates of the dots on both maps. If you followed the map, the place you'd find was the air-raid shelter where Sun Weidong and Zhou Song had hidden the nuclear waste.

Although the map was disguised with decorative patterns, it wasn't difficult to decipher, especially for Momoki Kenji, who already knew the origin of the chopsticks. Within days of obtaining the chopsticks, Momoki Kenji discovered the secret within the patterns and created an enlarged map. Comparing it to one of the terrain outline maps, he quickly determined that this was the area around Jinsha Village in Longwangtang. Another contour map could precisely indicate the location of that dot.

As for Sun Weidong, he didn't know the origin of the chopsticks; he simply handed them over to his men to study for any unusual features. Sun Weidong's men weren't incompetent; they quickly noticed the pattern, made copies, and enlarged them. However, connecting these two images to the terrain of Jinsha Village in Longwangtang, they were at least a week later than Tao Mujianci. In those ten days or so, the Tao Mu father and son had already infiltrated the Longwangtang turbot fishing grounds multiple times. Firstly, Zhou Song never expected the Tao Mu father and son to arrive so quickly and find the location so accurately; secondly, given their skills, the Tao Mu father and son could easily move without a trace in front of ordinary people. The large iron door and lock of the air-raid shelter were no obstacle for Tao Mujianci; the Tao Mu father and son had already moved in and out of the shelter without leaving a trace multiple times. Unfortunately, the air-raid shelter was too large, and the Tao Mu father and son couldn't afford to send out a large-scale, detailed search, so they hadn't found anything for the time being.

After obtaining the chopsticks, Momoki Kenji's men abandoned their pursuit of Feng Junzi and his group, as their objective was the item, not the person. Although Momoki Kenji had questioned the authenticity of the chopsticks, he later indeed found a hidden military facility in a concealed location. This underground fortification was complex and vast, clearly built by military forces, and even if it differed from their target, it was likely connected. On one hand, Momoki Kenji was unaware of the history of China's "deep tunnel" construction in the 1960s; on the other hand, even if he knew the origin of this air-raid shelter, he would suspect some connection between it and historical military facilities.

Although Feng Junzi didn't know what the Taomu father and son had been doing these past few days, he could guess what they were busy with. His only worry now was that if the Taomu father and son sneaked into the air-raid shelter and discovered the secret of those cement pillars, they would expose his plot to use someone else to kill them. Feng Junzi, however, was overthinking this. His discovery of the cement pillars was purely accidental. On one hand, he had heard about the bizarre deaths of a family of five and vaguely suspected it was related to radioactive materials. On the other hand, he had dealt with nuclear facilities and knew what they were. The Taomu father and son, completely unaware of this, although they also saw the cement pillars in the air-raid shelter and found them strange, didn't discover anything unusual.

This is perhaps what they call reaping what you sow; the Taomu father and son brought about their own demise. Zhou Song's failure to notice also gave them an opportunity—an opportunity to fully experience nuclear contamination. The effects of radiation contamination aren't detectable overnight, and the Taomu father and son are still completely unaware. Feng Junzi has felt much more relaxed these past few days; fewer people are following him, and he no longer needs to worry about Kuaizi's movements. Perhaps fate isn't allowing him too much leisure, because that noon he received a call from Chang Wu. Chang Wu's tone on the phone was weak and listless: "Feng Junzi, I need your help. Could you please persuade your Miss Taomu Ling? Our colleagues at the branch are almost driven to their breaking point by her, especially us detectives. Please, please think of a way..."

Here's what happened. After participating in the "Modern Criminal Investigation Technology and Psychological Research" project between Binhai Normal University and the Ganquan Branch of the Public Security Bureau, Tao Muling, after a period of investigation and research, made two suggestions to the Ganquan Branch: First, she requested that police officers ensure that suspects under investigation are in a relaxed state during their work, meaning that excessive psychological pressure should not be placed on suspects during evidence collection and preliminary investigation. Second, she requested that the case files of criminal suspects be collected as thoroughly as possible, ideally including their life background, professional background, family background, educational background, and upbringing—the more detailed the better. Ideally, their school transcripts and teachers' comments should also be obtained.

Chang Wu and others complained that this was an impossible request. Maintaining a strong deterrent against criminals has long been a goal of the public security organs. From the perspective of interrogation procedures, the aim is to instill fear in suspects as soon as they enter the premises, forcing them to confess everything. In practice, many hardened criminals only confess under intense pressure, leading to mental breakdowns. Now, Tao Muling's demand to observe suspects without putting psychological pressure on them, under relaxed conditions, is simply impossible. Tao Muling's requirement for case file collection greatly increases the workload of frontline officers, especially criminal investigators, and interferes with daily criminal investigation work. However, after Tao Muling made these requests, the bureau leadership readily approved, "Staff will fully cooperate." This approval caused great hardship for frontline staff like Chang Wu, but Chang Wu couldn't voice his opinions to his superiors, so he could only call Feng Junzi to complain. Feng Junzi, after some time, finally understood what was going on, somewhat amused and exasperated, and promised Chang Wu he would try to find a solution.

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Finally, I'll answer a few questions from the book review.

The author's writing was very engaging, but perhaps I'm too old-fashioned; the ending of the first part made me feel very uncomfortable, like I'd swallowed a fly. I desperately hope for a happy ending. (Confused Insect <8-6 09:50>)

A: This isn't a fantasy novel; the plot follows realistic logic. A happy ending? I hope so too!

Looking at the author's updates... I can only say that the author severely lacks the skills to post on Qidian. (Lili Ying <8-6 05:39>)

A: I'm still a newbie on Qidian and genuinely don't understand the tricks of the trade. I don't know what techniques are needed to post on Qidian, so I hope you can all give me some pointers, help me out, and offer your support!

The preceding sections on real estate development were written in a very unprofessional manner. (Yan Huichun <8-5 21:46>)

A: To be honest, it wasn't very professional. A novel isn't an industry report; dialogue should reflect the characters' traits and the linguistic context. Actually, I quoted a report from a professional real estate analyst and then presented it in a "non-professional" way.

Also: This week's featured book reviews are all posted. The rest will have to wait until tomorrow.

Part Four: A Pair of Chopsticks, Chapter 44: Lord Ye Adds Flowers to Brocade

That evening after dinner, Feng Junzi and Tao Muling chatted about Chang Wu's complaints from earlier in the day. Feng Junzi laughed and said, "You're afraid Chang Wu and his gang will get you into serious trouble. How did you even come up with these suggestions? How could the police possibly provide a comfortable environment for criminals?"

Tao Muling replied in a serious tone, "Not a criminal, but a suspect."

Feng Junzi: "Alright, alright, you're a suspect. I won't argue with you. Just tell me what you're thinking."

Tao Muling: "After conducting research for some time, I discovered a very strange phenomenon. When ordinary people enter the gates of public security organs, they have an invisible fear, and even a sense of guilt. This is abnormal, because most of them can be said to be innocent, and some are not criminal suspects at all, but are there to receive normal administrative services. However, when they enter, they seem to feel that they have done something wrong."

Feng Junzi nodded thoughtfully: "Go on."

Tao Muling continued, "I've also discovered that this phenomenon isn't limited to public security organs; it exists to varying degrees in almost all government administrative agencies here. Many institutions providing social administrative services experience a sense of psychological pressure and fear when citizens come to them for services. I've observed this for a long time and feel that these people don't perceive themselves as there to receive services, but rather as there to cause trouble… If this mentality were to appear in criminal investigations, it could easily lead to misinterpretation, because the moment a suspect steps into a public security agency, they consciously or unconsciously accept the suggestion that they might be guilty. My research has been greatly hampered, making it difficult to analyze the normal psychological state of these individuals."

Feng Junzi remained silent for a long time before finally speaking: "Tao Muling, you are neither a sociologist nor a politician. It's pointless to dwell on this issue during your collaborative research over the past few months. This is the environment you're in now. If you can't change it, then find a way to do what you can in this environment... Never mind, let's not talk about this anymore. You also made a suggestion about collecting materials on criminal suspects, which has exhausted Chang Wu and the others."

Tao Muling smiled and said, "There's a reason for that. They've been focusing on a vicious serial murder case recently. Judging from the scene of the crime, the victims in this case can be identified as the perpetrators, but these victims have no direct connection to each other, and the investigation hasn't uncovered any motive. Such murders without a direct motive, if they occur repeatedly, are likely related to the perpetrator's psychological issues. And to determine if the suspect may have serious psychological problems, we must analyze a sufficient amount of background information."

Feng Junzi, intrigued, asked, "Oh! You meant well, but do you know how heavy the workload is for frontline police officers these days? Your request is an impossible task. How's the investigation going? Have you found the suspect?"

Tao Muling: "The whole branch office is in an uproar. There are suspects, and I admire the police officers' perseverance in searching for a needle in a haystack. They had no other choice but to start with people who might repeatedly appear at the crime scene. But the problem is that they have identified too many suspects, and they have no direct evidence, so the investigation has nowhere to begin."

Feng Junzi blinked: "Tao Muling, you should think of a way that is beneficial to both them and yourself. It should be quick and effective, sound good, have some technical content, and be related to new technologies or disciplines."

Peach Bell: "What suggestions do you have? I'm not a criminal investigation expert."

Feng Junzi: "They invited you here not to cause trouble, but at least to provide some new ideas. The newer the ideas, the better. Think about it carefully, didn't you come into contact with any criminal psychology research when you were in the United States? I don't mean theories, but some specific investigation, statistics and testing methods that can impress people."

Peach Bell: "Trying to fool me? I've never learned that. But what you said does remind me of the research our mentor did..."

...

A week later, Chang Wu received good news. With Tao Muling's help, the police finally identified the key suspect. Needless to say, under intense pressure and intensive interrogation by the police officers, the case was finally solved. Chang Wu practically raved about Tao Muling on the phone, expressing immense admiration. In fact, Tao Muling's actions were quite simple. Without hypnosis or psychoanalysis, she simply sent all the suspects to the hospital for EEG scans and immediately discovered one person was abnormal. This person was in his thirties, with a normal social record, but his brainwave frequency was much slower than normal, similar to that of a ten-year-old child. Tao Muling also provided a research report on violent crimes caused by mental disorders brought from the United States, which included statistical results on common characteristics of EEG scans.

The public security bureau and the normal university were naturally delighted, and the leaders who had initially supported the project were also very pleased. However, after hearing about this, Feng Junzi had mixed opinions about Tao Muling's approach. He said to Tao Muling, "You are indeed very clever, you understood almost immediately. Your approach is exactly what they wanted. You solved the immediate problem and also linked it to so-called scientific methods. Solving such a major case during the research period is enough to write a brilliant report, adding another achievement to the leaders' record. In fact, your task is already complete."

Peach Bell: "My task is already complete? The project still has two months left!"

Feng Junzi: "What do you think they invited you here for? To add prestige, not trouble. Now that we've already achieved prestige, combining modern technology and the latest research findings to solve major cases is more than enough."

Tao Muling asked, puzzled, "Electroencephalogram (EEG) scans aren't anything high-tech; they're just routine medical examinations. There's been research on this for a long time, so it's not exactly a breakthrough."

Feng Junzi: "You're right about that. Actually, what you're doing isn't scientific, it could even be called pseudoscience, but some people don't realize that, or they try to promote things in a positive light."

Peach Bell: "Pseudoscience? What do you mean?"

Feng Junzi: "This term is a bit difficult to explain. Let me put it this way: In the 1970s, a kind of 'scientific crime-solving method' came from New Zealand and was very popular, but later it was found that its results were not very scientific. Another example is that Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, greatly admired a Frenchman named Bertillon, who was said to be a criminology authority at the time. His research results were based on measuring the length of various parts of the human body to identify criminals. This may have some merit, and there are some statistical statistics, but to today's police, it might be a farce... In fact, lowering the frequency of brainwaves can be done by people who practice yoga, and even I can do it..."

Peach Bell: "I understand what you mean, but you've probably misunderstood me."

Feng Junzi: "I'm not the one who misunderstood you, but some people like this kind of misunderstanding, and there's nothing we can do about it."

Just as Tao Muling was assisting Chang Wu and his team in solving this major case, Sun Weidong's men finally cracked the secret of the counterfeit chopsticks. An enlarged map was delivered to Sun Weidong, along with a detailed explanation: the map indicated the area around Jinsha Village in Longwangtang, Binhai, and a dot on the map marked the entrance to the abandoned air-raid shelter in the turbot fishing grounds. Sun Weidong broke out in a cold sweat upon receiving the map. He had initially thought that the Tao Muling father and son had sent their men to steal some transaction materials to blackmail him, but he hadn't expected that they had even discovered the location of the air-raid shelter. It seemed this secret could no longer be concealed.

Part Four: A Pair of Chopsticks, Chapter 45: Even Without Borrowing an Item, One Can Be Mighty.

Sun Weidong received the materials from his subordinates at 7 PM and immediately took action that evening. The defenses at the Yaping Fishing Grounds were originally quite lax, with guards only at a few entrances and the main offices. Because it was located in a remote area and rarely visited, Zhou Song hadn't considered the possibility of any problems with the air-raid shelters. However, that night, Sun Weidong directly ordered him to send men to lie in ambush around the shelter entrances, where they encountered the Taomu father and son, who had come to investigate.

The Momoki father and son had been searching this air-raid shelter for over ten days. Although the underground facility was vast, they had searched almost every corner, but so far they hadn't found anything. Momoki Kenji was becoming increasingly suspicious. He suspected that either the chopsticks were of dubious origin, or there might be some hidden mechanism in the air-raid shelter that wasn't so easy to discover.

Around four or five in the morning, the Momoki father and son were discovered by Sun Weidong's men, who were lying in wait outside, as they left the air-raid shelter. This wasn't because Momoki Kenji was careless; even with his exceptional skills, he still had to use the only exit. Thus, a conflict was inevitable. Momoki Kenji was unarmed, his hands bare, while Momoki Shinobu carried a pistol but didn't draw it. Sun Weidong's men, though armed with two hunting rifles, couldn't find an opportunity to fire, as the two opponents were simply too formidable. A dozen men couldn't stop the Momoki father and son; after wounding five of Sun Weidong's men, they quickly fled down the mountain.

This greatly shocked Sun Weidong. In his view, the other party was actually a highly skilled individual who possessed his most crucial evidence. Although Sun Weidong was a spoiled brat, he understood the importance of the matter at this critical moment and almost immediately devised a countermeasure.

...

Zhou Song came from a poor family and suffered humiliation and unfair treatment from a young age. Therefore, from the time he was old enough to understand, he had a strong ambition: to rise above others, to become extremely wealthy, and to never be looked down upon! Now, in the eyes of others, Zhou Song has already achieved all of this. As the founder of Jinzhou Group, he is a wealthy man envied by many, with assets worth hundreds of millions; his life is no longer associated with poverty. But he knows that all of this is far from enough; his goals are far more ambitious.

He started as a designer at a construction company, then went into business as a small contractor, and later became a subcontractor. After accumulating some capital, he began to expand his business, collaborating with others to develop smaller projects. Perhaps due to his intelligence, diligence, and a bit of luck, he caught the wave of the rapid expansion of China's real estate industry after 2000, finally achieving his current success. However, after the establishment of Jinzhou Group, Zhou Song realized that his development had reached its peak and he could no longer take another step forward.

This was unavoidable; it was his bottleneck in this society. He had to accept that from the day someone is born, their background determines their future path. Zhou Song's birth determined his social standing. Although he could achieve his dream of wealth through his own efforts, he couldn't change the fact that he was still Zhou Song. At this point, he also understood why Feng Junzi, the most talented among his classmates, had chosen a lifestyle akin to seclusion. Zhou Song was merely a successful businessman; on the surface, he appeared incredibly successful, but in reality, he remained below the upper echelons of society. Apart from his employees and merchants hoping to profit from him, no one truly took him seriously. Even officials from the industry and commerce bureau, tax bureau, or any other relevant department could find an opportunity to make things difficult for him.

Although he was wealthy and could afford to do many things that ordinary people couldn't, it didn't mean that all of this power belonged to Zhou Song. It wasn't until he met Sun Weidong that he realized the vast differences between people in this world. He believed that befriending someone like Sun Weidong could be a turning point when his career hit a bottleneck, and that other successful people around him had generally experienced a similar turning point when they achieved greater success.

Sun Weidong provided Zhou Song with numerous business advantages, many of which Zhou Song couldn't buy with money. Later, Sun Weidong proposed a collaborative project with Zhou Song, leaving Zhou Song with no room to refuse. The project was simple: Zhou Song would provide an air-raid shelter at the turbot fishing grounds to store a batch of materials Sun Weidong had obtained from an unknown source. The project was highly secretive; in fact, none of the participants knew what it was except for Sun Weidong and Zhou Song—they knew it was nuclear waste.

Zhou Song's benefit from this project was obtaining the necessary injection of projects and funds for the restructuring of the delisted listed company, Nanda Technology. As for his escape route, Zhou Song had a well-thought-out plan: with the expansion of Binhai City's urban construction, the future university town project was planned for the Longwangtang area. At that time, the land in the Yaping fish farm would have huge appreciation potential, and he wanted to develop it into a seaside villa community. As for the air-raid shelter, once the entrance was completely sealed with concrete and a rockery and garden landscape were built outside, who would know the secret buried deep within the mountain?

But for some reason, this perfect plan went wrong. Ever since the night they discovered people active in the air-raid shelter, Sun Weidong knew the project had been exposed. Zhou Song had just received a phone call; although the caller didn't identify himself, Zhou Song immediately recognized him as Feng Junzi. Feng Junzi warned him on the phone that the turbot fishing grounds had been exposed, and Sun Weidong was likely going to destroy the evidence. He told Zhou Song not to have any illusions and to pack his things and leave the area immediately to avoid Sun Weidong's influence.

Feng Junzi had just hung up the phone when Sun Weidong called again. Sun Weidong told him two things: first, the fish farm needed to be prepared; the contents of the air-raid shelter would be moved immediately by designated personnel. Second, Zhou Song needed to clean up the scene and eliminate any "insiders." Zhou Song vaguely sensed that Sun Weidong's operation had already begun. In reality, there were only two truly informed individuals: Sun Weidong and himself, Zhou Song. Now, there was another: Feng Junzi, who had discovered the problem. Sun Weidong was clearly using Zhou Song to eliminate Feng Junzi. So, what was next? Would it be Zhou Song's turn?

Zhou Song suddenly remembered the story Feng Junzi had once told him, and couldn't help but sigh that the kid was truly a legendary jinx, his predictions never failing him. In Feng Junzi's story, the mafia boss's fate was suicide, referring to himself, Zhou Song, while the sheriff's fate was to die in a hail of bullets. Was this an implication that Sun Weidong would eventually order him to eliminate Feng Junzi? Feng Junzi had just called to remind him to leave quickly, and thinking of this, Zhou Song couldn't help but smile bitterly. It wasn't that he didn't want to leave, but that he couldn't leave anymore.

Zhou Song is now a wealthy and successful man, no longer the penniless young man he once was. Even if he could let go of the past, he still has relatives, friends, parents, and family members whose safety he cannot ignore. Sun Weidong, on the other hand, is a man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Zhou Song stayed in his office until late at night, while his men waited for his instructions. Like Sun Weidong, Zhou Song also had a group of men who specialized in carrying out shady missions and settling matters that couldn't be resolved through normal channels. Finally, these men couldn't hold back any longer and called Zhou Song's office: "Boss, when are we going to make our move? The brothers are getting impatient."

Zhou Song sighed, "Call everyone to my office, I have something to say." Once everyone was there, they found several stacks of cash on Zhou Song's desk. Zhou Song calmly addressed them, "This is one share for each of you. Take the money and leave. Something might happen here recently. Show yourselves again after it's all over. That's all I need you to do now..."

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Finally, to answer a few questions from the book review:

Regarding chopsticks, why didn't Tsuyoshi Momoki notice their existence for decades? Why didn't he seize them when he was in America or not in Japan? Many thanks to Mr. Xu for providing such a good book; I'm supporting him with a vote. (dddaaa<8-8 13:10>)

A: I also wanted to ask Momoki Kenji about this, but unfortunately I don't have the chance now! (laughs!) Later I was thinking, if I were Momoki Kenji, what would I do? I think I would also follow Momoki Rin to find clues, and then make my move when I get close to the target.

One minor issue: aren't the villains a bit too naive? (shijianwei <8-8 11:47>)

A: I don't know what you mean by "white." In this world, often the "badest" villains are the whitest. Some are even adorably white, like idols, like saints!

In the fourth installment, the discovery of nuclear waste, the fluorescent cement pillars seen on the beach… Faced with such momentous issues, one can't sense the integrity that Feng Junzi, Chang Wu, and others should possess as Chinese people. Especially Chang Wu, as the head of the criminal investigation team, he had the power to bring this matter into the light. Don't forget, those shady characters are those who hide in the shadows. (Dugu Yishu <8-8 15:45>)

A: Chang Wu? A low-ranking section-level cadre! What do you want him to do? Do you have any evidence? At the time, it was just Feng Junzi's personal speculation. If we follow your logic, it's just another innocent person getting hurt. Some things can't be done based on mere emotions. I'll discuss this issue again in the afterword of the book.

Part 4: A Pair of Chopsticks, Chapter 46: A Wrong Path, Hard to Turn Back, Unforgettable

The suicide of Zhou Song, a prominent figure in the coastal real estate industry, sparked much discussion among the public, who were baffled as to why he had died. The police's most direct evidence leading them to conclude suicide was a will he had inexplicably made a few days prior. The will not only stipulated the distribution of his assets after his death but also bequeathed 10% of the shares of Jinzhou Group to Chief Engineer Liang, entrusting Liang with the continued management of the Zhou family business after his passing. Zhou Song was in his prime and in excellent health, yet he inexplicably made such a will, leading them to conclude that his death was suicide, likely due to excessive mental stress—at least that's what the police believed.

Feng Junzi was unaware that Zhou Song had spared him in a moment of mercy before his death. Upon hearing the news of Zhou Song's passing, he instinctively believed it couldn't have been suicide; it must have been Sun Weidong who killed him. Feng Junzi didn't harbor much resentment towards Zhou Song to begin with, and he was deeply saddened by the news of Zhou Song's death. This ending might have been fate, but it only intensified his hatred for Sun Weidong. Along with his resentment, Feng Junzi also sensed impending danger. Since Sun Weidong had eliminated Zhou Song, he might also target Feng Junzi, and Tao Muling, who was with Feng Junzi, was also in danger.

Feng Junzi was neither a high monk who could see through life and death, nor a chivalrous hero prepared to sacrifice himself for righteousness. Escaping Sun Weidong within the borders of Binhai City would likely be difficult; his only option was to strike first.

Regardless of Feng Jun's thoughts, Sun Weidong remained silent towards him for the time being. It wasn't that Sun Weidong hadn't thought about Feng Junzi and Tao Muling, but his main focus was currently on cleaning up the traces of the turbot fishing grounds and tracing Tao Muling and his son. What he was worried about now was the materials that had been lost.

Unlike Zhou Song, the Taomu father and son were not easy to deal with. Sun Weidong had been unable to locate them for days, a situation that only increased his anxiety. In reality, Sun Weidong's worries were unnecessary. A few days prior, the Taomu father and son had been diagnosed with aplastic anemia at the hospital. Due to their distrust of the medical technology in Binhai City, they immediately flew back to Japan for further examination and treatment. By the time Sun Weidong heard this news, a week had already passed.

Zhou Song was dead, and the Taomu father and son were gone. This wasn't the outcome Feng Junzi wanted, but it was still barely acceptable for Sun Weidong. Sun Weidong was a man who could let go easily; although this deal resulted in some losses, it hadn't fundamentally damaged him. In recent years, Sun Weidong had transferred his main assets overseas, so if anything went wrong in China, he could easily flee. Things had gradually calmed down these past few days, and Sun Weidong didn't want any more trouble, even considering staying abroad for a while. However, before he left, there were still some minor issues to deal with: confirming whether Feng Junzi and Taomu Ling, currently in Binhai, still posed a threat to him. Unfortunately, he never expected that Feng Junzi would strike before he could act.

...

Sun Weidong owns multiple properties in Binhai City, but he usually lives in an apartment in a high-end residential complex. That day, Sun Weidong returned home very late, having just finished several endless social engagements, and was clearly drunk. No one else was home; he hadn't brought any women with him that day. When he got home, he found the living room light wouldn't turn on. He assumed it was broken, but the bedroom light also wouldn't turn on—the house's power seemed to be out, apparently due to a power outage, which was unusual.

He remembered there was a portable emergency power lamp in the kitchen, provided by the property management company, so he found it and carried it to the bedroom. Without electricity, there was no way to shower, so Sun Weidong planned to just take off his clothes and go to sleep, and then bother the property management company tomorrow. He placed the emergency lamp on the bedside table and, using the dim light, took off his clothes to prepare for rest. His life was relatively regular; even though he had drunk quite a bit, he hadn't forgotten to hang his coat in the closet.

Sun Weidong opened the wardrobe door, reaching for a clothes hanger. Just then, a coat hanging in the shadows of the wardrobe suddenly rolled up its sleeve, and a strange black hand emerged, lunging straight for his throat. This sudden turn of events startled Sun Weidong, causing him to scream and stumble backward, nearly falling to the ground. Along with his scream, a loud thud echoed from the bedside table—the sound of an emergency light falling to the floor—plunging the bedroom into darkness.

Startled, Sun Weidong sobered up completely. Instinctively sensing danger surrounding him in the darkness, he scrambled to his feet and stumbled towards the door. He bumped his head on the bedroom door, then tripped over the coffee table in the living room, but ignoring the pain, he rushed out the door as fast as he could. The neighborhood was eerily quiet in the dead of night; even the streetlights that had been on a moment ago were now off. Sun Weidong dashed from one darkness into another silent, deserted shadow.

As Sun Weidong rushed out the door, a gust of wind swept behind him, hissing like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. The sound sent chills down his spine, yet he dared not look back. He saw the brightly lit street outside the complex, its warm glow offering a sense of security; it seemed only by escaping to that place could he escape his fear. Without stopping, Sun Weidong turned and charged straight out of the complex gate. The guardhouse was dark, and he couldn't see if any security guards were on duty. Sun Weidong dashed through the gate and onto the street under the streetlights.

The bright streetlights relieved Sun Weidong. He had just straightened up when he heard a screeching sound of brakes. Then he felt a tremendous force throw his body into the air, landing far away on the sidewalk.

Sun Weidong got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and found that he was not injured and felt no pain. He looked up and saw a Mitsubishi Jeep parked not far ahead, its rear facing him; it seemed that this was the car that had bumped into him. By this time, Sun Weidong had calmed down from his panic. He instinctively thought that someone had tampered with his residence, and that someone was lurking in the shadows to scare him.

Despite his initial panic, Sun Weidong, now calmer, felt a surge of anger—who dared to be so audacious? They were simply asking for trouble! If he found out, he would make sure the other person never knew how they died. With his influence in Binhai City, he was certain he could find out! Thinking this, he couldn't help but sneer at the car in front of him. The driver had already gotten out to check the situation. He chuckled inwardly, "This unlucky fellow, of all people to run into, he had to run into me. I'll see how I deal with you. I'm in a bad mood today, serves you right for being unlucky."

Sun Weidong reached for his phone to call for help, but realized he didn't have it with him. He simply strode towards the unfortunate driver, yelling as he went, "How do you drive? You scratched my skin, you couldn't pay for it even if you sold yourself... What are you doing! I'm talking to you!"

Although Sun Weidong was shouting at him, the other person seemed deaf and didn't react at all, getting out of the car and walking forward without looking back. Seeing this, Sun Weidong became truly enraged, taking a few quick steps to block the man's path and reaching out to grab his collar. Unexpectedly, he grabbed nothing; the man walked right through him like air, seemingly unaware of his presence. This greatly surprised Sun Weidong. He turned to look in the direction the man had gone and saw a person lying on the ground not far in front of the car, dark red blood still gushing from beneath him. Upon closer inspection, Sun Weidong realized that the person lying on the ground was actually another version of himself!

Part Four: A Pair of Chopsticks, Chapter 47: When One's Body Fades, Nothing Follows.

Sun Weidong felt a buzzing in his head and froze on the spot. At that moment, a sinister voice suddenly rang in his ears: "Sun Weidong, you've finally met your end. Looks like I wasn't waiting in vain." Sun Weidong looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man standing in the shadow of the roadside trees. The figure seemed very familiar.

Seeing Sun Weidong looking at him, the man silently emerged from the shadows of the tree, saying as he walked, "Mr. Sun, do you remember me?" Sun Weidong certainly remembered him; this man was Xiao Chen, the photographer from the news station, who had died in a car accident two months prior—an accident orchestrated by Sun Weidong himself. Now, with Xiao Chen standing before him again, Sun Weidong was so startled that he took several steps back, pointing at Xiao Chen and stammering, "You weren't dead? This, this, how is this possible…?"

"Why is that impossible? All life in the world is equal. If he can meet you, why can't he?" At this moment, a woman's voice came from the direction of the community entrance. Sun Weidong turned his head and saw two people standing not far away. The two people were a man and a woman. The man was wearing a black Tang suit, while the woman was wearing a very traditional Japanese kimono. They looked very strange, and the one who spoke was the woman.

Sun Weidong: "Who are you people? What's wrong with me?"

"They, like you, are wronged souls in this world, lingering here because of unfulfilled wishes," the man in the Tang suit finally spoke. He pointed at Xiao Chen and said, "His wish was to see your fate in this world, and now he has achieved it!" As he spoke, the man stretched out his right hand, forming a strange gesture, his middle finger pointing at Xiao Chen, and muttered, "Hmph! You can go now." Suddenly, Xiao Chen's figure faded and finally turned into wisps of smoke and disappeared.

“This looks a lot like Master Feng’s Wind God Finger back in the day,” the strange woman said.

The man in the Tang suit turned to the woman and said, "This is not the Wind God Finger, but the Rebirth Hand Seal. I'll send him on his way."