Превратись в лебедя и прилети к тебе

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Feng Junzi was Chang Wu's high school classmate and now works as a securities analyst. He also lives in Binhai, and the two are old friends. Logically, Chang Wu shouldn't have involved his friend in this kind of thing, because in drug-related cases, the criminals are invariably ruthless and vicious, usually armed with firearms. If discovered, they will almost certainly resist (according to regulations, drug traffickers carrying more than 50 grams of heroin face the death penalty; it's either death or life, so it's no wonder they fight to the death!). Therefore, those involved in the investigation, especially undercover agents, are in extremely dangerous situations.

Chang Wu didn't want Feng Junzi to be in danger. His plan was simply for Feng Junzi to accompany him to places like the Hanhao Bathhouse a few times to familiarize himself with the place; he wouldn't need to get involved after that. When Chang Wu called Feng Junzi for help, Feng Junzi immediately agreed with a smile when Chang Wu offered to pay for his "entertainment." Of course, Chang Wu made it very clear: "Feng Junzi is only here for 'entertainment,' he won't ask about or interfere with the case. Once he has a general understanding of the bathhouse, he doesn't need to come anymore; the rest of the investigation is up to Chang Wu."

However, Chang Wu regretted letting Feng Junzi lead him to Hanhao for the first time, because Feng Junzi immediately told the young lady that his surname was Chang, while his own surname was Feng. How could this kid be like that? He actually told the truth! Now, unexpectedly, although Feng Junzi didn't interfere with Chang Wu's investigation, he meddled in another matter. Chang Wu couldn't understand how his eccentric old classmate always encountered things that sounded unbelievable. Since Feng Junzi insisted on staying overnight, Chang Wu could only let him be, but he was worried about whether the bureau would reimburse the overnight expenses.

...

Regardless of Chang Wu's thoughts, Yangyang (Zhao Xue) in the next private room was also experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions. She didn't understand why her younger brother, Zhao Lei, was in the lounge. She didn't entirely blame him for coming to such a place; she'd seen many college students there. If others could come, so could Zhao Lei! But she didn't want Zhao Lei to find out, didn't want him to know that her sister had worked in this kind of place. She was afraid that if Zhao Lei came again, he would find out sooner or later! (Note by Xu Gongzi: Zhao Xue's strange psychology is related to her unique family background, which will be explained later.)

Zhao Xue thought of that customer from earlier, the one who said "A beautiful woman with a broken heart should not play the flute." This man wouldn't even let her perform oral sex; it seemed he wasn't interested in her. She was even a little disappointed. Beautiful women are always confident in their charm, especially since it's a prostitute's asset. But then, this same Feng Ge suddenly requested to spend the night with her—it was truly unexpected!

Part 5 Goddess's Heart 07: Listen, the sound of ghosts crying

Zhao Xue recalled how Feng Ge had appeared behind her while she was talking to Liu Xin, indicating he had overheard their conversation. His insistence on booking the entire night was clearly a way of protecting her, preventing her from feeling awkward. Tonight, she could stay in the private room without going out or worrying about her brother finding out. What a thoughtful man! He knew how to help others discreetly. But why was he doing this?

Zhao Xue had been in this line of work for over two years. Two years ago, she had worked as a hostess at a nightclub called "Midnight" in Binhai City. Later, she felt that she could earn more money working at a bathhouse, so she came to Hanhao. (Note by Xu Gongzi: What does this remind you of? If not, you can go back and look at Chapter Seven of "Ghost Alley".) The experiences of the past few years had made Zhao Xue almost numb to men. Her impressions of them were almost blurred once she was dressed. Anyway, it was just that thing, not much difference! But today, Brother Feng had left a deep impression on her, and she couldn't help but feel a little curious about this man.

Just as Zhao Xue was feeling uneasy, Liu Xin pushed open the door, peeked in, and whispered to her, "I ran into that Brother Feng again in the hallway. He asked me to spend the night with Brother Chang. We can both earn extra money tonight... Also, I asked Sister Chen, and she inquired about it. She said your brother came out to celebrate a classmate's birthday, and he hasn't gone to a prostitute yet... Sister Chen also said she'll tell the girls here not to mess with your brother..."

Liu Xin was being overly enthusiastic. While Zhao Xue was grateful for her efforts, she also felt a little uncomfortable. Working here felt like being in another world. Once outside, all the specific information about one's real family life became personal secrets, and the less others knew, the better. This feeling involuntarily showed on Zhao Xue's face. Liu Xin noticed this and quickly explained, "No one else knows what's going on. Sister Chen won't tell either, don't worry, no one else will know."

Zhao Xue sighed inwardly, feeling relieved. Although no one could truly confide in her in this environment, everyone needs a few friends with whom they can share feelings and secrets. Spending all her time in a place like Hanhao, Liu Xin and Sister Chen were probably the only people she could trust, and had no choice but to trust. Just as the two were whispering, Feng Junzi pushed open the door and walked in, seeing Number 29 in the room as well. He smiled and said, "Xingyu, what are you doing here? Are you planning to have a threesome with me?"

Liu Xin replied with a coquettish laugh, "Let's have a double flight next time! You and Yangyang should go play that 'Ants Can't Climb Trees, the Bright Moon Shines on the Broken Bridge' game today. I'm going to keep Chang Ge company, I won't disturb you two—" With that, she pushed open the door and walked out.

...

That night, none of the four people in the two private rooms slept soundly.

Chang Wu was very uncomfortable spending the night in such a place. Hanhao was upscale, and the air in the private rooms was fresh, unlike many other bathhouses that were filthy and had various indescribable smells. The sheets were clean and changed daily, even cleaner than those at Chang Wu's home. The bed in the private room was large, not the tiny 1.2-meter-wide bed found in some low-end saunas, but a standard 1.9 x 1.5-meter Simmons double bed. But Chang Wu just couldn't sleep; he felt a constant tension.

Chang Wu knew that many of his colleagues in the bureau used these entertainment venues as dormitories, rarely going home to sleep at night, but this was his first time (Feng Junzi had jokingly called him a panda, meaning he was extremely rare). The private room was quiet. It was incredibly quiet; the only sound was the breathing of the girl beside him. This breathing gave him a strange feeling. Even with his eyes closed, Chang Wu could feel the girl's full and firm breasts rising and falling rhythmically with her soft breathing. If he simply turned over, he could cover her beautiful body, and she would only gently cooperate.

However, Chang Wu did not turn his life around. Not only did he not turn his life around, but he also inexplicably thought of Lin Zhenzhen—the beautiful and lovely girl in his heart. But this thought was only fleeting, and he felt that thinking of Lin Zhenzhen in this place was a desecration of her, so he quickly put the thought away.

Liu Xin, lying next to Chang Wu, was also awake. She quietly opened her eyes, curiously observing the man lying so upright beside her. He was clearly trying to sleep, but his muscles were still slightly tense—he couldn't sleep! Why couldn't he sleep? Was it because of her? Liu Xin could tell at a glance he was a novice in the world of prostitution. Strangely enough, during their "service," Chang Wu hadn't made love to her at the end. She didn't feel particularly grateful; instead, she thought he was foolish—paying money and then not doing it, what else could it be but foolishness?

Later, Chang Wu hired her to stay overnight, and while he was with her, he actually lay there sleeping soundly, making her even more foolish! Everything has its limits. If someone becomes foolish on top of foolish, it's no longer foolishness, but a characteristic, even a source of personal charm. The human heart is strange. At night, when Chang Wu was urging Liu Xin to sleep, she found his insatiable demands annoying and had no interest in that kind of thing. But when she encountered someone like Chang Wu, he simply closed his eyes and slept, ignoring her, let alone trying to get on top of her. She felt a little disappointed. She even thought that if she met him again, she would definitely win him over. Why next time, and not now? Liu Xin couldn't explain it. She just felt that the way Chang Wu slept now had a kind of dignified air about him, and she didn't dare to approach him and offend him.

Just as Liu Xin was curiously watching Chang Wu, in the next private room, Zhao Xue was also looking at Feng Junzi, her eyes filled not just with curiosity, but with utter astonishment! Feng Junzi had gone to the dressing room before bed, and when he returned, he had a jade ring on his left ring finger. Now, the ring was off and placed on the bedside table, while he sat cross-legged motionless on the other side of the bed, his back to Zhao Xue. Zhao Xue had spent the night with all sorts of men in the Hanhao Hotel's private rooms—she'd seen drunken brawlers, energetic men who stayed up all night to vent their frustrations, men with a touch of perversion wanting to try all sorts of sexual tricks, and men who were so exhausted they were snoring like dead pigs; but she had never seen someone pay for a prostitute to spend the night with, only to sit in meditation with his back to her! Was this man mentally unstable?

Feng Junzi had no time to care what the woman behind him was thinking; his ears were ringing loudly! The same environment can feel different to different people. Chang Wu found it too quiet, while Feng Junzi found it too noisy, as if he were surrounded by the wailing of ghosts!

Feng Junzi heard the sound shortly after arriving at the Hanhao Bathhouse's lounge. He was lying in the lounge, eyes closed, in a semi-conscious state, when he faintly heard a woman crying. The crying started out very faintly, coming from the corridor leading to the private rooms. Feng Junzi assumed someone was having a tantrum; people often cried and laughed in such places when they were drunk or on drugs, so he didn't pay much attention. But as he listened, something felt off. He realized it wasn't a normal sound because he couldn't hear it when he opened his eyes and looked around, but when he closed his eyes, the sound reappeared, though faint, yet unusually clear.

The sound was unpredictable, drifting around. It sounded like someone floating in the air, circling the entire bathhouse, crying and singing—it couldn't possibly be a human voice. At that moment, Feng Junzi knew in his heart that this place was unclean!

Feng Junzi had come with Chang Wu and didn't intend to meddle. His curiosity about the ghostly wailing wasn't just piqued; it also made him think of Chang Wu. Chang Wu had come here to investigate a case, but it turned out to be a sinister place. Could there be more than just drug dealing here; had murders occurred here as well? If they didn't find out, Chang Wu might suffer. For ordinary people, suffering might be insignificant, but for undercover police officers, anything could be life-threatening. Therefore, although Feng Junzi was reluctant to get involved, he still wanted to find the source of the ghostly wailing.

In the stillness of midnight, the surrounding weeping was clearer and more cacophony than it had been at night. It was as lively as a performance! But Feng Junzi felt no sense of unease. If one person were crying beside you, you would feel sympathy and want to comfort them; if a group of people were crying beside you, you would feel unsettled, and your nose would sting with tears; but what if it was a group of unseen people? Only the weeping echoed in your ears, and all around was darkness—how would you feel? Such a scene evoked images of a mass grave in the dead of night, eerie, terrifying, and chilling!

Feng Junzi felt the sound was familiar; he remembered hearing it more than once! It was the sound of wailing, a memory from many years ago. In his hometown, there was a custom: after someone died, a mourning hall was set up for their relatives and friends to pay their respects. In this hall, several female relatives of the deceased would take turns singing dirges. In the past, there were no phonographs or tape recorders, so this was equivalent to modern funeral music. The dirges had a strange tone, using a sound similar to weeping to sing about the deceased's life or the singer's current feelings. It was difficult for onlookers to understand what they were singing, or even distinguish between singing and weeping! This custom was known locally as "wailing at the spirit's death."

Feng Junzi had always been acutely aware of supernatural phenomena that ordinary people couldn't perceive, though he couldn't remember when it started. He did recall a frightening experience from his childhood: it was a summer evening, and Feng Junzi was strolling along the riverbank when he heard the melodious sound of a flute coming from afar. The flute music was gentle and clear, captivating him. Without thinking, Feng Junzi walked towards the sound to see who was playing the flute. However, the music was very quiet, and its source was elusive; he walked far but couldn't find the player. As he walked, Feng Junzi suddenly realized he had entered a cemetery (in Feng Junzi's childhood, his hometown was a very traditional ancient city, and it wasn't unusual to have cemeteries on the outskirts).

As dusk approached, he entered a graveyard. Few would have the heart to linger, and Feng Junzi turned to leave as well. But the sound of the flute changed, transforming into a chorus of songs and cries. Feng Junzi recognized the sound; it was the local mourning. He could hear the wailing but see no one, and it wasn't just one person, but a group. Feng Junzi then did something no one would have imagined—he straightened all the leaning graves, and only after the sounds ceased did he leave.

Perhaps some people have never seen a traditional, simple earthen grave. This kind of grave has no tombstone, just a mound of earth, but at the very top stands a mound shaped like an upright large bowl, or perhaps an overturned small mound. This means it's a grave, not just an ordinary mound. For some reason, most of the graves in the cemetery Feng Junzi entered were crooked and out of place. Feng Junzi straightened them one by one, not knowing why he did it; it seemed like an unconscious act. It wasn't until he got home and came to his senses that the feeling of fear slowly appeared, keeping him awake for several days. At that time, Feng Junzi was still young and didn't pay much attention to it. Looking back, he sometimes thought it might have been a hallucination.

The sounds he heard tonight at the Hanhao Bathhouse were so similar to the sounds he'd heard years ago in the graveyard. Feng Junzi finally couldn't take it anymore, let out a long breath, and opened his eyes. The sounds were gone, and before him lay the same decadent atmosphere of the private room, and beside him lay the same alluring young woman. This was a world apart from the feeling of the mass grave!

Zhao Xue, standing behind Feng Junzi, heard him let out a long sigh and relax his upright posture, knowing that he had stopped meditating. She finally couldn't help but ask, "Brother Feng, you're really something. You meditate at night instead of sleeping. What kind of exercise are you practicing?"

This sudden voice startled Feng Junzi, nearly causing him to fall off the bed. He had assumed the young lady was asleep, but her unexpected voice behind him was quite unsettling. Having just heard the ghostly wails, the sudden sound of human voices in the darkness was truly disorienting. He rubbed his pounding chest, turned to the side, and said, "So you weren't asleep. You startled me. Why aren't you asleep?"

Zhao Xue laughed: "Brother Feng, you're really something. This is the first time I've ever met someone who pays a prostitute to stay overnight while he sits there meditating. I doubt you'd find another one like that in the world."

Feng Junzi laughed: "Really? You're just ignorant! During the Republic of China era, there was a man named Su Manshu, a talented scholar and a famous figure. He was known for his mastery of both calligraphy and painting. He often spent the night with prostitutes, and while they slept, he would meditate on the bed. This kind of thing was common knowledge in the 1930s; you just haven't heard of it."

Zhao Xue had never heard of what Feng Junzi said before. She stared wide-eyed with curiosity and asked, "There are actually people like this? Are you a talented scholar, Brother Feng, learning from that Su something-Zhu?"

Feng Junzi: "It's Su Manshu! Why would I imitate him? I'm not a monk! Su Manshu was a monk, and he and Li Shutong were known as the two great romantic monks, famous throughout the world."

Zhao Xue blinked: "Famous throughout the world? How come I've never heard of it?"

Feng Junzi: "It's normal that you haven't heard of Su Manshu, but you should have heard of Li Shutong. He is Master Hongyi. You may not have heard of Master Hongyi, but you must have sung the song 'Outside the long pavilion, along the ancient road, the fragrant grass stretches to the horizon' with your guests. That was written by Li Shutong."

Zhao Xue nodded and said, "I've heard it, I've heard it. It's that song 'Farewell,' a lot of customers have sung it... Hey? Brother Feng, how did you know I used to work at a KTV? I didn't tell you!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Junzi felt a strange sense of melancholy. Throughout history, there have been many tales of famous scholars and courtesans, but these days, these young women only sell their looks in bed; what do they know about romance and pleasure? Even prostitutes have fallen so low—one can only imagine the state of the world! He and this Yangyang were truly wasting their breath! Feng Junzi, of course, knew which song she had sung with a customer, because this Yangyang had sung "Farewell" with him more than two years ago at the Midnight Nightclub.

Zhao Xue, working in this line of work, changes men several times a day, so it's impossible for her to remember a client she'd been with two years ago. However, Feng Junzi recognized her when they were out together, not because he had a particularly strong impression of Yangyang, but because of something else. Two years ago, he was with a friend that night when he first met Hu Shiwei and Han Shuang (see Part Two, "Ghost Alley"). Therefore, he remembered that night very clearly, down to every single detail. Now, Han Shuang is nowhere to be found, and Xiao Wei went overseas shortly after that incident, gradually losing contact with her.

Thinking of this, Feng Junzi replied calmly, "Of course I know. I've been to Ziye before, and you accompanied me. Your name there was Yangyang, right?"

Zhao Xue said with a hint of surprise, "No wonder you could call me by name the moment we met, Brother Feng, you have such a good memory!" Feng Junzi's words sounded listless, but Zhao Xue heard a different meaning: she had been with him two years ago, and he still remembered her! It seemed she had left a deep impression on him! It's always a good thing for a woman to be remembered by a man, especially a woman like Zhao Xue. How many men can truly remember her?

Feng Junzi, however, didn't want to dwell on the topic any longer. Instead, he asked a rather strange question: "Yangyang, can't you sleep? Did you hear anything?"

Zhao Xue was genuinely shocked this time: "What! Did you hear that, Brother Feng? Are you even a man?"

The words were already out of her mouth when Zhao Xue realized her mistake. For a woman to ask a man such a question in bed was utterly insulting! However, Feng Junzi didn't seem to mind. Instead, he turned around and asked, "Did you really hear that? What sound? What does that have to do with men?"

Zhao Xue was puzzled by Feng Ge's question. This was the first time in the history of the Hanhao Bathhouse that anyone other than the girls had heard the strange crying. So she didn't hide anything and told Feng Junzi the whole story of the "ghostly" tale of Hanhao and the strangeness of the "ghostly crying." After she finished, she asked Feng Junzi, "Brother Feng, are you a master? The other customers can't hear it!"

Part 5: Goddess's Heart 08, The Deadly Spirit

Actually, this wasn't the first time Feng Junzi had entered a meditative state tonight to listen to sounds. He had previously heard a spiritual voice emanating from a pair of ivory chopsticks during a meditative state (see Part Four, "The Spiritual Chopsticks"). After that, Feng Junzi was somewhat smug, believing he had acquired the legendary "hearing supernatural power." However, he later discovered with disappointment that his hearing hadn't changed, and his ears were no different from a normal person's. But tonight, he heard that crying sound again at the bathhouse. He wondered if, although he didn't have the hearing supernatural power, he might have acquired the ability to hear ghosts—it's said that those who can see ghosts have the ability to see ghosts, so wouldn't he, who could hear ghosts crying, have the ability to hear ghosts?

However, upon hearing what the young lady said, Feng Junzi felt a little disappointed. If this was indeed a case of "yin-yang ears," then wouldn't all the young ladies here become shamans? If that were the case, then this bathhouse could open a psychic training course, and anyone who wanted to learn psychic abilities could sign up to become a young lady. It's just a pity that men wouldn't be able to do it, and respectable women probably wouldn't be able to either... Thinking of this, Feng Junzi couldn't help but laugh at his own absurd idea.

Feng Junzi's laughter left Zhao Xue even more bewildered. She had told this ghost story to guests before, but they had all taken it as a joke or just a story, and most of them had simply hugged her tighter. But no one had ever sat there dumbfounded like Feng Ge, then laughed to themselves. She nudged Feng Junzi: "Feng Ge, what are you laughing at?"

Feng Junzi: "I wasn't laughing at anything, Yangyang. Are you having trouble sleeping because it's noisy? It's okay, you won't be able to hear anything if you wear this." As he spoke, Feng Junzi picked up the jade ring from the bedside table and put it on Zhao Xue's left thumb.

Strangely enough, the moment she put on the ring, the lingering crying stopped immediately, and the surroundings became exceptionally quiet! This Brother Feng was increasingly surprising to Zhao Xue, and she couldn't help but ask, "Brother Feng, you really are a master! What kind of treasure is this? What do you do? A Yin-Yang Master? A Feng Shui Master? A Qi Gong Master? A Grand Master…"

Feng Junzi waved his hand, not answering her question, but changing the subject, saying, "Don't ask anymore, go to sleep. Now I can hear you. You can't. Our roles have switched, you're the guest, and I'm the lady." As he spoke, he patted Zhao Xue's breast lightly and rhythmically, as if he were soothing a child to sleep.

After a day of "work," Zhao Xue was truly exhausted. As the surroundings quieted down, a deep weariness washed over her. Lying there, Zhao Xue's consciousness involuntarily drifted off, though many questions remained in her mind. But her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and she gradually fell asleep, unaware of what Brother Feng was still doing sitting there.

The woman beside him began to breathe evenly, and Feng Junzi calmed himself again, turning around to continue meditating. He wanted to pinpoint the source of the sounds, even just one of them. However, this time, as soon as he sat down, he felt something was very wrong, and this feeling was coming from behind him! Whether in Buddhism or Taoism, the most taboo thing during meditation is having a dark object behind you, because it can cause your energy to be disrupted, making you prone to demonic possession and hallucinations. There was no one behind Feng Junzi, only the sleeping Zhao Xue!

Feng Junzi was neither a deity nor a high monk, but his intuition was exceptionally sharp. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that he had encountered many bizarre events. The ethereal crying still echoed in his ears, but Feng Junzi had no mind to care. He only felt a tingling sensation in his back and a chill rising from the back of his head. He couldn't see or hear anything. But he felt something was not far behind him, and although he didn't turn around, he could truly feel it! And in that place lay Miss Number Eighteen of the Hanhao Bathhouse.

Feng Junzi knew perfectly well that this young lady was human, not a ghost. But he couldn't understand why she emanated such a sinister aura, a scent almost akin to death! This shouldn't be the case, right? If there was anything wrong with this young lady, he should have sensed it by now! Could it be because of that amulet ring? That would be even more strange! This ring was a magical artifact Feng Junzi had obtained by chance; it could ward off evil spirits and protect against malevolent influences. How could it have caused this instead?

As Feng Junzi pondered, a sudden thought flashed through his mind. He remembered various ghost stories he had read online, many of which mentioned something called a "bound spirit." Thinking of this, Feng Junzi felt a chill run down his spine. He felt the room growing increasingly eerie and terrifying, the oppressive chill in the air growing stronger. He dared not stay there any longer—

...

"Feng Junzi, what are you up to? You're the one who wanted to stay here overnight, and you're the one who woke me up in the middle of the night to go home! I just wanted to trouble you to come with me, but you can't treat me like this!" Chang Wu had just finally fallen asleep when Feng Junzi woke him up again, and he insisted on paying the bill and going home. As he walked out of the Hanhao Building, he was still grumbling.

Feng Junzi remained silent, but quickly walked out, seemingly wanting to leave as soon as possible. After walking a distance, he stopped and looked back at the Hanhao Building under the night sky. What he saw made him gasp, muttering, "My God! There's such a dangerous place in Binhai City!"

"What God? Who's being mean?" Chang Wu asked as he walked over.

Feng Junzi pointed at the Hanhao Building: "I didn't pay attention to the feng shui here when I came. The Hanhao Building is built by the sea, and the arched top of the bay faces the back door of the building without any obstruction. This is a typical 'cutting foot' feng shui problem. And look at its front entrance, it faces a straight road at a T-junction. The door is wide open without even a screen, just a standard 'scissor' feng shui problem! Front rushing and back feng shui problems, what terrible feng shui!"

Hanhao Building is a 23-story building. Floors one through sixteen house the four-star Hanhao International Hotel, floors seventeen and eighteen are the offices of the Hanhao Group, and floors nineteen through twenty-one are the Hanhao Club, which belongs to the Hanhao Group. Floors twenty-one and twenty-two are the bathhouse belonging to the Hanhao Hotel. Hanhao Group is a large commercial organization whose business scope includes international hotels, tourism, catering, entertainment, and real estate development, and Hanhao Building is an important asset of Hanhao Group.

Feng Junzi didn't care about the size of the Hanhao Group or what assets the Hanhao Building represented; all he cared about at that moment was feng shui: "The layout of this building is also problematic. Generally, high-rise buildings belong to the wood element. Water nourishes wood, which is why many hotels build their saunas on the ground floor or basement to use water energy to enhance the wood energy. But Hanhao actually put its bathhouse on the top floor! Wood generates fire, and water controls fire, so the top floor of Hanhao is filled with yin energy. And the building's front and back are already afflicted by negative energy, making the yin energy on the top floor even stronger. From a feng shui perspective, this is simply a dead end!"

Chang Wu didn't understand feng shui. He didn't really believe what Feng Junzi said, but upon hearing this, he remembered something else: "Feng Junzi, now that you mention it, I do remember something. This place is indeed very strange. The Hanhao Building has been built for eight years, and in those eight years, seven people have committed suicide by jumping off the roof."

Feng Junzi: "What? Seven people jumped ship in eight years! How come I haven't heard of any of them? These kinds of things usually make the newspapers!"

Chang Wu sighed: "Hanhao International Hotel is a key investment project for the city, personally brokered by Vice Mayor Sun, and can be considered a vanity project. All reports unfavorable to it have probably been suppressed, and Hanhao Group has a very deep background. No local newspaper in Binhai would dare to cause trouble for it! This kind of thing can only be talked about in the streets and alleys. And you hide in your study all day long, and you don't chat with the neighborhood committee aunties, so it's normal that you haven't heard about it."

Feng Junzi: "I know that. The Hanhao International Hotel is a joint venture between the Hanhao Group and Hong Kong businessmen. It opened on the day Hong Kong returned to China, which left a deep impression on me. But most Hong Kong people believe in feng shui. Businessmen, needless to say, are even more superstitious. How could they have created such a thing? The feng shui is absolutely terrible, it's downright vicious!"

Chang Wu frowned as well: "Is it really like you said? Then this place is indeed very eerie!"

Feng Junzi: "This building shouldn't be kept. There shouldn't be a place like this in Binhai. I think it should be blown up!"

Chang Wu: "What? They blew up the Hanhao Building! Are you kidding me! Haven't you heard that Hanhao Group is preparing for an IPO? This is a major project for the city this year. They're going to list Hanhao International Hotel as the main asset and raise funds to invest in Hanhao Group's amusement parks, resorts, international tourism festivals, and other projects. They're using this as an opportunity to boost the development of Binhai City's tourism industry. The city leaders even gave a speech a couple of days ago, saying they would 'mobilize the entire city to develop Binhai into a tourism and shopping center in East Asia.' Haven't you heard?"

Feng Junzi sneered: "Last month, the city leaders also gave a speech, not far from my house, saying something like, 'We will mobilize the entire city's resources to build the Binhai High-tech Industrial Park into Asia's software industry base!' And last year, it was also in the newspapers. The provincial leaders said, 'We will mobilize the entire province's resources to build Binhai into Northeast Asia's shipping and logistics center.' I just find it strange, how much resources does our Binhai city actually have to mobilize like this? And how many centers are there in Asia?"

Chang Wu laughed too: "These things aren't our concern. But how come you didn't know Hanhao was going public? You're supposed to be a well-known expert in the securities industry. Have you been neglecting your duties lately, just writing novels every day?... By the way, you said this place has such bad feng shui, so how come Hanhao Group hasn't been affected at all? Hanhao has made a lot of money these past few years!"

Feng Junzi frowned and pondered, "Feng shui is a strange thing. Many people in the construction industry say they don't believe in it, but they still pay attention to it in their hearts. Looking at the feng shui layout of this building, it's hard to believe that someone who doesn't know anything about it accidentally made it like this. So there's another explanation: someone who knows about it deliberately set up such an ominous layout."

Chang Wu asked curiously, "That makes even less sense. What kind of person would be so stupid as to ruin themselves?"

Feng Junzi shook his head: "Feng shui has no inherent good or bad; different layouts have different uses. I've heard that some casinos in Macau deliberately set the feng shui of their lobbies to be unlucky, and some even hire so-called 'ghost trainers' from Thailand to patrol the premises and watch whichever customer is having a lucky streak, then they'll go and ruin their fortune... As long as the owner here is ruthless enough and can suppress the feng shui, then this place is a treasure trove for making money!"

Chang Wu: "You're getting more and more mysterious. Your words are always hard to believe or not believe. Hey? Right! What was that all about? I almost forgot to ask you why you insisted on settling the bill and leaving in the middle of the night? Did you suddenly decide to go out and check the feng shui while you were lying in bed? That can't be that far-fetched, can it?"

Feng Junzi withdrew his gaze from the Hanhao Building, turned to look at Chang Wu, and said cautiously, "I'm telling you something, but don't be surprised—someone died in the private room I was just sleeping in, right on the bed I was sleeping in!"

Feng Junzi told Chang Wu not to be surprised, but Chang Wu was still taken aback: "Someone died there? In which room? How did you know? Did you see a ghost?"

Feng Junzi: "It would be troublesome if I actually saw a ghost. I didn't see one, I just sensed it!"

Chang Wu: "If I believe you, the things you say are always so bizarre; if I don't believe you, they often actually happen. How did you sense it? Don't tell me you smelled it!"

Feng Junzi: "I sensed someone on the bed, but it wasn't me or that young lady. I also found it strange. Then I remembered a legend. It's said that someone who died a violent death was unconscious at the time, and their soul would remain in that place after death, unaware that they were dead, until they were awakened and became a terrifying vengeful ghost. This kind of thing is called a 'bound spirit'!"

Chang Wu: "You believe things in novels? You just read too much of that stuff on fantasy websites!"

Feng Junzi: "Wait, it seems it's not just something from novels. Do you remember our high school classmate Shi Ye? I heard him tell a story about encountering something like that in the classroom, and how he was eventually helped by a wise person... He said that thing... wasn't called a 'bound spirit,' I remember now, he called it a 'yin spirit'! (For Shi Ye's story, please refer to my other book, *Shen You*.)"

Chang Wu: "Shi Ye? There are three strangest people in our class: you, Shang Yunfei, but Shi Ye is probably the most mysterious. But this kid is really interesting; he actually married our homeroom teacher, Ms. Liu. Do you remember the nickname you gave him, Yang Guo?"

Feng Junzi: "I don't remember. Let's not worry about Shi Ye for now. You should think about yourself. I have a feeling that the task your director gave you is not simple, and that place, Hanhao, is even more complicated. I think someone died in an accident in that private room, and they weren't conscious when they died."

Part 5 Goddess Heart 09, The Ring

Chang Wu: "That's impossible! The police should investigate any unnatural deaths. How come I don't remember any unnatural deaths at Hanhao Bath Center?"

Feng Junzi: "That's the scary part. Didn't you say that seven people jumped off that building in eight years? If someone dies in a private room and is then thrown off the roof, wouldn't it be treated as a suicide? You're a policeman; you know the ins and outs of this better than I do!"

Chang Wu took a deep breath: "I'll trust you this time. I'll go back and check the records of those seven suicide cases again."

Feng Junzi stared at Chang Wu and said, "This Hanhao seems to be a very complicated place. Be careful when you investigate, and don't get yourself into trouble."

Chang Wu nodded: "I'm not a new policeman, I'll be careful about what I need to be careful about."

...

"Professor Song, I have a question for you, a folklorist. Do you know the rules and customs surrounding elegiac poems?"

The next day, Feng Junzi was on the phone with his old friend, Professor Song Zhaonan from the University of Finance and Economics. Professor Song had initially studied Marxism-Leninism, but without much success. After the turn of the century, he switched to studying traditional culture and folklore, and unexpectedly, he became a prominent folklorist in Binhai and across the country. In the past two years, Professor Song had conducted research on folklore and economics, transforming himself into a renowned economist, to the point that even Feng Junzi didn't know what he actually did. Professor Song was indeed knowledgeable and well-informed, and he was doing quite well at Binhai University of Finance and Economics, having just been promoted to vice dean of the newly established School of Humanities.

"Elegy? There are two kinds, one is sung for the dead, and the other is sung for the living. Which one do you want to know?" Professor Song was already used to Feng Junzi's strange questions. He answered half-jokingly on the phone.

"How about singing to the dead? And how about singing to the living?"