Chapter 64 The powerful reporter is defeated

Three days later, Shao Youxiang called me and asked me when I would be free.

"At 8 o'clock in the evening, on the first floor of the Buddha Tree Rice Noodle Shop, there is a sign on the door saying 'Night Talk'"

At eight o'clock in the evening, he arrived as promised.

I saw him carrying two paper bags and frowned, "Come sit down, why are you being so polite?"

"Cigarettes and alcohol go hand in hand, it's just a little gift." He carried the things into my bedroom.

Make a pot of tea and we'll sit down and chat slowly.

From the conversation, I learned that Shao Youxiang wasn't the old lady's direct nephew. He was four generations older. It was simply that the Shao family had always had more daughters than sons, resulting in a small population. After his cousin was imprisoned, the old lady's funeral arrangements were now solely dependent on this nephew.

After hearing this, I was really moved: "You are a man of integrity."

He took a sip of tea and smiled faintly: "As for the relationship between my family and my cousin's family, it's just average. My cousin's official position doesn't benefit me at all."

"Why?"

"It's understandable that officials are arrogant; it's called official power, but I can't stand it when they put on airs even with their own family. Plus, my cousin has four or five sisters who are all clinging to him. They're getting benefits, but I'm not. The project I'm contracting for is across the province from where he works."

My respect for him grew even greater, and I sighed, "In this money-driven society, you still maintain a genuine heart. How rare, how rare."

He was very calm and asked, "I want to clarify what you hesitated to say the other day."

I refilled his tea. "You certainly didn't mention the big bird falling from the tree when you asked the village chief to transfer the soil, right? What was your reason?"

"I'm talking about the fact that there are many ancestral graves on the mountain. Some places seem to have no graves, but if you dig deeper, you might find some. So I thought of finding a piece of land on his mountain."

I nodded. "That's a good idea."

"The village chief is a wise man. He must know it was your idea. So, no one can redeem that mountain from now on."

I smiled softly, "That doesn't matter. No one knows the exact location except you and me."

He didn't continue the conversation, but looked up at me and said, "Everything has its foreshadowing, right?"

"Of course that's right. Everything is interconnected."

He pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, I have a feeling that something bad will happen to my cousin."

I had no interest in hearing his cousin's story. After all, he was someone I had no connection with, so I responded:

"Premonition is also called the sixth sense. When you form a fixed impression of someone, then once they change, even the slightest hint, your sixth sense will kick in."

He slapped his thigh and said, "Your explanation is very good. According to our common understanding, he is already a high-ranking official. He just turned fifty and can still work for another fifteen years.

There were plenty of opportunities in the past fifteen years, and he could have easily moved up to a higher level. However, he was too impatient and wanted to move up to a higher level.”

I smiled and didn't respond to his topic, wanting to talk to him about something else.

He seemed oblivious to my emotion and continued, "He had his own thoughts, but they weren't the main point. The bad thing was that he actually believed the lies of a young reporter."

When I said the word "reporter", I suddenly trembled. I sat up straight and asked:

"Even after reaching the department level, would you still be fooled by reporters?"

Shao Youxiang shook his head and sighed, "My cousin met a reporter who claims to have extraordinary powers. He said he could help my cousin advance further. Even someone like me who has never seen the world thought it was ridiculous, but my cousin believed it without a doubt."

I leaned forward. "Have you seen that reporter?"

Shao Youxiang's mouth cracked. "It's not just once. My cousin believes it, but I don't. One time, when I was at the foot of Mount Wutai, I met a fortune teller. He's even more famous than your master. I wrote the character 'Xing' (prosperity) and asked him to help my family with their future."

I pricked up my ears and urged, "Hurry up and tell me."

Shao Youxiang took a sip of tea, put down the teacup and said:

"The master said, 'I only have one thing to tell you: top-heavy, shallow-footed, shallow-rooted.' I asked what it meant, but the master refused to say a single word. I still don't understand its meaning, so I've come tonight to seek your guidance."

I laughed and said, "Master, what you mean is that if you want to have a good future, you must have the help of noble people. Otherwise, you will be top-heavy and have shallow roots, and you will not be able to prosper."

Shao Youxiang was confused.

I wrote two words on the paper: Xing, Ju.

Then he explained, "Think of the lower half of '举' as a 'cow man.' If there's a 'cow man,' the top-heavy character '兴' will be lifted up. Without a 'cow man,' it won't be lifted up. This means there's no hope for the future."

Shao Youxiang understood immediately and let out a long "Oh." He said disdainfully, "A mere reporter, of course not a great man."

I suddenly remembered the broker from my hometown who was also a reporter in Beijing, so I asked tentatively:

"The reporter is about 1.65 meters tall?"

Shao Youxiang put the teacup back on the table, stared at me and asked, "How do you know he's about 1.65 meters tall?"

I was just testing him casually. Since that's the case, I might as well give him another surprise. If it really is the one from my hometown, I'm going to make Shao Youxiang astonished by me.

I smiled faintly. "If you want the sky, he can't take it. If you want the earth, he can't give it to you either. If you want to ask someone to find a connection, leave it to him. There are some photos of him with important people in his album.

Shao Youxiang quickly asked, "Do you know him?"

I shook my head.

He looked at me with some disbelief and asked:

"Then how do you know all this?"

I laughed heartily and waved my hands: "It's just a guess. Let's not talk about this anymore."

Actually, this is a technique my master taught me. When you create mystery, you should avoid the topic and talk about other things. This way, you will appear even more mysterious to others.

But Shao Youxiang was determined to get to the bottom of the matter. He said seriously:

"Master Wan, you must tell me, otherwise I won't leave tonight."

This kind of thing certainly wouldn't faze me. I could just make up a reason and he'd be convinced.

I smiled and said, "Actually, I also figured it out through reasoning."

When he saw that I was willing to talk, he looked excited and leaned forward as if he was afraid of missing a word.

"Let's start with the character 'Xing'. The three characters on top and the two dots on the bottom suggest the person pulling the strings is tall on top and short on the bottom. So, we can infer he's about 1.65 meters tall.

Besides, how would I know he has photos with some big shots? Your cousin is also a man who has seen the world. How can he keep calm if he doesn’t take photos with some big shots?

My explanation is reasonable, but Shao Youxiang just doesn't believe it.

He believed that I had a kind of magical power that ordinary people did not possess. Then, he made an even more shocking move.

He actually prostrated himself and said, "I wish I had known you a year ago. From now on, I will ask for your guidance."

I hurried to help him up.

Shao Youxiang spoke to me heartfeltly, "My cousins ​​usually look down on others, so they're unpopular in the area. As for me, I'm often away from home. I've only heard of your master's name, but I've never visited him. Please forgive me for any mistakes my Shao family has made in the past."

"You're too kind. My master and I both uphold the principle of helping others resolve their doubts and difficulties. There's no such thing as disagreeing with anyone. Come back and visit us more often."

At this time, Shao Youxiang took out a business card and gave it to me.

"Myanmar Hongxing Jade Company, Shao Youxiang, General Manager."

"Oh, I made money in the construction industry and changed my career." I played with the business card. It was carved from jade and was very creative.

He smiled and said, "Next time, I will give you another jade pot. Although I don't come back often, I will always remember your kindness to our Shao family. If you ask me, my brother Shanhong, my heart is as pure as ice in the jade pot."

I gave a thumbs-up. "Your gift is so elegant and poetic. I, Wan Shanhong, like jade, so I'll accept it."

After seeing Shao Youxiang off, I was so excited that I wanted to call my master. When I looked at the time, it was already 10 o'clock in the evening. I pressed a few numbers and finally gave up.

I stayed awake all night, and I kept wondering why Master’s predictions were so accurate.