Chapter 96: Ninety-sixth Day of Retirement. This time, I'll support him. ...
As a pure human being, Ning Changsheng may not understand what level of ability a ghost from Mei Yishan has to escape from the underworld, but he is very clear about the uproar caused by the murder case in Jianshan City across the country.
It was a holiday, and working professionals put aside their work to travel with friends, while students packed their bags and headed for their homes thousands of miles away. In just one morning, the Jianshan High-Speed Railway Station saw record-breaking passenger volume. And it was during this time that a middle-aged man, seemingly in his forties, wrapped in a black coat, squeezed into the throng of people undergoing security checks.
The line was incredibly crowded, and the child behind the man was crying uncontrollably because his grandparents hadn't bought him his favorite toy. The piercing sound pierced his eardrums, making his temples ache. He turned around and grumbled at the child, but the child just said, "What do you care?" and then started crying even louder.
But after just a few seconds, the crying stopped abruptly.
The man impassively pulled the knife from the child's neck, blood splattering, staining the clothes of everyone around them with a rich color. Some people, still unaware of the situation, felt a strange splash of water on their necks. The water was surprisingly warm, and the strange sensation made them reach out to touch their necks, then bring their hands to their eyes to observe.
When they saw the bloodstains on their fingertips, they were stunned.
The child’s grandparents were also stunned.
The two were complaining in dialect that there were too many people in the group and they didn't know whether they could catch the bus in time. As a result, the child they were pulling fell down at an unexpected speed. The weight of the child made the old lady stagger. She was about to scold the child with a cry of "ouch", but the moment she turned her head, she saw the child's wide-open eyes and blood spurting from his neck.
After three seconds of stunned silence, screams echoed throughout the entire security checkpoint.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the scene, and with a cry of "Murder!" the crowd erupted into chaos. But the middle-aged man involved remained remarkably calm. He pulled out the blood-stained knife, his hand unwavering as he stabbed it into the old woman's heart.
The crowd was already in chaos after witnessing someone so frantic as to stab two people in quick succession at the high-speed rail station. Everyone screamed and ran from the various entrances and exits. But the man was enormous, looking well over 1.85 meters tall. Even wrapped in his coat, his muscular build was still visible. He simply pinned down the young girl who was running in front of him. The girl was powerless to fight back, and a massive gash soon appeared in her stomach.
In this case, the man stabbed fourteen people.
In fact, security arrived very quickly, but the security checkpoint was too crowded at the time, and the passengers were fleeing in a mess, so they couldn't squeeze next to the man, let alone stop him.
There were also passengers who were brave enough to try to snatch the knife from the man's hand, but unfortunately they failed. The man, in a rage, stabbed them more than a dozen times in the neck. This scene scared the kind-hearted people who were about to step forward to stop him and they took two steps back instantly.
The turning point came when the man grabbed the fifteenth victim. The police, who had rushed over, raised their guns high and shouted at the man to let go of the young man. But the man was clearly prepared. He lifted the young man with one hand and used him as a shield, leaning his back against the wall, completely shielding himself. Even more shocking, during this standoff, the man pulled a homemade gun from his coat and fired five shots, hitting two police officers in the chest.
But at this time, he was also hit on the arm by another policeman. The young man was also hot-blooded. When he realized that the wrist that was restraining his neck was loosened, he elbowed the man in the lower body without saying a word. Seeing this, the other policemen shot through the man's wrist.
The homemade gun fell to the ground with a thud, and the man was forcibly pinned down, and this crazy and cruel accident came to an end.
Subsequent police investigations revealed that the man's name was Mei Yishan, and he did not act impulsively because he could not stand the noise of the children. He had long been prepared to kill people at the high-speed rail station during holidays, but the noise of the children sped up his pace.
The police also found out that Mei Yishan was a pure antisocial element. He came to the high-speed rail station to kill people just because he had an argument with someone on the Internet. The other party laughed at him for being so cowardly and not acting like a man at all, so he decided to show the other party what a man he was.
The so-called man's appearance is murder.
The police were angry and found it ridiculous when they reached this point in the interrogation.
So many lives were lost just because of a quarrel.
"I remember that Mei Yishan was sentenced to death in the second month after the incident?" The special assistant tried hard to recall the news of that year, but because so much time had passed, he could not remember many details clearly.
All we know is that Mei Yishan's death sentence was widely reported, and then many citizens spontaneously went to the high-speed rail station and presented bouquets of flowers to the innocent victims who lost their lives there.
"You have a good memory, kid." Qianxu praised the special assistant without any hesitation. Seeing the interest Ning Changsheng showed when he realized Mei Yishan's true identity, the corners of his mouth curled up with satisfaction. He then explained, "After Mei Yishan accepted the death penalty, his ghost killed the ghost messenger who came to arrest his soul. He fled for a while and later met a Taoist priest who sent him to the underworld. The underworld has always been unfriendly to ghosts like Mei Yishan who committed many evil deeds in the world of the living. They tortured him for five years. However, Mei Yishan was so capable that he even bewitched the executioner in charge of punishing him, and the two of them escaped from the underworld together."
At this point, Qianxu's eyes showed some admiration for Mei Yishan. "The underworld has ten Yama Kings and countless hells and executioners. The fact that Mei Yishan was able to escape is enough to show his ability. I brought him to Director Ning as a token of my appreciation. Director Ning, what do you think?"
Ning Changsheng looked at Mei Yishan.
If the person standing before him now was the Mei Yishan of five years ago, Ning Changsheng would have definitely called him "bodyguard, bodyguard." However, the person standing before him was the ghost-like Mei Yishan, and beside him was the powerful Taoist Master Qianxu. His fear of the antisocial murderer was much lessened. He narrowed his eyes and asked, "Master Qianxu, how can you be sure that Mr. Mei will obey your orders?"
"In other words, I'm safe when Taoist Qianxu is here. But once you leave, my safety factor will plummet, right?" Ning Changsheng sneered. "I don't think a ruthless executioner who killed more than a dozen people can be my bodyguard."
Ning Changsheng thought that if he really kept Mei Yishan by his side, he would probably have to sleep with his eyes open in the middle of the night, for fear that he would be stabbed by him.
"It's been some time since Mei Yishan escaped from the underworld. During this time, he has been working for the Jiuyou Tongshen Society." Qianxu said slowly, "And Director Ning, you are the financial supporter of our Jiuyou Tongshen Society. If Mei Yishan dares to harm you, not only me, but the entire Jiuyou Tongshen Society will not let him go easily."
Ning Changsheng felt that Qianxu was talking nonsense.
Although he was indeed very interested in Mei Yishan, the other party was too dangerous. Ning Changsheng finally just waved to Qianxu and said: "Thank you for your kindness, Taoist Qianxu, but I don't need it. You should keep such a powerful helper by your side."
Qianxu choked.
After being silent for about two minutes, he sighed deeply, swept his whisk across, and a Qiankun bag appeared in his palm. He handed the very small Sanqing Bell to Ning Changsheng.
And explained: "This string of Sanqing bells can save your life."
"I have quite a few life-saving items." The broken jade token around his neck and the talisman he carried close to his body could all be life-saving. But Qianxu only sneered when he heard this. "Mr. Ning really thinks too highly of Pingyangzi. Objects blessed by Taoist priests can indeed effectively repel ghosts to a certain extent. For example, small ghosts and wandering spirits can't get close to you; if they do, they'll be reduced to ashes. But if it's a big ghost... well, it's hard to say. A powerful ghost wouldn't be able to even crush your jade token with its bare hands, let alone get close to you."
He touched the end of his whisk to the Three Purities Bell, raised his chin slightly, and spoke with a sense of pride: "And my Three Purities Bell is like a solid wall, it can withstand any attack. If Director Ning doesn't believe it, you can ask someone to try it out."
Looking for someone to try it out?
This is a good idea.
Ning Changsheng leaned against the headboard, pointing a finger at the silent Mei Yishan. He then lifted the Three Purities Bell and threw it toward his invisible assistant, who was standing nearby. The assistant saw something thrown at him from the corner of his eye and frantically raised his hands, barely able to hold the Three Purities Bell in his arms. But the next moment, recalling Ning Changsheng's conversation with Qianxu and looking at the hot object in his arms, the assistant's face paled.
What do you mean? Find someone to try it on, try it on him?
The assistant's heart sank, but Qianxu didn't give him the chance to hesitate or plead. With another sweep of his whisk, the dense ghostly aura emanating from Mei Yishan, carrying a terrifying aura, suddenly rushed in front of the assistant. The assistant's pupils suddenly widened, and when he saw the ground cracking as the ghostly aura passed by, his breathing paused for a moment.
Bang.
Seeing that the ghost energy was only a few centimeters away from him, the special assistant closed his eyes subconsciously, but the imagined feeling of his face being squeezed wildly did not come, but a huge collision sound rang in his ears.
With an uneasy mood, he quietly opened his eyes.
But he was shocked by the scene before him.
He was still a few centimeters away from the black fog, which was still very powerful, trying to crash into him with a bang, ...
"this--"
He covered his pounding chest and looked at Ning Changsheng and Qianxu with burning eyes.
Qianxu raised the corner of his mouth, stroked his beard, and chuckled, "See? This is a true protective treasure. Whether you're attacked by others or in a car accident, it can not only protect your life, Mr. Ning, but also keep you from getting hurt. With all due respect, if the amulet Pingyangzi gave you was this kind of treasure, your accident at the convention center could have been completely avoided. Not only that, they'll even be shocked that the chandelier didn't hurt you."
Although his provocation was obvious enough, he swallowed back the second half of the sentence, "Instead of being laughed at like now," which made Ning Changsheng angry.
From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Ning Changsheng's face turning grim after he took his words to heart. Qianxu raised the corner of his mouth calmly and said, "If it were simply to protect you, this Sanqing Bell would be enough. But the Sanqing Bell is inanimate after all. If it encounters a vengeful ghost, it still needs a self-aware ghost like Mei Yishan to fight back."
That makes sense.
Taking the Sanqing Bell from the assistant's hand, Ning Changsheng's slightly disdainful expression completely subsided, and his face, now flushed, showed a hint of satisfaction with Qianxu. He said, "I will accept Taoist Qianxu's kindness. If you have any financial problems, you can always contact my assistant."
After a lot of trouble, Qianxu finally heard these words and was satisfied.
He bowed and said with a smile, "Then I would like to thank Mr. Ning first."
After adding the special assistant's contact information, his attitude towards Qianxu improved significantly. Anyone would be tempted after witnessing the power of the Three Purities Bell, but the special assistant also knew that such a good thing would definitely not be his. However, just from the Three Purities Bell, it was clear that Taoist Master Qianxu probably had quite a few valuable items. Therefore, befriending Qianxu and getting his hands on any goodies he might have would be a good option.
Today, the special assistant diligently and proactively escorted the patient to the outside of the ward and even helped press the elevator.
While waiting for the elevator, he lowered his eyes and whispered, "During the past few days since Director Ning's accident, Taoist Master Pingyangzi hasn't even shown up, nor has he sent anyone to offer condolences or apology. Director Ning is very dissatisfied with him."
Knowing that his special assistant was leaking information and also knowing that the other party was trying to please him, Qianxu enjoyed this kind of "betrayal" from the other party.
He said, "Pingyangzi is just arrogant. Although it was his people who brought Director Ning into the Nine Netherworld Divine Society, Pingyangzi has always looked down on Director Ning. The level of Yang Jing and his men in the Nine Netherworld Divine Society can only be described as average. If he really cares about your Director Ning, he can just send out any evil spirit he keeps around, and it would be more powerful than everyone in Yang Jing's team combined."
After saying this, he then tossed a brocade pouch from his Qiankun bag to his special assistant: "It's definitely not as effective as Director Ning's Sanqing Bell, but this thing can still help you ward off disaster when necessary."
Having said that, what else is there for the special assistant to not understand?
A bright smile appeared on his face, and he said repeatedly: "Thank you, Taoist Qianxu. Don't worry, Director Ning is very satisfied with you now. If you need anything, feel free to contact me."
clatter.
The elevator door opened and Qianxu stepped in.
At the same time, in the ward.
Ning Changsheng rarely felt like picking up his phone.
He'd lived a long life, and his real estate business hadn't always been smooth sailing. There had been bumps along the way, and some of his peers had mocked him, saying his life was over. But his peers were limited, and it hadn't reached the point of widespread online ridicule. Besides, if a business fails, there's always a chance to recover, but if it's ruined, it's truly ruined.
Therefore, the boredom he felt in his heart these days made him turn away from mobile phones and social software such as Weibo.
But now it's different.
With a grave expression, he opened Weibo and his gaze fell on the official Weibo account of a competitor company. It was the one that @ed the Huaping Convention and Exhibition Center and suggested they provide the chandelier. He pursed his lips, his gaze sweeping over Mei Yishan, who had remained silent as if he didn't exist, and suddenly spoke, "Qianxu just said that if there's anything I want to do, I can come to you, right?"
Mei Yishan nodded.
Ning Changsheng nodded. "Okay, there happens to be a business exchange meeting in Beijing North the day after tomorrow. Have you seen this person? Xing Shuyang, the owner of Xing's Real Estate. He will be speaking on stage on behalf of many entrepreneurs. I don't need to teach you how to do it, right?"
Mei Yishan's gaze was fixed on Xing Shuyang.
Xing Shuyang looked about the same age as Ning Changsheng, but a bit younger. He was wearing a well-tailored suit. Although his features were ordinary, his glasses gave him a rather refined and elegant demeanor, which was quite appealing.
Mei Yishan nodded.
Ning Changsheng raised the corners of his mouth.
At this moment, Mei Yishan seemed to notice something. His head beneath his hood suddenly tilted to the side, his gaze fixed on the window. Perhaps because his gaze was too focused, Ning Changsheng was also intrigued and asked, "What's wrong?"
Mei Yishan shook his head: "No, I was mistaken."
Ning Changsheng didn't say anything when he heard this. These three simple words at least showed that Mei Yishan was a cautious person, unlike Yang Jing and others, who not only failed to notice the problem with the convention and exhibition center in advance, but also didn't have time to save the chandelier when it fell.
It's just garbage.
He waved at Mei Yishan, signaling him to hide.
Although his ward was generally visited by no one except his own people, Ning Changsheng still felt a little scared when he saw such a big and ruthless executioner blocking his way.
-
Outside the ward, Sang Qiqi easily leaped from over ten stories high, landing smoothly. Recalling the sharp, alert look of the evil spirit in Ning Changsheng's ward, she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows, a hint of amusement in her eyes. She arrived late, so she didn't see how the evil spirit came. She only saw Ning Changsheng look at his phone for a while before asking the evil spirit to trouble Xing Shuyang.
She didn't know much about domestic real estate bosses, but Xing Shuyang was an exception. After Ning Changsheng suffered divine punishment at the convention and exhibition center, the Xing Group was the first to step in and take advantage of the opportunity to add insult to injury.
The friendly competitor referred to by Ning Changsheng’s public relations team also seems to be the Xing Group.
Returning to the funeral home with his hands in his pockets, Duan Sui subconsciously glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that only half an hour had passed since Sang Qiqi had left the store. He was slightly puzzled, "Why did you come back so early today?"
"Go find Shen Wanglan and ask him about the situation." As she spoke, she opened her phone and found Shen Wanglan's WeChat to ask him about it. She also told Duan Sui in detail about what she had just discovered at the hospital. "Two bodyguards died in succession, and Ning Changsheng recruited a new evil spirit. It seems that the evil spirit has some abilities, but it is mysterious and its face is hidden in the hood and cannot be seen clearly."
"I've become smarter."
"That's right." How could a Taoist priest be as effective as an evil ghost?
Sang Qiqi clicked send, but didn't receive a WeChat message from Shen Wanglan. Instead, she received a call from him. After the call was connected, she threw the phone on the table and turned on the speakerphone so that Duan Sui, who was listening in, could also hear it clearly.
Shen Wanglan said, "Xing Shuyang and Ning Changsheng have a notoriously bad relationship. They're about the same age and entered the real estate industry around the same time, so comparisons are inevitable. About ten years ago, a piece of land was auctioned off in Zhuangdong City, Meng Province. Both Xing Shuyang and Ning Changsheng were quite interested, and the two families argued back and forth until the person in charge of the Xing family project was hit by a loaded truck on his way to the auction and drowned under a bridge."
"Rumor has it that Xing Shuyang has always believed that Ning Changsheng orchestrated the accident. The truck driver was only detained for a few days before being released on the pretext of mental illness. Not long after, he left the country and disappeared."
"Ningchuan Real Estate and the Xing family began to feud from that time. In the years that followed, Xing Shuyang also tried to steal business from Ning Changsheng, but nothing good ever happened. Xing Shuyang saw through Ning Changsheng, and for the safety of those around him, he refused to participate in any business Ning Changsheng wanted. Many people mocked him for being timid and incompetent. This Weibo post about kicking someone when they're down has nothing to do with Xing Shuyang. It was his son who disliked Ning Changsheng and asked the official Weibo account to make a statement."
I see.
No wonder Xing Shuyang had avoided trouble for so many years, but this time he went against others again.
"There's more." Shen Wanglan seemed to remember something and flipped through the documents in his hand. "Tomorrow there's a business forum in Jingbei, kind of an exchange meeting. The organizers have invited many companies from all over the country, making it quite a big event. I heard that according to the organizers' original plan, they wanted Ning Changsheng to speak on stage as the entrepreneur representative, but Ning Changsheng has been caught up in a public opinion storm these days. Although there's no solid evidence for anything, the organizers were timid and just turned around and replaced the person who would go on stage with Xing Shuyang."
Sang Qiqi: “…”
She asked with a complicated expression, "Are there no other entrepreneurs? Do we have to choose from these two enemies?"
Shen Wanglan's expression was calm: "The organizers also want to attract attention."
The organizer and Xing Shuyang's son certainly didn't expect that because of their actions, Xing Shuyang's life would be in danger.
In silence, Shen Wanglan asked: "Why did you suddenly ask about the grudge between Ning Changsheng and Xing Shuyang? Is there something wrong with Xing Shuyang?"
"Are you concerned about Xing Shuyang?"
"Fortunately, Xing Shuyang is a good person and likes to do charity. My father is very familiar with him and they often drink together."
No wonder.
As soon as she asked, Shen Wanglan could clearly tell the grudge between Ning Changsheng and Xing Shuyang, and even brought up something that happened more than ten years ago. Most likely, Xing Shuyang himself brought it up with Shen Wanglan's father.
"It's not a big deal, but if you're willing, you can ask Xing Shuyang if he wants to fight Ning Changsheng again after all these years." Sang Qiqi propped up her chin and said with a smile, "This time, I'll support him."
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