The work of the expert advisory group is to provide folk knowledge, guide project construction, and mediate the relationship between the project team and local indigenous people. It does not mean becoming a local clergyman. These are two completely different concepts.

As the chief examiner, Pan Yicheng did use his connections to find an expert, but the word "feng shui" is not mentioned in official documents. He is knowledgeable and knows how to find someone, but that doesn't mean other colleagues believe in it.

In Zhou Qu's view, Pan Yicheng is a professor and an engineer, so it is normal for him to guide the construction project.

Chu Qianli pointed out that the illness was obviously abnormal without contacting others. Someone just said that shamans can exorcise demons, which is beyond normal cognitive structure.

The indigenous people presented shamanic masks as if they were being crowned, which naturally made Zhou Qu panic and afraid of touching the red line. They wanted to respect religious culture, but they must not participate in religious activities.

Pan Yicheng was able to make the most of a small effort. He directly defined the situation as a traditional dance and gave a reasonable explanation, which put Zhou Qu at ease.

Chu Qianli also drew a clear line in the sand and said solemnly, "I'm really not a shaman. I just learned about shaman culture before I came here..."

"I don't know how to treat illnesses either. There were medical staff just now." Chu Qianli said seriously, "I feel there is a misunderstanding. I believe in Marxism!"

Shamans are clergymen, and she is not religious at all. This is really nonsense.

Zhou Qu saw that she didn't look fake, so he went to the local leader and said, "Explain to them not to talk nonsense outside. If it gets out, it won't be good for our colleagues."

Chu Qianli is here to work on a project, not to preach, and the nature of the incident cannot be changed.

"Okay, I'll explain it to them, but I don't think it will help much," the local leader said helplessly. "They worship many kinds of gods and have no doctrine. Sometimes they just say you are who you are, regardless of whether you believe in religion or not."

"Just treat this as a compliment, just like the Cantonese people calling someone a pretty boy or a pretty girl. It won't really make you lose your way. We all know it in our hearts."

"…but I thought Cantonese people were serious when they called someone handsome."

Chu Qianli wanted to pat her chest to assure that she had no religious beliefs, but in her hand she was still holding the shamanic mask given to her by the indigenous people, and the way she was trying to explain was really a bit subtle.

Zhou Qu always felt something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on why. He whispered, "I thought it was over before it even started, and everyone was taken back home to be educated."

If this incident is determined, all the cadres will have no chance of escaping.

Pan Yicheng comforted him with words: "How could that be? We must remember the three attitudes towards religion, that is, not to believe in religion, to learn more about religion, and to care more about religious believers, and firmly grasp the initiative in religious work!"

"Old Pan, you'd better be more reliable." Zhou Qu looked at Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing, and said, "Bring them with you tomorrow. I always feel like you're all playing the pig to eat the tiger. Why don't you come together?"

Zhou Qu was in a strange mood. He couldn't see through the expert advisory group, so he just took them all along.

Pan Yicheng laughed: "That's right, don't underestimate people."

Chu Qianli's plan to cheat was ruined, and she blurted out, "Really not, what a pig!"

Zhou Qu: "Old Pan always says this at the beginning."

Tan Muxing: “…” So this is just a routine rhetoric?

After the welcoming banquet, everyone was finally able to go back to their homes. The three said goodbye to Zhou Qu, left the yurt, and walked along the path to the base.

The stars are sparse tonight, and a cool breeze blows in the middle of the night, making people who have just come out feel refreshed in the cool air.

Chu Qianli held the mask and robe in her arms. She could only thank the aboriginals and accepted them. She said helplessly, "I really didn't expect that a casual remark would cause such trouble..."

She just wanted to remind the female dancer to be careful of her injuries, but she was mistaken for a shaman by the locals.

"Because I'm not good at fortune-telling, I've basically never done any fortune-telling. It's normal that Old Zhou hasn't seen it." Pan Yicheng said, "It's too troublesome to explain the fortune-telling to him. It's better to keep it simple and just get by. Anyway, it's over now."

Tan Muxing didn't expect that Professor Pan was not good at fortune-telling, so he asked curiously, "Then how did you join the project?"

"My civil engineering experience is not fake. Construction engineers need to know some divination, but not every Feng Shui master can do construction engineering. Show some respect for the profession. The certificate is not obtained in vain!"

Tan Muxing suddenly realized that, apart from the I Ching and Feng Shui, Professor Pan's resume was still very solid, otherwise he would not have dared to be assigned to the project. It was normal for others to fail in the bid, as there were indeed few people who could do both.

The incident at the welcoming banquet aroused the desire of the three people to communicate, so they simply walked and talked in the night.

Pan Yicheng sighed, "Those who cry out for superstition when encountering metaphysics are not good. Of course, those who believe in it blindly are not good either. The main reason is that many people confuse concepts. If metaphysics, religion, numerology, and the supernatural are mixed together, it will definitely be difficult to make sense. The less knowledgeable people are, the more they like to do this."

This was obviously the case with the indigenous people. When they discovered Chu Qianli's unusual abilities, they concluded that she was a priest.

Chu Qianli felt the shaman mask was heavy, so she casually hung it on Tan Muxing and listened to Pan Yicheng's words in a disjointed manner.

Tan Muxing's listening attitude was more cooperative. He honestly took off his mask and asked, "I thought there was something in common?"

"That's not right or wrong. What is the original meaning of Xuan? It's reddish-black and looks fuzzy, but it carries the meaning of being profound and mysterious. Xuan means deep, and it studies profound issues and the laws of the universe," Pan Yicheng said. "Some people always like to directly link metaphysics with ghosts and gods. That's like getting the definition wrong at the beginning of the paper, and then there's nothing to talk about afterwards."

Chu Qianli complained quietly: "As expected, he is a professor, using thesis as an example."

Pan Yicheng smiled and said, "Since it is a rule, it can be followed. You are good at fortune-telling, so you should know best what the principle is and whether it has anything to do with ghosts and gods."

"The definition of religion is another matter. It is a special form of social ideology. It has some similarities with metaphysics, but also some differences." Pan Yicheng commented, "I think the word shaman is very good. Its original meaning is a wise man. At that time, people who could heal diseases and read the sky were very remarkable. Others could not do that. They were still people who possessed knowledge."

Chu Qianli understood and agreed, "It's still a human being."

"Yes, still a human being, that's what I mean."

"Outsiders find these things mysterious because they don't understand them and can't distinguish them. They either dismiss them as rubbish or simply believe in them superstitiously. Their understanding is very shallow." Pan Yicheng laughed, "Some people told me they believe in Buddhism, and then two days later they said they believe in Taoism. When I asked them about the teachings of Buddhism and Taoism, they knew nothing and were not as good as me who didn't believe. So what do you believe in? Isn't this superstition, blind belief?"

"You can only make judgments after you have studied deeply. You should not believe everything others say. That is called a lack of critical thinking. I don't have religious beliefs. It is not a requirement of my profession or identity, but I have studied religious culture seriously and finally chose not to believe in religion."

Chu Qianli heard the hidden meaning in Pan Yicheng's words, and her heart was slightly moved. She said seriously: "I don't believe in religion, nor do I think I am a god, or even a clergyman."

Pan Yicheng agreed: "That's right. From ancient times to the present, clergy have basically been highly educated. Your current education is indeed not enough."

Chu Qianli: “?”

Chu Qianli felt very aggrieved. She grabbed Tan Muxing and complained in a sad voice, "Look at him, listen to him..."

Tan Muxing calmed down and said, "Okay, okay, I still want to go to college."

Pan Yicheng encouraged them: "Young students should study hard. The clergy now have to start with a master's or doctoral degree."

Chu Qianli: "...Very good, I will never be associated with clergy in this life."

Late at night, base.

Pan Yicheng took the two people to the dormitory, asked them if they had forgotten anything, and decided on the gathering time for the next morning before returning to the room to rest.

Chu Qianli watched Professor Pan close the door. She dragged her luggage to the side and muttered, "Although he doesn't tell fortunes, some of his views are similar to Grandpa's."

Tan Muxing helped her take the mask back to the house and asked in confusion, "Professor Pan?"

"Yes." Chu Qianli said, "My grandfather has said before that, aside from those complicated appearances, these things are meant to lead people to be good, or to guide people to live a better life. In the end, they are still people."

“They learn differently, but the roots are the same.”

Pan Yicheng studied fortune-telling, Chu Yilie studied fate-telling, but they ended up reaching the same goal through different paths.

Tan Muxing smiled and said, "Doesn't Professor Pan know your grandfather? Since we are friends, we can definitely chat."

Chu Qianli said cheerfully: "You're right, it's like we can chat with each other!"

Tan Muxing was stunned. He didn't expect her to say that. He felt a little embarrassed and replied softly, "...Yeah."

The rooms of the expert advisory team are next to each other, which makes it easy for them to communicate and greet each other at any time. The three of them have single rooms with very few furnitures, but they are kept very clean.

After a while, the two said good night to each other. Chu Qianli rested in the room, while Tan Muxing went to the next room.

Tan Muxing went back to the house to put his things away and report to his family that he was safe.

"Xingxing, are you used to living there? Are you tired?"

"Everything is fine." Tan Muxing thought for a few seconds and said sincerely, "I am very happy."

I was happy to chat with her and to see new scenery together.

The next day, Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing were woken up early by Pan Yicheng. After a simple meal in the cafeteria, they were rushed into the car to their destination for the day.

Pan Yicheng also handed out information to the two people: "You can take a look at this when you have nothing to do. This is the topographic map of that place. There is a section of the main railway that will pass through."

Tan Muxing looked at the topographic map and commented, "It's hard to build a railway here, right?"

Pan Yicheng asked curiously, "Can you also do it?"

Tan Muxing shook her head in embarrassment: "No, I just used my geographical knowledge to analyze it."

Pan Yicheng laughed: "Then you and Lao Zhou are the same kind of people!"

After Chu Qianli finished looking at the picture, her scalp instantly went numb, just like when she encountered a difficult question on an exam at school.

Pan Yicheng noticed that her expression was not right, he laughed dryly and said, "Take your time, there's no rush."

Pan Yicheng ran to the front and sat with Zhou Qu, leaving only Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing sitting side by side in the back.

Tan Muxing noticed that she looked strange and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

"You're right. It's very difficult to build a railway here, mainly because of the strange terrain." Chu Qianli shook his head in distress, "No matter what we do, we'll run into some taboos."

"Avoidance?"

"Yes, Feng Shui is about creating a livable environment for people, either suitable for living in during life or after death. Some of the principles can even be explained by science, such as the piercing evil spirit. If the wind blows in your house, anyone who lives there will easily get sick." Chu Qianli said helplessly, "But now with the development of the times, the high house prices can't control the house type, and there will always be taboos."

In ancient times, wealthy families had freedom in building their houses, but now all properties are unified, so naturally they cannot be perfect.

Chu Qianli shook the blueprint in his hand and said, "It's the same this time. From the perspective of Feng Shui, it's really difficult to build, but the railway cannot be cut off in the middle, so we can only try to reduce the impact."

This is an unavoidable trade-off, just like the ancient sayings that do not recommend living in a cemetery, but some cities have tombs all underground, and it will not be possible to develop if we just copy the old ways. Naturally, it requires experts of all kinds to think about it.

Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing looked through some information. They were so dizzy from the ride that they simply took a nap in the car.

After a long journey, the group finally arrived at their destination workstation.

The surrounding scenery became increasingly desolate. Mongolian yurts could occasionally be seen near the base, but the workstation was deserted and cold.

"It seems like there's no one here?" Chu Qianli got out of the car and stretched. She looked around curiously.

Tan Muxing stood nearby. He stretched out his hand to take pictures, recording the scenery that was completely different from that near the base.

Zhou Qu: "It would be nice if there is really no one here. There was a disturbance at the workstation not long ago. I was not there at the time, but luckily nothing happened."

"Are you so angry?"

"That's right. To be honest, the workers have a hard time too. They travelled a long way to work here, but they are not welcomed by the locals. They feel wronged too..." Zhou Qu frowned and said, "They have all worked on the frozen soil of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to lay railroad tracks, but they are despised here."

Pan Yicheng: "That's true, but we won't build a station here. The locals will definitely think that it will not benefit them if we build it, and the noise of cars passing by every day will affect their lives."

From a global perspective, the construction of railways is beneficial to the development of the entire region; from a local perspective, remote areas without railway stations do benefit less from railways.

"The main reason is that they still believe in mountain gods or something. I asked around but still couldn't understand. The things they believe in here are different."

Zhou Qu and Pan Yicheng were chatting about the project, while Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing met people from the workstation.

The man who was coming towards them had dark skin and a high nose bridge. He was wearing ethnic minority decorative ribbons. He spotted Chu Qianli in the crowd and saluted excitedly: "He Saiyin Bainu!"

Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing were unexpectedly greeted. They hurriedly responded, feeling a little confused for a moment.

The man spoke in a strange tone, with a minority accent, and asked with interest: "My name is Batu, are you the shamans from afar?"

"I'm not, I didn't, don't talk nonsense..." Chu Qianli was afraid that he would dance again, so she hurriedly said, "We are all socialist builders!"

Sure enough, the next second Batu was mumbling something and was about to dance towards the two of them and perform a great ceremony for Chu Qianli.

After Chu Qianli came here, she was injured by the dance. She subconsciously looked at Tan Muxing and frantically sent out a distress signal, with pity and helplessness written all over her face.

Tan Muxing had no choice but to stop him, saying awkwardly: "Ah, this..."

At this moment, Zhou Qu called a halt and said in surprise: "Batu, what are you doing?"

After Zhou Qu finished chatting with Pan Yicheng about the work situation, he turned around and found that his subordinates were dancing awkwardly with the expert advisory group (?).

When Batu was called by the leader, he immediately stopped singing and dancing, and even spoke in a normal voice, switching to fluent Mandarin in a second: "I haven't seen many foreigners, welcome guests from afar."

"You went to university in the capital, and you didn't see many foreigners?"

"I'm not afraid that they will be disappointed when they first arrive. People from other places think that wrestling, archery and dancing are good here. I think we can't embarrass our province."

Zhou Qu: “?”

Zhou Qu was a little speechless, and he introduced Batu to the two. He was currently stationed at a railway workstation. Although he was a minority, all he knew was his appearance, and he couldn't even speak Mongolian.

Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing suddenly realized that this was a naughty minority compatriot who tried to deceive them with stereotypes by relying on his unique appearance.

Chu Qianli: "But you just spoke Mongolian..."

"That's all I know." Batu changed his tone and said, "Thunder Monkey!"

“…”

Tan Muxing asked politely, "Are you studying at a university in the imperial capital?"

"Yes, that's why I'm not used to it. We all ride horses to go to school here, but not in the capital."

Chu Qianli heard Batu was still trying to fool her, so she simply agreed with him and said leisurely, "That's right, I ride a panda in the village, and I can't do that even if I return to the capital."

Batu praised: "Finally someone understands my pain of having no horse to ride!"

Tan Muxing: “…” Are you two really suffering studying in the imperial capital?

Zhou Qu heard the young people's idle chatter. He really didn't understand their jokes and commented: "The people you lead are as good at talking nonsense as you are."

"It's as if the people you lead don't talk nonsense." Pan Yicheng glanced at Tan Muxing and said, "You should be thankful that the other person I lead doesn't talk, otherwise the truth would sound even more outrageous than nonsense."

Pan Yicheng thought to himself, riding a horse and a panda is nothing, I will really fly a plane later.