Chapter 12: Setting up a trap in the car
Shi Ge's braised food shop was under renovation. It was named "Buddha Tree Next to the Braised Food Shop." I just realized that Shi Ge and I were neighbors across the street.
My sister was very unhappy. I advised her, "You should be happy. If a whole street was named something like Buddha Tree XX, wouldn't business improve?"
My sister looked disdainful and said, "They didn't find the Buddha statue, they just took advantage of the Buddha tree."
I put my hands together and said, "This shows that Buddhism is vast and can save all sentient beings."
My sister was still angry: "Stealing business."
I didn't feel like arguing with her, so I reminded her, "Sister, you have to change your mindset. Fair competition will only boost our business. We're just worried someone might use underhanded tactics like catching a bug and putting it in our soup to cause trouble. So, I think we should install all the cameras and record every customer's move."
My sister gave me a hug for the first time and patted me on the back: "Dear brother, you are really thoughtful."
I went to Shi Ge's shop to check it out. All it needed was a signboard, so I said, "I'll find you a calligrapher. Don't look for fonts online. Only calligraphy has cultural taste."
Shi Ge asked, "Who are you looking for?"
I smiled and said, "Gao Xu."
"Gao Qiu?"
I laughed out loud. "He's not as shameless as Gao Qiu, and his calligraphy isn't as good as Gao Qiu's. He's also not as good at kicking a shuttlecock as Gao Qiu. He's my brother-in-law, and his name is Gao Xu, which means 'Xu' in the same name as the rising sun."
Shi Ge was surprised and asked, "Your brother-in-law can write?"
I teased him, "Do you think the guy selling rice noodles isn't educated? The guy who makes braised pork trotters used to teach Chinese."
A few days later, Brother Shi's shop had a plaque hanging. My brother-in-law's calligraphy was elegant and graceful. Brother Shi was very pleased and told everyone he met that it was for Mr. Gao, the owner of the flour shop. This led to many people asking my brother-in-law for calligraphy.
The shop opened, and Dongzi over there gave me an idea. He said the internet economy was the new normal, and he wanted me to do a fortune telling online. I'd earn 20 yuan for each fortune I got. With enough popularity, a toad could turn into a swan.
I'm a little tempted.
However, what happened next made me reject Dongzi.
One day, a man in a white shirt and black trousers came to the Taoist priest's house. He bowed and said, "Hello, Mr. Hongyi."
The Taoist priest looked at the visitor, smiled, and led him to his study. I followed him in, made some tea, and then left.
After about a quarter of an hour, the Taoist priest came out to see the guest off. The guest bowed at the door and then drove away.
The Taoist priest said to me, "I'll take you to Shennongjia for a vacation. We'll leave tonight."
Vacation? I was stunned. "So urgent?"
The Taoist priest smiled and whispered to me the reason for his trip - he was commissioned by someone to set up a trap.
I thought this was something out of a movie. How could this happen to a Taoist priest? A scheme? For whom? How would this be done? A series of questions filled my mind.
I couldn't help but feel curious about this trip.
As it was getting dark, there was indeed a black high-end SUV parked at the door. One of the people was the driver, and the other was the man in white shirt and black pants who came to the door yesterday.
We had some simple luggage. The Master's wife and Aunt Chen saw us off at the door, and then the car merged into the surging traffic.
When we arrived at the train station, the man in white shirt and black pants whispered something to the Taoist priest. The driver brought some fruits to me, and then the two of them got into the car, which disappeared in a flash.
After getting on the train, we got into a soft sleeper.
No one came in until the train started.
I asked curiously, "Are there just two of us in this soft sleeper?"
The Taoist priest told me: This soft sleeper has been booked. However, two more people will get on at the next stop. Our mission is to set a trap for these two people.
As for how to set up the trap, the Taoist priest gave me a few simple instructions.
I know, I just need to cooperate simply. The protagonist is the Taoist priest. I can't know too much, otherwise it will be exposed.
An hour later, the train stopped at the next station. Passengers boarded and disembarked. A moment later, two men entered. The man had a square head and large ears, a refined and elegant demeanor, about forty years old. The other wore a white shirt and black pants, clearly a henchman.
The attendant smiled at us, a hello, and then began to pack. He carried a large safe to the upper bunk. I immediately came over to help. The elegant and charming man then left with a towel.
When the man came in after washing his face, the attendant had already packed up his things, took out some food and put it on the coffee table, then climbed up to the upper bunk to charge his phone.
The Taoist priest lives in the lower bunk, and the elegant and romantic man also lives in the lower bunk.
No conversation along the way.
About half an hour later, I slipped down from the lower bunk and said to the Taoist priest:
"Mr. Zhu's secretary sent me a WeChat message saying they had booked the presidential suite and asked if I had any food requirements, whether I wanted vegetarian or a combination of meat and vegetables."
"It has to be completely vegetarian. Also, if the presidential suite is the best on that floor, I won't stay there. I have to change hotels."
I nodded and said, "Okay, I'll reply to him now." Then I walked out of the private room. After walking around outside, when I returned to the private room, the elegant and romantic man asked me:
"Where are you going?"
“Wuhan.”
He seemed to be very familiar with high-end residences. He said to me, "Among the hotels in Wuhan, the Shangri-La Hotel is good, the Lakeside Garden Hotel, and the Mayflower are also good."
I deliberately said, "Oh, you know so well."
"I travel a lot, all over the country, so I'm familiar with it."
At this time, the Taoist priest glanced at the man and said, "If I am not mistaken, you are a businessman."
The man put his feet down from the bed, sat up straight, and smiled at the Taoist priest: "Sir, can you see that too?"
I seized the opportunity and revealed, "This is my master, Master Hongyi."
The man hurriedly said, "Excuse me, my dear." He handed over a business card. I took it for him, glanced at it: it said: Lan Lisheng. Then I handed it to the Taoist priest.
The Taoist priest took a quick look, sat down at the coffee table, and nodded, "Nice to meet you."
Lan Lisheng asked, "Sir, are you traveling to Wuhan or are you on some other important business?"
The Taoist priest stroked his beard and smiled: "My friend is developing a real estate project over there. He just finalized the deal and invited me to come over and give him a look."
Lan Lisheng was very interested in this and said knowledgeably, "Where the Preparatory Office chooses to set up its office is crucial."
The Taoist priest smiled and said, "If Mr. Lan has experienced this, he would naturally understand that whether this office door faces east or west and whether the entrance hall is safe or not will affect the profit or loss of the 100,000 square meter real estate project developed by my friend."
At this moment, I noticed that the attendant on the upper bunk was also lying on the edge of the bed, quietly listening in. I tactfully climbed onto the upper bunk and half-lay on it.
Lan Lisheng asked, "Sir, how did you know I was a businessman?"
I deliberately interrupted: "My master can read faces and predict fortunes."
Lan Lisheng said, "Sir, are you telling fortunes? I love hearing fortunes the most."
The Taoist priest smiled and said, "A thought arises, a thought disappears, life and death, reincarnation, ups and downs, all are determined by this one word."
Lan Lisheng asked, "Sir, can you tell me a fortune?"
I was secretly happy that the show had begun. The next step was to learn how the Taoist priest acted.
The Taoist priest shook his head and said, "I only tell fortunes at home because everyone within a ten-mile radius knows that I am a fortune teller, so they come to me. Once I leave the house, I will no longer tell fortunes."
Just playing hard to get, I guess.
Lan Lisheng said with some regret: "It seems that I am not destined to be with you. The journey is lonely and uncomfortable. I finally met someone I can talk to, but you don't want to talk in depth."
I took the bait. I was secretly happy.
The Taoist priest pretended to be embarrassed and said: "If you must take the test, we can play a game."
“Let’s play a game?”
"Yes, if you believe it, then treat it as a golden word. If you don't believe it, then treat it as a game."
Not to mention Lan Lisheng, I also want to hear how the Taoist priest calculates it.
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