I handed Chen Lei a cigarette, and he lit it and took two deep puffs before saying, "A few months ago, the boss found me and told me that he wanted to develop a religious tourism project and asked me to design a building with reincarnation elements."
"I was confused at the time and even asked the boss, if you want to engage in religious tourism, you must first have religious background. There is not even a decent temple on that mountain. If we just develop it like this, how can anyone come?"
"But the boss said that it was his business whether we could make money or not, and asked me to finish the work quickly. I didn't dare to say anything more, and started to work on the design drawings."
It was only when Chen Lei said this that I suddenly realized what was going on. No wonder I felt that something was wrong with this deal from the beginning. It turned out that the problem was with the project itself.
Religious tourism projects are based on religion. Only famous mountains and rivers and thousand-year-old temples can attract tourists. I didn't ask about the situation of the barren mountain at first, and I thought there was a temple there. I didn't expect that Guan was planning to build a big temple out of thin air. Such an investment can make money. Even I, a layman, don't believe it.
I asked solemnly, "What happened next?"
Chen Lei said: "When I started to design the blueprints, the boss called me again and said that the roof of the building would not have beams, and that steel bars and even nails were not allowed. Only wood could be used."
Monk Shi was surprised and asked, "What did you say? Are you sure you are right? Can you design a roof like that?"
Monk Shi asked three questions in a row, but you can't blame him for making a fuss. Buildings that can be sealed without beams and nails are the pinnacle of ancient craftsmen. There are only a handful of ancient buildings left. Without the corresponding inheritance, it is difficult to imitate similar buildings.
Chen Lei said: "I have always had a dream, which is to restore the pinnacle of ancient architectural skills. I don't have any other hobbies. Whenever I have free time, I will study this at home. I know that many people say that I have mental problems behind my back, but I don't care. They don't understand my pursuit and my dream."
Chen Lei took a deep puff of his cigarette and said, "More than a year ago, I had basically completed the restoration of the craftsmanship, but I didn't have the opportunity to practice. At that time, I even went to the boss to persuade him to invest... In the end, I was severely scolded by the boss."
"The boss gave me this task this time, so I was naturally ecstatic and started designing the blueprints day and night. Just when I finished the blueprints, that bitch Ji Liping hooked up with another designer in the company, Song Haichao, and falsely accused me of being a mental patient and forcibly sent me to the hospital."
Chen Lei's eyes were filled with hatred. "I know what they want to do. In the entire Guan family, no, in the entire Northeast, he is the only one who has done some research on ancient architectural techniques, except for me. As long as I go crazy, all my achievements will be taken by Song Haichao, and they can live together forever."
"Even if they locked me up, what could they do? The skills are in my hands. Even if I let them hold the blueprints, they wouldn't be able to understand them. Ji Liping got anxious and had people torture me in every way possible to force me to hand over the blueprints. Hehe... I would never give in even if I died."
I couldn't help but frown. If Chen Lei was telling the truth, then Guan Qingyan had been lying to me from the beginning. Was she repeatedly hiding the truth about the construction site to prevent me from seeing the secrets hidden in the mountains
I paced back and forth for a few steps before asking, "Do you know why Guan insisted on developing such a project in the mountains?"
Chen Lei shook his head and said, "I don't know. I've always wondered why Guan came up with such a project that couldn't possibly make money when the funds were tight."
I immediately grasped the message in the other person's words: "What do you mean by Guan's financial constraints?"
Chen Lei said: "Guan's Enterprise fell into trouble about a year ago, and several investments ended in failure. Just a while ago, Guan's Company, which had never defaulted on workers' wages, withheld our salary for two months. Later I heard that it was the eldest daughter who came forward to get funds to fill the hole."
Chen Lei said: "I also heard that the boss once complained that there was something wrong with the Guan family's Feng Shui, which caused the business to plummet."
Wasn’t it more than a year ago that I left the Guan family in anger
After I left, the Guan family's Feng Shui went wrong? My grandfather even predicted this
That should be right. Since my grandfather could predict that I would meet Guan Qingyan and forced me to swear to marry her, he couldn't have failed to predict that Guan might force me to break the contract. He must have had a backup plan.
My grandfather had not been to the Guan family for more than 20 years. The only thing he could grasp about the Guan family's lifeline was the Guan family's Feng Shui. He must have done something with the Feng Shui. If I married Guan Qingyan, I would definitely spare no effort to help the Guan family rearrange their Feng Shui; if I was forced to leave by the Guan family, then no Feng Shui master could save the Guan family from defeat. This should be the support my grandfather left for me.
Sometimes I really don’t know what to say about my grandfather.
I know that everything he did was out of love for me, but forcing someone to marry off their daughter is too overbearing. How is this different from the bullies who forcibly took away women in the past
Guan Qingyan must have her reasons for not wanting to follow me, so why should I force her
The reunion between Guan Qingyan and I was not a matter of fate, but a necessity. Once Guan found that she couldn't solve the Feng Shui problem anyway, she would always come to me.
I'm afraid the goodbye then would be even more awkward.
I couldn't help but sigh, then I turned around and said, "What did you see before I entered the room?"
Chen Lei's face turned pale. "I... I saw a head, a head hanging on the wall. Before you came in, the head was hanging on the door frame. You stabbed in from outside the door, and the head moved... I didn't see anything clearly afterwards. I was so scared that I didn't dare to open my eyes. I just heard something making noises and banging around me, and then you dragged me up."
Chen Lei's words can be believed. It is a normal reaction for ordinary people not to dare to open their eyes when encountering ghosts. Besides, even if he opened his eyes, what could Chen Lei see clearly
Monk Shi then added: "What kind of head did you see?"
Chen Lei said in a trembling voice: "The head looks like a monk, without a single hair on it. I didn't dare to look any further, but that's all I saw."
"Monk?" I looked at Monk Shi and asked, "Did you see clearly? Is he really a monk?"
Chen Lei nodded and said, "It should be. I saw a scar on his head..."
"Okay! Wait for me for a moment!" I said hello to Monk Shi and left the warehouse. I walked to the corner of the hospital, took out my phone and called Shen Fengyin.
Doupo asked me to ask Shen Fengyin for information. I thought the other party should be a reliable person, but as soon as the other party picked up the phone, my heart sank - Shen Fengyin asked me in a sleepy voice: "Who are you? Don't you know it's rude to disturb others' sleep?"
I gritted my teeth and said, "I'm Wu Zhao, Dou Po asked me to contact you..."
"Oh, it's you! What's the matter?" Shen Fengyin's voice still sounded like she was still asleep.
In this business trip, I met people I didn't want to meet, and encountered things I didn't want to encounter. Now, what if I met a comrade who was confused and half asleep? It's better than nothing.
I comforted myself in my heart and continued, "I need you to help me check a few things. The first is, has Guan's business been declining sharply since last year?"
"Second, I want to know if Guan has been looking for Feng Shui masters recently? What have they done?"
"Third, check for me if there are any unsolved cases in the area where I am located that the police have been unable to solve in the past years, especially cases of decapitation or where the victim's forehead was pierced by a sharp weapon."
After I thought about it, I added, "Please help me check Chen Lei, the designer of Guan's company, especially his recent whereabouts."
Shen Fengyin said slowly on the other end of the phone: "Wait a moment, I'll take notes."
"I..." I was so angry but helpless that I had to repeat what I just said. After Shen Fengyin finished writing, I turned around and walked towards the warehouse. As soon as I walked to the corner of the warehouse, I saw two security guards walking towards me while talking. I quickly dodged and hid in the corner.
A security guard said, "Tell me, what did those two guys want to do this morning? Why did they come to the hospital and kidnap a lunatic?"
"Who knows?" another person said, "Why don't you just read the news. The police have issued a wanted order, so those two people will definitely not get away. Look, didn't the news say that one of them was named Wu Zhao and the other was named Shi Bucong? The photos are posted, and it won't take long to catch him..."
I glanced sideways at the security guard walking by with his cellphone in his hand, and my heart couldn't help but skip a beat - the police issued a wanted warrant for me so quickly
Probably not. There was no surveillance in the ward, and Shi Heshang and I were always avoiding cameras, and we didn't take anyone away from the hospital, so it was impossible for the street cameras to capture our appearance.
Someone leaked our information to the police and provided photos of Shi Heshang and I. Was that person Guan Qingyan or Duan Yunfei
No matter who I am, I am sure that as soon as I show my head, I will be hunted by the police. Even if I am not arrested, I will be exhausted and even forced to flee. As long as I don't show up within the specified time, I will lose the ring, and Duan Yunfei will win without fighting.
I hurried back to the warehouse, and the first thing I said was: "We are wanted by the police, let's find a way to leave here..."
If the police do a little investigation, they will find that we have never left the hospital. Being trapped in the warehouse by them is like catching a turtle in a jar. Even if it means taking risks, we have to leave as soon as possible.
Before Shi Heshang could say anything, I heard some noise coming from the warehouse door. (To be continued)