Chapter 0014 The News Broadcast
At that time, Shenyang didn't have a subway, and I disliked taking the bus because it made me dizzy, so I took a taxi. Around six that evening, I met Ms. Ma's husband at a designated intersection, and we went to Ms. Ma's home. Although their apartment was modestly furnished, it was very neat, suggesting both of them were meticulous about cleanliness. Dinner was not as lavish as I expected; there were only three dishes, and the portions were small, like a five-star hotel. The meal consisted of two vegetarian dishes and one meat dish, and even the meat dish was mostly vegetables. I thought, Even if you two are environmentalists, you shouldn't treat a first-time guest like a monk!
Ms. Ma might have noticed my dissatisfaction, so she said, "My husband is very focused on health preservation. He says people shouldn't eat too much meat, or they'll die quickly."
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Her husband was even more direct, telling me, "Mr. Tian, this diet is the healthiest. You got a great deal; you should thank me."
During the meal, the television began broadcasting the News Broadcast (Xinwen Lianbo), and both Ms. Ma and her husband immediately put down their chopsticks and sat on the sofa to watch. I was extremely awkward. How was I supposed to eat? Ms. Ma said, "It's fine, you keep eating. This is our family custom. Actually, it's his habit, and he insists I follow it too."
Ms. Ma's husband said, "Stop talking, let the guest eat by himself, come here quickly!"
Just like that, the couple started watching the News Broadcast while I slowly ate dinner. After I finished, I sat beside them, bored, watching along. During the half-hour program, the couple didn't exchange a single word. I couldn't understand what was so compelling about the show. When the program ended, Ms. Ma's husband asked her, "Did you absorb it?"
Ms. Ma nodded vigorously. "Mhm."
Her husband asked, "What did you absorb? Tell me."
Ms. Ma then proceeded to recount the content of the program and her own reflections. I was completely dumbfounded. What did this signify? Were they putting on an act for me, and if so, what was the purpose?
After they finally finished talking, they resumed eating. Afterward, we sat together to discuss the actual business. I asked Ms. Ma's husband if he worked in a government office or public enterprise, or perhaps a businessman who frequently dealt with the government. Ms. Ma's husband said, "Neither is correct. I work in logistics for a private company."
That surprised me. Then why are you so focused on the News Broadcast? But I didn't press the question; people have their own interests. Maybe he was born interested in national affairs.
Finally, we started discussing business. Ms. Ma's husband asked, "We know absolutely nothing about these Thai amulets or Guman Thong, but we have friends and colleagues who have encountered them and said they were effective. You know my wife's situation. Since we're both Shenyang locals, I won't hide anything from you. We've both been relatively outstanding since childhood, so naturally, some people get jealous and cause trouble behind our backs. My wife was framed at the university and is now waiting for placement at home. A colleague of mine recently went to Thailand and brought back an amulet that supposedly helps with romance. Within half a month, that guy found a beautiful and wealthy girlfriend, and they're about to get married and are decorating their house. I want to ask, are Thai amulets really that miraculous?"
I smiled. "Amulets and Guman Thong aren't omnipotent, and their effects are conditional. You cannot use them to commit immoral acts, nor can they change things whose roots lie within yourself."
Ms. Ma asked, "What does that mean?"
I said, "Let's say, for example, someone is always poor and wants to use an amulet to get rich, but they don't work hard—that's useless. Even if they get rich, they will ultimately suffer bad luck. Or, if this poor person thinks they're working very hard but still don't make money, if the truth is that their efforts are misguided or counterproductive, that won't work either."
Ms. Ma's husband frowned. "That sounds complicated! But who knows if the problem stems from oneself?"
I said, "Ghosts and gods cannot be deceived. The final result always proves it.
Ms. Ma's husband curled his lip. "I think that's just an excuse. If it works, fine, but if it doesn't, you can just push the blame onto the customer. How can we buy with confidence?"
I said, "Your suspicion is not unfounded, but these things just have that characteristic. Often, even if the result is negative, the changes that happened beforehand were very obvious. For instance, when I first started this business, I had a Chinese client living in Thailand named Hu. He wanted to get rich and bought a powerful wish-granting Guman Thong. He won the Thai lottery jackpot, several million Thai Baht, but eventually, his whole family went insane and ended up in a psychiatric hospital."
The couple was shocked and both asked why. I said, "Everyone's financial luck is limited. If you are not destined for great wealth in this life, but you insist on getting a sudden fortune, the ghosts and gods must take something else from you to offset it."
The couple exchanged glances, fear apparent on their faces. I quickly added, "I was talking about those who 'invited' the evil Negative-energy Amulets. I recommend you 'invite' a Positive-energy Amulet; then you won't have to worry."
Ms. Ma nodded. "I also think a Positive-energy Amulet is better. My popularity was already good. A Positive-energy Amulet should be enough. After all, others framed me; otherwise, how could I have been kicked out of the school? Isn't that right, honey?"
Her husband nodded. "Exactly. My wife has been outstanding since she was a child. She has never done anything wrong, and that's partly thanks to me—I'm a good guide. Everything we do is right. If others are different from us, it must be their fault."
That was quite a bold statement. I expressed my disagreement. "No one in this world has never made a mistake, not even Confucius, let alone ordinary people. I think you two are a bit too self-centered. That flaw needs to be corrected."
Ms. Ma's husband was displeased. "Why are you just like those colleagues at her school, so quick to be jealous?"
Ms. Ma mediated. "Don't mind him. I actually understand that mentality very well. When people see others doing better than them, many go from admiration to jealousy. None of us are saints; it's normal."
I nearly threw up. Where did these two get their innate superiority complex? Ms. Ma continued, "Since childhood, everywhere I've gone, there have been people who are jealous of me. I've gradually gotten used to it. My popularity at school was very good. Both colleagues and students were very polite when talking to me, and they would all come to me with their problems, even if they were completely unrelated to me. But I still couldn't avoid mean-spirited people. My dismissal from the school was also because of a petty person. There's nothing to be done."
As I was leaving, I asked why they insisted I come to their home for dinner. Ms. Ma's husband said, "Actually, it's not about saving money. I wanted to see you in person. It's not that I don't trust you; I just want to know what kind of person I'm cooperating with."
I asked, "Then what kind of person do you think I am?"
He said, "You're the kind of person who will never get rich in this life, and you won't achieve much, but it doesn't matter. Ninety-nine percent of people in the world are like this; you don't need to take it too seriously."
I was speechless. I had roughly figured out what kind of person Ms. Ma was: extremely self-centered, probably instilled by her parents since childhood. I strongly disliked this type of person and guessed she wouldn't buy a very expensive amulet. I estimated there wouldn't be a huge profit, so I considered dropping the business deal, mainly because I didn't want to feel frustrated around people like her.
After I went home, Ms. Ma called me two or three times within a week, constantly urging me to deliver the goods. I stalled her, using the excuse that it required time and opportunity for the Arjan master to create the amulet. I had no intention of doing business with her.
During my time in Shenyang, I was staying at my parents' house. I spent my days eating and socializing with friends, putting the arranged blind dates completely aside. My parents' house was in an old residential area, nearly twenty years old. The neighbors almost all knew I was in the **amulet** business in Thailand, and I often encountered familiar faces who asked me about topics related to inviting Buddha images.
There was a small convenience store downstairs. The owner, Mr. Qian, was a middle-aged man and very familiar with my family. He had two main hobbies: one was playing the stock market, and the other was playing a six-person poker game that Shenyang locals call "**Liu Chong**." This uncle was a poker expert, and fellow players liked to team up with him, but he wasn't so successful in the stock market. Although he had been trading stocks even before I went to Thailand and experienced the great bull market of 2006, like most retail investors, he couldn't bear to sell during the bull market, always thinking the price would rise further. As a result, even now, after the bull market, he remains badly trapped.