Chapter 0018 Positive Amulet?
I laughed and asked, "That's just her usual teaching style. Besides, going viral is a good thing. I wish I could go viral. And on what basis are you claiming I sold her a Negative-energy Amulet?"
Ms. Ma's husband said, "You still want to fool me? I found a teacher who specializes in identifying amulets and Guman Thong, and he said this isn't a Positive-energy Amulet consecrated by a Luang Por at all, but a Negative-energy Amulet made by an Arjan master named Arjan Ji!"
I was alarmed. The fact that the other party could name the Arjan master suggested this wasn't an offhand fabrication. Could it be true? I said, "Talk is cheap. How about this: bring me that amulet so I can see it with my own eyes."
Ms. Ma's husband was angry. "Haven't you seen that amulet? You sold something you haven't even seen?"
I said, of course, I'd seen it, but I needed to confirm it again. Ms. Ma's husband reluctantly agreed, saying he would quietly take the amulet off his wife's neck while she slept, but he could only show it to me late at night because she wore it every day and wouldn't let anyone touch it, including him; if he touched it, she'd flip out.
I was inwardly shocked. This was definitely not the effect of a Positive-energy Amulet. I said, "What time does Teacher Ma get off work tonight? I'll come to your house to see the situation."
That evening, I took a taxi to Ms. Ma's home in Tiexi District. As soon as she saw me, she immediately pointed her finger. "You again? Are you very jealous of me? Or have you fallen for me?"
Ms. Ma's husband immediately glared at me. I was also stunned and quickly said I had never been jealous of her and was not interested in her. Ms. Ma sneered, "That's a lie. You came to the school to eavesdrop on my class last time. Did you think I wouldn't know?" I was dumbfounded again. How did she know? During dinner, I said I wanted to look at the amulet. Ms. Ma was very vigilant. Her husband said, "Let Teacher Tian look. He specializes in selling amulets; he won't steal it." Ms. Ma then reluctantly took off the amulet and handed it to me, her eyes fixed on it, afraid I would snatch it away.
I held the amulet and examined it closely. Its shape was very strange. Although the front was a Buddha image, the back was embedded with a small, round, grayish-white object. Uncle Xie hadn't sent me a photo of the back. I also couldn't see the numerical markings (Poon Su) that Luang Por Positive-energy Amulets should have. While I was looking, I suddenly noticed the Five Poisons Oil Necklace around my chest turning darker than ink. Startled, I saw Ms. Ma impatiently reach out and snatch the amulet back, asking, "Have you seen enough?"
I looked down at the Five Poisons Oil Necklace again, and the color had returned to light yellow. I was now almost certain that this amulet was a Negative-energy Amulet, and not an ordinary one. That grayish-white object was very likely a piece of human skull. Ms. Ma then said, "Honey, you must be careful of this person. He's been in love with me for a long time, but he hasn't had a chance. But how could a man like him be worthy of me?"
Ms. Ma's husband immediately pointed at me. "What exactly have you done to my wife?"
I was completely speechless. "I haven't done anything, and I've never been interested in your wife. Show me the evidence!"
Ms. Ma sneered, "Do you need evidence? You know it in your heart. I'll say it again: don't pursue me. You and I are like heaven and earth—two completely different worlds. I wouldn't even look at a man like you."
Her husband slammed his hand on the table, grabbing my collar tightly. "How dare you try to pursue my wife?"
I was furious and yelled, "You two psychotics, you should go see a doctor!"
Struggling, I finally broke free and practically fled Ms. Ma's house. As I reached the ground floor, I could still hear Ms. Ma's husband yelling curses from upstairs.
In the taxi, I called Uncle Xie. The old fox was doing business in Chiang Mai and sounded guilty. "Brother Tian, don't worry. I'll finish this job and go to Rayong to see you immediately. We'll have a good drink together."
I said, "You still have the mood to drink with me? That customer, Ms. Ma—her whole family, every aunt and cousin, is coming after me, saying I drove a person mad, blockading my house, and threatening to report me to Beijing! My dad is so angry he's bedridden. How are we going to settle this?"
He knew he couldn't hide it anymore and admitted the truth. It turned out to be a Negative-energy Amulet made by an Arjan master using a skull fragment from a corpse that died violently in a cemetery. The customer backed out, and the amulet was temporarily stuck with him. It just so happened that he ran into me urgently needing goods that day, so Uncle Xie passed it off as a Positive-energy Amulet and sold it to me. I was furious. "Aren't you afraid this evil amulet will kill the customer? Now she has a mental illness, and her husband is relentlessly pursuing me, threatening to call the police and demanding compensation. You cheated me on our first collaboration! You just wait; I'm not done with you. I'll settle this when I get back to Thailand!"
Uncle Xie apologized. "It's all my fault. I didn't notice it was a Negative-energy Amulet that day and sent it to your customer as a Positive-energy Amulet. I will definitely refund you the money for the amulet. But you know, Brother, in business, we absolutely avoid losses. One loss leads to a hundred. How about this: for the next two deals we do together, I'll only charge you the cost price. Aren't we going to continue working together in the future, Brother Tian?"
I was very angry. "I don't want to work with you anymore! No wonder Frank Fang said you couldn't be trusted!"
Uncle Xie sighed. "Frank Fang always finds fault with others. It's so meaningless for people in the same business to badmouth each other. Brother Tian, what do you need lately? I guarantee my price will be lower than Frank Fang's, and I'll ensure quality and quantity. How about it?"
Despite my anger, I was actually tempted by Uncle Xie's proposal. It seemed difficult to get the money out of Uncle Xie's pocket; he was a typical miser who prioritized money over everything and was very slick with words. If I insisted on a refund, I would look unreasonable. After all, this guy had extensive connections and many channels. I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't need to turn to him for business in the future, so I agreed.
After hanging up, I thought that as long as Ms. Ma and her husband stopped bothering me, it would be a blessing. Otherwise, this deal would be a complete disaster. I decided I wasn't done with Uncle Xie and would find a way to deal with him later back in Thailand.
As I approached my house, an unknown number called me. Upon answering, I realized it was Uncle Qian, the owner of the convenience store across the street from my parents' house. He said he had gotten my number from my father and wanted to treat me to dinner.
I found Uncle Qian at his convenience store. My father was chatting with him inside. Uncle Qian was chugging Red Bull from two bottles, alternating between them. Seeing me enter, he immediately walked toward me, but his face looked miserable. After taking two steps, he stared at my T-shirt for a few seconds, then immediately pushed me out of the store with a look of horror. I was even more confused than he was. My father walked out of the convenience store and explained that the T-shirt I was wearing was green, and Uncle Qian was afraid of the color.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "He really has chlorophobia (fear of green). By the way, what did Uncle Qian want from me?"
My father said, "Your Uncle Qian's stocks plunged again today. Over 70,000 RMB is now less than 30,000 RMB. Help him figure out what to do."
I smiled bitterly. "I'm not the Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission. What can I do?"
Uncle Qian shouted from inside the store, "Do you have any amulets that can change financial luck? Get one for your Uncle Qian! These past two years have been so unlucky!"
I thought for a moment and said that Positive-energy Amulets were slow, and Negative-energy Amulets were too aggressive. I generally didn't sell Negative-energy Amulets to friends or relatives. Uncle Qian said to get a Positive-energy Amulet then. I laughed. "Positive-energy Amulets may not bring you financial luck quickly. Like the Chinese stock market, I don't think the index will rise much in the next few years. Don't rely too much on the amulet."
But Uncle Qian kept pestering me, and my father chimed in, too. Left with no choice, I agreed to get him an ordinary Positive-energy Amulet that I had in stock, priced at 2,000 RMB. But at the same time, I cautioned him: "The effect of a Positive-energy Amulet is not strong. It must be combined with your own good fortune. You must do good deeds and maintain a positive mindset to see a slow, sustained effect." Uncle Qian repeatedly agreed.
When I couldn't sleep that night, Uncle Xie's plump face, adorned with his kind and sincere smile, kept flashing in my mind. I couldn't shake it off. I had been in the amulet business for a while, and I had collaborated with Frank Fang dozens of times. From the first time I met Frank Fang, I knew he was someone who loved money, even to the point where I disliked him. Not only did Frank Fang meticulously calculate the money for every single deal, but he even charged for answering a question, almost charging for passing gas in front of me. Yet, looking back now, Frank Fang had never cheated me—not once. He earned his money openly. Uncle Xie was the exact opposite. I had only worked with him once and was already conned. It wasn't that I was stupid; it was because I was completely off guard.