Chapter 0023 The Amulet Shop
I quickly said, "No, I haven't." Frank Fang said, "I'm telling you one more time: absolutely do not go to him." He opened his safe and took out dozens of amulets and about ten Guman Thong. "These are all Positive-energy Amulets from major temples. Several of them are limited editions. The Guman Thong are too. They all have price tags on them. You pay for whichever ones you want and take them."
I happily handled the amulets. Sure enough, some of the amulets were consecrated by Luang Por masters who had already passed away, making them rare editions. The prices on the tags were very low, clearly reflecting prices from several years ago. I asked, "How much are you adding to the price? I want all of them."
Frank Fang glared at me. "Do you think I only care about money?"
I secretly rejoiced. Frank Fang then said, "Just pay three times the price on the tag."
I was disappointed. "I thought you wouldn't add anything to the price. Isn't three times a bit expensive?"
Frank Fang became angry. "Do you know how many people are offering high prices to buy these limited-edition items I have in stock? You are biting the hand that feeds you. I'm not selling them! Hand them over, hand them over!"
I quickly shielded the amulets with both arms. "I'm just joking with you. Why wouldn't I want them? I'll take them all!"
Frank Fang looked at me resentfully, clearly displeased. I smiled and picked out the items, recording the transaction in a notebook. In total, I chose over twenty amulets and fifteen or sixteen Guman Thong. That evening, I withdrew money from the bank to pay Frank Fang and treated him to drinks and dancing at a KTV. Surrounded by several beautiful women, his anger finally subsided somewhat.
I acquired many inexpensive Positive-energy Amulets and Guman Thong from nearby temples. Including the ones I bought from Frank Fang, I had nearly a hundred Positive-energy Amulets, over thirty Guman Thong, and a dozen Tangkai (amulet tubes), plus small consecrated items like money talismans and money-biting tigers. I also bought many Buddhist accessories from temples. I packed five or six large cardboard boxes full and shipped them back to China via international courier. To avoid trouble, I did not procure any Negative-energy Amulets or Earth Child Guman so as not to attract problems to the shop later.
I returned to Shenyang more than ten days later, secured the business license, and hired a renovation company to convert the street-front property into an amulet shop according to my design. The decor mirrored that of a Thai temple, giving it a strong exotic atmosphere. The two-bedroom apartment served two purposes: the front room was the shop, and the back room could be used for living or as a warehouse. The shop was named "Thai Rayong Amulet and Guman Exclusive Store," matching the name of my Taobao shop, with a note stating that this was the only physical store, offering regular air freight delivery from Thailand, so customers in the surrounding areas of Liaoning could come to the shop to select and purchase.
The amulet shop was soon renovated. I called Wang Jiao and Sun Xicai, and the three of us gradually arranged the items in the store. The two of them excitedly looked and touched things in the shop. Wang Jiao said, "Hmm, not bad. We can put a computer desk here for you to surf the internet or watch movies. That area can be cleared out so you and your friends can drink and play mahjong or something."
I quickly said, "I asked you two to look after the shop and run the business, not to eat, drink, and be merry. Do you still want Xicai to turn my amulet shop into a mahjong parlor?"
Wang Jiao came over, put her arm around mine, and laughed. "How could we? We were just teasing you! Don't take it seriously!"
Sun Xicai, looking at Wang Jiao clinging to me, quickly said, "Hurry up and arrange these things over there!"
The amulet shop officially opened. It was quite lively on the first day. More than ten regular customers from Shenyang and surrounding cities came to show their support and send flower baskets. These were people who had bought amulets and Guman Thong from me, resulting in noticeable improvements in their lives, careers, and work. In many cases, it was a psychological effect, but they believed the amulet had worked. Amulets, to some extent, served as a religious belief. When someone wore a Thai amulet, they felt like they had a magic sword, their confidence increased, their personal aura changed, and this influenced their subsequent destiny. However, they themselves didn't realize or wouldn't admit it.
I handed the Taobao shop over to Wang Jiao and Sun Xicai to manage, briefly gave them an overview of Thai amulet knowledge, and we started operating. Back then, there weren't many amulet shops in Shenyang. Many people walked into the store out of curiosity. Seeing that each amulet cost at least a thousand RMB, with some limited and rare editions priced at five or six thousand or even over ten thousand RMB, they were scared away. Only a few people who understood amulets, had been to Thailand, or had worn amulets before would select and purchase. After a month, we only sold six inexpensive Positive-energy Amulets, five of which were customers from my Taobao shop in the province who came for self-pickup after placing an order.
Calculating the accounts at the end of the month, the profit from the six amulets was 7,000 RMB. After deducting various expenses and the portion of the rent, 4,000 RMB remained. I divided 2,000 RMB each between them. When I handed the money to Wang Jiao, Sun Xicai kept gritting his teeth, clearly dissatisfied, as it didn't meet his psychological expectation. "It's not making any money, day after day! Only 2,000 RMB at the end of the month is less than what we earned together from our previous jobs!"
I laughed. "How can a shop start making big money right away? You have to slowly cultivate it."
Wang Jiao also said, "Exactly. It's good enough that the shop made money in the first month. You're never satisfied."
Sun Xicai said, "Brother Tian, your items are sold at such high prices, and they're not gold or silver jewelry. Who's going to buy them? Take this amulet, for example. It's priced at 8,888 RMB. It doesn't have any gold, only some silver. The rest is made of copper, iron, or even clay. Why is it so expensive? People in Shenyang aren't fools!"
I said, "You don't understand. This amulet was personally made and consecrated by the famous Thai high monk Luang Por Yim in his early years. It's now a rare edition. I'm reluctant to sell it even for 8,000 RMB. The goods will find their buyers eventually. Even if it doesn't sell, it's fine. These items can also be used to establish the authority of our amulet shop."
Sun Xicai's face was as long as the Changbai Mountain. Knowing his nature, I ignored him. Wang Jiao smiled and said, "Brother, I'll treat you to barbecue after we close the shop."
Sun Xicai was unhappy again. "Can you take me too? It's 'we' who are treating, not 'me'!"
Wang Jiao tapped his head. "You're so demanding. Fine, fine. After we close, the two of us will treat you to barbecue. Is that okay, Brother?" I smiled bitterly and agreed.
A month passed quickly in Shenyang. Business at the amulet shop was still slow. Every time I came to inspect, I saw Sun Xicai bored, surfing the internet and watching TV series, while Wang Jiao chatted on QQ with her phone. Sun Xicai began sending me frequent texts complaining that the shop wasn't making money and that investing in a mahjong parlor would be better. Of course, I remained unmoved, thinking, It's not that I'm not helping you. An amulet shop is a shop. It just depends on whether you can persevere.
That night, I was on the phone talking business with a client who wanted to purchase a Guman to attract wealth for their shop. I suddenly remembered that many shops in Thailand would place a Guman in their store to attract business, bring good fortune, and even confuse customers. Why don't I also put a Guman Thong containing a spirit in the amulet shop, along with the specific incense sticks or cones used to worship such spirits? These incense sticks had special ingredients. Wouldn't that be effective? Although this method was a bit unorthodox, who cares as long as it makes money? It wouldn't kill anyone anyway.
I immediately called Frank Fang and asked him to procure a Guman Thong containing a female Daling (great spirit) from Arjan Tam, along with a few boxes of special incense. The recipe for this incense was very unique, as it contained the ashes of a young female corpse in addition to regular incense ingredients.
After the items were delivered to Shenyang, I immediately placed the Guman Thong in the corner by the door inside the amulet shop and recited the spirit-invoking incantation. Sun Xicai was playing video games at the table, and Wang Jiao watched curiously. She asked, "Brother, what is this thing? A lucky cat?"
I smiled and told her not to worry too much. She just needed to light a few sticks of the incense every day when the shop opened and frequently buy some fresh fruit, snacks, and drinks to place in front of the Guman Thong. At the same time, I gave her a piece of paper with the Pāḷi incantation written in Chinese transliteration—an exorcism spell personally written by Arjan Tam. I told her and Sun Xicai to memorize the spell and silently chant it once a day when the shop was empty. This was mainly to prevent any negative effects on them from the spirit-containing Guman Thong and the incense, such as dizziness, discomfort, or even confusion.
I told Wang Jiao that it was best to chant the spell when the store was empty so people wouldn't think she was up to something suspicious. Wang Jiao picked up a string of Star and Moon Bodhi beads on the table. "It's fine. I'll make him hold this string of beads while chanting. If anyone hears it, we're not afraid; they'll just think he's reciting Buddhist scriptures!"
Sun Xicai said while playing the game, "It's not making any money day after day. Can this Guman Thong alone make the business thrive?" Wang Jiao glared at Sun Xicai, and I ignored him.
A few days later, Sun Xicai called me. Besides reporting on the shop's situation, he mentioned something important: during this period, not all customers who came into the shop bought anything, but the time they spent lingering in the shop significantly increased. Some people would stare blankly at the amulets and Guman Thong or chat with them aimlessly. Some customers looked listless, and a few even claimed they felt dizzy upon entering the shop. In short, there were all kinds of strange phenomena.