Chapter 0067 A Hidden Attack
That was the crux of the matter. After the incident with Brother Ming, I had secretly set a rule for myself: never sell "Yin" items to relatives, friends, or classmates to avoid trouble. I told him that my current channels only provided "Positive" amulets; if he wanted a "Yin" one, he'd have to find someone else. Old Qiao looked at me with half-belief: "Are Positive ones effective?"
I explained that the difference between Positive and Yin amulets is like Chinese medicine versus Western medicine. One has subtle effects and requires your own cooperation; the other specializes in troublesome matters with aggressive results, but the offerings are a hassle and it can overdraw your future blessings. Most importantly, both have strict rules—if you break them, there are side effects. With Yin amulets, those side effects are severe. I told him to decide for himself.
Old Qiao sucked his teeth and asked about the price range.
"Positive amulets range from one to three thousand RMB," I told him. "Yin amulets go from three to ten thousand, and special objects are extra. Those are custom-made for people with very specific needs—like if your wife is about to run off with someone and you want a 'Heart-Locking Yantong' to make her change her mind. That's a special request that needs to work immediately."
Old Qiao wasn't satisfied. "After all that talk, you don't even have a Yin amulet on hand. Fine, just get me a Positive one that helps with promotions and wealth. Let me know when it arrives; I'll pick it up at the shop. Cash on delivery. It's close to the bank where I work anyway." I agreed and had him leave his number.
Once Old Qiao drove away, I knocked on the inner room door to let Wang Jiao and Sun Xicai out. I said to Sun Xicai, "You need to fix that temper. Regardless of whether you know them or if the customer is rude, you have to endure it. Harmony brings wealth in business."
Sun Xicai gave a dry chuckle but said nothing. Wang Jiao asked, "Brother, was that your classmate?"
"Yeah, from middle school. His name is Qiao. He ordered a Positive amulet. I'm heading back to Thailand in a few days. When the stock arrives, I'll call him to pick it up here. You can just hand it over and collect the money for me." Wang Jiao nodded repeatedly.
As I walked out, I signaled Wang Jiao, wanting her to see me out as usual so we could talk privately. Before she could speak, Sun Xicai stepped forward: "Brother Tian, come on, I'll see you out." I realized my plan had been thwarted.
Outside the shop, Sun Xicai said, "Brother Tian, if you hadn't given us this shop to run, we wouldn't be where we are today. The holidays are coming up, and I want to show my appreciation. There's a big supermarket at the intersection; I want to buy some things for your parents. You can take them back—it's just a small token!" I tried to decline, but he insisted. I figured it was fair—I had helped them a lot, and it was normal for a cousin-in-law to buy gifts for the family, so I agreed.
While crossing the street, the light turned red when we were halfway across the zebra crossing, forcing us to stand in the middle of the intersection. Traffic was heavy and fast. Sun Xicai stood about a meter away from me. As I watched the passing cars, my gaze drifted across his face. He was staring at me with a strange, indescribable expression.
I thought to myself that Sun Xicai wasn't simple anymore. He was possessed by the spirit of an eighty-one-year-old lecher who hated me to the bone. I had to be careful. Just then, a Mercedes-Benz convertible roared toward us. For some reason, I felt a surge of unease and tensed up. Right as the car was about to fly past me, a hand suddenly slammed into my back, pushing me forward with immense force.
Even though I was on guard, I was still caught off guard. I jerked my body to the right. As I dodged, I saw clearly that Sun Xicai was still a meter away—meaning the hand that pushed me couldn't possibly have been his.
I dodged just in time but still stumbled. Sun Xicai rushed over to steady me. The Mercedes swerved to avoid me, cutting an 'S' shape on the road and nearly hitting an Audi in the next lane. The driver slammed on the brakes and leaned out, screaming, "Are you freaking crazy? You looking to die?"
I broke into a cold sweat, my face pale. Sun Xicai asked, "Brother Tian, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing," I replied.
Sun Xicai bought two boxes of pastries, a crate of hairy crabs, and various fruits at the supermarket, insisting I take them home. During dinner, my parents and sister were laughing and eating crabs in the living room, but I had no appetite. I lay on the bed replaying the day. Sun Xicai was the only one near me, yet he was too far to reach out. The only explanation was that the spirit of Zheng Yonggui had made a move at that moment.
The more I thought about it, the more terrified I became. If I hadn't been alert, I wouldn't be lying here watching them eat crabs. But then I realized that solving this properly would cost tens of thousands of yuan, and the thought of that hurt more than a personal tragedy.
A few days later, I flew back to Thailand. My cousin and his wife went to Singapore for business, so I went to the silver processing factory two or three times a day to pretend I was supervising. I invited dozens of Positive amulets and ten "Heavenly Guman Thong" statues from several large temples near Rayong and shipped them to the shop in Shenyang.
I was living alone in my cousin's house for nearly half a month. The days were fine, but the nights were boring. Fortunately, Thai food offered some comfort. My cousin gave me 20,000 Thai Baht for food before leaving, so I tried a different restaurant every night—Tom Yum Goong one day, lemongrass grilled fish the next, then seafood fried rice, then curry crab.
About ten days in, Sun Xicai left me a message on QQ saying the amulets and Guman Thongs had arrived. I called Old Qiao to pick up his order. The next day, Sun Xicai confirmed Old Qiao had taken the amulet and paid the 3,000 RMB.
That night, lying in bed unable to sleep, I called Frank Fang to ask about temporarily clearing the Yin energy from my body. To my surprise, his phone was off—very rare for him. I dialed Uncle Xie instead. He picked up quickly: "Brother Tian, still awake this late?"
When I explained my situation, Uncle Xie laughed: "This again? Frank hasn't solved it for you?" I told him I found it too expensive.
Uncle Xie said, "I can handle it. I have expensive ways and cheap ways. Which do you want?"
I said the cheap one, obviously. Uncle Xie chuckled: "There is a cheap way, but I'm afraid you won't have the guts." After he explained, I understood. He knew a "Black-Clad Arjan" who specialized in the "dark side." This didn't mean he was a backstabber, but rather that he specialized in "Yin" amulets and materials.
This master was named Arjan Tim, trained in Burmese black magic. The materials he liked for offerings were inseparable from the dead and graveyards. He specialized in exorcisms and breaking curses. His fees weren't high, but his methods were so bizarre that many clients were intimidated and gave up. I asked Uncle Xie for details. "I'm not entirely sure of the specifics," he said. "Arjan Tim just said you have to go to a graveyard to do a series of things, and the client must complete them personally. It costs about 20,000 Thai Baht. He lives in Ban Nam Rong, on the Thai-Cambodian border east of Central Thailand. It's close to Rayong. Why don't I take you there to try?"
20,000 Thai Baht—essentially the food money my cousin gave me. I decided to treat it as if I never had the money. I agreed and made plans with Uncle Xie to meet the next morning at 9:00 AM.
At exactly 9:00 AM, Uncle Xie's stout figure appeared at the gate, more punctual than a worker clocking out. As I walked out, he was panting and wiping sweat with a towel; it seemed he had taken the bus. I couldn't understand it—Thailand has many Japanese car factories and it's tax-free, so cars are half the price of those in China. Uncle Xie had been a dealer for years and was incredibly cunning; he couldn't be making much less than Frank. Why couldn't he bear to buy even a used car?
Although my cousin had two cars, I didn't know the way to Ban Nam Rong, which was nearly 200 kilometers away. Even Uncle Xie, who was well-acquainted with Thailand, didn't know the route. We ended up taking the long-distance bus from Rayong to Chanthaburi.
The bus was a bit old, with the door at the back rather than the side, looking somewhat like a large truck. The back door stayed open. Besides Uncle Xie and me, the passengers were mostly locals. Unlike Indians, Thai people are very friendly; a little boy sitting across from me kept smiling at me.