Chapter 0070 Old Qiao's Promotion
Raja said, "This is it. Dig slowly and watch carefully." I followed his instructions, using the tip of the shovel to clear the soil around the ribs. It was indeed a complete skeleton, though I couldn't tell if it was male or female. Raja told me to use the shovel to move the remains out of the kiln. I cursed inwardly—what kind of job was this? But I had to do it. I dug out every piece of the skeleton, and Raja received them one by one by hand.
After jumping out of the kiln, Raja carefully and neatly arranged the bones on the right side of the large shroud. There was a clump of something in the abdominal area, likely hardened mud.
Raja pointed to the empty space on the left side of the shroud: "Lie down here."
"What? You want me... to lie down with the bones?" I couldn't believe my ears. Raja nodded. I backed away, refusing no matter what. Arjan sat before the shroud, arms extended, pulling the dark yellow prayer beads taut while chanting rapidly. Suddenly, my body lunged forward as if someone had grabbed my collar. I cried out and instinctively grabbed Uncle Xie's arm, dragging him down with me.
Uncle Xie screamed in panic, "Don't! No!" The force was immense, pulling both of us onto the shroud. I crashed onto the bones, struggling desperately but unable to get up. I gasped, speechless. Uncle Xie, whom I had pulled down, ended up face-to-face with the skull. His screaming was more dramatic than a stuck pig, and snot was actually running down his nose. He scrambled to push the skull away until Raja finally yanked him out.
After pushing Uncle Xie aside, Raja quickly wrapped the shroud tightly around me and the female remains. I tried to crawl out, but Arjan pressed his hand against my forehead through the linen, pinning me down. Inside the shroud, I panted like an ox, hearing the Arjan's chanting. My head suddenly spun, followed by a sharp pain, as if a long, thin steel needle had pierced through my temples. With the bones pressed against me, fear and pain took over, and I gradually blacked out.
When I woke up, I was lying on the hard board bed in Arjan's wooden house. Uncle Xie sat on the opposite bed, arms crossed, muttering under his breath: "I said I wouldn't go, but they made me. What use was I there? Why did they have to drag me along..."
I stood up groggily and walked over to him: "What are you mumbling about?"
Uncle Xie jumped with a start, letting out a yell that nearly knocked me over too. I was annoyed: "What's wrong with you?"
"I... I'm not... Oh, you're awake, Tien Chi?" Uncle Xie forced a strained smile.
In the outer room, the three of us—Uncle Xie, Raja, and I—sat at the long table to eat. Raja told me the ritual was successful. Luckily, the Male Undead's influence on me wasn't too deep. Because the spirit was extremely lustful, Arjan had sensed its nature at the Ten-Thousand-Grave Hill. He chose the bones of a young woman, performed the ritual to transfer the Yin energy from my body into her shroud, and buried them together with a talisman to seal the grave. The Male Undead's energy was now preoccupied with the deceased woman and had no time to haunt me.
I was so happy I nearly jumped: "Fantastic! Thank you, Arjan Master!" I looked down at my Five Venoms Oil necklace; the liquid had turned much lighter, almost transparent.
Uncle Xie signaled me to pay up. I opened my bag and counted out twenty 1,000-Baht notes for Raja. Uncle Xie's eyes practically turned green watching Raja count the money. I figured they'd split it later—Uncle Xie would make at least 5,000 Baht. Suddenly, I remembered something and asked Raja: "What about Hans, the German? Can he come back?"
Raja let out a wry laugh. "Hans was dragged into the kiln by ghosts. How could he come back? That's a troublesome business; not only is there no money in it, but his family might come looking for him all the way from Germany."
I was secretly horrified. I made a mental note that in Thailand, unless it's a proper toilet, I'm never relieving myself outdoors again. Who knows if there's a coffin buried under any given patch of dirt?
The next day, Uncle Xie and I bid farewell to Arjan. Raja dropped us off at Ban Nam Rong, and we took the bus back to Rayong. On the bus, I felt lighter than ever. My mind wasn't groggy anymore; the "damp fog" had lifted, leaving me feeling refreshed. Seeing my expression, Uncle Xie grinned: "Well, Tien Chi, was that 20,000 Baht worth it?"
I nodded. This was probably the most pleasant cooperation I'd had with Uncle Xie. Even though it came out of my own pocket, the results were excellent. From then on, I didn't have to fear being around women or feel guilty looking at pretty girls on the street.
Back at my cousin's house, I celebrated by gorging myself at a seafood buffet—dozens of giant river prawns and four servings of curry crab until I could barely walk.
Half a month later, my cousin returned. His business deal went through, earning him at least $50,000 to $60,000. He was thrilled and took me to Phuket to party for over ten days. Just as we got back to Rayong, I got a call from Old Qiao. He sounded ecstatic: "Old Tien, guess what I am now?"
I thought to myself that whether he was a man or a ghost was none of my business, so I said I didn't know. Old Qiao said: "I'm now the Assistant Director of the Credit Department!" I was surprised, remembering how he'd said the other candidates had better connections.
Old Qiao bragged: "Three people were competing with me. One was the former director's brother-in-law, one was from a rich family, and one was a woman—gorgeous, too; the former assistant director really liked her. I didn't think I had a chance, but in the end, the Bank President strongly recommended me! Hahaha!"
I smiled. "Then you must have a good relationship with the President, otherwise why would he recommend you?"
Old Qiao sounded displeased: "I barely speak to the President once a year. It's because of my strong professional ability; the President appreciates me, you get it?" I said I understood, thinking his "ability" had nothing to do with me.
Old Qiao then asked: "I wanted to ask... do you think my promotion has anything to do with that amulet you sold me?" I laughed loudly and told him if he thought it did, then it did. After hanging up, I didn't think much of it. A Positive amulet doesn't have such immediate, obvious power; it's a slow burn that requires one's own good deeds. For someone like Old Qiao, doing good was nearly impossible. If he wasn't screwing people over, he was doing well—where would he get the merit for such a blessing?
A few days later, a male classmate told me on QQ that at a small reunion, Old Qiao had too much to drink—only about 150ml of liquor—and tried to kiss Lyu Wen. She nearly punched him.
I said it wasn't surprising—alcohol brings out the hidden nature. But the classmate found it strange, saying Old Qiao had a high tolerance and shouldn't have been drunk off that little. Apparently, he also made a scene in the lobby, kicking over a decorative wealth-attracting toad statue, and the manager had forced him to pay for it.
I had zero interest in Old Qiao's antics. After nearly a month in Thailand, my family urged me to return, so I booked a flight back to Shenyang. I didn't dare go near the amulet shop; I had just cleared my Yin energy, and I didn't want to get reinfected by Sun Xicai and waste those 4,000 yuan.
A few days later, while taking a bus on business, I passed an ICBC branch. From my window seat, I saw Old Qiao getting out of a white BMW and walking toward the bank. I realized he worked there. Since the bus was at his stop, I impulsively got off to see him.
Old Qiao was chatting with a middle-aged woman in a black suit in the lobby. He was surprised to see me. Once they finished and she left, he smiled and patted my shoulder: "What brings you here? Depositing money or taking out a loan?"
I said: "Neither. I was passing by and saw you get out of your car, so I realized you worked here and decided to pop in."