茶杯狐 -CUPFOX

Since Qi Haoguo asked, Xiao Liu naturally poured out all he knew, he didn’t even hold back any rumors he had heard, trying to show himself as knowledgeable as possible.

Although Xiao Liu didn’t quite understand why Qi Haoguo was so interested in that old man’s matter, he could guess from Qi’s reaction that it was likely related to the eight-armed wood carving and the similar figures in the old man’s drawings.

He had spent some time considering how to arrange his life after he got out a few months ago, and the best option he could think of was to use the skills he learned in prison to start a small business. He came this time, thick-skinned, hoping to get some startup capital from his cousin.

Now that he had the chance to make himself known to his cousin’s husband, he naturally would seize the opportunity. If he could get his cousin’s husband’s approval, it would alleviate his worries for the future.

Also, through Xiao Liu’s account, Qi Haoguo learned about the old man:

The old man was formerly known as a wise man who conned people out of their money with the help of many. But last October, the old man suddenly blew the whistle, reporting his accomplices. Because of his significant contribution, coupled with his age in his seventies, his sentence was greatly reduced.

When he first went to serve his sentence, many people called him a snitch, didn’t like him and wanted to mess with him. Some people who had some connection with his gang even wanted to hassle him. However, he wasn’t scared a bit and didn’t care, showing an attitude of “I’m already in my seventies and have lived enough, so I don’t mind dying,” which made others start to fear him.

Moreover, the old man did have some skills. He could accurately judge the situation of others with just a glance.

Xiao Liu also once asked the old man to “read his fortune.” The old man immediately discerned that he was jailed for fighting, even noticed that his sentence was nearly over and that he was preparing to leave, and even predicted his post-release plans, which Xiao Liu had never talked about.

Although the old man always claimed that he was just observant, experienced, quick-thinking, accurate in guessing, and lucky, not because he possessed any magical power or practiced any fairy craft, and that superstitions were all deceptive,

Most prisoners, however, naturally revered this aspect, and the old man’s status in prison quickly elevated. Many privately referred to him as the “Old Immortal” —— though he himself didn’t accept it.

Prisoners often sought the old man for conversation. The old man, being older and more experienced, always conveyed thoughts skillfully, always leaving people relieved and clear-minded after talking to him.

Every day, the prisoners were given certain time to read, write or do other activities in groups. During this time, what the old man did most was to draw an eight-armed, eight-eyed monster with a pencil.

The old man obviously had a background in art; with only a pencil, he could draw the monster vividly.

Every time he drew, he would mumble to himself, as if whispering something unintelligible.

The old man drew many portraits of the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster. Many people saw them. Whenever someone asked what it was, he would only smile and never answer.

Some people overheard his murmuring while drawing, which consisted of words like “Hell,” “Heart Demon,” and “Yama.” But he always denied any belief in superstition, and claimed all he did in the past was deception.

So people speculated that the old man must have gone insane, that’s why he suddenly reported on his accomplices. Otherwise, why not enjoy his money on the outside instead of suffering in prison?

However, many others began to consider the old man a “real old immortal”…

After listening to Xiao Liu, thinking back to the feelings he had when he saw the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster a few days ago, Qi Haoguo vaguely understood why the old man would suddenly turn in his accomplices and choose jail time.

The old man must have had the same experience as he did, feeling deep fear from within, seeing the thing they were most afraid of, and finally having a real encounter with the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster.

While Qi Haoguo was lost in thought, Xiao Liu was sneakily observing his famous cousin’s husband and the peculiar eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving by his side, wondering what the significance of the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster was.

“What are your plans for the future?” Qi Haoguo suddenly asked.

“Huh? Oh, I… I’m planning to start a small… a small snack stall, use the skills I learned to make some money…” Xiao Liu cautiously replied, knowing his reputation wasn’t great, and guessing his cousin’s husband’s impression of him wouldn’t be good either, so he didn’t dare to say directly that he wanted to work with him.

Qi Haoguo stood up and said, “If that’s the case, there’s no rush. First, come with me to visit that old man.”

Although Xiao Liu was somewhat surprised that his cousin’s uncle was planning to go on a jail visit so soon, he was glad to assist him and raised no objections.

Qi Haoguo called his secretary to arrange the plane tickets and driver, informed his wife, and he and Xiao Liu left for the airport.

They arrived in the city where Xiao Liu’s jail was located that very afternoon.

High-security prisoner visits were typically limited to family members and guardians on specified visitation days each month. However, as long as they checked in properly, friends of the prisoners could also visit on regular workdays outside of the designated visitation days.

Upon reaching the city where the prison was located, Xiao Liu contacted the prison staff, intending to apply for a visit the following day. He could reasonably be considered a friend of the old man and believed that the old man would not reject his visit. However, the response he got was that the old man had been sent to the hospital for treatment after falling by accident the previous day. It seemed his condition was quite serious.

Upon seeing Xiao Liu hang up, Qi Haoguo asked with a frown, “He fell? Do you think it could have been an act of revenge by the people he had reported earlier?”

Xiao Liu shook his head. “I don’t think so. Our supervision there is quite strict. He also has a lot of people looking out for him, and the guards also pay special care to him because of his age and because he doesn’t cause any trouble. This should simply be an accident…”

Luckily, the hospital where the old man had been transferred to was nearby. After confirming the address, they ate a simple dinner and went over.

Since they had contacted the hospital ahead of time, they found the old man’s room quite quickly.

The old man did not have any family there, only a prison staff member was there seeing to him.

To ensure a smooth visit, Xiao Liu directly told the staff member that the old man Du was his “godfather” from inside the prison.

The staff member recognized Xiao Liu and knew that they were coming, having been in contact with the prison staff previously, so he didn’t have many suspicions. According to the doctor, although Mr. Du had been rescued, it was unlikely that he would fully recover. Even standing was a struggle for him and he would spend the rest of his sentence in hospital. Having friends and relatives to help would certainly alleviate the burden on them.

Mr. Du was just regaining some consciousness, and as soon as he saw Qi Haoguo entering the ward, his gaze fell on him.

Or to be more precise, he fixated on the dark wood carving in Qi Haoguo’s hand.

Originally Mr. Du, though looking somewhat tired and haggard, had a hard-to-describe sense of indifference as if the one injured wasn’t his own body. But upon seeing the wood carving in Qi Haoguo’s hand, his eyes widened and he started breathing more rapidly.

“Mr. Du, have you seen this wood carving before?” Qi Haoguo placed the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving that he had had a master craft on the cabinet beside Mr. Du’s bed so that he could see it when he turned his head.

Mr. Du opened his mouth and Qi Haoguo immediately leaned over to listen.

Xiao Liu who had come in with him immediately spoke to the prison staff member asking for Mr. Du and Qi Haoguo to be left to chat alone. The two of them went to the door together as Mr. Du was not in a state to attempt an escape anyway.

Leaning his ear close to Mr. Du’s mouth, Qi Haoguo heard him speaking weakly, “You…had that dream too?”

Dream? Qi Haoguo was taken aback and looked at Mr. Du with a frown. “Did you see…it in your dream?”

Sensing that Mr. Du wanted to speak, Qi Haoguo leaned close again, “You… didn’t dream?”

Qi Haoguo came back out again after not talking much with Xiao Liu who was chatting with the prison staff member.

He told the prison staff member that he wanted to take over Mr. Du’s treatment. He had arranged for people from his company to come over and they would provide a better treatment plan for Mr. Du. Of course, they would first communicate with the prison and complete all the necessary procedures.

Considering Mr. Du’s performance in the case, his remaining sentence, his behavior in prison, and his current health condition, getting him medical parole or serving the sentence outside prison shouldn’t be a problem.

Qi Haoguo and Xiao Liu temporarily left the hospital, taking a taxi back to the hotel. As for Old Man Du’s hospital situation – whether to stay in the current hospital, transfer, change rooms, or modify treatment plans – someone from Qi Haoguo’s company would take over.

Watching Qi Haoguo leaving the ward again with the wood carving in his hand, Xiao Liu was intensely curious, but he wisely refrained from asking any questions.

At this moment, Qi Haoguo was contemplating the last few sentences Old Man Du had said to him: “Fear reveals the true self… Trust your feelings, follow your heart’s choices… Death… is not the end.”

“Fear reveals the true self” – he understood, and with that one sentence, he was able to affirm that what he and Old Man Du “saw” was the same entity, only that the old man seemed to have seen it in a dream.

“Trust your feelings, follow your heart’s choices” – he understood this as well. His actions during this period were indeed guided by this sentence.

But what on earth did “Death is not the end” mean?

When he continued to press for more details, Old Man Du simply closed his mouth and eyes, assuming a posture that suggested he was not going to say more.

This sentence was truly “fatal”. It immediately made Qi Haoguo ruminate, for he could tell that Old Man Du knew more about the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster than he.

Qi Haoguo dared not to defy the warning given to him by the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster, nor investigate the occupants of the two cars that day. He did not dare to harbor any illusions, nor believe that being away from Tongshi Town would truly free him from that monster. Judging from the way the monster appeared and disappeared, it could potentially appear beside him at any time.

However, after seeing Old Man Du and hearing those sentences, Qi Haoguo was irresistibly intrigued and wanted to find out – just what was this Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster?

After pondering for a while, he suddenly thought of Liu Feibao.

Yes, that’s right. Although he warned Liu Feibao not to provoke those people, his understanding of Liu Feibao led him to believe that this plump man would most likely investigate privately.

And with Liu Feibao’s connections in Tongshi Town, there should be no difficulty tracing the identities of the occupants of the two cars.

In that case, if he asked Liu Feibao for confirmation, it wouldn’t count as him proactively “meddling” with those people, would it?

After much hesitation throughout the journey, upon returning to his hotel room, Qi Haoguo finally made his decision and prepared to give it a try.

He called Liu Feibao. Without any greetings or pleasantries, he sternly reproached: “Has my warning fallen on deaf ears?”

These words may sound nonsensical, but Liu Feibao on the other end immediately got his drift, and hurriedly explained: “Boss Qi, Brother Qi, let me explain… This is how I see it… When a big shot comes to our Tongshi Town, I can’t just turn a blind eye, completely oblivious to their background, right? In case some idiot ends up rubbing them the wrong way, I’ll be left holding the bag again…”

Qi Haoguo muttered “just as expected”, then continued: “Enough of your beating around the bush, what did you find out and how? Did they notice anything from your end?”

Liu Feibao immediately reported all that he had found about Xiang Kun and his companions. He also mentioned that they had dinner together the next evening and had met face-to-face.

However, Liu Feibao didn’t mention his questioning of Qin Dong nor did he disclose the fact that his investigation had provoked Liu Zhengyi and Liu Gaoshang, the two brothers, to stir up trouble. All he did was mention a certain “Brother Chu” he was acquainted with, who knew Liu Caifu, a friend of Xiang Kun’s. They had dinner together and discussed some investment-related matters.

“The Brother Chu you’re talking about, is that Chu Xiuwen?” Qi Haoguo asked.

“Yes, yes, Chu Xiuwen is Brother Chu.” Liu Feibao quickly replied, “An old friend who manages a security company and whom Brother Chu had invested in came over during this period. That old friend…also used his contacts to look into Mr. Xiang and found that…he’s a big deal, very mysterious, and even he couldn’t see through him. Also, he ascertained that there’s an official background. Boss Qi…who is this big shot… could you… reveal a little? After all, from what I heard before, he’s planning to have some development in Tongshi Town…”

Liu Feibao was, of course, unaware that after hearing his speech, Qi Haoguo was left entirely bewildered.

He mentally reviewed Liu Feibao’s words, then connected them with Old Man Du’s words from earlier that day. He felt as if he was even more confused now.

An official background? That man actually has an official background?!

Qi Haoguo thought for a moment, then asked again: “Chu Xiuwen’s ‘friend in the security company’, wouldn’t happen to be a man surnamed Ji, would it?”

“Yes, yes, his surname is Ji, his name is Ji Hang, and his company is…” Liu Feibao hurriedly recounted what he learned from Chu Xiuwen about Ji Hang.

Even though Qi Haoguo did not know Ji Hang personally, the security company Ji Hang had set up had earned quite a reputation in the wealthy circles of the provincial capital. From what Qi Haoguo had heard, he knew about Ji Hang’s activities before he entered the security industry.

If Ji Hang had reached such a conclusion, it must be beyond doubt.

He didn’t respond to Liu Feibao’s question. After saying they would talk about it later, he hung up the phone.

Could it be that the monster… is also official? —— A thought welled up in Qi Haoguo’s mind.

Then, he recalled what Liu Feibao had mentioned, that Mr. Xiang intended to expand the food business in Chongyun Village and Tongshi Town and establish large-scale animal farming. Surprisingly, the previous team included Zhang Hongpu’s granddaughter, and the son of a certain famous chain supermarket group.

Could there be something special about Tongshi Town that the authorities had given him secret instructions to develop?

Qi Haoguo stroked his chin, contemplating whether he should also get involved. After all, he already had some business in Tongshi Town!

Of course, he couldn’t get directly involved in the area that Mr. Xiang was interested in. That would make people think he was stirring trouble or picking fruits.

In fact, he didn’t care about making a profit, nor did he want to hitch a ride to make money. So, he could invest in other related supporting fields.

Charity work was also an option. There wasn’t a place where charity work couldn’t be done. It could be done in Tongshi Town and Chongyun Village too.

Using this opportunity, he might be legitimately able to contact Mr. Xiang again?

Earlier in the day, Ji Hang, who had already returned to his own company, received a reply from the friend he had requested to look into Xiang Kun’s information.

This friend was in the police department, and he found some information that Liu Feibao wasn’t able to dig up.

Though, he did tell Ji Hang that his action of querying the internal system was quickly noticed, and he was questioned. The information he had obtained was just basic data. There was likely more classified information that he could not access.

From what he had found, Xiang Kun played a role in solving many cases, perhaps acting as a police informer.

Moreover, Xiang Kun had economic interactions with the police. Though nominally it was reward money for a fugitive, he suspected it was funding for certain activities.

Based on his interactions with Xiang Kun, Ji Hang felt the probability that Xiang Kun was a police informer was quite small. There could be other possibilities.

Although he did not have detailed and definitive evidence, it could basically be confirmed that as Liu Feibao, CEO Liu, had said, Xiang Kun did indeed have a “government background”.

Ji Hang made a phone call and informed Chu Xiuwen of this situation since he was also helping Chu Xiuwen to investigate Xiang Kun. He did not explain in detail about querying through his friend, but simply stated: “Based on reliable sources, Xiang Kun indeed has a government background, but the specific identity is unknown.”

Once Chu Xiuwen found out, he relayed the information to Liu Feibao. Naturally, Liu Feibao felt completely vindicated, convinced that his prediction was absolutely correct and feeling a sense of fortunate relief that was akin to the feeling- “the hard-earned results by the top student were the same as my guess”.

So, when he unexpectedly received a call from Qi Haoguo late that night, Liu Feibao unequivocally told him: “It’s confirmed that Xiang Kun has a government background!”