I, the number one master of metaphysics, have achieved legendary status in the entertainment industr

At Lu Fan's home, he had just carefully sealed the mixed cinnabar and mugwort mud into a small porcelain jar when his phone rang.

It's Yu Tinglan.

"Xiao Fan," Yu Tinglan's voice came through the receiver, sounding somewhat tense, "Is it convenient for you to talk?"

"It's convenient, Tinglan, you can speak." Lu Fan put down the porcelain jar and walked to the window.

"There's been a bit of a problem at the company." Yu Tinglan spoke a little faster than usual. "Zhang Chi, the one the company is currently vying for awards with, has had an old, edited video leaked, and public opinion is very negative towards him now. The endorsement deal and a serious drama series he was negotiating are both in jeopardy."

Lu Fan frowned slightly: "Has the video content been verified?"

"It's been verified; it was taken out of context. But the problem is, the key project we agreed on with the Blue Ocean platform has just been postponed, citing adjustments to the platform's overall scheduling. All our promotional and award plans have been disrupted."

"It's too much of a coincidence that these two things happened together," Lu Fan said.

"I think so too." Yu Tinglan's voice deepened. "It feels like there's a hand pushing from the shadows. By the way, Xiao Fan, we got a new carpet at the entrance of my company, with a large diamond pattern. Do you think there's a problem with it?"

"The sharp, diamond-shaped patterns, when used extensively at the entrance, can easily create negative energy and disrupt the flow of fortune," Lu Fan said. "Let's choose a different one!"

At this point, Lu Fan seemed to remember something and asked, "Ting Lan, has anything else been off lately? Like documents inexplicably making mistakes, or someone on the team being unusually anxious?"

Yu Tinglan thought for a moment: "Now that you mention it... Xiao Li from the project department did have a fierce argument with the publicity team a couple of days ago over a trivial matter. He's not usually this short-tempered. Also, I've been feeling a chill down my spine these past two days, even though the air conditioning isn't set too low."

"It seems someone isn't just targeting me, but you too," Lu Fan said. "I'll give you a simple solution: put a broad-leaved green plant in the southeast corner of the office, and just say 'May it grow peacefully' a few times when you water it. Also, have Xiao Li wear a red string, any material, tied to his left wrist for the next couple of days. I'll show you the rest when I come to the company tomorrow."

"Okay, I've got it." Yu Tinglan paused for a moment, then said, "Xiao Fan, it seems like all the news about you online has suddenly disappeared."

"Hmm, it's a bit strangely quiet." Lu Fan said calmly, "Sister Qin just called too. One of her cross-border M&A projects has run into a tax 'visit'."

Yu Tinglan sighed: "They're up to no good. Be very careful; they're not just targeting you right now. If there's anything I can do, please tell me."

"I understand. Listen to Lan, take care of the company first."

Just as I hung up, Su Qin's call came in.

"Xiao Fan!" Su Qin's voice was filled with anger. "I'm about to explode! We've been watching this M&A project for half a year, and suddenly they say they've found out the target company has a major environmental litigation risk. The timing of the disclosure is incredibly coincidental!"

I suspect there's a mole on my due diligence team! And the tax bureau is inexplicably coming to "visit"—isn't that just deliberately causing trouble?

"Sister Qin, calm down." Lu Fan walked to the table, picked up the half-carved piece of peach wood, and asked, "Is the project risk real or fake? How severe is it?"

"There are risks, but they're definitely not 'significant' enough; they've clearly been exaggerated!" Su Qin spoke rapidly. "As for the tax bureau, humph! I think someone's just trying to make things difficult for me!"

Also, today my assistant accidentally dropped a pot of Phalaenopsis orchids while moving it. I noticed that the decorative pebbles at the bottom of the pot felt unusually cold to the touch, unlike ordinary stones.

"White belongs to metal, purple spots resemble blood, and the shape of a butterfly orchid represents yin. If pebbles are taken from cold, yin places or have undergone special treatment, they can indeed gather yin energy." Lu Fan put down the peach wood, picked up a carving knife, and said, "Dispose of the stone properly; don't touch it directly with your hands. Soak it in salt water and then bury it in the ground far away from the house. Sister Qin, have you been experiencing insomnia, vivid dreams, or inexplicable anxiety when making decisions lately?"

Su Qin paused for a moment: "Yes, a little, especially when I'm sitting in the office. I thought it was because the project wasn't going well."

"Maybe not entirely," Lu Fan said. "Besides orchids, have you recently changed the curtains, wall paintings, or added new metal decorations to your office or home? Especially those with sharp shapes."

"Metal decorations?" Su Qin recalled. "Let me think... Oh right, there's a new brass pen holder in the study, shaped like several birds in flight, with rather sharp beaks. Is there something wrong with that?"

"The beak of a bird is sharp and belongs to the metal element in the Five Elements theory. If it is placed in the wrong location, it can easily attract 'metal evil,' which can cause gossip, financial loss, and physical harm. Brass, in particular, is very volatile," Lu Fan said. "Put the pen holder away for now, or cover it with a black cloth. Sister Qin, focus on dealing with the internal corruption and tax issues in the project. These are minor distractions; it will be better if you deal with them."

Remembering Yu Tinglan's situation, Lu Fan added, "I'll go to the company tomorrow to see about the other issues."

"Understood, I'll have someone take care of it right away." Su Qin's tone softened a bit, but remained serious. "Xiao Fan, they acted faster than I expected. You've been completely 'silenced.' Don't hesitate to ask for any support you need."

"Thank you, Sister Qin. I understand."

The call ended, and the room fell silent again. Lu Fan sat back down at the table and continued carving the peach wood. The carving knife cut through the wood grain, making a steady, subtle rustling sound. He needed to finish these items as soon as possible.

After some time, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Lu Fan paused. Who could it be at this hour? He put down his carving knife, walked behind the door, and looked out through the peephole.

Standing outside the door was Jiang Ying.

The young actress made no attempt to disguise herself; her face was bare, she wore a simple sweatshirt and jeans, her hands in her pockets, her brows slightly furrowed, and she stood there with a somewhat awkward expression.

Lu Fan was in no mood to deal with this young lady who had spoken ill of him before.

He opened the door, his tone indifferent: "Miss Jiang?"

When Jiang Ying saw him, she raised her chin slightly and said in a stiff tone, "Lu Fan, I'm here to apologize!"

Lu Fan didn't speak, he just looked at her.

Jiang Ying felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and spoke faster: "Regarding Lin Weiwei's matter, I later found out that she was paid to frame you. It was wrong of me to accuse you before I understood the situation. I'm sorry!"

After she finished speaking, she looked to the side, her cheeks slightly tense.

Lu Fan listened without much expression, and simply said, "Oh, it's alright, Miss Jiang doesn't need to make a special trip."

His cold reaction startled Jiang Ying, and then a surge of anger welled up inside her.

She even swallowed her pride and apologized, so what kind of attitude is this?

"Lu Fan!" Jiang Ying turned around and glared at him. "I said sorry! What kind of reaction is this? I've already apologized, what more do you want?"

Lu Fan felt exhausted. The online silence, the trouble with Su Qinyu and Tinglan, and this inexplicable temper in front of him.

"I didn't mean anything by it." His voice turned cold. "I received your apology. I'm not really in the mood to talk right now, Miss Jiang, please leave."

After saying that, he stopped looking at her and closed the door.

"You..." Jiang Ying, locked out of the door, stomped her foot angrily at the closed door. "Lu Fan! You bastard!"