Dream Walker: Feng Shui Master Bai Ya

"Who is Hidetoshi Kurosaki?" Shang Muchen asked, pretending not to know.

"Hideto Kurosaki is a member of the Sakaki Ren, a secret cult under the Takeuchi family. He is an Onmyoji of the Tsuchimikado school, specializing in shikigami, barrier formations, and curses."

He was an agent sent by the Takeuchi family to help and monitor Kaname. I investigated his background; he wasn't well-liked in Sakakiren and was a scapegoat.

Besides helping Shikamaru, Kurosaki Hideto also has a secret mission when he comes here: to maintain and repair some totems that Sakakiren buried in Yanji City.

I don't know what those totems mean. Japanese people are very superstitious and believe that those totems can bring them great value, but I don't believe in them.

Among these totems, the dead dragon is a very important one.

The graffiti you and Sister Yang investigated at the Xiaoqing River Wharf observation deck today was drawn by Hidetoshi Kurosaki.

"Oh? You actually know so much?" Shang Muchen nodded seriously, raised his beer can, clinked glasses with Xiao Jie, and casually asked, "Knowing so many secrets, aren't you afraid of being silenced?"

"Scared? This is just my daily routine, okay?"

"Then isn't telling me all this considered a leak?" Shang Muchen sneered.

"If I'm going to defect, I should at least offer some kind of pledge of allegiance, right?" Xiao Jie said with a smile.

"Does Hidetoshi Kurosaki spend a lot of time with Kaname Kabuto these days? Does he offer Kaname Kabuto any advice?"

Shang Muchen actually knew that Kurosaki Hideto was dead, but he pretended to know nothing and asked deliberately.

"No," Xiao Jie shook his head and said, "quite the opposite, Kurosaki Hideto has been missing for some time now, and I don't know where he went."

Both the Tianlu Group and Sakaki Ren are looking for him.

"Tell me more about this so-called 'Sakakiren' organization."

"I really can't say too much about this, because it involves a lot of very sensitive political information, and many things are just rumors and gossip, so they can't be guaranteed to be true."

In short, as rumored, the upper class in the southern part of the peninsula and the four islands of Japan are generally very superstitious. There is a complex web of relationships between tycoons, politicians, charlatans, gangsters and spies, and many things are difficult to explain.

Sakaki Ren is a powerful force that serves as a framework and outline, maneuvering among various factions in East Asia, stirring up trouble, and exerting a tremendous influence that can even affect the regimes of small countries.

For the past thirty years, our superiors have been very vigilant about Sakaki Ren, but due to the pursuit of economic development, they have had to turn a blind eye to their collusion with the financial sector.

The Lu family is the beneficiary, but Lu Zhanshan's ambition has become too inflated, and he has embarked on a path to his doom, which even I can see.

I would never be so foolish as to follow the runaway train of Tianlu Group, crashing into an iceberg, shattering into pieces, and bringing about my own destruction.

Xiao Jie's words touched Shang Muchen.

Shang Muchen, who grew up in an ordinary family, was as simple-minded as a computer without any software installed. He only knew how to be waited on hand and foot and was completely unable to understand the struggle for power and the life-or-death struggle.

At first glance, these stories are like a torrential downpour in the sweltering heat—quite entertaining.

After hearing this, Shang Muchen realized something was wrong. The torrential rain had caused flooding, reaching up to his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

After quickly taking a sip of beer to calm his nerves, Shang Muchen asked, feigning composure, "After telling you so many stories, what are your plans?"

"What other plans do I have?" Xiao Jie spread his hands, looking like Tom Cat, about to be hit on the head with a heavy hammer, with nowhere to dodge or escape, and said in a show of resignation.

"My family's business depends on the Lu family. My father worked for Lu Zhanshan his whole life, serving as his chief financial and accounting manager."

My entire family is deeply involved in the Lu family business. Even I am hailed online as the most outstanding entrepreneurial elite of Generation Z, having built two unicorn brands, J Coffee and Xiao Jie Fast Food, from scratch. Countless people admire me, but so what?

I know very well that without the resources and platform provided by the Lu family, J Coffee would have nowhere to open, and Xiao Jie Fast Food's logistics supply chain and store delivery network would not have been established at all.

I am not an entrepreneurial elite at all; I am just a new-era watchdog trained by the Lu family.

Independence? Not a chance.

With just one phone call, Lu Zhanshan could instantly reduce the value of these two brands, which were valued at one billion yuan, to zero.

Ultimately, money is just a false external thing, merely a shadow of 'relationships'.

I'm just a golden koi in the pond of the high-ranking fish, perhaps a little less common than the ordinary red koi, but when I fight for food, my ugly writhing and jumping is exactly the same, even uglier than the other fish!

Xiao Jie became more and more excited as he spoke; his originally neat and meticulous short hair stood on end. He took a big gulp of beer, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and said excitedly:

"Shang Muchen! You have absolutely no understanding of what freedom is!"

You simply cannot comprehend how precious and joyful freedom is!

You are born into a life of good fortune but don't know it!

You are young and don't know the taste of sorrow, yet you force yourself to write poems about it!

Do you think you can pretend to be like us by wearing a tourbillon watch?

No! You can't fake it!

Because you are completely free!

There is no golden noose around your neck, and no golden guillotine above your head!

The young master of the Lin family was driving a supercar with two young actresses from an arts school when he crashed and died on an overpass. Do you think he was happy about that?

That was done by his father's political rivals!

The young master of the Li family sold his two game live streaming video platforms, which he had built from scratch, and his world championship game team for 80 billion yuan. He then went far away and spent his days indulging in eating, drinking, gambling, and prostitution. Do you think he was happy about that?

That's because his company is blocking the future path of a certain prince who's going to rise to a higher position!

From birth, we are merely pawns in our families' game. Even if we eventually rise from the bottom to become powerful queens, we are still just pawns.

You don't understand! You simply don't understand!

So you'd better stop imitating us! Your idea of ​​"a free man taking a day trip to prison to experience life" is disgusting!

What the hell are you showing off for?!

After saying this, Xiao Jie downed his beer in one gulp, then grabbed another can and took a few more big gulps.

Xiao Jie's words deeply moved Shang Muchen.

He nodded frequently, clinked glasses with Xiao Jie, and took a few sips.

"I admit, I'm ignorant, I'm naive," Shang Muchen said weakly. "I'll help you. I'll try to understand you and stop pretending to imitate you."

"Sorry, I lost my composure a bit." Xiao Jie smoothed his messy hair, his cheeks slightly flushed, and said with a wry smile, "I don't know why, but I feel especially relaxed when I'm with you, and I've said everything that's on my mind."

"That's good. If there's a chance in the future, we can often get together for drinks and chats. You're welcome to come to my house too; I have red wine and spirits."

After exchanging a few more casual words, Shang Muchen got up to say goodbye. Xiao Jie accompanied him to the alley entrance and watched him get into a taxi before returning to the courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, from a secluded corner behind the grapevines, a man who looked remarkably like Shang Muchen, but was a few years older, emerged from the shadows.

"Brother Mu Ming, how was my acting?" Xiao Jie adjusted his glasses and asked with a smile.

"It's too exaggerated. It reminds me of Zhou Ping from a middle school stage play, haha."

Shang Muming, accompanied by his black-haired maid Ivy, walked into the courtyard, took a can of beer from the ice bucket, opened it, and tasted it.

"Brother Muming, do you think Shang Muchen will believe me?"

"I know my brother. Don't let his honest appearance fool you; he's actually very suspicious. He won't trust you easily," Shang Muming said. "But what's going on between us is far beyond his common sense, so he can't think of much more."

"Brother Muming, you must keep your promise to me!" Xiao Jie stepped forward to grab Shang Muming's arm, but was stabbed hard on the back of his hand by the black-haired maid next to him with her sharp nails, and hurriedly withdrew his hand.

"Don't worry," Shang Muming turned around and patted Xiao Jie's arm kindly, "your fate is determined by the role you play."

You're a smart person, you know how to choose sides, right? Heh.