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墨書 Inktalez
"Five hundred thousand USD, when converted to Renminbi, amounts to over three million. Only a fool wouldn't be tempted."
I took out my phone and called Banrada, asking him how long this kind of ritual would take. Banrada replied that it could be as quick as twenty to thirty minutes, or as slow as an hour; it wasn't certain. He asked if there was such a business opportunity available. There happened to be a temple that was empty and not in use, so we could proceed with it.
I hesitated for a moment and then told him about Mr. Qian. Upon learning that there was five hundred thousand USD to be made, Banrada was ecstatic. As for my concerns about life and death, he casually remarked that the duration was up to us. We could have Grandma Long recite quickly, finishing in ten or eight minutes, and then escort the person out to hand over. In such a short time, with our luck, it was unlikely anything would go wrong. Five hundred thousand USD—when converted to Thai Baht, that would be over ten million!
His words made me even more tempted. Initially, Boss Lü had gone through great lengths and even acted like a heartless man for that fifteen million Thai Baht, right? Now I only needed ten minutes to earn the same amount!
The more I thought about it, the harder it became to control my greed. Seeing Mr. Qian's convoy already leaving, I knew I couldn't hesitate any longer. I instructed Banrada to get ready and then called out to Grandpa, who was drinking tea inside the house, saying I wanted to take a stroll nearby and buy some snacks.
Having been to Thailand so many times, I was familiar with the area. Grandpa knew there wouldn't be any danger, so he let me go.
I waved down a rental car on the street and signaled for him to hurry up and catch up with Mr. Qian's convoy. Since Mr. Qian's father was in critical condition, the car couldn't go too fast. In just a few minutes, the rental car intercepted them. When I got out of the car, I was immediately surrounded by a group of bodyguards in black suits. From their movements of reaching for their waists, it was clear these people were armed.
I quickly shouted that I was there to see Mr. Qian regarding the coffin ceremony!
Mr. Qian got out of the car; he had seen me before and knew I wasn't an imposter. However, he had already been rejected by Second Uncle and looked grim as he asked, "What else is there? You’re not going to tell me you want payment even though the ceremony hasn't been performed yet!"
I shook my head and pretended to be calm as I said, "Not at all! We're all Chinese; we’re like family here. Second Uncle may have been a bit abrupt due to his mood; please don’t take it personally."
Mr. Qian didn't want to waste time with me and asked what exactly I wanted. I hurriedly explained that we could hold the ceremony after all. Mr. Qian seemed surprised and said that after being rejected earlier, now I was back saying it could happen—was this some kind of joke? I chuckled awkwardly and said, "It was an impulsive decision; he thought it over later. We are all compatriots; rather than making you travel all this way for nothing or getting scammed by others, it's better for us to make this deal ourselves."
Mr. Qian huffed slightly and seemed about to say something when a Real Estate Tycoon approached him and whispered a few words in his ear. The two discussed for half a minute before reaching a decision.
The ceremony could proceed as planned, and the subsequent reward would follow as agreed upon—but there was still one condition: the person had to be alive. If anything went wrong, the Shen Family would be held responsible.
I asked what it meant to be responsible, and Mr. Qian said with a gloomy expression, "Our family doesn't lack money, but we lack people, and we need lives!"
This was very straightforward; it meant paying with one's life. I felt a bit anxious inside, and a voice in my head kept reminding me to refuse, to definitely refuse. But another voice told me that this was a rare opportunity to make a lot of money. If I succeeded, I would be someone important, and no one would dare look down on me again!
My mind was in turmoil, but Mr. Qian didn't want to wait and urged me to make a decision quickly. I gritted my teeth and made up my mind to agree!
Mr. Qian invited me into the car, intending to turn back, but I quickly said there was no need to go back; we should go directly to the temple. Mr. Qian had no objections, but the Real Estate Tycoon asked with some confusion, "Is Mr. Shen not coming?"
I explained, "Second Uncle just spoke with you about that matter and couldn't bring himself to come along, so he asked me to lead you there. In fact, the temple and the High Monk were prepared before you arrived."
Mr. Qian scoffed and said, "Wanting to make money but afraid of losing face? What kind of attitude is that?"
Normally, I might have argued back a bit, but at that moment, I was worried whether Banrada could get everything ready on his side; I didn't want any slip-ups. So I didn't pay much attention to Mr. Qian's words.
Banrada wasn't in Bangkok; the temple he arranged was located by the Mekong River, close to Laos, which is already considered Thailand's border. It took us quite some time to reach the place. Second Uncle even called to ask why I hadn't returned for so long and what I was doing. I could only lie and say that a classmate came for a visit and we happened to run into each other, so I was acting as a guide; I estimated I'd be sleeping outside tonight.
Second Uncle asked if I needed him to accompany me since he thought I didn't know much about Thailand. I quickly said it wasn't necessary; I was just going to explore around Bangkok today and wouldn't go far. Second Uncle responded with an "uh-huh" and reminded me not to cause trouble; if I encountered any problems, I should call him immediately.
After that awkward conversation, I felt a bit sweaty on my forehead. Seeing Mr. Qian watching me closely, I nervously explained that it was Second Uncle calling to check if I had arrived at the destination and said that if it took any longer, there wouldn't be time for me to return.
What I said matched perfectly with my earlier explanation. Mr. Qian said, "Don't worry; if needed, I'll send a driver to take you back."
I quickly expressed my gratitude and said it wasn't necessary; I'd manage for one night at the temple.
The Mekong River intersects with the Ruak River, forming a triangular shape known in movies as the "Golden Triangle." I wondered how Banrada ended up here when he was supposed to be in Bangkok looking after Ajan Dong. Then it occurred to me that since Ajan Dong had returned now, he probably didn't need Banrada anymore.
The temple located by the Mekong River is small and appears quite ordinary. Most of the people around here have certain backgrounds and rarely visit the temple to pray. When I got out of the car, I saw Banrada standing at the temple entrance, looking eagerly into the distance.
He looks almost identical to Fat Daoist and Ma Rulong; every time I see these two brothers, I have the illusion that I am seeing the same person.
Banrada ran over and gave me a warm hug, excitedly asking where the Victim was.
At that moment, Mr. Qian also got out of the car, and I quickly introduced both parties. Upon hearing that he was a disciple of a High Monk from Bangkok, Mr. Qian seemed skeptical and asked why he wasn't wearing monk robes. Banrada explained that he was a layperson responsible for good deeds and blessings for believers, spending most of his time outside, so he generally didn't wear monk robes. Seeing that Mr. Qian still wanted to say something, the Real Estate Tycoon stepped in to ease the tension, saying that this was Mr. Shen's nephew, so there shouldn't be any issues.
Only then did Mr. Qian relent and ask how the ceremony would proceed and when it could start.
I had no idea about these things and could only look at Banrada. He quickly said, "We can start right now; we just need to get him inside. Long Po Ta has been waiting inside for a long time."
Mr. Qian was quite suspicious and asked who Long Po Ta was. The Real Estate Tycoon hadn't heard of him either, nor had I. Banrada looked displeased and said that Long Po Ta was the most powerful blessing master of this century, known for providing top-notch safety blessings for believers. Some local power figures come to seek him out every year. However, Long Po Ta usually kept to himself and only helped those he felt a connection with; this time he was persuaded to help due to his master's influence. If you have doubts, you should leave quickly; otherwise, Grandma Long will blame me if she hears about it.
His expression was very convincing; even I believed him. The Real Estate Tycoon again tried to smooth things over, saying that since we didn't understand before but do now, everything would be fine.
Mr. Qian didn't ask further questions and instructed the doctors and nurses to push his father into the temple. Banrada and I led the way while walking quietly beside him, asking if this was reliable. Banrada patted his chest and said confidently that with his brother handling things, there was no need to worry; within ten minutes, he guaranteed that he would come out alive!
Seeing his confident demeanor gave me some reassurance as well. Thinking about how soon I would have hundreds of thousands of USD in hand made me a bit excited.
As previously mentioned, this temple looks very ordinary; in reality, it truly is plain. There are no magnificent buildings or luxurious decorations inside—just white walls and a white floor in a hall of over one hundred square meters where a solitary coffin stands. Fortunately, there were plenty of fresh flowers around the coffin—bright red ones that looked quite beautiful.
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