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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 83: Seeking Enlightenment
The weather in April began to grow humid, with occasional light rain that dressed this city, renowned as a paradise on earth, like a bashful maiden. The mountains appeared like dark green silk, and the water seemed to gaze back at you, offering countless picturesque scenes.
Great Hidden Temple, Nianfo Hall.
The tour guide led a group of tourists waving colorful flags to take a break in the corridor of the temple. After a brief pause, the guide pointed behind Nianfo Hall and mentioned that it was a great place for lighting incense and praying. Legend has it that Ji Gong Zen Master originated from there; any devotee seeking children, fortune, or divination would surely have their wishes granted if they approached with sincerity. The tourists erupted in laughter, their voices a mix of accents from all over.
No one truly believed in such things, but when superstition was mentioned, curiosity stirred within everyone. During the break, some inquisitive tourists strolled in front of the hall, admiring the scenery of this Buddhist sanctuary.
“Amitofu.”
A long chant startled several tourists. It came from a shaded area by the gate where a Fat Monk sat cross-legged. His dark face contrasted with his monk's robe that barely covered him in the summer heat. His shiny bald head bore several scars from his vows. He looked somewhat foolish, with bulging eyes that made him appear like a simple-minded monk.
There was only one type of incense for sale—thick sticks about a meter long. The monk greeted them and asked, “Are you here to light incense?”
“Surely monks don’t engage in business?” one tourist teased.
“A monk does not speak falsehoods,” the monk replied with a bow. “Indeed.”
The tourists laughed heartily as the monk cryptically recited, “In youth, I wandered far and wide, seeking to cleanse my troubles. When I reach the heavenly path, I will see the stone bridge ahead… The world laughs at my foolishness; I laugh at their inability to see.”
His silly verse was surprisingly fitting, causing some well-read tourists to exclaim in surprise, “Oh, a High Monk!”
“Of course he is a High Monk; he is a disciple of Master Changji,” two young monks wearing caps passed by and casually bowed to their senior.
It seemed that the High Monk was indeed present. As tourists entered the courtyard, surrounded by the swirling incense and the sound of teachings, a couple approached the Master and asked, "Master, how much for the incense sticks?"
The Fat Monk held up three fingers. "Three for one hundred... I will personally light them for you."
One hundred dollars for three large sticks—what a fair price! The monk didn't even glance at the money as he led the couple inside. After lighting the three large incense sticks, the couple bowed sincerely before the Buddha, gazing at each other with deep affection, perhaps already making vows of eternal love in their hearts. Meanwhile, the Fat Monk busied himself attending to other visitors entering the hall. Five or six others couldn't resist and also ordered a few sticks, which he lit for them.
When they emerged a moment later, the Fat Monk extended his hand. "Benefactor, your incense fee is still outstanding; please wait."
"Aren't we giving you one hundred?" The couple's mood soured.
"You did give one hundred, but there's still a balance," the monk replied.
"How much more?" The man was furious.
"Eight hundred more," the monk gestured.
The couple gasped in shock and shouted, "Are you trying to cheat us? You clearly said one hundred just now!"
"What did I say earlier?" the monk asked.
"You said three for one hundred!" the woman replied.
"Yes, you asked how much for the incense sticks. I said three for one hundred—one hundred times three is three hundred. You took three sticks; isn't that nine hundred? Prices are rising everywhere; can we let incense offerings depreciate in value? Is it worth only one hundred?" The monk argued with his hands on his hips.
Unbeknownst to them, several "tourists" had gathered around. One called out to the Master while tossing a large stack of cash into the donation box. Others held incense sticks worth thousands of dollars each. This left the young couple feeling embarrassed; they quickly threw down their money and hurriedly pulled their girlfriend away.
"Damn it, we got ripped off."
A group of five or six tourists had all been taken advantage of. One older man, feeling speechless, muttered, "Buddhist Sect Pure Land, monk, this isn’t guiding people; it’s scamming them."
"How could that be? Three for a hundred, three for a hundred, clearly stated prices... If you got scammed, it just means your cultivation isn't enough. I already said it in advance; I laugh at those who can't see through it. If you didn't see through it, blame me. Hahaha..."
The High Monk had turned into a villainous monk, and a group of accomplices supported the tourists' wrongdoings. The peacekeeping tourists could only leave in resentment. Like all those who had been scammed, they could only blame themselves for not seeing through the deception. In such crowded tourist spots, where could one go to seek justice?
After a brief rest, the monk touched the money box, counted a large handful of bills, and began to count the money with a smirk. One of the "tourists" leaned in and whispered, "Gourd Brother, this is really good business; it's faster than robbing people."
"Get lost! If you call me Gourd again, I'll crush you! I'm reciting poetry here." The monk threatened fiercely and handed over a stack of cash meant for props for the next act.
Scaring off his subordinate, the monk tucked the money into his robe and sat cross-legged, closing his eyes as he waited for the next batch of unsuspecting victims to fall into his trap.
Before long, he opened his eyes again. His gaze darted around as he noticed one of his henchmen currying favor with a tour guide—one hand offering drinks while the other slipped backhanders. The two were pretending to be little Shamis, drooling over beautiful women’s legs while others behind the temple were peeking around for potential customers.
This was a scheme designed by the Wood Master: the tour guide led them in, and then the monk started to deceive them. If they didn’t believe it, he would recite some lines to show off; then little Shamis would appear and say how impressive he was. In a moment of excitement, they would be lured in to burn incense and get scammed.
"Such talent... If I had known shaving my head was this profitable, I would have shaved everything below too."
Big Gourd rubbed the money tucked away in his robe. After doing this for several days, he still couldn’t understand how there were people even more foolish than him lining up every day to fall for this trick…
At Xizi Bay Park, bustling with tourists, a row of lottery booths had mysteriously appeared outside the entrance.
Not far from the entrance, under the banner of the park's management office, a Female Host was passionately encouraging visitors through a microphone during peak hours:
“Dear tourists from all over the country, on behalf of the Xizi Bay Park management, I welcome you… To expand our park's influence and give back to our visitors, we are holding this lottery event… Please note, this is a purely charitable lottery, with a one hundred percent winning rate and a one hundred percent return rate. The first prize is a three-day trip with all expenses covered; the second prize offers free admission tickets… Even the third prize guarantees a lovely gift… I will repeat, the winning rate is one hundred percent, and this is purely for charity…”
Beneath the lottery booth stood a line of women who were rather ordinary in appearance but heavily made up; if you didn’t scrutinize them closely, they could barely be considered beautiful. Their greatest advantage was their boldness—excessively bold.
Their low-cut dresses accentuated deep cleavage right above the lottery box. As soon as someone glanced at them, they would smile and ask, “Hey there, want to give it a try?”
Or they would say, “Just ten bucks for a chance?”
Indeed, it was only ten bucks; even the worst prize included a bottle of drink. You couldn’t lose out on that—what a fair price!
So under the host's persuasion, those lecherous old men and dubious characters couldn’t help but stare at the women’s chests and reach out their hands… to give it a try.
After buying a ticket and scratching off the surface with anticipation, yes! A third prize.
The women collected the tickets and would cheerfully hand over a bottle of drink.
Not winning wasn’t an issue; this consolation was more than enough. Those mature ladies would seize the moment and say, “You’ve got good luck! Want to give it another shot?”
Oh my, this scene was far livelier than the park itself.
Suddenly, a grand prize winner emerged. A man from who-knows-where shouted, “I won! I won first prize!”
As he verified his win and stepped onto the stage, his excitement was uncontrollable. The host held up her microphone and announced, “Let’s play some music to celebrate our lucky winner! I now declare that all expenses for traveling in Suzhou and Hangzhou will be covered by the organizing committee of this lottery… May I ask you, sir, is this your first visit to our city?”
"Yeah, I just arrived yesterday... I'm from Northeast Hulu Island," the man said foolishly.
However, this stirred the tourists present. As they passed by, they casually tossed in ten bucks for a chance; even if they didn't win, they would still get a bottle of drink. Moreover, those women were so daring and shameless... Ah, why do I like this vibe so much? One girl bent over to beg for a chance, her chest almost pressed against him.
The grand prize brought yet another climax; the host shouted energetically that four more grand prizes would be drawn today, and the next one could be you... The women below were weaving through the crowd, almost blocking the men's paths. Tickets were being thrown in heaps, and cash was coming in bundles. The host was so excited he was sweating profusely, his face flushed as if he had just climaxed.
In the chaotic scene from a distance, a seven-seater Prado slowly rolled up its windows.
Inside the car, the driver, Black Steel, was laughing so hard he leaned on the steering wheel. Mourning Hair and Ma Yubing were laughing so hard they were clutching their stomachs. Old Cripple looked a bit embarrassed, while Co-Driver seemed somewhat doubtful and casually asked, "Old Cripple, why did you let your old mistress come do this? Is it really necessary?"
"Panzi, you have no idea; it really is necessary. How much do you think she makes in a day?" Ma Yubing asked.
"How much?" Panzi scoffed.
"I’m saying she can sell around ten thousand tickets; do you believe it?" Ma Yubing replied.
"That many?" Panzi was taken aback. He quickly calculated: if a bottle of drink costs over three bucks and she sells ten thousand tickets, that's a hundred grand. After expenses, she'd still make tens of thousands a day. He exclaimed in shock, "Can the park and city management really ignore this business?"
"They're in cahoots with the park; they split the profits with the park management office. They cover all security wages," Black Steel chuckled and added, "Now Red Sister is leading those girls; they can earn twenty to thirty thousand a day—hahaha."
"Damn, that's fierce," Panzi said in surprise. He pointed around and asked, "Could this all be what Young Master Mu is behind? And that guy pretending to be a monk at Great Hidden Temple?"
"Exactly... It cracks me up! Those two clowns watching over things—Small Gourd and Big Gourd—one got his head shaved to be a monk while the other came here to play along... Do you know how much that monk makes in a day? He sold over two hundred incense sticks at most and made over forty grand. If you ask him to return to secular life now, he probably wouldn't come back," Ma Yubing laughed as he glanced at Old Cripple. Old Cripple's expression wasn't as pleasant; his subordinates were practically elevating Young Master Mu to the heavens.
"Over forty grand? Can the temple really... give away money so easily?" Panzi was skeptical.
"Not really. I heard from Big Gourd that the incense is sold for a hundred each, and it's pretty standard. They can't sell many in a day. When Young Master Mu came, he directly rented the place for ten thousand a day, so they must have been willing to do it. Usually, they can't collect this much, and as a result..." Black Steel didn't finish the sentence, but the outcome was clear: Big Gourd raised the price threefold, taking advantage of the Buddhist Sect's pure land.
"That's incredible! Is that even possible?" Panzi said, both amused and exasperated.
"Absolutely! When something goes wrong with the mechanisms, it's always the Temporary Workers' fault. If something happens in the temple, it's always the temporary monks who are to blame. Just drive them away... I reckon before they can kick anyone out, this bunch of crooks will come up with some other shady tricks... You wouldn't believe it, but this little Young Master Mu organized a group of old prostitutes that no one wanted on the streets not long ago. They called themselves the Liuying Guerrilla Team and went around various hotels stuffing small advertisements for money... They made more than I did! But it solved quite a few employment issues, haha... Unfortunately, it didn't last long before the police swept them up." Ma Yubing said, causing everyone to laugh uproariously.
Only Old Cripple looked a bit downcast and muttered, "Damn it, I've let the wolf into my house. I thought they could lay low for a while, but they're even more flamboyant than usual."
As the vehicle started moving, laughter continued, as if they had found this trivial matter to be quite entertaining. Panzi was in high spirits as he spoke. "When we get back to recruit people, business will be easier. We really need more hands. Normally when we go back to Suzhou and Hangzhou, there are plenty of people to recruit. But this time left us all dumbfounded; you look at me, I look at you. In the end, Old Cripple said:
"Panzi, I have everything now except for people... The little money you're offering won't attract anyone. The punks selling incense in the temple are already earning white-collar salaries."
This left Panzi stunned. The others laughed uncontrollably, even Ma Yubing mentioned that someone from his crew had come just to join in on the fun. As for Brother Panzi, he truly felt helpless...
…………………………
On the bustling Broken Bridge Road, Guan Yiqing was on the verge of breaking down after searching for two hours among the crowd. Shen Lingchen who followed her was unhurried, strolling along as he searched for their target amidst the throngs of people.
It was already April 10th; it had been over ten days since they last heard from Xiao Mu. She had rushed over after receiving a call from him that morning; their agreed-upon meeting time had long passed, yet Xiao Mu still hadn't shown up.
"Master, do you think he won't come?" Guan Yiqing wiped her sweat and felt anxious looking at the terrifying crowd. Shen Lingchen glanced around uncertainly and murmured, "No way; he wouldn't just be messing with us like that."
"What if he really is just messing with us? You know what kind of person he is." Guan Yiqing replied; she didn't have much fondness for Xiao Mu, especially after he abandoned his mission.
Shen Lingchen glanced at her and smiled, saying, "That's because you don't understand him."
"A couple of days ago, there was a citywide crackdown on illegal activities. Isn't it possible that all the small fry got caught, and he had nowhere else to go, which is why he called us?" Guan Yiqing replied. Shen Lingchen ignored her, and she continued, "Master, right now the main focus is on finding this Female Suspect. Whether he's here or not makes no difference. Is it really necessary to come all this way?"
"Young lady, you're being too impatient. If high technology could solve all problems, then what do we need so many Police Forces for? Your Information Center hasn't found any valuable leads either, has it?" Shen Lingchen said.
Guan Yiqing was momentarily speechless. The mysterious woman who had appeared twice was like an invisible person; there were no leads to follow despite her physical description. The cooperation notice had been sent nationwide, yet two weeks had passed without any information. She knew very well the reasons behind this; the backlog of wanted notices on Skynet and online fugitives was overwhelming. Who would pay attention to such cooperation notices?
A lot depended on luck, and often it seemed that luck was not on the side of the police.
Over an hour later, the phone rang. An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen, showing that the call was from Suzhou and Hangzhou. Shen Lingchen knew who it was. He held the phone to his ear, feeling a sense of nostalgia wash over him…
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