Chapter 134: A Fall into a Pit, a Gain in Your Wit

Li Changluo was dumbfounded. This black guy, this foreigner, had actually transformed into a charlatan, squatting there and reading palms for the group of security guards.

What the hell? Are foreigners this competitive now? Are they all leveling up their own skill sets? A foreign monster had started stealing the rice bowl of a Taoist priest.

Just then, a Mercedes-Benz pulled up and stopped in front of the gate. The passenger door opened, and a man stepped out—a middle-aged man. He was dressed impeccably, and even in middle age, his demeanor was nothing short of imposing and refined.

"Excuse me, sorry to bother you all. May I ask if you are Master Li?" The middle-aged man was graceful in his every gesture. With a smile, he interrupted this "grand" palm-reading convention.

The security guards looked up at the middle-aged man with some impatience, but at the urging of their captain, a few of them stood up.

"Welcome home, resident..." The guards greeted him listlessly and perfunctorily.

Yet, faced with these lackluster guards, the middle-aged man remained composed. There was not a trace of displeasure on his face as he smiled and nodded back at them.

"It was me who contacted you. You called me earlier, but I was busy and missed it. My apologies..." The middle-aged man looked at the black man and apologized profusely.

"What are you dawdling for? Hurry up! I’m in a rush; there’s a company meeting later. You’re always giving me trouble every single day." At this moment, someone else stepped out of the driver's seat of the Mercedes—a plump woman dressed in opulent, extravagant clothing, her face full of rolls of fat. As soon as she got out, she pointed at the middle-aged man and scolded him angrily.

"One moment, please..." The middle-aged man didn't get angry at being scolded in public. It was clear he doted on this woman, and he replied to her with great gentleness before turning his attention back to the black man.

The black man looked at Li Changluo, utterly bewildered. He was just a fake Taoist, someone tagging along with Li Changluo to mooch off free food and drinks. As for the specifics of the job, he knew absolutely nothing.

"He is Master Li, my master," Li Changluo said, pointing at the black man.

"Oh, I see. My apologies for keeping you waiting. Please, follow me inside..." The middle-aged man nodded and bowed to Li Changluo with neither servility nor arrogance.

Compared to the artificial, feigned politeness of Bai Lianhua—a politeness that carried hidden motives and murderous intent—Li Changluo could truly feel that the refined and cultured air of the man before him was not an act; it was something rooted deep in his bones.

Li Changluo felt a strong liking for this middle-aged man. The man turned back to exchange a few words with the guards. The captain waved him off impatiently, signaling that they could pass. Although the guards hadn't made things too difficult for him, it was obvious they didn't hold this man in high regard in their daily dealings.

"Get a move on! Why are you slacking off? Get in the car!" The plump woman grew impatient again, berating the man before getting back into the car and driving off, not even waiting for him.

"My apologies, my wife’s temperament is just like that. Please don't take it to heart," the middle-aged man said politely to Li Changluo and the black man as he watched the car leave. "My surname is Zhang. I’m the one who contacted you. Our home has been experiencing many strange occurrences lately, so I wanted to invite Master Li to take a look."

Mr. Zhang led Li Changluo and the black man around the residential complex and into the elevator.

"What kind of strange occurrences?" Li Changluo asked curiously.

"Things go missing for no reason..." Mr. Zhang replied, his expression somber.

"Losing things is normal. I lose things all the time. When you don't need them, they’re always lingering in front of you, but the moment you actually go looking for them, they vanish..." Li Changluo, feeling a sense of rapport with the man, tried to offer some comfort. "Try looking again carefully..."

"It really is impossible to find. They just disappear..." The man said with a wry, helpless smile.

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something. He reached into his bag and pulled out two heavy red envelopes, handing them to the black man.

"This is?" The black man took the envelopes and looked at Li Changluo, confused.

Li Changluo was momentarily stunned, wondering if this wasn't a custom in his country. "You’re too kind, Mr. Zhang. You shouldn't have gone to such trouble..." Li Changluo took the two envelopes from the black man, intending to tuck them into his own pocket.

The envelopes were indeed heavy; he felt there must be at least ten thousand yuan inside. This Mr. Zhang was truly a wealthy man, throwing money around so generously that he’d pay this much just as a meeting fee. Li Changluo was overjoyed, thinking that this job really wasn't a loss—it seemed doing private gigs for Bai Lianhua was actually quite lucrative.

"Master, what are you doing?" At that moment, Mr. Zhang looked in shock at the black man behind Li Changluo.

Li Changluo quickly turned around, so angry he almost slapped him. The black man had swiped one of the envelopes from Li Changluo's hand and was currently gnawing on it, his two front teeth tearing into it as if he were eating corn.

Bits of shredded banknotes were falling onto the floor.

"What... are you doing?" Li Changluo suppressed his rage and rushed to stop him, snatching the envelope back. He looked at the mangled Renminbi inside with a pained heart; they had all been chewed up.

"Doesn't your country have a saying? 'Eat a bite, grow a mite'..." The black man continued to stare longingly at the other envelope in Li Changluo's hand.

An awkward silence filled the elevator. Li Changluo was so angry he felt like crying. Are all foreigners this insane? Can't you just eat corn? Why are you eating money? And what the hell is "eat a bite, grow a mite"? Why don't you go eat copper coins instead?

"Master, you truly view wealth as dirt. Us worldly people can hardly reach a state of mind like yours..." Faced with the silence, Mr. Zhang tried to smooth things over with a polite compliment toward the black man.

"Dirt? Does dirt have the same effect as money? Does it taste good?" The black man smacked his lips and asked with complete seriousness.

Another awkward silence filled the elevator. Fortunately, the elevator finally stopped at the 23rd floor. Mr. Zhang ushered Li Changluo and the black man out before stepping out himself.

However, when Li Changluo and the black man stepped out, they were stunned. The elevator opened directly into a spacious, classically decorated suite. There wasn't even a main entrance. It appeared he had bought the entire floor to use as his residence.

"Please, come in..." The middle-aged man politely invited them in. Seeing the two of them looking around in awe, he smiled and continued, "This level is the living room. Please, have a seat for a moment."