Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Zhaoliang kept scrolling through the message on his social media feed as he returned home, unable to believe that Wei Xi had given him the "Introduction to the Basic Principles of Marxism." It was an ordinary book, without any hidden items inside. There were even highlighted key points with a highlighter, making it look exactly like the textbook Wei Xi had once used.

Zhaoliang fell into silence, staring at the bold title on the cover. After a long while, he hesitantly wondered if he had indeed been deceived?

Was he tricked into paying nearly four thousand yuan for this?

But this suspicion didn't hold much ground. Wei Xi's calculations had been astonishingly accurate, leaving Zhaoliang still on edge when he recalled those words. What kind of corporate spy would go through great lengths to infiltrate his life, discovering his illness, his father's passing, and even a childhood accident from when he was five, just to scam a few thousand yuan? That would be sheer foolishness.

Unable to figure out the puzzle, Zhaoliang reluctantly stuffed the inexplicable textbook into his bag and focused on his real tasks.

As an entrepreneur, his workload was usually overwhelming, and with his recent half-month-long illness, he had accumulated a backlog of duties. By the time he finished the last business engagement, the moon had already risen high in the dusky sky.

His business partners escorted him out of the restaurant, questioning his absence of a driver. Zhaoliang chuckled and hailed a taxi. "It's the National Day Golden Week, after all. Little Liu deserves to spend time with his girlfriend. I let him off early."

It had been years since he traveled alone. As he stepped out of the taxi in front of his neighborhood, he glanced at the gloomy sky and decided that a stroll back home under the evening breeze wouldn't be bad.

Surprisingly, the evening wind was unusually cool, not at all like the lingering heat of late summer.

The sky above was black, bereft of starlight, hinting at an imminent rainstorm. Zhaoliang adjusted his suit jacket and, with the familiarity of one who had trodden this path countless times, set off towards his home. The villa complex, situated south of the Second Ring Road, occupied a prime location where land was as precious as gold. Developed with meticulous care, it boasted an unusually high green coverage rate, a feature that had particularly appealed to him when he decided to purchase a property here.

The night wind rustled the trees beside him, and he raised his head with pleasure, watching the swaying branches under the streetlamps. As he strolled along, he suddenly felt something amiss.

Isn't this path a bit too lengthy?

His villa was situated not far from the entrance of the residential compound. Ordinarily, driving at a leisurely pace of around ten miles per hour from the garage would take no more than a minute or two. Yet, he had been walking for over ten minutes now and still hadn't come across the familiar gate of his home.

Zhaoliang turned around and looked; the security booth they had just passed was now out of sight. He took out his phone, and the display showed that it was eleven thirty-five in the evening.

In the stillness of the surroundings, only the rustling of leaves could be heard, as if he were the sole living creature in the world.

A subtle sense of unease stirred within him. After suppressing it, he continued walking for a while and eventually realized this wasn't an illusion. He immediately attempted to call home. To his surprise, no one answered, and after trying several numbers, all he received was automated disconnection. Staring at his phone, which was about to end its ringing cycle once more, Zhaoliang was on the verge of cursing these people for not picking up their phones in the middle of the night, when he casually glanced at the top of the screen and was struck like lightning.

11:35 - despite his prolonged struggle, not a single minute had passed.

An indescribable chill crept through his entire body, sending shivers down his spine and numbing the crown of his head. Pausing in bewilderment for two seconds, he turned around and started running back.

However, this road seemed endless; not only did it fail to lead him to his front door, but even the security booth he had just passed by had vanished without a trace.

Despite his composure in business matters, Zhaoliang couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine at the eerie scene before him. He screamed for security, but only the rustling night wind echoed his cries and footsteps.

With no response, Zhaoliang's mind went blank. No matter how hard he ran, the surroundings remained unchanged. Seeing no hope of escape and unable to contact the outside world, he ran until exhaustion set in, his voice hoarse from shouting. Finally, overwhelmed by mounting fear, he collapsed to the ground in despair.

"AAAAHHH!!! Is anyone there?! Anyone?!"

Silence.

What was this? Was he trapped in some ghostly maze? Would he be stuck here forever?

Zhaoliang clutched his briefcase tightly, his hopes fading as he sank into a silent, endless despair.

Just then, he noticed an unusual warmth emanating from his bag, especially in contrast to the cold wind blowing around him. It felt like a self-heating hot pack.

Startled, Zhaoliang instinctively unzipped it and immediately saw the book he had carelessly rolled up and stuffed inside. The corners of the pages were now curled from the hasty action. As he reached out to touch them, his fingertips met a soft, warm sensation.

In that fleeting moment, Wei Xi's words echoed in his mind: "Carry this with you, it can help avoid some trouble."

Zhaoliang's eyes widened in astonishment – no, surely not?

Yet his body moved faster than his mind could process.

The moment he grabbed the scroll, an indescribable mystical transformation struck him like a blow to the face, forcing his head back.

His vision went black, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing beside the security booth in his residential complex.

The stuffy air of early autumn enveloped him, and the guard by the booth looked at him quizzically. "Mr. Zhao? Mr. Zhao? You've been standing here for a while. Is there something you need from us?"

Zhaoliang blinked. For a brief moment, he thought everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.

But the sight that greeted him when he lowered his head jolted him. His right hand was gripping the scroll that should have been in his bag tightly.

The humid night breeze brushed against his face, yet it made him shiver as if every pore on his body was standing on end.

The guard at Jiawan Garden was wondering what on earth the homeowner standing by the booth was up to. Suddenly, his arm was seized, and the well-dressed owner asked in a strangely panicked tone, "Excuse me, can you please send me to my doorstep?"

It was an unusual request, but who could blame the high property management fees? The staff was service-oriented, so the young guard readily agreed, thinking to himself that even such a successful elite could be afraid of the dark.

As he pondered this, he heard rustling sounds behind him. When he turned around, he saw that the elite was walking while unfolding a book.

Security Guard: "???" Are all wealthy people this diligent, reading on the road even at this late hour?

To his surprise, the bizarre situation escalated. The sophisticated and astute businessman suddenly opened his mouth and began to read out loud:

"Practice is the foundation of the human world!"

"The world is unified in matter!"

"Matter determines consciousness!"

"Everything starts from reality!"

He read with great inflection and relish, as if he was entirely immersed and captivated by the text.

Security Guard: ".................."

This wasn't diligence, it was eccentricity, or perhaps even a mental issue?

Wei Tianyi couldn't bear to stay at the expo any longer. He promptly flew back to the capital city with his assistant on the next flight.

Upon witnessing firsthand the transformation of the courtyard gate that Butler Zhou had described, his simmering fury reached new heights. Fuming, he burst into the house, his mind in a blur. Standing at the entrance, he ignored the need to change his shoes and bellowed, "Damn it! Get out here right now!!"

In the past, he was the unchallenged authority at home. When he lost his temper, not only would his two sons cower, but even his wife would tiptoe around him. Among them, his eldest son, Wei Xi, was the most timid. A mere frown from him could leave the young man utterly flustered.

But today, his expectations of seeing his eldest son weeping and begging for forgiveness were dashed. Instead, Butler Zhou approached with a broom in hand, "Sir, why have you returned early?"

"I had to come back before that little bastard ruins this place completely! Where is he? Call him out! I swear I'll beat him senseless today!" Wei Tianyi was livid, but also suspicious as he asked, "Why do you have a broom?"

Hearing this, Butler Zhou gave a long sigh, "I was sweeping the yard. Young Master said that the cleanliness around the sign will be my responsibility from now on."

"???" Wei Tianyi's rage was momentarily dazed by this response. "What did you say?"

Just then, a familiar figure caught the corner of his eye. He turned to see his youngest son, Wei Chengshu, expressionless and carrying a bucket of water, heading outside. Upon noticing him, he paused and casually called out, "Dad, you're back."

Housekeeper Zhou explained, "Young Master Chengshu is in charge of cleaning the signboard."

Wei Tianyi: "..."

He erupted in anger. "None of you are allowed to go! Not a single one! Damn it, I think he's tired of living!"

Impatient to wait for Butler Zhou to fetch anyone, he stomped upstairs in his socks, furious and aghast. Who was in charge here, anyway?

His head spun with rage as he pounded on his son's door, yelling, "You little brat, get out here!"

From inside the room, a pleasant sound effect echoed, followed by Wei Xi's casual drawl, "Who's there?"

Wei Tianyi's anger reached boiling point. "Who? You know who it is! I'm your father!"

Expecting the shock of recognition to rattle his son, he was surprised when the door opened only after a long pause. Wei Xi stood barefoot behind it, clad only in pants, his hair tousled and sticking up in all directions, still staring intently at his phone.

Seeing the phone, Butler Zhou, standing beside Wei Tianyi, let out another mournful sob, his tears tinged with the terror of submission.

But Wei Xi ignored them, glancing briefly at Wei Tianyi's darkening face before saying, "Lower your voice, I can't hear the crocodile anymore."

Glaring at the screen, which displayed a grinning crocodile waiting for a bath, Wei Tianyi felt his vision darken with rage. He laughed through gritted teeth, asking sardonically, "Is this amusing?"

"Sure is!" Wei Xi's mood instantly lifted. Then, he remembered something. "Oh, you're back just in time. From now on, you'll be handling guest relations for our Taicang Sect."

Wei Tianyi was utterly perplexed. "?????? Did I come here to discuss this?"

He roared, "What did you say? Say it again?! What am I supposed to be responsible for?!"

Wei Xi found himself in a dilemma. It seemed that the other party had objections to their assigned tasks, and Unity Righteousness had emphasized listening to subordinates' expectations of their roles. Hence, instead of being annoyed by Wei Tianyi's outburst, he patiently suggested, "If you don't want to attend to guests, how about swapping tasks with Cheng Shu and cleaning the signboard?"

Wei Tianyi: "..............................................."

He finally realized they were talking past each other, causing him to see red with rage as he panted heavily. Manager Zhou quickly came to support his wobbling body while discreetly pointing at his temple towards the boss, whispering, "Sir, please don't be angry. Young Master has been like this since he came back home. Maybe it's because he's been away for too long... you know what I mean."

Wei Tianyi, leaning on his shoulder to regain balance, nearly spat out blood upon hearing this. He bitterly regretted not sending someone to fetch his son earlier. However, despite his regret, his anger remained. Seeing Wei Xi still offering to change his task to accommodate him, he gritted his teeth and forced a menacing smile.

"Very well, clean the signboard, I'll let you do it!"

Saying this, he shrugged off Butler Zhou and turned to leave.

Housekeeper Zhou stared blankly at his master's pufferfish-like back, while Wei Xi resumed gazing at his phone screen, casually explaining, "He's attending to my guests for me."

Entertaining guests, indeed! More like entertaining your mother!

With a burst of anger, Wei Tianyi stomped into the courtyard, rolling up his sleeves as he marched toward the main gate. He thought to himself, You little brat, you want your father to clean up your mess? I'll tear down that shabby sign of yours right now and show you who's really in charge of this household!

Little did he expect to see a familiar face the moment he stepped out of the gate, causing him to immediately lower his sleeves from his arm. "Old Zhao, why is it you?"

Old Zhao maintained his refined demeanor, holding a book in his arms as he politely replied, "I'm here to see Mr. Wei."

The entrepreneurs living in this area all had some level of acquaintance, and Wei Tianyi often engaged in business dealings with this neighbor who shared the surname Zhao. Thus, despite his anger, he still had to maintain a decent facade, forcing a smile. "You're looking for me? What's the matter?"

"Who's looking for you? !" Zhaoliang's expression soured, giving him an inexplicable glance before craning his neck to peer inside the house. His tone softened as he asked, "Well, Wei Xi, is Master Wei at home?"

Wei Tianyi: "..."

Seeing his silence, Old Zhao joyfully shared, "You wouldn't believe it, I recited Master Wei's interpretation of Marx all night last night, and now I've gained great insight!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than his expression drastically changed. He squatted down and frantically shook his friend who had collapsed on the ground.

"Old Wei?! Old Wei?!" he cried out anxiously, "What's wrong with you? Did you fall under a spell? Why are your eyes rolling back?"