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byAmidst English and Cantonese, Chu Yuening stood by the side.
The Western boss was visibly furious as he yelled at Zhong Guoming, "I don't care about your formations or ghosts. Superstition is part of your Chinese culture, not mine."
"Tomorrow, I'll bring in professional architects to inspect the structure. Work will absolutely not stop. As for you, if you don't want to do it, feel free to resign anytime! This project won't collapse just because one person leaves!"
Feeling extremely awkward, Zhong Guoming still tried to persuade the boss, considering the gravity of human lives involved.
The Western boss ignored him and immediately called his younger brother to oversee the construction site.
Chu Yuening interjected, "If you insist on proceeding with the work and incur irreversible consequences, don't regret it later."
This formation was set on private land, and its impact would be greatest on the owner.
"Regret?" The Western boss sneered coldly. "How can I regret making money? I'd be smiling even in my dreams."
"Hopefully," Chu Yuening smiled faintly, stepping aside to let him pass.
Zhong Guoming watched the departing Western boss with a sense of defeat overwhelming him. But thinking about the laborers still working and the potential loss of life, he couldn't bear it. He ordered stretchers to be brought and personally tried persuading each worker to leave.
Yet, none of them were willing to go. They all poured out their grievances.
"Brother Ming, many of us don't have IDs. This job is our only means of survival in Hong Kong."
"Yeah, I've got a wife and kids back on the mainland relying on my earnings. We're so poor we can barely make ends meet. What good is a life if we can't provide for them?"
"Brother Ming, don't worry. If anything happens, we won't blame you."
"Just let us keep working."
Seeing that his efforts were futile, Zhong Guoming gradually felt despair creeping in. His last hope lay with Chu Yuening.
"Many of these workers are undocumented migrants from the mainland. Wages here in Hong Kong are several times higher than back home, so they came just to earn more. Without IDs, they've been hiding in the parking garage lately due to increased scrutiny. They sleep and work in the same place. If something goes wrong, they'll be the first to lose their lives."
"Master Chu, please, you have to save them."
Chu Yuening observed the golden gas drifting towards the towering skyscraper across the street, deep in thought. She turned back and assured, "Don't worry, I'll do my best."
Causeway Bay.
Outside a bustling food stall on Yongxiang Street, Industrial College.
Qiao Xing leaned against the wall of a telephone booth, while his classmates crouched on the sidewalk.
Chuan Caijun held a slip of paper with an address, comparing it to the street signs to confirm their location. Finally, he turned back.
"It should be this food stall," he said.
Two male classmates chimed in.
"Is your girlfriend running a hawker stall?"
"You better be sure about that."
"Indeed." Shanci Jun folded the note, a subtle smile playing on his lips as he thought about his upcoming reunion with his girlfriend. "When we spoke on the phone in Malaysia, I could hear the noise in the background. I asked her about it, and she does work in the food industry."
Shanci Jun's worries resurfaced.
The location has been found.
But how do we identify the right person?
After all, Shancaijun had never seen the individual in the flesh.
Qiao Xin scanned his surroundings and tapped on the transparent plastic cover of the phone booth. "Why not give it a try if there's a phone?"
Shancaijun found the suggestion reasonable and retrieved a dollar from his wallet.
Suddenly, a bell rang. The flock of pigeons pecking at the bricks were startled and took flight. A group of nuns, dressed in black habits, emerged in a line.
Their attention was drawn to the scene.
Ah Feng found it peculiar. "Why are there so many nuns in Causeway Bay?"
"Isn't there a Catholic church nearby?" another classmate, Ah Xing, chimed in.
Qiao Xing was known for his excellent memory. Upon recognizing a certain face, he promptly patted Shancaijun on the shoulder. "Take a look, isn't that the girl in your photo?"
Shancaijun hastily took out their polaroid for comparison and eventually confirmed, "It's her. Hmm, you seem to know her appearance better than I do."
"To have a good memory doesn't mean anything else," Qiao Xing clarified quickly to avoid any misunderstandings.
"Don't worry about it," Shancaijun said nonchalantly. "We're both victims of deception anyway, so it doesn't make a difference to me."
With that, Shancaijun went to a telephone booth to make a call.
Ah Feng and Ah Xing, on the other hand, whispered to each other discreetly.
"We actually found her."
"Could it be that she's really here?"
"If that's the case, isn't the goddess from the dessert stall really a fortune teller?"
"No way, could she really be that accurate?"
"Brother Qiao," Ah Feng inquired, "if the goddess is truly skilled in fortune-telling, what do you plan to do?"
Qiao Xing's thoughts drifted to his elder brother's mysterious illness. He had always found it peculiar. If Sister Chu was indeed capable of divination and face reading, shouldn't he also let her examine his brother?
His contemplation was interrupted as he lifted his head.
"I'll say it again, Sister Chu is not a topic for your discussion. Don't keep dragging her into your conversations."
"Oh," Ah Feng fell silent.
It was at this moment that the landline phone finally rang through.
The three of them watched as a tall, burly man with a full beard picked up the call inside the food stall.
Upon seeing the caller, Cai Jun wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Hello, I'm looking for Ruyi."
"Hold on, I'll call her out," the man said. Unconsciously, Cai Jun released a sigh of relief.
The man hung up the phone and took a couple of steps inside, calling out, "Ruyi, take the call!"
Thoughts of his girlfriend filled Shancaijun's mind, reigniting his anticipation. His eyes remained fixated on the food stall, not daring to blink.
Finally,
the man turned back, having run around the stall not just once but twice before returning to his phone.
This time,
he adopted a higher-pitched voice and plastered a smile on his face. "Is that Ah Jun? This is Ruyi."
Upon hearing that sweet and endearing voice, one he had fantasized about countless nights, Shancaijun felt as if struck by lightning, rooted to the spot.
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