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"It's impossible to make your son give up this thrill of being feared and return to studying diligently," Chu Yuening stated.

Mama Tong's face revealed her anxiety. She had never considered this aspect. Straightening up, she eagerly asked, "Then, according to Master, what should I do?"

Chu Yuening pondered for a moment.

Mama Tong's son had strayed due to psychological issues. In such a case, no talisman would be effective.

"Talismanic effects only work against malevolent entities," Chu Yuening explained. "Here's what you should do. Follow my instructions."

"Okay." Mama Tong nodded rapidly, almost like a chicken pecking at rice. "I'll definitely listen to Master."

"After school, go pick him up yourself," Chu Yuening continued after a pause. "Remember, when you reach the school gate, loudly praise him in front of his classmates or passersby."

Mama Tong nodded, awaiting further instructions. Seeing that Chu Yuening remained silent, she grew puzzled. "What next? Should I tie him up?"

Chu Yuening shook her head. "No need for any of that. Absolutely avoid radical methods. Just praise him, lavish him with praise, exaggerate it if you must."

Mrs. Tang still felt uneasy.

Could compliments really steer her son back on the right path?

But with the thought that her son was about to get into trouble, she couldn't sit still anymore. She stood up to pay the fortune-telling fee and hurriedly said, "Master, I'll go fetch him right away."

Mrs. Tang decided that regardless of whether compliments would work or not, she would give it a try.

Moreover, her son must not step out of the house today, no matter what!

After the woman left,

Chu Yuening picked up her teacup and took a sip. A neighbor, after much pondering, still couldn't understand how compliments could be effective and thus asked for clarification.

Chu Yuening explained.

"Youth delinquents often put on an aura of toughness and arrogance; they tend to be ruthless and heartless, appearing like fierce deities."

There were indeed righteous and decent sides among these delinquents, but unfortunately, the one her son was following was a genuine villain, someone who wouldn't bat an eye at committing murder.

If the Tang family's son doesn't back out, even if he doesn't die, he'll sooner or later be involved in a murder case and end up in jail.

"They even take pride in defying their parents and abusing the elderly. You tell me, what does a 'good child' and a conscientious person mean in such a dark gang?"

The neighbors were all puzzled.

"Could it mean that they're weak-willed, easy to bully, and manipulate?"

"That's right, Master. Even the most conscientious person would eventually lose their humanity after spending too much time in a gang, wouldn't they?"

Only an uncle who had been a gang member in his youth clapped after Chu Yuening finished explaining, "Brilliant! Master's move is truly brilliant!"

He was quite emotional. "Back when I was young and ignorant, wandering in society, I despised nothing more than those with no backbone, those who were weak-willed! Conscientious people were labeled as indecisive, and they were a burden to the gang."

"Master's move is like cutting off any escape route for these youngsters. Think about it, how could a pack of wolves and tigers in the gang tolerate a harmless little white sheep?"

"That's precisely the point." Chu Yuening smiled and looked at the crowd. "Alright, we can start the next divination."

The fortune-teller was a young man in his early twenties. He wore a black leather jacket, a red and white-checked scarf tied around his head, and had an earring in his right ear. His appearance screamed hippie, as he held a cup of freshly bought coffee latte.

Scarcely had he sat down when he began shivering. "Master, standing in line so early in the morning was really chilly. Could you perhaps put up a shelter to block the wind?"

"I'm afraid I can't set up a shelter, but my shop on Temple Street will be opening soon. You could seek refuge there from the wind and rain then," Chu Yuening said with a smile.

"Two hundred yuan for a reading. If you're fine with that, please provide your birthdate and time."

"Birthdate and time? Luckily, I came prepared." Tan Bei shifted his weight and pulled out a slip of paper from his jeans pocket, laying it out on the table with a grin. "Master, here's my birthdate and time."

Chu Yuening glanced at it, memorized the information, and began counting on her fingers. "Your family's circumstances are quite decent – you could say they're middle-class. Your birthdate carries the influence of the Literary Star, indicating that you're an excellent scholar. Did you receive a scholarship this year?"

"Ha ha." Tan Bei rubbed his earring. "A true master speaks differently, doesn't she?"

So that was it.

Yesterday, Tan Bei had intended to get his fortune read by any street-side fortune-teller. He'd approached two, but both had commented that while he might not excel in studies, he had great potential for advancement in his career.

Career?

He's still in college; where would he get a formal job from?

No comparison, no hurt.

The Master not only predicted his academic excellence but also that he'd receive a scholarship this year.

Chu Yuening asked, "What do you want to have calculated?"

Tan Bei's smile faded as he recalled something, his gaze drifting around the surroundings. Then, he whispered, "I feel like there's been a thief at home."

The neighbors grew curious.

"Young man, why do you think there's been a thief at your place?"

"Surely you've lost something very important, right?"

"You're spending two hundred yuan to have your fortune told to catch a thief? If he stole from you, why would you spend more money on him?"

"Of course, you should call the police. Once caught, let the thief go to jail."

Tan Bei rubbed his earring and sighed. "I wish the thief would end up in jail too. I did call the police, but they said the amount involved was too small for them to open a case."

Too small an amount for a case?

The neighbors found that odd.

"That doesn't make sense. In Hong Kong, they'd arrest someone for as little as a hundred or two hundred dollars."

"Right, buddy. What did you lose?"

The young man stretched out his hand, bunching up his fair complexion as he let out a long, pained sigh.

"Socks, all my socks were stolen."

Socks?

It was socks that got stolen?

Was there really such a thief who only stole socks?

The atmosphere in the entire venue took an eerie turn.