At seven in the morning, the sun has not yet completely shone into Beverly Hills. The sandalwood columns on the east side of the villa are still stained with night dew, and the air is cool and moist, mixed with a little mint.
Lin Fang is cooking porridge in the kitchen, and the stove is dim. He moves skillfully, first slowly pouring the washed rice into the casserole, then throwing in a small handful of astragalus, a few split red dates, and finally lightly sprinkling some salt. The fragrance of the porridge gradually becomes stronger, and the white mist curls up, filling the kitchen.
This is his daily morning routine, and it is also a rule brought down from his master.
"Feng Shui masters nourish their qi first before nourishing their bodies. If the qi is sufficient, the eyes are clear, and the eyes are clear, the situation is accurate."
He has always believed this sentence. Numerology is not only about looking at the situation, but also about looking at people. If your own aura is chaotic, how can you observe the situation and remove the negative?
As soon as he served a bowl of porridge, the phone rang.
The caller ID showed Faulkner.
Lin Fang's eyes narrowed slightly and he answered the call.
"Bella is going to hold a media briefing today to officially announce the resumption of the Greenwell project." Faulkner spoke quickly, with a hint of uneasiness in his voice, "She also invited Professor Derek Wright back as the 'project ethics review consultant'."
Lin Fang raised his eyebrows slightly and paused the spoon on the edge of the bowl: "Wright?"
"Do you still remember him? A retired professor of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Southern California, he wrote "Mysterious Culture and Modern Superstition", which specifically criticized Eastern mysticism. A few years ago, he also joined the media to publicly criticize a group of Feng Shui masters."
Lin Fang picked up the porridge, blew it gently, and said in a light tone: "Of course I remember."
What he didn't say was that three years ago, Wright wrote an article attacking him for reading the Feng Shui of a Hollywood star's house, saying that he "spread superstition" and "used cultural barriers to make huge profits." At that time, he had just arrived in Los Angeles and had not yet established himself. He had not even completed the company registration, so he could only swallow this stigma silently.
Now, this "anti-counterfeiting fighter" has made a comeback, and he met him again on the Greenwell project.
After Lin Fang finished his porridge, he looked out the window. On the distant ridgeline, a ray of morning light finally emerged from the clouds and fell obliquely in front of his window.
"Since he is back, let me respond to him directly this time."
At 10 o'clock in the morning, Bella held a unique press conference.
The location was just outside the Greenwell plot, on a temporary glass platform. The sun shone on the platform, shining brightly, as if to give this briefing a layer of "justice" glory.
Bella wore a white professional dress with a silver sapphire brooch on her collar, which made her look heroic. She had a calm face and calm manners, but she was unquestionably strong.
Next to him was an old man in a gray suit, with silver hair and a stern look. His eyes under the gold-rimmed glasses were as sharp as a knife, and he looked at the media people in the audience with a sense of scrutiny.
"Dear journalist friends, investor representatives, and media colleagues--" Bella opened her mouth, and the audience flashed a flash of light, "Welcome to our Greenwell restart plan press conference. First, I would like to introduce our new consultant for this project-Professor Wright."
The applause rang out, with a clear rhythm, but not warm enough.
Derek Wright took a step forward and nodded slightly. He did not greet anyone, but spoke directly, his voice low and his tone cold:
"I must solemnly point out that the recent so-called 'feng shui disaster' and 'yin house broken' surrounding this place are purely cultural misunderstandings and personal speculations."
"Modern science has proven that the root causes of building disasters are often construction specifications, soil structure and management negligence, rather than the so-called 'earth evil' and 'dragon veins'. If we allow these statements to enter public decision-making, it will seriously affect rational planning and investment confidence."
The reporters quickly took notes, and someone had already typed a title on his notebook: "The counterfeiter is back, who can convince people, science or feng shui?"
In the third row of the audience, Lin Fang, wearing a black jacket, sat quietly. He did not raise his hand to speak, nor did he go on stage to question, but just looked at Wright on the stage quietly, his eyes slightly cold like a knife hidden in the night fog.
He could feel that the energy of the Greenwell plot was still not completely stable.
The Yin evil was not over, but was suppressed.
And the act of resuming work now is tantamount to pulling out the seal and actively provoking the power that has not yet completely subsided.
He knew that this matter was far from over.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, Lin Fang quietly returned to the outskirts of the Greenwell plot. He hid outside the crowd and did not cross the blockade. Instead, he walked slowly along the path in the southwest corner of the construction site and entered the remains of the locust tree forest that was scorched by the fire.
This forest has been deserted, and the charred trunks are like broken monuments standing on the surface. Withered and dead air mixed in the air, the earth's air seems particularly stagnant.
Lin Fang took out a small pottery jar, a copper plate for calming qi, and three special "measurement and attraction" talismans from his canvas bag.
"Although the talisman was temporarily placed that night, the earth veins are chaotic. It is easy to change again between pressure and relaxation."
He stood still, holding the copper plate, stepping on the five elements step, and slowly circled. His breath seemed to resonate with the heaven and earth, and his five senses were all in his heart.
Suddenly, a pointer in the copper plate deflected with a "swoosh" sound, and after vibrating violently several times, it suddenly pointed to the deep pit in the center of the plot.
He narrowed his eyes, his expression solemn.
"There seems to be something new in that pit."
Just as he was about to take a closer look, a sneer came from behind:
"Mr. Lin, long time no see."
Lin Fang turned around and saw a familiar figure - Derek Wright. At this time, he took off his suit and wore a light jacket. With obvious hostility, he stood in the shadow of the scorched tree, like an eagle, quietly waiting for an opportunity to swoop.
"Professor, are you here to see Feng Shui?"
"I'm here to confirm how many tricks your so-called 'Feng Shui' actually hides." Wright said sharply, "The 'strange phenomenon' appeared here last night. You were the first to see it, right? If you have the ability, come and explain it in public - don't hide behind the talisman paper spell."
Lin Fang was not angry, but smiled sarcastically: "Professor, you study archaeological anthropology, not geomantic theory. If Feng Shui is a trick, then why did you send someone to secretly film me suppressing the evil spirit last night?"
Wright was startled, obviously not expecting Lin Fang to know that he had set up a camera.
Lin Fang looked deep: "I am not afraid of debate. But please do not confuse academics with reality - the power of the earth veins does not rely on logic. It is the unity of the magnetic field, aura and field potential of heaven and earth. It cannot be restored by a few papers."
"Then let's verify it publicly." Wright stared at Lin Fang, "If you are really capable, you can lay out in public and let the compass turn by itself without touching the ground, touching the talisman, or chanting the spell."
Lin Fang pondered for a moment and suddenly asked: "How much do you want to bet?"
Wright sneered: "I don't bet with you, I bet on reputation. If you lose, you will withdraw from all Feng Shui consultant seats for this project."
Lin Fang nodded slowly: "I agree. If I win, please admit in front of the media that Eastern Feng Shui is not superstition."
Five o'clock in the evening.
A long table was set up on a vacant lot outside the Greenwell construction site. The setting sun was shining down, stretching the shadow of the table into a slender shape.
On the table were an unopened compass, a video recording device, and a verification agreement signed by both parties. The ink on the document had not yet dried.
Bella stood at the side of the stage in person, with a serious expression and a project document in her hand, but her eyes were always fixed on Lin Fang.
Lin Fang walked to the front of the stage with a canvas bag on his back, his expression calm and his steps steady. He looked at the audience. Many reporters were invited, and even representatives of the Los Angeles Geological Association, the expert group of the investor, and others were invited. The lineup was not small.
"Mr. Lin, please start."
Lin Fang nodded and took out three things from the canvas bag: a porcelain bottle, a copper spoon, and a small white porcelain mirror. He did not touch the compass, but squatted down on the spot, dug out three fingers of surface soil, and sprinkled it on a corner of the table.
He tapped the copper spoon lightly on the mouth of the bottle, and a drop of blue-black liquid in the bottle dripped into the soil. For a moment, the air seemed to stagnate for a moment, and even the bystanders subconsciously held their breath.
Lin Fang said nothing and suddenly raised the small mirror and pointed it at a dead locust tree in the northwest.
"Mirror is the guide, and Qi is the needle."
The next moment
The compass on the table was not touched by anyone, but the needle shook on its own, then slowly deflected and finally stabilized in the northwest direction.
Wright's face changed drastically!
He walked forward quickly, checked the bottom of the compass, confirmed that there was no magnet installed and no mechanism, and looked up at the mirror and bottle, his face completely gloomy.
Lin Fang spoke calmly:
"The evil spirit in the northwest of this place has not been resolved. The compass is attracted because of the floating earth energy. Feng Shui is not a magic trick, but a force of nature."
Wright gritted his teeth, was silent for a moment, and finally said in a deep voice: "I will fulfill the agreement."
Lin Fang did not show any complacency, but said softly: "Professor, Feng Shui is not a sorcerer's trick. It is the accumulation of wisdom from observing the aura of heaven and earth, people and the environment. If you are willing to understand, I can give you a copy of "Burial Sutra". The real Feng Shui is to make the living peaceful and the dead quiet."
That night, the Greenwell project team temporarily stopped the resumption plan.
Bella sat in the office, quietly watching the video playback of the verification, and the calmness on her face was covered by a layer of vague doubts.
She watched Lin Fang standing under the northwest wind and walking away alone, whispering softly:
"Lin Fang...what kind of person are you?"
What she didn't know was that Lin Fang was on his way home, taking out a gray-white feather from the bottom of his backpack, which he had caught from the air when he was suppressing the evil spirit that night.
He stroked it with his fingertips, his eyes as deep as the night sea:
"This matter is not over yet."