Li Zhou watched his father walk out of the room in an uncharacteristically good mood. The man’s first words were: “Pack your things; we’re moving. Also, your car is a bit dated. Take my card and buy a new one—nothing too cheap, don’t embarrass me.”
Li Zhou stared at his father, scanning him up and down. “…? Dad, did we hit the lottery? Or did Bo Nan cast a spell on you?”
Moving house and buying a new car? Was this still his father?! When Li Zhou first got his license, his father had tried to buy him a second-hand Wuling Hongguang for thirty thousand yuan!
Li He’s eye twitched. He couldn’t help but glare fiercely at his son. “Spell, my foot! Is that any way to talk? Why can’t you learn a thing or two from Bo Nan?! You’ve played with him since you were kids, yet you haven’t picked up half his talent! Get lost and go buy your car!”
Looking at his bewildered child, Li He felt the sudden urge to throw the boy away. They were both twenty years old. Bo Nan had just dismantled the Qian family until not even the bone marrow was left, playing the game of social favors like a seasoned pro. And his own son?
He didn’t expect Li Zhou to be like Bo Nan’s brother, Bo Yizhen, who was already managing half the family empire at twenty. He didn’t even expect him to be as terrifyingly efficient as Bo Nan. But at the very least, the boy shouldn’t be giggling like an idiot just over a new car!
It was infuriating!
…Whatever. It was his own kid; he just had to accept it.
Actually, Li He had been shocked when Bo Nan asked for the house.
In this society, financial debts are easy to settle, but “human sentiment” favors is the hardest currency to repay. A debt of gratitude between two families is the perfect start to a long-term alliance. Today I owe you, tomorrow you owe me; it keeps the relationship flowing and ensures both sides leave room for the other.
Bo Nan’s request was the first step.
By agreeing without asking for a reason, Li He was signaling his willingness to grant a favor—and by extension, suggesting a deep, inter-family bond.
The Bo family was clearly preparing for a massive move.
Meanwhile, the massive trending news had caught the attention of certain “specialized” individuals.
Nineteen family members, from an eighty-year-old patriarch to a twenty-year-old youth, all dead from a pierced heart? No one believed that was just a coincidence. On a certain specialized forum, the thread had already reached a dozen pages.
1L: To be honest, if there’s nothing supernatural here, I’ll eat my hat. Any brothers in Suzhou checked the site? What taboo did they break?2L: Ticket bought; arriving in Suzhou tomorrow [Ticket_Photo.jpg]. Looking at the satellite maps, the Feng Shui of that manor is actually great. Could it be a literal ghost revenge? With so many kills, it’s normal to attract some Yin energy.5L: I’m leaning towards them offending some Big Boss. This was too clean…
Soon, a high-resolution photo of an inkstone perched near the Qian family gate appeared in the thread.
Under the sunlight, the inkstone looked oily and bright, as if it had been handled for decades. The originally black surface had a faint dark-red glow—likely a color shift under strong light—and a massive crack ran straight through the middle.
As soon as this appeared, the professionals in the forum understood. Even through a screen, they could feel the ominous aura radiating from the object.
9212L: Massive respect to the Big Boss. It really is a “Heart-Piercing” inkstone.9214L: …Is it just me? I went to the site. The Qian Feng Shui is top-tier. I saw the inkstone too; it’s fierce, but not that fierce. Everyone has a few cursed artifacts at home. If placing a Heart-Piercing Inkstone could wipe out a whole family, this forum would be a graveyard by now.9215L: If you’re a noob, talk less. That’s exactly why the guy is a Big Boss! He didn’t change the house layout, but used a small object to trigger a massive result. @Mr.Yun, your thoughts?Admin Yun: The investigation team has been dispatched to Suzhou. Based on the evidence, the person intentionally left the inkstone as a warning. Their ability to use such an artifact to such devastating effect is not to be underestimated. I advise all members to stay away from Suzhou for now to avoid being mistaken for an enemy.Admin Yun: The Feng Shui of this thread has turned sour. Thread locked. Do not reply.
Bo Nan saw the post. He had originally come to the forum to post a “WTB” ad for artifacts, but he couldn’t resist the gossip.
He sent a private message to “Mr. Yun,” providing his contact details for further communication—and casually asked if they were selling any artifacts. He was truly “poor” in that department.
As a former grandmaster of artifact crafting, Bo Nan felt anxious if he didn’t have at least a hundred pieces in his collection.
At least the jade was arriving.
The jade from Bai Yanggui had been delivered—the piece Bo Nan had liked from the start, valued at 8.8 million yuan. Bo Nan chuckled to himself. Who gives away a ten-million-yuan gift on a whim? Wasn’t he afraid of being treated like a human ATM?
That said, Bo Nan really needed it.
Thinking about it, he hadn’t seen anyone from the Bai family at the Qian funeral. Come to think of it, the Bais probably weren’t from Suzhou. If they were, he would have heard of them. Their headquarters were likely in Shanghai, and Bai Yanggui was just here for business.
No wonder the guy was so desperate to sign a “sponsorship” contract; he probably couldn’t stay in Suzhou for long.
He picked up his phone and sent a message to Bai Yanggui: Are we on for tonight?
Exactly three seconds later, his phone buzzed: YES!!!
Message retracted.
Bai Yanggui: Sure, I happen to be free tonight.
Bo Nan leaned back in his chair, smiling. The guy was actually quite cute.
After the amusement, it was time to work.
The jade Bai Yanggui sent didn’t even need carving. Tossing it into his pond to soak in the Qi for a while would turn it into a fantastic artifact.
He wanted Li Zhou’s house because:
It was cursed and unfit for the Lis.
It cemented his alliance with them.
His own mountain project (Little Qing Mountain) hadn’t even started, and he needed a place to live away from his parents.
First, he had to deal with the Jade Heart Bamboo.
Half was planted in the garden as an array core; the other half sat in his wardrobe. His nanny, Auntie Li, had asked several times if she should throw the “dead sticks” away.
Bo Nan took the bamboo to his newly renovated workshop. He stood in the center, contemplating. He chose not to set a “nurturing” array here; the house’s overall Feng Shui was for living, and concentrating too much Qi in one room would ruin the balance.
He sat at the bench, a stalk of Jade Heart Bamboo before him. He felt its aura—familiar, but he had to be precise. He hadn’t done this in a long time.
Jade Heart Bamboo was a rare resource; every inch used was an inch gone.
With a focused strike of Qi, he shattered the bamboo’s internal aura. The bamboo bent but didn’t break—supple yet strong. Before the aura could rush back in, Bo Nan’s blade flashed. One stalk was divided into eighteen perfect sections.
If the blade is fast enough, the bamboo doesn’t even realize it’s been cut!
He spent the afternoon crafting. He made a set of Jade Bamboo Wind Chimes.
Wind chimes naturally disperse malevolent Qi. When the wind blows, the “Jade” pieces strike each other, purifying the air. It’s essentially an atmospheric filter. Combined with the noble spirit of bamboo and the purity of silver wire, it was a top-tier health-boosting artifact.
By the time he finished making brushes, decorative pieces, and other trinkets, he had used all eighteen sections. He looked at the remaining stalks in the corner and chanted to himself eighteen times: Resist! Do not use them all on small items! Save the big pieces for the mountain!
Bo Nan cleaned up, transported the raw jade to the backyard pond, and went for a shower. Halfway through, his father’s roar echoed from downstairs:
“Bo Nan! Get your ass down here!”
“You’ve got nothing better to do than torture my fish?! What the hell did you throw in the pond?! Where did all my koi go?!”
Bo Nan: “…?”
He was sure he’d been careful!
“Don’t you play silent! Get down here!”
Bo Nan quickly rinsed off and chose… to jump out the window and bolt.
There was no reasoning with his father over dead fish. Better to run now and apologize later.
Bai Yanggui was enthusiastically making dinner reservations. He demanded red wine, roses, and a violin. Since it was a Chinese restaurant, the manager was confused for several minutes before they compromised on a guzheng (zither) performance.
His secretary knocked and entered. Bai Yanggui instantly wiped the goofy grin off his face. “Come in.”
“President Bai, these contracts need your signature. Also, there’s a web conference with Zhongyi in twenty minutes. At 4:00 PM, you have a meeting with the Liu family…”
Bai Yanggui waved him off. “Push the 4:00 PM meeting to tomorrow.”
The secretary hesitated but bowed. “Understood. I’ll inform them.”
Bai Yanggui sighed and started signing. He didn’t want to work! He wanted to wait at the restaurant for Bo Nan!
Wait, does Bo Nan know the address? Should I pick him up? Which hotel should I book? The same one as last time?
Is it bad if I leave early? Should I just give the whole company a half-day off?
He slapped his cheeks to snap out of it. Bo Nan was expensive; he had to work hard to afford him!
But his phone rang—a special ringtone. His family.
“Yanggui, come back today,” his grandfather’s voice came through. “Your youngest uncle is back. Suzhou isn’t safe right now. Put the work on hold; I’m sending someone else to take over.”
Bai Yanggui froze. His first thought: How do I woo Bo Nan from Shanghai? His second: I just got this autonomy!
“Not safe?” He signaled the secretary to leave. “Grandpa, I’m not coming back easily. What do you mean ‘not safe’?”
His youngest uncle worked for the government in a classified capacity. If he was warning the family, something was truly wrong.
“I told you about the Qians. There’s a dangerous person in Suzhou—fourteen branch members died. Your uncle is going there to investigate. I won’t let you stay there alone until it’s cleared up.”
“The Qians? Wasn’t that an accident?” Bai Yanggui was skeptical of the “ghost revenge” rumors.
“Too many coincidences,” his grandpa said. “I’m old; I don’t want to bury another son or grandson. Come back to Shanghai, or go to Hangzhou or Wuhan—anywhere but there.”
Bai Yanggui negotiated: “How about this: Uncle is coming here, right? I’ll host him. If his investigation proves there’s a real threat, I’ll come back with him. I’m safe as long as he’s here.”
“…Fine. But give me your word: be careful. Nothing is more important than your life.”
“I know, I know,” Bai Yanggui said. “When does Uncle arrive?”
“Around 6:00 PM.”
Bai Yanggui’s head throbbed. He had a 6:00 PM date with Bo Nan.
If he sent his secretary to pick up his uncle, he’d probably be beaten. His uncle had a terrifying temper and could take down four bodyguards in twenty seconds without breaking a sweat. But if he went himself, he’d be stood up Bo Nan again.
He called his uncle. “Hey, Uncle? Where are you?”
“Still at home,” a cold, icy voice replied. “Speak.”
“I… I have a date with a future partner tonight. Can my secretary pick you up?”
There was a pause. “Future partner?”
I haven’t won him over yet.”
“Fine.” Click.
Bai Yanggui sighed. He straightened his tie and opened his webcam for the meeting.
“Hello, I’m Bai Yanggui from the Suzhou branch. Sorry I’m late.”
The man on the screen nodded coldly. “No matter. I hope President Bai is punctual next time. I am Bo Yizhen. Pleasure to meet you.”
Meanwhile, Bo Nan was at a hotel. He received a call from the family who gave him the lightning-struck wood.
“Mr. Bo, we’ve gathered all the artifacts you requested. Are you free today?”
“Today? No,” Bo Nan looked at the sky. “Today is ill-omened for such tasks. Tomorrow is better.”
He couldn’t stand up Bai Yanggui a second time.
He lit a cigarette and looked out the window. He had to keep his “sugar daddy” hooked. After all, the man just gave him an 8.8 million yuan gift. It would be bad business to skip dinner.