Zhao Yuezhu said, "It was my tutor. He said I was suited for copywriting and that it would be beneficial to get some experience at the newspaper."

"Because of this, some of my classmates weren't too happy. They said I was relying on connections to get the internship."

I pressed her, "Whose connections are you relying on?"

"My dad's!" Zhao Yuezhu said, "My dad has a great relationship with Teacher Liu. He often goes to the school to chat with him. Many of our classmates have seen him."

"Teacher Liu respects my dad a lot. Every time he sees him, he calls him Teacher Zhao."

Feng Ruoxing, Ye Yang, and I exchanged glances.

None of us spoke, but we exchanged a lot of information with our eyes. Feng Ruoxing quietly retreated into the suite's inner room.

I opened my mouth and asked, "Tell me, which story do you think is more likely to hold a secret?"

Zhao Yuezhu answered almost without hesitation, "I think it should be the story of *Tie Ban Shen Suan* (Iron Plate Calculation). And, the person who died in that story is a bit strange."

I couldn't help but press her, "How was that person's death strange?"

Zhao Yuezhu said, "I heard that person always had a small piece of red cloth tied to their index finger, like a ring. They never took it off."

"A Suanshi (Calculator) disciple!" Ye Yang and I said at the same time, looking at each other.

Many people think that Suanshi are the same as Ming Shi (Fate Diviners), but in the world of arts, there is a big difference between Suanshi and Mingshi.

For Mingshi, it's seventy percent fate, thirty percent human.

Suanshi are the opposite of Mingshi; thirty percent fate, seventy percent human.

To put it more clearly, the focus of Suanshi's calculations is on the person. They deduce the outcome of an event based on a person's character, their environment, and their experiences. Therefore, fate is only an auxiliary tool for them.

The saying in the arts world, "Nine lives, one calculation," means that Suanshi are extremely rare.

Art practitioners don't need to and won't provoke Suanshi, because Suanshi are never independent entities. They often serve as retainers for others.

Even if an art practitioner can afford to offend the employer of a Suanshi, they won't easily act. The person who can hire a Suanshi must be a truly powerful figure.

Before a Suanshi completes their apprenticeship, they will tie a red thread on their finger, meaning that they have not yet used these hands to "take food."

The day a Suanshi disciple removes the red thread is not only the day they complete their apprenticeship, but also the beginning of their service to their employer.

Ye Yang and I saw the doubt in each other's eyes: if that person was really a Suanshi disciple, then they shouldn't have died so easily at Bai Xin's hands.

How can a Suanshi who can't even calculate their own life and death talk about planning for others?

While Ye Yang and I were looking at each other, Zhao Yuezhu became spirited, "What is a Suanshi disciple?"

Seeing that besides the phrase "It's not good for you to know too much," I didn't continue to explain to her, Zhao Yuezhu pouted and continued, "What happened to that person during their internship at the newspaper was exactly the same as the story."

"After Bai Xin's story was published, people at the newspaper already thought that the story was written about him. A few days later, he actually said that he was Bai Xin. He even took leave to go home."

"However, he never came back after he left. The newspaper also received a notice from the police, saying that they had to identify the body. It was the person surnamed Dong who went to identify the body. The person surnamed Dong also handled the person's funeral."

"His story was never finished."

I thought for a moment and said, "What was that person's name? And what was the story about?"

Zhao Yuezhu said, "Wait, let me think. The story was written in the first person. I have to think carefully about how to tell you the story."

While Zhao Yuezhu was frowning and thinking about the story, Feng Ruoxing also walked in from outside. Standing behind Zhao Yuezhu, he transmitted his voice to me, "I found out that Zhao Yuezhu's tutor, Liu Yu, is also researching Bai Xin. There must be something fishy about her getting Yuezhu into the newspaper! Should we split up again to investigate?"

I shook my head slightly and said, "Let's listen to Zhao Yuezhu's story first!"

Feng Ruoxing hesitated and transmitted his voice again, "Have you ever suspected Zhao Ci, or Zhao Yuezhu?"

I nodded slightly, "I have! That's why I want to hear this story even more."

Zhao Yuezhu didn't know that the three of us were secretly transmitting voices, "I've thought about it. You guys sit tight and listen to me tell you the story."

The protagonist of the story is named Qian Hong, and he is a strange college student. When he went to school, he always wore a red thread on his hand.

His story has to start when he graduated.

The year Qian Hong graduated from college, he encountered the first predicament of his life.

Qian Hong had only been working for two months when the company's trade secrets were leaked. All the blame was pointed at Qian Hong. Although Qian Hong was not arrested, he faced a lawsuit from the company.

Qian Hong's ex-girlfriend not only didn't offer a word of comfort, but also advised Qian Hong to "surrender himself to the authorities."

Qian Hong knew who did it. The leak was inseparable from Qian Hong's ex-girlfriend and the company's supervisor. But Qian Hong had no evidence and could only wait to be sued.

At that time, Qian Hong was almost driven crazy and just wanted to kill those two bitches and then kill himself.

Qian Hong really went to buy a knife.