Wu Guo Zheng listened and habitually repeated, "Golden liquid fills the censer, golden leaves cover the offering table! To avert disaster by spending money?"
This method, if it were in ancient times, would have been very feasible. But in today's society, such conditions no longer exist. Even if one could obtain so much gold bullion and leaves at once, how would they melt it into liquid gold?
Moreover, such an act would be too conspicuous. If anything went wrong, his future would be ruined.
After pondering, Wu Guo Zheng cautiously probed,
"Immortal Venerable, to be frank, this condition is a bit harsh. How about you name a sum of money, and I can then show my filial piety to you. After all, all the gold in China is currently in banks, and taking it out would..."
Fearing the statue might be displeased, Wu Guo Zheng paused, then continued with a subservient tone, "It's too ostentatious and would invite a life-ending calamity."
Na Qian Lai, seeing Wu Guo Zheng's hesitant demeanor, understood his worries.
Money from Huaxia could also suffice. Xia Hua Bank could exchange it for any currency one desired.
"Then I'll tentatively set a figure for you: one million!"
"One million? This, this is too much!" Wu Guo Zheng was greatly shocked by the amount.
He had spent a long time and considerable effort to accumulate this much money, and now it would be gone in an instant. He was genuinely reluctant.
"What? Not willing?"
"This... this..."
Wu Guo Zheng stammered, unsure of what to do.
"Does your life not even amount to one million?" Na Qian Lai asked in a calm tone.
How could his life be bought for a million?
Indeed, this statement struck Wu Guo Zheng's soft spot. He couldn't let himself be looked down upon. He had never worried about money for so many years. A million was not a big deal.
He had been hesitant to keep too much money before because it wasn't wise to have too much on hand. If he truly put in the effort, he could still obtain it.
"This? Alright! I'll go and arrange it immediately. Give me three days, and I'll definitely manage it!"
"Go!"
Na Qian Lai said coldly, startling Wu Guo Zheng into leaving quickly.
The moment he exited the room, he had an idea and casually made a phone call.
...
Jia Zheng Qing, after meticulous planning and extensive investigation, had gathered a large amount of material and was now waiting for Wu Guo Zheng to return and sign.
After all, Wu Guo Zheng was his superior, and procedurally, he could not be bypassed.
Everything was on the verge of completion.
Bai Su Xiang learned this exciting news from Wang Gui Hua's phone call. She had been dedicating all her attention to this matter.
To encourage everyone, she had visited house by house to understand the situation and urge everyone to meticulously collect evidence.
Perhaps she had been too active, or perhaps someone had reported her to Jia Shu Qing.
In any case, she had come under scrutiny.
It was ten o'clock at night. She was preparing to take the bus from the Huai Hua Village bus stop back to her rented apartment.
The last bus was scheduled to depart at ten twenty. There were still four or five stops from here to the origin station. At this time, she was the only one at the bus stop. Fortunately, the streetlights were quite bright.
While waiting for the bus, she scrolled through her phone, a habit of most office workers in this era, and Bai Su Xiang was no exception.
However, after only a few minutes, she felt someone tugging at her clothes.
Bai Su Xiang's heart tightened. It was so late, and she was a young woman. Although not particularly timid, she was startled.
Just as she was about to react, she saw a little boy.
The child was only six or seven years old, thin, and looked at Bai Su Xiang with tear-filled eyes.
"Little friend, why aren't you home so late?"
"Wuwuwu!" The little boy cried.
"Don't cry, don't cry. Be good. Tell big sister what's wrong, and big sister will help you, okay?" Bai Su Xiang comforted him while wiping the tears from his eyes.
"I want to go home, but there are bad guys blocking me over there, not letting me leave."
"Bad guys? How old are they, and how many?" Bai Su Xiang's heart immediately tensed.
A girl with a child. Late at night, any adult would be more than enough for them.
"Wuwu, there's a boy only this tall. I can't beat him. But if I don't go back soon, Mom and Dad will worry!"
The little boy gestured, and Bai Su Xiang's anxious heart relaxed. It turned out a child shorter than herself was blocking his way.
"Don't be afraid, be good. Big sister will take you back now, okay?"
The little boy nodded, a happy smile appearing on his face.
Bai Su Xiang held the child's little hand while chatting with him.
It turned out he wanted to go out and play, but his parents disagreed, so he followed a child he knew out. However, they had a small dispute over something just now, and that child decided not to let him go back.
He had tried to run, but the other child had beaten him, so he had no choice but to run in a different direction.
Seeing a woman at the bus stop, he decided to try and get help.
A child's matter was not a major issue. It was understandable for his family to worry if he wasn't back by this hour. As long as she could mediate their dispute, they should be able to go home soon.
This was what Bai Su Xiang thought, completely unaware of the underlying problem.
From the bus stop, they had to walk along a small path by the riverbank. Bai Su Xiang was familiar with this path. Having frequented Huai Hua Village lately, she knew it well.
This section was relatively secluded. It wouldn't be suitable for walking alone at this hour, but with the little boy as company, Bai Su Xiang felt less scared.
The streetlights from the main road didn't reach directly here, but it wasn't completely dark, allowing her to see about fifty meters ahead.
"Look! He's over there!"
Bai Su Xiang looked in the direction he pointed.
Indeed, there was a child waiting ahead. However, the child was smoking, which made Bai Su Xiang slightly repulsed.
"It's him, he's not letting me go!"
The little boy seemed emboldened, pointing at the older boy and shouting loudly.
"Hey, little friend, why aren't you home so late? Listen to big sister and hurry home!"
Bai Su Xiang spoke gently to the smoking boy.
"None of your business! He didn't give me what he owed me today, so he's not going anywhere!"
"I won't give it to you, it's mine!" the little boy retorted defiantly.
"You dare! I'll beat you up!"
"Come on! Come on!..."
"Alright, alright. Both of you, say less, and listen to big sister, okay?"
Bai Su Xiang tried to ease the escalating tension and persuade them.
"All of you, shut up!"
A voice boomed, and not only the boys but even Bai Su Xiang froze in place.
Two or three people stood before them.