Chapter Eighteen: The Feng Shui Master

Feng Shui is a traditional Chinese practice that, despite entering the modern era, has not faded away. On the contrary, with the development brought about by the period of Reform and Opening Up, this mysterious tradition has gradually resurged. While not everyone claims to believe in Feng Shui, there are very few who outright dismiss it. Most people maintain an ambiguous stance, and some are true believers. The profession of Feng Shui master has gradually emerged, especially revered among the upper echelons of Hong Kong society.

Among the top five of the ten wealthiest Chinese tycoons, all reside in Hong Kong, and most of them are believers in Feng Shui. While perhaps not completely convinced, nearly every one of them will invite a Feng Shui master to evaluate a property before making a purchase—if only as a form of psychological comfort.

Li Guang was deeply passionate about Feng Shui and fortune-telling—one could even call it an obsession, which stemmed from his childhood environment and only grew stronger as he matured. It would be more accurate to say that Li Guang believed in Feng Shui rather than in Zhang Wei himself. He had never confided in anyone about his intention to divorce, nor did he think Zhang Wei could possibly know. Thus, he doubted that Zhang Wei would use terms like “curse the wife, bless the husband” to market a property to him, and instead felt it must be destiny’s arrangement.

Nonetheless, Li Guang was a cautious businessman. Before spending several million on a property, he insisted on verifying Zhang Wei’s claims. The most straightforward way was to invite a Feng Shui master to inspect the property, to determine whether its Feng Shui layout matched what Zhang Wei described as “curse the wife, bless the husband.”

After his discussion with Zhang Wei, Huang Fen returned to the living room in high spirits and, with excitement in her voice, asked Li Guang, “Honey, what do you think of this house?”

“It’s quite nice—the place is very suitable,” Li Guang nodded in agreement. Apart from the matter of Feng Shui, he was genuinely satisfied with the property itself.

“Honey, since you like it, let’s buy it!” Huang Fen had seen so many properties, yet this was the first time she had received Li Guang’s approval. She immediately seized the opportunity to push for the purchase.

“No rush. Didn’t Mr. Zhang mention there might be some Feng Shui issues? Let’s have a Feng Shui master take a look. If there are no problems, then we’ll buy it. How about that?” Li Guang replied.

“All right,” Huang Fen pouted, not believing in Feng Shui herself but also aware of her husband’s quirks, so she didn’t argue the point.

With Huang Fen’s agreement, Li Guang took his phone from his leather bag and made a call to the so-called “Feng Shui master,” his tone exceedingly polite. As for Zhang Wei, he was not at all concerned about the arrival of this master.

Back when Zhang Wei had just joined Zhongtong Company, he once unexpectedly handled a potential buyer. However, lacking experience, he was merely assisting Xu Ming, who was excellent at conversation and quickly established rapport with the client. The client was highly satisfied with the property. This client, a native of Guangdong Province, was fond of the place and, after deciding to buy, called in a Feng Shui master. As long as the signs were not disastrously inauspicious—even if only average—he would proceed with the purchase. But the final verdict was a dire omen, and the client reluctantly gave up on the house.

The commission for that property was considerable—enough for Zhang Wei to live comfortably for several years—only to be lost in a single phrase from the Feng Shui master. The dramatic swing from joy to disappointment was such a blow that Zhang Wei nearly considered quitting the industry altogether. Fortunately, Xu Ming talked him through it and he stayed on.

After that incident, Zhang Wei began to study Feng Shui to avoid future mishaps. Though he couldn’t claim expertise, he gained a general understanding of the field. Of ten so-called Feng Shui masters, eight are frauds and the remaining two are amateurs. True mastery is exceedingly rare, and those who possess it are often smooth talkers, difficult to distinguish from charlatans.

Nonetheless, Zhang Wei had uncovered one industry secret: Feng Shui masters charge by the visit. Every inspection brings in a fee, so to maximize earnings, they often exaggerate problems during the first couple of visits, discouraging the client from buying. This prompts the client to hire them several times, a tacit rule of the trade.

For this reason, Zhang Wei was certain that once the Feng Shui master arrived, he would advise the client against buying, citing poor fortune, dire omens, or calamity—exactly what Zhang Wei hoped for.

“Brother Li, shall we go out to meet the Feng Shui master?” Zhang Wei asked.

“No need. Master Yao is very familiar with this area. I’ve already told him the building and apartment number; he’ll find his way here,” Li Guang replied.

“Familiar with the area?” Zhang Wei sneered inwardly. This only confirmed his suspicion that the man was a wandering charlatan.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.

“That must be Master Yao. I’ll get the door,” said Zhang Wei, who was standing nearby.

When he opened the door, he saw a man and a woman standing outside. The man wore a long robe, with his hair combed into a high pompadour, a round body, pudgy face, and a goatee, appearing to be around forty. The woman wore a yellow cheongsam embroidered with peonies, her figure curvaceous, long legs exposed almost to the waist, hair styled up, and features radiant—a mature beauty of striking charm.

As Zhang Wei opened the door, he wore a professional smile, but it quickly vanished when he saw the pair, his eyes nearly blazing with anger. He had met them once before, though only briefly and without direct conversation, yet their encounter had left him with a deeply painful memory.

“Excuse me, is Mr. Li Guang here?” the middle-aged man asked with a beaming smile.

“You must be Master Yao—pleased to meet you,” Zhang Wei said through gritted teeth, forcing a smile as he extended his right hand.

“Yes, that’s me,” Master Yao replied, reaching out for a light handshake.

“And this young lady, how should I address her?” Zhang Wei quickly turned his attention to the beautiful woman, extending his hand once more.

“Hello, I’m Master Yao’s apprentice,” the woman answered, not giving her name. Seeing Zhang Wei extend his hand, she looked momentarily surprised but, after a slight hesitation, politely offered her own.

According to etiquette, it is customary for a woman to extend her hand first. If she does not, it signals an unwillingness to shake hands, and a gentleman should not force the gesture.

Zhang Wei grasped the woman’s hand firmly and even stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, his eyes roaming over her body, lingering on her most sensitive curves, like a lecherous rake.

“Since we’ve been introduced, shouldn’t you let us inside?” the beauty said, withdrawing her hand in disgust at Zhang Wei’s impropriety.

Master Yao’s face darkened at Zhang Wei’s indecent behavior, and he shot him a menacing glare, thinking, “This guy must be the agent showing Li Guang the property. How dare he act so brazenly—just wait, I’ll make sure you lose this sale.”

“Please, come in,” Zhang Wei said with a sly grin, ignoring the master’s anger. He could read minds and saw through Master Yao’s intentions, sneering inwardly, “Fat fool, last time you ruined my deal, and now you’re here to cause trouble again. But this time is different. The worse you make the Feng Shui sound, the more likely Li Guang will want to buy. I’m not afraid of offending you now!”

As it turned out, the middle-aged man and the cheongsam-clad beauty were the very same Feng Shui master and apprentice who had once cost Zhang Wei a lucrative sale—now enemies reunited, his anger flared at the sight. Zhang Wei’s flirtation was intentional, meant to provoke Master Yao into exaggerating the property’s dangers, which would only strengthen Li Guang’s resolve to buy.

(The story about the client from Guangdong Province is entirely true; not a word is fictionalized. The commission was so large that, even now, the memory still stings painfully!)