Chapter 13

Longevity Technology, a rapidly growing online game development company in recent years, enjoys great renown across the country. It not only occupies an entire independent building in the city’s central business district but has also ranked among the top ten global gaming companies in revenue for three consecutive years.

Qiu Changsheng, the CEO and primary shareholder of Longevity Technology, needs no introduction given his immense wealth and status.

That such a magnate valued and promised cooperation with this student made the school leaders silently marvel: This Chu fellow must be exceptionally skilled in IT technology!

Chu Ning remained silent, thinking to herself, “Is it possible that he’s actually interested in my calming talisman?”

Given how warmly the school leaders looked at him, Chu Ning found it somewhat awkward.

Qiu Changsheng proposed collaboration, proactively exchanged contact information with Chu Ning, and even repurchased all the calming talismans Chu had on hand.

Seeing Qiu Changsheng’s straightforward payment, Chu Ning cheerfully handed him a sleeping talisman as a bonus, generously waving off any payment: “This one’s on the house!”

Qiu Changsheng looked at the free sleeping talisman in his hand in disbelief, thinking, “If he gifts me this, where would I possibly use it?”

He really could not imagine any circumstance in which he would want to use a sleeping talisman that induced three days and nights of deep sleep from which one could not be roused.

Nearby, his assistant received a call informing them that the company car had arrived and parked by the roadside. Hearing this, Qiu Changsheng hesitated for a moment, then wrapped his Buddhist prayer beads in a napkin. Before leaving, he remembered to ask, “Do I need to recite an incantation in advance to use the sleeping talisman?”

“No, it’s not necessary,” Chu Ning replied.

She prided herself on strictly pricing her talismans: the more expensive ones were naturally more complicated to use but also more effective and versatile; the cheaper ones were simpler. “For a talisman costing a thousand yuan, all you need to do is tap it on your forehead when you want to use it. It’s very simple.”

“...Tap it on the forehead?”

Qiu Changsheng suddenly recalled old zombie movies where Taoist priests subdued zombies by sticking talismans on their foreheads. He was taken aback.

Could this talisman actually be used to exorcise spirits?

He wondered uncertainly.

But since Chu Ning said nothing more, Qiu Changsheng decided not to scare himself and hastily pocketed the sleeping talisman. With his assistant’s persistent urging, he took his leave.

On the school leadership side, after witnessing the transaction between Chu Ning and Qiu Changsheng, each person’s expression varied.

However, since the principals still had school affairs to attend to and the investment issue was resolved, they planned no extended stay at the creativity market. They merely exchanged a few words with Chu Ning, subtly encouraging students to innovate in their business ventures but to maintain moderation. Then, as they had arrived, they quickly departed.

With the bustling crowd gone, the area in front of the stall fell quiet.

Chu Ning relished the calm, repeatedly reviewing the day’s earnings with inner fulfillment and unparalleled joy.

Time was growing late. Chu Mingming busily helped pack up the stall nearby.

Chu Ning had just finished tallying the accounts and was about to call his younger brother home when a heavy cough sounded — from Director Kang, who both brothers had completely ignored.

Chu Ning looked up in confusion: “Director Kang, why haven’t you left yet?”

Director Kang responded solemnly, “There’s still the matter of the anonymous complaint unresolved. Chu, please come with me to the office for registration.”

Chu Ning let out a small “Ah,” suddenly feeling guilty.

The previous events had unfolded too quickly, and he had truly forgotten about this issue.

But Director Kang was indeed diligent!

As dusk deepened, the full moon pierced through the darkening clouds, casting a sparse, faint light.

***

Chu Ning let Chu Mingming leave first and accompanied Director Kang to the office alone.

No sooner had they sat down than Director Kang’s wife called, her tone anxious and frantic.

“Old Kang, have you found that master I asked you about a few days ago? Wenhong just had another nightmare! He kept crying with his eyes shut, his throat hoarse from sobbing. Neither Mom nor I could wake him!”

Director Kang sighed, dragging his pen sharply across a blank sheet, the scratchy sound harsh in the quiet office.

Hearing that his son was in trouble again, his serious expression deepened with worry.

“Wenhong cried in his dream again? Did you give him the medicine from the hospital today? Listen, wife, don’t worry just yet. I’ll be home soon…”

Before he could finish, his wife’s voice trembled with tears.

“Our Wenhong has been obedient about taking medicine every day, but after half a month, there’s no effect! And every time you say ‘don’t worry,’ but look at him now! Kang Yanming, are you really Wenhong’s biological father?”

Director Kang hastily replied, “Of course I am.”

His wife snapped back, “Fine, if you’re his biological father, have you found the master or not?”

“I did look…” Director Kang glanced at Chu Ning and lowered his voice, “But sweetheart, Wenhong might not actually be possessed.”

As soon as he said this, his wife, well acquainted with his character, knew he probably hadn’t found any master at all and was just placating her.

She immediately exploded in anger.

“Kang Yanming! Fine, I don’t care if you found the master or not! But I’m telling you honestly, Mom just called a local ‘Fairy Lady’ who’s said to be very effective. She’s coming over soon to perform a ritual for Wenhong! Whether you like it or not, after work, you need to withdraw more money from the bank. According to custom, we have to give a big red envelope!”

Director Kang’s head was pounding. He turned away, covering the phone, helplessly asking, “Wait, where did Mom find this ‘Fairy Lady’?”

He remembered his mother never believed in such things before. Why was she now colluding with his wife?

Director Kang was utterly exhausted.

“From Aunt Cai downstairs,” his wife said curtly, clearly unwilling to continue the conversation over the phone.

After a pause, she urged again, “You’d better withdraw the money quickly. We can discuss the details when you get home.”

“Alright, dear…”

He started to respond, but she decisively hung up first.

Director Kang was left speechless, both anxious and angry.

He never believed in ghosts or spirits. To him, ‘Fairy Ladies’ and ‘Ghost Ladies’ were nothing more than fraudulent tricks deceiving the gullible masses.

The more he thought about it, the more restless he became.

He put away his phone and abruptly stood up from his desk, his broad face growing stern.

Picking up his coat to leave, he suddenly remembered there was a student still in the office.

The “Fraudulence” prime suspect, Chu Ning, sat silently.

Director Kang cleared his throat awkwardly, “Did you hear that call just now, Chu?”

The call had been loud, and Chu Ning’s hearing was sharper than most, so he had heard everything.

Yet he understood the wisdom of seeing but not mentioning, feigning ignorance as he asked, “Is something urgent at your home, Director Kang?”

The director scowled but waved his hand, unwilling to elaborate.

At that moment, a vision flashed through his mind: Qiu Changsheng, CEO of Longevity Technology, buying talismans from Chu Ning’s stall.

Suddenly, without fully understanding why, Director Kang shifted the conversation oddly and asked, “Chu, are you well versed in all kinds of metaphysical matters?”

Before Chu Ning could answer, he added, “Would you be willing to do me a favor?”

Chu Ning blinked in surprise.

***

Director Kang’s full name was Kang Yanming. He had one only son, Kang Wenhong, a proud young pioneer of ten years old.

Earlier this year, Kang Yanming and his wife sold their old house to buy a new school district apartment in Tongcheng’s high-tech zone, moving in by June.

At first, things went well, but by the third month, their previously obedient son suddenly began to fear sleeping at night. No matter how much his mother or grandmother coaxed, Wenhong cried and refused to sleep, only calming down when Kang Yanming stayed with him.

Initially, the family, including Kang Yanming, thought the boy’s behavior was due to lack of father-son time caused by Kang’s busy work schedule.

But after another month, one night when Kang Yanming accompanied him, Wenhong started crying again—this time not fully awake, screaming in his sleep as if haunted by a terrifying nightmare. Kang Yanming quickly woke him.

Upon waking, Wenhong cried uncontrollably, but when asked what he had dreamed, he stammered and refused to say, growing increasingly reluctant to sleep at night.

This time, even Kang Yanming’s presence was ineffective.

The boy’s sleeping troubles plunged the couple into anxiety. They wanted to understand why he was unwilling to sleep, but after several days of stalemate, things took a strange turn.

Previously, Wenhong stubbornly resisted sleep until 11 p.m., but one night, he suddenly fell asleep at his desk.

Not only did he sleep soundly, but he even laughed happily in his dreams.

This scene repeated itself over several days. Wenhong would fall asleep while doing homework or eating fruit.

At first, the couple naively thought he was catching up on missed sleep, but things soon escalated beyond their expectations.

Wenhong began to fall asleep anytime, anywhere, and his sleeping hours extended indefinitely—sometimes sleeping seventeen or eighteen hours a day.

The couple frequently rushed to hospitals, but all tests showed Wenhong was physically healthy.

In this situation, Kang Yanming’s wife and mother reluctantly turned to unscientific methods.

Kang Yanming did not believe in such things and continued to communicate with doctors abroad.

Yet today, as their son cried and struggled in his sleep, his wife and mother were horrified to find they could no longer wake him from his dreams.

Frightened and desperate, they heard from neighbors about a ‘Fairy Lady’ who could exorcise spirits and urgently invited her over to help.

After hearing the whole story from Director Kang, Chu Ning sat in his car, hesitating, “So, Director, you want me to find a chance to expose this Fairy Lady’s fake ritual?”

Director Kang gave a bitter smile. “Exactly.”

He simply couldn’t believe in ghosts and insisted his son’s condition was a rare form of sleepwalking.

He approached Chu Ning because he thought an expert exposing a charlatan would be more effective.

Kang Yanming was straightforward and inadvertently revealed his true thoughts while driving.

Chu Ning, upon hearing the truth, thought silently, “So all this time, you’ve thought I was a fraud too?”