FI CH26: A Clean Sweep

The live comments exploded into an uproar.

The scene on stage was even more chaotic. Some people scattered and fled, while others argued loudly, but all were swiftly detained. The commemorative banner fell to the ground, trampled into a tattered rag in the chaos.

Cui Zhen and Du Fan were still on the stage, stunned and panicked by the sudden turn of events. The association president, Fang Ling, hardened his face and asked in a stern voice, “What do you think you’re doing!?”

The female master, Yin Lin, presented her credentials with one hand and said with a stern and righteous air, “An ‘incident’ has occurred. We need to step in and investigate!”

With a raise of her other hand, she had the three people on stage arrested as well.

The live comments gradually recovered from the shock:
— Something similar has happened before.
— Last time, it was that mysterious masked big shot from Xuncheng who solved it.
— So, it was never really solved…
— What’s going on? They’re being arrested??
— If it was just a matter of not solving it properly, they wouldn’t have taken the president away too, would they?

Amidst the scrolling comments, Yin Lin’s voice rang out, “You are suspected of using illegal methods and have also collected a total of 120,000 yuan in various ‘fees’. Now, come with us to be investigated.”

— 120,000????
— The master industry is so profitable!
— Well, there goes 120,000 yuan down the drain [laughing-crying emoji]
— A helping hand → 120,000
— Why don’t they just let the Xuncheng branch handle this…

In the living room, Chen Qiu said happily, “Ah, they’ve been arrested!”

He turned his head to share his joy but saw Lu Yanzhou’s face was grim as if he was brooding over something.

“…What’s wrong? Do you have something on your mind?”

Lu Yanzhou glanced at the screen again and calmed himself. “It’s nothing.”

Lin Su retracted his gaze from that direction. He turned to He Zhenling, his look full of meaning: So you were also working on your own thing…

“Was this a special surprise program you prepared?”

He Zhenling’s expression didn’t change. “Normal supervisory work.”

Lin Su looked back at the screen. “That female master looks so familiar. Have we seen her before? The one who took away the ‘nail household’ ghosts.”

“Mm.”

“I knew it… But, why weren’t you at the scene?”

A vein twitched on He Zhenling’s temple. He turned to stare at him. “Weren’t you the one who told me to come to your residence?”

“…” Lin Su averted his eyes. Softly, he said, “Oh, right. That did happen.”

A cold laugh sounded from beside him.

Without looking away, Lin Su spoke in his mind: Ni Ma, he’s really mixing business with pleasure more and more.

The Xuenima also let out a “heh” sound, not wanting to continue the conversation.

…

Within a few sentences, the scene had been brought under control. Perhaps the person managing the equipment had also been taken away, as the live broadcast was still running.

The foreman was seen collapsed on the stage, his face as white as paper, once again looking like he couldn’t breathe. Someone from the Supervisory Association went up to check, shook their head helplessly, and first called for an ambulance.

Seeing this, the live comments flew by:
— Even the Supervisory Association is helpless.
— Looks like the Xuncheng Association was right, they really can’t handle it.
— They talked about how deep the industry’s waters run, but it turns out they were just overestimating themselves. [looking-at-the-sky-laughing-crying emoji]
— Hurry up and beg the real master for help! What are you standing around for… [facepalm emoji]

As the comments scrolled past, the foreman’s wailing wife finally seemed to remember. She ignored everything else, scrambled to her feet, and rushed to the camera, pleading, “Little… Little Master! I beg you, please save him! We believe you now! We’ll do whatever you say from now on…”

The live comments all came together with one voice: Well now!
— So they didn’t believe him before. [laughing-crying emoji]

Before long, an ambulance arrived and took the man away. The farce came to an end.

Someone from the Supervisory Association finally seemed to notice and came over to turn off the live stream. The screen abruptly went dark, leaving only a sea of comments all tagging: @MaskedBigShot…

Lin Su also abruptly turned off the screen projection.

Lu Yanzhou looked over at him and asked, “What are your plans, Mr. Lin?”

“Their matter isn’t urgent.”

Lin Su said as he stood up, glancing at Chen Qiu, who was once again a happy ghost now that the Huicheng Association had been arrested. Then he shifted his gaze to the Black and White Impermanence, who had put down their snacks and were also getting up.

The two of them froze under his gaze.

White Impermanence carefully picked up the empty snack bag. “…Should we take our trash with us?”

Lin Su said gently, “It’s fine, you can just leave it there.”

Black Impermanence was overwhelmed by the favor. “…How could we trouble you!”

“Such a small matter isn’t worth your attention.”

As Lin Su spoke, to the two ghosts’ horror, he grabbed them both and turned to say to the living room, “I’ll see my guests out.”

Then, with one ghost in each hand, he exited the living room.

The two ghosts: “!”

They stopped in the entrance hall.

Lin Su met their expressions, which looked as if they were facing a great enemy, and said lightly, “You don’t need to worry about trivial things like taking out the trash. But after running rampant in my place for so long, shouldn’t you be doing something else?”

“…”

Black and White Impermanence choked. They knew it!

…

After sending the two away, Lin Su returned to the living room.

Lu Yanzhou was already preparing to leave. Lin Su asked, “What are your plans now, Family Head Lu?”

There were a few seconds of silence before he said, “After the matter here is resolved, I will take A’Qiu back home.”

Lin Su nodded and then looked at He Zhenling. “And you, Supervisor?”

“Naturally, I’m returning to the association for interrogation,” He Zhenling said as he stood up, his eyes lowered. “And you?”

Lin Su stated firmly, “Naturally, I’m returning to school for class.”

He Zhenling: “…”

As they stood in mutual silence, Chen Qiu suddenly made a sound of realization and peeked his head out shyly. “But… we’re leaving soon, so you two can continue to spend a wonderful—”

Lu Yanzhou grabbed him and cut him off!

Then he looked at the two of them apologetically. “Please forgive him. A’Qiu’s memory is incomplete right now, so he speaks without a filter.”

The two of them: “…….”

Lin Su turned his head. “So this is what Qi Zhuang felt like when his ‘crime’ was ‘confirmed’ by just a few words from us.”

He Zhenling let out a light scoff, his lashes lowered. “His was confirmed. Is ours?”

Lin Su sighed. “Don’t speak in such a dissatisfied tone.”

“…”

Chen Qiu had already floated away in his wheelchair, whispering to himself, “See, I told you they were about to start spending a wonderful night together.”

…

The lunch break wasn’t very long. After He Zhenling returned to the Supervisory Association, Lin Su also rushed back to school before class started.

When he got back to the classroom, the lunch break had just ended.

Chen You saw him return and nearly leaped out of his seat, excitedly fluttering over. “Where did you go? You missed the live broadcast at noon! You have no idea how exciting it was~”

“…” No, I know exactly how exciting it was.

Lin Su played along. “I went to have a meal with a friend. What happened?”

Chen You wore an expression that screamed he had world-shattering gossip. He whispered, “The Huicheng Association was arrested right at their commendation ceremony!”

Lin Su: “…Wow!”

Chen You summarized the grand event in a few sentences, then said with a look of longing, “Everyone is asking the mysterious Masked Big Shot for help now. Will I be able to witness his magnificent presence again?”

Lin Su gave an objective reminder. “Huicheng has been arrested. Where would the live broadcast come from?”

“…” Chen You immediately wrung his hands in regret. “Ah! If only they had let the cameraman go.”

Lin Su praised him, “You’ve thought of everything.”

The two of them had barely spoken for a few moments before the class bell rang.

Lin Su returned to his seat and class began.

Just midway through the first period, his phone vibrated with a message from Meng Yuanping: “The foreman’s family contacted us. They want to ask for your help.”

Lin Su glanced at it and replied: “Don’t rush, I’m still in class.”

Meng Yuanping: “…”

Meng Yuanping: “Alright. [smiling emoji]”

The Xuenima lay beside his hand and praised: [Xiao Meng is also holding back his mischief.]

Lin Su: “I told you that ‘hehe’ message might have been from him.”

The day’s classes ended. When school was let out, Meng Yuanping’s message arrived as expected: “They’re asking for help again, little friend.”

Lin Su replied: “Don’t rush, I still have to eat.”

By the time he got home and finished the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup the butler had stewed, it was almost eleven o’clock. Meng Yuanping’s request for help was forwarded in real-time. Lin Su gave a small yawn, lay down on his bed, and replied: “I’m sleepy now, it’s time to sleep.”

Meng Yuanping replied with his usual “smiling emoji”. After a pause, probably for confirmation, he asked again: “This matter, are you still going to handle it, little friend Lin?”

“Yes, but there’s no rush.”

Lin Su put down his phone after replying. Chen Qiu had been locked in that small jar for three days. The foreman would have to be trapped for at least three days to start.

The Xuenima lay on the headboard: [The man won’t be in any real danger, will he?]

“He won’t. The foreman should still be digging for something in his dream. Let him dig for a while longer.”

Xuenima: [Digging for something?]

Lin Su smiled without explaining, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

…

This cycle continued for three days.

When the weekend arrived, Lin Su finally decided to make a trip to the hospital.

The foreman’s condition was like he’d been possessed by an evil spirit. The doctors were helpless and had put him in a private room with an IV drip.

When Lin Su arrived, Ge Lili was there too. Because the Huicheng Association had made such a huge fuss before, Meng Yuanping suggested they also do a live stream this time. Nothing fancy, just have Ge Lili record it with his phone to give the public an explanation and, while they were at it, clear their name of the slander that had been thrown at them.

[Why do I feel like the ‘while they were at it’ part is the most crucial?] The Xuenima floated along.

Lin Su had already put on his mask and was walking down the corridor. He shook his head. “You’re too obvious.”

[…]

They had informed the hospital in advance. When they reached the door of the hospital room, Lin Su and Ge Lili pushed the door open and went straight in.

As the door opened, the foreman’s wife by the bedside looked over and stood up excitedly. “Master! Master, you’re finally here! I beg you, please save him…”

Lin Su: “Have you thought it through?”

The foreman’s wife was stunned for a moment, then came to her senses and said hurriedly, “Yes, we’ve thought it through, thought it through. His life is more important! We’ll do whatever you say!”

As she spoke, Ge Lili had already started the live stream. The camera was pointed at Lin Su, and then a “holy crap” was heard from him.

Lin Su turned his head. “?”

Ge Lili looked up, embarrassed. “The-the comments suddenly flooded in, my phone just froze.”

The Xuenima was already positioned in front of the screen, ready to announce the comments. It opened its little mouth: [Wifey—]

“…”

Sigh, these indecent people.

Lin Su ignored the commotion behind him and looked at the foreman.

On the bed, the foreman’s face was ashen, his lips pale and blue. He seemed to be trapped in a nightmare, his brow furrowed, twitching from time to time, muttering incomprehensible words.

Lin Su spoke, “The conditions are the same as before. Make offerings to that ghost, accumulate merit, and pay off your debt.”

The foreman’s wife nodded hurriedly. “Okay, yes!”

“However,” Lin Su added, “you didn’t agree before, so 10 years is not enough now.” He looked at the man. “Now, you will make offerings for as long as you live.”

Meaning, the rest of his life would be spent making offerings.

The foreman’s wife was taken aback for a second but quickly agreed. “Okay, okay, as long as he can live. However long he lives, we will definitely make offerings for that long!”

A hand holding a bamboo brush appeared and tapped the air in front of the foreman’s forehead. Thud. It was another very light sound, like a bamboo pipe in a mountain stream striking a stone chime, breaking through the fog and scattering a shower of sweet dew.

The foreman on the bed took two sharp breaths and his eyes flew open! As if waking from a nightmare, he was covered in sweat, his expression stunned. “Ugh…!”

From behind came the Xuenima’s enthusiastic broadcast:
[There’s that divine stroke again.]
[A true master has no wasted movements~]

…

The foreman, abruptly waking from a chaotic nightmare, was still a bit dazed. His wife quietly explained the situation to him. Having walked through the gates of hell for a second time, he finally believed in the supernatural and looked at Lin Su with trepidation.

“Is making offerings all I have to do?”

Lin Su nodded. “But this time, you must sign a contract with the underworld messengers. If you think about backing out again, it will mean tearing up the contract with them—”

“What… what will happen?”

“It will be very ‘soul-reaping’,” he said, literally.

“…”

The foreman shivered upon hearing this. “I-I won’t tear it up again.”

Lin Su said, “Hold out your hand.”

After speaking, he lifted his brush and began to draw above the man’s palm. Stroke by stroke, as if writing a contract. With his movements, a faint gasp was heard from behind.

Ge Lili was holding his phone, stunned. In front of him, the live comments had also frozen:
— What did I just see…
— Is he signing a contract with the underworld messengers? This level is far beyond a ‘spirit medium’…
— He’s completely crushing the Huicheng feng shui masters [dazed]

The hand holding the brush was steady and light. Lin Su’s wrist moved slightly, the brush flowing like water and clouds. Just as the last stroke was completed, the foreman’s breathing immediately became smooth, and his pale, bluish complexion slowly returned to normal. The effect was immediate. He didn’t dare to make another sound.

The foreman’s wife thanked him profusely and asked how much “merit” they should donate. Lin Su said, “Not needed,” explained the details of the offerings, and turned to leave.

Ge Lili followed with his phone raised.

Just before leaving, Lin Su suddenly stopped, turned his head, and smiled at the foreman. “By the way, if your offerings are not sincere, you’ll just go back to digging in your dream, and then no god or ghost will be able to save you.”

The foreman was horrified. “You… how did you know what was happening in my dream!?”

His wife was confused. “What did you dream about?”

“In my dream… I was walking in a wasteland. I didn’t know where it was or where I was going. Then I came to a small hill and met many people. Everyone was there digging… so I joined them.”

He finished his dazed recollection and looked at Lin Su. “What exactly was I digging?”

“You should be glad you didn’t look up.”

Lin Su smiled faintly. “That was your own grave.”

In the hospital room: !!!
In the comments section: !!!

Without paying any mind to the foreman, whose face had turned white with fright, he left.

After the live stream ended, Ge Lili quickly took his leave.

Lin Su had just left the hospital when his phone vibrated. A message from Chen You came through with a string of howls and a screen recording: “Ahhhhhh!!! My wish came true, the big shot appeared in the Xuncheng live stream!”

[Chen You]: [Video File]

He clicked on it and saw the screen was full of:
Wifey’s world-class beauty!!!… The big shot has come out of seclusion!!!… It’s been 30 years, my beautiful and powerful wifey!!!…

A flood of unrestrained comments covered the screen.

Lin Su admired it for a moment, then exited and saw another message from Chen You: “Wish granted, wish granted, wish granted [folded hands emoji]”

“…”

The Xuenima made an objective comment: [Although it’s still a bit baffling, it’s surprisingly on the mark.]

Lin Su sighed lightly. “As long as he’s happy.”

With the foreman’s contract signed, he didn’t forget to give Lu Yanzhou a call. He had asked the Black and White Impermanence to put Chen Qiu’s lifespan on a tab. In the underworld, money wasn’t as useful as merit and personal connections. He had the foreman use the rest of his life to make offerings and accumulate merit to settle this debt for them.

The call connected, and Lin Su got straight to the point: “I’ve put a tab on some lifespan with the Impermanence. After a few more days of processing, Chen Qiu’s soul will be able to return to his body.”

A single sentence stunned the person on the other end.

After a long moment, Lu Yanzhou took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly. “Mr. Lin, I can never repay this kindness. For the rest of my life, I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse.”

Lin Su shook his head. “We already have a dog and horse at home. Family Head Lu doesn’t need to work so hard.”

Lu Yanzhou: “…”

The Xuenima peeked its head out: [Eh? Me?]

“The butler.”

…

Lin Su had let the foreman stew for three days. During these three days, the Supervisory Association hadn’t been idle either. On Monday, they released a public notice.

“So ruthless.” Chen You showed Lin Su his phone. “The big shot at the Supervisory Association is definitely a ruthless person. He even used Huicheng’s own account to forward the public notice…”

“It’s like they hung themselves out to dry.”

Lin Su glanced at it. The relevant personnel involved in the live stream had been mostly rounded up and disciplined according to their level of involvement. The original president Fang Ling, as well as Cui Zhen and Du Fan, had their master licenses directly revoked.

He had been thinking that with He Zhenling’s swift and decisive style, this small matter shouldn’t have taken three days. But then he looked further down and saw that the man had raided the entire Huicheng Association.

“…”

The association’s accounts revealed a lot of high-profit transactions. This alone wouldn’t have proved much, but they conducted a detailed data and user analysis, which firmly established the profits from false advertising. Now, all of it had been confiscated.

Detailed records were posted directly. The netizens who had been waiting for a follow-up under the account immediately erupted in curses:
— What the hell? A 2.8 yuan item sold for 2800??
— People saw you as their last hope, and you saw them as leeks to be harvested?
— The industry’s waters are deep, alright. Deep with your filth. [hehe]
— In the last few live streams, they kept dissing the branch next door, only to get slapped in the face by the big shot.
— Calling everything an evil ghost. I think even ghosts are kinder than you. Otherwise, with your skill level, they would have killed you long ago.
…

Chen You said, “The Huicheng Association is undergoing a major reshuffle now. They’re waiting for headquarters to send new people to take over. It’s currently shut down.”

He then said dejectedly, “Sigh… but I really liked following the live streams. If only the Xuncheng branch could also start one.”

Lin Su comforted him, “Don’t worry, they won’t.”

“…”

Chen You covered his ears. “Ah, ptooey, ptooey… words of a child have no harm, don’t say such things! I still want to see the Masked Big Shot.”

The Xuenima chirped from the side: [He’s standing right in front of you. How much does he resemble the person from before?]

Huicheng’s reopening was faster than expected. The next day, Lin Su received a message from He Zhenling on Weixin, saying the Huicheng branch would reopen on Wednesday and asking him to go with him.

“Huicheng is reopening. What am I going there for?”

The Xuenima had already given up and was lying flat: [Heh, he probably misses you.]

“…”

The reopening was during the day. Lin Su took a day off on Wednesday.

The Huicheng branch was quite large. As he entered through the main door, he saw He Zhenling was already there. The latter was standing with his side to the entrance, his posture straight and tall. Probably for convenience, he had only put on one side of his loose outer coat. His left side was completely covered, while his dominant right shoulder and arm were exposed. His shoulder blade protruded, and the lines of his muscles rippled under the black fabric.

Yin Lin was reporting something to him from across the room.

Hearing the noise, He Zhenling turned his head. Yin Lin also stopped, nodded once, and left.

Lin Su walked over. “What did you cordially invite me here for?”

“To participate in Huicheng’s reopening ceremony.”

The two of them, participating…

Lin Su looked at him meaningfully. “Rebirth from the ashes of where it was destroyed?”

He Zhenling: “…”

He Zhenling changed the subject. “Wasn’t the foreman the one who was almost scared into nirvana?” Talking about digging his own grave.

Lin Su immediately caught the key point and narrowed his eyes. “Were you secretly watching my live stream?”

“Heh, supervisory work.”

As the two were talking, another commotion was heard from the entrance.

Turning their heads, they saw three familiar figures entering the door.

Fang Ling was walking in front, followed closely by Cui Zhen and Du Fan. The three had changed back into their master robes and were walking straight in.

“?”

Lin Su blinked and looked at He Zhenling. “Weren’t their master licenses revoked? They weren’t suspended?”

He Zhenling glanced over coolly. “According to the disciplinary action, they were.”

In the time it took to say two sentences, the men had arrived in front of them. When enemies meet, their eyes burn with hatred.

Before the other side could speak, Lin Su spoke with a thoughtful expression, “Here to toast to the past?”

The other side: “…….”

Fang Ling’s face twitched. He said stiffly, “Of course, we’re back to resume our posts.”

He then looked at He Zhenling with a sarcastic, barbed tone. “The affairs of the Master’s Association are ultimately decided internally. President He doesn’t think the Supervisory Association can cover the sky with one hand, does he?”

He Zhenling’s expression didn’t change. “What, has a higher-up approved it?”

At his question, Fang Ling showed a hint of smugness and, with a cold laugh, pulled out a document. “A document just came down this morning, telling the three of us to return to the association and await our appointments. I haven’t been sitting in this position for nothing. I still have some connections at headquarters.”

He Zhenling suddenly asked, “Is that so? When did you pull those strings?”

“Of course, right after I was…” Fang Ling frowned. “Why are you asking that?”

He Zhenling crossed his arms and said nothing.

Xuenima: [So, he pulled strings for a week, it went nowhere, and then today they were suddenly told to come back?]

Lin Su thought about it and also said nothing. Neither of them responded.

Cui Zhen had long been憋了一肚子怨氣 (biēle yí dùzi yuànqì) “holding in a belly full of resentment”. Seeing that Fang Ling’s backing was strong, he also adopted a condescending tone. “In any case, the Huicheng branch does not welcome outsiders. The new president taking over the branch will also be here today. I advise you not to cause trouble.”

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of wheels was heard from outside the door.

Lin Su raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded. “Although you successfully avoided entering the door, you’ve waited for your next stop: happiness.”

As his words fell, the sound stopped at the entrance.

There stood Lu Yanzhou, dressed in a black jade-colored long robe, his presence cool and aloof.

Author’s Note:

Lin Su: The bros are happy again (claps)
Lu Yanzhou: The weather is turning cold. It’s time for the Huicheng branch to be reshuffled! (makes a grim entrance)
Chen Qiu: ●皿● Oh

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