Starting Cultivation During a Trip

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: I Don’t Eat Fish, Jiang Hu’s Talisman

Taoyuan Square, Night is not bright.

”Fanfan, morning!”

As soon as he entered, Wen He, holding a freshly brewed cup of coffee, greeted Zhang Fan with a sweet smile.

”Sister Wen, was that He Fei just now? What did he come here for?” Zhang Fan leaned in and couldn’t help but ask.

”Discussing business... The cast iron pot ash that Little Gourd purchased before was ordered by him.”

Saying this, Wen He glanced at Jiang Hu beside her.

”Oh, by the way, the boss wants you to add twenty pounds of carbon powder in.”

”Hmm!?” Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment.

How much is carbon powder per pound?

The cast iron pot ash Jiang Hu collected sells for five thousand yuan a pound, and ten pounds of carbon powder means a clear profit of a hundred thousand yuan.

”This... feels a bit conscience-less, doesn’t it...”

”The boss says, if money is gone, you can still earn it back. If your conscience is gone, you’ll earn even more...” Wen He patted Jiang Hu on the head, ”Remember to do as told.”

”Damn, that’s really shady.” Zhang Fan muttered to himself.

”Sister Wen, I heard the He Family’s business is huge. Buying pot ash, is there a need for He Fei to come in person?” Zhang Fan said offhandedly.

”He has a company here in Taoyuan Square, on the thirteenth floor...” Wen He said with a smile.

”A slimming medical and beauty company called ’Skinny Pig’, the business is great, their monthly profit is worth our company’s annual...”

”Skinny Pig? Thirteenth floor?” Zhang Fan was thoughtful.

The place where Wang Tiantian works is on the thirteenth floor.

”He just came casually today...”

At this point, Wen He patted Zhang Fan on the head, as if seeing through his mind, and reassured, ”Fanfan, don’t worry, with Old Yu cleaning up the mess, no one will find out.”

”That’s good!”

Zhang Fan breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Yu Fu, ”Old Yu, lunch is on me today... A new restaurant opened downstairs, serving chopped chili fish head, how about we go eat?”

As soon as the words fell, the entire company suddenly fell into a dead silence, Wen He looked at Zhang Fan blankly, and Jiang Hu beside him also showed a weird expression...

As for Old Yu, his eyes widened, glaring fiercely at Zhang Fan, he put down the newspaper in his hand, snorted coldly through his nose, got up and left his workstation, walking out the company door.

”Did I say something wrong?”

Zhang Fan looked bewildered, glancing at Wen He, then at Jiang Hu.

”I forgot to tell you...”

Wen He said apologetically in a low voice, ”Old Yu doesn’t eat fish...”

”Ah!?” Zhang Fan was slightly stunned, as if he hadn’t reacted.

”What do you mean?”

”A taboo... Not only does Old Yu not eat fish, but you can’t even mention it in front of him, anything like chopped chili fish head, squirrel mandarin fish, scallion braised yellow croaker, crispy fried flounder, spicy fish scales... can’t be mentioned...” Wen He swallowed and said.

”Old Yu has this taboo? But there’s no need for such a big reaction, is there?” Zhang Fan said with a strange expression, mumbling.

”It’s okay, those who don’t know are not guilty, I’ll have a word with Old Yu later.” Wen He comforted kindly.

Zhang Fan nodded, glanced around, and found that Jiang Lai’s seat was empty.

”Sister Wen, where’s Jiang Lai?”

”Oh, she took the day off today.” Wen He said casually.

”Took a day off? Where does she live?”

Before Zhang Fan could finish asking, Jiang Hu beside him tugged at his sleeve, ”You’ve already had a chance encounter with Senior Sister, and you’re still thinking about Jiang Lai, is that appropriate?”

”How do you know?” Zhang Fan asked, puzzled.

”Hehe, I saw you in the lobby just now, you two were chatting so enthusiastically that I didn’t want to interrupt.”

Jiang Hu said, winking, ”So how is it?”

”How’s what? I just asked for her name.” Zhang Fan pouted, walked to his workstation, and sat down.

”Oh, come on...”

”People are greedy, first wanting to know what the sister’s name is, then wanting to know what name the sister likes to be called.” Jiang Hu said with disbelief.

”...”

”You’re such a damn heartless guy.” Zhang Fan smiled knowingly, instantly understanding.

”Take my advice, as a cultivator, women are the biggest taboo, never trust a woman’s mouth, even though sometimes it feels quite pleasant...” Jiang Hu said righteously.

”...”

”You’re really into cultivation?” Zhang Fan asked, turning to look at Jiang Hu with a strange expression.

”I kind of understand now why you were expelled from your sect.”

”Where did you used to train in the palace and temple?” Zhang Fan was particularly curious, which notable mountain’s temple could produce someone like Jiang Hu? What talent!

”I... Oh right, Sister Wen... Didn’t you ask me to draw a ’Digestion Talisman’ for you the other day?”

Jiang Hu suddenly changed the subject.

There are thousands of talismans in the Daoist Family, and the ’Digestion Talisman’ is one of them. It’s said that once it’s pasted on your belly, no matter how much you eat, you won’t gain weight.

Additionally, there’s another way to use the ’Digestion Talisman’: cutting off your fingernail, burning it together with the talisman, mixing it into well water and drinking it, and with that, without exercise or dieting, you can lose thirty pounds in a month.

Zhang Fan had seen records of this talisman before in the ’Dao Secret Record’.

”Is it really that magical?”

”The Elixir Book says that a person’s appetite is controlled by the index finger... By suppressing the index finger with the ’Digestion Talisman’, you can suppress appetite, stimulate insulin secretion, lower blood sugar, reduce stomach emptying, and increase satiety, thus achieving weight loss...”

”Ah!?”

Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment, it sounded scientific at first, but the more he listened, the more unreliable it seemed!?

”Sister Wen, should I give you a discount?”

”Forget it, Little Gourd, your talismans... are really something that defies explanation. I’ll buy your talisman again when you manage to refine them again.” Wen He’s polite smile was impeccable.

Jiang Hu had been cultivating talismans since childhood, but according to what Wen He privately said, he had taken an unorthodox path, resulting in his talismans being hit or miss, and sometimes even causing incidents.

For instance, previously, he drew a ’Ghost-Repelling Talisman’ for a customer, which was supposed to repel ghosts and demons when pasted on the house door, but when put to use, it attracted ghosts and demons from a ten-mile radius...

As a result, the company lost a lot of money.

”To maintain my figure, I’d rather go to ’Skinny Pig’. I heard they have a slimming essential oil that’s amazing...”

When it comes to maintenance and beauty, no matter what kind of woman, the same light always shines in their eyes.

”Fanfan, do you want to come with me to check it out at noon?” Wen He casually asked, ”Isn’t your Senior Sister also on the thirteenth floor?”

”How do you know?” Zhang Fan was stunned.

”Little Gourd said... The whole company knows!”

”...”

Zhang Fan turned to look at Jiang Hu, who smiled awkwardly.

”Forget it, I won’t go.” Zhang Fan shook his head.

After all, it’s the He Family’s company, and knowing what he did, getting their sister into a vegetative state, it’s better to keep his distance.

”Don’t worry, the He Family won’t notice us anyway.” Wen He came over, patted Zhang Fan on the head, and comforted him kindly.

...

At this moment, on the thirteenth floor.

Compared to the shabbiness of ’Night is not bright’, the entire floor belonged to the ’Skinny Pig Medical Beauty Technology Company’. Inside the lobby, many overweight or dark-skinned women were waiting, with dedicated receptionists listening to the clients’ needs one-on-one.

Inside the innermost office, He Fei sat at the desk, with several photos spread across it, including ones of the people from ’Night is not bright’ company...

”Zhang Fan!”

At this moment, He Fei picked up one of the photos, which unmistakably featured the likeness of Zhang Fan.