TLDP: Ch.17. Hidden Innate Force
The next morning, I was just about to finish my morning exercises, when the old swindler suddenly popped up in front of me. His sudden appearance made me jump and frightened. I quickly stopped running and asked: “Master, how did you come out so quickly?”
The old swindler seemed very anxious and hurriedly replied: “What was this ‘coming out’? I could have been dragged to jail for this. Brat, don’t talk anymore, my time is limited. Hurry, take me to your home fast!”
I hurriedly ran to my house with my fastest speed! And while running, I asked him: “Master, what makes you so anxious?”
“I just stole the hidden energy detection tool, how could I not be anxious? If I were to be discovered then I would be finished, discarded by the higher authorities!”
I asked: “Master, how is Netherworld like?”
“When you’re dead, you can see it for yourself.”, the old swindler just replied in short words.
His reply instantly made me choked. However the old swindler really cared about me. He braved the danger only to steal the detector instrument to examine my innate attribute. Getting this kind of treatment, the previous account he had given me was written off! After all, this patriarch was not a narrow-minded person.
After returning to my room, the old swindler molded my bed and made the bed instantly vanish! I clapped my hands as I spoke: “Master, you’re really powerful!”
The old swindler didn’t reply, and waved his hand instead. A large instrument suddenly appeared in my room! This was the hidden energy tester the old swindler had talked about before; but how did he do that? He just waved his hand and such a big thing suddenly appeared out of nowhere …
The old swindler urged: “Quickly stand in that circle…”
The machine slightly looked like the X-ray machine from the hospital, and after I stood in the middle of the circle, the old swindler operated several handles on the instrument, and ray of lights quickly covered my body. After 15 minutes, the cloth on my right shoulder suddenly burned! Although I had not felt any pain from the heat, I instinctively patted my shoulder.
I patted my shoulder for a long while to extinguish the fire, until the old swindler took back the instrument, and walked toward me and then patted my shoulder. His face was serious as he said: “Good, you have the same innate attribute like me, its Fire innate force! Xiaolong, I can tell you now that innate fire attribute is the most powerful among all innate forces! You can be happy for this!”
“Master, that fire on my shoulder before, was that fire innate force?”
“That’s right.” The old swindler nodded, he then took out a note and gave it to me as he spoke: “Fortunately we have the same innate attribute. This note is written by me, and you can read the cultivation method to practice fire innate force. Moreover, later, don’t look for me, it would be troublesome if you were to be discovered, not only would I get in trouble but it will also implicate yourself!”
“Master, what do I do if can’t understand the method in this note?” I asked hurriedly.
“My note is very thorough and comprehensive, it will be easy for you to comprehend it! Good, Xiaolong, I must hurry back now, and give my regards to Murong. Moreover, if she comes back, use the Communication Charm to contact me. I have the means to let her enter the reincarnation cycle!”, after he finished speaking the old swindler’s figure vanished in an instant.
This old swindler left too fast, and left me no chances to ask much. How should I practice the Zhen Qi? And how was the Netherworld like? What is this hidden innate force? How did the old swindler make the big thing vanish instantly…. Fuck! My bed had just vanished! But he didn’t even give it back! Master, damn, you really gave me another big problem again! How should I explain this to Mom and Dad? Dreamt of that I had eaten the biscuits? 1 Its an idiom in which you say that something or someone (really) takes the biscuit when it or they have done something that you find extremely annoying or surprising
Damn, forget about it first, besides, I had to examine the explanation in this note.
I opened the first page, there were only two lines written beautifully by an ink pen: the hidden force; exists within the human’s right shoulder and can be activated by the detector instrument, the faint hidden force can also be detected by carefully sensing it with one’s sense and perception.
I quit my waiter’s job as I had decide to fully study the hidden innate force at home.
For the last 2 days I had been immersed in trying to induce the weak force from within my body. And after 3 days I had finally utilized this hidden force for simple uses, like emitting a small flame from my fingers… of course I didn’t feel any heat from it…anyways, if I used this fire to light up a cigarette it would be absolutely easy!
But even so, this patriarch was very happy. After all, this ability belonged to people with extraordinary abilities! Anyways, who can be like me, casually turning one’s own fingers into fire to become a cigarette lighter? Moreover, with this patriarch’s continuous research and practice, this hidden force would be constantly enhanced! Perhaps several days later I could make my entire palm emit fire!
While I was enjoying the excited feeling, Mom shouted from the living room: “Ling Er, I’m happy you dropped by here, you even bought these things for me? You must not trouble yourself and buy anything later.”
“Ling Er? Has Xu Xiaoling dropped by?”
I quickly stood, opened the door and left my room.
Xu Xiaoling gave Mom a beautifully wrapped box as she smilingly said: “Happy birthday to Xiaolong”
“Huh? How do you know that today is my birthday?”
Xu Xiaoling gave a happy smile as she replied: “It was you auntie; previously she said that Long’s birthday was June 21st, which is today.”
I looked at the beautifully wrapped gift in her hand and asked: “What’s in it?”
“It’s a cell phone, Sanlu Galaxy S.”
“No, it’s too expensive, besides I really don’t need it.” Although I had no cell phone, I often read the newspaper so I knew how expensive this cell phone was.
“It’s not that expensive, I bought it from my friend, at an internal price. I thought that I should give you a cell phone, so it would be easier to contact you.”
Mom beside her emphasized, “Son, accept it, wait for Ling Er’s birthday, and then you can return the gift later on.”
Since Mom has spoken, I didn’t say anything anymore and opened the gift box to find a fine black cell phone, which had a card phone inside. I could see that the operator was one of the Chinese phone services, Shenzhouxing…
That night, Mom asked Xu Xiaoling to stay for dinner, and as she was busy cooking in the kitchen, Xu Xiaoling and I were watching the TV and chatted. Suddenly somebody was knocking on the door, I thought it was father that was coming back home, and found that it was actually Cheng Dong that came. Cheng Dong was surprised seeing Xu Xiaoling sitting on the sofa, “You… this is?”
“She is a guest, what’s wrong? You got a client?” I whispered.
“Well, it’s a big client, let’s talk outside.” Cheng Dong spoke in a mysterious tone
I pulled him to enter the house, and smiled as I said: “You’re lucky to come now, my mother is preparing for dinner, let’s eat together.” I then whispered to him: “Don’t be so mysterious, let’s just wait until we have free time.”
After dinner, Cheng Dong and I stood on the balcony and whispered: “Cheng Dong, is it really a big client?”
“Yes, Xiaolong brother, this time the payment is 1 million RMB!”
“So much?!” I couldn’t help but shout in a low voice, surprised.
“The client requested you to go with them to a place, the length of time is not determined yet, and the payment will be paid according to the days you’re with them. You will be paid 1 million for a half month, if it’s more than half month they will pay another million and so on…”
I frowned as I asked more: “Where do I have to go?”
“I don’t know, the client’s origin was very mysterious. They refused to say where they would go. However it’s definitely not kidnapping or trafficking people, because the one who contacted me was the vice president of Huaxia Corporation. Do you know about Huaxia Corp? It’s very famous with assets that surmount tens of billions.”
“How come they were looking for you?”
Cheng Dong shook his head: “It’s not I who look for them in the first place, it’s just they didn’t know your home address, you didn’t even have a cell number… Shortly, it was originally the information they got from boss Qian. Although the client’s background is mysterious, the payment they offered was very attractive. Xiaolong brother, be at ease, I haven’t told them your address. I was walking in circles and bends for several times before I came up, fearing that someone would track me here.
I thought for a while and finally said: “The payment is really high, so presumably the job would be very dangerous. But they also mentioned that they were looking for a Daoist priest, which could be estimated that the job would involve things that are related to spirits. Moreover it would be a powerful spirit! With my present Daoist cultivation, dozens of baby ghosts would be easy to handle, but if the spirit level is too high, I can’t handle it.”
It was really true, take Miss Daiyu for example, even if there were 10 me, I wouldn’t be able to cope with her.
But this 1 million RMB payment really swayed me and got me tempted. I’d be paid a million for a half a month of service, and if it was more than 2 weeks I could get 2 million. With such an amount of money I could pay off the debts. Moreover, the client was a big corporation, they should not repudiate the payment, in the end, should I go or not?
And… finally, the money temptation won over reason, this great me was ready to give my all! I quickly looked at Cheng Dong: “I agree!”
Cheng Dong said: “Xiaolong brother, the client is not a fool, they will not give this much money for naught, the person they want to hire is one with true ability. Not some swindler who just wants the money casually. If you have decided that you will go, come to the Huaxia Corp. branch building tomorrow for an interview, after you arrive there, you can ask in the lobby and say that you are looking for Chen Jianmin. He is the vice president of the Huaxia Corp., moreover he also knows your name. You just need to tell them your name, he will absolutely receive you, and I reckon that you must show them your ability. If he hires you or not depends on it.”
I nodded: “I know! I’ll take a look tomorrow!”
The next morning, I arrived at the Huaxia Corporation branch in Qiling city and directly headed to the lobby. I smiled at the receptionist girl: “Hello, I’m looking for your vice president, Chen Jianmin!”
“Do you have an appointment?” the girl asked.
“No, but you can call him and tell him that Zhang Xiaolong is looking for him, I think he will meet me.”
The receptionist girl made a phone call, and whispered several words, then spoke to me: “Mr. Zhang, Mr. Vice President invited you to the conference room on the 7th floor.”
I said thanks to the receptionist and took the elevator to the 7th floor and found the conference room through the sign plate on the stairway.
The conference room’s door was open, but there was nobody inside. I walked inside and sat near the doorway.
After a short while, a young female staff walked in and carried a cup of tea and served it as she said: “Mr. Vice President is still in a meeting, please wait for a moment.”
“It’s OK, thank you.” I replied politely.
It was almost half an hour of waiting when finally a middle-aged man walked inside, he was about 40-50 years old and his steps were firm and steady, with hard to read eyes. He nodded to me: “Zhang Xiaolong, sorry to let you wait for a long time, I’m Chen Jianmin…”
~~~~~~~~~~end of ch.17~~~~~~~~~~