Chapter 9: No One Outside the Door

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Cheng Xiangru did not expect such a strong reaction from the group when Boss Zhou mentioned his family name. In his memory, his father, Cheng Zhifeng, should have been a despised grave robber—how could anyone show him such respect and even address him as “Master”? The ruthless man who abandoned his wife and children without a word when Cheng Xiangru was very young, the grave robber who caused his siblings to suffer countless humiliations and discrimination—what kind of person was he really?

“Hey, kid?” Boss Zhou gently nudged the slightly distracted Cheng Xiangru, eyes full of concern.

“I’m fine,” Cheng Xiangru replied, snapping back to attention and managing a weak smile.

The four people around him all smiled kindly, their eyes full of encouragement.

“Let me introduce them to you. This is Chen Shangke, a feng shui master from Lingnan,” Boss Zhou began.

Chen Shangke brushed back his hair with a grin and extended his hand cheerfully to Cheng Xiangru. “Haha, little brother, when you head up to the Northeast, just mention my name—it’ll definitely work wonders!”

Cheng Xiangru awkwardly shook his hand, which Chen Shangke gripped firmly and shook up and down.

When Chen finally released his hand, Cheng Xiangru suddenly looked puzzled. “Lingnan?” he asked.

Why did a feng shui master from Guangdong speak with such a rough accent?

Chen chuckled, “Well, my home is just south of Tieling, so it kind of counts as Lingnan!”

Everyone burst into laughter, the atmosphere light and harmonious.

Cheng Xiangru smiled awkwardly along, feeling the joke wasn’t that funny and not quite understanding what everyone found so amusing.

Boss Zhou continued, “This is Gao Zhuang. He served in the military for a few years and is now an international mercenary with excellent combat skills!”

The man truly lived up to his name—tall and strong. Even with a smile, he gave Cheng Xiangru a strong sense of pressure.

Gao Zhuang laughed heartily. “Boss Zhou’s teasing again. I just had some tough times a few years ago, went to the Middle East to make some quick money. I’m no real international mercenary.”

Cheng Xiangru shook hands with Gao Zhuang as well, only to have his hand squeezed painfully.

Boss Zhou combined the introductions of the remaining couple: “This is Zhu Luofu, and next to him is his wife, Lin Xiaqi. These two…”

He paused thoughtfully before lowering his voice, “They’re in the same line of work as your father.”

Cheng Xiangru was stunned at first, then realized that this couple were also grave robbers!

Zhu Luofu smiled warmly. “Among us here, besides Boss Zhou, maybe it’s me and my dear Xiaobao who know your father best. We’ve even shared drinks together!”

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Lin Xiaqi laughed, “Your father has an incredible tolerance for alcohol—he had poor Luobao throwing up all night.”

Chen Shangke scoffed nearby, somewhat displeased. “You two, enough with the lovey-dovey stuff. At our age, calling each other ‘darling’ every other sentence is just too cheesy.”

Lin Xiaqi looked proud. “We’re close—so what? You can be just as mushy with your wife… oh, wait, you’re still single. Sorry about that! Hahaha…”

“You don’t know a thing! I have money, I’m a groom every night, living the good life…” Boss Zhou shook his head helplessly, cutting off their bickering. “Alright, alright! Everyone, sit down—we’ll get to the main topic.”

Once everyone was seated, Boss Zhou poured tea for each person. “You all probably know why I gathered you here.”

Gao Zhuang raised his cup and drained it. “Of course! We’re going to the Northeast to find Feng Ye!”

Boss Zhou refilled Gao’s cup and sighed deeply. “Over the years, I’ve been trying to track down Zhifeng’s whereabouts, but to no avail. It must be fate that first led me to his descendants, and then to news of Zhifeng himself. Thankfully, I never gave up!”

His voice choked slightly, eyes moistening. The others quickly offered their comfort.

Cheng Xiangru was moved by Boss Zhou’s sincere emotion, feeling warmth in his heart.

Boss Zhou wiped his eyes with a tissue, then smiled broadly. “Enough about the past. People have to look forward. Now that I have news of Zhifeng, I must find him. Even if I have to tie him up and drag him back myself—I don’t care what troubles he’s facing—I believe that as brothers united, we can solve anything! Even if it means poking a hole in the sky, I won’t let him bear it alone!”

Chen Shangke suddenly stood, excitedly raising his teacup. “Brothers, let’s toast with tea to the friendship of Boss Zhou and Feng Ye!”

Everyone raised their cups in agreement and drank together.

According to Boss Zhou, just three days ago, someone in Xinbin, south of Lingnan in the Northeast, spotted Cheng Zhifeng and even took a photo of him crossing the street.

In the photo, a man wore a white mask, dark brown padded clothing, a hood over his head, and carried a large travel bag while waiting at a traffic light. He blended into the crowd, dressed inconspicuously.

Because it had been so long since they’d seen him—and because the man was so well covered—Cheng Xiangru didn’t recognize his father in the photo.

Not only Cheng Xiangru, but Gao Zhuang and Chen Shangke also expressed doubts.

But Boss Zhou was absolutely certain. “Zhifeng and I have been through life and death together. Even just by his back, I’d recognize him anywhere!”

“Boss Zhou, just tell us what to do!” Zhu Luofu rubbed his hands excitedly.

Lin Xiaqi, either nervous or excited, linked her arm in Zhu Luofu’s, leaning close with wide, bright eyes.

Boss Zhou’s hand trembled slightly as he lit a cigarette, taking several puffs before calming down and assigning roles.

Chen Shangke’s hometown was near Xinbin, so he was familiar with the area and would act as their guide.

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But that wasn’t all.

Rumors said Cheng Zhifeng had been involved in several grave-robbing cases in recent years, so his sudden appearance in Xinbin likely had similar motives.

Chen Shangke could leverage his local identity to gather information on Cheng Zhifeng. If that failed, he could use his feng shui expertise to identify ancient tombs nearby and lead the group in exploring them, searching for clues related to Cheng Zhifeng.

If they really had to enter the tombs, unexpected situations might arise.

In case of danger, Gao Zhuang would serve as their bodyguard to ensure everyone’s safety.

Considering the possibility of entering tombs, they needed a professional earth diviner present. Zhu Luofu and Lin Xiaqi perfectly filled that role.

After finalizing their plans, everyone said their goodbyes and went home to prepare their gear. They agreed to meet in two days at the Jufangzhai teahouse near Xianren Bridge to set out together.

Back at his place, Cheng Xiangru was so excited he couldn’t calm down for a long time.

Whether it was trust in Boss Zhou or his own hopes, Cheng Xiangru sincerely believed they would find his father, Cheng Zhifeng.

Though uncertain whether his father would return with them, at least he could finally ask the many questions weighing on his heart.

The one he longed to understand most was why his father had left all those years ago.

Why, exactly?

His mind raced uncontrollably; he would sit, then stand, then pace the room. His thoughts were a chaotic swirl of anger, sadness, hope, and confusion.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Aunt Liu had gone shopping, his sister was at school, and Cheng Xiangru was home alone.

Thinking Aunt Liu had forgotten her keys or that Uncle Zhou had come to see him, he quickly walked to the door and opened it.

To his surprise, no one was there.

Was it a prank? Or the wrong door?

Shaking his head, Cheng Xiangru closed the door and turned to go back to his room when the knocking sounded again.

And once again, no one stood outside.