11: Chapter 11 Potions and Blueprints

Morning light filtered through the grimy windowpanes, casting mottled shadows onto a desk piled high with draft papers and printed materials. Lin Yuan rubbed his bloodshot eyes and stuffed the last piece of hard, dry bread into his mouth, washing it down with cold water.

On the computer screen before him, a document titled "Preliminary Diagnosis and Optimization Plan for the Energy Environment of Yongxin Cultural and Creative Park V1.2" had just been completed. This wasn't the financial model he was familiar with, but a strange report that blended basic Feng Shui principles, environmental psychology, negative energy flow analysis, and his own intuition from his "Optimization" godhood.

The report avoided supernatural vocabulary, instead using quasi-scientific terms like "energy congestion points," "emotional residue fields," "spatial circulation conflicts," and "infrasound and electromagnetic anomaly hypotheses." However, the core conclusion was clear: the park's renovation had severely exacerbated the activity of the original negative energy field, especially in the core old factory area, necessitating "systemic energy diversion and rebalancing."

The report even included several specific, cost-controllable "physical Optimization" suggestions: adjusting the materials and colors of some merchant signs (based on color psychology), adding specific greenery at key circulation nodes (listing several species with weak air-purifying and nerve-soothing effects), and modifying several irrational vents to reduce "piercing hallway sha" (a Feng Shui term he had just learned and applied). Of course, he cautiously left the most critical part—how to deal with the potential "Earthbound Grudge" and "metal baleful qi"—blank, marking it as "requires detailed on-site survey before customizing a deep purification plan."

The purpose of this report was, first, to gain Chairman Liu's trust by demonstrating professionalism and systematic thinking rather than just acting like a charlatan. Second, it was to obtain permission for a comprehensive on-site investigation. Finally, the harmless "Optimization suggestions" in the report could serve as a cover for more drastic measures he might take later—if the park environment improved even slightly, it could all be credited to his "comprehensive plan."

He checked the time; it was nine in the morning. First, he dialed Hu Wei's number.

"Old Hu, morning. I need to trouble you with something again."

"Master Lin! Speak!" Hu Wei's voice carried the raspiness of someone who had just woken up, but his tone was excited. "Mr. Zhang was praising you to me yesterday, saying that after a few small changes, the team atmosphere has visibly improved! Are you taking on a new job?"

"There's a project that requires some niche information," Lin Yuan said, choosing his words carefully. "The cultural and creative park converted from the old textile factory on the west side of the city—have you heard of it? The Yongxin one."

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before Hu Wei's voice dropped. "Old Lin, you... why are you asking about that place? It's sinister; everyone in the circle knows it. I have a friend who writes supernatural fiction who wanted to find material. Before he even entered the core area, he just had a drink at a nearby bar, and when he got back, he had a high fever and talked nonsense for three days, saying he saw a room full of figures in work uniforms floating around. Don't go wading into those muddy waters!"

"There's a job, and the pay is good," Lin Yuan said briefly. "I need to know more specifics, like what major accidents happened there before the renovation? Is there any inside information known by local elders? Especially regarding a 'hospital' or 'medical room.' Also, what's Chairman Liu's reputation like? When he bought that land, was it a pure commercial investment, or was there some other story?"

Hearing his determined tone, Hu Wei knew he couldn't talk him out of it and sighed. "Fine, I'll ask around for you. My great-granduncle apparently used to work at that factory and has been retired for years; I'll see if I can find anything out. As for Chairman Liu... he started in manufacturing and has been trying to pivot to cultural real estate these past few years. That Yongxin park is his key project, and he's sunk a lot of money into it. Now that it's turned out like this, I heard he's so stressed he's getting mouth sores. As for anything else... I'll ask some friends in the circle who understand Feng Shui to see if Chairman Liu hired anyone particularly 'powerful' or 'sinister' to look at it before."

"Thanks, same fee as usual."

"Hey, don't mention it between us. Just be careful, Old Lin. I feel like you've been acting mysterious lately; don't get in over your head."

After hanging up, Lin Yuan began processing the medicinal herbs he had bought from the black market. Following the old woman's method, he used them both internally and externally. The bitterness of the Heart-Clearing Grass water made him frown, but a cool sensation indeed descended down his esophagus, slowly permeating his entire body. The stubborn stinging and stagnation in the meridians of his right arm visibly eased. The external application of the Moonlight Moss mixture brought a continuous cooling sensation, and the dark red lines under his skin seemed to be slowly fading.

With his injuries improving, his energy also recovered somewhat. He picked up the data terminal Boss Qian had given him and carefully studied the accident records again, especially the cases of people mysteriously fainting. The symptoms were always sudden dizziness, palpitations, vision going black, and brief loss of consciousness, followed by several days of physical weakness upon waking. Hospital examinations yielded no results.

This didn't seem like simple Yin Qi invasion; it was more like some kind of... energy extraction, or depletion of essence and blood? Combining it with what the Taoist said about "metal baleful qi," Lin Yuan thought of legends regarding ancient weapons or execution tools stained with blood that formed baleful spirits. But this was a textile factory; where would "metal baleful qi" come from? Unless... the machines in the factory had caused severe industrial injuries, and the resentment of the deceased had merged with the cold metal of the machines?

Or, was it something "buried" during the renovation?

He needed more professional tools—not just for attack and defense, but for reconnaissance and analysis.

In the afternoon, Lin Yuan returned to "Chens Antique Restoration." This time he didn't wait for nightfall and knocked directly on the door. The scrawny old man wasn't surprised to see him, merely tsking, "Back again? You healed fast."

"I want to buy some things for reconnaissance, preferably something that can distinguish between different types of energy residues, especially baleful qi and resentment," Lin Yuan said bluntly.

The old man let him in and rummaged through the cluttered shelves for a long time before pulling out a palm-sized compass. It wasn't a traditional Feng Shui compass but had a structure similar to a magnetic compass, except the central needle was a translucent pale blue crystal, and the surrounding dial was engraved with dense, tiny runes.

"A 'spirit aura pointer.' It's quite damaged and can only roughly indicate the direction and intensity of spirits or strong energy residues; it can't finely distinguish types. It might not react to things that are too weak or too well-hidden." The old man wiped the dust off the compass. "This one is cheap—eighty thousand, or 0.8 Faith. Anything more advanced, you can't afford, and I don't have in stock."

Lin Yuan took it and injected a thread of Power of Faith. The pale blue needle glowed slightly and rotated tremulously a few times, pointing toward an old vase in the corner of the old man's counter that emitted a faint Yin Qi. It worked, but the precision and sensitivity were indeed worrying.

"I also want a bag of 'revealing powder'—the kind you scatter to make weak spirits or energy traces briefly manifest." Lin Yuan remembered Hu Wei mentioning such a thing.

"I have it." The old man took out a small bag of grayish-white powder. "Low-end version, average effect, short duration, and has environmental requirements; it might be useless in an energy field that's too strong. Fifty thousand."

Lin Yuan bought them both. By now, the consultant fee he had earned from Zhang Qiming was mostly spent. However, in exchange, he had gained basic combat power (talismans, bell), healing (herbs), and reconnaissance tools (pointer, revealing powder). His equipment was now barely a complete novice set.

In the evening, Hu Wei's reply came, his tone somewhat grave.

"Old Lin, I found something out. My great-granduncle said that in the mid-eighties, the Red Star Textile Factory did indeed have a major accident. A boiler room pressure valve aged and exploded, killing three people and injuring several others. But he said that matter was handled afterward, and the factory even hired someone to perform a ritual. However... he secretly told me that even earlier, around the time the factory was first built, the land it's on seemed to be on the edge of a mass grave, but he wasn't sure."

"Also, a friend of mine who knows Feng Shui said that after Chairman Liu bought the land, he did indeed invite a very famous Hong Kong Feng Shui master to look at it. But for some reason, he didn't use that master's plan and instead found a local team to do the renovation design. My friend said that the current layout of the park, from a Feng Shui and spiritual perspective, is practically a 'Yin-gathering and Baleful-attracting' formation. It doesn't look like an amateur mistake; it looks like... it was laid out that way on purpose."

Laid out on purpose? Lin Yuan's eyes turned cold. If it was intentional, what was Chairman Liu's goal? To nurture baleful energy? Or to use this method to drive away merchants for some other purpose? The danger level of this commission had increased another notch.

"Also," Hu Wei continued, "about the hospital you specifically asked about... my great-granduncle recalled that the factory used to have a small clinic. But he said that in the early nineties, when the factory's profits were still okay, a small private clinic opened on the next street. It specialized in... well, abortions. It later closed down after a medical accident. As for the location... he roughly pointed it out, and it seems to be not far diagonally across from where the current cultural park's escape room venue is. Does this matter?"

A private clinic? Abortions? Medical accidents? Thoughts raced through Lin Yuan's mind. If that clinic had residual strong resentment from "aborted fetuses" (often considered extremely heavy Yin resentment in folklore), and its location happened to be within the radiation or pulling range of the old factory's energy field... several different types of negative energy (industrial accident resentment, potential mass grave earth energy, medical resentment) were mixed and interwoven, then catalyzed by the deliberately designed "Yin-gathering" layout...

No wonder the Longhu Mountain Taoist couldn't handle it! This was no longer a simple "Earthbound Spirit"; it was likely a composite malignant energy field with extremely complex components, entangled and amplifying each other!

Facing such a situation, his "Optimization" plan was like trying to use a drainage plan to solve a nuclear leak.

But... what if he changed his thinking? Instead of seeing it as an "enemy" that needed to be purified, what if he saw it as a "distressed asset package" that needed to be "unbundled and restructured"?

In financial mergers and acquisitions, how were distressed assets handled? Divestiture, liquidation, isolation, restructuring—sometimes a "white knight" or a special purpose vehicle was introduced to take them over.

Could this composite energy field also be "divested" and "restructured"? Using the power of "Optimization," not to forcefully purify it, but to "comb through" the different energy components—purifying what could be purified, guiding what could be guided, and sealing what could be sealed?

This idea was extremely bold and incredibly dangerous, but it faintly resonated with the essence of his "Optimization" godhood—establishing order and improving efficiency, even for chaotic and negative things.

He needed more specific on-site data; he needed to know which types of energy were dominant and how they were entangled.

The sky had darkened. Lin Yuan carefully put away his newly bought "spirit aura pointer" and "revealing powder," checked his remaining two Ancient Battlefield Talismans and the bronze bell, and drank the second dose of the Heart-Clearing Grass water he had brewed.

The injury on his right arm was seventy to eighty percent healed, and his combat power was barely restored.

He glanced at the countdown: 26 days, 18 hours, 33 minutes.

There was no more time for hesitation or preparation.

He picked up his phone and dialed the number on Boss Qian's business card.

"Boss Qian, I'm ready. Tomorrow morning, can you arrange for me to meet Chairman Liu and go directly to the park for a preliminary survey?"

Boss Qian's hearty laughter came from the other end. "So soon? Good! I'll contact Chairman Liu right away. You really are a man of action, little brother. Tomorrow morning at nine, at the park's main entrance—Chairman Liu and I will be waiting for you."

"By the way," Lin Yuan added, "please tell Chairman Liu to completely clear the park tonight. All personnel must evacuate, and electricity and gas should be cut off, leaving only necessary basic lighting. I need a 'quiet' environment for the preliminary assessment."

"Oh?" Boss Qian seemed a bit surprised but quickly agreed. "Alright, I'll pass that on. It seems you're planning to get serious, little brother. I look forward to your performance."

After hanging up, Lin Yuan checked his "Preliminary Plan" one last time, printed it out, and bound it.

The night was deep, and the city was still bustling. Yet, he felt an extraordinary calm, like the silence before a storm.

He knew that stepping into that park tomorrow might be stepping into a carefully laid trap or a naturally formed death zone.

But whether it was a trap or a death zone, he had to go.

For those 50 points of Faith, and to verify just how far his path of "Optimization" could take him.

He looked out the window at the distant night sky, where a few stars flickered faintly behind the clouds.

For some reason, he suddenly thought of that temporary entry in the system: [Trace amount of mark of conquest].

Perhaps, after tomorrow, this entry would be updated.

Or, it would disappear entirely.

He turned off the light and lay on the bed fully clothed, forcing himself to rest and build up his strength.

In his mind, however, he couldn't help but begin simulating various situations he might encounter tomorrow and every step of his "financial-style energy restructuring" plan.

Before a hazy sleepiness took over, a vague thought crossed his mind—if that composite energy field really contained "medical resentment," then could the "Heart-Clearing Grass" and "Moonlight Moss" he had taken these past two days to treat the backlash of baleful qi also serve as a weak "medicinal" energy to "soothe" or "neutralize" that specific resentment?

This idea was wild and completely unfounded.

But he remembered it.

Perhaps the true breakthrough point was hidden in these seemingly unrelated details.

The night grew deeper.