153: Chapter 153 Theft

Han Jingyang put on the full airs of an expert.

Leading Zhou Jianjun and a group of village elders, he pointed out the layout, arranging the entrance of Dongpo Village in a logical and organized manner with just a few words.

The several old men were very excited.

"That's exactly the feeling."

"I always felt something was missing here before, and now I finally know what it is."

"Looking at it this way, it's indeed much more comfortable."

"Feng Shui, Feng Shui—it really is only truly called Feng Shui if it's closely related to people's livelihoods."

"Master Han might be young, but his skills are top-notch. Everything he says is easy to understand; he doesn't put on airs."

"In young people's terms, this is called being grounded."

"Indeed, just thinking about it after these changes makes one feel at ease. It's so much better than the bare, empty look it has now."

Han Jingyang was also quite pleased.

Although, he felt a little embarrassed.

He hadn't actually done any real work; he was just spouting off, making random comments based on the flow and changing paths of the earth qi he could see.

It was useful, sure.

But the utility really wasn't as great as the old men thought.

After returning, Shi Xiaoya was also a bit skeptical: "Boss, you just gave a few random pointers—is it really that magical?"

"Not really. While there is a certain effect of concealing wind, the help it provides to the village is minimal. Once spread out among every villager, it's even more negligible."

"Then they are... just experiencing a psychological effect?"

"Not entirely. The changes are real. Planting a forest at the previously bare village entrance changes the visual perception, and even the air, sunlight, and temperature will be altered. So, the old men can feel that change in advance, which counts as a shallow application of Feng Shui. It's essentially human-environment studies; that's all it is."

Shi Xiaoya suddenly understood.

Liu Jing then asked: "Boss, will rashly changing the environment at the village entrance create safety hazards for travel? The country road here is quite busy, and the traffic is dangerous."

"That's why I told them to build a low wall there and paint words on it with red paint. As long as someone isn't blind, they will definitely notice it and naturally divert some of their attention to the village entrance. The faster the vehicle speed, the more obvious the effect."

Han Jingyang was quite smug.

Because this was something he had summarized himself; it was his comprehensive understanding and application of Feng Shui in actual life.

As one old man said well, Feng Shui that can solve livelihood problems is good Feng Shui.

Although biased, it cannot be denied that the essence of Feng Shui is to serve people and to serve actual production and life.

This time was a small test of his skills.

The results were very good.

He felt full of a sense of accomplishment.

At night.

Zhou Jianjun hosted a banquet at the farmhouse, inviting Han Jingyang and his two companions, along with the influential people of the village, to eat. They took the opportunity to discuss the new project at the reservoir, covering everything from budgets to precautions, talking until past midnight.

Just as they were about to disperse, Zhou Jianjun received a phone call, and his expression changed drastically.

Seeing this, Wang Yan hurriedly asked: "Brother-in-law, what's wrong?"

Zhou Jianjun looked around at everyone, his gaze finally landing on Han Jingyang: "The bronze tripod is gone."

"Gone?" "What?" "How is that possible?" "Who did it?" "Where was it lost?" "Should we call the police first?"

The others immediately stood up, all very anxious.

Was this a theft of the bronze tripod? It was a theft of everyone's dividends.

Calculating based on two million, with over a thousand people in the village, everyone could get over a thousand, and a family of four would get nearly ten thousand.

What if it was worth even more?

It was the same principle as finding money; when you haven't found it, it doesn't matter. But if you find money and then lose it, you will feel heartache and regret for a long time.

Han Jingyang stood up to meet Zhou Jianjun's gaze: "Do you suspect me?"

Zhou Jianjun hurriedly shook his head: "No, no, no, we've been together all day. I mean, could you see if you can help find the thief? We, we will definitely reward you handsomely."

The other villagers suddenly realized and nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, yes, Master Han has great supernatural powers. See if you can help find the thief."

"The Yin-Yang Masters of the past could find people using a small wooden stick. Can Master Han do it?"

"He should be able to, right? Fortune-telling Yin-Yang Masters and Feng Shui Masters can all calculate and divine."

"Master Han, shall we go to the scene and take a look?"

"Master Han, our Dongpo Village will definitely not treat you unfairly."

"Exactly, we won't let you work in vain. Whether or not you can find the person, there will be a token of our appreciation."

"The priority now is to get the item back as soon as possible."

"Right, we can't delay."

"Master Han, give us an idea. If there's a way, let's act quickly. If there's no way, we'll call the police."

Everyone looked at Han Jingyang with anticipation.

Han Jingyang sighed: "I really don't want to get involved in this, but you all... fine. I'll make a trip. Whether it works or not depends on luck."

Zhou Jianjun raised an eyebrow: "Master Han, you have something more to say. If there's something, feel free to speak directly."

Han Jingyang regained his calm: "This kind of thing is actually very simple. Either it's an inside job, with someone in the village wanting to keep that windfall for themselves, or the thief is no ordinary person."

"Not an ordinary person?"

"Right, the bronze tripod wasn't an ordinary object to begin with; it counts as a dharma instrument. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been placed in the underground palace by He Dingkun. So, the thief is very likely a practitioner of metaphysics like me."

Everyone was shocked.

Zhou Jianjun frowned: "Do you suspect Wang Jinliang?"

Han Jingyang shook his head: "No, impossible. Wang Jinliang cannot be the thief."

"Why?"

"Village Chief, you know best yourself."

"That's true. If he were that kind of person, he could have easily found an excuse not to return those six old objects. And although Wang Jinliang is... his character is reliable. But if it's not Wang Jinliang, who could it be?"

"That will require investigation. You all need to act quickly too. Check for any strangers who have entered or left the village in the last two days. I see there are quite a few security cameras in the village; check them all."

"What about you?"

"I'll go to the scene and take a look."

The scene of the incident was at the village committee office, in the office where Zhou Jianjun and other village officials work.

This office is large and also serves as an archive room, storage room, and other functions. A row of file cabinets stands against the wall, and two safes stand in the corner.

The file cabinets were unharmed.

But one of the two safes had its door wide open.

Zhou Jianjun, with a livid expression, pointed at the open safe: "It's right here. I put it in this morning, and several of them were present. The password is divided into two parts; Old Liu and I each hold one part. Both of us must be present to open it."

Han Jingyang leaned over to take a look: "There are no signs of forced entry; it was opened using the password. Either you two are stealing it yourselves, or the thief obtained the password through some means."

Zhou Jianjun's expression became even worse; either situation was terrible.

Han Jingyang looked up at the surveillance cameras, then at the computer in the office, and shrugged: "The thief knows computers and even specifically removed the hard drive. Judging by this method, they were clearly prepared."

Zhou Jianjun was even more anxious: "Can it be found?"

"No."

"Ah?"

"The thief was very well prepared and wiped away all traces of themselves. In our terms, they concealed the heavenly secrets. All metaphysical methods are useless. On the contrary, calling the police still has a glimmer of hope. Do you want to call the police?"

A villager blurted out: "We must call the police."

Zhou Jianjun shook his head: "Better not."

The villager was stunned: "Why?"