Now, in the same place, sat a man who was alive and well.
This man was about forty years old, sporting a beard reminiscent of a goat's.
His eyes shone with enthusiasm.
He waved his hand while saying, "Would you like a fortune-telling? Would you like to guess character from a visage? Do you want to inquire about your ongoing fate? Please, sit over here." In an instant, Wie Kie-hong tried to compare the two incidents he had previously witnessed.
The corpse he had seen yesterday did not have a beard, and furthermore, the body was quite plump.
Moreover, the room had been in complete disarray.
Now, it was neatly arranged.
Previously, he had seen a writing brush lying on the floor, but now the brush was placed tidily on the bookshelf.
There were no traces of spilled ink on the floor either.
Wie Kie-hong was confused.
Had he mistakenly entered the wrong room earlier? Or was the messy room he had seen before merely a figment of his imagination? Wie Kie-hong then sat before the middle-aged man and greeted him.
"Sir, you are...?" "My name is Bu Tiat-cui, did you not see the name banner I've hung at the entrance? Would you like a fortune-telling?" If this person was indeed Bu Tiat-cui, then the corpse he had seen before was certainly not him.
Of course, there was a possibility that this person was a fake Bu Tiat-cui.
But the likelihood was very small; such a brazen act would surely be recognized instantly by anyone who knew the real Bu Tiat-cui.
"Does Mr. Bu live here?" "Indeed." "Actually, I came here this morning, but I did not find Mr. Bu." "Oh, I always wake up early and go out for a walk. Once I go for a walk, I usually spend two to three hours outside. I'm sorry you went to the trouble of coming here without meeting me." Now Wie Kie-hong noticed that the ceiling of the room was painted with a dragon.
When he had entered this room earlier, he hadn't noticed it.
When Bu Tiat-cui left for his walk... before he returned to the room... surely someone else came to clean the room until it was tidy.
Bu Tiat-cui would not know what had happened in this room before.
Could this be possible, Wie Kie-hong wondered in his heart, even though it seemed very likely? But why would a criminal choose Bu Tiat-cui's room to murder someone?
"Honored guest! Would you like a fortune-telling?" Wie Kie-hong did not answer the question posed to him. In his mind, he was contemplating an answer to another question... but first, he had to ensure that the person before him was the real Bu Tiat-cui.
There was only one way to prove it.
He promptly produced an ornament made of jade that had been given to him by Leng Souw-hiang. He placed the ornament on the table.
If this person was indeed the real Bu Tiat-cui, he should know the significance of the ornament.
Now the fortune teller's eyes were fixed on the jade ornament in front of him.
Afterward, he took the jade ornament with great respect, closed his eyes, and sighed.
Finally, he carefully placed the jade ornament into his jacket pocket.
Wie Kie-hong continued to scrutinize the movements of the person before him.
Now it seemed he could be certain that the fortune teller sitting before him was the real Bu Tiat-cui.
"Did you come from a far place?" suddenly, the fortune teller asked.
"Not too far," replied Wie Kie-hong.
"Which family's residence do you stay at?" "Why ask about this?" "Did you not come here to retrieve an item? You don't need to wait here. Please leave your home address. I will deliver the item directly to your place," After seeing the jade ornament, the fortune teller seemed to instantly trust and provide the requested item.
He did not know who currently held the suitcase he was to bring, nor did he know who would take it. He was only representing his friend's request.
In that case, the fortune teller surely would not know what was inside the suitcase.
This conclusion was quickly made by Wie Kie-hong.
"Why don't you give it to me now?" "Because the item is not stored here. I have no family, and I have a habit of taking early morning walks. It is not safe to keep it here." "Was the piece of evidence I handed to you earlier correct?" "Correct." "Then, I need to ensure that the item I will receive is the right one. What item will you give me?" "A small suitcase," the fortune teller added an explanation... "the suitcase is made of yellow buffalo leather. On top of it is a unique lock made by foreigners. This is a very special item. It is a Tian Jin product with the Hardman brand. According to reports, the suitcase alone is worth a hundred foreign currency notes." "Do you store this item with your friend?" "Yes." "Can he be trusted?" "Mmm!" the fortune teller pondered for a moment, then said again, "those who live on earth undeniably will have some friends, even though they have friends, not even a needle and thread can directly be entrusted to them. There are some friends I can rely on to guard the item for me, rest assured. My friend is truly reliable." "In that case, can I retrieve the suitcase from your friend right now? I have handed over the jade ornament as proof that I am the right person, I cannot possibly return home empty-handed." "Do you not trust me?" "No, no... that's not what I mean," Wie Kie-hong explained. "The owner of the suitcase trusts you enough to store the suitcase here. He trusts you; how could I not trust you?" "Then, please return to your residence and wait there. Around midday tomorrow, I will surely bring the suitcase to your residence."
"Mr. Bu, is it correct for me to address you this way?" "My surname is indeed Bu." "When I entered earlier, I mentioned that I had come here this morning." "You came in vain, I truly want to apologize." "That's not what I mean... what I meant to say is that when I came earlier, I encountered a strange incident. This news is very shocking. I don't know if Mr. Bu has heard about it?" Besides his eyes glinting slightly when he saw the jade ornament, Bu Tiat-cui continued to sit silently. His emotions were not stirred in the slightest. He still did not appear surprised, he merely asked in a flat tone, "Are you saying the incident happened in this room of mine?"
Wie Kie-hong answered briefly, "Yes." "What did you see earlier?" "Someone was sitting where you are sitting now. A long needle was embedded between his eyebrows. The needle was about thirty or forty centimeters long. When I found him, he was already dead." "Oh?" now Bu Tiat-cui appeared shocked. "The room was in disarray, clearly, someone had been searching for something." "Are you very sure you didn't enter the wrong room?" "I'm sure! I still remember it very clearly. When I left this place, someone intercepted me in the outer courtyard. That person gave me a warning letter, instructing me not to meddle in this matter." "But when I returned from my walk, nothing had changed here...." Wie Kie-hong pointed to the brush stored on the bookshelf and said, "Mr. Bu, may I look at the brush you use for writing?" "Please!" Wie Kie-hong took the brush from the top of the cupboard. He then opened the brush cap. Suddenly, he exclaimed in delight. It turned out the tip of the brush was still wet with ink. Even at the tip of the brush, there was still floor dust clinging to it. "Before you returned to this room, they had tidied this place up. Look, the brush you usually use is even still wet with ink." From the beginning, Bu Tiat-cui had been skeptical of everything Wie Kie-hong had said. But now it seemed he believed it. "Every night I always clean that brush thoroughly. Today I haven't had the chance to use the brush to write, but it turns out... what you said is not wrong. It turns out someone indeed entered my room. Did you say they came here and killed someone?" "That's right! Initially, I thought the person who had been killed was you, and you were a fake Bu Tiat-cui. But after I produced the jade ornament, I realized that you are not a fake Bu Tiat-cui. Others should not know about this." "That's right. Others would not possibly know." "Mr. Bu, you haven't even asked my name until now...." "In the past, I made a promise, no matter who comes to claim the small suitcase, I will not ask anything. This is a promise." "Mr. Bu, let's go and retrieve the suitcase together. You might also need to avoid trouble for a while; if the murderer harbors ill intentions, they may attempt to kill you to silence you." Bu Tiat-cui didn't say anything more. Suddenly he jumped up, then looked left and right at the contents of his room nervously, as if searching for something invisible.
**
Glossary of Terms:**
- **Bu Tiat-cui**: The name of the fortune teller character.
- **Wie Kie-hong**: The name of the protagonist.
- **Leng Souw-hiang**: The person who gave Wie Kie-hong the jade ornament.
- **Tian Jin**: A place known for manufacturing goods, mentioned in the context of the suitcase's origin.
- **Hardman**: The brand of the suitcase.