Chapter 47

"Guiding the way? Which path should we take?" Abiao's eyes widened at the words. What was happening to Brother Qiang today? Did he really take the wrong medicine? Shouldn't we ask the fortune-teller by the roadside? Besides, aren't we doing well? Is Brother Qiang planning to change careers?

However, Xia Yunjie's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this. Then he fixed his gaze on Bald Qiang and sized him up for a while before smiling and bowing to him, saying, "Congratulations, Brother Qiang, on your great fortune. But I still have to say, taking shortcuts is not a long-term strategy. Returning to the right path is the way to go."

After saying this, Xia Yunjie turned to leave. Bald Qiang, seeing that Xia Yunjie had once again exposed his newfound wealth, was unwilling to let this living sage go. He hurriedly followed and said even more respectfully, "Brother Jie, Master Jie, I've long wanted to leave this crooked path. Every day I live in fear and can't make much money. Now that I've made some money, I don't know what to do next. Please, Master, give me some guidance. I promise to walk the right path and do more good deeds!"

"Are you serious?" Xia Yunjie finally stopped and turned to look at Bald Qiang.

If he could guide someone like Bald Qiang to the right path, it would indeed be a good deed.

"I, Ren Yongqiang, swear to the heavens that I will never..." Bald Qiang, seeing that Xia Yunjie was willing to stay, couldn't help but be delighted and quickly said solemnly.

"That's enough, no need to swear. Do you think that if you promise me, the heavens will punish you if you do something bad?" Xia Yunjie waved his hand to interrupt Bald Qiang.

Since he had already revealed a bit of his secrets to Bald Qiang and he had come seeking him, Xia Yunjie didn't need to hide or act modest anymore.

Xia Yunjie's words seemed casual, but how could Bald Qiang not understand the implications? Even in the scorching sun, he felt a chill run from his feet to his head.

"Yes, yes, Master is right," Bald Qiang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nodded repeatedly, leaving Abiao completely baffled and too afraid to ask.

"Call me Brother Jie. Have you had lunch? If not, let's find a place to eat and talk." Xia Yunjie looked up at the blazing sun and frowned slightly.

"How about Huazhongcheng on Minhang Road?" Bald Qiang quickly suggested.

Xia Yunjie couldn't help but smile. Last night, the police chief had invited him to Huazhongcheng, but he hadn't agreed. He hadn't expected that today, Bald Qiang would also invite him to Huazhongcheng. It seemed he couldn't avoid this meal at Huazhongcheng.

"Alright, let's go to Huazhongcheng." Xia Yunjie nodded.

Seeing Xia Yunjie nod, Bald Qiang was so happy that he hurriedly opened the car door and invited Xia Yunjie in.

"Sit in the back too." Xia Yunjie, seeing that Bald Qiang had opened the door for him, was about to sit in the front passenger seat, but then called him back.

Seeing that Xia Yunjie and the boss were seated, Abiao started the car, but his confusion only grew. He didn't know what was going on with the boss today. What kind of wealth had he made? To go to Huazhongcheng, one of the top hotels in Jiangzhou, with its exorbitant prices, seemed like a waste of money.

They were just petty thieves, not smugglers or drug dealers. Going to Huazhongcheng for a meal was like asking for trouble.

The poor Abiao didn't know that his boss had twenty million yuan in his pocket. If he did, he wouldn't have thought it strange for them to go to Huazhongcheng, or even to rent a yacht at Yintan Beach and enjoy themselves with some beauties.

In their line of work, money came and went quickly. With twenty million, why not enjoy it to the fullest?

Xia Yunjie, of course, didn't care what Abiao was thinking. Once in the car, he asked for Bald Qiang's birth details and began to examine his hand closely, then made a gesture with his right hand, his fingers moving quickly.

Yesterday, Xia Yunjie had only noticed that Bald Qiang's financial luck was extremely strong, predicting that he would soon become wealthy. Now, using the unique techniques of the Wuxian Sect, he was surprised to find that Bald Qiang's ancestors had served as deputy chefs in the imperial kitchen during the Ming Dynasty's Chongzhen era, which would be equivalent to a deputy chef in the royal court today. Moreover, Bald Qiang had also been a chef. According to Xia Yunjie's calculations, his career should be related to the food industry, but he had somehow turned to a life of crime. Besides this, Xia Yunjie also calculated that Bald Qiang had a difficult early life, with both parents dying young, and he was raised by his grandmother. Despite his fierce appearance, he was filial and loyal. After the age of thirty-five, his luck had turned, and his financial luck had become extremely strong. He had just turned thirty-five last week.

Of course, luck alone cannot determine everything. There's a Minnan song called "Only by Striving Can You Win," which says, "One-third is fate, seven-tenths is effort." This line captures the essence of success. While luck is important, effort is even more crucial. In other words, a person's success is primarily determined by their effort. However, this applies to most people. There are a few exceptions, like Bald Qiang, whose strong financial luck plays a decisive role in their success, while effort is secondary. Of course, even if the roles of luck and effort are reversed, personal effort still plays a significant role. For example, if Bald Qiang continues down the wrong path and ends up in jail, his strong financial luck will be for nothing.

In short, both effort and luck are important in life. If you have good luck, you need to cherish and seize it. If you squander the good fortune given to you, you can only blame yourself. For example, someone born with a golden spoon in their mouth, if they behave honestly, will never worry about food or clothing. But if they become a wastrel, even a mountain of gold and silver will be depleted.

Bald Qiang's current situation is similar to that of a rich second-generation. According to Xia Yunjie's calculations, Bald Qiang's financial luck is extremely strong. As long as he follows the rules and doesn't do anything out of line, like taking shortcuts or being lazy, he will definitely become wealthy. In fact, he already has.

With a net worth of twenty million yuan in 2003, he would be considered a wealthy person in any city in the country.

As Xia Yunjie's fingers moved, he was secretly surprised and his perception of Bald Qiang improved slightly. Bald Qiang, seeing Xia Yunjie's solemn expression, dared not even breathe loudly, while Abiao was so distracted that he almost ran a red light.

Goodness, is Brother Jie not only skilled in martial arts but also a fortune-teller? But shouldn't fortune-tellers look more like sages with a touch of mysticism? At the very least, they should be older! Brother Jie looks no more than twenty and dresses plainly. How could he be a fortune-teller?

"You are filial to your grandmother and loyal to your brothers. You are not without merit," Xia Yunjie stopped his calculations and said to Bald Qiang.

Xia Yunjie's words, which had almost caused Abiao to run a red light, now made him stall the car again when the green light turned on.

Abiao and Bald Qiang were from the same village, and Abiao had followed Bald Qiang since childhood. He knew Bald Qiang's family situation well. Bald Qiang was raised by his grandmother and, despite his fierce appearance and tendency to be aggressive, he was always gentle and respectful to his grandmother. Today, when Xia Yunjie mentioned Bald Qiang's grandmother but not his parents or grandfather, Abiao was shocked. Even the other members of the gang knew little about this!

As for his loyalty to his brothers, it was well-known in the gang. Bald Qiang's scar was from protecting a brother during a fight. His respect and loyalty to his brothers were one of the main reasons he became the gang leader.

"Shameful!" Bald Qiang didn't show much shock, but he felt even more reverence for Xia Yunjie, looking at him with naked admiration and respect, almost ready to worship him.

"By the way, didn't you used to be a chef? Why did you stop?" Xia Yunjie looked at Bald Qiang curiously.

Xia Yunjie's question made Abiao, who had just started the car, stall again. The cars behind him honked furiously, and Bald Qiang was so annoyed that he wanted to slap Abiao.

You've been driving this car for seven or eight years, and it never stalls at other times, but it keeps stalling when Brother Jie is in the car!

However, even if Bald Qiang had the courage, he wouldn't dare to slap Abiao while Xia Yunjie was asking questions. He quickly replied, "It's a long story. When I was young, I ran a small restaurant in the village, and it was quite successful. But the village officials kept eating at the restaurant and leaving IOUs. I have a short temper and had a big fight with them. The restaurant couldn't continue, and I couldn't stay in the village, so I came to the city to find work. I wanted to be a chef in a hotel, but the city hotels only recognized certificates, not skills. My cooking skills were passed down in my family, and I hadn't been to a formal cooking school, so I had no certificate. I didn't want to be a kitchen helper, and after a few setbacks, I ended up where I am now. I feel ashamed for disappointing my grandmother who raised me with such effort."

At the end, Bald Qiang's face was filled with shame.