Chapter 10: Cpu Master
Fang Yihang’s fainting did not attract much attention, because Jiang Ce appeared the next second and dragged the person away.
When Jiang Ce returned to Chen Mian’s side clapping his hands, the latter remembered to ask: “Is he okay?”
“He’s fine, just an ordinary fall that caused a big bump like that.”
Jiang Ce replied lightly, then looked at the Master of Ceremonies who was reading the deceased’s life story, and said casually with full malicious amusement:
“Later during the body farewell, if they see the fat old man turned into this state, will they think our Funeral Home uses dead people to refine oil?”
“You’re too…” Even though Chen Mian had been in the Jianghu for many years, he couldn’t help but feel that Jiang Ce’s thinking was too outrageous.
“By the way.” Chen Mian quickly changed the topic: “Did he find you in a dream last night?”
Jiang Ce had no intention of hiding it. Uncle Chen was even performing Buddhist Rituals, and last night they had gone through the crisis of a near reanimated corpse together, so there was no need to hypocritically say “no dream message, Uncle Chen you should believe in science.” So he just nodded honestly.
“He did, and said some rather strange things, so I need to verify with his family.”
Although Chen Mian was curious, since Jiang Ce didn’t say, he didn’t ask.
Under his guidance, Jiang Ce also smoothly found the deceased’s family in the crowd.
“This is the deceased’s son, Mr. Su. Mr. Su, this is my assistant Jiang Ce. He has some words he wants to say to you.”
Mr. Su was around forty years old, dressed in a black formal suit. Although his expression was calm, he couldn’t hide the exhaustion and haggardness in his eyes. It was clear that his father’s death was a huge blow to him.
“Mm, may I ask what it is?” Mr. Su asked politely.
Jiang Ce didn’t ask directly, but smiled: “Mr. Su, there are many people here, let’s step aside to talk.”
Although he found it strange, Mr. Su didn’t refuse and followed Jiang Ce and Chen Mian to the small reception room next to the farewell hall.
Jiang Ce went in first. The two behind hadn’t reached the door yet when they heard Jiang Ce say “Eh?” Then another person said “Hm?” followed by a “thud” sound, then “swish swish swish” noises. After that, Jiang Ce dragged Fang Yihang out backwards, casually threw the unconscious Fang Yihang with two big bumps on his head into the nearby duty room, then trotted back quickly and extended his hand to Mr. Su: “Please.”
“Is he okay?” Mr. Su asked, his gaze drifting toward the duty room from time to time.
“He’s fine. He was secretly using the reception room to sleep and I caught him. He got too nervous when getting up and fell, that’s all. No need to worry.”
Chen Mian kept his eyes to himself, pretending not to see Jiang Ce’s glib behavior.
After Mr. Su and Jiang Ce entered the reception room and sat down, Chen Mian hesitated for a moment wanting to leave, but Jiang Ce, who noticed, grabbed him and made him stay. Chen Mian didn’t say it, but Jiang Ce’s image in his eyes became increasingly likable.
“So, what do you two want with me?” Mr. Su took a sip of tea, put down the paper cup, and looked at the two.
“It’s like this.” Jiang Ce didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point: “I have some questions I want to ask you, which will help find the old man’s true cause of death.”
“True cause of death?” Mr. Su frowned: “The Death Certificate from the hospital says sudden death. What do you mean by that?”
Jiang Ce didn’t answer, but instead talked about something else.
“Did the old man bring a Bronze Statue home a month ago, saying it was from Antique Street?”
Mr. Su was first slightly puzzled, then recalled and said in surprise: “How do you know?”
“Don’t worry, not finished yet.”
Jiang Ce continued: “Later, did he ask your son if he secretly put the Bronze Statue at his bedside?”
Mr. Su’s mouth fell open, unable to speak. Jiang Ce didn’t mind and continued on his own:
“Then, even though he was clearly very healthy, he kept saying he felt very weak. In the period before sudden death, he kept going out, not knowing what for?”
“These… how do you know these?”
Mr. Su couldn’t believe it. How could Jiang Ce, a complete stranger, know so much about his family affairs?
“Because the old man gave me a dream message last night.”
Jiang Ce leaned back tactically, slowly and very stylishly against the sofa backrest, picked up the water cup and took a sip of tea, revealing a meaningful smile.
“Impossible!” Mr. Su waved his hand and said without thinking: “Leaving aside that dream messages are superstitious nonsense, even if there was one, why would he give it to you, an outsider, instead of me?”
Jiang Ce seemed fully prepared and said words that left Chen Mian dumbfounded on the side and made Mr. Su explode in rage.
“Because your dad doesn’t love you anymore!”
This sentence was like the last straw that broke Mr. Su. He roared with red eyes: “What did you say? Say it again, you bastard?!”
“Isn’t it obvious? If you were a filial person, someone who made your dad feel at ease, why would he rather believe me, an outsider, than you? It’s you who didn’t believe him first!”
Jiang Ce slammed the table hard, instead calming Mr. Su:
“You never took what your dad said seriously at all. When he needed help the most, not only did you not help him, you distrusted him and didn’t take his words seriously!
You single-handedly pushed him into an isolated and helpless situation, so when I showed willingness to believe him, he trusted me more than you!
You still haven’t realized your mistake and instead question me? On what grounds?!”
Mr. Su opened his mouth to retort but couldn’t say anything.
Jiang Ce sighed, glanced at the baffled Chen Mian, and began an even more advanced operation that the latter couldn’t understand:
“Mr. Su, you may not believe what I’m about to say, and I indeed have no evidence to make you believe, but please listen patiently to the end.
The old man’s funeral arrangements were handled entirely by me and Uncle Chen. Since I’ve told you about the dream message, I won’t hide the rest from you.
The old man died unjustly, when he was just brought in, his death state was unbearable to look at.
Not exaggerating, among the bodies we’ve handled, he was the most tragic. We put in tremendous effort to make him look as peaceful as he does now. Otherwise, you know, when he was alive, even the hospital doctors couldn’t make him lie flat so comfortably like this.
At that time I was thinking, how much suffering must the old man have endured in life to look so ferocious after death. I said, old man, if there’s anything you can’t let go of, give me a dream message at night and I’ll help fulfill your last wish. Don’t let your relatives and children see you like this, it’s not dignified.
Hey, he really listened. He lay there peacefully right away.
That night he found me, complaining about you all, saying you didn’t believe him, that even when he was dying you didn’t take his words seriously. Despair! Heartbroken!
I comforted him, saying young people nowadays are busy with work and can’t care properly, it’s not really unfilial. That made him feel a bit better.
Dream message opportunities like this are rare anyway. He was afraid that even if he gave you one, you’d still dismiss it, so he came to me.
Then he told me about the Bronze Statue, saying it was very eerie, telling me just to vent, not to take it seriously.
I criticized him, saying how can that be? If left alone, what if the Bronze Statue harms you all?
The old man was so moved at the time, saying I was a living Bodhisattva, almost knelt to me, saying if he were still alive he’d thank me with heavy gifts.
But though I’m poor and short of money, my heart is very righteous. I refused him right then, saying how can matters of life and death be measured by money?
But honestly, I was still a bit doubtful. After all, if it was just my dream fantasy, it’d be a joke. So that’s why I came to you, to verify what the old man said.
Unexpectedly… what the old man said was really true.”
He tsked lightly, giving Mr. Su a glance with slight contempt and disdain, as if saying, unexpectedly, you’re really as bad as he described.
After hearing this, Mr. Su couldn’t calm down for a long time. Facing Jiang Ce, he suddenly felt guilt and didn’t dare look Jiang Ce in the eye.
After a long time, he seemed to have made a decision:
“Sorry, it was my impulsiveness just now. If possible, please come home with me. If it’s really as you said, after the matter is resolved, I will thank you properly on behalf of my late father!
