“Hey, pal, watch what you’re saying. I’m running a legit business here. You really think I’d sell you something defective?”

　　“Well, you never know!” I shot back, deliberately trying to push his buttons. I wanted to see how he’d react and if he had any clue about the problem with the fish tank.

　　“Listen, pal, are you just here to start trouble? This shop’s been open for almost ten years, and I’ve got customers coming back all the time. I, Zhang Dequan, don’t cheat people—never have, never will!”

　　I paid him no mind and slowly turned in place, taking a good look around the shop.

　　“Boss Zhang, you’d better come clean, or you know exactly what’s gonna happen,” Liu Dazhuang warned, his tone steady but firm.

　　“I swear, Officer Liu, I’m telling the truth! I wouldn’t dare try to pull one over on you, not in a million years!” Zhang Dequan’s voice wavered just a little, his nerves starting to show.

　　Liu Dazhuang glanced at me and gave a slight nod.

　　I paused to consider my next move, then faced Zhang Dequan again. “Boss Zhang, this is your last chance. Are you absolutely sure you’re not hiding something? You’re telling me you really had no clue there was an issue with the fish tanks?”

　　“I swear, I didn’t know! I really didn’t!” Zhang Dequan shot back, shaking his head as if the idea hadn’t even crossed his mind.

　　“Alright, then I’ll lay it out for you—every one of those fish tanks has been tampered with. They’re loaded with malevolent energy,, and if they’re left in the wrong spot for too long, they’ll start to affect people’s lives. Best case, it’ll bring bad luck. Worst case, someone could get seriously hurt.”

　　I wasn’t being dramatic. There are all kinds of malevolent energy,, and what was in those tanks was one of the milder forms. It wouldn’t wreak havoc right away, but given enough time, it was sure to drag people into a streak of bad fortune.

　　He went pale, eyes darting between me and Liu Dazhuang. Then he stumbled back a step, like he’d just taken a punch to the gut. “No... that can’t be true. How could that even happen?”Liu Dazhuang lit a cigarette, took a drag, and casually blew out a smoke ring. “Alright, let’s cut to the chase. What’s really going on here?”

　　Zhang Dequan paused for a moment, then suddenly mumbled to himself, “Could it be that there’s something wrong with that batch of goods...?”

　　“What goods? You need to be specific!”

　　Without warning, Zhang Dequan shot outside, and Liu Dazhuang and I quickly followed him.

　　He dashed over to the three-wheeled cart where the supplies had been unloaded, pulled back the tarp, and uncovered a variety of goods, including several fish tanks of different sizes.

　　“Do these fish tanks have any issues?” he asked me, his expression tight with anxiety.

　　I scrutinized the tanks and replied, “No, they’re fine!”

　　Zhang Dequan breathed a sigh of relief. “So it really was that batch that had problems!”

　　Liu Dazhuang seized him firmly. “You better clarify what you mean by ‘that batch’!”

　　Zhang Dequan looked visibly shaken, speaking carefully, “A few models were out of stock when I placed my order, so she recommended some alternative fish tanks. They seemed fine to me, so I went ahead and ordered them. I had no clue...”

　　“Who’s ‘she’?” Liu Dazhuang pressed on.

　　“She’s from Suxin Aquatic Store at the West City wholesale market. The owner’s a woman named Jiang Suxin!”

　　Finally, Liu Dazhuang loosened his grip on Zhang Dequan and turned to me. “Got it, the issue started with her!”

　　I thought for a moment and asked, “Did you sell any of those fish tanks to anyone else?”

　　“Yeah, there’s this old guy—older than me, with white hair.”

　　“Do you know his name?” Liu Dazhuang inquired.

　　Zhang Dequan shook his head, then quickly added, “But the store has the receipt. It should have his name on it!”“Let’s go check it out!” Liu Dazhuang said, urgency lacing his voice.

　　With that, the three of us rushed back to the shop. Zhang Dequan dug through a drawer and pulled out a receipt. Flipping through a few pages, he pointed to a name and told Liu Dazhuang, “Officer Liu, it’s this guy.”

　　“Zhang Guofa,” Liu Dazhuang said, passing the receipt to me.

　　I took a quick look at it, then placed it on the table and turned to leave slowly.

　　Liu Dazhuang turned back to Zhang Dequan, his tone sharp. “You’d better destroy the remaining fish tanks. If you sell even one more, you can kiss this shop goodbye!”

　　“I get it, I get it, Officer Liu! I’ll handle it!” Zhang Dequan replied, anxiety evident in his voice.

　　Liu Dazhuang fell into step beside me, reassuringly saying, “Don’t worry; I’ve already warned him. He needs to get rid of the other tanks as soon as possible and can’t sell them.”

　　“Good. But right now, I’m more worried about Jiang Suxin. She’s the source of the problem,” I added, concern creeping into my tone.

　　Liu Dazhuang paused for a moment to think, then nodded. “You’re right. Let’s pay her a visit this afternoon.”

　　I glanced at my watch and replied, “Sounds good to me.”

　　Instead of heading back to the guesthouse, I was pulled toward Liu Dazhuang’s home. Once inside, we headed straight for the kitchen, both eager to get to work. We bustled around, and before long, a delicious spread was laid out on the table, the aroma filling the air and easing some of the tension from earlier.

　　“You can cook too, Xiaofeng!” Wang Mengyun exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.

　　“Absolutely! I’ve been doing it since I was a kid!” I replied, grinning.

　　Wang Mengyun flashed me a thumbs-up, and I quickly added, “Come on, give it a taste, Sister Mengyun. Let’s see whose cooking is better—mine or Dazhuang’s!”

　　She first sampled the eggplant dish that Liu Dazhuang had prepared. After a few bites, she smiled and said, “It’s so soft and smooth, with a rich flavor.”

　　Next, she tried my scrambled eggs with tomatoes and commented, “The sauce is thick, and the sweet and sour balance is just perfect.”

　　“So, who cooked better?” Liu Dazhuang asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

　　“They're both delicious!”

　　At this, the three of us burst into laughter, the earlier tension easing a bit.

　　“How did things go this morning?” Wang Mengyun asked, her expression shifting to concern.

　　Liu Dazhuang, between mouthfuls, replied, “The fish tanks sold at that shop definitely have issues, but the owner doesn’t know about it; it’s not his fault.”

　　“Have you figured out who’s behind it?” Wang Mengyun pressed, leaning forward.

　　“Yeah, it’s a vendor named Jiang Suxin from the West City wholesale market.”

　　“So all the problematic fish tanks came from her?” Wang Mengyun’s brow furrowed.

　　Liu Dazhuang thought for a moment and responded, “I can’t say for sure yet, but our tanks definitely came from her.”

　　“Then we should go check it out,” Wang Mengyun insisted, determination in her eyes.

　　“Don’t worry, I’ve already talked it over with Xiaofeng. We’re heading over this afternoon,” Liu Dazhuang assured her.

　　“Sounds good,” Wang Mengyun replied, then turned to me. “Xiaofeng, why are you so quiet?”

　　I took a bite of rice, contemplating, and said, “I was just thinking that if Jiang Suxin really created tThe Seven Star Glazed Array!" in the fish tank, she must have some serious skills.”

　　Suddenly, Liu Dazhuang asked, “Xiaofeng, who’s stronger—you or her?”

　　I looked at him and smiled, saying, “It’s hard to say. If it really was her, her control over the malevolent energy is incredibly precise—just as good as mine.”

　　“Really?” Liu Dazhuang replied, a bit surprised.

　　I nodded at him, but there was something important I didn’t mention: it wasn't just about controlling the malevolent energy; it was about manipulating theThe Seven Star Glazed Array!" To perfectly utilize it and scale it down to fit in a fish tank isn’t just a matter of skill; it’s a sign of absolute talent in the field of feng shui.

　　“Regardless, you both need to be careful, okay?” Wang Mengyun said, concern etched on her face.

　　“Don’t worry, Sister Mengyun! With me around, I’ll make sure Dazhuang is safe!” I replied with a grin.

　　Wang Mengyun chuckled but didn’t say anything further.

　　Suddenly, a news report on the radio caught both Liu Dazhuang’s and my attention. “Breaking news: a man has fallen to his death at Tongda Community. The deceased is identified as Zhang Guofa, a 58-year-old male…”

　　Liu Dazhuang and I exchanged glances, both of us saying at the same time, “Zhang Guofa?”

　　“At that time, Tongming Group had just been established, and their grand opening was a huge spectacle. They gave away tons of freebies, and people rushed in to grab whatever they could. Before you knew it, who even remembered what happened with Li Hongmin?”

　　“Xiaofeng, have you figured something out?” Wang Mengyun asked, her expression turning serious with concern.

　　“No, Sister Mengyun, don’t read too much into it,” I replied, then shifted my attention to Liu Dazhuang. “Big Brother Dazhuang, let’s head to the flower and bird market. We really need to check on that fish tank of yours!”

　　“Alright, just give me a sec to grab a jacket,” Liu Dazhuang said, snuffing out the cigarette he had barely touched before getting up to head to the back room.

　　“Xiaofeng, I don’t really understand all this, but I have a feeling it’s more complicated than it seems. Just be careful with Dazhuang,” she cautioned, her tone full of genuine worry.

　　“Don’t worry, Sister Mengyun,” I said with a reassuring smile.

　　Just then, Liu Dazhuang returned, pulling on a jacket. “Let’s go, Xiaofeng! We’ll be in and out quickly, and when we get back, I’ll whip up lunch for you and Sister Mengyun!”

　　I stood up, grinning. “Sounds great! What a wonderful family man we have here! Let’s get going.”

　　The flower and bird market was nearby, and Liu Dazhuang and I arrived in no time. It wasn’t a big place; it mainly sold plants, flowers, and a few small animals.

　　“It's that shop up ahead!” Liu Dazhuang pointed.

　　From several dozen meters away, I noticed someone bent over at the entrance, tidying up. As we got closer, I realized it was a young guy, probably around fifteen or sixteen, looking a bit skinny.

　　“Hello!” I called out.

　　“Hey there! What can I do for you? Come on in and take a look; prices are negotiable,” the young man said, smiling.

　　“I need to talk to your boss. Where is he? Get him out here!” Liu Dazhuang said firmly, his irritation obvious since the problematic fish tank had been sold to him by this very shop.

　　“The boss went to restock. He’ll be back shortly,” the young man replied.

　　“The fish tank you sold me last time has issues, and I need to sort this out with him!” Liu Dazhuang raised his voice, ensuring everyone in the nearby shops could hear him. Heads poked out, curious to see what was happening.