"Should be able to." Li Weijun replied confidently, without asking why Qin Yu wanted information about the Japanese developer. He picked up his phone and made a call, speaking a few sentences to someone on the other end before hanging up.
"Xiaoyu, what does this have to do with the developer?" Li Weijun asked.
"Cousin, you should know the significance of dragon veins, right?" Qin Yu didn't answer directly; instead, he posed a question.
"Of course, in Guangzhou alone, I've heard that there are several converging dragon veins, which have contributed to the prosperity of the city and the exceptional people living here."
"That's right. Speaking on a larger scale, the presence of a dragon vein affects the development of a nation, and on a smaller scale, it nourishes the people living on the land. The existence of a dragon vein is crucial to the lives of the people in that area. If a dragon vein is harmed or destroyed, the people near it will suffer."
"Furthermore, why would the Japanese businessman construct such a peculiar building, precisely located on a dragon vein? There are too many coincidences for us to believe there's nothing fishy going on."
"Master Qin, are you suggesting that the Japanese intentionally want to destroy the dragon veins in Guangzhou?"
Li Weijun's expression turned serious. As a native of Guangzhou, he and the local people would be the first to bear the brunt if the dragon veins were damaged.
"Let's first ask the gatekeeper and confirm if they are intentionally doing so. Besides, it's not easy to destroy a dragon vein. The other party likely has hidden means that we haven't discovered yet."
The group fell silent, and soon the car arrived at the back gate. As expected, an old man sat by the gate, enjoying the radio.
"Hello, Grandpa. Your surname is Gu, right?"
"I am surnamed Gu. Who are you folks?" Grandpa Gu replied in Mandarin mixed with distinct Cantonese. Fortunately, Qin Yu had been influenced by Hong Kong films in his childhood and could understand some common Cantonese words.
"We've come to ask you about something. Do you remember that building in the industrial park that looks like a dagger?" Qin Yu leaned closer to Grandpa's ear and spoke loudly.
"You're talking about the Dagger Tower. That building was under construction when I first became a security guard here."
Grandpa's response made Qin Yu and the others light up. Calling the building the Dagger Tower was quite fitting. Qin Yu continued to ask Grandpa:
"Grandpa, can you tell us more about the Dagger Tower?"
Since there were fewer people at the back gate, and not many vehicles passing by, Grandpa Gu had some free time. The group entered his gatehouse, which consisted of two rooms. One was a bedroom, and the other had a table with several chairs. Qin Yu and the others found seats.
"When it comes to the Dagger Tower, I have a vivid memory..." Grandpa Gu seemed to have not had a good chat with anyone for a long time. Once he started talking, he spilled everything he knew about the Dagger Tower.
The industrial park was built in 1984, and Grandpa Gu had been a security guard here since then. The Dagger Tower, however, was constructed separately in 2003. Speaking of the construction of the Dagger Tower, Grandpa Gu always had a question. When the tower was being built, a large area nearby was completely enclosed with barbed wire fences. The workers inside never came out, and they ate and slept in tents set up within.
Moreover, while conventional buildings are usually constructed first and then undergo interior decoration, the Dagger Tower stopped at one floor. It wasn't that the workers stopped working; Grandpa Gu still saw a group of workers entering and exiting the tower every day. There were even trucks carrying away heaps of soil, which piled up to a height of three floors.
At this point, a terrified expression appeared on Grandpa Gu's face, and he spoke mysteriously, saying, "You must not know that something terrifying happened during the construction of the Dagger Tower."
"I remember that night, around 12 o'clock, after completing my patrol of the entire industrial park, I returned to my dormitory to sleep. Suddenly, I saw a bright light coming from outside the window, followed by a thunderous explosion that sounded like thunder right outside the window. It was so loud that it felt like my ears were deafened."
Grandpa Gu quickly pushed open the window and saw smoke rising from the top of the one and only floor of the Dagger Tower. Then a group of people rushed out of the building. In the strong light of the streetlamp outside, he clearly saw them carrying several individuals and loading them into a car, which then sped away.
"Could it be a lightning strike?" Grandpa Gu wondered, but he didn't pay much attention to it. While being struck by lightning is rare, it's not entirely impossible. He could only conclude that those people had been unlucky.
Strange occurrences like this happened for three consecutive days, and the lightning itself was peculiar. There was only a single bolt, without any signs of rain or thunderstorms. It simply appeared out of nowhere, leaving Mr. Gu and his colleagues feeling that something was amiss.
After each thunderclap, someone would be carried out of the building by others. Mr. Gu secretly took a look outside the iron fence and discovered that these workers were actually Japanese, as they murmured in Japanese while carrying people out of the building.
"Japanese people? This doesn't make sense. It's impossible to find so many Japanese workers in Guangzhou. But if they were brought from Japan, the cost would be too high."
Mr. Gu's words made Zhang Hua realize that something was off, and it wasn't just Zhang Hua. The others also had the same feeling. Why would these Japanese people be so secretive? They even brought their own workers from Japan. Unless there was a secret they didn't want outsiders to know. They exchanged glances, all thinking about Qin Yu's speculation, and their expressions grew serious.
"What happened next?"
"Afterward, everything returned to calm and normal. The Knife Tower was quickly constructed, and the Japanese workers left. A few days later, several trucks arrived and unloaded a pile of goods into the tower. Then the building was sealed shut, and it seems it hasn't been opened again for many years."
After hearing Mr. Gu's words, Li Weijun and Zhang Hua turned their gaze toward Qin Yu. They needed him to draw a conclusion about whether the problem was related to this building or not.
Qin Yu gave the others a look that indicated they would discuss it later. Everyone bid farewell to Mr. Gu and got into their cars, driving out of the industrial park.
"Xiaoyu, now that we're alone, can you tell us if it was the Japanese who caused all this commotion with the 'Dragon Flips Over'?" Zhang Hua couldn't hold back and asked as soon as they got in the car.
"I can confirm that it was the work of the Japanese. Just as Mr. Gu mentioned the three thunderclaps, there is another explanation within our group: 'The Dragon Flips Over, Three Thunderclaps Burst.' The dragon's veins are formed by the nurturing of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers. Once they take shape, forcibly changing them will incur the backlash of heaven and earth, resulting in thunderous punishment."
There was one more thing Qin Yu didn't mention: "Three thunderclaps descend, fortune and misfortune transform. When the dragon's veins turn from auspicious to ominous, the longer it persists, the greater the impact. Eventually, it will completely transform into a malevolent dragon. Those who dwell in the presence of the malevolent dragon will only bring about disease and misfortune."
"What should we do then?" Li Weijun's face turned pale. This incident had the greatest impact on him, both personally and professionally. From a personal perspective, it would directly affect his real estate sales. From a public perspective, as a resident of Guangzhou, he knew that such destruction of dragon veins would have the greatest impact on the local people. Therefore, he was deeply concerned about this matter.
"The best course of action is to enter that building and find out what method the Japanese used to flip the dragon's veins. Then we can figure out a way to remedy the situation."
"Okay." Li Weijun nodded, about to say something when his phone rang. He glanced at the number and answered it immediately.
"I found out, alright, I'm listening," Li Weijun spoke into the phone.
As the voice on the other end of the phone continued, Li Weijun's brow gradually furrowed, forming a deep frown.
"Alright, I understand."
After hanging up the phone, Li Weijun's expression turned grim. He said to Qin Yu, "This Japanese businessman is not simple. His name is Mitsui Abane, the president of Mitsui Corporation in Japan. He belongs to the first wave of foreign investors who came to China. He has connections with many officials in the city."
"Mitsui Corporation?" Qin Yu muttered to himself, feeling that the name sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before, but he couldn't recall it at the moment.
"Yes, when the reform and opening up policy was just implemented, the country provided very favorable policies to attract foreign investors. Mitsui Abane came to Guangzhou to invest during that time. Back then, it was considered a significant political achievement for officials to attract foreign investment. Mitsui Abane relied on this opportunity to establish a wide network of relationships in the city. Until now, it can be said that many officials in Guangzhou who climbed up the ladder from the grassroots level have connections with him." Li Weijun provided Qin Yu and Zhang Hua with some information about Mitsui Abane.
"If that's the case, it might be difficult to enter the Knife Tower," Qin Yu furrowed his brow. If it were an ordinary businessman, Li Weijun's connections should be able to handle it. However, when it involved a foreign businessman and complicated relationships with local officials, Li Weijun probably found it challenging to navigate.
Both Li Weijun and Qin Yu fell into silence. Zhang Hua didn't know how to intervene when he saw the two of them not speaking. The atmosphere inside the car became solemn. After a while, Li Weijun suddenly spoke up.
"Master Qin, can you be absolutely certain that something fishy is going on in the Knife Tower?"
"Yes."
"Alright, then leave this matter to me. Master Qin, you stay in Guangzhou for a few more days and wait for my news." Li Weijun's tone was resolute, as if he had made a decision.