I was slightly surprised; I didn't expect Zhao Fei to have such a background with official connections.
However, according to the boss, this guy seems a bit greedy.
When the authorities engage him for work, the funds are always ample. However, when he quotes prices to clients, he tends to overcharge significantly, pocketing whatever he saves.
Thinking about how he managed to handle that big job worth 160,000 yuan for just a little over 6,000 yuan, it really irked me.
If I ever get the chance, I'll have to settle this score.
As I spoke, I had already driven to the Black Brick Kiln.
The place wasn't large; the entire brick-burning kiln was just a little over thirty meters long.
Apart from that, there was only a space for drying clay bricks, a row of dormitories made from red bricks, and a hodgepodge of construction vehicles.
Due to the involvement of a murder case, the brick kiln had been sealed.
There wasn't a single worker around, not even a night shift employee.
The eight bodies we were supposed to collect were laid out on the open ground in front of the red brick building.
Eight coffins were neatly arranged, with various footprints and tire marks around them, signs left behind from previous attempts to move the bodies.
The surroundings were pitch black, only illuminated by the headlights of our car, casting an eerie atmosphere on the eight coffins.
I opened the car door and felt a sense of unease throughout my body, as if someone with malicious intent was staring at me in the darkness.
Honestly, if the boss hadn't come, I would have had to collect these bodies myself today.
Facing this scene alone, I couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive.
Zhang Sanfen, carrying his briefcase, also got out of the back seat. He had completely shaken off his drowsiness from the car ride, his gaze composed, his movements efficient—exuding a spirit of competence and efficiency from head to toe.
For some reason, as soon as the boss appeared, that unsettling feeling evaporated instantly.
With his briefcase in hand, Zhang Sanfen gestured to me and said, "Xiao He, come here."
I hurriedly trotted over and asked, "Boss, how should we handle these bodies?"
Zhang Sanfen explained, "These spirits are heavy and restless due to unresolved grievances. They refuse to rest in peace. That's why they're lying flat on the coffins, preventing them from being lifted."
"In this situation, we can't use force. Even if we manage to bury the coffins forcibly, the lingering resentment will eventually lead to all sorts of trouble over time."
I subconsciously looked at the coffins, but they appeared empty.
However, on second thought, eight deceased laborers who had been mistreated were lying inside those coffins. Who knows, they might be giving us skeptical looks from beyond the grave. It was quite unsettling.
While he spoke, Zhang Sanfen opened his briefcase and took out a long metallic rod. He twisted it, producing a distinct click, and the rod rapidly extended upwards, reaching a length of about seven to eight meters.
Then, there was a thud, and a white soul-calling flag popped out from the metal rod.
Zhang Sanfen planted the metal rod into the ground, and the rigid metal transformed instantly into a flagpole.
Impressed, I realized that the boss's briefcase contained something more advanced than just wrenches and pliers.
As I was pondering this, Zhang Sanfen suddenly asked, "Xiao He, do you know why there are people with intellectual disabilities in this world?"
I replied honestly, "Because they are born that way, right?"
Zhang Sanfen shook his head and softly said, "Humans have three souls and seven spirits, and each soul and spirit are vital to a person."
"Some people are born physically weak and susceptible to negative energy. Some are born with intellectual disabilities, remaining foolish throughout their lives. Others are constantly fatigued, slow to react, and prone to drowsiness."
"These people all show signs of incomplete souls and spirits."
"These laborers with intellectual disabilities are simply the result of various issues during their birth or while in the womb, leading to incomplete souls and spirits, causing them to be born foolish."
"They are quite pitiable."
No one desires to be born intellectually disabled; these black laborers spent their lives in a haze, enduring immense suffering. Even after death, their souls remained incomplete, representing pitiable spirits.
They didn't want to come.
That's why the coffins couldn't be lifted.
Zhang Sanfen's explanation stirred compassion within me.
Indeed, they had lived their lives in a foolish state, never committing any malicious acts.
If this lifetime of foolishness was their way of atoning for past misdeeds, then after enduring so much suffering in this life, they shouldn't have to experience another lifetime of such hardship.
I said, "Boss, what should we do?"
Zhang Sanfen said softly, "To lift the karma and ensure a clean transition, we need to chant the Pure Land Rebirth Mantra."
I looked puzzled and asked, "Huh?"
Zhang Sanfen turned back to the car and returned moments later with an incense burner in his hands.
He ignited four sticks of incense below the soul-calling flag, handed me a booklet, and explained, "The deceased were unfortunate souls, innocent victims. All they want is a chance for salvation, a way to perfect their souls."
"With courage and attentiveness, you can actually manage this task on your own. It's not very technically demanding."
"The booklet contains the Rebirth Mantra, formally known as the Pure Land Rebirth Mantra. Recite it softly until the incense burns out. The spirits of the deceased will find peace, clarity will return to their minds, and they will naturally go where they need to."
Dumbfounded, I exclaimed, "Boss, is it really that simple?"
Zhang Sanfen replied impatiently, "Do you think it's difficult? Finish reciting and then pack up, we're done here. I'll take a nap in the car, and after we're done, I'll drive back home!"
After saying that, he had already gotten into the back seat of the car with his briefcase, leaving me alone with an incense burner, a constantly fluttering soul-calling flag, and eight coffins whose fate remained uncertain.
Alright then, you're the boss, and you have the privilege to lay down.
I'm just a working stiff; it's only natural for me to handle the dirty work.
Muttering to myself, I opened the booklet and softly chanted the Pure Land Rebirth Mantra.
The cool night breeze chilled me to the bone, and the incense smoke seemed to dissipate into thin air.
I didn't know if chanting the mantra would really make a difference, but thinking about the miserable lives of these victimized black laborers, I felt a surge of compassion.
Regardless of the outcome, I hoped that in their next life, they could be normal individuals, free from the suffering of intellectual disabilities from birth.
What I didn't know was that as I chanted the mantra, Zhang Sanfen was watching me closely through the car window.
After a while, he softly said into his phone, "Old man, Xiao He is brave, attentive, and kind
-hearted—a good kid. But... are you sure you want him to walk down this path?"
"You know just how perilous this path is; few manage to come out unscathed."
A voice on the other end, weathered with age, responded, "In his third year of tribulation, I can't help him."
"If he dies before that, it's his fate!"
"Zhang San, everyone in this world dies. The only difference is whether they walk away from this world with regrets!"
"As long as we give it our all, no matter the outcome, we won't have any regrets!"
Zhang Sanfen fell silent for a moment, then said, "I'm not afraid of putting in the effort. I'm concerned that he might die before the three years pass. I'll also have to deal with the Great Black Heaven Corpse Demon; I won't be able to watch over him at all times."
The voice on the other end of the call replied firmly, "If he dies early, it's his destiny!"
"Zhang San, everyone in this world dies; the difference lies in whether they leave this world with regrets or not."
"We just need to give it our all. No matter the outcome, we won't have any regrets."