I consulted a feng shui master in Hong Kong.

That night, Chen Qinghe went to the He family's house again.

This time, the atmosphere at the He residence was different from that during the day.

The old well in the backyard had been dug up by half a foot, with freshly turned-up wet mud still clinging to its edge; the stove had been moved back to its original position as instructed, and the water pipe that ran along the east wall next to the head of the master bedroom bed had been relocated to the outside. The most noticeable change was in the wind in the yard. It no longer rushed in through the back door like before, carrying a damp chill that struck straight to the heart, but instead dispersed, slowly spreading along the courtyard and the corridor.

He Wenchang waited for him at the door, and his expression immediately relaxed upon seeing him arrive.

"Master Chen, things have really stabilized."

"Where is the old man?"

"I slept all afternoon and just woke up. My appetite is better now, and I even drank half a bowl of porridge in the evening." He Wenchang lowered his voice. "The problem I had last night—water by the bed and chest tightness—didn't recur all day today."

Chen Qinghe nodded.

This is enough.

The divination worked, proving that the earlier key points were correct. Now that the He family has regained its strength, the next thing to guard against is not the evil influence within the house, but the anxiety in people's hearts.

He Wenchang led him into the west room of the front yard.

As expected, Old Master He had woken up. Although he was still a little weak, his eyes were much clearer. When he saw Chen Qinghe, he even managed to sit up and thank him.

Chen Qinghe glanced at him twice and knew that the old man had passed the test, so he didn't say much. He only told him not to rush back to the east wing for the next two nights, but to rest in the west room first, and to wait for the remaining energy in the house to dissipate for a couple more days.

After leaving the west room, He Wenchang lowered his voice even further.

"Manager Zhou came twice today."

Chen Qinghe paused slightly.

"How so?"

"The first time he came was to ask about the old man's health. He spoke very naturally and even brought two boxes of tonics. The second time was in the evening. Under the pretext of taking inventory of the southern goods, he took a walk around the backyard and the storeroom." He Wenchang's face became noticeably darker as he said this. "He didn't ask many questions, but I could tell that he was checking whether our house was in a mess or not."

Chen Qinghe remained expressionless, only asking, "What did he figure out?"

"I did as you instructed and didn't let the servants cause any trouble. Although there was some work done in the backyard, I deliberately said that the old master thought the kitchen was stuffy and had someone make some minor alterations. As for the storeroom, I only said it was damp and that we were removing the windows to let in some air." He Wenchang paused, then added, "When he left, he seemed quite composed, as if he hadn't suspected anything."

now it's right.

If Manager Zhou is truly connected to the people behind the scenes, what he fears most is not that the He family will have someone discover the problem, but that the He family will quietly break the deadlock and pretend they know nothing.

As long as he feels that the Ho family is slowly "going downhill," he won't rush to back down.

Chen Qinghe walked to the corridor and looked up at the courtyard of the He residence.

"Next, you need to keep him calm."

He Wenchang immediately asked, "How can we be sure?"

"First, don't turn against him, and don't investigate too hastily." Chen Qinghe said calmly, "If he asks about the old man, say that he has woken up, but he is still weak and can't sleep well at night. Don't say he's completely better, and don't say he's worse, just say he's half better and half worse, so that he can't be sure."

He Wenchang took notes carefully.

"Second, continue tidying up the warehouse and backyard as usual, but don't clean them up too quickly. Especially the east wing, deliberately leave it looking a little 'not settled yet,' so he feels the situation is still developing."

"Third," Chen Qinghe looked at him, "you take the initiative to find him."

He Wenchang was taken aback: "I'll take the initiative to seek you out?"

"That's right," Chen Qinghe said. "It's true that your inventory has been slow to pick up and payments have been late these past two months. Take this to him and ask him about it. Tell him that business has been bad lately and you suspect there might be problems with the inventory or the supply chain. Ask him if he knows anyone who knows more about this. Remember, don't interrogate him, ask for his advice."

Upon hearing this, He Wenchang's eyes slowly brightened.

He was a seasoned businessman; he was just momentarily distracted.

Now that the situation has stabilized and people have come to their senses, they understand many things immediately.

"You want him to hand over the person behind him himself."

"It wasn't me who wanted it," Chen Qinghe said calmly. "He wanted to earn this money himself."

He Wenchang couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

The fact that the He family has been attacked like this makes it understandable if Manager Zhou was just being used as a gofer; but if he himself is also profiting from it, then he is more hateful than those openly hostile enemies outside.

"Okay." He Wenchang said in a deep voice, "I know what to do. Tomorrow I'll announce that I want to straighten out the distribution channels and also see if the warehouse needs some more work."

Chen Qinghe nodded and added another sentence.

"If he really offers someone else, don't rush to agree. Just say that the matter is serious and you need to ask someone with more influence for advice."

"Someone with more face?"

Huo Yuncheng.

Upon hearing this name, He Wenchang felt a sense of certainty.

If it were just the He family being targeted, the other party might not pay much attention; but once they find out that the Huo family is also interested in this path, and is even involved in warehouses, goods, and shops, then it will be no small matter.

Only then did He Wenchang realize that Chen Qinghe was not breaking a house feng shui puzzle.

He's using the Ho family's house as a starting point to pull the whole thread backward.

When I left the He family's house, it was already completely dark.

The night breeze on the street carried a hint of sea moisture, causing people's clothes to flutter slightly.

Chen Qinghe did not return to Fu'an Lane immediately, but went directly to the old dyehouse.

The lights were still on in the old dye house.

The workers had been working all day, clearing most of the front yard. Piles of old wood, broken bricks, and ash lay on the ground, and a small mound of freshly turned wet mud had been piled up next to the well in the back yard. The yard was still messy, but this mess was no longer the desolate, lifeless wasteland it once was. Instead, it was a mess that had been touched, its old shell torn away, and its skeleton gradually revealed.

Huo Yuncheng and Huo Qingtang were waiting for him in the front yard.

Huo Yuncheng was dressed casually today, leaning against a newly cleared old pillar, a cigarette between his fingers but not yet lit, clearly having been waiting for a while. Huo Qingtang was standing by the well, looking up at the layout of the courtyard, and turned around first when she heard footsteps.

"Is the He family secure?"

"It's settled." Chen Qinghe stepped into the courtyard, casually pulling up his sleeves, his tone calm. "The situation has been resolved, and the old master won't make another mistake tonight. The next step is to make Manager Zhou believe that the He family has only recovered a little and hasn't truly escaped the predicament yet."

Huo Qingtang glanced at him, her eyes flickering slightly.

"I never expected you to use this method."

Chen Qinghe's expression remained unchanged.

"Methods are neither good nor bad, as long as they work."

These words, though spoken in a plain tone, perfectly encapsulate his thoughts.

Li Zhengfeng's death in Hong Kong was something Chen Qinghe never intended to let go of. Now that he had found the lead, there was no reason to give up halfway. However, his martial uncle had probably suffered from being too straightforward and hasty back then, and now that he was investigating again, he couldn't just plunge headlong into it once more.

Fortunately, the Huo family maintained contact with the Sanxuan Temple throughout this period.

Since the last incident, Huo Yuncheng had become quite convinced of Chen Qinghe's abilities, and would come over every few days, either to ask for a protective talisman or to take a few blessed amulets back as gifts. Being young and restless, he immediately became interested when Chen Qinghe said that the hand behind the He family might not just be an ordinary manager or foreman, but rather someone with a deeper network.

However, when he came to the old dyehouse, Huo Qingtang happened to see him.

Upon hearing this, Huo Qingtang didn't ask any further questions, but simply raised an eyebrow and followed along.

Chen Qinghe didn't care about this.

Huo Yuncheng is good at keeping watch and building connections, while Huo Qingtang is meticulous, good at keeping an eye on people, and good at patching up leaks.

Right now, we need to use the Huo family to reach the line behind Manager Zhou. With the siblings both around, it's actually easier.

A night breeze blew through the courtyard, and the dampness around the well dissipated somewhat.

Chen Qinghe glanced at the front yard, then at the Huo siblings, his tone remaining calm.

"This time, it's not just about breaking the deadlock for the He family."

"Since they dare to use the He family's house and treasury to make trouble, we have to make them spit something out."

Chen Qinghe wanted to know even more what his martial uncle had done to deserve such a mortal danger.

We'll probably find out all of this in a while.