Cyber Ghosts

Hao Ning opened the car window after they were on the way again. His mood turned better after seeing a vast of lands with light wind stroking the face. He turned back, looking at Liu Shuai. He still lowered his head silently. Thinking that it was not a good environment on the way. Hao Ning comforted him again, “Liu Shuai, I did not mean to gossip about you. Naturally, she has no time for you. Her work may occupy her much time. We were also busy a few days ago. Don’t be too melancholy.”

“Well. Let me tell you for Liu Shuai,” Zhou Yuan said. He saw that Liu Shuai was not in a good mood. He was afraid that they both had a spat again. Although Liu Shuai had little power, Hao Ning did. If Hao Ning used his Soul Cutter, the car might be broken into pieces. “It’s not that simple. The thing is…” Zhou Yuan opened his mouth.

The story was: when Hao Ning and Xiao Hong went to Zhou Yuan’s home for saving Zhou Yuan’s parents, that was the day when Liu Shuai went out to date his girlfriend Wen hurriedly. Liu Shuai went to the hospital for Wen. He found that Wen was busy taking care of her patients. It was a normal thing for a doctor. Liu Shuai understood that this was her job. As a doctor, the first and most important thing was to save lives. And sometimes, there would be a patient coming at the doctor’s off-work time. The doctor, of course, must take care of the new ones. So, Liu Shuai waited in the hospital for Wen.

But he waited for her for a night. Liu Shuai did not want to urgent Wen. Until 7 the next day, Wen completed his work. Liu Shuai asked Wen many questions indirectly. He knew finally that Wen saw not only the patients lining before her off-work time, but also many others who came after her off-work time. The key part was that they were newcomers after off-work time. And that night, Wen’s shift was not a night shift for an emergency. Thinking of this, Liu Shuai felt unhappy. He felt that Wen did not pay close attention to their relations and her health. He couldn’t help criticizing her.

After hearing what Liu Shuai said, Wen cried. She said something like Liu Shuai did not support her. What she did was to take care of patients. She was a doctor. She had to take care of patients no matter when it was. She was right. And what she said was righteous. Liu Shuai had nothing to say. It was not bad to have a girlfriend who loved her job so much. He had to say sorry to her. And then they had breakfast together.

Wen was a good girl. She knew that Liu Shuai was not a mean boy. She even kissed him when they were alone for thanking him to wait for her for a whole night without any complaints. Her kiss made Liu Shuai very excited.

“Everything is so good.” Xiao Hong said before Hao Ning opened his mouth. “What a loving couple they are! They respect and understand each other and love their jobs very much.” Xiao Hong added.

“Let me finish,” Zhou Yuan said bitterly, adding, “What happened in the next few days will make Liu Shuai not know what course he should take.”

After breakfast, Liu Shuai walked Wen home. He went to her home again that night for asking her out. This was a normal thing for a young man. To couples in the infatuation period, it was a difficult time for them to part for one minute. So, Liu Shuai went to the hospital. He found she was taking care of patients again. More distracting was that he had to wait for her for another whole night. Liu Shuai talked with the other doctors about Wen. They told him that there were more patients recently than at other times. They had to work very hard to take care of them. Wen, as one of them, was the most hard-working doctor. She just had a rest for 2 hours at home and then came back to her work again. She did like this for 5 days already.

Hao Ning had tried to get rid of his habit that was to interrupt others. However, this time, he couldn’t help asking, “Five days? Today is Saturday. That means that she has worked for Monday to yesterday. She just went home for two hours break. So, she slept only ten hours over the past five days?” Hao Ning analyzed.

“Less than ten hours,” Liu Shuai added, keeping his head low. “It takes her almost one hour from the hospital to her home. She must spend time taking a shower or something. That means that she has less than 20 minutes’ break. That means she went home for 20 minutes’ sleep and then went back to the hospital. Five days, like this. She just slept for 2 hours.”

“20 minutes!” Hao Ning and Xiao Hong screamed at the same time. “20 minutes’ sleep? How is it possible?” he added.

“I am wondering…” Hao Ning said indignantly, “The leaders of the hospital did not see this? Did they use their doctors like a cow? What about their human rights?”

“No, no. You misunderstood. I have talked with her leader,” Liu Shuai said, rubbing his trousers hardly. “Their leaders had nothing to do with it. Wen must have a physical examination before starting her work. Her health conditions are good. And Wen insisted to take care of patients. Good health pluses her determination. What else the leader can do? Do you want him to keep doctors who want to work from entering the hospital? You have heard disputes between doctors and patients. Have you ever heard disputes between leaders and hard-working doctors?”

What a strange thing it was! Hao Ning shook his head. Wen did love her work very much.

“Because of this, I had a quarrel with her,” Liu Shuai said, looking out of the window. “Well, I made her cry again.”

Although Liu Shuai behaved eloquently before his friend. However, no need to say, he must be like a fool before his girlfriend. And a crying Wen would make him be at a loss.

“Is it not good for a long time,” Hao Ning said. He knew now why Liu Shuai was in a bad mood and wanted to go with them. He came over for easing himself up. Looking back, Liu Shuai behaved so excitedly to come with them for H City. He seemed to play a drama. “For a long time, it is bad for Wen’s health,” Hao Ning said, looking at Liu Shuai. He took out Heart Sutra, a book Xiao Hong gave him as a gift. He said to Xiao Hong, “Xiao Hong, can we go back and give this book to Wen for her meditation?”

Liu Shuai smiled after hearing, “Thank you. No need at all now. After the quarrel last night. Wen was tired. I had her rest already. She was in the guard of Teacher Chen now. I have not confirmed our relations. So, staying at her home for a long time is not appropriate.”

“Yes, you are right,” Hao Ning said, nodding his head. If Teacher Chen were one of Wen’s parents, he might keep Liu Shuai at their home to take care of Wen. However, Teacher Chen was an old man with an old mindset. Thinking of this, Hao Ning asked Liu Shuai, “You did not plan to see Wen today?”

“Are you kidding?” Zhou Yuan smiled. “Wen will have a good rest for at least more than ten hours. Do you think it is appropriate to disturb her right now?”

“You said what I want to say,” Liu Shuai nodded, adding “Now, you guys will go to H City. I just want to go there to find out whether there are funny places. If so, I will ask for leave for one- or two days next week and take Wen there. It may be helpful to make her stay away from work.”

“Oh, I see…” Xiao Hong nodded in consent. “Sorry for what I did and said. Liu Shuai, you are a good man. No matter how much we earn today, your expenditure in H City in the next two days will be on me!” Xiao Hong added.

“Really?” Liu Shuai said delightfully. “That’s wonderful!”

“Xiao Hong is so generous!” Zhou Yuan gave Xiao Hong a thumb up. He continued, “You are so generous!”

“Don’t say that,” Xiao Hong said. He did not look at Zhou Yuan as he was driving. He contained his laugh and said, “I said Liu Shuai’s expenditure is on me. And your expenditure…” Zhou Yuan got heated when he heard Xiao Hong. Xiao Hong continued to say, “I admire the love Liu Shuai gives to his girlfriend. He has something I should learn from. We both had undergone similar trials. So, his expenditure is on me. You are a single dog. You can have anything you want. But they are fake ones. That is not the reason I should afford your expenditure. And I know, you have several kilograms gold bars.

You are a rich man.”

“To be honest!” Zhou Yuan said seriously, adding, “Those gold bars are for saving Long Fei. We shouldn’t use them!”

“You are righteous!” Hao Ning patted Zhou Yuan’s shoulder. “If we can make big money today, your expenditure is on me too,” Xiao Hong added.

“You are a true friend!” Zhou Yuan smiled, with eyes narrowing into a slit.

“But…” Hao Ning was upset. “Are you sure we can win? It is the stone speculation. I even have no idea about gambles. Although I can borrow Xiao Hong’s art, what else can I do?”

“Hey!” Xiao Hong said while he was driving. “You think too much. Our aim is not to make big money. What you worried about is to make billions. When we are there, what you need to do is to see which one has the green jadeite instead of the grey stones. You can distinguish them, right?”

“I may…Yes, I can!” Hao Ning thought that he must know how to distinguish them. He could use Xiao Hong’s art to tell stones and jadeites. If not, what else could he do? “Ok, I am sure now,” he added.

“Why can’t?” Liu Shuai joined the conversation. “We are not greedy. What you need to do is to find out which one contains a green jadeite. We can search one by one and when we have the money we need, we leave.”

“Ha, ha, ha,” Hao Ning laughed. “Yes, you are right. So unprofessional gamble team in the stone speculation, it must be rare in the world.”

“In conclusion, we won’t lose!” Xiao Hong smiled. “Liu Shuai, you should think where we should go for fun in the next days. I will pay for all costs!”

After leaving downtown, they came to a place that looked like a construction site. Many stones spattered at every corner. The building next to the site looked ordinary too.

“Here we are!” Xiao Hong confirmed the place on his phone. He said excitedly, “All of you, get off the car first. I will go and find a parking space.”

“Wait a moment!” Hao Ning said. He felt that this place looked a little weird. He asked, “Are you sure we are in the stone speculation?”

“Yes,” Xiao Hong replied to hesitated Hao Ning. He thought that Hao Ning was a little nervous about this place. He comforted him, “What’s wrong? No need to worry. I will help you.”

“Not about that,” Hao Ning smiled, embarrassed. “I don’t doubt what you did. I just did not see any mines over here. You see the stones in front of us. I think this is a construction site. Are you sure we are not cheated by others? In the novels, the scene of the stone speculation is a glorious place. Many bosses, luxury cars and many…”

“You want to see luxury cars?” Xiao Hong smiled. He looked at Zhou Yuan and Liu Shuai, and said, “You two doubted too?”

Zhou Yuan and Liu Shuai nodded, embarrassed.

“Let’s park our car together!” Xiao Hong stepped on the gas. They turned left and right many times on the bumping roads. They saw a ragged door finally. Entering the door, Hao Ning saw many luxury cars such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bentley, McLaren, etc. The cars were parked in this ragged parking lot. It seemed to be a luxury car show.

“Wow!” Liu Shuai exclaimed, staring at those cars. He pointed to a car near him and shouted, “Look at this one, that one, and that one! The doors can be opened at both sides!”

“Bullshit!” Xiao Hong smiled. “The door opens at one side is the door on the bus!”

“No,” Liu Shuai realized that he said it wrongly. “I mean, the doors are open upward!”

“Upward? Which one?” Hao Ning wanted to see it too. In his impression, the cars with doors opening upwards were luxury cars. It looked like a butterfly after the door was opened.

“There are many just like the one you said,” Xiao Hong did not pay attention to those cars. He was looking for a parking space. He said while he was driving, “I won’t buy this kind of car. Brother Zhang won’t buy it either.”

“Why not?” Hao Ning wanted to say it was too expensive for him to afford. However, thinking of the two were not poor men, he said again, “Limited edition or…”

“No that. Why there are so many cars today? Not so many before,” Xiao Hong frowned. “This kind of car needs a wide space for parking. It will be even wider after the doors are opened. It needs two spaces for parking. And, you know, many people hate the rich. If you encounter one and he scratches your car, what can you do? People who buy these cars for showing off. If your car was scratched, how can you show off your wealth? It is just like that you get a very beautiful girlfriend. And you take her with you to join a party for showing off her beauty. And one of your friends told you that there are some freckles on her face…”

Xiao Hong looked at others after he expressed his idea. They had a look of disgust on their faces. He continued to say, “I am sorry. Somebody told me this. Not me.” Xiao Hong did not give somebody’s name. However, they all knew who he was. They did not disclose it. And they continued to listen to Xiao Hong.

“And, the parts, maintenance are all high and time-consuming,” Xiao Hong said as he found a parking space. He parked the car and added, “The most important thing is roads are not suitable for these cars in the Celestial Empire.”

“Cars should be used as a traveling tool,” Xiao Hong turned back to them and said while he turned off the car. “No matter the car is luxury or a common one, it can be used only on the roads.”

“Err…” The rest of the three silenced.

If this was spoken out by an ordinary person, Hao Ning would have thought that he was jealous of other’s wealth. However, it was spoken by Xiao Hong, He had to admit that Xiao Hong may pursue something true and simple in his blood. Xiao Hong’s powers such as Fire Escape, Bodhisattva’s glorious cloud, and the hot wheels ridden by Hao Ning before were expensive and had more functions than a luxury car.

Xiao Hong looked at those cars. In his eyes, they were just like toys. He said, “Let’s go!”

“Xiao Hong,” Hao Ning said, aligning with Xiao Hong. Liu Shuai and Zhou Yuan stayed in the parking lot for taking photos of luxury cars. Hao Ning asked, “I am wondering why there are no mines in the stone speculation?”

“Because the stones were transported from Burma and other countries!” Xiao Hong said. He found that Liu Shuai and Zhou Yuan were not in sight after several minutes. He turned back and found that they were still standing in the parking lot, taking photos. They took photos with cars one by one!

Xiao Hong sighed, asking them to keep pace. And he continued to say to Hao Ning, “No mines here. They had to get from somewhere else.”

“Why did they want to build one over here?” Hao Ning was still wondering. “It’s so far and expensive. Why did they do this?”

“You are wrong…Well, they are not ordinary persons.” Xiao Hong said. He saw that Liu Shuai and Zhou Yuan walked back to cars again. “If you did it again, I won’t take you two with me again.”

“Be here again?” they heard it. They said excitedly, “For what?”

“Err…” Xiao Hong rubbed his forehead. He shook his head and said, “You two will lose your sleep after seeing those cars here. I have to come here with Hao Ning more times to make more money. So, I can afford luxury cars for you two. Or you will nag about it forever around me!”

Liu Shuai and Zhou Yuan looked at each other, laughing excitedly. “Brother Xiao Hong, no, no, my grandpa Xiao Hong. You mean you will buy luxury cars for us?”

“Of course not,” Xiao Hong said seriously. He just said it. The two turned unhappy immediately. Xiao Hong smiled, “Two cars for each of you!”

“Brother, you are so generous!” Liu Shuai and Zhou Yuan rushed to hug Xiao Hong. They almost kissed him, “So, so, so generous!”

“From now on, you two should stay with me within 5 meters. Or I won’t buy them!” Xiao Hong sighed. “I already planned it when I asked you to wait outside. When you saw something special in your world, your attitude toward it will be different from before. It is called cause and result!”

Hao Ning, now, understood Xiao Hong’s intention. For a person, it was easy to step into a luxury life while difficult to step out of it.

Xiao Hong did not want them to see those cars. That was his intention. Thinking of this, Hao Ning was still wondering why he did not notice those luxury cars when he arrived here. He was excited about Zhe’s Porsche when he saw it before. He had no answer to it at that time. He heard Xiao Hong saying,

“About the reasons why there are stone speculations instead of mines because demands determined supplies. There were more and more stories circulating about being rich overnight. Many persons wanted to be one of them. As there are demands, they must be some of them will make their dreams come true. And the most important is that it is lawful.”

They entered the ordinary building while they were talking. After entering it, they found that the inside was far cry from outside, leaving alone the splendid decoration and lights. The dresses they wore were luxury. However, not all of them dressed like wealthy persons. There was a group of guys standing at the corner dressed in plains. They must be the servants of the persons. It was easy to understand that as a rich man, he wouldn’t take a stone by himself.

Of course, there were exceptions. Persons standing in the line dressed extraordinarily. Although Hao Ning did not know the brands they wore, he knew they were not ordinary. They must be very interested in the stones. So, they did it themselves.

“Something is wrong here!” Xiao Hong said, looking around. “Something must be wrong.”

“What’s it?” Hao Ning asked, looking around too. He found nothing special. “Did we get the wrong place?”

“Of course not,” Xiao Hong shook his head. “People here today look different.”