Chapter 159: Let’s Play a Game of Chess First, Talk Later
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Half an hour later, Li Yidao arrived at the old man’s small courtyard.
When he entered the house, he saw the old man sitting there, drinking tea.
“You’re here,” the old man calmly greeted as he saw Li Yidao entering.
Li Yidao nodded.
“Old man, what’s happened?” he inquired.
However, in response to Li Yidao’s question, the old man didn’t answer directly. Instead, he gestured towards a nearby chessboard.
“Wait until my friend arrives, and then we’ll talk. For now, accompany me for a game of chess,” he said and sat down.
Li Yidao had no choice but to sit down as well.
It was a common practice for the old man to play a game of chess whenever something came up, no matter how urgent.
Ten minutes quickly passed, and the game between Li Yidao and the old man remained evenly matched.
Gradually, Li Yidao’s earlier restlessness faded.
Perhaps… this was the reason the old man insisted on playing chess before addressing any issue?
“Ding dong, ding dong-
As the doorbell rang, the old man remotely unlocked the door.
A senior gentleman, in his twilight years, entered from outside.
“Brother Fu, sorry for disturbing you so late,” the old man’s expression held a hint of urgency.
Li Yidao instinctively glanced up at the newcomer but was promptly drawn back into the chess game by the old man’s resolute move.
Simultaneously, the old man spoke, “Take a rest for now. Once I finish this game with the lad, I’ll have him accompany you.”
Hearing the old man’s words, the elderly visitor’s eyes displayed a trace of puzzlement, mingled with anxiety.
Evidently, he was wondering why Li Yidao was being asked to accompany him.
After all, he had come to see the old man.
However, it seemed he understood the old man’s temperament well enough not to voice any objections. For now, he waited for them to finish their game of chess.
Another ten minutes passed.
When the old man made another checkmate, Li Yidao knew that he had lost.
The old man calmly sat upright, picked up his glass of water, took a sip, and
then softly said to his old friend, “You must have spent quite a bit on that house you bought, right?”
“Ah, don’t even mention it,” replied the old man as he finally took his seat.
His expression revealed a hint of anxiety.
But since the old man had this attitude, he knew it was pointless for him to rush things.
He decided to start with an explanation.
“That house cost me a total of 20 million.
Upon hearing the figure “20 million,” Li Yidao was momentarily stunned.
20 million? In Jiang City?
Did Jiang City even have houses that expensive?
Perhaps sensing Li Yidao’s confusion, the old man continued to explain, “Actually, the main reason I bought this house was because of some collectibles owned by the previous owner.”
“In a way, you could say I bought the house as a gift with the collectibles.”
“The owner of this house was planning to go abroad, and these items couldn’t be taken with them, so they decided to sell. I bit the bullet and bought it, especially since there were a few items inside that truly piqued my interest.”
Li Yidao now had a moment of realization. Was this what it was like in the world of big shots? He couldn’t quite comprehend it.
But what exactly were these collectibles? Li Yidao was curious. However, instead of asking directly, he instinctively looked at the old man.
If the old man’s friend was this wealthy, then the old man must be even wealthier, right?
Thinking back, Li Yidao realized that he and Li Yinuo had never really worried about money when the old man was around. Whenever they were short of cash, the old man always found reasons to send them money.
That’s why the funeral shop business, even though it had few customers, managed to survive.
The old man listened quietly to his friend’s narrative, waiting for the key points.
“It’s like this. Initially, I felt that the location and layout of the house were quite good, so I had it renovated and properly arranged the collectibles.” “What’s more, I also moved some of my own collectibles there.”
“If nothing unexpected happens, I plan to spend my retirement in that house.”
“But… who would have thought that trouble would start within just half a year of moving in…”
At this point, a hint of panic flashed in the old man’s eyes. Then he began a lengthy narration, with Li Yidao and the old man listening in silence.
“It all began with one of our housemaids suddenly suffering a heart attack and passing away.”
“She had been with our family for over a decade and was practically considered
a member of our household.”
“This deeply saddened our entire family, especially my grandson, as she had raised him since he was a child.”
“I took responsibility for arranging her funeral and provided her family with a substantial compensation, temporarily concluding that matter.”
“But… ever since then, strange incidents have been happening in our home.” “First, our house chef accidentally cut his finger while chopping vegetables.” “Then, one of our cleaners broke her arm.
“My son, most shockingly, got into a car accident, breaking his entire leg, which hasn’t fully recovered yet.”
“At that point, I began to feel that something was amiss. Firstly, our longtime housemaid underwent regular medical check-ups and had no history of heart problems.”
“Then, there’s the chef, who has worked with us for over thirty years. How could he be so careless?”
“The cleaner’s accident was equally strange. She fell from a height of less than two meters, so how did her arm break?”
“Lastly, my son’s accident occurred at a speed of only thirty miles per hour, yet it coincidentally led to the car flipping.”
“But that’s not all! Look at this eye of mine. It appears fine, but it’s actually blind.”
At this point, the old master gave a bitter smile.
Li Yidao involuntarily paused, taking a closer look. Blind? It was impossible to tell.
The old man continued with a wry smile, “I don’t even know how it happened. One day, while I was sleeping, I suddenly felt like I was suffocating. It took me a long time to struggle free.”
“During this, I could feel a sharp pain in my eye, as if someone was digging it out.”
“That sensation was unbelievably real!”
At this moment, Li Yidao could see the fear in the old man’s eyes. He could sense that everything the old man had recounted was genuine. “When I woke up, the eye that had been in pain was completely blind.”
“I went to the hospital for tests, but the doctors found nothing wrong— absolutely nothing! There wasn’t even any inflammation.”
“But I still couldn’t see!” The old man shook his head, wearing a bitter smile on his face.
At this point, the old man set down his tea cup and furrowed his brows.
The situation was indeed becoming rather peculiar.
While the earlier accidents at the old man’s house could be attributed to coincidence, his own experience was far from accidental.
“Then what about now…” the old man began to ask, but he didn’t finish his sentence.
“Hmm? Your grandson had an accident?” He raised his right hand, performing a few calculations, and suddenly voiced his confusion.
To be honest, this was the first time he had seen this side of the old man.
He knew the old man had abilities but had never seen him reveal them so explicitly.
But now, with just a few movements of his fingers, he knew that something had happened to the old man’s grandson?
“Yes! My grandson suddenly fell unconscious tonight, and the hospital couldn’t find any cause!” The old man’s tone was filled with a pleading expression.
“Brother Fu, you must save my grandson this time! I’ve never asked you for anything in my entire life.”
“Consider this my plea, my entire family lineage relies on him. I only have this one grandson. I implore you to save him!”
Observing this scene, the old man remained silent and turned to Li Yidao.
At first, Li Yidao was taken aback, but he soon realized the old man’s intention: he was seeking his opinion.
“Old man, you decide.” Li Yidao’s attitude was very clear.
If the old man needed his assistance, he was willing to step in, and he believed in his own capabilities.
The old man remained silent, his expression growing pensive.
“I didn’t expect this matter to be so complex. I initially thought it was just some minor issues and planned to have you take a look.”
“Now, it seems there might be some rather unusual problems that need addressing. I can’t personally intervene for the time being. Are you sure you’re up for it?” The old man once again sought Li Yidao’s opinion.
Li Yidao smiled faintly. “Rest assured, old man, I’m no longer a kid you can just shoo away.”
Hearing Li Yidao’s words, the old man chuckled, a contented smile on his face.
He then turned to his friend and said, “Let him accompany you. You don’t need to doubt his abilities. You can search ‘Brother Dao’ online and see for yourself.”
“I originally intended to go with you in person, but now, it seems that might backfire. Letting him accompany you will not only help resolve the issues with your house but also ensure the safety of your grandson.”
The old man’s words were brimming with confidence, rooted in his deep understanding of Li Yidao.
It wasn’t just confidence in his abilities but in his character.
If Li Yidao said there was no problem, the old man knew there would be no problem at all.
There was another reason…
The old man’s gaze shifted toward the courtyard.
Even if Li Yidao couldn’t handle the situation, there would be someone else to lend a hand….
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