Indeed, Fang Zidong had someone backing him.
Wang Ren was unfazed, confident in her plan. She removed her earphones and said, "Girl, let's go. We're off to eat shaomai."
"Okay!"
As my senior sister started the car, I was a bit puzzled. "Did you really book a shaomai restaurant?"
"Of course."
"We're planning to deal with the Fang family together, and yet there are so many unplanned things."
My senior sister didn't say anything. Wang Ren, however, chimed in, "This is the girl's gesture. Since you know my identity, don't you have anything to prepare as a gift for your senior uncle?"
"I'm not Old Ghost's disciple. We just met by chance, and he guided me a bit."
"Oh?"
My senior sister also explained this point for me, "Junior Brother truly didn't study under Master, nor did he perform the formal discipleship ceremony."
Hearing this, I was even more confused. Do professions like The Schemer even have discipleship ceremonies?
...
The Halal Shaomai Restaurant, a specialty from Inner Mongolia, filled with lamb filling that oozes oil. It was exceptionally delicious.
The one my senior sister booked had a pleasant ambiance, quiet inside. Not long after we entered and were seated, my senior sister respectfully poured a cup of tea and offered it with both hands to Wang Ren. Wang Ren accepted it with practiced grace and took a small sip. It seemed like some sort of ritual, and I saw my senior sister's face light up with joy.
"Tang Nan, you don't need to offer tea."
My senior sister frowned. I didn't understand what was happening and felt a pang of jealousy, but I retorted stubbornly, "I'm really not Old Ghost's disciple. When we're ranking seniority, please don't include me, alright?"
The shaomai hadn't arrived yet. Wang Ren took a sip of tea and said slowly, "The last time I saw Little Ten was in 2000. That year, he weighed 178 jin. I thought he should lose weight. He's getting older, and that weight isn't good for his blood pressure or sugar levels. How much does he weigh now?"
"It's hard to get on the scale, and as his disciple, it's not easy for me to manage him."
"You can't just indulge his every whim and let him eat and drink whatever he wants. If he really has a vascular rupture, how can he be a Schemer lying in bed?"
My senior sister could only force a smile. It really wasn't something she could control.
I asked curiously, "Teacher Wang Ren, why do you call Old Ghost 'Little Ten'? Is it his nickname, or do you have ten siblings?"
Hearing my question, Wang Ren seemed to have guessed something. She asked us, "You two don't know about our siblings?"
My senior sister and I shook our heads in unison. Wang Ren looked surprised, "Qianqian, you've already joined the fold, and you don't know?"
My senior sister gave a wry smile, "Senior Uncle, I truly don't know. Master has never mentioned it."
"He only has you as a disciple. If he doesn't tell you the lineage of succession, he doesn't intend to pass on the title of The Schemer to you."
"Master has his own ideas."
Wang Ren let out a wry laugh, "Ah, it's all just silly rules. Let me tell you."
...
Old Ghost, Long-Tongued Ghost, and Wang Ren all learned their skills from someone named Teacher Wen De. Teacher Wen De was the fifty-fourth generation Schemer, nicknamed "Red Radio." He was an underground operative and had worked for the President of the United States abroad, playing a significant role in the Battle of Pearl Harbor.
These were all past events, and Wang Ren didn't dwell on them. Her main focus was on The Schemer. There was only one Schemer in each era, originating from Guiguzi. Guiguzi was a master of all schools of thought, using the world as his board. He lived in seclusion in the mountains, yet his disciples became ministers abroad, influencing the rise and fall of nations.
In those days, Guiguzi was called the "Sage of Schemes," revered alongside Laozi and Confucius as sages. However, Guiguzi claimed he was merely a ruffian from the mountains and unworthy of the title of sage. Thus, he called himself The Schemer, signifying a person who used the world as his board.
Guiguzi had many elite disciples, such as Sun Bin, Pang Juan, and Shang Yang, historical figures who inherited Guiguzi's wisdom. However, these individuals did not call themselves Schemers. They believed that the world was vast, filled with countless talented individuals, but only Guiguzi could truly be called The Schemer. Others referred to themselves as strategists.
As times changed, The Schemer gradually faded from public memory, but the true lineage persisted. For instance, during the Three Kingdoms period, The Schemer was Liu Bei. Liu Bei sold straw sandals, befriended Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, and thrice visited Zhuge Liang. From a humble background, he managed to contend for one-third of the realm against Cao Cao, a feat inseparable from his role as The Schemer.
During turbulent times, The Schemer would be more prominent. In prosperous eras, The Schemer would blend into the dust. Therefore, Wang Ren's primary focus remained on Teacher Wen De. Wen De, born into a scholarly family, joined the Communist Party in Yan'an. As "Red Radio," he infiltrated an intelligence organization in Tianjin and served the nation. Before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Wen De intercepted enemy radio communications.
Five days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Teacher Wen arrived in the United States and handed over this telegram and codebook to then-President Roosevelt.
...
During the initial stages of the Pacific War, the United States had not actively participated in the conflict. After receiving the codebook, Teacher Wen persuaded Roosevelt to allow the US Pearl Harbor military base to be attacked, thus providing a legitimate reason for their involvement.
...
After the end of the Pacific War, Wen De returned to China and became a private tutor. He lived a leisurely life, traveling extensively and often meeting old friends or confidantes for drinks. During one such encounter, Teacher Wen rescued five children who were orphaned and had faced many hardships. Teacher Wen named them "The Five Little Ghosts" and helped them to evade danger and grow up strong.
These children were not of the same age, with nearly thirty years separating them. The eldest disciple, Zhang Si, came to Teacher Wen's side when he was twenty. Teacher Wen found Zhang Si to be slow-witted and inexperienced. Therefore, Teacher Wen instructed the other children to come and learn their skills only when they reached the age of thirty.
This resulted in a twelve-year gap between the eldest and second disciples when Zhu Guang came to learn. Wang Ren arrived in Beijing to study five or six years later. In 1988, Cao Shi and Li Jiu, both in their thirties, also arrived.
...
Cao Shi and Li Jiu were both young. That year, a benefactor named Gao Ji from Hong Kong also sent his daughter to Beijing. Because Gao Ji's father had been an old friend of Teacher Wen, Gao Ji sent his daughter, Gao Xiaojuan, a British girl with a Chinese name, to China to study Chinese culture. Teacher Wen instructed Cao Shi and Li Jiu to protect her. Back then, Beijing was in an era of rapid development, and there was hardly any need for protection.
Gao Xiaojuan became close friends with Li Jiu and Cao Shi, blending in with them. Gradually, a complex relationship developed among the three. Li Jiu was determined to inherit the identity of The Schemer, while Gao Xiaojuan developed feelings for Li Jiu. Most importantly, Cao Shi was secretly in love with Gao Xiaojuan.
Such situations are common among young people, but an unexpected disaster shattered Teacher Wen's peaceful life. A scheme targeting The Schemer appeared in Beijing. In that scheme, Gao Xiaojuan died in Li Jiu's arms. Li Jiu's mind shattered, and he descended into a demonic path. In that battle of wits, Cao Shi, whom no one had expected to win, made a decisive comeback with the phrase, which none of us could understand: "All things in the world are not possessed by me; all things in the world are used by me."
That year was the most painful in Wang Ren's life. Li Jiu rebelled, Zhu Guang disappeared, and Teacher Wen, before his death, passed on the Schemer legacy to Cao Shi, but Cao Shi refused. Cao Shi left Beijing for Hong Kong and became friends with Gao Ji.
After dealing with Teacher Wen's affairs, the eldest disciple, Zhang Si, returned to his hometown in Tai'an, Shandong, and opened a Lu cuisine restaurant. Eldest Disciple Zhang Si said that his mind was slow, and he hadn't learned any of Teacher Wen's skills, such as political strategy, business negotiation, or psychological profiling. However, because Teacher Wen was also from Shandong, he had made good Lu cuisine while serving his master. So, he simply returned home and opened a restaurant.
Wang Ren knew that her eldest disciple was merely being modest. After retreating to seclusion, the eldest disciple had several disciples who achieved prominence in their political careers. However, the eldest disciple remained tight-lipped about this. He would always proudly recount his breathing exercises learned from his master. Now, at the age of seventy, he would often climb Mount Tai to absorb the essence of heaven and earth to nourish himself.
During the New Year, Wang Ren's family visited Mount Tai and stayed with their eldest disciple for two days. The eldest disciple mentioned that Old Ninth was tired and had eaten a bowl of his master's favorite "qiāngguō miàn" (fried noodle soup) there. Little Ten was still his usual self, visiting twice a year for tofu balls and braised pork rice.
At that time, Wang Ren knew about the rivalry between Li Jiu and Cao Shi. She asked the eldest disciple how their conflict was going. The eldest disciple chuckled heartily, "They were probably tired from their travels and stopped by here for a rest and a drink with me. How could I ask too many questions?"
Wang Ren then asked, "What about Senior Brother Zhu Guang? Has he visited?"
Every time Zhu Guang was mentioned, the eldest disciple Zhang Si's expression would turn solemn. He would say, as always, in a cold tone, "There's no food for him here."
Wang Ren didn't know what had happened back then. She had learned psychological profiling from Teacher Wen and considered herself very intelligent, yet she couldn't understand any of these senior siblings.
...
The shaomai had arrived by then. Wang Ren paused her story, preparing to eat. As I picked up my chopsticks, I noticed my senior sister seemed a bit off. I couldn't help but ask her, "Senior Sister, what are you thinking about? The food is here, and Wang Ren is waiting for you to serve it?"
"Senior Uncle, the owner of the Lu cuisine restaurant in Tai'an, Grandpa Zhang, is Eldest Senior Brother."
"Yes, girl. You've met him?"
"I have. Once, when I was passing through Tai'an, Master asked me to buy some tofu balls. He was very hospitable and even taught me a set of breathing exercises."
I laughed, "Eldest Senior Brother personally guided you, you should be happy. Did you learn it?"
"Not at all, I didn't take it seriously." My senior sister looked like she was about to cry. It was the first time I'd seen her like this. I wanted to comfort her but was afraid I'd burst out laughing.
"Senior Sister, let's stop. Being a Schemer isn't about cultivating immortality. It's fine if you don't learn breathing exercises."
Wang Ren also smiled without speaking, gently eating her shaomai.
...
Seeing my senior sister lost in thought and troubled, I quietly poured Wang Ren a cup of tea. Wang Ren took the cup but didn't drink, asking me, "Tang Nan, do you want to be a Schemer?"
"Nowadays, what kind of con artist doesn't claim to be a Schemer? What's so special about it?"
"Claiming and admitting are two different things. The name and the responsibility are also different. A true Schemer must use the world as their board..."
Before Wang Ren could finish, I snatched the tea from her hand and poured it into my cup. "Let's not bother. If there can only be one Schemer in this world, it's definitely not going to be me."
Wang Ren didn't get angry. Instead, she burst out laughing. "I believe The Schemer can only be chosen from Little Ten's disciples. If you don't take it, are you going to give it to 'Shadow'?"
I didn't know who 'Shadow' was. Who was this person?
Just then, my senior sister, who always respected her elders, suddenly slammed the table and stood up, "No one is allowed to mention 'Shadow'!"