76 Chapter 59: Predicting the Future
Seeing that sign, Yan Fei almost laughed out loud and said, "Isn't this the same getup used by those swindlers on fortune-telling streets back in China? How come I'm seeing it here in a remote and impoverished place in Africa? Besides, the sign is written entirely in Chinese characters, are you sure these African uncles can understand it?"
Wen Rou had never been to China, so she asked curiously, "Little Fei, are there such people in China too?"
Yan Fei explained, "In some cities within China, there are always one or two streets filled with fortune-tellers like these. They do have a market, but it's all fraudulent. Except that those people are fully decked out, un old man who looks rather shabby."
Wen Rou said, "Look at this elderly gentleman, he looks just like an immortal from a painting, how could he be a con artist? Could you be wrong?"
Yan Fei said, "Little Rou, it's because you've never seen how they deceive people. Look at what's written here—'no charge if wrong.' Don't you think they can't make any money?"
Wen Rou nodded and said, "Yes! If it really means 'no charge if wrong,' then they certainly can't make money. So how do they deceive people?"
Yan Fei chuckled and said, "I once met a fortune-teller who specialized in predicting whether pregnant women would have a boy or not, and he also claimed 'no charge if wrong.' But when the pregnant women came to question him, he would say they were all having boys, and to come find him for a refund if he was wrong. Guess what happened next?"
Wen Rou bit her finger and thought for a moment then cocked her head and said, "I don't know!"
Yan Fei said, "The result was that those who didn't give birth to boys came to ask him for a refund, and as long as someone came to him, he refunded their money. But he still made money, why is that?"
Wen Rou suddenly exclaimed "Ah!" and clapped her hands, "I get it now. Among those pregnant women, at least half of them would have boys, so that half wouldn't come to him for a refund. In other words, by exploiting the gender ratio of newborns, he made 50% of the money. Since at least half are boys, even after refunding the money for the girls, he still made a profit."
Yan Fei nodded and said, "That's right. This is the con artists' usual trick. They just play a number game, and everyone gets fooled."
Wen Rou looked at the sage-like old man and said, "But I feel this grandpa looks so kind, he shouldn't be deceiving people. Let's go give it a try!"
Yan Fei internally rolled his eyes, thinking that the fortune-tellers back in China, which one didn't look like a wise sage, like a real immortal, nobody would hold back when it comes to scamming. However, he wasn't stubborn and didn't insist on his own opinion and said, "Since you believe in him, let's give it a try then!"
So, the two approached the white-bearded old man's stall. The old man opened his eyes and said in Mandarin, "The infallible prophet, foretelling the future, no charge if wrong."
Yan Fei also spoke in Mandarin, "Old man, can you really tell fortunes?"
The white-bearded old man proudly said, "I, Gu Banxian, have roamed Jianghu for fifty years, have foretold numerous people's destinies and changed their lives, and you doubt if I can tell fortunes? Today, I, the half-immortal, wander the mortal world, finding this place quite significant. After calculating, I discovered that someone here was destined to meet me. Thus, I emerged once more to tell fortunes for people, as an act of accumulating virtue, yet you doubt me?"
Wen Rou also spoke in Mandarin, "Grandpa, based on your advertisement, can you also predict the future?"
The white-bearded old man immediately perked up and said, "Let me tell you the truth, fortune-telling for others is just a side job, not worth mentioning. My real talent is indeed predicting the future, and it is with my predictive ability that I can thrive without fail."
Yan Fei, seeing his nonsense, said, "Old man, talk is cheap if you don't practice what you preach. Since you've boasted about your abilities, why don't you show us a thing or two?"
The white-bearded old man laughed and took out a stack of papers and two pens, placing them in front of Yan Fei and Wen Rou, he said, "I foresaw the future yesterday and knew that I would meet you two here today. I even foresaw the questions you would ask, wrote down the answers, and sealed them in envelopes. These envelopes are in the drawer below. Just write your questions on these papers, and I will immediately fetch the answers from below for you."
Yan Fei burst out laughing, "You're really something, old man. Other fortune-tellers don't have this kind of method. Aren't you afraid if it's not accurate, people will be scared off?"
Wen Rou tugged on Yan Fei's hand and said, "Little Fei, let's give it a try, and we'll know the truth right away."
Yan Fei nodded in agreement with Wen Rou's suggestion. He said to the white-bearded old man, "Since you're so confident, I'll give it a go. If you really have predictive ability, I'll give you a million. If you deceive me, I'll flip your stall."
The white-bearded old man laughed heartily, looking very confident, and said, "Then write down the question you have for me!"
Yan Fei took a piece of white paper and spread it out. Next to him, Wen Rou also took a piece of paper and asked, "Grandpa, do you know English?"
So, Yan Fei and Wen Rou began writing on the paper, Yan Fei's slip of paper was tilted slightly, ensuring Wen Rou didn't see what was written on it. Wen Rou, on the other hand, wrote openly without any attempt to conceal her words. Both quickly finished and folded their papers, then pushed them towards the bearded old man.
The old man with the white beard opened each of their papers and, after reading the contents, stroked his beard and laughed, "Haha, indeed, it's exactly as I predicted."
Then the bearded old man opened a drawer beneath his stall, where two envelopes, sealed earlier, were placed. He handed one to Yan Fei and the other to Wen Rou, saying, "The answers are inside, have a look for yourselves."
Seeing the old man's composed demeanor, Yan Fei began to wonder, could this old man truly foresee the future? Or was it that, like himself, the old man had experienced some extraordinary fortune that allowed him to see the future?
Though Yan Fei was doubtful, his hands moved swiftly. He quickly opened the envelope, pulled out the letter inside, and saw a sentence written: "You and Wen Rou will be together, and you will have a happy and joyful ending!"
Yan Fei was shocked, nearly dropping the letter. The question he had just written on the blank paper was: "Can I be with Wen Rou? What will our ending be like?"
The answer on the old man's envelope wasn't a one-size-fits-all response, but a highly relevant answer to Yan Fei's question. Even before he put pen to paper, he hadn't been sure what question he would write. In other words, his question was entirely spontaneous, and no one could have known he would ask such a thing. But the old man had answered his question perfectly. Could this old man truly be a person of marvels, possessing the ability to predict the future in detail?
Looking at the white-bearded old man with a mix of awe and doubt, Yan Fei saw that Wen Rou was also curiously looking at him. He suddenly bent down and lifted the curtain underneath the old man's stall, only to find a simple table with four legs and nothing else except for a drawer. That meant the answer in the envelope couldn't possibly have been written on the spot by someone hiding under the table. Moreover, his hearing was extremely keen, and he hadn't heard any noise of the envelope being placed into the drawer. It was certain that the answer had appeared in the drawer without any outside contact.
Curiosity getting the better of her, Wen Rou asked, "Little Fei, was your question predicted?"
Yan Fei answered vaguely, "It seems he might be onto something."
Wen Rou then asked, "Can I see what the question was?"
Yan Fei snatched the paper with his own question and the answer from the old man's hands, put them back into the envelope, and then tucked it into his chest, saying, "It's nothing, nothing at all!"
The old man with the white beard didn't try to stop him and just looked at Yan Fei with a smile, exuding an air of inscrutable wisdom.
Seeing that Yan Fei had put away the question and answer, Wen Rou didn't press further. Everyone has their secrets, after all. She picked up her own envelope, pulled out a sheet of paper from it, and started looking at the answer. Upon reading it, she exclaimed, covered her small mouth in surprise, showing disbelief in her eyes.
Curious yet reluctant to pry, Yan Fei saw Wen Rou pass the answer to him, saying, "Little Fei, can you help me see if this is real?"
Yan Fei took a look and saw it written, "Three years from now, your biological parents will appear by your side, and you will receive their love."
Yan Fei asked, "Little Rou, what was your question?"
Wen Rou retrieved the paper she had written on from the old man, and on it was scribbled in simplified Chinese: "When can I see my birth parents? Do they still love me?"
Yan Fei was truly astonished now, as Wen Rou's question had also been predicted by the old man, who had written the answer in advance. Since the answers were all written with a brush and the ink was already dry, it was clear they weren't written just now but rather some time ago. Could this white-bearded old man truly be a saintly figure, and meeting him was a matter of destiny?
At this point, Yan Fei's view of the self-proclaimed Old Man Gu had undergone a change. If Old Man Gu could indeed see into the future, then perhaps he could foresee Yan Fei's acquisition of the Drone, as well as what lies ahead for him?
As Yan Fei pondered, Old Man Gu spoke up, "This ability to foresee the future is mighty powerful, but using it consumes a great deal of my lifespan; I can only employ it three times a month. So don't even think about how to use my ability to work for you. I can only predict a rough scenario for you at most, and the more detailed the prediction, the greater the toll on my lifespan. I have already foreseen the future for you twice; you have one more chance left."
Yan Fei said, "Elder, please forgive my earlier words!"
Old Man Gu waved his hand, saying, "Forget it, I've seen much in my days; I won't hold it against you. The first two predictions can be considered free gifts, but this last chance, I will have to charge for it."
With Dream Foods' products selling like hotcakes recently, the Supreme VIP Card that Lu Pingping got for him always had a hefty balance, so money was no longer a concern for him. Although his bank card was flush with funds, he didn't carry much cash on him, and he asked somewhat awkwardly, "Can I transfer money here?"
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