"Do you recognize this item?"
Under the streetlamp, Xiao Feng took out a gold sphere and showed it to Hui Yi and the others.
Hui Yi picked it up for a closer look, then shook his head and handed it to Hui Er next to him.
It was passed around until it reached Hui Shiwu, who finally reacted differently.
"Brother Feng, how did this end up in your hands?" Hui Shiwu exclaid.
Xiao Feng's eyes lit up: "Don't worry about how it got to ; just tell if you recognize it."
"I definitely recognize it!" Hui Shiwu nodded emphatically: "This is the sphere I put in my bag. I haven't touched it since moving here.
This morning, when I was tidying up my things, I discovered it was missing. I thought soone was playing a prank and took it.
Brother Feng, since you found it, should we return it to the owner?"
Xiao Feng took a deep breath and gestured with his hand: "Co over here."
Hui Shiwu walked over with a smile.
"How many did you lose in total?" Xiao Feng asked.
"Uh..." Hui Shiwu's eyes darted around, then replied, "I brought seven when I ca, and I lost five in total.
Brother Feng, how many did you find?"
"I think your hat is quite unique; take it off and let have a look," Xiao Feng shifted the topic.
Hui Shiwu imdiately sensed danger and instinctively stepped back.
Xiao Feng promptly reached out and took off his hat, then jumped up and, using the knuckles of his right index and middle fingers, knocked hard on Hui Shiwu's head.
"Thunk!"
The sound was clear and loud, but combined with the visual, it made one feel a headache.
Hui Shiwu didn't scream; he just stared blankly, evidently dazed.
He felt as if stars were flashing before his eyes, then lost his balance, spun in place, and fell backward.
Hui Shisan and Hui Shi-Er quickly supported him, glanced at Hui Shiwu, and silently comnted with two words: Serves him right!
The eighteen monk brothers had been living and eating together since childhood; they knew each other's things inside and out.
Clearly, Hui Shiwu wanted to take advantage and claim the gold sphere as his own.
"You guys!" Xiao Feng shook his head, sighed, "Always talking about how monks don't lie, yet there's not a single truth among you—is this sothing a monk should do?"
"Brother Feng, just to be clear, he is him, and we are we, it's not the sa thing!" Hui Shiba was the first to step forward to distinguish himself.
The others followed suit, not wanting to be left behind.
Hui Shi-Er and Hui Shisan unconsciously released their grip on Hui Shiwu while expressing their stance, nearly dropping him.
"Let's talk business," Xiao Feng adjusted his expression and asked, "So none of you recognize this sphere, right?"
Except for the still recovering Hui Shiwu, everyone else nodded in agreent.
Xiao Feng ceased to dwell on it, took out his phone, and showed everyone the photos of the Sanskrit script: "Do you recognize this?"
Hui Yi and the others looked at each other, then... their gaze shifted to the already unconscious Hui Shiwu?
"What do you an by looking at him?" Xiao Feng asked, puzzled.
"Ahem!" Hui Yi coughed dryly twice, touched his nose, and said: "Brother Fifteen is the only one among us monk brothers who is proficient in Sanskrit."
"..." Xiao Feng.
…
Ten minutes later, the awakened Hui Shiwu regained so spirit.
Xiao Feng handed over his phone and asked: "Do you recognize the text on this?"
"I don't recognize it! I really don't!"
Hui Shiwu hurriedly shook his head and waved his hands.
Not kidding, he had just acknowledged the sphere and got hit on the head.
If he claid to recognize the text in the photos now, who knows what the consequence will be?
"You really don't?" Xiao Feng frowned, looking quite dissatisfied.
Hui Shiwu nodded heavily, earnestly saying: "I truly don't!"
"Alright!" Xiao Feng shrugged indifferently: "Since you don't know, your salary for this month will be deducted entirely."
"Please, no!" Hui Shiwu pleaded, "Brother Feng, what exactly did I do wrong? Can you just tell directly?"
Xiao Feng, impatient, said: "Then quickly translate what's on it!"
"What if I translate it..."
"Your salary will be paid as usual, plus an extra reward of five hundred yuan."
"Okay, okay!"
Hui Shiwu repeatedly nodded in agreent, looked at the photo, and said: "This is the character "fan," aning ordinary."
Xiao Feng handed over the phone: "There's more behind. Translate it all at once."
Taking the phone, Hui Shiwu swiped left, looked through all the photos, and replied: "Brother Feng, the phrase ans "All forms are illusory," from a passage in the Diamond Sutra."
"Diamond Sutra?"
"Yes!"
Xiao Feng's eyes showed a thoughtful expression.
Could it be that the sphere is actually inscribed with scripture?
"Alright, I got it. You all can go back and rest." Xiao Feng waved his hand, indicating for Hui Yi and the others to leave.
Standing under the streetlamp, he reviewed his thoughts and made a call to Wang Lubo.
The call went through after only a few rings.
"Brother Feng, I'm so worried, I was just about to call you." Wang Lubo said excitedly: "The recipe you gave doesn't work anymore."
"What do you an?"
Wang Lubo explained: "It ans my hard-earned weight loss has started to rebound.
I haven't eaten a single al these past two days, just thirty pounds of apples, twenty pounds of bananas, fifty pounds of waterlon, and a sack of dates.
Logically, eating fruit shouldn't lead to weight gain, but when I weighed myself just now, I found I'd gained a full ten pounds.
Ten pounds!
Gaining ten pounds in two days, what kind of concept is that!"
"..." Xiao Feng.
If it weren't for serious business, he would really like to ask: Eating a hundred pounds of fruit and a sack of dates in two days, what kind of concept is that?
"Put the weight loss aside for now, help find an expert in mineral studies." Xiao Feng instructed.
"Mineral studies?"
"Yes, the sooner the better!"
Wang Lubo, as always, readily agreed: "I'll arrange soone to find one imdiately, but about my weight loss, hey—hey..."
However, all he received in response was the sound of the call being disconnected.
…
Jiangcheng Welfare Institute.
"Why hasn't the call co yet?" Nie Longjiao lay on the stone table, muttering to herself, staring at the phone placed in front of her.
The next mont, the phone rang.
Nie Longjiao quickly picked it up, but upon seeing the caller's note, her previously heightened emotions swiftly dropped.
She answered the call, her voice subdued, "Mom."
Nie Lan's voice transmitted: "What's going on with Xiao Feng?
Last ti, I saw he was a pretty decent person and was even talking about buying a house, but now there's hardly a word?
Don't get wrong, your dad and I don't really want him to buy a house, but the silent treatnt, what's going on here?"
Nie Longjiao rubbed her forehead and said: "Mom, we should be content. Our family got ten thousand from Miao Jinlin's matter and even had the house remodeled for free.
Besides, I already owe him enough; let's stop the endless demands, alright?"
"What are you talking about? How can that be considered demanding?"
Nie Lan was about to deliver a lengthy argunt but found the call had already been cut off by the other party.
Furious, she dialed again only to hear the automated ssage: "The number you're calling is now switched off."
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