BDB Chapter 53

He had said he’d go immediately, but by the time Li Jueyan stepped into the large conference room filled with Buddhist monks and Taoist priests, it was already dusk, long past noon.

As soon as they saw him enter, the priests who had been eagerly devouring lobster and barbecue instantly removed their clear gloves. The monks, immersed in their vegetarian feast, also put down their chopsticks, murmuring “Amitabha.”

Though the two groups usually couldn’t stand each other, they couldn’t help but exchange a few glances when they noticed the regal man’s face, unusually cold and expressionless. It was unclear if he was always this way or if it was because they had broken etiquette by giving in to hunger. Either way, neither group dared to speak first.

Once Li Jueyan sat down at the head of the conference room and the leftovers from the lobster, barbecue, and vegetarian meal were swiftly cleared into the trash by the cleaning staff, one brave priest spoke up first. “President Li, your face shows wealth and prosperity—your forehead is broad, your nose full, and your jawline strong. It’s clear you’re not troubled by financial matters. Could it be that you’ve called us here today over an emotional issue?”

Li Jueyan raised his eyes and glanced at the man who had spoken. “Li Group’s stocks are soaring, and the company is flourishing. While I do engage in charity, I haven’t lost my mind and donated all my assets, so how could I be troubled by money? If you’re trying to convince me with such common knowledge, at least run it through your brain for some logic first.”

With a single sentence, the atmosphere, which had just started to warm up, instantly turned cold again.

That person hesitated for a long time, his lips moving but not forming any words. “What do you mean, President Li?”

“I mean, those with real skills stay; those without, get out. I’ve been in business for many years, and I’m not so easily fooled. If I catch you using cheap tricks to deceive me—” he smiled, playing with the ring on his finger, “I’ve got some mining operations in Africa, and they’re short on manpower. It’s just the right time to fill the positions.”

As soon as he said this, the faces of nearly everyone in the room changed.

Those who came here naturally believed they had some sort of skill, whether it was real or just enough to deceive people. Either way, those skills brought them great wealth. They had always relied on their sharp wits and silver tongues to make a living. If they were really sent to dig in African mines, they’d be dead within days.

Li Jueyan was known for his ruthless tactics in the business world, and from this brief encounter, it was clear he wasn’t someone to mess with. But who knew what his exact standards were for “real skills”? If they misunderstood, how unlucky would they be?

In no time, several of them began inching toward the door.

Li Jueyan acted as though he didn’t notice, not even blinking.

Only after half a minute, when the large conference room was left with just two people—one wearing a Buddhist monk robe and one wearing a Taoist priest robe—did he finally look at them directly.

As he raised his eyes, the Taoist priest spoke first. “President Li, were you plagued by nightmares last night?”

Immediately after, the Buddhist monk added, “Did these nightmares lead you to ponder the cycle of reincarnation?”

Li Jueyan looked at them both, scanning their faces for a while. Seeing no sign of guilt or deceit, he leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other, and said, “So, you’ve already figured it out? Go ahead, tell me.”

The Buddhist monk’s hand, which had been turning a string of prayer beads, paused. “The man in your nightmare was your past life.”

Hearing this, Li Jueyan remained silent for a long time. “What makes you so sure?”

The Buddhist monk replied, “The man in the nightmare looks the same as you, has the same name, the same status, and the same temper. You’ve had this dream for so long. For everything to have an effect, there must be a cause. If you didn’t believe that man was you, why would he fall in love with the same woman as you?”

Their eyes met, and in his mind, Li Jueyan cursed.

Of course, he knew the man in his dreams was himself, but he felt no sense of identification with that version of him.

When he was young, he had encountered two unreliable parents. They had brought him into the world but hadn’t bothered to raise him, treating him like he didn’t exist.

So, once he was old enough to understand, he started getting into fights and causing trouble, doing anything and everything he could.

Back then, he was still a child, and his thinking was naive. He believed that when he grew up and became a delinquent, when he finally became an embarrassment to them and they would be forced to acknowledge him with disapproval, he could then coldly confront them with their neglect.

But before he could carry out that plan, the couple perished in a plane crash on a clear, sunny day that would have been perfect for a vacation.

He had never been a decent person. On the day they were cremated, he didn’t feel particularly sad. In fact, when his grandparents suggested he move in with them to their big house, he sneered and flatly refused, saying, “Leave me alone. Let me calm down by myself.”

The Old Man had been so furious he nearly hit him with a shoe, but that year, despite his average grades, Li Jueyan was a strong and imposing school bully.

Unfortunately, his idea of “calming down” resulted in him smashing the ancient castle halfway up the mountain into an empty shell, and he almost drank himself to death in that empty house at the age of sixteen. Fortunately, Sister Gu, who came to clean once a week, sent him to the hospital, saving his life.

It was after that incident that his grandparents discovered that at such a young age, he had developed both mental illness of mania and depression.

Only then did he realize that his constant fits of rage and his violent solutions to problems weren’t because he truly wanted to be a bad kid—he was sick.

He was ordered to stay in the hospital for treatment, and after about a year of recovery, he was sent to the military.

Another year had passed, and the Old Man’s health had gradually deteriorated. Although he still had the ambition for the company, he lacked the strength, so he was called back to take over Li Group. Since then, the once crazy, violent little boy who could never control himself had finally disappeared, replaced by a ruthless president who truly treated the business world as a battlefield, striving to seize the leading industries of various enterprises for Li Group.

Thus, he could have easily cursed the idiot in his nightmares, because that idiot must have been triggered by something to become that half-human, half-ghost appearance.

He knew that mental illness could relapse.

So, after recovering from his illness, he had always lived carefree and reckless.

However, on the first day the nightmares arrived, his normally carefree self became addicted and unable to extricate himself.

She was poison; yet he consumed her willingly as if she were sweet medicine.

He couldn’t live without her.

His purpose in calling so many Taoist priests and Buddhist monks that day wasn’t just to verify whether the man in his dreams was indeed his past life, but to find out—“Why is the same woman in reality always unwilling to accept me?”

The Buddhist monk clasped his hands together and recited, “Amitabha.” “Benefactor, don’t you already have the answer in your heart?”

“Be clearer. My Chinese was taught by a PE teacher.”

“If you can have such a dream, why can’t she?”

June was hot and humid, and the air conditioner in the conference room had been running for a long time.

Li Jueyan felt cold in both body and mind.

He had suspected this earlier.

After all, there was no reason why in his past life she had escaped during that time period, yet in this life she had suddenly changed her nature and obediently chose to go through that time point.

His action of opening his mouth was somewhat delayed, but his words were still sharp. “Help me calculate my destiny. Both of you together, hurry up!”

Both the Buddhist monk and the Taoist priest were master-level figures.

Upon hearing this, they thought to themselves that next time, even if offered an extra 5 million, they wouldn’t work for this person again! At the very least, it would have to be increased by 10 million to even consider negotiating. Absolutely!

But the moment they decided to stay, both of their accounts received this payment.

Whether it was out of fear of divine retribution for taking money without properly handling the job, or fearing that this legendary president who liked to break others’ legs wouldn’t let them go, they complied.

In summary, after three minutes, both gave their answers.

“Very bad fortune, extremely inauspicious.”

“Not very optimistic, President Li.”

His fist suddenly tightened.

His whole body exuded a chilling aura.

After a long moment, he slowly released his fist and asked, “Is there any solution?”

——