Enforcer Manual
Chapter 675: The Ups and Downs of a Person’s Life_1

Chapter 675: Chapter 675: The Ups and Downs of a Person’s Life_1

Song Lan very much agreed with Li Youqian’s point of view.

He usually didn’t want to know what would happen in the future. It may have been a coincidence, but whenever he tried to glimpse into the future, the outcomes were always terrible. In contrast, when he was not curious about what lay ahead, fate seemed to move in the direction he desired.

But clearly, Yaku didn’t agree with this point. Spreading his hands, he deliberately spoke in a contemptuous tone, "Puppets of fate? I’m impressed you could come up with such an excuse. But to me, it looks like you can’t predict the specific course of events, right? Just like those rambling fortune tellers who deceive others with flowery words. With enough clients, even a blind cat will find a dead mouse."

Having said this, he provocatively challenged the other person, "If you think I’m wrong, prove it to me, prove that you really can predict the future!"

To this, Song Lan could only say that Yaku was indeed a spoilsport.

His poor attempt at provocation caused the lounge to fall into silence once more, with intentions that were so obvious that even Douban would refuse to rate them.

"I don’t need to prove this to anyone."

Li Youqian, tipsy, shook his head, not influenced by Yaku at all, "Since more than a decade ago, I decided to restrain this ability and not to predict any specific incidents."

As for Yaku.

In Li Youqian’s eyes, he was just a kid who hadn’t fully matured yet, the least experienced among the many candidates, and at an age brimming with vigor, always trying to outdo others. Perhaps he didn’t understand what it would mean to become a Six Stars rescuer and was just treating it as a process to prove himself.

As someone who had been through it all, he naturally wouldn’t bicker with a child.

"At most, I can only reveal whether the future is auspicious or not."

They were all puppets manipulated by the threads of fate, himself included. Knowing that one can’t change the manipulation of fate, the puppets still eagerly wanted to know more.

If fate granted them what they desired, they would readily accept it. If fate foretold an unfortunate future for them, they’d think up all ways to resist, ultimately waiting tragically, in madness and unease, for misfortune to strike.

"Alright then, foretell whether my upcoming fortune is good or bad?"

Upon hearing this, Yaku had no choice but to settle for less, showing a reluctant acceptance.

"I won’t."

"Ah—? Are you playing with me!"

"Why should I offer you a free fortunetelling? It’s a matter of fate. From the moment you barged into my shop making a scene, it was destined that we would have no connection."

As he spoke, Li Youqian’s gaze, filled with curiosity, lingered on Song Lan, "But you, I can foretell your future fortune for free."

Just now, as he spoke, he had been observing the other people in the room.

When he talked about his understanding of fate, Lu Xiang, Rose, and Jasmine were all ears, appearing very interested, while only Song Lan’s gaze drifted elsewhere, casually admiring the layout of the lounge.

This was extremely rare.

The desire to explore fate and the future is an innate nature of every person, no matter their position, no matter the power and wealth they hold, it’s impossible to escape this primal nature.

Upon hearing this, Jasmine, who was most familiar with Li Youqian, immediately exclaimed to Song Lan in surprise, "This is the first time I’ve seen the senior voluntarily offer to tell someone’s fortune."

In her understanding, the "fate" Li Youqian talked about probably referred to people with whom he could get along. And even if you became his friend, you only had the chance to ask him for a prediction. After all, she had offered him a box of fine wine to get him to foretell her future.

In the end, the senior vaguely told her that her upcoming fortune wasn’t very good.

It’s worth mentioning that when he gave her this bad news, he told her to gather her courage to bear it, not to be careful of impending doom.

In the following month, she did have a string of misfortunes. Not only did her missions fail due to unimaginable reasons, but a series of unlucky events also kept occurring in her daily life.

"Quick, have him take a look, he’s not some street swindler, his predictions are accurate!"

Seeing no reaction from Song Lan, Jasmine hurriedly urged him on.

Apart from enjoying the drama, it was also closely related to the work they were about to undertake.

Song Lan’s fortune, good or bad, would directly affect whether CP0’s work could start smoothly in The First Region.

This prompting suddenly put Song Lan on the spot. He had wanted to politely decline with "Thank you, I’m not interested," but Jasmine’s words made everyone focus on him, with even Lu Xiang looking very interested.

It was just a prediction, after all.

Why did the atmosphere have to be so grave?

"Alright, let’s try then," he said.

Hearing Song Lan speak, Li Youqian became even more curious. This reluctant tone seemed to be on account of others’ faces that he awkwardly agreed to become a guinea pig.

Could it be that this person knew his fortune was very bad, which was why he didn’t want to hear any negative news?

Song Lan sat up straight and asked, "What do I need to do?"

"You don’t need to do anything."

Li Youqian moved a chair in the lounge and sat down opposite Song Lan, facing him across the table.

It was a rather lengthy process.

There was no crystal ball, no dazzling fortunetelling props, and not even the questions mentioned in psychology books. This middle-aged man just sat there still, his alcoholic breath making Song Lan somewhat uncomfortable.

After what felt like a long time, Li Youqian’s face finally changed.

First, he looked surprised, his eyes widening. Then his expression grew more and more serious, and eventually, he stood up abruptly from his chair.

His eyes, once blurred from being drunk, were now wide open like copper bells, as if to swallow Song Lan whole.

"Hah, the usual tricks."

Yaku, who had been standing by, naturally observed the change in Li Youqian’s expression. Still holding a grudge because the latter wouldn’t fortune-tell for him, he said, "What he’s going to say next is that your fortune is so bad that you must buy an amulet to get through this tough time!"

He acted as though he had seen through everything.

"A destiny that is predicted cannot be changed."

Li Youqian glanced sidelong at Yaku or, more precisely, at the beast bone pendant hanging around his neck, "You must have been swindled."

"Swindled? Ah? What swindle, I have no idea what you’re talking about." Yaku awkwardly shifted his gaze away from Li Youqian, mumbling, "Don’t get me wrong, this is our... a heirloom passed down in our family. I’ve never been to The Ninth Region, and I definitely didn’t pay a high price for a prophet there to fortune-tell for me!"

"Yaku."

Finally, even the good-tempered Jasmine couldn’t stand it any longer. "Please stop tarnishing the image of the Six Stars candidates. You’re making others think that the current candidates are just a ragtag bunch."

Rather than enjoying Yaku’s self-deprecating comedy sketch, she was more concerned about the result of Li Youqian’s fortune-telling.

In Jasmine’s memory, the senior had always been indifferent to the results of fortune-telling; this was the first time he had shown such an expression after one.

"It shouldn’t be, it just shouldn’t be."

He kept his gaze fixed on Song Lan.

"Senior, what exactly is the result of the fortune-telling?"

Jasmine held her breath, bracing herself for the possibility that Song Lan’s fortune might be extremely bad.

"...There is no result."

After a long silence, Li Youqian finally spoke, "But, how is that possible?"

To ensure that there was no error in his fortune-telling process, he activated his abilities once again. However, this tenth attempt still yielded the same result.

Neither good fortune nor misfortune.

All he could see was a future as smooth as a straight line.

"No, that can’t be right, can’t be right!"

He shook his head vigorously, as if trying to convince himself, "Everyone experiences ups and downs in life, whether it’s success or failure..."

This unprecedented sensation triggered an extremely strong notion in his mind.

He wanted to see more clearly!

The course of fortune was elusive, but if he could only see clearly what would happen to him over the next few days or even months, what he would encounter, whom he would meet, perhaps that would explain the result of this fortune-telling.

Activate the ability.

The whisper in his mind seemed to be urging him on, which was not a difficult task for a psychic with the ability to see the direction of destiny.

"Snap—!"

The sound of glass shattering echoed in the lounge.

All of a sudden, Li Youqian smashed the wine bottle in his hand onto the coffee table, scattering broken glass all over the floor, while the lower half of the bottle, now like a lethal weapon, was gripped in his hand. As others thought he had suddenly gone mad and was about to attack Song Lan, the weapon in his hand abruptly stabbed into the back of his other hand.

Blood splattered.

He stared at the back of his hand, from which a piece of flesh had been gouged, as if he felt no pain, with glass shards embedded in it and blood flowing down the edge of the coffee table onto the floor.

And the incessant whispering in his mind finally ceased.

Only then did he realize that he had just been standing on the edge of a cliff, and one more step would have led him to an abyss.

"The desire for the future is an innate nature in everyone; I am no exception."

After a long while, Li Youqian finally took a deep breath.

For him, peeking into the course of destiny was both a blessing and a curse.

"I am sorry, but the fortune-telling ends here. I cannot interpret your forthcoming luck," Li Youqian said as he raised his still bleeding hand to Jasmine, "and now, I need to tend to this wound."

"Oh."

Jasmine, being a doctor, nodded slowly because she knew the senior was only looking for an excuse to leave the lounge. And she was still pondering the few words the senior had let slip, wondering what kind of person would have a life without any highs or lows.

When Li Youqian reached the door of the lounge, he suddenly stopped.

It seemed that after a brief hesitation, he finally fixed his gaze on Yaku.

He had no ill will towards the restless young man. Yaku’s boisterous manner even reminded him of his own younger days.

"As for you, you’re going to have a streak of extremely bad luck in the coming period."

"Ah?"

"I mean the kind of bad luck where you’re nearly at death’s door," he said, giving Yaku a look of helpless compassion, "I hope we have the chance to see each other again."