"This is the end, my wife must have misunderstood me as lazy." Chen Zikun sighed on the balcony, turned around and jumped back, only to hear a cracking sound under his feet, as if something had broken.

  Slowly lifting his foot, the red gel pen had already turned into pieces.

  "It's really windy today." Chen Zikun slowly picked up the fragments of his fountain pen, placing them in his palm to try and reassemble it. The nib and ink sac were still intact, but the pen casing was shattered beyond repair. Just as he was getting a headache, he heard footsteps outside, and a group of excited female students burst into the classroom, with Lin Wenjing among them.

  "Uncle, is the homework done?" As soon as Lin Wenjing's voice fell, she saw that Chen Zikun's fountain pen was broken, and she was stunned, with tears streaming down her face.

  "Hey, don't cry, I'll buy a new one to make up for it," Chen Zikun said clumsily.

  "You're too much! Your family's young lady was kind enough to teach you how to write, but you went and ruined her pen. Can you afford to compensate for it? This is a gift from her mother!" Wang Yueqi said indignantly.

  "Never mind, he didn't mean it." Lin Wenjing said softly, taking the remains from Chen Zikun's hand and leaving without a word.

  "Hmph!" Wang Yueqi snorted coldly at Chen Zikun and turned away.

  Chen Zikong scratched his head, "All previous efforts have been abandoned!"

  This matter can't be delayed, Chen Zikun hurried to the library, Assistant Mao was sorting and categorizing newspapers and magazines, seeing Chen Zikun come in said: "Brother Chen is looking for Director Li, he just went out."

  Chen Zikun said: "You can also find me, I want to know where in Beijing sells fountain pens, those red pen holders are very elegant."

  Mao's assistant thought for a moment and said, "There are many vendors selling wolf hair brushes and sheep hair brushes at the Dong'an Market, but few sell fountain pens. The Six Nations Restaurant on Dongzhimen Street should have some."

  "Thanks, Brother Mao." Chen Zikun turned his head and walked away, pulling his rickshaw straight to Dongjiaomin Lane.

  Dong Jiao Min Xiang was the embassy district, guarded by soldiers from various countries who took turns on duty. It was the British soldiers' turn that month, and they patrolled back and forth beside the iron gate in their yellow uniforms and steel helmets, with bayonets glinting on their shoulders. Chen Zikun pulled his rickshaw straight in and stopped at the entrance to the Six Nations Hotel, but saw Xiao Shunzi emerge from inside with a dejected expression, wearing a clean and tidy long gown, his face also scrubbed very clean.

  "Little Shunzi, what are you doing here?" Chen Zikong asked.

  "Ugh, don't even mention it. I heard this morning that Liuguo Restaurant is hiring waiters, so I rushed over here, but I got eliminated in the first round." Xiao Shunzi looked worried and disheartened.

  "Why was I brushed down? Didn't you prepare for a long time?" Chen Zikong asked in surprise.

  Xiao Shunzi said: "I think I understand now, being a waiter isn't that easy. Think about it, just the tips alone can earn you over ten yuan per month, and people are fighting for it. The managers in those restaurants, they all bring their relatives and friends in, while someone like me who has no connections is just trying to get in on the action, I don't stand a chance."

  "Give me your application form." Chen Zikun said.

  "Chen Dage, what do you want to do?" Xiaoshunzi hesitated and handed over his own registration form, which had already been crossed out with a big X.

  "Are they allowed to walk the road, but we're not?" Chen Zikong took the registration form in one hand and pulled Xiao Shunzi with the other, directly entering the Six Nations Restaurant.

  This six-nation restaurant was a gathering place for envoys, officials and high-society people in Beijing. The decorations were luxurious and grand, the patrons were all well-dressed and well-heeled, the doormen wore red European-style uniforms and politely served the guests. Suddenly, two shabbily dressed Chinese men swaggered in, the doormen were so shocked that they forgot to stop them.

  Chen Zikun came to the front desk, rang the bell, and a suit-clad waiter looked at him with disdain, saying in a sarcastic tone: "We don't need laborers here."

  Chen Zikun looked down at him from his tall stature: "Is this how you treat your guests? Call your manager over."

  Xiao Shunzi was frightened and pulled Chen Zikun's sleeve: "This place is not to be trifled with, let's go."

  Chen Zikun stood still, staring at the waiter and said, "Didn't you hear clearly? I'll say it again, call your manager over."

  The waiter turned his head and shouted: "Guards!"

  "What's the matter?" A slick-haired man in a suit walked over, followed by two tall and burly Indian security guards. He looked at the name tag on his chest, which read "Deputy Manager".

  "These two are causing trouble." The waiter pointed at Chen Zikun.

  The deputy manager of the hall was about to let the security guard drive people away, when Chen Zikun suddenly took out a business card: "My family's master has something to find your manager."

  The deputy manager of the hall took over the business card with a skeptical expression, and his stiff face suddenly smiled: "Ah, please sit down, two, come in, bring two cups of coffee."

  The waiters hastily came forward, inviting Chen Zikun and Xiao Shunzi to sit on the sofa, and presented them with strong coffee and pastries. The deputy manager of the lobby rushed upstairs with a business card.

  "What are you up to, Chen Dage?" Xiaoshunzi sat nervously, his heart racing with fear, and didn't even dare to drink the coffee.

  Chen Zikun raised his legs and said with a smile: "I've helped you get your job settled."

  Just then, a blond-haired and blue-eyed foreign manager came down from upstairs. He spoke Chinese quite well: "Hello, does Professor Gu have any instructions?"

  Chen Zikun said: "Our old master told me to bring his card here, and recommend this person to work for you." He pointed at Xiao Shunzi.

  The foreign manager took a look at Xiao Shunzi, the young man was clean and spirited, with regular features, and said: "Professor Guo sent him, of course we welcome him, Jimmy, take him to do the formalities."

  Xiao Shunzi couldn't believe his ears, the job he had been dreaming of was obtained so easily, what kind of magic did Chen Dage use to make the foreign manager of Liuguo Restaurant bow down.

  The foreign manager continued to say to Chen Zikun, "Please tell Professor Gu that his last lecture 'The Great Meaning of Spring and Autumn' at the Six Nations Restaurant was truly brilliant. We look forward to Professor Gu's next visit."

  Chen Zikong said with a big smile: "Alright, I'll naturally pass it on to our old master at home, but whether he comes or not is his own business."

  The foreigner didn't mind his rudeness and instead smiled and said: "Is there anything else I can help you with, please let me know."

  Chen Zikun pinched a silver dollar from his waist and said: "I want to buy a fountain pen, I don't know where it's sold."

  The foreigners were secretly shocked, thinking that Ku Hung-ming was indeed a "weird hero", and even his servants were like their masters, dressed like laborers from the lower classes, with rough language and manners, but actually they were knowledgeable about Chinese and Western cultures. To know that ordinary Chinese people don't even know how to use a brush, let alone a fountain pen.

  The manager immediately arranged for a waiter to take Chen Zikun to buy a pen, and Xiao Shunzi was also taken away by someone to register his name and go through the formalities. Until now, Xiao Shunzi had not yet recovered from his shock, staring blankly at Chen Zikun in confusion.

  Chen Zikun winked at him and followed the attendant to a store affiliated with the restaurant. The goods from Europe and America were dazzling, and of course, there were also fountain pens, including German Montblanc, American Parker, and some British and Japanese brands, but none of them had the slender red pen holder like Lin Wenjing's fine female fountain pen.

  "It's bloody expensive, even if I had the money, I couldn't afford it." Chen Zikun pinched the only silver dollar in his pocket, his self-esteem greatly hurt. These fountain pens were expensive, with the cheapest one priced at over five dollars.

  Sulkily coming out of Rokoku restaurant, just walking to the rickshaw, an old man beckoned: "Rickshaw!

  Chen Zikun was taken aback, thinking to himself that this was a private car for personal use only and not for doing business with outsiders. However, taking advantage of the opportunity to make some extra money to buy his wife a fountain pen wasn't bad either. So, imitating other rickshaw pullers, he enthusiastically hailed: "Old sir, good luck! Where are you headed?"

  The old man wore a long shirt and had a white beard, with an air of immortality. With Chen Zikun's support, he got on the car and said, "How much does it cost to go to Fayuan Temple?"

  "Suit yourself." Chen Zikun was a straightforward person, and this business trip really came at the right time. If it were somewhere else, he, an outsider who had just arrived, might not even be recognized. But Fahyuan Temple happened to be located outside Xuanwu Gate, on the south end of Jiaozihutong, where he had been back and forth several times.

  Chen Zikong pulled the cart and took off, his tall legs carrying him like a gust of wind chasing the moon. The old man sat comfortably in the cart, eyes closed, resting his spirit. When they arrived at the gate of Fayuan Temple, Chen Zikong put down the cart and said: "Old master, we're here."

  The old man got off the bus, felt his pocket and looked embarrassed: "I'm really sorry, I didn't bring any money."

  "It's nothing, just consider it a leg up for me." Chen Zikun waved his hand grandly, with an air of magnanimity.

  "That won't do." The old man was very stubborn. "Young fellow, wait here for a moment, I'll be right back." With that, he hastily entered the Fayuan Temple.

  Chen Zikong had to wait at the door, not long after, the old man came out with a piece of Xuan paper, on which was a water ink painting, several shrimp jumping on the paper, the ink marks were not dry, obviously just painted, next to it was the date and signature, a square seal with four seal characters "Baishi Shanren".

  "Here you are, young man. Consider this painting as your fare." The old man handed over the painting.

  Chen Zikun was a bit displeased, squatting at the door for half a day thinking the old man had gone back to fetch money, but instead he brought out a painting to make up for it. It was a tattered painting, not worth two cents, but looking at the old man's kind and benevolent face, he decided to accept it so as not to embarrass him.

  "That's it, I've taken it." Chen Zikong took the painting and casually threw it onto the car, nodded to the old man, and turned around to leave.

  Just a dozen steps away, suddenly a voice came from behind: "Rickshaw driver, stop."

  Turning his head, he saw a blind man wearing sunglasses sitting by the road, with a sign next to him that read: Hu Banshen.

  "Half immortal, you're calling me?" Chen Zikong stopped and asked.

  "Come here." The blind man beckoned him over.

  "What's wrong?" Chen Zikong walked up to the blind man and squatted down in front of him.

  "You're going to be in big trouble soon," said the blind man.

  Chen Zikun smiled and said: "Don't try to fool me, I'm having a stroke of good luck with women, I'm about to get married soon, what's difficult?"

  The blind man said: "No, no, you have had the help of a noble person recently, but it has only brought small blessings, which are not enough to overcome this great disaster."

  Chen Zikong burst out laughing: "Half Immortal, this set of yours is all leftovers from others. If you're capable, guess what my name is, where I live, and how many people are in my family."

  The blind man said: "This is simple, stretch out your hand and let me have a look."

  Chen Zikong muttered: "Aren't you blind? How can you see?"

  The blind man took off his sunglasses and said, "Are those who wear sunglasses necessarily blind?" His two eyes were bright and spirited, and he was not a blind person at all.

  "Oh dear, I'm sorry." Chen Zikun hastily apologized and extended his left hand.

  He glanced at his palm and then looked at his face, stroking his beard and saying: "Although your speech has a northern accent, you are a southerner who has gone north. Your eyebrows and eyes show determination and decisiveness, so you should be from the Hunan region. You left home young, and I'm afraid your parents may not both be alive anymore. There is a strong aura of violence on your body, and you have been in the military before. A soldier's weapon is a cruel thing, and your name should include the name of a weapon, but it's not an ordinary knife, gun, sword or spear - it should be a precious sword!