023. Verification of Precognitive Ability

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The next day, at eight in the morning.

“Good morning, boss.”

Seeing his employer’s figure, Han Lin, who was waiting by the car door, hurriedly opened the back seat.

“Mm,” Wei Xun replied.

The car started up, and Han Lin drove along the usual route, familiar with every turn.

Wei Xun gazed at the scenery outside the window, and the message Lin Mi had sent him last night replayed in his mind.

“Today, take the northern third ring.”

The northern third ring… Though the route was a little longer, it wouldn’t significantly affect their journey.

For a moment, he couldn’t quite pinpoint his feelings. Perhaps it was to test Lin Mi’s “mystical” abilities, or maybe just the curiosity her unusual manner provoked.

Though it seemed unbelievable, a strange part of him wanted to trust her. He felt that if he didn’t, things might really turn out as she’d warned.

“Huh? The northern third ring? But that’ll add at least ten minutes to the trip,” Han Lin said in surprise. They usually took the elevated expressway.

Wasn’t their boss the most punctual person around? He never wasted a minute when things could be settled faster.

Why take a detour today?

“Miss Lin, the one who pulled me out of the hotel yesterday, told me that it’s unlucky to take the expressway today. Otherwise, we’d lose money,” Wei Xun said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

He couldn’t help but find it funny that he was actually following her advice.

Well, he thought, let’s trust her this once. There’s no real harm in it.

Han Lin stared in shock. Since when was his boss so easily convinced?

He’d been working for him for so long, and never knew he believed in such superstitions.

Was he bewitched?

Of course, he dared not say this aloud. He stole a glance at his boss in the rearview mirror, noting that he seemed in unusually good spirits.

Quietly, Han Lin steered the car onto the northern third ring.

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They drove along, encountering some traffic but nothing that seriously delayed them.

At eight forty, their car smoothly entered the company garage.

As they rode the elevator, Han Lin habitually took out his phone to check today’s trending news.

A competent assistant always prepares in advance, gathering every bit of information.

“What? There was an accident on the second ring expressway?!”

Seeing the latest breaking news, Han Lin looked at his boss in astonishment.

The expressway route was designed to avoid accidents efficiently; since its construction, crashes were rare.

How could one happen today?

Could it be…?

“Boss, do you think Miss Lin’s warning was about this?” Han Lin asked excitedly, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. But his boss simply signaled for the phone.

Han Lin immediately handed it over, watching as Wei Xun read the news intently. Unable to resist, he continued chattering.

“Boss, who exactly is this Miss Lin? Isn’t it amazing she knew there’d be an accident on the expressway this morning? Is she some fortune-telling master? She doesn’t look old at all, but she clearly has a knack for this. Thanks to her warning, we didn’t get stuck on the expressway. Judging by the traffic at the scene, it wouldn’t clear up for at least half an hour. We have an important signing ceremony soon—if we’d missed it, the company would have lost a lot. So, in a way, you really did avoid losing money.”

The elevator doors opened, but Han Lin couldn’t stop gossiping. “Miss Lin is truly impressive. Next time, I’ll have her read my fortune.”

“You talk too much. Go arrange the signing,” Wei Xun said, handing back the phone and walking straight to his office.

But his heart was anything but calm; he hadn’t expected her warning to come true.

If yesterday’s hotel fire was an accident, what about today’s traffic mishap? Was it just another coincidence?

Coincidences of this kind were a skill in themselves.

Wei Xun couldn’t help but smile. He hadn’t yet thanked her for saving him yesterday, and now he owed her another favor.

He would have to think carefully about how to express his gratitude.

——

At eight in the morning, Lin Mi strolled leisurely along Antique Street, munching on an egg pancake.

The street was quiet, with barely a soul in sight. Many shops still had their doors shut, but a few industrious owners had opened up and begun cleaning.

Lin Mi didn’t know the exact time of the incident. The news report included a photo of a storefront, but deliberately avoided showing the name.

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So she wandered along Antique Street, comparing the photo to the shops on either side, searching for the one that matched the report’s description.

Gradually, more vendors set up stalls along the street, displaying a variety of interesting objects.

Lin Mi grew intrigued, browsing the stalls for antique trinkets as she searched for the shop.

Of course, as a novice, she couldn’t distinguish authenticity, so she simply enjoyed the novelty.

Suddenly, her gaze stopped at a shop called “Elegant Resonance Studio.”

The storefront was small, its sign somewhat weathered, but the owner was meticulously polishing the antiques inside, seeming to treat each item with reverence.

This was the place! The decorations matched the photo exactly.

She had finally found it. It appeared the novice who broke the inkstone hadn’t arrived yet, since the shop was empty except for the owner.

Perfect—she was right on time!

Lin Mi steadied herself, pretending to browse casually as she entered, her eyes quickly scanning the shelves.

“Boss, do you have any affordable trinkets? I’ve just gotten interested in antiques and want something for beginners,” she asked.

The shopkeeper, a kind-faced middle-aged man, looked up at her. He didn’t belittle her for her youth, but his demeanor wasn’t particularly warm either—probably thinking she wasn’t a big spender.

He gestured to a corner of the shop.

“You’ve come to the right place. We do have some items on special sale. The quality isn’t the best, but the prices are low—perfect for newcomers.”

“Thank you,” Lin Mi replied, heading in the direction he’d indicated. Sure enough, there was a designated discount area.

Here lay all sorts of copper coins, shards of porcelain, pieces of jade, and some worn wooden carvings and calligraphy.

Her heart raced—she knew the valuable inkstone was likely here.

She picked up and put down items one by one, feigning casual interest.

At last, her fingers touched a cold, rough stone.

It was an inkstone, utterly unremarkable, dark gray all over, its surface etched with the marks of time. Its shape was so inconspicuous that at a glance, it could be mistaken for an ordinary stone.