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I have been practicing fengshui for 20 years. I used to provide fengshui evaluations, tell fortunes and consult people on their future prospects to make ends meet. But I never expected that the fengshui business would take off, especially among government officials and businesspeople.
Although government officials have been publicly talking about ideals and beliefs in a serious tone, they are obsessed with fengshui privately. They call me "grand master" and listen to my advice with the utmost deference.
I became famous with the help of a local government official, who was the head of a township at the time. In an effort to curry the official's favor, several bosses in the township asked me to practice palmistry on him. After frequent visits we got to know each other very well.
One day, the official invited me to his office alone and asked me, "I have been in this position for 7-8 years. Can you predict when I'll get a promotion?"
I counted my fingers and said to him, "You will be promoted to an upper level within 3 months." What a coincidence it was that within half a year, he was promoted to the head of the organization department of the CPC committee of the county.
Since then, the official has admired me from the bottom of his heart and has invited me to his private gatherings, which allowed me to get in touch with other officials. My "magic power" became widely known.
Government officials I've spoken to keep abreast of the trends but are spiritually barren. They barely talk about their work and care more about their career prospects. A deputy head of a government bureau even offered me 10,000 yuan to put a curse on his competitor.
I'v made a fortune these years by practicing fengshui. Most of the time, the fees, ranging from 1,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan for one consultation, are paid by businesspeople who are hovering around government officials.
The most profitable service I provide is consulting on architectural designs or city plans. Some government bureaus, commission and offices often invite me to hear my advice when they are planning new buildings. I usually charge 10,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan for each project.
I was invited once by a businessman and friend of mine to see someone in a very luxurious hotel. I was asked to focus on fortune-telling and to talk as little as possible. When we met, I was stunned: Isn't this one of the officials we often see on TV? The official was later happy that I picked my words wisely.
One of the most absurd officials I've met asked me to save his career with fengshui. He dropped to his knees in front of me and yelled "Grand master, help!" He said he had been accepting bribes in recent years and was afraid of being caught after he was tipped off that somebody was ratting him out.
I couldn't take this job and instead asked him to confess to the authorities for a lenient punishment. I heard he was later arrested and is now serving time. For all the corrupt officials, here is my advice: Fengshui cannot help you. Don't do whatever illegal things you do or be ready for the consequences.
Excerpts from a July 7 article in Ban Yue Tan bi-weekly.
