The Feng Shui Detective's Casebook Read Online Free PDF Page A

but Wong was still a little anxious about letting her have full responsibility for handling a board member.
    He sat her down and went through the actions that she would have to perform, making sure that she wrote it all down.
    ‘Fish. You will check fish.’
    ‘ Ewww. Do I have to? I don’t like fish. Except sometimes for ikura sushi with wasabi on the side if it’s a really nice restaurant.’
    Wong’s face darkened. ‘You must not eat Mr Tik’s fish.’
    ‘I was joking. Cheese. ’
    He explained that the fish were not merely ornamental devices to attract good fortune. Fish of this sort cost hundreds or even thousands of American dollars each, and were regularly auctioned at high prices. Good breeding fish were sometimes fish-napped. Advising on fish security had become a distressingly common part of Wong’s business in the past few months. In the past year, thieves had regularly broken into homes and stolen fish while leaving money and jewellery behind.
    ‘Fish very important. Importance of fish in feng shui of Mr Tik’s apartment cannot be exaggerated.’ Wong touched his fingertips together as he spoke. Ever since he had seen a picture of Confucius in such a pose, he had copied it whenever he had to deliver statements that needed gravitas.
    She scribbled down his instructions in a notebook.
    In a follow-up case such as this, a feng shui reader’s task would be straightforward, he explained. First, ask if there had been any changes in the furniture, fittings, design or usage patterns for the various rooms. Second, check for changes in the number and type of fish. Third, check the birth dates of the home and the homeowner against the current feng shui calendar. Fourth, check the view for changes in external influences. Fifth, write lengthy comments on all the above.
    ‘Most important is number six. But you don’t have to do it.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Write big invoice and wait for cheque. But this time, Mr Pun will pay direct. Special deal for members of his board.’
    He made her get out her feng shui compass and tested her on lo pan readings.
    The results, he admitted to himself reluctantly, were impressive. She had clearly learned a great deal over the first half of the year. Not that he had actively taught her anything. She had simply read through every feng shui book written in English she could find. And then she had watched him carefully on every assignment. By this time, he was satisfied that her technical know-how was not a problem, and she had the fundamentals down pat—the eight trigrams, the circles of destruction and creation, the yin-yang principles, and the interpretation of the flying star calendar.
    But he had two further concerns. One was whether she had a feeling for the symbolism that was a key to Chinese mysticism. That sort of thing you couldn’t get out of books. ‘This shape bad, because looks like a Chinese grave,’ he said, showing her a diagram which looked to Joyce like a ram’s head. ‘So anything this shape is bad.’
    He pointed to the corner of the office where the kitchen items were. ‘Knifes, waste bin, toilets, these things very negative. Things which look like those things, or which remind you of those things, also very bad. Understand? Never associate Mr Tik or his career or home with any of those things, understand or not?’
    ‘Yeah-yeah. Peasy.’
    There was one other thing he was nervous about: her use of English. ‘Also, please try to talk so Mr Tik understand what you say.’
    ‘He speaks English?’
    ‘Yes, he speaks English.’
    ‘So . . . ?’
    The feng shui master took a moment to consider how to explain. He picked up his Dictionary of Contemporary English Idioms and tapped it. ‘Mr Tik, he does not speak your English. He speak this English: It is raining cats and dogs. The proof is in the pudding. Goodness what a palaver.’
    ‘Say what? ’
    ‘Speak in simple way to him, please.’
    ‘No worries. I’m cool. This is so like groady to the max.’
    He