Daily Intelligence System: Financial Independence

It was less than fifty minutes until the two o’clock indicated by intelligence.

"Old Jia, you just wait in the car or stroll around nearby, I can go in by myself."

"The timing might be uncertain, stay by your phone at all times for my call."

As Jiang Tao pushed open the car door, he advised Jia Guolin.

"Understood, President Jiang." Jia Guolin nodded in response.

Jiang Tao got out of the car, adjusted his collar, and touched the bottle of life-saving Quick-acting Heart-saving Pills in his pocket.

He first took a deep breath of the fresh air filled with the fragrance of grass and trees at the foot of the mountain.

Then he stepped forward, mingling with the sparse flow of tourists, walking towards the direction of the Wofosi within the scenic area.

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the gaps between the tall ancient cypress branches, casting mottled and shifting shadows on the bluestone path.

Although Xiangshan is famous for its red leaves in autumn, it was still early now, with the whole mountain awash in lush greenery, exuding a unique serene and profound charm.

He ascended along the slightly steep stone steps.

The sound of wind brushing through the forest filled his ears, occasionally interspersed with a few bird calls.

The ethereal environment unconsciously allowed his thoughts to settle.

After walking for about twenty minutes, passing several halls, an ancient and solemn temple appeared before him.

The red walls and gray tiles, with a plaque inscribed with "Universal Enlightenment Temple," but people prefer to call it "Wofosi."

He bought a ticket, stepped into the temple gate, and a breath infused with incense, ancient wood, and a faint sense of Zen greeted him.

The ancient trees in the courtyard stood towering, their gnarled branches witnessing the vicissitudes of time.

Today being a workday, there weren’t too many tourists inside the temple.

Small groups of people, mostly calm in expression, lowered their voices, fearing they might disrupt the tranquility of the Buddha’s pure land.

Seeing that it was still early, Jiang Tao wasn’t in a hurry to go to the main hall; instead, he strolled leisurely around the temple.

First, he looked at the solemn statues of the Four Heavenly Kings in front of the Heavenly King Hall.

Then, he walked through the courtyard, admiring the architectural beauty of the bell and drum towers on both sides.

The air was filled with faint sounds of chanting.

Many devout worshippers were standing before the incense burner, holding incense sticks, closing their eyes in silent prayer, their expressions focused and solemn.

Such an atmosphere indeed allowed one to momentarily forget the clamor of the mortal world, fostering a reverent heart.

He strolled over to the Reclining Buddha Hall.

In front of the hall stood a large Bodhi tree, reputed to have quite a history.

He paused briefly under the tree, savoring the shade and antiquity.

Estimating that the time was about right.

Around 1:50 PM, Jiang Tao ceased wandering.

He walked straight towards the most important hall that housed the huge reclining Buddha—the Hall of Three Lives Buddha.

The light inside the hall was slightly dim, accentuating its profundity.

As he entered, a five-meter-long copper Statue of Buddha Shakyamuni’s Nirvana came into view.

The statue lay on its side, propped up by its right hand, its expression serene and compassionate, as if it had seen through all the joys and sorrows of the world.

The enormous statue delivered a powerful visual and emotional impact, causing everyone entering the hall to subconsciously hold their breath.

There were already some tourists quietly observing and admiring inside the hall.

A few worshippers were kneeling sporadically on the prayer cushions, devoutly bowing.

Jiang Tao’s gaze, like the most precise radar, swiftly and discreetly scanned the entire hall.

Finally, it fixed on a prayer cushion situated in front and to the right of the statue.

There, a lady was kneeling.

She was dressed in a high-quality plain cheongsam, over which she wore a thin cashmere cardigan, her hair meticulously combed into an elegant bun.

Although only her profile and back were visible, the calm, noble, and graceful demeanor emanating from her made her stand out in the crowd.

She appeared to be around fifty years old, her eyebrows and eyes hinting at the glamour of her youth.

At the moment, she had her hands clasped together, eyes closed, lips slightly moving, as if deeply engrossed in conveying a heartfelt wish to the Buddha.

A faint trace of an unshakeable worry shadowed her brows.

"It’s her."

Jiang Tao had already obtained the image data of Qu Yunzhu from the intelligence.

Seeing her in person at this moment, he immediately recognized her.

Jiang Tao didn’t approach Qu Yunzhu, nor did he make any noticeable moves.

He, like an ordinary tourist, chose a spot neither too far nor too close, where he could clearly observe Qu Yunzhu without arousing her notice.

Pretending to admire the murals or couplets inside the hall, his senses quietly heightened.

He was like a lurking leopard, silently waiting for that critical moment to arrive.

He instinctively touched the bottle of pills in his pocket again, the coldness calming his mind.

Time ticked away, second by second; the hall was filled with swirling sandalwood and low, far-reaching chanting.

1:59 PM.

There was one minute left until the foretold sudden moment by the intelligence.

Everything in the hall seemed normal, with worshippers coming and going.

Only Jiang Tao’s heartbeat began to accelerate ever so slightly.

"Uh..."

Suddenly, Qu Yunzhu, kneeling on the prayer cushion, clutched her heart in pain.

The next second, without any warning, her whole body tipped directly to the left.

This sudden change in the hall immediately sparked panic among a few worshippers, and someone cried out in alarm.

Swish!

In less than a second, Jiang Tao moved four or five meters forward.

He reached out and caught Qu Yunzhu, who was about to fall to the ground, preventing possible secondary injury from the fall.

"Madam!"

From the hall entrance, a middle-aged woman, who was about three meters away from Qu Yunzhu, cried out and rushed forward.

Zip!!

As the middle-aged woman approached, she hurriedly opened the zipper of a slung bag on her arm, frantically searching through it with a panicked expression.

"No, no, why is it not here..."

"I clearly remember bringing it before I left, why isn’t it here!"

The middle-aged woman mumbled as she searched, her expression shifting from initial panic to terror!

"Why isn’t it here, why isn’t it here, oh my, what am I going to do, what am I going to do!!"

The middle-aged woman grumbled, tears falling from her eyes in desperation.

Feigning ignorance, Jiang Tao asked, "Sister, what are you looking for?"

"Quick-acting! I’m looking for Quick-acting! Our madam has heart disease; I clearly remember I brought it before leaving, why isn’t it here, it’s not here..."

As the woman spoke, she dumped out all the contents of the bag onto the ground with a clatter, but still couldn’t find what she was looking for.

"Is this lady having a heart attack? I’ll call 120 for you!"

"Doctor! Is there a doctor on site? Someone here has a heart relapse!"

"Does anyone have a Quick-acting? Someone here needs Quick-acting Heart-saving Pills!"

The other few onlooking worshippers in the hall weren’t indifferent; some were helping to call the emergency services, while others shouted for help.

"I have a bottle of Quick-acting!"

Seeing that the time was almost right, Jiang Tao decided not to hide it anymore.

If someone else took out a Quick-acting pill and captured his opportunity, he’d have little left but tears.

Finishing his sentence, Jiang Tao reached into his pocket and pulled out the bottle of Quick-acting Heart-saving Pills he had just bought today.

"Great! Quick, quick! Thank you, sir! Thank you!"

Upon seeing Jiang Tao pull out the Quick-acting Heart-saving Pills, the middle-aged woman’s face lit up with the joy of surviving a disaster.

She didn’t stand on ceremony with Jiang Tao; after thanking him, she took the bottle of Quick-acting Heart-saving Pills from Jiang Tao’s hand.

She quickly opened it and passed a pill to Qu Yunzhu’s mouth.

Amid the curious and concerned gazes of the surrounding onlookers.

About five minutes later, Qu Yunzhu slowly opened her eyes.

"Madam! You’re awake, thank goodness, thank goodness, it was such a close call just now!"

Seeing Qu Yunzhu awake, the middle-aged woman was both smiling and crying, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

Although she wasn’t responsible for the incident, if anything happened to Qu Yunzhu, she’d bear some blame.

She was earning close to 20,000 yuan a month at the Xiang Family; she couldn’t afford to lose such a good job.