"No way, after six o'clock, we'll have missed the most auspicious time, and if the timing is off, the effects will be too!"
Several Feng Shui Masters clamored, firmly disagreeing with Ning Fan's decision.
They had observed the site for a long time, finally chosen this piece of land, and calculated the most auspicious time for digging—the present moment would yield the best results.
If they waited until six, they would have missed the best moment, so what would be the point?
Just as Ning Fan was about to leave, he rolled his eyes. Were these old men senile, thinking the best time was now?
"Elderly gentlemen, heed my advice, go enjoy some cool air to the side, and we'll start digging after six o'clock."
Ning Fan tried to persuade the stubborn old men with a tone akin to pleading, while also feeling a lump in his throat.
But the stubborn old men were relentless. The leader stepped forward, anxious, "How can you talk , young man? If you don't understand, that's fine, we can explain it to you. The Feng Shui of this land is ... "
"No need to say anymore, it's not that I don't understand, nor is it that you don't understand, but there are some things that you just can't see yet."
Ning Fan cut off the man's attempt to explain.
Did he really need someone else to explain the ins and outs to him? What a joke!
Ning Fan knew these old men meant no harm, so he believed he still spoke quite amiably.
But what he considered amiable sounded exceedingly sarcastic to the old men's ears.
"Who the hell are you, anyway? Stop meddling unnecessarily, okay? Just enjoy the show!"
"Hey, not to say it doesn't concern me, but the millions funding the school renovation came from my pocket," Ning Fan replied, unabashed.
This left the old men speechless, turning their questioning gazes toward the old headmaster.
The old headmaster gave a wry smile, feeling helpless inside, as Ning Fan was indeed the financial sponsor and had the authority to decide when to start work.
Immediately, the old headmaster nodded his head.
The old men felt stifled inside; their expertise had been disrupted by an outsider, and who would be pleased by that?
But with things gone this far, and with the money coming from him, they had little to say anymore.
"Before six o'clock, no one touches this land."
After repeating this, Ning Fan wasn't planning on leaving the site, as he needed to keep watch. Given the old men's disgruntled demeanor, he genuinely feared that if he left, they might act against his wishes behind his back.
"Everyone, take a break. We're not in a rush. Rest up, everyone!"
The headmaster called out, and the construction crew, though resigned, didn't mind the break—since they were not permitted to start work, they were content to relax.
"What kind of person is this!" the lead old man grumbled unwillingly.
The old headmaster said with a forced smile, "Gentlemen, don't take it to heart, whenever we start work, it's all the same..."
"Is it the same? After six, we'll have missed the best time. What good will it do?"
At this point, the old headmaster could only offer a strained laugh, continually comforting the old men, but inwardly, he felt apprehensive about Ning Fan—could Ning Fan truly understand Feng Shui?
Time trickled by, and Ning Fan found a large tree to lean on, idly chatting about this and that with the beautiful teacher Zhang Shiya, not bothering to explain what had happened at noon.
Before they knew it, the sun was quickly setting behind the mountains. Glancing at the time, it was already half-past five in the afternoon.
Several Feng Shui Masters became restless at this time, and one of them stood up abruptly, complaining dissatisfiedly, "If we don't start digging now, it's going to be dark!"
What he really meant to say was that if they started digging now, they could still remedy the situation, but remembering Ning Fan's earlier obstinacy, he chose instead to take a more indirect approach.
Ning Fan had no illusions about what the man was thinking, and he said firmly, "We start digging at six, keep waiting!"
The Feng Shui Masters gritted their teeth as they watched Ning Fan, seeing the opportune time being squandered right before their eyes, and they truly felt terrible about it.
As for Ning Fan, he didn't care what they thought, as he wasn't in a hurry. He'd just wait until six o'clock, dig the foundation, then go back to sleep well, out of sight, out of mind!
Just as it was about to turn six, Ning Fan suddenly felt an urgent need to urinate. He stood up, "I'm going to the restroom, don't you all start without me, there are still a few minutes until six o'clock."
Saying this, Ning Fan could no longer hold back and ran towards the restroom.
Seeing Ning Fan leave, several Feng Shui Masters rolled their eyes. It was already getting dark, yet they still had to wait?
"I mean, are we digging or not? The whole afternoon has been wasted, and it's already getting dark. If we don't start the work now, we will have to wait until tomorrow!"
The operator of the excavator, Master Liu, came out smoking a cigarette. Dusk was approaching, and although his construction team had taken this job, they were supposed to work during daylight.
"It's getting late. If we don't start the work, are we supposed to leave? Is that right, Captain Wang?"
Master Liu glanced at the sunset, which was nearing the horizon, and couldn't help murmuring to himself.
Contractor Captain Wang also looked troubled as he glanced at the former principal.
"The plan was to dig the foundation today. Are we still waiting?"
Meanwhile, a Feng Shui Master stood up and called out to the former principal.
"Considering that the auspicious time has already passed, a few more minutes won't make much of a difference. Let's start digging, let's dig."
Another Feng Shui Master urged from the side.
"Exactly, a few minutes won't matter. We can put up with some extra hardship today, work a bit late, and not delay the project. Let's just dig the foundation!"
"Well... Alright," the former principal considered for a moment, guessing it was nearly time and that it didn't matter much now. Seeing everyone with such an attitude, he finally nodded in agreement.
So, taking advantage of Ning Fan's absence, the excavator roared into life and began digging the foundation.
However, it was still not yet six o'clock; there were three minutes to go.
But it was those three minutes that, in their eyes, seemed not worth the wait anymore. Ning Fan, however, knew that even a single second mattered.
Before six o'clock, the Earth Dragon's veins were still connected to the old school district. A disturbance would definitely lead to trouble; only after six o'clock, when the veins had separated, was it the right time to start digging.
The excavator operator, Master Liu, was unaware of this, and so were the Feng Shui Masters. They just watched as the excavator's huge shovel began to scrape the earth.
This initial dig might have seemed inconsequential, and Master Liu didn't notice anything unusual, but he still kept a wary eye and cautiously began the excavation.
Sure enough, the next second, the entire area around the school began to tremble.
"The Earth Dragon is turning over!" an old man couldn't help but shout out.
With a rumbling sound, the ground began to collapse, and Master Liu on the excavator screamed.