Rouxi drove into the finance district filled with high rise office buildings to meet with a client. Although Yide wasn't the biggest city, it had several moderate size towers. A few were owned by the Song Family, but she avoided them as much as possible. 

Rouxi’s company, RoXu, managed properties, invested in real estate, and assisted clients with transactions through their app and website. The company, which started with Ning Xuxu in 2014 as soon as she turned 18, had since grown into a flourishing business with 1.5 billion yuan of assets and close to 1,500 employees.

Anyone who knew her identity attributed the success of the company to her background. As a Song, she didn’t need to worry if the company failed. Rouxi resented that thought. The company was listed under her name from the States, Chu Rouxi, and all business collaborators had very little knowledge of her connection to the Song. Everything she had gained was through her own effort. If anyone should be credited, it should be Ning Xuxu’s business sense and Rouxi’s role as the headhunter.

Rouxi appeared in front of an office building lobby with an imposing facade and saw her client waiting nearby. He was dressed casually in a plain white dress shirt and khakis.

The client was interested in buying propertied in Yide and around the region. He was quite particular and picky, wanting topography maps, site surveys and personal inspection all the sites. After a few weeks, the client decided to bid on six properties.

"Ms. Song, how are you?" The client greeted her with a polite bow.

"Good, why don't we head inside?" She responded a bit amused.

“After you,” he signaled his hand to allow her the first step into the lobby.

Rouxi moved into the lobby first as he walked next to her. She was dressed in her suit, and her makeup and short bob made her look mature and serious. People around them ignored her presence, as though she was part of the background.

They registered at the front desk and entered a large conference style hall. There were few people there waiting for the auction to begin.

“Ah Ms. Song, coming in to bid for more land?” asked a middle aged man eying her as soon as she walked in.

“Mr. Xing, you don’t even need to ask,” she replied. Mr. Xing was a competitor, but he was always asking her out on dates even after her refusal and insistence that she already had a boyfriend.

“This gentleman next to you? An assistant?” Mr. Xing asked.

The man was decent looking, but he dressed shabbily like a college student .

“A client, if you will excuse us,” Rouxi avoided the man, and brought her client to sit in the front row on the left corner of the room. It was her favorite spot to sit. She had the view of the front, and everyone’s faces.

As her head scoped around the room like a crane, she noticed Mr. Xing running out of the conference room. 

“Mr. Li, was that necessary?” she asked.

“He has toxins in his body, I’m only helping him clear it out,” Li Yun responded. A sleight of hand, acupuncture needle, and poison was a dangerous mixture. When he punctured Mr. Xing in the hand, the man barely felt anything.

Rouxi sighed. Mr. Xing had wandering eyes, but many people did, not just divorced men like Mr. Xing. If Li Yun wanted to deal with all of them, might as well wipe out half of the male population.

“Are you going into the real estate business?” Rouxi asked him.

“Just practicing, and maybe use it as future farming and office sites.” Li Yun wasn't interested in real estate, but understanding feng shui. But how much influence did fengshui have on real estate, or did it have any effect at all?

“Is that why you have asked Ersan for his old architectural books?”

Li Yun nodded. The architectural books were more useful than some of the feng shui books he had read. Spatial awareness, function, and circulations were ideas architects had to learn in order to properly design a building and even urban development.

There were many sustainable design books, and Li Yun found a lot of correlation to feng shui. The development of sustainable design wasn’t a recent phenomenon, but ideas dating back to antiquity. Alignment to the fire, wind, earth, water and metal were always a part of building strategies.

Before mechanical systems, the wind brought in fresh air, and moved away used and potentially harmful air. Natural ventilation back then wasn't a fancy term, but a necessity. They didn't have mechanical ducts and fans like modern day houses. Poor ventilation often equated to poor living conditions. When people used fire to heat the homes, they inhaled toxic fumes and were often in poor health. Alignment of the home to remove harmful air determined the family and clan longevity.

Feng Shui masters were people who were well versed in all aspects of a site, and how to layout the home for their clients. If the site had hills and mountains blocking the gentle breeze, it was considered a bad site. If the site was too flat, it would invite dangerous and violent winds. 

Fire, representing the sun, was naturally one of the important sources of energy, life and light. Without the sun, there would be no life. The ancient were well aware of its awesome power, allowing the morning rays to enter the bedroom, while blocking it with eaves designed just right to block the noon violent energy.

Earth represented the placement and environment. Such as placing a villa within the mountainous region were there were natural views. Vistas and harmonious surroundings could heal the mind and spirit. Harmonious views for mental health were often underestimated, even in architectural practices.

Metal, representing the magnetic north, naturally showed the direction to the north. It was interesting to note that the magnetic north changed depending on location. Feng shui masters must understand the site in order to properly align to the true north. With geological knowledge, the feng shui master could even point out sites of rare metals.

As buildings continue to develop, it blocks off certain views. However, at the same time, the cityscape could create a sense of environment that activates the mind. The human mind needed to be both active and calm in order to thrive, and creating the perfect harmony was the feng shui’s master job.

Lastly, location near a body of water was important for life and agriculture. There wasn’t an ancient civilization that could thrive without a source of water. The Tigris, Nile, and Yellow Rivers being one of the few prominent examples.

When feng shui experts know these strategies, they could extend the life of a clan and family. The measure of their importance was often clouded.

These passive strategies were still used in architectural design as sustainable practices. A good architects and urban designers were hidden feng shui masters that can utilize passive energy. It was one of the reasons why architects were allowed to study feng shui in China without being fined.

Many of the ideas seemed like common sense to Li Yun, but the combination of different elements required years of training.