"I'm sorry, I was being chased earlier and I lost control of my emotions, so my attitude was bad just now. Please forgive me." He Ming apologized promptly. It's easy to have emotional issues in such situations, and his tone was indeed not very friendly.
Gu Dao waved his hand. "It's alright, I understand."
"Can I borrow your phone for a moment? I need to report a problem to Headquarters," He Ming asked.
Gu Dao nodded. "That's possible, but I suggest you use your own phone. Although I kindly saved you once, I don't want to get involved in this mess."
He Ming looked embarrassed.
Gu Dao continued, "You're hiding in the Crocodile Bar, and nobody knows where you are. I've placed your Satellite Phone in a Supernatural space that blocks all signals. Once you leave, it should be able to be located immediately. If you absolutely need to make a call, don't use it in the bar. It's best to stay away from it; I'm afraid I'll get myself into trouble."
He Ming pondered for a moment, then nodded, indicating that he understood. He had to get the Satellite Phone back. Although Gu Dao had saved him, he didn't really trust Gu Dao, since he was a stranger. In comparison, he was more willing to trust Headquarters.
Through some Supernatural means, Gu Dao used the shadows to send He Ming two streets away and then placed Satellite Phone in his hand.
"Thank you very much," He Ming sincerely.
"Be careful," Gu Dao reminded him, then turned and left.
After watching Gu Dao walk away, He Ming found a secluded corner and dialed the Headquarters.
"I have something extremely urgent to discuss. Transfer the call to the Minister," He Ming instructed the operator.
"Okay." The operator did so immediately.
A moment later, Fu Youhua's voice came from the other end of the phone. "He Ming, what happened?"
"I was attacked in Langzhou City..." He Ming briefly recounted his experience, emphasizing that both the investigator from Headquarters and the Langzhou police were involved in the attack.
"How is this possible!" Fu Youhua seemed shocked as well, his tone filled with disbelief.
"I need support!" He Ming stated his request simply and clearly.
Fu Youhua immediately refused, "No, Headquarters simply doesn't have any extra manpower right now. You should know that Headquarters has encountered a lot of trouble recently. Besides, with your abilities, if you can't solve the problem, sending someone else certainly won't be of much help either."
Fu Youhua seemingly reasonably refused He Ming's request for support, and then issued a new task. "Investigate Langzhou City and find out what exactly happened to the city's leaders and administrative departments."
According to Fu Youhua, He Ming's Insubstantiality and create Phantom is perfect for spying and investigating anomalies; he is a natural-born investigator!
Upon hearing this, He Ming's face turned green. "Really, you can't even spare one person?"
Fu Youhua explained, "The situation in Langzhou City looks very troublesome. When Headquarters is dispatching Ghost Tamers, they can't possibly conceal the information, can they? Once they provide specific details, who would be willing to take on this support mission?"
He Ming choked on his words; Fu Youhua's words made perfect sense.
"What about the Ghost Tamers in the Research Department?" he asked again.
"The Research Department is studying the Fierce Ghost and Supernatural Item unearthed from the Ghostly Ancient Tomb. They are also investigating the missing Bronze Tree and the researcher, Lin, who absconded with a Bronze Tree. Furthermore, they are searching for the mastermind behind the recent spate of Supernatural events in Capital..."
Fu Youhua said a lot with a troubled expression, but in short, he couldn't provide any support.
The more excuses he made, the more suspicious He Ming became. However, Fu Youhua quickly changed the subject, dispelling He Ming's doubts about Headquarters: "If you can't hold on, you can choose to abandon this mission. With your abilities, even if you can't find anything, leaving Langzhou City shouldn't be a problem, right?"
He Ming a sigh of relief and said helplessly, "Alright, let's leave it at that."
He didn't hesitate at all; his own safety was the most important thing, and he had no intention of trying to investigate.
But since we're already here, why leave so easily?
He couldn't get through places like train stations and airports; as soon as he arrived, he was almost surrounded by police officers "catching fugitives." He tried taxis, buses, and even unlicensed taxis, but those people always managed to find him precisely.
"Could it really be that my location was leaked by electronic devices?" He Ming's face darkened.
He couldn't possibly lose his phone; cutting off contact with the outside world would only make things worse. At least now he could keep his situation updated with Headquarters.
Having evaded another wave of pursuit, He Ming temporarily hid in an abandoned amusement park, questioning his operator in an unfriendly tone. "Doesn't Headquarters have any other explanation? Haven't they held the person in charge in Langzhou City accountable?"
"Of course Headquarters asked, but the Langzhou authorities insist that you disappeared after you got off the plane and they didn't pick you up at all. Are you sure you're really in Langzhou City right now? Could you have gone to the wrong place or wandered into some Supernatural place?" the operator said calmly.
He Ming paused for a second, and for a fleeting moment, he genuinely doubted himself. But he quickly regained his composure. "I am indeed in Langzhou City, and I am being pursued and intercepted. Headquarters, please think of a solution!"
The operator was silent for a moment, then said, "He Ming, you should know how difficult it is for Headquarters to dispatch those Ghost Tamer. Just negotiating the price takes a considerable amount of time. Even if Headquarters issues a support order, can you hold out until reinforcements arrive?"
Hearing this, He Ming was speechless. He knew about the problem of the Ghost Tamer demanding exorbitant prices, dragging their feet, and being uncooperative during their shifts, but he had never paid attention to it. Now that he was facing an extremely urgent situation, he finally understood why Headquarters always wanted to deal with those unruly guys.
You only know the pain when the knife pierces your own skin.
The operator then said, "I have a suggestion, would you like to hear it?"
"Speak quickly." He Ming frowned. What useful advice could a switchboard operator possibly offer? He figured he might as well try anything... even if it seemed hopeless.
"Headquarters can't mobilize Ghost Tamers. Don't you know anyone in this circle? You're the Ghost Tamer solved the first S Supernatural case in the country. With such a 'celebrity' status, surely some powerful Ghost Tamers know and befriend you? Have your friends temporarily step in to help us get through this crisis first!"
The operator's suggestion was very pertinent, but unfortunately it didn't apply to He Ming. He thought back carefully and realized that Ghost Tamers he knew were just nodding acquaintances; they hadn't exchanged more than a few words, and he didn't even know their full names. Who would be willing to come and rescue him?
His closest Ghost Tamer is a cat. Would it be alright to call the Mao Mao to save him?