Although his satellite phone had been damaged, headquarters had powerful communications technology. He could restore contact with any mobile phone.
Liu Mingguang had previously made a habit of carrying only his satellite phone. After all, headquarters' products beat everything else on the market in both quality and functionality.
He had never expected the attacker to destroy his communications equipment first. That was a possibility he had never considered. It was an eye-opener. Being caught up in a supernatural incident and unable to contact the outside world was indeed terrible.
Liu Mingguang disguised himself. He looked far too frightening now, and he was also afraid the unfamiliar Ghost Tamer would ambush him again. He sneaked back to another residence and quickly retrieved the Fierce Ghosts he had contained but not handed over, along with his supernatural items. He felt unsafe and needed them for protection.
He then dug out an old mobile phone and plugged it in to charge, eager to contact headquarters. But before he could do anything, it began to ring.
He froze for a moment, then answered. Sure enough, it was his operator, Xiao Mei. "Liu Mingguang, is that you? Where are you now? What's the situation?"
Liu Mingguang did his best to make his voice sound normal. "First, I was attacked by an unfamiliar Ghost Tamer. I suspect he controls two ghosts. He damaged my satellite phone. After that, I got caught up in a sudden supernatural incident. A Fierce Ghost with a Ghost Domain appeared in Linjiang City, and I barely managed to escape."
Xiao Mei took notes as she asked, "Could you give me the details of the Ghost Tamer who attacked you and the Fierce Ghost that suddenly appeared?"
Liu Mingguang patiently and concisely recounted what he had seen and heard, leaving out the fact that he had deliberately attracted the ghost. At the end, he made sure to emphasize his importance, insisting that only he could successfully contain it.
However, Xiao Mei paid no attention to the various hints in his words. An operator was just a messenger, and she had always been clear about her role. After organizing the information a little, she passed it on to Fu Youhua.
Fu Youhua immediately checked the intelligence against Hu Jiu's action report.
Sure enough, there were discrepancies!
Was one of them lying, or were both of them lying?
Meanwhile, after talking with Xiao Mei for a while, Liu Mingguang finally got to the point. "I suffered pretty serious losses this time. I need to request a Longevity Potion!"
"I'm sorry, I don't have the authority to decide that. I'll pass your request up the chain," Xiao Mei replied like a customer service robot, without any personal emotion.
"Then get me someone who can make the decision. Now!" Liu Mingguang growled impatiently.
Xiao Mei transferred the call to Fu Youhua at once, without a second's hesitation.
Hearing the slight impatience in Liu Mingguang's voice, Fu Youhua grew thoughtful. "Longevity Potions are an important strategic resource, and production is extremely limited. Your accumulated contributions aren't nearly enough to qualify you for a second one."
Hearing Fu Youhua's refusal, Liu Mingguang sneered. "I'm the person in charge of Linjiang City. Right now, there's a terrifying Fierce Ghost roaming around the city, and there are plenty of supernatural incidents that haven't been dealt with. My strength has been impaired. Without a Longevity Potion, don't bother notifying me when something happens next time. I won't lift a finger. If I lose my life, everything else is just empty talk!"
Fu Youhua wasn't angered by Liu Mingguang's demanding attitude. Instead, he immediately guessed that Liu Mingguang might be on the verge of a revival, which was why he insisted on a Longevity Potion.
Fu Youhua said tentatively, "If you're in very bad shape, you can take some time off to rest. Someone else can temporarily take over your duties in Linjiang City."
Liu Mingguang took a deep breath and suppressed his eagerness. "Haven't you always said Ghost Tamers are a valuable resource and that there's a shortage of personnel everywhere in the country? Can headquarters spare a Ghost Tamer to replace me in time?"
Fu Youhua smiled. "There's another Ghost Tamer in Linjiang City. Headquarters won't look farther afield when there's someone close by."
"Another Ghost Tamer?" Liu Mingguang froze for a moment. "You mean that guy surnamed Hu? He's just a newcomer. How could he handle such a big responsibility?"
Fu Youhua said pointedly, "Although Hu Jiu is a newcomer, he acts decisively and efficiently. He previously resolved a B-level supernatural incident, and he was also the one who drove away the ghost that trapped you in its Ghost Domain. He's more than capable of taking over your work."
Impossible! He's just a newcomer. How could he have driven away such a powerful ghost? Liu Mingguang wanted to argue, but he had been hiding in the safe house at the time and had no idea how the ghost had disappeared. The words reached his lips, but he swallowed them back.
Damn it, that little bastard got lucky! The more Liu Mingguang thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. If a whole mess of troubles hadn't suddenly erupted, he would have killed Hu Jiu long ago!
Liu Mingguang regarded Linjiang City as his private domain. How could he willingly hand it over? A few days ago, he might have allowed someone else to take over as the person in charge when it was inconvenient for him to do the job. After all, most of Linjiang City's upper class were on good terms with him and shared his interests. Even if a new person took charge, they couldn't possibly take full control in a short time, and he could easily reclaim his position.
But not now. He had just learned from Xiao Mei that the unfamiliar Ghost Tamer who had launched a terrorist attack on Linjiang City had gone on a killing spree, wiping out many of its powerful elites in one stroke. In the simplest, crudest way possible, he had torn apart Liu Mingguang's power base. Liu Mingguang was now a commander without an army. He absolutely could not let the legitimate authority of his position fall into someone else's hands!
As the person in charge of a city, even if he lacked the strength, he could throw his weight around under the protection of a powerful backer, mobilize all kinds of resources, act as a protector, and cooperate with certain civilian organizations in exchange for a chance to survive!
Large civilian organizations should have Longevity Potions in stock. They might even have other ways to suppress revival and extend his life!
Wait!
Liu Mingguang suddenly froze. A strange feeling flashed through his mind, too quickly for him to grasp.
The ultimate beneficiary of this series of upheavals in Linjiang City...
Fu Youhua's voice interrupted Liu Mingguang's thoughts. "Headquarters doesn't have any extra Longevity Potions to allocate to you. If you don't want someone else to temporarily take over your position, I have a good suggestion. Would you like to hear it?"
"What suggestion?"
"Control a second ghost! Headquarters' research department is conducting experiments in that area. You can sign up to participate. Once you successfully control a second ghost, not only will your life be greatly extended, but your strength will also increase considerably."
"I refuse!" Liu Mingguang blurted out without even thinking.
He hadn't dared reveal that he was on the verge of revival, for fear of becoming a pawn to be discarded. He knew all too well how many wicked things he had done since becoming a Ghost Tamer. What if headquarters took the opportunity to settle accounts with him? If he joined the experiment, who knew whether headquarters genuinely meant to help him control a second ghost or was simply using him as a test subject to put discarded resources to good use?
Even if he had rendered meritorious service and shed blood for headquarters, they would show absolutely no mercy when it was time to settle accounts!