Linjiang City was sealed off; there was no way to get to heaven or earth.
This tactic is called "catching a turtle in a jar".
The initiative gradually shifted towards Hu Jiu.
At least now he doesn't have to be led by the nose by one frequent minor Supernatural event after another.
A short while later, Xiao Mei called Hu Jiu and said, "Vice Minister Zhang Hongwen asked me to tell you that the Black Cloud Incident in Linjiang City is entirely under your jurisdiction."
"After all, you easily resolved the Frozen-to-Death Ghost incident, Headquarters trusts your abilities. If even you are helpless against Black Cloud, then it's probably useless for anyone else to come."
Upon hearing this, Hu Jiu raised an eyebrow. "The biggest characteristic of Supernatural events is that the specific circumstances of each one are different, and each Fierce Ghost possesses different abilities and patterns of killing."
"I can deal with the Frozen-to-Death Ghosts with extremely high efficiency, but that doesn't mean I can deal with the Black Clouds with the same efficiency."
That makes sense. As a switchboard operator, Xiao Mei frequently comes into contact with all sorts of Supernatural information, and she understands what Hu Jiu means.
But... what good is it for her to know?
The leader doesn't understand!
"Do your best," Xiao Mei could only say dryly.
"That is a must. Maintaining national order and protecting the lives and property of the people is our inescapable responsibility."
"However, my personal strength is ultimately limited, and I may inevitably encounter unforeseen circumstances. In case the situation escalates... Headquarters must prepare in advance."
Hu Jiu spoke with such sincerity and emotion that every word he uttered was filled with concern for his country and its people.
Xiao Mei was slightly moved for a few seconds. For a moment, she almost wanted to take the initiative to help Hu Jiu negotiate with the Headquarters and get more support for him.
Fortunately, her principle of "those who pity men will die a horrible death" came in time to prevent her from acting impulsively.
If you're not in that position, don't meddle in things that aren't your business. You're just a telephone operator, a mouthpiece; why are you worrying about things that aren't your concern? Be careful not to get yourself into trouble!
Xiao Mei is insightful and rational; others don't have her composure.
Upon receiving news that Headquarters would not send reinforcements, Qian Ying was immediately filled with righteous indignation.
After all, he was in the disaster area, and his life was not guaranteed. The wounds were on his own body, so of course they hurt the most.
Fortunately, Hu Jiu called in time and poured bucket after bucket of boiling chicken soup for them.
Finally, he added, "Continue with the original plan. I'll investigate the source of the Black Clouds and try to resolve the crisis as soon as possible. The rest is up to you."
"If you encounter any unusual situations, don't try to be brave; be sure to notify me immediately. Leave all the problems to me to handle."
"Understood!" Qian Ying's eyes were slightly red; it was another day she was moved that Linjiang City had such an outstanding leader.
Hypocritical sweet talk seems to be an instinct etched into Hu Jiu's soul.
But he was really just saying it.
Since Headquarters isn't in a hurry, let's let the bullets fly a little longer.
Both Evernight and the Headquarters seem to have gotten one thing wrong.
They assumed that Linjiang City was very important to Hu Jiu, and it was indeed Linjiang City Hu Jiu's stronghold...
But... Hu Jiu is taking the path of possessing immense power!
What's a stronghold? Wherever he goes, that's his stronghold!
It's just a city; at worst, we can just abandon it and find another one.
Heartless and ruthless, he naturally doesn't care about anything; as long as he's comfortable, that's enough for him.
--This positive and optimistic attitude is so awesome, Hu Jiu said!
He created the Black Cloud himself, so why would he rush to resolve it?
No matter how many casualties or losses are caused, blame it on Evernight stirring up trouble and Headquarters standing idly by.
According to Xiao Yu's intelligence, Zhang Shucheng, a member of Evernight, is in Linjiang City.
Hu Jiu strolled leisurely through the city, his senses expanding infinitely as he surveyed every inch of the land.
Where did the little Rat hide?
"Where are you? Come quick!"
"Zhang Shucheng... Zhang Shucheng..."
Sounds, formed by Supernatural and inaudible to ordinary people, echoed through the streets and alleys.
A man wearing a black trench coat and carrying a hammer was fleeing in all directions in a panic.
No matter how he tried to escape, no matter where he hid, the whispering, like the murmur of a demon, always lingered in his ears.
The demon is calling his name.
He is Zhang Shucheng.
In the early hours of the morning, he personally released a doll-shaped Fierce Ghost that would call people's names from behind.
At that time, he leisurely watched the play, with a pleasant mood, observing the Fierce Ghost slaughtering citizens while commenting on the helplessness of ordinary people when faced with the Supernatural.
Unexpectedly, retribution came too quickly. Just a few hours later, a great terror was also calling his name, perhaps the other party was also secretly observing.
Bad luck left Zhang Shucheng with no choice but to accept his misfortune.
I thought this would be a simple operation, but I never expected to run into so many obstacles.
First, they underestimated the strength of the person in charge of Linjiang City; the ghosts they released failed to achieve the desired effect.
Then they were caught in a sudden, high-risk Supernatural event; the Black Clouds in the sky looked extremely ominous, and the city was under lockdown, making escape impossible.
Now, being harassed by some unknown ghost, he felt hopeless about the future and his life was bleak. He was sure he would crash and burn in the gutter today!
The distress signal has been sent; he must at least hold on until rescue arrives.
Gripping the hammer tightly, Zhang Shucheng tried to activate the Ghost Domain, but it was all in vain. He could neither escape the city nor get rid of the demonic voices in his ears.
His name was called again and again, the chilling voice making him tremble and his heart race, each time feeling as if cold fingers were gently stroking his back.
Zhang Shucheng still didn't give up on escaping, but no matter where he hid, that voice always followed him like a shadow, relentlessly haunting him.
His spirit gradually collapsed, and fear, like a bone-deep sore, slowly crept into his heart.
"No, no!" He pinched his thigh hard, the sharp pain slightly bringing back his fading rationality.
As a seasoned Ghost Tamer, he shouldn't have lost control of his emotions so easily; the voice must have been disturbing his mind!
He rushed into the temporarily closed convenience store, found a sharp toothpick, and plunged it into his ear canal, just to escape the eerie, chilling call.
Unfortunately, just when he thought he could finally find peace, the terrible call continued to echo in his mind, even becoming clearer and louder.
Terrified, he rushed out of the convenience store, but when he reached the door, the sight before him nearly made his soul leave his body.
A human face floated in mid-air, its lips twisted into an exaggerated grin. Beneath its suddenly opened eyelids were two deep, dark holes, and it stared back at Zhang Shucheng's terrified eyes with a mocking smile...
"Got you~"