"I remember, the old man's recent mission seemed to involve some supernatural or mystical things, but unfortunately, he wouldn't let me find out."
Thinking of this, Zhang Suyuan's expression changed. Perhaps the world is not as simple as it seems. As a young man of the new era who has been exposed to a vast amount of online information, he has begun to fill in the gaps in his imagination, and his logic is gradually becoming consistent.
In that instant, he put himself in the shoes of the protagonist of a male-oriented novel. Although he came from a good family, human nature is the same regardless of social class. Who hasn't had a few unrealistic fantasies when they were young?
Now that his fantasy has come true, Zhang Suyuan feels extremely deserving. He feels that everything is what he deserves. Otherwise, why would such a good thing not fall on someone else's head, but on him? It must be because he has good aptitude!
After a brief moment of smugness, Zhang Suyuan's excitement subsided, and a sense of unease began to rise in his mind. Judging from the behavior of the person he had dreamed about, the other party was probably not a righteous person, but rather a member of the demonic sect.
Moreover, recalling the contents of that piece of paper, he was even more overwhelmed. What kind of ridiculous assessment ceremony was this, that it was made so brutal and complicated!
After thinking for a moment, Zhang Suyuan was wide awake. Seeing that it was almost dawn outside, he took a shower to clear his head and then went to the exercise equipment on the second floor of his house to test it out a bit.
After the test, he found that his basic physical strength had been greatly enhanced, and he could feel an unknown power within his body that he could control and release at will.
These are not illusions from a dream.
After confirming that he truly possessed extraordinary power, he returned to his bedroom, sat on his bed, and pondered the assessment ceremony, becoming extremely conflicted.
His father, Zhang Junyi, was a colonel. Given his family background, Zhang Suyuan should theoretically have reported his situation immediately.
In reality, Zhang Suyuan's relationship with his father was just so-so, not bad at all, but Zhang Junyi brought some of the military's atmosphere into the family, and the relationship between father and son was more like that of superior and subordinate, lacking a lot of warmth.
Moreover, Zhang Suyuan is currently in his rebellious teenage years, and when that mysterious person granted him extraordinary abilities in his dream, he also made him experience pain from the depths of his soul.
I don't know if others can withstand that kind of pain, but Zhang Suyuan certainly can't. That mysterious person looks very powerful, and he dares not act rashly and court death.
He came up with a whole bunch of excuses to convince himself, but the real reason was actually only one—the word "extraordinary" was too tempting; he couldn't let go of it, he wanted to keep it all to himself, and he was unwilling to share it!
He had even planned to kill the mysterious person who had given him power once he grew stronger!
"We need to test the effects of this extraordinary power first..."
Zhang Suyuan dressed and left the house discreetly.
He originally wanted to find a secluded, deserted place without surveillance to conduct the test discreetly, but he didn't expect that once he got to the street and saw people coming and going, he would immediately lose control.
A strange murderous intent and violent emotions surged within him, like a wild beast that had been imprisoned for a long time and had just been freed, unable to restrain itself.
Zhang Suyuan didn't know what was wrong with him. He staggered and ran towards a less crowded area.
However, during this process, he accidentally bumped into a passerby.
"Are you blind?!" A young man, Passerby A, retorted casually.
This one sentence completely enraged Zhang Suyuan.
I was trying so hard to hold back, afraid of hurting anyone, and I was deliberately trying to stay far away. I just accidentally bumped into someone, and I still got yelled at.
This excessive self-awareness, the idea that the whole world revolves around oneself, is not uncommon and is often seen in some adolescent boys and girls as well as overgrown children.
The Supernatural amplified some of Zhang Suyuan's negative potential, so he couldn't help himself and instinctively released his power towards the passerby.
His entire right arm turned bluish-black in an instant, after he had just lightly touched the passerby.
In an instant, the young passerby was completely dead.
It wasn't until the deceased fell to the ground that Zhang Suyuan realized what he had done.
By a twist of fate, an assessment ceremony that resulted in the indiscriminate killing of innocent people was initiated.
He was both shocked and furious, and immediately realized that his extraordinary power was indeed of evil nature, and had unknowingly affected his temperament.
In the past, with his strict upbringing, he would never have done such a thing.
At this moment, he couldn't help but think of those characters in movies and TV dramas who went astray due to practicing demonic arts, becoming cruel and tyrannical. They all embarked on a path of no return, ultimately falling into the abyss, harming themselves and others.
After glancing at the surrounding surveillance footage and then at the panicked witnesses, Zhang Suyuan knew he had to make a decision immediately!
No matter how much he wanted to keep the extraordinary power for himself, he had to call his father now and tell him the truth.
He has to turn himself in!
This was driven by both conscience and self-interest. He knew how powerful the state apparatus was, and with his limited abilities, he didn't think he could escape unscathed after killing someone; he would only face death amidst various warrants and manhunts.
Moreover, running away would definitely implicate the whole family, while proactively confessing to the country could give one a chance to make amends!
"Your values are really upright."
Hu Jiu made a sarcastic remark without any expression. He had no idea what Zhang Suyuan was thinking; he only saw Zhang Suyuan's decision after accidentally killing a passerby.
However, Hu Jiu didn't do much. He gave Zhang Suyuan a Ghost Hand that could kill instantly upon contact. The moment he possessed the Ghost Hand, no matter what choice he made, whether he turned to good or evil, he was merely a pawn of Hu Jiu.
After sensing the other people who had been forcibly turned into Ghost Tamers, Hu Jiu did not control their thoughts, but simply used Supernatural to amplify certain inherent traits within them.
"That's outrageous! This kind of scum deserves to die!"
On a short video platform, a gray-haired couple recounted their misfortune: their child was simply walking down the street when he was tragically killed in an accident.
The autopsy results stated that their child died suddenly from a heart attack. However, after seeing the child's body, they found that his death was very abnormal, and they suspected that the child was murdered!
But they have no power or influence, making it difficult for them to uncover the truth behind their child's death.
But perhaps even fate couldn't bear to see them suffer, because through a series of coincidences, they unexpectedly came across the true cause of their child's death!
It was done by a second-generation rich kid!
They only bumped into each other while walking on the street, which led to a verbal argument, and then the other person attacked them viciously.
They wanted to seek redress, but found themselves at a dead end. They were even warned, detained, and restricted from leaving the country after petitioning.
In the end, they could only try to seek help online and record videos, hoping to get support from netizens.
The video was quickly deleted.
Unfortunately, a kind-hearted citizen Chen Zhanji, who has a strong sense of justice, happened to come across this video.
After reading it, Chen Zhanji's face showed strong indignation. His eyes were wide open like copper bells, and his dark skin was flushed red with anger.
He used to be just a keyboard warrior with a strong sense of justice, who could only stand up for the underdog online.
But things are different now; he is now a superhuman, possessing the power of a demon!
Yes, that's right. He knew that his power came from "ghosts," something the person who granted him his extraordinary abilities had told him.
However... his understanding of ghosts was still limited to the traditional ghost stories, where they were the spirits that people transformed into after death, rather than the embodiment of the rules of killing.
But he didn't care at all. He firmly believed that power itself is neither good nor evil. Even the power of a demon is good as long as the user uses it for good.
He had seen far too many stories of seemingly respectable and righteous families secretly committing heinous crimes in novels and comics.
"Zhang Moumou, right? The son of an official, right? Hmph, you're unlucky to have met me! I just can't stand people like this who bully others because of their power!"
Chen Zhanji took out a cosplay outfit he bought online with the word "Justice" written on the back, put on a blue wig, and then put on a Grim Reaper mask. He set off with great pride and high spirits, intending to uphold justice on behalf of Heaven!
Then, his entire body merged into the shadows, and he gained the power of "Ghost Shadow," which allowed him not only to control and kill others with his shadow, but also to move freely within it...
"You're Zhang Suyuan?"
A deep voice sounded from behind.
Zhang Suyuan was stunned. He turned around and saw a... weirdo standing behind him. He had blue hair, wore a strange cloak and a mask, and looked exactly like a mental patient.
"Who are you?" Zhang Suyuan asked nervously. The place he was in was not a place that ordinary people could enter.
Then, as if he had just realized something, his expression changed. Could it be another extraordinary being?
"You don't need to know who I am. You just need to know that I'm here to uphold justice. The evil you've committed, the country and the law won't punish you, and neither will Heaven. So I will come to eliminate you in the name of justice!"
As he spoke, the shadow beneath Chen Zhanji's feet began to wriggle and lunged straight at Zhang Suyuan.
Seeing that the newcomer was hostile, Zhang Suyuan instinctively used his strength to fight back.
"Bang--"
Chen Zhanji was sent flying by a single punch.
Looking at his own blackened fist, Zhang Suyuan's eyes flickered with uncertainty before shifting to Chen Zhanji: "So you're just a nobody. I thought you were something special? Tell me, who are you really, and how did you acquire these abilities!"
Zhang Suyuan guessed that the opponent's abilities were more inclined towards support roles such as stealth or control, rather than his own offensive capabilities.
Seeing that Chen Zhanji was about to get up and control the shadow again, Zhang Suyuan stepped forward and punched him.
An ordinary person would likely die instantly if punched by the Ghost Hand, but Chen Zhanji only rolled a few times on the ground, crashed into the wall, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
But Chen Zhanji's expression was one of utter despair; wasn't something wrong with the plot?
Shouldn't it be him, the champion of justice, beating up the evil second-generation rich kid?
Why did he get completely thrashed on the other side?
Something's not right!
Zhang Suyuan didn't kill him; he just beat Chen Zhanji up to vent his emotions.
Soon, footsteps could be heard outside, and a group of heavily armed men surrounded the area.
In fact, Zhang Suyuan is currently in quarantine.
After accidentally killing a passerby, he immediately told his father everything about how he had gained superhuman powers.
99% of what he said was true, except for one instance where he became vague about the young stranger he murdered.
He exaggerated the malevolent nature of the supernatural power within him, claiming that he had difficulty controlling it and could not help but harbor malice towards the living.
He wasn't lying; these were his genuine feelings, only slightly exaggerated.
The room he was in was a heavily guarded Isolation Room, with many surveillance cameras inside and many guards outside. He couldn't understand how Chen Zhanjie had found this place.
Chen Zhanji was the second living supernatural specimen besides Zhang Suyuan, and immediately someone wanted to control him.
But Chen Zhanji's abilities were undeniable, and he quickly sank into the shadows. Before leaving, he didn't forget to say, "You people are in cahoots, oppressing good people and indiscriminately killing innocents. Sooner or later, I will act on behalf of Heaven and punish you in the name of justice!"
After saying that, he disappeared completely.
The remaining people looked at each other, their expressions not very pleasant. It was truly unpleasant to be criticized and belittled without having the moral high ground.
But there was nothing that could be done. Zhang Suyuan's extraordinary abilities were of great importance, and the young man who was mistakenly killed... could only be left unresolved.
Even though compensation had already been paid and they had been warned of the seriousness of the matter, the deceased's family was still making a fuss and causing all sorts of trouble, which was really annoying.
Why can't we prioritize the bigger picture?
The severe divide between the upper and lower classes makes it impossible for them to understand the madness and pain of an ordinary couple losing their only child. People at the bottom value life extremely, but in the eyes of some, human life can be measured in money.
Although Chen Zhanji n't caught on the spot, he wasn't particularly clever. Since becoming Ghost Tamer, he had unknowingly revealed many flaws. He hadn't even bothered to hide his tracks, so it wouldn't be difficult to find out his identity.
"Comrade Zhang Suyuan, the verdict regarding your trial has been announced."
Because of Chen Zhanji's antics, Zhang Suyuan was transferred to a mysterious research institute, and soon someone came to inform him of the verdict in the trial for accidentally killing a passerby.
This was merely a minor punishment to serve as a warning.
This result was entirely expected.
Clearly, Zhang Suyuan had never worried about having to pay with his life. He had plenty of protective charms. Even if he didn't gain extraordinary power and accidentally killed someone, it would at most only delay his future.
People are never the same.
"Don't be sad. Just do your best in the future, cooperate with the research, and contribute to the country. This small mistake won't have a big impact," said a middle-aged man in a white coat with a gentle expression.
"No problem." Zhang Suyuan forced a smile.