The area was remote. After dealing with the crime scene, Hu Jiu walked for a while and waited a long time before he managed to flag down a taxi.
The driver glanced at him, looking reluctant. "What are you carrying there, young man?"
Hu Jiu smiled. "I went to visit relatives in the countryside. These are local specialties."
The Golden Corpse Bag containing Zou Cong had been dragged and knocked about along the way, leaving it filthy. It was also very large, so it was no wonder the driver hesitated.
Before the driver could say anything else, Hu Jiu said bluntly, "I'll pay triple."
The driver still frowned. He had professional standards and wouldn't refuse a passenger because of oversized luggage, but whatever was in this young man's bag somehow looked... off.
"Five times the fare." Hu Jiu held up an open hand.
"Get in." The driver surrendered to the power of money.
Who would turn down money?
Ignoring every suspicious detail, the driver sped Hu Jiu home.
As soon as he entered the house, Hu Jiu tossed the longevity candle and the two fierce ghosts into the wardrobe, washed up briefly, and sprawled on the couch.
He wasn't tired or sleepy, just a little restless.
He thought over what had happened in the past few days. What concerned him most were still the [Ghost Contract] and [Chang].
Though he coveted a Chang Ghost, Longevity Village was too dangerous. He didn't know when Headquarters would send people to investigate again, and without absolute confidence, Hu Jiu didn't dare take the risk. The Ghost Book was a fucking headache when it failed him at critical moments.
He had to find a way to deal with this hidden danger as soon as possible!
Buzz—
His phone rang. Hu Jiu answered, and Qian Ying's excited voice reached his ears. "Mr. Hu, you're finally back!"
"Get to the point," Hu Jiu said coolly.
Qian Ying paused. "Here's the situation. The day Headquarters called you away on assignment, a supernatural incident broke out in Linjiang City not long after you left. Since no one has dealt with it, things are gradually getting worse..."
Hu Jiu knew all about it, of course, because he was the one who had released that ghost. He had previously seized an unknown fierce ghost from Liu Mingguang and had planned to use the chaos it caused as an excuse to refuse Headquarters' summons, but unfortunately, he hadn't made it in time.
Hu Jiu wasn't disappointed, though. He treated it as a test of the fierce ghost's abilities, while also adding to his own "merits."
Faced with Qian Ying's plea for help, Hu Jiu said only, "I haven't officially become the person in charge of Linjiang City yet. Besides, I've just returned from an emergency assignment and I'm not in good shape. If I force myself to act, I might only interfere and make things worse. For the citizens' safety, I need to rest. Contact Headquarters and have them send another Ghost Tamer to handle it."
Beep...
The call ended.
Qian Ying stared in disbelief. He wanted to get angry, but he also understood that Hu Jiu's explanation was perfectly reasonable. Ghost Tamers were a special group. Pushing through illness to face danger or sacrificing themselves to save others could very well create a new disaster and harm even more innocent people.
A few minutes later, the phone rang again. This time it was Headquarters.
"Hello, Mr. Hu."
Hearing the woman's clear, melodious voice, like an oriole's song, Hu Jiu raised an eyebrow. "Who is this?"
"I'm Xiao Mei. Lin Guangning has been transferred to another department, and I've taken over her duties as your new operator. I hope you don't mind, Mr. Hu. If you have any objections, I can pass them on to my superiors. I hope you'll give me a chance. I'm sure we can get along and work together to our mutual benefit," Xiao Mei said sweetly.
"No problem," Hu Jiu said gently.
"Rest assured, Mr. Hu, I'm a professional." Xiao Mei's voice carried a note of delight, but her face was completely expressionless.
"There's something I need to ask. On your way back to Linjiang City from Longevity Village, the driver assigned to pick you up said you left with two unidentified individuals. The driver was killed afterward, and Headquarters is tracking down the killer. Do you have any leads?"
"Oh? Something like that happened?" Hu Jiu feigned surprise. "He was really unlucky. I'm not very sure myself. If I'd known, I wouldn't have gotten out early. I'm with Headquarters, after all. Who would dare disrespect Headquarters and commit murder in front of one of its Ghost Tamers?"
Xiao Mei seemed to have picked up on Hu Jiu's perfunctory response and skipped the subject entirely. Hu Jiu was taken aback. Would the excuse he had carefully made up go unused?
Could it be that Headquarters really didn't know what the research department was doing? Or was there... serious conflict between the two?
Or were they waiting to settle the score later?
The jumble of thoughts flashed through Hu Jiu's mind. Then Xiao Mei continued, "The test personnel will arrive in Linjiang City soon. Someone will contact you then and direct you to the test site. Once you pass, Headquarters will appoint you as the person in charge of Linjiang City and issue your reward for exploring Longevity Village."
"Also, the supernatural incident that recently broke out in Linjiang City spreads very readily. Please deal with it promptly. If necessary, Headquarters will send someone to assist you."
"That's all for now. If you need anything else, Mr. Hu, you can contact me anytime. I won't disturb your rest. Goodbye."
"Goodbye." Hu Jiu hung up. His first impression of his new operator was fairly good.
Meanwhile, in an office somewhere at Headquarters, Fu Youhua was on the phone. His initially calm attitude gradually turned to anger, and by the end his face was flushed. An intense argument seemed to be taking place...
At six that evening, Hu Jiu received a message from the test personnel. He washed up briefly and headed out with the Ghost Book, the white silk and the Flashlight. They were small and easy to carry in case of an emergency.
He drove to the test site and, from a distance, saw two Headquarters representatives in matching uniforms waiting by the road.
As soon as Hu Jiu got out of the car, they recognized him and walked over.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the group chatted as they entered an office building.
Quite a few ordinary people were coming and going. Ignoring their curious looks, Hu Jiu and the others headed straight for the top floor. After several turns, they found a luxurious, exquisitely furnished room at the very end of the corridor.
"Why are we conducting the test here?" Hu Jiu asked.
"This property originally belonged to Liu Mingguang, the previous person in charge. It has a fairly complete range of facilities," the Headquarters representative replied with a smile.
"I see." Hu Jiu nodded calmly.
When he entered the room, he saw a kindly looking young woman wearing glasses. She immediately stood up. "Mr. Hu, I'm Wang Xianhui. I'm responsible for testing whether you're fit to take charge of Linjiang City, and I'm also here to deliver some items from Headquarters."
Wang Xianhui's manner and appearance gave the impression that she was pleasant and easy to get along with. Hu Jiu responded with a fake smile of his own, and at first glance, the atmosphere seemed very harmonious.
"If there are no questions, let's begin now," Wang Xianhui said.
Hu Jiu asked her, "Right here? We don't need to go somewhere else?"
"No. It's only a written test," Wang Xianhui explained. "Here's a test paper. As long as your score isn't particularly bad, you'll pass. The results will then be uploaded to Headquarters and saved in your file. When answering, it would be best if you described the abilities and mechanisms of the fierce ghosts you control in detail. That way, if you encounter a supernatural incident that's difficult to handle in the future, Headquarters can arrange suitable teammates for you."
"All right." Hu Jiu agreed without hesitation.
Wang Xianhui took a test paper and a pen from the folder in her hand and passed them to him.
Hu Jiu accepted them. A chillingly cold sensation came from his fingertips, and he froze for a moment. "What's the maximum score?"
"There's no maximum score, and no standard answers." Wang Xianhui pushed up her glasses. "You only need to write down what you really think. Experts at Headquarters will assess whether your mental state is suitable for taking charge of a city."
Hu Jiu asked no more questions. He didn't think a test paper could prove much.
Half the questions were multiple choice, and the other half required written answers.
The first question was the famous trolley problem: five people were tied to the tracks, and one person was tied to the alternate track. A runaway trolley was speeding toward them. If you had a lever that could divert the trolley onto the alternate track, what would you choose?
A: Pull the lever, sacrificing the one person on the alternate track to save the five.
B: Do nothing. The five people are struck and killed, and the one person survives.
Hu Jiu chose A without hesitation.
In fact, if he were an ordinary person, he would definitely have chosen B.
Because if he "did nothing," he wouldn't have to bear responsibility. The law wouldn't hold him accountable for standing by and letting them die. But once he pulled the lever, no matter how many people he saved, the person who died would be connected to him. He could very well be sued afterward and face enormous compensation or even prison!
Of course, Hu Jiu was now a Ghost Tamer. His choice depended entirely on his mood. He could simply kill everyone!
Question two: When faced with an unknown supernatural incident, what would you choose?
A: Attempt containment.
B: Escape alone.
C: Gather as much information as possible and save people.
Hu Jiu chose C.
Written question: If you were on the verge of revival, in your final moments, what would you most want to do?
Life must end someday, so why not be bold? That was what Hu Jiu really thought.
"Put myself in a golden container to avoid endangering society after death." That was the answer Hu Jiu wrote down.
The questions covered a very broad range of unexpected situations. Hu Jiu wrote smoothly, as though he were back in high school answering reading-comprehension questions in Chinese class. There was simply a little less affectation and a touch more genuine feeling, making it seem less hypocritical.
For a time, the scratching of his pen echoed continuously through the quiet room. Wang Xianhui sat nearby, apparently looking at her phone, but she was actually observing Hu Jiu the whole time.
The so-called "mental state test" naturally couldn't be decided by a single test paper. From the moment Headquarters took notice of Hu Jiu, his entire life history had been thoroughly investigated. His every action after becoming a Ghost Tamer was the most important criterion for evaluation.
Time passed slowly. More than forty minutes later, Hu Jiu put down his pen.
Wang Xianhui stood up and collected the test paper, its writing neat and orderly. Smiling, she said, "Please wait a little while. Your test results will take some time, but they'll be ready within an hour."
Hu Jiu nodded, even more convinced that this was just a formality.
His phone rang. It was Qian Ying again. The supernatural incident in Linjiang City was growing worse, and just now, he had discovered that two outsiders suspected of being Ghost Tamers had fallen victim to it. With no other choice, he contacted Hu Jiu again, hoping he could act as soon as possible.
Hu Jiu listened carefully to Qian Ying's description and lowered his eyes. Judging by the information available, that fierce ghost really was formidable. No wonder Liu Mingguang had wanted to release it against him back then.
After waiting a while...
"Hu Jiu, congratulations. From now on, you're the person in charge of Linjiang City." Wang Xianhui walked in from outside, carrying a safe. "Following an analysis by Headquarters' experts, they unanimously agreed that you can shoulder the great responsibility of protecting a city. The official appointment notice will be issued soon."
"In recognition of your contribution during the trip to Longevity Village, Headquarters has issued these to you."
As she spoke, she opened the safe. Inside were two things: a test tube containing a cloudy, pale blue solution and a white mask.
Without the slightest feeling of surprise, Hu Jiu pretended not to know and asked, "What are these?"
Wang Xianhui pointed at the test tube and explained, "This is a Longevity Potion, one of the supernatural products developed by Headquarters. It can effectively suppress the fierce ghosts inside a Ghost Tamer, delay the revival process, repair damaged tissues and organs to a certain extent, and extend one's life."
"That White Mask is also a supernatural item developed by Headquarters. Wearing it conceals a living person's presence, deceiving fierce ghosts and temporarily interrupting their killing patterns. The effect lasts thirty minutes. If it's removed early or reaches its time limit, it will shatter and become useless. White Masks cannot be used consecutively. You must wait at least twenty-four hours before using a second one, or the wearer will lose their mind and go mad until they die."
"These are all strategic resources. Normally, a person in charge of a city could only exchange their merits for one of them. Headquarters has been generous this time. Are you satisfied, Mr. Hu?"
When Wang Xianhui finished, Hu Jiu put all his acting skills to use and feigned delighted surprise. "I'm very satisfied!"
"Good. In that case, please sign this confidentiality agreement." Wang Xianhui took out a document stating that no information about Longevity Village could be disclosed.
Hu Jiu glanced at it and wrote down his name.
Wang Xianhui put the document away and added, "This is a special exception. Next time, you can only apply to Headquarters to exchange merits for a Longevity Potion or a White Mask. As the person in charge, you have an obligation to monitor all supernatural incidents in this city and take steps to imprison, restrict or seal them off, then report them to Headquarters promptly afterward. All of that counts toward your merits. Once you've accumulated enough, you'll also have a chance to participate in a trial to control a second ghost and increase your strength."
Hu Jiu said nothing. That bit of trash as "hush money" really wasn't worth any more acting from him. A horse won't grow fat without fodder at night, and a person won't get rich without a windfall. The junk Headquarters had sent him wasn't even worth a fraction of what he had plundered.
As for controlling a second ghost, he wasn't in a hurry. Compared with a trial whose success rate was unknown, he would rather trust the Ghost Book.
"One last thing. When you came out of Longevity Village, someone saw you carrying a corpse bag. What was that?" Wang Xianhui asked.
"A ghost I contained by chance," Hu Jiu replied.
Wang Xianhui didn't urge Hu Jiu to hand over the fierce ghost. That wasn't part of her duties. She only reminded him, "Report the relevant information about the ghost to Headquarters as soon as possible, so a file can be created promptly."
After seeing Wang Xianhui off, Hu Jiu didn't leave. Instead, he toured the office building and found it quite satisfactory.
He wanted to take over the nest.
As the newly appointed person in charge, he had no intention of turning Linjiang City into his private fortress. He regarded it merely as a testing ground. With legitimate authority, it would be easier for him to manipulate things behind the scenes and stir up trouble!