The Capital.
Ghost Handler Headquarters.
A middle-aged man with a resolute face, a weary expression, and faintly dark circles under his eyes frowned deeply.
He was Fu Youhua, the highest-ranking commander at Headquarters, responsible for coordinating and directing all its affairs.
Members of the Beifeng Commune had openly attacked Hu Jiu, a Ghost Tamer from Headquarters. Upon hearing the news, Fu Youhua had planned to contact the person in charge immediately and take the opportunity to give the increasingly brazen civilian organization a warning.
But when he got his hands on the detailed information and glanced through it, he felt nothing but a terrible headache.
The matter was complicated. The bloodstained white silk Hu Jiu controlled had originally belonged to Zhou Long, a member of the Beifeng Commune. Zhou Long, who was now dead, had also been involved in a supernatural incident in Lizhou City.
The supernatural incident in Lizhou was strange. On the surface, the ghost that had revived was codenamed [Corpse Oil], but it had not killed anyone. Some of the victims had been strangled with a White Sash, others had been dismembered, and many more had vanished entirely. Local buildings had also been left damaged. Clearly, Corpse Oil could not have done all that.
Headquarters had demanded an explanation from the Beifeng Commune.
Lu Rui, the handler of Corpse Oil, had not joined any organization. The Beifeng Commune insisted that Lu Rui had been nearing the end of his life and had suddenly dropped dead in Lizhou, causing the malevolent ghost to revive. Zhou Long and Wei Xiyuan had happened to pass by and selflessly risked their lives to handle the supernatural incident without compensation, only to die heroic deaths.
As for why the main surveillance feeds in the area had been cut off? They had no idea either!
The Beifeng Commune had taken the moral high ground, explaining its attack on Hu Jiu as an attempt to reclaim the White Sash.
After a round of negotiations, the Beifeng Commune finally agreed to stop targeting Hu Jiu, while Headquarters agreed to stop pressing the issue in Lizhou.
Of course, these were only verbal promises made on the surface. In private, perhaps neither side would honor them.
Fu Youhua was seething. These civilian organizations were far too arrogant! Fortunately, Headquarters' concession was only temporary. The state had already launched several secret projects, and once they succeeded, all those troublemakers would be called to account. Not one of them would escape!
The temporary operator, Lin Guangning, reported that Hu Jiu had asked for a copy of the information on the Beifeng Commune. Fu Youhua could have figured out with his fingers that he was waiting for a chance to get revenge.
Fu Youhua rubbed his temples. He had seen far too many newcomers who overestimated themselves, especially the young ones, who were proud and arrogant and could not stand the slightest grievance.
A few hard lessons from society would set him straight, but in all likelihood, there would be no later. With a newcomer provoking an organization, he might just vanish inexplicably one day.
The Beifeng Commune was not so large as to be unshakable, but it seemed to have the support of a mysterious force behind it. Even Headquarters had backed down, so in Fu Youhua's eyes, Hu Jiu seeking revenge was like an egg striking a rock.
Right and wrong were not that important; weighing interests was what mattered. Hu Jiu was only a newcomer, and a suspicious one at that. Headquarters was not about to offer him much protection.
The information on the Beifeng Commune was intimidating. Fu Youhua only hoped that after reading it, Hu Jiu would recognize reality and stay out of trouble.
The next day, Hu Jiu was preparing to look for the ghost finger he had controlled in his previous life. It was not very useful, but it would still make a collectible.
He had just finished getting ready and had yet to leave when his satellite phone suddenly rang. Lin Guangning's voice came through. "A supernatural incident has occurred in Linjiang City. We need you to go handle it as soon as possible."
Hu Jiu was taken aback. "What about Liu Mingguang? He's the one in charge of Linjiang City. Why not go to him?"
"He just finished dealing with a supernatural incident and is in very poor condition. He refused to take part in this operation, so Headquarters has no choice but to urgently assign you to handle it."
"All right, I understand. Give me the details first."
"The situation is still unclear. The scene is extremely chaotic, so you'll need to investigate it in person." Lin Guangning sounded anxious.
Hu Jiu, however, was in no hurry. "I'm not the person in charge yet. What if someone refuses to follow my orders when I get there?"
Lin Guangning replied, "Don't worry. As the temporary person in charge, you'll have the same authority as the regular person in charge during this supernatural incident. Afterward, you'll report the Source Ghost responsible for the incident, and once Headquarters assesses the malevolent ghost's level, you'll receive corresponding compensation."
"I've already sent you the exact location. Stop dawdling and wasting time. Every second you delay, an innocent person could lose their life!"
Lin Guangning's wording was somewhat stern. After seeing the location she had sent, a look of understanding flashed across Hu Jiu's eyes, and he headed over at a perfectly normal pace.
The incident had occurred in an ordinary residential complex. The surrounding area had already been cordoned off, and police officers were organizing an evacuation, but quite a few people were still watching curiously from a distance.
Hu Jiu showed his credentials and identified himself. A middle-aged police officer immediately walked over. "Hello, Detective Hu!"
Hu Jiu nodded and asked, "What happened here?"
"We received an emergency call. The caller claimed the place was haunted and that many people had died, but they were so nervous that we lost contact before they could explain clearly."
"After we arrived, we found that things were somewhat out of control. We reviewed the surveillance footage, and although the images were affected, we could still determine that this was a supernatural incident!"
"Detective Hu, I know you're a specialist trained to handle incidents like this. I hope you can act as soon as possible, or more innocent people will die unnatural deaths!"
There was a hint of command in the middle-aged officer's tone. Hu Jiu looked at him with a half-smile. "You seem to know quite a lot."
"It's all for the safety of the people. You should know that with great power comes great responsibility!" the middle-aged officer replied forcefully.
Hu Jiu seemed moved. "Well said! In times of danger, the country needs heroes like you who are willing to make sacrifices. Since you're already aware of that, bring your men and come in with me!"
Hu Jiu took the lead and was about to cross the cordon, but the middle-aged officer froze on the spot. "Officer Hu, ordinary people can barely do anything in a supernatural incident, and I need to stay outside to maintain order..."
Hu Jiu looked thoroughly disapproving. "Don't sell yourself short. As long as we have confidence and perseverance, we can work miracles! There are still survivors waiting to be rescued inside. Stop dawdling and wasting time. Every second you delay, another person could die!"
The middle-aged officer's whole body showed his reluctance. He stammered, trying to say something, but Hu Jiu gave him no chance to speak. "What? Are you scared? Are you going to run away at the last moment?"
"No!" the middle-aged officer denied instinctively. He had intended to argue, but Hu Jiu immediately gave him a gratified smile. "Good! I knew you wouldn't let down the uniform you're wearing, or the trust the country and its people have placed in you!"