Cao Hua

The girl in the passenger seat gasped, covering her Cherry Lips, and fearfully glanced at Zhao Qiang beside her. Her biggest worry now was probably whether her boyfriend would kill her to silence her in Broad Daylight.

Hearing Gao Tian say that, Zhao Qiang's expression also changed slightly:

"Gao, don't just spout nonsense. When did I..."

Gao Tian lazily interrupted him:

"Yeah, yeah, you absolutely didn't. You absolutely didn't knock her out from behind with a Shovel when she was on the phone with another man; you absolutely didn't threaten to kill my whole family and make me help you dig a hole when I passed by; you absolutely didn't have to add a few more shovelfuls when she started moving again halfway into the ground; you absolutely didn't transfer fifty thousand yuan to me as hush money; you've slept soundly all these years, and you've absolutely never dreamed of her with a bloody face coming to find you in your dreams..."

Next, Gao Tian didn't give Zhao Qiang a chance to think and rattled off several details in one breath. For example, what the weather was like that day, what brand of Shovel Zhao Qiang used, and what Luxury Goods he was wearing under his School Uniform.

The effect of the Memory Ghost began to take hold. The more Zhao Qiang tried to refute Gao Tian, the more he couldn't help but delve into the details Gao Tian mentioned, the more he got himself tangled up.

The more he recalled, the more he felt that Gao Tian was telling the truth. In the end, Zhao Qiang, feeling guilty like a thief, even imagined more details himself, completely trapping himself.

Vividly, the past events were completely "recalled" by him. Cold sweat beaded on Zhao Qiang's forehead, his Triangle Eyes fixed intently on Gao Tian before him. He wished he could find another Shovel right then and bury Gao Tian, the only one who knew, on the spot.

No, now his girlfriend knew too. More and more people in the world knew his secret.

"What exactly do you want."

Zhao Qiang interrupted Gao Tian in exasperation, "Didn't I give you fifty thousand yuan back then? That's not a small sum, what else do you want?

"Are you short on money? If you're in debt, I can help you sort things out with the Debt Collection Company. If you're short on money, I'll introduce you to a leisurely job, an Iron Rice Bowl.

"Gao, don't think you can hold this over me for the rest of my life. At worst, it'll be a Fish Dies Net Breaks situation. I'll find someone to get rid of you, and then Flee abroad."

Seeing his fierce and menacing look, he wasn't joking. Zhao Qiang wasn't someone with a clever mind who could disguise himself; he would clearly state what he wanted to do.

Gao Tian patted Zhao Qiang's back, signaling him to relax:

"Don't tense up your Muscle so much, Brother Qiang. I'm not the type to extort you for life over one incident, and besides, I don't care about money.

"I made it clear from the start. You find someone for me, and once you find this person, we'll call it even. I'll keep what happened back then buried in my heart, and you can pretend I don't exist."

He pushed the Yellow Fingernail Clipping from the Transparent Bag back into Zhao Qiang's hand:

"This person is already dead. This is his residual DNA. Help me find all his information from when he was alive.

"I know your family has run many Debt Collection Companies and has always been known for its good Reputation. You have a lot of influence in the industry.

"Legend has it that there was an Orphan who owed Usury. This Orphan, already over fifty years old, had never met his Parents his entire life. To make him repay the debt, you actually found his seventy-something-year-old father from a Nursing Home.

"With such powerful people-finding capabilities, it's not too much to ask you to find just one person for me."

Zhao Qiang's expression was Gloomy and Uncertain. His Triangle Eyes stared fixedly at Gao Tian for a long time before he reluctantly extended his hand and put the Transparent Bag into his Outerwear pocket.

"Who is he? How long has he been dead? What do you want with him?"

Gao Tian replied:

"He's been dead for about seven years. Male. His name is Xu Yuan. He attended Honglong Elementary School.

"As for why I'm looking for him... it's because after he died, he became a ghost and has been pestering me relentlessly."

Hearing Gao Tian's humorous words, the girl in the passenger seat, despite the tense atmosphere, let out a chuckle.

Zhao Qiang's face was extremely grim, but he still managed a nod:

"Alright, if you don't want to talk about your enmity with him, then forget it.

"Add my number. I'll contact you in about a week."

Gao Tian nodded, knowing the matter was settled. He turned to leave.

The Memory Ghost's ability was incredibly useful against living people and intelligent ghosts.

Furthermore, he knew he had "awakened" Zhao Qiang's memories. Zhao Qiang was now grinding his teeth in hatred, and would definitely try to kill him given the chance.

To such a ruthless person, what was the difference between killing one person or two?

But Gao Tian truly didn't care. He was involved in the Supernatural Circle; he wasn't afraid of the Underworld. While talking to Zhao Qiang, their eyes met four times unintentionally. This meant Gao Tian had already stolen four Puzzle Pieces of Zhao Qiang's face using the Shattered Face Ghost's ability.

One more time, Gao Tian thought. Zhao Qiang immediately suffered a Sudden Death. Xiao Qiangzi's life and death were now entirely in Gao Tian's hands. Yet, Zhao Qiang himself didn't know.

Just as Gao Tian turned to leave, Zhao Qiang in the car suddenly called out to Gao Tian's retreating back, as if remembering something:

"Hey, this Sunday is Cao Hua's funeral. Are you going?

"When we were studying, he always gave me the answers during exams. I, Zhao Qiang, am not a good person, but I remember his kindness. Now that he's gone, I plan to go pay my respects.

"I remember you two were also quite close."

Gao Tian froze in his tracks. He heard his heart solidify into stone, his blood surging like a wild horse.

Cao Hua... was dead?

He understood every word, but when they were put together, he couldn't comprehend it.

This must be a joke. Old Cao was still talking to him, full of greasy remarks, just three days ago.

It must be a joke.

Gao Tian slowly turned his head, hearing his own voice emerge from his mouth, sounding as distant as if from another galaxy:

"Cao Hua, is dead?"

"Are you sure?"

Zhao Qiang spat on the ground, as if extremely displeased by Gao Tian's questioning of his words:

"What the hell do you mean, you think I'm joking about a classmate's death?

"He died about two days ago, working overtime at his internship. I heard all the other colleagues had already left. Before the next day arrived, I saw Cao Ge lying at his office desk. The body had already started to stink, there was no need to send him to the hospital for resuscitation.

"What's strange is that the computer screen directly in front of his desk also exploded. It was as if Cao Hua, with his last ounce of strength before dying, punched and blew up the computer screen.

"The cause of death was a heart attack. Sigh, this kid studied too hard when he was in school, studying 14 hours a day. I advised him back then, you're already in the Top Five in Grade, guaranteed admission to that 911 University. What the hell are you studying for? You should be like me, going to bars, picking up girls, and enjoying Campus Life."

Gao Tian knew very well, clearer than anyone, that he had caused Cao Hua's death.

He could already imagine the scene.

It was likely at the internship unit, after all the other colleagues had left, Cao Hua finished his day's work. Remembering the matter his "adopted son" had entrusted him with, he opened the link. Through his skilled Network Technology, he quickly recovered the backup of the deleted post.

But he hadn't expected that he would see something he shouldn't have. That post Xu Yuan had published might contain some Meme Contamination from a Supernatural Event, or perhaps, it was a Trap set by Xu Yuan from the beginning, to hunt down those who tried to trace the secrets of the Jialan Society.

Who knew, it didn't matter.

Cao Hua was dead, the cause of death was a recurrence of a heart attack.

As for why the computer screen was burnt with a hole, Gao Tian estimated that a Vengeful Ghost had truly crawled out through the Network Cable and locked onto him.

Regardless, the direct cause of his death was his own request for him to recover that supernatural post.

This was the consequence of involving an Ordinary Person in a Supernatural Event. When facing a Vengeful Ghost, humans living in the Normal World were like Ants, completely lacking Self-Preservation Ability.

This was the first time Gao Tian understood this superficial truth, but it came at the cost of his friend's life.

Gao Tian felt his soul leave his Skull, floating higher and higher. The Guilt pressed down on him like a massive Hill, making it hard to breathe.

He was now like a Walking Dead, moving as if being pulled by strings, completely lacking Self-Awareness.

Gao Tian numbly took out his Mobile Phone and pointed it at Zhao Qiang:

"I'm not going to the Funeral. I still have 227,651 yuan and 30 cents on me. When you go to the Funeral, please help me transfer this money to Cao Hua's Family Member."

Zhao Qiang, for all his flaws, wouldn't stoop to embezzling such a small amount of money from Gao Tian. He spent five figures on Tips at Nightclubs every day.

Zhao Qiang nodded:

"Got it, I'll transfer it to him.

"Why is the money you transferred so precise, down to the cent? Never mind, I'll add a bit myself. I'll transfer 500,000 to his Parents then, considering it as coming from both of us. What do you think?"

Gao Tian had no more desire to talk with Zhao Qiang. He stiffly turned his head and walked step by step in the Opposite Direction of the road.

He killed Cao Hua, he killed Cao Hua.

After returning to the Living Person Apartment, Gao Tian lay on the bed with his remaining strength, his mind blank, unable to recall anything.

No wonder Cao Hua suddenly stopped replying to him on WeChat; he had already died two days ago.

But this only strengthened Gao Tian's determination to find Xu Yuan's true identity, otherwise, Cao Hua's death would have been completely in vain.

Besides Zhao Qiang, he had to find another Computer Expert to dig up the backup of the post Xu Yuan left behind.

However, this time, the post recovery must be done within the Living Person Apartment. This place could suppress the abilities of all Vengeful Ghosts. Otherwise, it would only lead to a second Cao Hua tragedy.

Just as Gao Tian was still thinking, strange noises came again from the direction of the fourth floor above.