Headquarters' Hidden Reserves

The meeting's plan has been largely finalized.

Jiang Shangbai's coffin nail plan has been temporarily shelved, and Professor Wang's ghost drawing plan has been requisitioned. However, this is only one of the options. Cao Yanhua hopes that others can continue to think of other plans, even as backups, so that they will not be unable to deal with problems later.

However, the specific implementation methods of the plan were not discussed at the meeting. It is estimated that the think tank behind the Headquarters will provide a satisfactory answer, and others do not need to worry about these matters.

But even the best plan needs people to execute it.

It's estimated that a few unlucky Ghost Tamer will be assigned tasks later.

Yang Jian was convinced that he would not be assigned to this mission, because if Headquarters sent him again, it would be blatant bullying.

The meeting ended around noon.

"That concludes today's first meeting for now, but the matter is not over yet. According to the normal procedure, there will be a second meeting tomorrow. I hope everyone is prepared." Cao Yanhua checked the time before announcing the temporary adjournment of the meeting.

But at the end, he specifically named Yang Jian: "But before the meeting ends, I must severely criticize Yang Jian."

"Yang Jian fought with Gao Zhiqiang in the rest area, which directly caused Gao Zhiqiang's vengeful spirit to resurrect, resulting in the Headquarters losing a top-notch Ghost Tamer. This is an unforgivable and enormous mistake, and under normal circumstances, it would definitely be severely punished."

He looked furious as he said this.

"They've arrived as expected." Yang Jian glanced at Feng Quan beside him.

Just as he said, he was going to be publicly criticized.

However, this is just a formality. Smart people know that Headquarters can't really do anything to Yang Jian. It's just a show put on by Cao Yanhua to save face for Headquarters and let others know that Headquarters can still keep Yang Jian in check, so they shouldn't mess around.

"This Yang Jian is a hothead; surely he hasn't realized this?" someone secretly wondered.

It would be interesting if Yang Jian got enraged at this moment and rushed up to kill Cao Yanhua.

Obviously.

They were very disappointed.

Yang Jian sat there motionless, no longer displaying the tense atmosphere he had shown with Jiang Shangbai and the others, as if he hadn't heard Cao Yanhua's accusations and criticisms.

After criticizing for a while, Cao Yanhua changed the subject, saying, "Although the consequences caused by Yang Jian this time were extremely serious and had a very bad influence, he also stopped Gao Zhiqiang from bullying the female operators at Headquarters. His actions were righteous and maintained the security within Headquarters."

"Therefore, the punishment imposed on Yang Jian by Headquarters this time is a 50% reduction in his salary and gold quota, a demerit, and a one-time warning, with no chance of it happening again."

"What? Just a fine and a demerit?" Jiang Shangbai's face darkened upon hearing such a punishment.

At least they should have produced something to go through with this formality. What's the point of this fine? Do Ghost Tamer lack money? Besides, what good will a demerit do to Yang Jian? He's already been nominated as captain, and he'll be selected without any surprises. Whether he gets a demerit or not doesn't matter. Cao Yanhua's punishment is worse than a slap on the wrist.

Yang Jian might even get so drunk he'd sleep for a whole day, or at least give him a headache for one night.

Gao Zhiqiang died in vain.

It's a miscarriage of justice!

Jiang Shangbai sighed inwardly.

A promising Ghost Tamer was killed by Yang Jian at Headquarters simply because he couldn't control his little brother, and no one complained. The most crucial point is that Gao Zhiqiang's crime was an attempted crime, which wasn't even a major offense. Normally, he would only receive a verbal warning and nothing more.

He knew that Headquarters didn't want Gao Zhiqiang to die either, but by the time they tried to stop him, it was too late. Yang Jian was ruthless and vicious, and killed him outright.

The person is dead. Headquarters can't possibly punish another top-tier Ghost Tamer just because of a dead person, can they?

Moreover, the other party acted from a righteous standpoint. If Headquarters were to severely punish Yang Jian for this, it might not only force away Yang Jian, a top-tier Ghost Tamer, but also indirectly tell others that making mistakes is justified, and helping others is wrong.

Once this precedent is set, the impact will be enormous.

Cao Yanhua couldn't be that stupid, so this was the only way he could handle it.

"Is Yang Jian really such a hothead?" Jiang Shangbai felt a pang of frustration and began to wonder if Yang Jian had already considered this possibility beforehand.

If that's the case, then this guy is a bit scary.

"Alright, meeting adjourned now. Also, Yang Jian, please stay behind for a moment," Cao Yanhua added after the meeting ended.

Yang Jian's expression shifted; he roughly understood Cao Yanhua's purpose in seeking him out alone.

"Brother Leg, what did Headquarters want to talk to you about? They're not trying to seduce you, are they?" Feng Quan asked curiously from the side.

Yang Jian glanced at him and said, "Can't you think of it on the bright side? Maybe Headquarters is going to give me a separate reward."

"You killed someone at Headquarters and almost got into a fight during a meeting. Headquarters will reward you? I don't really believe it." Feng Quan shook his head.

That's not necessarily true.

Feng Quan said, "Then you wait here. I'll be going now. Contact me if anything comes up. I should be in J City for the next few days."

"Okay." Yang Jian nodded.

Soon, everyone else left one after another, leaving only Cao Yanhua, Wang Xiaoming, and the old man called Old Qin.

"Yang Jian, do you know why I kept you here alone?" Cao Yanhua asked after everyone else had left.

Yang Jian, "Isn't it supposed to be overtime pay?"

Cao Yanhua's lips twitched upon hearing this. "You remember this matter very clearly, but that's only one thing. There's something more important I want to talk to you about alone, but this isn't the place to talk. Come with me, we can talk as we walk."

After he finished speaking, he gestured and pointed to a small car parked not far away.

"Sure, as long as the Deputy Minister doesn't renege on his promise, anything is fine," Yang Jian said nonchalantly.

Soon.

The four people got into the car, which was driven by a staff member, and slowly drove away.

On the way, Cao Yanhua said, "Actually, I shouldn't have told you this at this time, but if I didn't tell you in advance, I was afraid you would misunderstand if I didn't notify you at the last minute. So I thought about it and decided to discuss it with you privately now. Of course, you can object. Headquarters is just providing a suggestion and will not force you to make a decision."

"The way you're saying it makes it sound like you're trying to sell me out?"

Yang Jian looked at him and said, "Usually when people say they won't force someone, they often have no choice. Am I right, Professor Wang?"

Wang Xiaoming remained silent, pretending to be a wooden doll again.

Cao Yanhua said, "This is my decision, and it has nothing to do with anyone else. Since you don't like beating around the bush, I'll just get straight to the point. Actually, Headquarters wants you to give up this captain selection and refuse to become captain."

Yang Jian frowned slightly upon hearing this. "What's the reason?"

"I can't say, but if you agree, Headquarters will provide you with compensation that I believe will satisfy you," Cao Yanhua said.

"I've heard that the so-called captain selection is actually a competition of interests among various parties. Behind each captain is a representative of one party's interests, and some people have already been decided in advance. So, I, a high school student with no power or influence, have become the sacrificial lamb?" Yang Jian asked rhetorically.

Cao Yanhua said seriously, "No, if you insist on participating in the Captain Plan, with your resume you will definitely become a captain. It's just that you are not suitable for this position. However, what you said makes some sense. Behind every captain is indeed some conflict of interest. But the most important thing is not that, but balance."

"Headquarters needs captains to stabilize the situation. Whether it's paranormal events, civilian Ghost Tamer, or maintaining public order in various places, they all need their assistance, and only top-tier Ghost Tamer can do this. You certainly meet the requirements, but some people are more suitable. If you withdraw, then Li Jun will be the one to take your place."

Yang Jian waved his hand and said, "I don't understand any of this 'situation' or 'suitable' stuff. I can withdraw, but what price are you willing to pay?"

He didn't really need the captaincy. Becoming captain might bring a lot of power and resources, but it would also bring a lot of trouble. If he could get real benefits, he wouldn't care if he withdrew from the Captain Plan or even from Headquarters.

"If you agree, that's fine. Headquarters will try its best to meet your requests," Cao Yanhua said. "Now I'll take you to another place."

Yang Jian's eyes flickered slightly. He didn't speak, but just sat in the car watching it drive towards an air-raid shelter at Headquarters, and then extend downwards, seemingly heading deep underground.

Taking advantage of the moment, he spoke to the Old Qin beside him, "How old are you this year, sir? It's quite rare to see Ghost Tamer of your age."

Old Qin smiled but did not respond.

"You can ask me anything directly. Old Qin has a special status, and there are some things he can't reveal," Wang Xiaoming finally said.

"You're really quite annoying," Yang Jian. "You probably know what I want to know. Fine, I'll just say it directly. How much do you know about the Republican Era?"

He didn't believe that Wang Xiaoming, with his status and access to information, couldn't have obtained some of the previous information.

Really.

Wang Xiaoming wasn't surprised at all, and simply said calmly, "It seems you've noticed it too. That's a bit unexpected, so you wanted to ask Old Qin about it, after all, he was from that era."

"Have you done research in this area?" Yang Jian asked.

"It's just another research topic, but I'm not in charge of this project, since I'm not very good at archaeology," Wang Xiaoming said. "But I do know a little bit about it during the research, but there are some things I can't tell you for confidentiality reasons."

"With my rank, surely I shouldn't be completely unable to get even the slightest bit of information?" Yang Jian.

Wang Xiaoming paused for a moment, then said, "Let's start with the ghost coffin I've been researching recently. Putting aside its supernatural aspects, judging from its workmanship, shape, and craftsmanship, it's not from the modern era. It should be in the style of coffins from the Republican Era. After that, I studied the stylistic features of some other strange objects, and without a doubt, everything points to that era, which is the Republican Era you just mentioned."

You should be very familiar with this photo.

Suddenly, he took out his phone again, opened a photo, and handed it to Yang Jian.

The photo looked familiar; it was taken through a glass window. It showed an old man wearing a long robe, covered in lividity, with lifeless eyes and a numb expression, exuding an eerie and unsettling aura.

"It's the photo I saw on an online forum before. This old man is... the Door-Knocking Ghost." Yang Jian's expression hardened.

He also had the photo on his phone, but with the Headquarters' methods, getting the photo wouldn't be difficult.

"I've collected some photos of ghosts," Wang Xiaoming said, putting his phone away. "This is the image of the Door-Knocking Ghost,' which you should be familiar with. But what I'm showing you isn't what the Door-Knocking Ghost looks like, but rather its clothing style."

Yang Jian: "You mean the Door-Knocking Ghost's was also an old man from the Republican Era?"

"It's obvious."

Wang Xiaoming said, "This kind of black long-sleeved clothing is the style of that era. There is a lot of similar evidence, but most of them point to the same period. However, I am not very interested in that period, so I haven't spent too much time studying it."

"What? You know the possible origins of the resurgence of vengeful ghosts, yet you don't bother to investigate further?" Yang Jian asked in surprise.

"Because it's unnecessary."

Wang Xiaoming said, "This is just one answer, but it doesn't change the outcome, so I didn't waste my time on it. However, Professor Bai is quite interested in this matter; he's a historian and a literary scholar, and he's been following up on it."

Yang Jian, "Have you ever considered that knowing the truth might completely resolve the current paranormal events?"

"I've thought about it, but it's impractical. For example, ghosts already existed Republican Era, and there were also Ghost Tamer. But judging from the current situation, it's clear that the people of that era failed. Although we don't know what methods they used to temporarily deal with all the supernatural events, that's not important. What's important is that we should deal with the increasingly frequent supernatural events today," Wang Xiaoming said earnestly.

"I won't dwell on the past, I'll only think about the future, and you should do the same. Finding answers isn't that important; solving the problem is the most urgent task."

When Yang Jian heard Wang Xiaoming say that, he felt an urge to jump up and punch him.

Wang Xiaoming has absolutely no interest in knowing the truth, even though he could have easily found out.

"If there were truly Ghost Tamer Republican Era, it's impossible that they all disappeared; there must have been remnants."

Yang Jian, "Finding them will reveal the truth. You're not interested, but I am."

Wang Xiaoming added, "That's true, but unfortunately, Old Qin is not your target."

"Why?"

"He was indeed born in the Republic of China era, but he was an orphan with no parents, no relatives, and not even a name. He only knew that he was adopted by a family surnamed Qin, but unfortunately, that family died when he was five years old. Old Qin didn't even know the names of his adoptive parents, only their surnames. So he didn't enter the circle of Ghost Tamer Republican Era," Wang Xiaoming said.

Old Qin chuckled, "In turbulent times, just surviving is good enough; there's no need for so many niceties."

Yang Jian's heart sank immediately.

If that's the case, then the clues and the answer have essentially been lost here.

However, Wang Xiaoming continued, "But what makes Old Qin different from other Ghost Tamer is that he is a born Ghost Tamer."

"What do you mean?" Yang Jian asked, looking at him again.

"It means that Old Qin was Ghost Tamer even when he was in his mother's womb. He is an outlier among Ghost Tamer. The ghost inside his body has merged with him and is in a state of perpetual stagnation. If you don't quite understand, you can just think of Old Qin as a ghost," Wang Xiaoming said.

His voice echoed in the deep corridor, which was deserted, but the message it conveyed left Yang Jian stunned.

"How is this possible?" Yang Jian almost stood up abruptly.

A born Ghost Tamer?

Was he already one with the ghost while still in the womb?

I suspect that I am a ghost.

Wang Xiaoming said, "Nothing is impossible. If you can kill a vengeful ghost, it shouldn't be too difficult to do this, right? However, I guess that when Old Qin's mother was pregnant with him, she used some special method to put the ghost into a dead state in the fetus. As long as it doesn't revive, the baby born will be a natural Ghost Tamer. Of course, there is also the risk of failure. If it fails, then it will be a ghost fetus."

"Of course, this is just my wishful thinking. Perhaps he is an unrepeatable special case, but I have to admit that this method of controlling vengeful spirits is the most perfect. I was inspired by Old Qin and began to study it because I felt that Old Qin's existence was a guiding force."

Yang Jian stared at him and said, "So you gave birth to such a terrifying being as the Ghost Messenger?"

"All experiments carry risks, especially uncontrollable dangers like ghosts. But if it succeeds, I can use the ghost coffin to cultivate more Ghost Tamer Old Qin, and finally, the supernatural events will come to an end in my hands," Wang Xiaoming said slowly.

So that's the real reason why he was so determined to get the ghost coffin.

It must be said that Wang Xiaoming has a long-term vision and great ambition. If he succeeds, he could really influence the global trend. No wonder the Headquarters regards him as a national treasure.

"You took too big a step; you hurt yourself."

Yang Jian said with a grim face, "Now the Ghost Messenger have become everyone's nightmare."

"No, that's just a temporary danger. The Ghost Messenger can always handle it, but the hope for the future is the most important thing. After the ghost coffin experiment failed, I found a new direction. You gave me new inspiration. You should continue our previous deal. I need that thing, but in exchange, you can take something from here. You won't lose out."

Wang Xiaoming changed the subject and focused his attention on the human skin paper in Yang Jian's hand.

Of course, he still didn't know about the existence of the human skin paper, but he did know that Yang Jian had something very special in his possession, which he suspected could provide some terrifying information.

This was very useful to him.

"Take something with you?" Yang Jian only then realized that he had arrived at an underground base by car.

Where is this place?

Cao Yanhua said, "A place to imprison and store some special things."

Yang Jian's expression changed upon seeing this. "The ghosts that were successfully imprisoned are kept here?"

"No, they're just some special items that aren't particularly dangerous. The location where the ghosts are imprisoned is a top secret; even I don't know it. This is the limit of my authority. As promised before, you did a great job saving Professor Wang and a group of Ghost Tamer from the Ghost Messenger incident, so I'll allow you to take one item from here, as I promised you. But if you're willing to give up your captain position, I'll allow you to take two items. And if you're willing to complete that deal with Professor Wang, I'll allow you to take three items."

Cao Yanhua said very seriously, and unprecedentedly allowed Yang Jian to take away a maximum of three items. This was something that the Headquarters had never done before. Other Ghost Tamer would not know the secrets here, and even if they did, they would not have the right to apply and would be rejected outright.

Therefore, it is easy to imagine just how valuable Yang Jian is to Headquarters.

A strange and unusual object?

Yang Jian's eyes flickered, and he immediately thought of things like ghost cabinets, human skin paper, and coffin nails.

Sure enough, Headquarters also collects these kinds of things.

However, Cao Yanhua is quite adept at hiding things. If the situation hadn't deteriorated so much, he probably wouldn't have allowed these things to leak out.

After all, strange things always carry some unknown and terrifying risks.

"Let me take you to see it." Cao Yanhua stepped off the driveway.

Yang Jian now understood why Old Qin had accompanied them.

It's likely that Cao Yanhua was also worried that he might be tempted by the money and rob the place.

With Old Qin by his side, Yang Jian really didn't dare to act recklessly. Although he roughly knew about the old man's past, he knew nothing about ghosts.

However, Yang Jian believed that this Old Qin was definitely not someone he could contend with at present.

Without sufficient confidence, how could Headquarters have brought only Old Qin along?

Of course, Yang Jian had no intention of looting the place; he wouldn't do something so foolish as to incur public wrath.

"What kind of supernatural items will Headquarters collect?" He was now extremely curious about this.