Danger at Hand

On the dimly lit road, a small, eerie candle flame was held atop a person's head, drifting steadily closer from afar.

The candlelight flickered precariously in the cool night breeze, as if it might go out at any moment, but for some reason, every time it seemed about to extinguish, the flame would stubbornly reignite.

Zhong Shan was walking alone at this moment. The road in front of him seemed to have no end, stretching all the way into the dark depths in the distance.

With the ghost candle above his head, he was rapidly moving away from the vast and bustling city behind him.

But he was definitely not feeling well at that moment.

After walking for only a short while, Zhong Shan was already covered in cold sweat. His body was so tense that it was starting to feel stiff and unresponsive.

This situation arose because he was under unimaginable pressure.

The source of the pressure wasn't the flickering candle overhead, as if it might go out at any moment, but rather the series of heavy, stiff footsteps behind me.

The ghost followed Zhong Shan from beginning to end.

He dared not turn around, dared not make a sound, and had to avoid even the slightest unnecessary physical movements.

No one knows the killing pattern of the ghost behind them.

Once truly targeted, Zhong Shan knew he absolutely couldn't withstand the ghost's attack, even as Ghost Tamer; he would be killed on the spot in just a few seconds.

"Zhong Shan, hold on. Someone will take your place the moment this ghost candle burns out. Now, just keep walking straight ahead along this path."

"Someone has already used the Ghost Domain to pave a path for you; you don't need to take a detour."

"The plan was a success. The ghost was following you the whole time. Chen Yi's method was very effective. Using Guo Fan as a medium could indeed avoid the risk of being instantly killed when using the ghost candle."

The satellite phone was filled with unfamiliar voices.

The Headquarters is already aware of the plan's success.

Although there was no one around, all preparations had been made, and as long as Zhong Shan continued on this path, the plan would be a complete success.

Even though it has been unexpectedly interrupted, the plan is already more than half successful.

Because the danger had already left the city.

"It seems there won't be any more unexpected problems this time. Let's lure that thing away and forget about imprisoning it for now."

Inside the conference room, Cao Yanhua watched the images coming from the scene and listened to Chen Yi's report, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

After saying that, he looked at Wang Xiaoming again. "This time, thanks to your suggestion, Professor Wang, although it was a bit risky, thankfully it ended without any major incident."

"Guo Fan will have a hard time surviving this incident," Wang Xiaoming said instead of answering.

Cao Yanhua's eyes flickered slightly. "Although no one wants it, some things are always unavoidable and sacrifices are inevitable."

No, that's not what I meant.

Wang Xiaoming's expression was unusually calm. In his view, the death of a Ghost Tamer was insignificant, especially for Ghost Tamer like Guo Fan who could not affect the overall situation.

"Professor Wang is interested in what's on Guo Fan, isn't he?" It was Captain Shen Liang who spoke. He smiled slightly and said, "Although that special memorial tablet is possessed by a ghost, it is still a rather special item. These kinds of things usually have a certain degree of controllability and are worth studying."

Wang Xiaoming did not deny it, and said directly, "I have always paid close attention to the memorial tablet in Guo Fan's hand; its material is very special."

"Special?"

Zhao Jianguo, the consultant, put down the newspaper in his hand, his eyes flickering slightly, and said, "It should be quite ordinary. After all, the special thing about those kinds of things isn't the material. I've seen the information on the memorial tablets; they're made of very ordinary wood."

"Indeed."

Wang Xiaoming said, "But after the ghost coffin appeared, the memorial tablet in Guo Fan's hand became extraordinary. Yang Jian had been to Huanggang Village and had seen the original ghost coffin. At that time, there was also a memorial tablet in front of the ghost coffin, and there was a photo on the tablet. The portrait in the photo was reported, and the operator Liu Xiaoyu also looked up the person in the portrait."

"Of course, the person in the portrait cannot be found in reality, after all, it may be the appearance of a ghost, and the memorial tablet in Huanggang Village is just something in the Ghost Domain, not real. But the appearance of the Ghost Domain must always be based on reality, so it cannot be denied that at some point, there was such a memorial tablet placed in front of the ghost coffin."

"The coffin, the memorial tablet, the ghost on the portrait, two almost identical materials, products of the same era—I don't think such a coincidence exists in this world, especially in the case of paranormal events."

This reminder caused the expressions of the people present to suddenly change.

At the same time, a topic that had been discussed before popped into my mind.

Ghost Puzzle!

In the early stages of paranormal events, the source of ghosts is often something broken or incomplete, such as a fragmented shadow, a broken head, or a broken limb. These paranormal events are relatively harmless and easy to resolve.

But now, as the horror events escalate, the incomplete ghost is gradually being completed.

Some have suggested that real ghosts might have been broken into pieces and appeared in the world in fragmented form.

Of course, there is no solid evidence to prove this speculation. After all, such events are too complex and many aspects are incomprehensible. Speculation and some apparent evidence cannot confirm it.

"If the two are related, then involving Guo Fan in the operation is likely a mistake," Shen Liang said, frowning.

In the face of an event of this magnitude, it is essential to avoid any unexpected incidents as much as possible.

"No, that's precisely why I suggested Guo Fan participate in this operation." Wang Xiaoming's expression remained calm, but his eyes flickered, as if he were conceiving a different idea.

"I hope to see something special happen."

Cao Yanhua said in a deep voice, "So, do you think this is related to Guo Fan's loss of control?"

Under normal circumstances, Guo Fan's operation should not have gotten out of control, but an unexpected situation occurred this time.

Was this a deliberate scheme by Wang Xiaoming?

Or was this also a meticulously designed experiment by him?

Or perhaps the successful retrieval of the ghost coffin, coupled with the spirit tablet in Guo Fan's possession, sparked Professor Wang's new research interest, leading him to intentionally cause Guo Fan's demise in this operation.

Although the possibility is very small.

However, if Guo Fan's value is insufficient in Wang Xiaoming's assessment process, this situation could still occur.

Just like when Yang Jian and his group were almost wiped out in Huanggang Village.

Wang Xiaoming did not answer; he simply remained silent.

"Now is perhaps not the time to discuss this. Since the operation went smoothly, it's time to bring them out. Hopefully, they're all still alive."

Cao Yanhua's expression shifted slightly, and he immediately stood up. "The meeting is adjourned. Professor Wang and I will be leaving for a while."

After saying that, he and Wang Xiaoming got up and left the conference room.

The old man named Old Qin also left at the same time.

"As expected, they prepared some backup plans to rescue people. Professor Wang seems to have anticipated the danger of this operation." Shen Liang shook his head and smiled as he watched them leave.

"No one can afford to wipe out a top-tier team of Ghost Tamer. Isn't that why the Ghost Painting Incident was classified as an S-class incident? Professor Wang must have considered this when planning this operation," Zhao Jianguo said.

Shen Liang thought of Guo Fan, and his gaze darkened slightly. "But he's overthinking things. Who knows what he's up to? His words about the ghost coffin and the spirit tablet might just be for our benefit. His real purpose is probably unknown to anyone. After all, we don't have the same level of information or intelligence as him."

"It's not good to talk badly about Professor Wang behind his back," someone said.

"It's even worse to be targeted by him. I think the only one who would dare to deal with him is Yang Jian, after all..." Shen Liang stopped abruptly.

It's best not to bring up the feud between Yang Jian and Wang Xiaoming.

At this very moment.

A special place deep underground.

This is a place where some supernatural items are stored; Yang Jian had been here before.

Cao Yanhua, Wang Xiaoming, and Old Qin arrived at a small room.

Through the dark yellow glass window, you can see an old wooden door inside.

The wooden door was completely bound with chains, trapping the person inside.

However, the door standing on the ground trembled slightly from time to time, as if something behind the door wanted to open it and come out.

"Thank you for your help, Old Qin." Cao Yanhua finally managed to open the door and then said solemnly.

"Hehe, you're too kind, it's nothing." Old Qin walked into the small room with a smile.

As soon as he went inside, Cao Yanhua immediately closed the door.

The wooden door inside is codenamed the Ghost Gate, and it is an extremely dangerous object.

Dangerous things often represent immense value; it all depends on how you utilize them.

Inside the small room, Old Qin, leaning on his cane, slowly and deliberately untied the chains binding the wooden door.

As the restraints loosened, the vibrations coming from the other end of the wooden door became increasingly intense.

It was as if this door was eagerly about to open.

"This is the first time I've used something this dangerous. I hope nothing goes wrong," Cao Yanhua said with some concern.

"Anything can go wrong, and no one can guarantee 100% safety," Wang Xiaoming said calmly. "Dealing with these ghostly things is inherently dangerous. Let's set the timer; we'll open the door for the first time in sixteen minutes."

Cao Yanhua glanced at his watch and immediately noted down the time.

The sixteen-minute countdown began immediately, and Old Qin had almost completely untied the chains binding the wooden door.

Although there were still more than ten minutes left, Cao Yanhua dared not relax for a moment, his eyes fixed on his watch.

"Oh, right, there's something you need to keep in mind while no one's around," Wang Xiaoming suddenly said.

"What needs to be said at this time?"

Wang Xiaoming said, "I originally wanted to say this at the conference table, but I thought that would be too dangerous. After all, there are too many uncertain factors. Even you and I don't completely trust each other. We can only take the risk. If only you know, the risk is relatively small."

"Since it's so serious, tell me about it," Cao Yanhua said, raising his head slightly.

Wang Xiaoming glanced at the wooden door to the small room and slowly said, "Zhao Jianguo is in trouble."

"Huh? What does this mean?" Cao Yanhua was a little confused.

Wang Xiaoming said, "Literally, it means there's something wrong with him. I suspect he's been possessed by a ghost, not his body, but this part of him."

After saying that, he pointed to his head.

"Are you kidding me? What evidence do you have?" Cao Yanhua's eyes narrowed instantly.

"After his last work mistake, he was transferred to the training base as a receptionist, and shortly after, my lab had a problem. At the time, the situation was urgent, and I didn't think too much about it, but in my spare time, I did speculate: what if the incident of the ghost coffin going out of control wasn't an accident?"

"In other words, in that situation, who knew I had left the lab, and who had the capability to directly infiltrate the lab?"

"The only people who have had contact with me are Li Jun, Yang Jian, Zhao Jianguo, and a few security guards from the training base. However, all the security guards from the training base died in the Ghost Coffin Incident, so that's not a possibility. The only possibility is these three people, because not only have they had contact with me, but they were also participants in the Ghost Coffin Incident."

Wang Xiaoming said.

"Isn't Yang Jian a suspect?" Cao Yanhua's expression was extremely solemn.

"If I say he's a suspect, you'll probably suspect me, Deputy Minister, of using him as a pawn, since we've had some unpleasant experiences together."

Wang Xiaoming calmly said, "Unfortunately, he is the least suspicious, even less so than I am."

"So, does this mean a ghost has infiltrated our Headquarters?" Cao Yanhua said through gritted teeth.

"I can't be sure for now; it's just a guess," Wang Xiaoming said. "I'm not very good at this kind of thing, so it's up to you, Deputy Minister, to judge and resolve this. After all, if this isn't handled properly, it could lead to serious problems. My research is still ongoing, and I can't get involved in this kind of thing."

"Besides, this isn't the time to think about that. Pay attention to the time; it's almost time to open the door for the first time."

Cao Yanhua, who was deep in thought, suddenly snapped out of it.

He quickly shifted his attention to the watch, preparing to have Old Qin open the gates of hell for the first time.