Background in the Painting
The Captain Plan was not the focus of this meeting; the focus was on the Ghost Painting Incident.
Another S-class paranormal event stemming from the Ghost Messenger incident, and this Ghost Painting Incident has a precedent of breaking out abroad. It once wiped out a top-notch Ghost Tamer team abroad, causing an unimaginable number of deaths. Even now, there is still a phobia of paintings in some places abroad.
Cao Yanhua looked serious and gestured to the staff.
The slideshow immediately transformed into a document containing all the information about the Ghost Painting Incident.
"The main reason for this Ghost Painting Incident is the mission plan related to the Ghost Messenger incident. Professor Wang suggested luring the ghost painting to the outskirts of the city to suppress the Ghost Messenger's Ghost Domain, thereby completely resolving the Ghost Messenger incident." Cao Yanhua pointed to the picture and said, "The plan was very successful."
"The Ghost Messenger realm where the ghost Ghost Domain was located was completely covered by the ghost painting, and the Ghost Messenger disappeared."
"However, some mistakes occurred when the plan was coming to an end. The ghost-luring plan carried out by Chen Yi, Zhong Shan, and Guo Fan did not completely lure the five ghosts that came out of the ghost painting to the designated place. When the ghost candles were replaced halfway through, two of the ghosts disappeared."
After saying that, he pointed to another photo.
The photo shows a dimly lit road with five eerie figures standing in the middle, seemingly walking towards it.
The five figures looked familiar; they resembled Li Jun, Su Fan, Liu San, A Hong, and Xu Yiping.
No, it's not just similar, it's their image.
"So, this painting can change the image of the ghost? It can become any one of us?" Cao Yang raised an eyebrow, getting straight to the heart of the matter.
"It looks like it can't be wrong," someone agreed.
"If it's just a change of appearance, it should be easy to spot, right? After all, ghosts and humans are different, and that eerie feeling can't be hidden no matter what," Jiang Shangbai said, frowning.
"Perhaps it's not as simple as it seems. Only after truly getting to know it will we understand why ghosts change their appearance, why five ghosts can emerge, and that the ghost painting should only be one painting, with only one source ghost." Some people began to have doubts.
Cao Yanhua continued, "The two ghosts that disappeared resembled Su Fan and Liu San. I don't know if this is crucial information, just remember it. Also, a few days after these two ghosts disappeared, the Ghost Painting Incident occurred in the city."
"These are some of the ghost paintings we've collected so far; you can take a look."
After he finished speaking, the slideshow flashed, and four photos of ghostly drawings appeared on the screen.
Each of the ghost paintings was basically the same: an old, carved frame with mottled red paint, and a blurry painting of a woman with indistinct features, wearing a red European-style dress, her white hands standing out from the surrounding style.
"The background is different." Yang Jian's expression shifted slightly when he saw the four ghost paintings.
Although each of the ghost paintings looks similar, featuring the image of a woman, the background behind that woman is completely different.
The background of the oil painting is a cluster of high-rise buildings hidden in the dim light. Through the indistinct windows, one can vaguely see some unrecognizable figures. Judging from the outline and appearance of the buildings, it looks like an upscale apartment complex in a metropolis.
The background of the second oil painting is also dark and gloomy, but the objects in the painting have changed. It is a park with shady trees, and a few pedestrians can be vaguely seen standing on the park's path.
The background of the third oil painting is also dark and eerie, but it doesn't depict a residential area or a park; instead, it shows a school. A dormitory building occupies most of the space, while other buildings are just silhouettes in the darkness, indistinct in the background.
The fourth oil painting depicts a busy city highway with many vehicles stuck in traffic nearby, surrounded by numerous high-rise buildings.
"I think you've already noticed that the backgrounds of these four oil paintings are all different. Based on my comparison, the buildings in the background should be Shangfeng Residential Area, Forest Park, Dajing University, and Tianqiao Avenue."
Cao Yanhua said, "Moreover, all four of these places are where incidents have occurred; there have been cases of people being killed by ghost paintings."
"Different backgrounds in the paintings, the same ghost, and the recurring paintings—it's all a mystery, especially the last one: how did these ghost paintings appear out of thin air? This is the most pressing question we need to answer right now."
"It's not that easy to figure out. If it were, the losses abroad wouldn't have been so severe. This issue has probably been discussed countless times by others already," Jiang Shangbai said, shaking his head slightly.
"I agree with Jiang Shangbai. I think it's almost impossible to analyze the situation of the ghost painting based on a few fragmented clues." Chen Yi nodded and then said, "Yang Jian, I heard that you handled the Ghost Painting Incident last night, and the Ghost Painting Incident you handled was different from the one we handled. At that time, the ghost painting formed Ghost Domain and covered two floors."
Have you ever had contact with the ghosts depicted in ghost paintings? Why don't you share your thoughts?
At this moment, everyone looked at Yang Jian.
After all, they were likely to face the Ghost Painting Incident next, and they didn't want to miss any clues. It was the most appropriate time for Yang Jian to speak up.
After this point, Yang Jian is unlikely to be willing to share information.
Cao Yanhua's expression shifted, and he looked at Yang Jian: "Yang Jian, you have experience with this, can you share it?"
Yang Jian remained calm. "There's not much to say. It's similar to other supernatural events. The Ghost Domain has affected the surrounding area, and ghosts roam within Ghost Domain. The only thing to note is that within the Ghost Domain, the ghost paintings and the ghosts are separate. To imprison them, you must first find the hidden ghost painting; otherwise, the ghosts cannot be dealt with. Even if you manage to eliminate the ghost first, new ghosts will emerge from the ghost painting again."
"Therefore, painting is the source."
"Reboot?" Feng Quan asked in surprise.
"It's not a reboot, it's different from a reboot. A ghost painting represents a ghost. The painting itself won't change, but the ghost inside will keep appearing, similar to a resurrection," Yang Jian said after thinking for a moment.
Rebooting is much scarier than this. Rebooting is the ghost restarting itself, which means you have to deal with it all over again. But ghost painting doesn't require that. You can completely avoid the ghosts inside, find the ghost painting, and then figure out a way to imprison it. The difficulty is relatively low.
"Yang Jian, how were you imprisoned?" Li Jun asked.
Yang Jian didn't hide anything. "My method is to deal with the ghosts wandering in the Ghost Domain first, and then imprison the Ghost Painting before it comes out of it."
"So, to imprison the ghost painting, at least two people need to work together? One person deals with the ghost, and the other finds the ghost painting and waits there for the right moment?" Li Lepeng said slowly.
"Theoretically, that's correct, but it's just an ordinary ghost drawing. What's the source?"
Yang Jian said, "The source is definitely not as simple as we imagine. But speaking of which, who are you? I don't recognize you at all."
"My name is Li Lepeng. Just remember my name. As for me, you won't remember me," Li Lepeng said.
Li Lepeng?
Yang Jian turned his head away. He could only remember this name, and he seemed to have met this person at the last meeting, but he had no memory of this person at all.
A person who can't be remembered?
It's really strange.
Yang Jian glanced at him again, but forgot about him in the blink of an eye, and this wasn't the first time.
I doubt he'd recognize himself the next time we meet, unless he says his name.
"So the main purpose of this meeting is for everyone to discuss how to solve the problem of the ghost paintings?" someone asked.
Cao Yanhua said, "That's right, three days. I'll give everyone three days. No matter what method you use, even if you have to turn the whole city upside down, you must find the ghost painting and confirm its source. If anyone can do it, Headquarters can grant them one reasonable request."
"Whoever can directly resolve the Ghost Painting Incident, I can make an exception and promote them to be the Captain Plan."
Three days?
Yang Jian's expression shifted slightly upon hearing the deadline.
He had previously told Cao Yanhua that he would only stay in the city for five more days. Two days have already passed, and in three more days he will return to Dachang City, at which point everything here will be irrelevant to him.
But this has happened at this crucial juncture.
It seems my next three days won't be too easy.
However, Cao Yanhua's deadline was not deliberately set for Yang Jian, but rather a decision he made after careful consideration and evaluation.
If the Ghost Painting Incident cannot be resolved in a short period of time, it will definitely have a huge impact.
In addition, many people cannot stay here for long and will eventually return to their respective cities, so three days is about the limit for most people. Any longer and it will cause inconvenience to other cities.
"Solve the Ghost Painting Incident and become the captain directly?" Many people's eyes flickered, seemingly harboring some thoughts.
They already understood the captain's authority during their discussion.
It is indeed very tempting.
It governs a vast area, encompassing dozens of cities of varying sizes. Members can form their own teams of Ghost Tamer, and the Headquarters provides unconditional support with essential supplies, prioritizing the survival of the team leader.
Anyone with even a little ambition would be tempted.
However, considering the difficulty and complexity of this incident, he secretly shook his head.
To resolve the issue of the Ghost Painting, so many top-tier Ghost Tamer had to be gathered. Although there was a cautious approach involved, the eeriness and danger of that thing were self-evident.
One wrong move and the whole team could be wiped out in a matter of minutes.
"If everyone has no questions, then Professor Wang will now begin explaining the relevant information about the Ghost Painting Incident," Cao Yanhua said.
At this moment, Wang Xiaoming, who looked dejected and somewhat haggard, slightly raised his head; before that, he seemed to have been sleeping the whole time.
"The files on the Ghost Painting Incident have always been in the hands of foreigners, and they should have preserved some of the information. Therefore, we can only organize and speculate based on the information we have so far. Below are some of my personal opinions and analyses; you can listen to them."
Wang Xiaoming stood up and pointed to the four photos of the ghost paintings on the screen. "First of all, I deduce that if we really want to find the source of the ghost paintings, we will most likely have to enter any of the ghost paintings again."
He spoke concisely, getting straight to the point.
"What? Go inside the ghost paintings to find ghost paintings?" someone exclaimed in surprise.
This is far too dangerous.
Searching for something in front of a ghost is a sure way to get killed inside the ghost painting if you can't handle it.
"This is just my personal deduction. You can take a look at the backgrounds of these four ghost paintings: Shangfeng Residential Area, Forest Park, Dajing University, and Tianqiao Avenue. Did you notice that these four locations are all different? Although the fifth and sixth ghost paintings didn't appear, if they did, it would prove that my deduction is correct."
Wang Xiaoming continued, "The backgrounds of the ghost paintings should have a certain degree of connectivity, meaning that if you can enter one ghost painting, you can most likely go to another ghost painting."
"The feasibility of entering the ghost paintings has been proven, because the bodies of several victims were found inside them. Look closely at this corner." He then pointed to an inconspicuous, dimly lit corner of the first ghost painting.
The image of that place was enlarged; a person dressed in modern women's clothing lay there, and although the body was shrouded in darkness, a blurry outline could still be made out.
"Professor Wang, that's just a guess."
Jiang Shangbai said in a deep voice, "We can't risk entering the Ghost Painting to find its source based on a mere guess; many people could die."
"Without any clues, we can only rely on the existing information to guess; that's the only way," Wang Xiaoming said earnestly. "There's no better way, and I believe my deduction is correct."
"Assuming the ghost paintings are truly connected, what if we enter one and can't find the source? Wouldn't we die inside?" someone asked.
Wang Xiaoming said, "That's a very stupid question. The ghost paintings are both the entrance and the exit. I have four ghost paintings, which means there are four exits. The premise is that you don't get lost inside. After all, it's the world of ghost paintings. I don't know what will happen or what you will encounter."
"It's even possible that entering the ghost painting is a trap. I'm just mentioning this possibility; to confirm it, someone needs to take the risk."
Take a risk?
Are you kidding me? This is risking your life to try something like this.
"And you'd better act quickly. The background of the Ghost Painting is like a jigsaw puzzle, seemingly piecing together pieces of the area. If all the areas are connected, then all the exits may cease to exist. The Ghost Painting may very well be fully revived, and at that time, its ghost Ghost Domain will likely cover a city, and its range can continue to expand."
"As for the reason for the appearance of the ghost drawing, I don't know yet, because there is no information to provide. It seems to have appeared out of thin air, so you will need to find the clues."
"There is another possibility besides that."
As Yang Jian listened to Wang Xiaoming's explanation, his heart gradually sank.
His speculation was both bold and reasonable, something he had never imagined before.
Are the ghost drawings connected?
Can we find the source by entering the ghost painting?
"If Wang Xiaoming's deduction is true, then when I dealt with the ghost painting, there should have been an entrance leading to the deeper parts of the ghost painting within that two-story-wide ghost Ghost Domain, but I didn't find it. Or is his conjecture about the ghost painting wrong?"
While Yang Jian was pondering, he also overheard another possible guess from Wang Xiaoming.
The ghost painting is just a ghost, hidden somewhere in the city. Finding it will solve the case.
However, Wang Xiaoming was very dissatisfied with this conjecture.
Because it's too simple.
If it were that simple, foreign countries would have solved it long ago, so he leans towards the first possibility, but Wang Xiaoming did not deny this conjecture.
What if it's really that simple?
Besides these, he had a third and a fourth conjecture. However, they were less likely, so he didn't reveal them to avoid confusing everyone.
To further confirm this, we need the clues and intelligence gathered by everyone involved in the operation.
"This is really a troublesome matter," Yang Jian, his head throbbing with increasing frustration.
Two ghosts emerged from the ghost painting. They were suspected of being able to change their appearance, and their final forms were Su Fan and Liu San.
The ghostly drawings appear to be interconnected, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and are eroding the city. Once the puzzle is complete, the ghostly drawings may be at risk of a complete resurgence.
The ghosts that keep emerging from the ghost paintings are like a reboot, and dealing with them requires the cooperation of two people.
The Ghost Messenger disappeared into the ghost painting.
They wiped out a top-tier team of foreign Ghost Tamer. Where are the ghosts that were on those people?
Complex.
It's quite complicated.
All the clues were completely disorganized, consisting of speculations and conjectures that didn't connect at all.
This is far more complicated than the Dachang City Starvation Ghost Incident.
All we needed to do was find the pattern of the starving ghosts' killings and locate the source.
But what about this grotesque drawing?
Various paintings appear out of nowhere, and all sorts of incomprehensible strange occurrences are shrouded in mystery. We know neither the patterns of their killings nor their origins. Everything is an enigma.
"The Ghost Painting can suppress my Ghost Eye. I am at a natural disadvantage when facing the Ghost Painting. It's best not to get involved in this incident, otherwise I might really die here if I encounter danger." Yang Jian made a judgment.
He felt he didn't need to get involved; he'd just casually observe for a few days and then leave.
With so many people here, there's no need for me to show off.
And
Yang Jian glanced at Old Qin, who had been sitting motionless in the chair next to him since entering the conference room.
With this old man around, the situation probably won't get too bad.
Having made up his mind, Yang Jian decided to focus his attention on Jiang Shangbai and his circle of friends.
Today's conflict with him is a sign, and also a precursor.
If he's not mistaken, what follows will be a wave of retaliation from his circle of friends.
As long as they can hold on, even if their social circle doesn't completely collapse, it will never recover. At the very least, they won't dare to say anything about killing themselves when they face themselves in the future.
Yesterday's.