Countermeasure

Tick-tock, tick-tock!

It was past midnight, and the quiet, empty first floor of the laboratory building echoed with the distinct sound of dripping water.

The floor of the lobby was covered in water stains at some point, and it was wet. It seemed that someone had come in from outside in the rain and made a mess of the floor, but even if someone got soaked, it was impossible for them to leave so many water stains.

Moreover, the water stains on the ground were black and smelly, unlike rainwater, but rather like the fluid from something rotting.

The water stains made the first floor damp and gave off a foul stench; no one could possibly stay in such an environment—it was simply unbearable.

However, there were many messy footprints on the living room floor. Although the footprints were disorderly, they could be clearly identified upon close inspection. There were actually only two footprints on the floor. One was a child's footprint, and the individual toes were clearly visible.

The other footprint was rather strange. Although the footprint was large, its shape was bizarre. It had no toes and no arched sole, resembling an irregular, elongated mark.

It's difficult to determine what kind of 'person' would leave such strange footprints.

The strange footprint was wet, running along the ground deep into the building, but quickly circled back, then lingered in the lobby before disappearing further into the building.

It seemed to be repeatedly circling the building, going in and out.

No, this wasn't a deliberate attempt to go in and out of the building; rather, each footprint was followed by another footprint belonging to a child.

The child's footprints belong to the ghost child inside the building.

It was chasing something, and that thing couldn't be a living person, because if it were, it would have been killed long ago, and wouldn't be wandering around aimlessly inside the building.

"Dr. Chen, the commotion outside has started again." Assistant Liu, Dr. Chen, and the others chose to hide in a room on the second floor.

They knew that a ghostly child roamed inside the building, making it extremely dangerous, so they dared not go out.

I thought I could get through this safely, but just now, around midnight, some unusual noises started happening inside the building.

Two hurried footsteps were chasing each other inside the building. These two footsteps were peculiar; they were both barefoot.

At first, they thought someone had come in to deal with the ghost in the building, but they soon realized that was not the case. Judging from the noises outside, what had just entered the building was definitely not a living person, because a living person would not remain silent, nor would they be chased by a ghost indefinitely.

The sound of hurried footsteps passed by their room door, unusually clear in the silence, even though the two hurried footsteps were just passing by and had no intention of coming in.

But just by passing by, the people inside the house felt their hair stand on end and their bodies go cold.

But they weren't at ease, still keeping their eyes on the doorway, afraid that the footsteps that had just passed by outside would stop and the person would rush out.

"Don't be nervous. Since we were fine at the beginning, it means we don't fit the killing patterns of the ghosts outside. As long as we don't do anything reckless, surviving won't be a problem."

In the dimly lit room, Dr. Chen sat on the floor, his voice low as he comforted his assistants.

At this point, there's a concern that these young people might not be able to handle the pressure and could experience an emotional breakdown.

"And I just checked, the food and water here are enough for us to live on for a month or two without any problem. We have plenty of time. Professor Wang will definitely be able to resolve the issue within that time. The reason he hasn't shown up yet is because he's still busy dealing with Yang Jian's situation."

Hearing this, Assistant Liu and the others immediately felt much more relaxed.

Inside the building.

The ghost child is running, chasing after the figure of a strange person ahead.

It doesn't have Ghost Domain and can't instantly appear in a certain place, so the only way to get close to it is through the simplest method.

Faced with this new intruder in the building, Ghost Child had only one option: to kill him. Since the intrusion had triggered the killing pattern set by Yang Jian, there was no possibility of compromise or giving up.

This is a relentless, undying attack.

However, the ghost child was fast, and the eerie voice in front of them was also running very fast, so they couldn't catch up in a short time.

The figure flashed past, leaving a pool of foul-smelling water on the ground. The figure turned the corner and went up to the third floor without hesitation or delay, seemingly very familiar with the terrain. Each route selection was precise, and the figure kept trying to increase the distance between itself and the ghost child.

The ghost child was chasing, but it wasn't as steady as one might imagine. Holding the dead man's head, it would sometimes drop it when making sharp turns. At those moments, the ghost child would simply pick up the rotting head and continue the chase.

Although the distance sometimes widened, the ghost child was usually able to catch up.

The chase had been going on for a while now, and almost every floor, from the first floor to the second, third, and fourth floors, was covered with water stains left behind by that eerie figure.

However, judging from the route of the chase, the figure in front is not trying to escape the ghost child's pursuit, but rather to buy time.

"Why isn't it over yet? This is getting me into a bit of a problem."

Outside the laboratory building, Gao Ming held an umbrella in one hand and an ice cream in the other, watching and eating at the same time.

He frowned slightly, sensing a bit of surprise.

Because the problem here had been going on for quite a while, he had slipped away for two days. He only came back tonight to check on the situation, and that's when he saw two figures chasing each other inside the building.

Gao Ming slightly adjusted his sunglasses. His eyes, hidden beneath the sunglasses, were sunken, without pupils, dark and empty, yet he could still see clearly and was intently observing the building and the eerie figure.

It seemed curious which unlucky fellow had ventured deep into the building and was being chased by a ghost.

Gao Ming immediately locked onto the unfamiliar figure, but when he saw it clearly, a look of astonishment appeared on his face. "No way, another ghost?"

He couldn't help but shudder as he witnessed a horrifying scene that defied comprehension.

They've slipped away, they've slipped away.

Gao Ming, holding his umbrella, turned and left, planning to come back in a couple of days. It was getting increasingly dangerous here; the "No Approach" signs needed to be put up further away.

Not long after he left.

The real danger, however, had already erupted on the fifth basement level of the laboratory.

Inside the experimental room at this moment.

The sealed gate had been opened, and inside, Yang Jian and Wei Jing stood motionless, their expressions eerie, their auras chilling, and they remained silent, showing no signs of life. Their expressions revealed a strange malevolence, carrying a look that was both serene and smiling.

When Wang Xiaoming saw this scene, his heart could no longer remain calm; he was trembling.

It wasn't fear, but a sense of unease, a profound unease.

Because Yang Jian and Wei Jing have both been possessed by ghosts, one of their consciousnesses is in a spirit tablet, while the other may have been destroyed or controlled.

"They've arrived."

Wang Xiaoming took a few steps back and saw Yang Jian and Wei Jing slowly walking out of the experimental room.

Immediately.

As the surrounding light dimmed, the lights on this floor flickered incessantly.

Supernatural forces began to affect this floor without any room restrictions.

"If Wei Jing hadn't met with an accident, the situation could still be controlled if only Yang Jian was possessed by a ghost. But now that even the door to the experimental room has been opened, the lockdown of the fifth basement level alone won't be enough to stop these two ghosts from getting outside."

Wang Xiaoming's eyes flickered slightly as he calculated in his mind.

Despite the terrible, irreversible situation that had already been created, he did not give up on himself, but instead focused on how to deal with the current situation.

"Compared to Wei Jing's loss of control, I'm more concerned about the revival of the ghost within Yang Jian's body. However, judging from the current situation, there are no signs of the ghost reviving within Yang Jian's body for the time being. This is probably because the ghost within his body has reached a balance, but this situation shouldn't last long."

"As time goes by, Yang Jian's corpse, which has become a ghost, will become more and more terrifying until finally all three ghosts inside his body are revived."

Wang Xiaoming didn't have much time to think.

At this moment, Yang Jian and Wei Jing, who were controlled by the ghost, were already walking towards him.

There was no conflict between the two; on the contrary, they were showing signs of joining forces, a situation that was utterly disheartening.

Wang Xiaoming retreated again; he no longer stayed outside but entered the safe house.

But he didn't close the door.

He was waiting, using himself as bait to lure Yang Jian or Wei Jing in to kill him, so that he could temporarily trap someone in the safe house.

If they're lucky, both of them will be imprisoned at the same time.

However, the plan failed.

Wei Jing was just passing by; he neither attacked Wang Xiaoming nor entered the safe house.

"Didn't Wei Jing inherit the killing patterns of the Ghost Messenger?" Wang Xiaoming's expression shifted slightly, feeling somewhat incredulous.

According to the killing patterns of Ghost Messenger, they will kill those who are alone or those Ghost Tamer. He is clearly alone now, so the probability of him being attacked is very high.

"Has the pattern changed, or have these two become anomalies among ghosts, making it impossible to judge their situation using the previous methods?" Wang Xiaoming wasn't sure, but he was even more wary.

Wei Jing and Yang Jian seemed to be leaving.

Their figures were gradually disappearing, clearly indicating that the Ghost Domain had already invaded, but Wang Xiaoming, being an ordinary person, had not yet noticed.

Soon.

They were both gone; they must have left this floor.

"The two of them are in a very strange state, like puppets being controlled, or perhaps they haven't fully grasped their own situation yet. Their ghost abilities and killing patterns haven't appeared. Currently, only Yang Jian's Ghost Eye is still active. The headless ghost shadow behind him is not moving, Wei Jing's Ghost Domain hasn't been used, and the ghost rope hasn't been revived."

"An opportunity, this is an opportunity."

Wang Xiaoming used himself as bait to glean a lot of information. He judged that although Yang Jian and Wei Jing, who were currently controlled by the ghost, were in danger, it was not the most dangerous moment yet.

On the contrary, this is the most vulnerable time for both of them.

The ghosts in the spirit tablets haven't gotten used to their new bodies yet. After all, Yang Jian has been controlling three ghosts, and it will definitely take time for him to completely take over.

"I remember Yang Jian left a Ghost Infant outside the building before, it was a second-stage Ghost Infant. He wanted to use the Ghost Infant's power to seal off the building. So Yang Jian and Wei Jing, who are about to leave, will most likely clash with that second-stage Ghost Infant."

"If that Ghost Infant truly possesses the abilities of a starving ghost, then it can definitely grow."

Wang Xiaoming immediately left the safe house and rushed to the laboratory room, where he picked up the memorial tablet lying in a pool of blood, wearing gloves.

But then something unexpected happened.

The black and white portrait, soaked in blood, fell off the memorial tablet, seemingly because it had been submerged in blood for too long.

The photograph and the memorial tablet were separated at this point.

Wang Xiaoming quickly picked up the portrait representing Yang Jian's consciousness, put it in his pocket, and then left the place with the memorial tablet.

"It doesn't matter if the photo falls off. The memorial tablet and the portrait are two different things. The photo, which represents consciousness, is a product of the Ghost Portrait. As long as you can control the memorial tablet, you can have the ability to switch consciousness."

"And right now, the only one most suitable to control this spirit tablet is that Ghost Infant, which is the second stage of the starving ghost."

Wang Xiaoming knew very well that once the Ghost Infant devoured the spirit tablet, it would grow like a starving ghost and eventually control it.

But there's a prerequisite.

Who will control the Ghost Infant?

In other words, whose will this Ghost Infant listen to?

"This is Wang Xiaoming. The situation is urgent. Immediately contact Yang Jian's previous operator Liu Xiaoyu. I need to know all of Yang Jian's recent movements, who he has met, where he has been, and who he has had close contact with."

He immediately dialed Headquarters.

Wang Xiaoming's intuition told him that since Yang Jian had left behind the Ghost Infant, he must have prepared a backup plan and left behind countermeasures, just like he did in Dachang City. Otherwise, given his personality, he would not have participated in this experiment alone.

If we can find it and utilize the backup plan left by Yang Jian, then we can turn the tide.

"Okay, contact them immediately." A voice came from the other end of the phone, and then a dedicated person at Headquarters quickly carried out Wang Xiaoming's order.

Wang Xiaoming has a very keen intuition.

Yang Jian had considered the possibility of something going wrong with him, so when raising the Ghost Infant, in addition to being able to command it himself, there was another person who could command it.

That's Wang Shanshan.

But at the same time...

Now, Yang Jian and Wei Jing, who are controlled by the ghost, have broken through the blockade of the fifth underground floor and officially arrived at the first floor of this building.

The lights in the entire building dimmed, floor by floor.

This is the Ghost Domain spreading, but not as fast as expected.

But at this moment, the number of ghosts inside the building had reached a terrifying level.

Yang Jian, Wei Jing, the ghost child, and an unknown vengeful ghost that invaded from the outside—a total of four terrifying beings.