Chapter 381: Chapter 380: Person in Charge Shen Liang
Shen Liang.
A man in his early thirties, young-looking yet brimming with energy, his slightly mature face bore a kind and pleasant smile that gave off a very friendly and amiable vibe, completely devoid of the imposing aura one might expect from someone in a high position wielding great power. If Yang Jian hadnât known his identity, he might have mistaken him for a regular neighborhood uncle.
Though the first impression was quite favorable, Yang Jian didnât think that made the man easy to deal with.
Being at the same level as Zhao Jianguo meant he was surely no simple character; the headquarters wouldnât assign such a person to manage such important matters without good reason.
âHello Yang Jian, Iâm Shen Liang. Iâve often heard Zhao Jianguo mention you. This is our first meeting. I hope youâll take good care of me in the future,â Shen Liang said enthusiastically as he entered the office, extending both hands as if he were addressing a superior, despite Yang Jian being much younger.
He showed not the slightest bit of pride or temper.
Yang Jian felt the warmth from his hands and responded calmly, âTeam Leader Shen is joking. Iâm just a worker here; how could I possibly take care of you? Everything is just a matter of official business. However, I am curious, wasnât Zhao Jianguo in charge of this? There was no prior communication about suddenly switching people.â
âAccording to the rules of the headquarters, the person in charge shouldnât be changed at random, unless⊠heâs dead.â
Shen Liang shook his head with a smile, âActually, we were supposed to notify you in advance, but unfortunately, some issues arose at headquarters. Zhao Jianguo was disciplined due to some work-related mishaps, so for the foreseeable future, he probably wonât be able to continue working. I will be in charge of your teamâs work from now on.â
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âSeems like itâs not all quiet within the headquarters either. I hope they havenât replaced my operator as well.â
Yang Jianâs eyes flickered, looking at him with a hint of profound meaning.
âYou can rest assured about that; absolutely not. I can guarantee you, this really is just about some of Zhao Jianguoâs work mistakes, nothing else,â Shen Liang reassured very earnestly: âLiu Xiaoyu is resting in the lounge right now. If you donât believe me, I can get her on the line at any time.â
âI hope itâs just some work-related mistakes,â said Yang Jian slowly before letting go of his hand.
Shen Liang then turned to Feng Quan with a smile, âNice to meet you. This must be the famous Feng Quan from the headquarters. Hello, Iâll have to learn a lot from you regarding work matters in the future.â
Feng Quan indeed counted as a veteran among the ghost-controlling experts.
He was Dachang Cityâs first person in charge, and his survival up to this point was noteworthy indeed.
âHello, Team Leader Shen,â Feng Quan nodded, acknowledging their acquaintance.
âI had heard about the severity and harm of the Z City incident. We owe it to Tong Qian for timely stopping the spread of that event. Although Iâd heard some unfavorable news about you before, it turns out that good people are blessed. Seeing you safe and sound makes me happier than anything else,â Shen Liang greeted Tong Qian warmly.
However, the smile on his face triggered the supernatural entity within Tong Qian.
Tong Qianâs head tilted slightly, and the laughing face moved to the center, looking at him with an eerie expression.
Confronted with this sudden occurrence, Shen Liang trembled slightly, a flash of panic and unease crossing his eyes.
âYou shouldnât smile at me; itâs not a good thing. Iâm afraid I wonât be able to control myself and end up accidentally killing you, Team Leader Shen. You can leave the matters here to Yang Jian and Feng Quan. Iâm not in good shape, unable to work normally like before, sorry,â the ghostly face on Tong Qian spoke, its voice chilling, evoking an eerie sensation.
âI understand, itâs okay as long as youâre alright,â Team Leader Shenâs smile was instinctive, but as soon as he realized what Tong Qian said, he quickly suppressed the smile, his expression turning exceptionally awkward.
Tong Qian continued, âAll the information regarding the Z City incident is here, and the ghost we detained is also here. Team Leader Shen, you can take over today.â
She pointed to a pitch-black body bag in the corner.
The silhouette of a body could be faintly discerned within.
âRest assured, Iâll handle this matter well. Youâve all worked hard; now take a good rest,â Shen Liang said, nodding before walking over and picking up the body bag.
The corpse wasnât heavy or restless, but holding it in his hands gave an inexplicably unsettling feeling.
If this office hadnât been filled with some of the countryâs leading ghost-controlling experts, he wouldnât have dared to make direct contact so rashly.
As Shen Liang was about to hand over the body bag to his colleagues, one of Yang Jianâs hands suddenly grabbed his arm.
The cool palm conveyed an astonishing force, as if clutched by the stiff fingers of someone on the brink of death.
âSince Captain Shen will be in charge from now on, shouldnât some of the things promised by Zhao Jianguo also be your responsibility? It wouldnât be right for a new person to take over and the previous leaderâs promises to no longer hold,â Yang Jian said.
Others might not worry about Shen Liangâs arrival in Z City, but they had some concerns about this Yang Jian.
A thorny issue, he was someone with strong abilities, yet extremely difficult to deal with.
âIâm not sure what Zhao Jianguo promised before. Since Iâm taking over, if itâs something I can fulfill, I will definitely do so. Please rest assured,â Shen Liang said earnestly.
Yang Jian said, âItâs nothing particularly important. Previously, Wang Xiaoming wrote me an IOU. He owes me a Ghost Candle. Arenât you planning on helping me to press this issue, Captain Shen? And the reason this incident was resolved is that I used up two Ghost Candles and called in reinforcements by offering the position to control two ghosts. Personal risk and effort are one thing, as it was all in consideration of Z Cityâs safety, but a person shouldnât be expected to operate at a loss, right? In ancient times, soldiers had a stipend. Donât you think you should reimburse me, Captain Shen?â
Hearing this, Shen Liangâs mouth twitched instantly.
Resources like Ghost Candles and the position to control ghosts were beyond his purview to reimburse.
âCaptain Shen, youâre a straightforward person. Donât make empty promises to deceive me, or this will be our last meeting,â Yang Jian warned.
Yang Jian released his arm, the flesh on his forehead split open, revealing a crimson and eerie eyeball that swiveled restlessly.
Shen Liang turned with some difficulty and said, âMister Yang, this is beyond my responsibility, the resources for Ghost Candles have always been managed by Professor Wang. I canât even seize them if I tried. Why donât you give Professor Wang a call and discuss this matter?â
âIâm not on good terms with him. I killed his brother in front of him in Dachang City last time. And during the Hungry Ghost incident, we had some minor frictions that didnât end pleasantly, so I wonât contact him. Besides, arenât you and headquarters on the same side? You ask me to reach out, why donât you take care of the supernatural event yourself?â Yang Jian argued.
Yang Jian calmly said, âPassing the buck is pointless, Captain Shen. And stop calling me Mister Yang. Iâm just a common worker. You provide the resources, and I do the work for you; itâs that simple.â
âHow about this, Iâll advance you one yearâs worth of cooperation in gold, and then Iâll submit a report about your situation. As long as the minister approves, I guarantee all your expenses for this operation will be reimbursed,â Shen Liang proposed.
âThatâll do for now. Iâm planning to apply for a long vacation with Tong Qian and Feng Quan soon. We can talk about what comes after once the reimbursement comes through,â Yang Jian responded.
Shen Liang immediately said, âPlease, donât. Thereâs room for negotiation, isnât there? I havenât said I wonât take care of it; itâs just that I really canât make decisions on this matter.â
He didnât dare to let Tong Qian, Feng Quan, and Yang Jian take a holiday all at once. If they returned to headquarters, his fate wouldnât be much better than Zhao Jianguoâs.
âThe fact that weâre still sitting here in the office talking means weâre negotiating well. If you canât handle it, let Zhao Jianguo come,â Yang Jian stated.
He didnât mean to make things difficult for anyone, but he had lost too much in this operation. If headquarters didnât reimburse him for something as a gesture of goodwill, he would not accept it.
Caught in a dilemma, Shen Liang then said, âWait here for a moment, Iâll make a call to ask for instructions from above to see how to handle this situation.â
âFeel free,â said Yang Jian.
Shen Liang had to put down the body bag he was holding and hurried outside to make the call.
âIsnât this a bit too much?â
Tong Qian frowned at his side, âAfter all, itâs all in the interest of the bigger picture. Thereâs no need to haggle over every detail. Itâs good enough that weâre still alive.â
Yang Jian replied, âItâs true, but just because we survived this time, does that guarantee survival next time? I didnât cut any corners in dealing with the supernatural events. Asking for something isnât too much, besides itâs not even a demand, itâs reimbursement. Donât be too rigid. Some resources are wasted at headquarters. In our hands, they can be used to their greatest potential.â
âBrother Tui makes a good point,â Feng Quan considered and found this reasonable.
Hearing this, Tong Qian didnât say any more. Although she thought Yang Jianâs approach was somewhat mercenary and petty, she also believed it was not wrong.
After stepping out, Shen Liang didnât actually make the call to headquarters.
Doing so would not only reveal his inability but might also lead to the dismissed Zhao Jianguoâs potential return.
âThis Yang Jian is young, but heâs no simpleton. No wonder Zhao Jianguo often had headaches over this man. This guy wonât take action until he sees a sure gain,â Shen Liang lit a cigarette and furrowed his brow.
âCaptain, why not just take direct control of the Z City incident? The problem has already been resolved, and itâs highly unlikely that Yang Jian would turn hostile and strike at us. He doesnât have the guts,â a colleague suggested in a hushed tone.
Shen Liang glanced at him, âWhat if he turns aggressive? Can you beat them?â
âAlthough Yang Jian has handled S-level supernatural events and has a big reputation, Iâm not afraid of him. After all, he took advantage of the situation last time. Without that Coffin Nail, he would have been done for,â the man replied.
âIt would be possible to suppress Yang Jian alone, but what about Feng Quan and Tong Qian? When three ghost controllers gather, if not handled properly, it could lead to serious problems. Many things have changed now. A single ghost controller can influence the stability of an entire region. A few top-tier controllers together can even sway global events.â
âAdditionally, Yang Jian holds some terrifying secrets. He can even resurrect the dead, which is of great value to us.â
After contemplating, Shen Liang gritted his teeth, âGive him what he wants; otherwise, todayâs issue wonât be resolved,â
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