Chapter 502 - Chapter 502: Chapter 499: The Foundation of the Headquarters

Chapter 502: Chapter 499: The Foundation of the Headquarters

The meeting’s agenda was roughly discussed and established.

Jang Shangbai’s Coffin Nail plan was temporarily shelved, and Professor Wang’s ghost painting scheme is currently being employed. However, this is but one of several options. Cao Yanhua hopes that others will continue to come up with alternative plans, even if only as a backup, so that there won’t be a lack of response in case an issue arises.

However, the specific implementation of the plan wasn’t discussed at the meeting. It is expected that the think tank at headquarters will provide satisfactory answers, and there’s no need for others to worry about it.

But even the best plans require someone to execute them.

It is anticipated that a few unlucky ghost controllers will be assigned tasks in the future.

Yang Jian is very confident that this time, he definitely won’t be one of them, because if headquarters were to assign him again, that would be outright bullying.

…

The meeting neared its end around noon.

“The first meeting will end here for today, but the matter is not yet concluded. Following normal proceedings, there will be a second meeting tomorrow; I hope everyone will be prepared.” Cao Yanhua checked the time before declaring the temporary adjournment of the meeting.

But in the end, he called out specific names with a stern criticism: “Before we end the meeting, I must deliver a severe reprimand to Yang Jian.”

“Yang Jian fought with Gao Zhiqiang in the rest area, directly causing the resurrection of Gao’s fierce ghost, resulting in the loss of a top-tier ghost controller for the headquarters. This is an unforgivable grave mistake. If it were normal circumstances, he would certainly face severe punishment.”

As he spoke, Cao Yanhua looked visibly angry.

“The moment has come,” Yang Jian glanced at Feng Quan beside him.

It was just as he’d said; he was indeed being singled out for criticism.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Ɲονǥ0.сᴑ

But this was merely a formality. Those who were clever knew that the headquarters couldn’t actually do anything to Yang Jian; it was merely Cao Yanhua’s personal performance to salvage some face for the headquarters and also to let others know that they could still suppress Yang Jian and that they should not act rashly.

“Is this Yang Jian really just a hothead? Surely he must be aware of this,” someone thought to themselves.

If Yang Jian were provoked now and decided to kill Cao Yanhua, that would be interesting.

Clearly,

they were disappointed.

Yang Jian sat still, without the confrontational attitude he had earlier with Jang Shangbai and the others, as if he hadn’t heard Cao Yanhua’s accusations and criticism at all.

After criticizing for a while, Cao Yanhua then added, “Although the consequences of Yang Jian’s actions were extremely severe and had a very negative impact, he also prevented Gao Zhiqiang from bullying a female switchboard operator at headquarters. His actions were just and maintained peace within the headquarters…”

“Therefore, the punishment for Yang Jian this time will be a halving of his salary and gold quota, along with one demerit; this will not set a precedent.”

“What? Just a fine and a demerit?” Jang Shangbai’s face darkened upon hearing this punishment.

To merely go through the motions, at least some measure should be taken. What does a fine amount to? Are ghost controllers short on money? Moreover, a demerit has no effect on Yang Jian, who is already nominated for team leader and is expected to be elected. Whether he is demerited or not is irrelevant. Cao Yanhua’s way of handling the punishment might as well have been three cups of penalty wine.

Perhaps that could have at least gotten Yang Jian drunk, forcing him to sleep off a hangover for a day and suffer with a headache all night.

Gao Zhiqiang really died in vain.

How unjust.

Jang Shangbai sighed internally.

A promising ghost controller died just because he couldn’t control his temper, killed outright by Yang Jian at headquarters, without anyone even crying foul. What’s more, Gao wasn’t really at fault; at most, it would have been a verbal warning under normal circumstances, with no serious consequences.

He knew that headquarters also didn’t want Gao Zhiqiang to die, but by the time they could have intervened, it was already too late. Yang Jian was both ruthless and decisive, and he had already killed the man.

With the person dead, headquarters couldn’t very well impose a severe punishment on another top-tier ghost controller, could they?

Moreover, since the other person had acted on the side of justice, if headquarters severely punished Yang Jian for this, they might drive away a top-tier ghost controller and also indirectly tell everyone that it’s justifiable to err and wrong to help.

Once that precedent was set, the implications would be far-reaching.

Cao Yanhua couldn’t possibly be that foolish, which is why he had to handle it this way.

“Is Yang Jian really just a hothead?” At this point, feeling constrained, Jang Shangbai started to doubt whether Yang Jian had already taken this into account previously.

If that were true, then the guy was indeed frightening.

“Alright, meeting adjourned, and Yang Jian, stay behind for a moment,” Cao Yanhua added after the meeting was over.

Yang Jian’s expression changed slightly, he probably understood the purpose of Cao Yanhua wanting to see him alone.

“Brother Tui, what does headquarters want to discuss with you alone? They’re not trying to poach you, are they?” Feng Quan asked curiously by his side.

Yang Jian glanced at him and said, “Can’t you think on the bright side? Maybe they want to reward me.”

“You killed someone at the headquarters and almost got in a fight during the meeting. Do you really think they would reward you? I don’t buy it,” Feng Quan shook his head.

“That’s not necessarily so.”

Feng Quan said, “Then you just wait and see. I’m leaving first. Contact me if anything comes up. I should be in J city for the next few days.”

“Got it,” Yang Jian nodded.

Soon after, one by one, the others left, leaving only Cao Yanhua, Wang Xiaoming, and an old man named Old Qin.

“Yang Jian, do you know why I asked you to stay behind?” Cao Yanhua began asking once the others had left.

Yang Jian said, “Isn’t it for overtime pay?”

Cao Yanhua twitched the corners of his mouth at this and said, “You remember that quite well. But that’s just one of the things. There’s something more important that I want to discuss with you alone. However, this isn’t the place to talk. Follow me, we can talk while we walk.”

After finishing his sentence, he gestured and then pointed to a compact service vehicle parked nearby.

“Sure thing. As long as the deputy minister doesn’t renege, I’m open to discussing any matter,” Yang Jian said indifferently.

Very soon.

The four of them got into the car, which was driven by a staff member and slowly left the area.

On the way, Cao Yanhua said, “Actually, I shouldn’t be discussing this with you at this time, but I fear you might misunderstand if I notify you at the last minute. So, after some thought, I’ve decided to discuss it with you now. Of course, you can disagree. The headquarters is just making a suggestion, and won’t force you to decide.”

“The way you’re talking makes it sound like you’re about to sell me out,” Yang Jian commented while looking at him. “Usually when people say they won’t force you, it often means there’s no choice, right? Professor Wang.”

Wang Xiaoming stayed silent, once again pretending to be a wooden figure.

Cao Yanhua continued, “This is a decision I’ve made, and it has nothing to do with the others. Since you don’t like beating around the bush, I’ll come straight to the point. The truth is, the headquarters hopes you will give up on the team leader selection and refuse the position.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Jian frowned slightly: “Why’s that?”

“I can’t say, but if you agree, the headquarters will compensate you, and I believe you will be satisfied,” Cao Yanhua said.

“I’ve heard that the team leader selection is really just a struggle for influence, that each team leader represents a different set of interests, and some people have already been preselected. So, does that make me—the powerless and non-influential high school student—a candidate to be sacrificed?” Yang Jian countered.

Cao Yanhua seriously said, “No, if you insist on being part of the team leader plan, with your resume you would certainly become a team leader. It’s just that you’re not suitable for the position. However, you do have a point, behind every team leader there indeed are intertwined interests, but that’s not the most important thing. It’s about balance.”

“The headquarters need team leaders to stabilize situations, whether it’s supernatural incidents, folklore spirit-manipulators, or local public safety—all require their assistance, and only top-notch spirit-manipulators can manage that… You definitely meet the criteria, but there are others who fit even better. If you step down, the one to replace you will be Li Jun.”

Yang Jian waved his hand and said, “I don’t understand stuff about situations or suitability. If you want me to step down, that’s fine, but what’s your offer?”

He wasn’t particularly eager to become a team leader. Although there might be more power and resources as a team leader, it came with its own share of troubles. If he could get some tangible benefits, he wouldn’t care about dropping out of the team leader program, and even leaving the headquarters wouldn’t matter.

“If you agree, that’s enough. As for your requests, the headquarters will try to accommodate them,” Cao Yanhua stated. “I’m going to take you to another place next.”

Yang Jian’s gaze flickered, but he said nothing, simply sitting in the car as he watched it drive towards the headquarters’ air-raid shelter, descending deeper into the ground as if heading towards its depths.

Taking the opportunity, he turned to Old Qin next to him and asked, “How old are you, sir? It’s quite rare to see a spirit-manipulator of your age.”

Old Qin simply smiled and chose not to respond.

“If you want to ask something, you can ask me directly. Old Qin’s identity is special, and there are things he can’t disclose,” Wang Xiaoming finally spoke up.

“You really can be annoying,” Yang Jian remarked. “You probably know what I want to inquire about. Well then, I’ll just come out with it. How much do you know about the Republic of China Era?”

He didn’t believe that with Wang Xiaoming’s status and access to information, he couldn’t touch upon some of the past details.

As expected.

Wang Xiaoming didn’t feel surprised at all, only calm, “It seems you’ve also noticed, which kind of surprises me, so you want to ask Old Qin, since he’s from that era.”

“Have you done research on this topic?” Yang Jian asked.

“Just another research topic, but I’m not the one following up on this project, after all, archaeology is not my strong suit,” Wang Xiaoming said. “However, I do know a bit from the research, but due to confidentiality, there are some things I can’t reveal to you.”

“At my level, I shouldn’t be completely in the dark, should I?” Yang Jian said.

Wang Xiaoming fell silent for a moment, then continued, “Let’s start with the Ghost Coffin I’ve been studying recently. Setting aside its supernatural qualities, based on the craftsmanship, shape, and technique, it’s not from modern times, it should adhere to the coffin style of the Republic of China Period. I’ve studied the styles of some strange artifacts, and without a doubt, everything points to that era, which is the Republic of China Period you just mentioned.”

“You should be familiar with this photograph.”

All of a sudden, he took out his phone, flipped to a photograph, and handed it to Yang Jian.

The photo was very familiar, taken through a glass window. In the picture was an old man wearing a changshan, his body covered with livor mortis, his eyes lifeless, his expression numb, exuding an unusual eeriness all over.

“It’s the photo I saw before on an online forum, this old man is… the Door Knocking Ghost,” Yang Jian’s face turned solemn.

He also had this photo stored in his phone, but getting this photo was not a difficult task for headquarters.

“I’ve collected some photographs that have captured ghosts,” Wang Xiaoming said as he took back his phone. “This is the image known as the Door Knocking Ghost, you should be very familiar with it, but what I wanted you to see was not the appearance of the Door Knocking Ghost, but this ghost’s style of dress.”

Yang Jian said, “You mean to say that the Door Knocking Ghost is also an old man from the Republic of China Period?”

“Clearly.”

Wang Xiaoming said, “This black long-sleeved clothing is the style of that era. There is a lot of similar evidence, but most of it points to the same period. However, I’m not very interested in that era, so I haven’t spent much time researching it.”

“What? You know the possible origin of the ghost resurgence, yet you’re not delving deeper into it?” Yang Jian was astonished.

“Because it’s not necessary,”

Wang Xiaoming said, “It’s just one answer, but it won’t change the outcome, so I haven’t wasted time on it. However, Professor Bai is more interested in this matter. He’s a historian, a literary scholar, and he’s been following up on this.”

Yang Jian said, “Haven’t you thought that knowing the truth might completely solve the current supernatural events?”

“I’ve thought about it, but it’s not realistic. For example, ghosts already appeared during the Republic of China Era, and ghost handlers emerged as well. But from the looks of the current situation, it’s quite clear that people from that era failed. Although I 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 respond to the increasingly frequent supernatural events happening today,” Wang Xiaoming said earnestly.

“I won’t consider the past, only the future. You should do the same. Finding the answer is not very meaningful. Solving the problem is the urgent matter at hand.”

“This guy…” On hearing Wang Xiaoming say this, Yang Jian felt an impulse to jump up and punch him.

It was clear that understanding the truth was possible, yet Wang Xiaoming had no interest at all.

“If there truly were ghost handlers during the Republic of China Period, they couldn’t have all disappeared. There must be remnants.”

Yang Jian said, “Finding them might reveal the truth. You might not be interested, but I am.”

Wang Xiaoming then said, “That’s true, but unfortunately, Old Qin isn’t your target.”

“Why?”

“He was indeed born in the Republic of China Era, but he’s an orphan, without parents or relatives, not even a name. He only knows that he was adopted by a family with the surname Qin. Unfortunately, that family died when he was five years old, and Old Qin doesn’t even know the names of his foster parents, only their surname. So he never entered the circle of ghost handlers of the Republic of China Era,” Wang Xiaoming said.

Old Qin, standing by, chuckled, “In such chaotic times, it was good enough to survive, let alone worry about such specifics.”

Yang Jian’s heart suddenly sank.

If that was the case, then the clues and answers were cut off here.

However, Wang Xiaoming then added, “But what makes Old Qin different from other ghost handlers is that he’s a natural-born ghost handler.”

“What do you mean?” Yang Jian asked, looking toward him again.

“It means that Old Qin was a ghost handler while still in his mother’s womb. He’s an anomaly among ghost handlers; the ghost within his body has already fused with him and is in a state of perpetual standstill. If you find it difficult to understand, you might as well directly consider Old Qin to be a ghost,” Wang Xiaoming explained.

His voice echoed down the deep corridor, empty of anyone else, but the information revealed left Yang Jian astonished.

“How is that possible?” Yang Jian almost jumped to his feet at that moment.

A natural ghost tamer?

Apart from ghosts since in the womb?

His own existence might as well be that of a ghost.

Wang Xiaoming said, “Nothing’s impossible, if it can cause fierce ghosts to crash. Accomplishing this shouldn’t be difficult, right? However, I suspect that Old Qin’s mother must have used some special method while pregnant with him, causing the ghost to crash within the fetus. As long as it doesn’t revive, the newborn would be a natural ghost tamer. Of course, there’s also the risk of failure, which would result in a ghost fetus.”

“Of course, this is just my wishful speculation. Maybe he is a unique, irreplicable case, but I must admit, this method of mastering fierce ghosts is perfect. I was inspired by Old Qin and started my research because I believe his existence points in a direction,” he continued.

Yang Jian stared at him and asked, “So you bred the terrifying beings known as Ghost Envoys?”

“Experiments carry risks, especially with uncontrollable dangerous elements like ghosts. But if successful, I could use the Ghost Coffin to breed more ghost tamers like Old Qin, and ultimately, I could put an end to all supernatural incidents,” Wang Xiaoming said slowly.

So this was the true reason he was desperate to obtain the Ghost Coffin.

There’s no denying that Wang Xiaoming’s vision was far-reaching, his ambitions grand. If he succeeded, he truly could influence global trends, no wonder the headquarters regarded him as a national treasure.

“You’ve bitten off more than you can chew,” Yang Jian said, his face stern.

“The Ghost Envoy has become everyone’s nightmare,” he continued.

“No, that’s just a temporary danger. The Ghost Envoy can be dealt with eventually, but hope for the future is what’s most important. After the Ghost Coffin experiment failed, I found a new direction—thanks to you. You should continue our previous deal. I need that thing, and in exchange, you can take something from here, I won’t let you down,” Wang Xiaoming said, shifting his gaze toward the human skin scroll in Yang Jian’s hand.

Of course, he still didn’t know about the existence of the human skin scroll, only that Yang Jian possessed something exceedingly unique, presumably capable of providing terrifying information.

It would be useful to him.

“Take something here?” At that moment, Yang Jian realized he had arrived at an underground base by car.

“What is this place?” he asked.

Cao Yanhua said, “A prison, a place to store some special items.”

Seeing this, Yang Jian’s expression changed: “Are the successfully imprisoned ghosts kept here?”

“No, just some special items that aren’t too dangerous. The actual location for imprisoning ghosts is a secret within a secret. Even I don’t know it. This is as far as my authority can reach. As promised, because you’ve made significant contributions by saving Professor Wang and a group of ghost tamers from the Ghost Envoy incident, I’ll allow you to take one item from here. That was what I promised you before. But if you’re willing to give up your captain position, I’ll allow you to take two items. And if you agree to complete that trade with Professor Wang, I’ll let you take three,” Cao Yanhua said seriously, allowing Yang Jian to take up to three items in an unprecedented move by headquarters. Other ghost tamers wouldn’t even know the secrets of this place, let alone have the right to request. They would be outright denied.

From this, one could imagine how valuable Yang Jian was to headquarters.

Special and peculiar objects?

Yang Jian’s gaze flickered, immediately thinking of items like the Ghost Cabinet, human skin scroll, and Coffin Nail.

Indeed, the headquarters also collected such items.

Yet Cao Yanhua had kept them well hidden. If the situation hadn’t been worsening, he probably wouldn’t have allowed these items to be disclosed.

After all, peculiar objects always came with some unknown and terrifying risk.

“I’ll take you to see,” Cao Yanhua said, exiting the car.

Now Yang Jian understood why Old Qin had come along.

Probably Cao Yanhua was worried Yang Jian might get greedy and ransack the place.

Now with Old Qin around, Yang Jian wouldn’t dare make a move. Although he had a rough idea of Old Qin’s physical condition, he knew nothing about his knowledge of ghosts.

But Yang Jian believed that Old Qin was not someone he could currently confront.

Without enough confidence, why would headquarters only send Old Qin?

Of course, Yang Jian had no plans to ransack the place—infuriating everyone was the last thing he’d do.

“What might be the paranormal objects collected by headquarters?” he wondered with heightened curiosity.

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