Chapter 912 - 879 Ah Wei

Yang Jian didn’t particularly welcome Shen Liang, so after discussing business, he had Shen Liang leave. Shen Liang didn’t linger long either, and quickly boarded a private jet back to headquarters.

However, the news he brought left a lingering sense of unease, even the arrival of five Ghost Candles couldn’t dispel it.

At the moment, Yang Jian was sitting on the office sofa, flipping through the files Shen Liang had brought.

All of them were categorized as Level-A supernatural incidents.

Ferocious Ghost Road, Silent, Creepy Museum, Ghost Lake, When Night Falls There Are Ghosts, Haunted Bus…

Among these files, the one that caught Yang Jian’s attention most was the Haunted Bus, which had now been designated as a highly dangerous supernatural case. He recalled that this incident had previously been recorded as “X,” mysterious and unknown, but not particularly threatening.

“That bus is losing control too?” Yang Jian’s mind wandered back to what he had experienced on that Haunted Bus in the past.

Now that he thought about it, after all this time, the Haunted Bus—unmanned and uncontrolled—did indeed have a risk of going rogue.

“The files here describe cases that are extremely difficult. Even a Captain Level investigator might be killed by a malicious ghost. It’s not easy to resolve them. I don’t know what Cao Yang is dealing with; there’s no record in the files, likely because he took it. But the fact that he’s borrowing the spectral object, Ghost Scissors, suggests he’s facing serious trouble.”

“The Fushou Garden case is being handled by Ye Zhen, so those files weren’t submitted either. And the Door Knocking Ghost incident has already been dealt with by me, reducing the number of Level-A cases by one.”

Yang Jian thought to himself, considering which supernatural incident he might take on if he were to accept a mission.

The first thing he could confirm was that the most difficult case was definitely the Haunted Bus.

It seemed straightforward, but in reality, that bus was practically filled with ghosts, and it could take you to dangerous and unknown supernatural locations—a situation fraught with complications.

“Ferocious Ghost Road, Silent, and Creepy Museum—these three supernatural incidents have been unresolved for quite a long time. It seems their danger level is also high; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been included in this file. Meanwhile, the incident code-named When Night Falls There Are Ghosts appears to be newly added to the archives.”

Upon closer inspection, none of the supernatural incidents seemed suitable to take on. Any one of these Level-A incidents could escalate into an S-level event at any moment.

Or rather, these incidents were essentially S-level to begin with, their scope of influence merely limited for now.

After contemplating for a while and still undecided, Yang Jian casually tossed the file onto his desk.

For now, it was better to shelve these thoughts.

“After finally returning from Dadong City, I should take a few days off before dealing with this. Moreover, the Ghost Post Office issue hasn’t been resolved yet—this assignment can wait. Investigating the Ghost Post Office is the priority.”

Yang Jian didn’t intend to act immediately; he planned to observe the situation while managing his current tasks.

At this moment.

Downstairs, Liu Xiaoyu was working at her desk. Dressed in her uniform and swinging her twin ponytails, she walked briskly and spiritedly towards him, her steps slightly hurried.

She stopped at the office door and knocked lightly.

“What’s the matter? It’s almost lunchtime. If it’s not particularly urgent, you can come back in the afternoon—President Yang also needs his rest,” Zhang Liqin interjected as she approached.

Liu Xiaoyu replied, “I’m here to see Yang Jian about work—it should be something important, I think.”

She sounded a bit uncertain.

“I’ll notify President Yang for you; please wait a moment,” Zhang Liqin said before turning away.

Soon.

Yang Jian’s voice came from inside the room: “If you have something to say, come in.”

Liu Xiaoyu entered the office only to see Yang Jian standing by the window, looking out over the landscape in the distance with his back to her. He exuded an inexplicable sense of detachment and gravitas.

“It’s really hard to meet you. I’m working downstairs but still had to get your secretary’s approval,” Liu Xiaoyu muttered, slightly displeased.

Yang Jian turned around to face her. “Rules are necessary. After all, lots of people try to see me on a regular basis. She helps filter out unimportant matters as much as possible. So, even on your first day, you have work-related issues to discuss?”

“Well, I was organizing Zang Hua’s work notes and file records earlier, and I found a document. Apparently, Zang Hua had intended to report this to you before he passed away. I thought it might be important, so I brought it here for you to take a look,” Liu Xiaoyu explained.

She approached and placed the document in front of Yang Jian.

“Dachang City Southern District Investigation Report,” the file read.

“Why give me an investigation report? You should just handle it yourself,” Yang Jian said.

“Zang Hua wrote in his notes that this might be related to a supernatural event. Even though personnel were sent to investigate, they only found several death reports. The case seems strange—not a typical homicide,” Liu Xiaoyu retorted.

Yang Jian waved his hand dismissively. “I can confirm there are no supernatural events in Dachang City. Also, peculiar incidents happen all the time these days. I only handle supernatural events; anything else doesn’t concern me. Besides, I don’t even have the authority to deal with them. If you think it’s a problem, just file a police report.”

“Can’t you just take a look at least? This was Zang Hua’s last report before his death,” Liu Xiaoyu insisted.

After some thought, Yang Jian finally sat down and opened the file to read it.

The report described several murders occurring consecutively in Dachang City’s Southern District. Murders, of course, were commonplace in a large city with a high population. Initially, the cases didn’t draw much attention.

But as the murders continued, the matter became more prominent due to the odd details surrounding the deaths.

Each victim’s body was found partially mutilated—some part of their body missing. Strangely, the missing parts couldn’t be found at the scene.

Yang Jian examined the victims’ photos, taken at the time the bodies were discovered. The corpses appeared mostly intact, with no obvious wounds, yet one person was missing an arm, another was missing both legs, and some had eyes or noses crudely removed.

The methods were exceptionally brutal.

At the end of the report, Zang Hua’s notes surfaced.

“Judging by the missing body parts from each victim, if this were the work of one perpetrator, the missing limbs and organs, when pieced together, could potentially form a whole, nonexistent person. This isn’t a typical case of homicide—it’s highly likely a supernatural event.”

“I suspect a malevolent ghost has entered Dachang City, stealing human body parts.”

After finishing the report, Yang Jian maintained his composed expression. He laid the file down and asked, “Did you read this?”

“I did. I think Zang Hua’s deduction might be right,” Liu Xiaoyu said.

Yang Jian shook his head. “No, this isn’t a supernatural event. The perpetrator isn’t a ghost. There are fundamental differences between killings committed by ghosts and those by humans. First, look at the locations where the victims died. These crime scenes are spread far apart, occurring all over the Southern District. This doesn’t fit the wandering patterns of a ghost.”

“If a ghost were killing people, the victims wouldn’t be scattered so evenly—they’d be more concentrated or found along the ghost’s path of activity. The route might not be perfectly straight, but it certainly wouldn’t involve such random, widespread occurrences.”

Liu Xiaoyu thought over his logic and seemed to find it somewhat convincing. “If it’s not a ghost, then what do you think it is?” she asked.

Yang Jian answered, “If it’s not a ghost, then clearly it’s a human perpetrator. Do I need to spell it out? A killer with a plan deliberately commits murders farther apart each time, just to avoid drawing attention to repeated crimes in the same area. But this particular killer hasn’t left the Southern District entirely, which suggests…”

“It suggests they live in the Southern District?” Liu Xiaoyu chimed in.

“Wrong,” Yang Jian said, looking at her oddly. “Would you murder someone right near your own home?”

“Um, probably not,” Liu Xiaoyu admitted.

Yang Jian continued, “A calculated murder often involves diverting attention and suspicion. Choosing a location unlikely to be connected to oneself—such as an isolated forest on the outskirts, a deserted riverbank, or an abandoned construction site—is instinctual. So, while the Southern District is the crime scene, it’s definitely not the killer’s residence.”

“If we assume the murderer is from Dachang City, then their residence is likely in the Northern City District. It’s farthest from the crime scenes, providing the killer with a sense of security. Have people investigate there instead,” Yang Jian instructed.

“You’re not going yourself?” Liu Xiaoyu asked.

Yang Jian replied, “Does everything require me personally? If so, what’s the point of having a team? Small issues like this can be handled by the others. Zang Hua didn’t report it before because he understood this better than you. Even though the case might involve a supernatural angle, until confirmed, it’s not worth bothering me over.”

“Captain Level investigators aren’t meant to be used like that.”

“Got it,” Liu Xiaoyu said, taking the report and leaving with a pout, her face full of grievance.

After she left, Zhang Liqin commented, “President Yang, being so harsh to a young girl doesn’t seem very nice. She’s just trying to do her job, after all.”

“She’s no longer just a receptionist; she’s a coordinator. She has to learn to make her own judgment calls. If she doesn’t adapt, I might have to let her go. Being dismissed would be the biggest blow for her,” Yang Jian said.

“In this world, everyone has their own way to survive. This job is her way.”

Zhang Liqin asked, “But don’t you two get along well?”

“We do, but that doesn’t mean anything. Work is work, and life is life. Liu Xiaoyu just started, so I can’t coddle her too much—otherwise, it might create problems later on.”

Yang Jian said no more. His gaze shifted to an inconspicuous corner of the office.

In the shadows, something resembling an eerie cabinet seemed to linger, as though filled with malicious and sinister eyes quietly watching him.

The Ghost Cabinet might have disappeared, but its curse remained.

It followed him relentlessly, impossible to escape.

The remaining time: 28 days.

Yang Jian withdrew his gaze and refocused on the earlier supernatural files.

The Haunted Bus case…

To fulfill the Ghost Cabinet’s transaction, he had no choice but to board the Haunted Bus. Only the Haunted Bus could deliver him to the doorstep of that ghostly old mansion.

At this moment.

Holding the report, Liu Xiaoyu descended the stairs with a slight pout, mumbling in frustration: “I bet he just doesn’t want to go because there’s no overtime pay. If it does involve a supernatural event, lives could be lost…”

“Young miss, it looks like you need some help.”

Suddenly, a husky and low voice rang out.

At the corner of the staircase, a man dressed in a leather coat, appearing like a special ops soldier, leaned against the wall with a skewer stick in his mouth. He spoke slowly.

Liu Xiaoyu was startled. “Who are you?”

“Yang Jian relies on me for many things he can’t handle. Who do you think I am? Hand over the file; I’ll take care of this for you,” the man replied.

“…” Liu Xiaoyu hesitated, eyeing him suspiciously.

Her eyes darted, recounting the profiles of people in Yang Jian’s circle.

“Are you Zhang Wei?” Liu Xiaoyu finally asked, matching his characteristics to a name.

“No, I’m Ah Wei—also known by my nickname, the Dual-wielding Gunslinger. Ahem…” Zhang Wei rasped dramatically.

Liu Xiaoyu retorted, “Stop joking. Go back to your livestreams and stop meddling. This case might be trivial for Yang Jian, but to ordinary people, it’s life-threatening.”

“My livestream channel got shut down. Now, all I can do is pick up my weapons and defend Dachang City,” Zhang Wei said with mild regret, raising his head slightly.

“Lucky for you, otherwise who knows how chaotic this city would’ve become during my absence—so many murders cropping up while I was gone,” he added.

“Then what were you even doing before this?” Liu Xiaoyu asked.

“That’s a long story. It’s tied to my livestream channel being banned… Anyway, it’s too complicated for you to understand. Just take my word for it—it’s a big deal,” Zhang Wei replied.

“…” Liu Xiaoyu stood in silence.

“Give me the file. I’ll treat you to barbecue later,” Zhang Wei said, abruptly snatching the file and bolting away.

“Zhang Wei! Stop right there and give me back the file!” Liu Xiaoyu shouted, stomping her foot in frustration.

“You can’t catch me, you can’t catch me—your short legs won’t reach me!” Zhang Wei’s voice faded as he ran off, disappearing from sight.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com

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