Chapter 57

"Let me make it clear, I’m not wrong about working with you, but if we encounter any danger or special circumstances, or if something gets out of control, I will not hesitate to run away. Don’t blame me for abandoning my teammates when that happens."

Yang Jian stepped back into the mall.

Yan Li said, "That’s very natural. We’re working together to catch this ghost. If we can’t accomplish it, everyone should prioritize their own survival. The situation with ghosts is very special. Even the most experienced ghost controllers don’t have a hundred percent chance of successfully capturing a restricted-level ghost."

"Classifying ghosts by levels is something that easily misleads people, and I’ve already been burned by it before."

"I’m relieved to hear you say that." Yang Jian nodded.

He had a Ghost Domain, and it wouldn’t take him more than three seconds to leave the mall. Moreover, the Ghost Domain could shield him from attacks by other ghosts.

Even the Knocking Ghost couldn’t detain him, so the ghosts in this mall couldn’t be more terrifying than that.

It was precisely because he had this confidence in self-preservation that he dared to agree to Yan Li’s proposal.

"But if we manage to catch the ghost, how will we divide the benefits afterward?" Yang Jian asked. "Let’s clarify this now to avoid any unpleasantness later."

"Money will be split fifty-fifty, and information will be shared." Yan Li said, "You helped me just now, so I won’t take advantage of you."

"That’s fair." Yang Jian nodded.

"By the way, let me ask you one more thing. Is the status of an international police officer very high?"

Yan Li was taken aback and said in surprise, "You don’t know?"

"I’m new, and there are some things I haven’t had time to understand. If you don’t know, it’s fine. I’ll ask the operator later." Yang Jian said.

Yan Li replied, "I’ve met Zhou Zheng before and have some understanding of the situation. In terms of position, an international police officer is roughly equivalent to a police chief, but in terms of power... it’s significant. They belong to a special department and, with the explosive increase in supernatural incidents in recent years, there’s a severe shortage of people who can handle such events. Therefore, ghost controllers have become very important talents in various countries."

"Especially in our country. Take Zhou Zheng in Dachang City, for example. A single phone call from him can mobilize the entire city’s police force, and if necessary, he can even request military assistance and use large-scale weapons... Moreover, the city’s finance department has a special fund dedicated to supporting the actions of international police officers stationed in the city."

Yang Jian’s eyes twitched. "So much power?"

"The position isn’t high, but the power is indeed significant, which makes me quite envious. However, the greater the power, the greater the responsibility. Maintaining the security of a city and handling its supernatural incidents... to be honest, it’s very difficult."

Yan Li shook his head. "Using too much of a ghost’s power can lead to death when the ghost revives. This is an unsolvable problem."

"International police officers, in essence, are risking their lives to maintain the security of an area. Although I envy their power, I’m not that great, so I haven’t considered joining."

"Is there only one police officer in a city? That’s too much to ask." Yang Jian frowned.

Leaving aside the ghost infant incident, he had encountered at least three supernatural events.

Yan Li said, "Due to the shortage of personnel, think about how big the world is and how many cities there are. In Asia, it’s already quite good if one city can have one ghost controller. We have short lifespans, and many of us die within a few months or half a year, not to mention those who sacrifice themselves in supernatural incidents..."

"Moreover, not all ghost controllers become international police officers. Most people, like me, prefer to act freely after becoming ghost controllers. Whether it’s using supernatural incidents to make money or satisfying personal desires with these abilities, it’s better than becoming a police officer, maintaining security, and dying when the ghost revives."

"Your point is, since we’re going to die anyway, why not use these abilities to make money and enjoy life before dying? National affairs have nothing to do with us." Yang Jian said.

"Pretty much, that’s the idea." Yan Li said.

Yang Jian’s eyes flickered. "But this is based on the premise that we can’t find a way to survive. Once the situation of ghost revival can be changed, countries will be the first to receive the information, and the direct beneficiaries will be the police officers of those countries. After all, improving the survival rate of police officers is a top priority for any country. In contrast, those free-spirited ghost controllers might miss out on the information or receive it too late, losing their chance to survive."

Yan Li was taken aback; he hadn’t expected Yang Jian to think so far ahead.

Most ghost controllers choose his path, living a bit longer and enjoying life.

"You said someone has successfully stopped a ghost from reviving. Where do you think that person got the information from?" Yang Jian asked.

"What are you trying to say?" Yan Li asked.

Yang Jian calmly said, "Countries must have already invested huge amounts of money in research to understand the existence of ghosts... even if they can’t solve the problem, they must find a way to control ghosts. This research must have achieved some results, but the methods developed by countries may have significant flaws, be unstable, and carry considerable risks."

"That’s why they haven’t been made public yet."

"But with the increase in supernatural incidents, the situation is deteriorating, and even imperfect methods must be made public."

"There’s a saying in our country: drinking poison to quench thirst."

Yan Li was silent for a moment and said, "I was just a plumber before, and I don’t know much about these national affairs. If we succeed this time, I can introduce you to a special club where I get my information."

"What kind of club?" Yang Jian asked.

"A club that only ghost controllers are eligible to join. Although the number of members is small, their influence is significant, and they have extensive networks and know a lot more than I do."

"Is that so? I should definitely check it out if I get the chance." Yang Jian said.

Indeed, exchanging information with peers has its benefits.

Unconsciously, the two had already walked up the stairs to the second floor of the mall and were heading to the third floor.

They were walking slowly.

Because they were being cautious of their surroundings.

"Those people... seem to have disappeared again." Yang Jian looked up. The ghosts on the fifth floor were nowhere to be seen.

There wasn’t even a single corpse left on the ground.

"Did they hide again?" Yan Li asked.

Yang Jian reminded him, "Don’t turn your back on any ghost. The ghosts in this mall attack from behind, swapping heads... You should have seen it on the fifth floor. The people with swapped heads still retain their memories from life and don’t remember being swapped."

"But they can turn into ghosts at any time if they want to."

"You noticed this pattern early on? Why didn’t you warn me before, and why did you let me follow them out?" Yan Li asked in surprise.

Yang Jian said, "It’s not that I don’t trust your abilities, but I don’t trust those people. As the saying goes, a large tree must have dead branches, and a large group must have fools. Some people’s intelligence is hard to explain. You don’t know how excellent those who risk their lives can be, not only harming themselves but also others."

"I just wanted to prevent any accidents. What’s wrong with letting them act like caterpillars? You saw how fast and steady they moved on the ground, and they were happy about it."

"..."

Yan Li was speechless. "Alright, I admit your decision was correct."

"That’s good... Hey, Sister Jiang, are you there? If you’re alive, please respond. If you’re dead, I’ll take care of your body." Yang Jian suddenly said into his satellite phone.

Jiang Yan’s nervous and angry voice came through: "I’m not dead yet. I’ve already seen you come in. Come and get me quickly. I just saw Liu Qiang’s corpse move, and I feel something is off..."

"What about the ghost? Where did it first appear?" Yang Jian asked.

"I saw it on the surveillance. The ghost first appeared in a clothing store on the fifth floor, as a blurry figure. I couldn’t see clearly, but the figure entered a mannequin’s body. I’ll send you the picture." Jiang Yan said.

Yang Jian said, "Send it to my other phone. This one can’t receive pictures."

"Okay."

Soon, he received a picture on his smartphone.

"Is this the ghost’s true form?" Yan Li leaned in to take a look.

Yang Jian asked, "Are you prepared with the tools?"

Yan Li pulled out a pure gold box from his pocket, about the size of a makeup box but heavy and thick, weighing at least a few kilograms, and perfectly sealed.

"..."

"This ghost is so big, and you prepared such a small box? Why not a Poké Ball?" Yang Jian looked at him strangely.

Yan Li said, "Gold prices are a bit high recently. This custom-made box cost me over two million, and I spent all my earnings on it."

"I understand, but even for ashes, this box is too small. How are you going to fit a ghost in it?" Yang Jian asked.

"Although it’s small, it can fit if we squeeze. The ghost is just a shadow, maybe without a physical form, so a smaller box is fine." Yan Li said.

"There’s no other choice. We’re here, so we’ll have to try."

Yang Jian didn’t have many complaints and could only try to see if they could successfully capture the ghost.

They reached the fifth floor.

He recognized the clothing store.

Behind the glass door were a bunch of mannequins, some missing arms, others missing legs.

He had felt something was off during his first patrol.

It seems his intuition was correct.

The real culprit, the ghost, was inside.

Putting aside his initial underestimation, Yang Jian and Yan Li became serious.

The store was pitch black.

The door was unlocked and could be opened with a push.

But thinking about the real ghost hiding inside, Yang Jian’s palms were sweating.

Strictly speaking, this was his first formal confrontation with a ghost.

The ghost infant incident didn’t count; it was just a passive rescue and escape, with no significant pressure. This time was different; it was an active attack.

Just as Yang Jian and Yan Li were about to prepare.

A strange scene occurred.

The heavy glass door of the clothing store, without any wind, slowly opened...

Yang Jian was startled.

Does the ghost know we’re coming?