Buzz—Buzz—
"Hello...Hello! Captain He! Can you hear me?"
On the fourth floor, He Zhan was still discussing with the Priest the reason why the Fierce Ghost spared them, when he suddenly noticed the buzzing sound of static coming from the walkie-talkie on his waist, followed by Liuyun's voice.
Confused, he raised the walkie-talkie and asked, "I can hear you. What's the situation? Has the signal been restored? Did the Fierce Ghost escape from the building?"
"Huh? Wasn't the Fierce Ghost already dealt with by you? The phenomenon of the Ghost Wall in the lobby has disappeared, and we are currently evacuating the crowd."
Liuyun's voice was also filled with confusion.
She initially marveled at their efficiency; it hadn't even been twenty minutes since they found and dealt with the Fierce Ghost.
But now it seems like even they are unclear about what happened?
"Forget it, let's prioritize evacuating personnel. Later, make sure to deploy manpower for a psychological evaluation of those trapped by the supernatural event, and then give me the list."
At this point, they could only prioritize public safety.
First, rescue all trapped personnel, then search for the trace of the Fierce Ghost's true body.
After giving orders, He Zhan dusted off his clothes and pointed jokingly at the blood stains on the Priest's clothes: "You better go back and wash up, it's summer now and it won't be long before you smell terrible."
The Priest, still a bit weak due to the previous muscle damage from the blood, took a breath and asked: "What about you, boss? Not going back together?"
Hearing this, He Zhan took a deep breath.
Then he shook his head and said: "I need to stay here and investigate thoroughly whether the Fierce Ghost escaped or was already exorcised."
"Isn't it a good thing if it's exorcised?" The Priest was somewhat puzzled.
But He Zhan squinted his eyes and replied in a worried tone: "It might not be a good thing, because it suggests the person who solved it is an Awakened hidden in the shadows with power far exceeding all of ours."
"This strong Awakened, yet there isn't the slightest record in our official database!"
As he spoke, He Zhan felt increasingly troubled.
Compared to dealing with the Fierce Ghost, he disliked facing such troublesome Awakened even more.
Because what the opponent's Awakened Ability is, what their hidden identity wants to do, and what harm their actions might cause, he knew nothing about!
The Fierce Ghost only has one goal—to kill.
But a living Awakened is not necessarily the same!
The unknown is the most terrifying!
After making plans, he let the Priest return to the first-floor lobby to regroup with other team members and report on the situation.
Inform others of his speculation, instruct them to be alert for any suspicious persons during the psychological evaluations of those trapped by supernatural events later.
He Zhan himself headed to the upstairs broadcast room.
The evacuation process of the whole building was still ongoing.
Then, higher-level staff realized that during the previous network outage, a supernatural event actually occurred at the bottom of the building!
Afterward, everyone, still in post-crisis fear, heard the official Awakened using the building's broadcast to deliver a looping notification—
"Attention, attention, due to the previous supernatural event, all personnel in the office building are advised to orderly proceed downstairs for psychological evaluations by the Paranormal Handling Department."
"Attention, attention, due to..."
Wu Liang, freshly out of the bathroom, paused for a moment after hearing the broadcast notification.
This voice seemed familiar, hadn't he heard it somewhere recently?
Official personnel... recent... voice...
"So, it's you!"
After a few seconds of contemplation, he suddenly flashed a quirky smile, like a child at home guessing where parents hid candies.
Surveying the surroundings, no one was passing near the restroom.
He sneaked back inside.
"Nightmare, you haven't finished digesting that teapot, right? Spit out the remaining fragments for me."
The Fierce Ghost conquered and stored in the Ghost Compendium by Wu Liang would have the ability to devour the true bodies of other Fierce Ghosts to enhance itself.
So encountering a Teapot Ghost, whose ability was malicious or which Wu Liang found particularly disgusting and disliked.
He wouldn't choose to conquer and extract abilities, instead feeding them to the hungry Fierce Ghost Minions under his command.
Retrieving the Ghost Compendium again, he extracted the almost-digested Teapot fragments from Nightmare's belly, who was still feeling aggrieved.
Wu Liang took the fragments and placed them next to the restroom window.
Then he draped the Oil Paper Umbrella over it, smiling: "After I walk out of the office building, break the window and toss the teapot fragments out, understand?"
Although he smiled so brightly, the Oil Paper Umbrella couldn't help but shiver.
It wouldn't forget, at home this kid used to throw it under the bed for those "colleagues" to crazily torment, always with a smile on his face.
After a friendly exchange with his new minion, Wu Liang tore a strip from the introduction letter written by his instructor, tossed it to the ground, and stepped on it a few times.
Only then did he boldly walk out of the restroom.
Arriving at the stairwell, not in a hurry to follow the crowd downstairs, a hint of cunning flashed in Wu Liang's eyes.
He was waiting for the people in the upstairs broadcast room.
Perhaps he had found a job more suited to accessing Fierce Ghost information than a journalist—
Paranormal Handling Department!
......
"Remember, report to me first if you find any suspicious persons, don't alert the snake." He Zhan once again clearly conveyed the requirements to the team on the walkie-talkie.
Then, he left the broadcast room, intending to descend to the lobby for inspection and supervision.
Each person's eyes in the stairwell carried a trace of panic; although the supernatural event's crisis had been lifted, lingering fear was inevitable.
The police dispatched quite a few personnel to comfort the trapped individuals in the building, guiding them through psychological evaluations to ensure no one becomes mentally unstable because of this incident.
Especially since someone had discovered two corpses in the office of the Personnel Department on the fifth floor just now.
Everyone who saw the corpses felt nauseated and disgusted, leaving a psychological shadow.
No one knows if there haven't been other victims...
"Excuse me, where should I go next for the psychological evaluation?"
Still descending the stairs deep in thought, He Zhan was interrupted by a voice from behind questioning the following procedure.
Without turning, he replied: "After going out, the police will guide you."
"Okay, thank you."
Having said that, the person who asked quickly descended stairs past him.
But it was this brush past him that made He Zhan freeze suddenly.
Although he couldn't see the youth's face clearly from the corner of his eye, his back seemed increasingly familiar.
"I've seen this kid before!"
"Isn't he the boy who took the Oil Paper Umbrella at the Chengyang University graduation ceremony?!"
"Now he's here again?"
A flurry of questions surged through his mind, encountering this boy twice and both supernatural events mysteriously resolved.
The coincidence of this was hard not to raise suspicion, especially since this boy seemed to have come from the fifth floor?
Where the corpses were found... is also the fifth floor!
"There's something suspicious! This boy must be suspicious! Is he also an Awakened?"
With such doubts, He Zhan quickened his pace, following Wu Liang.
The two quickly arrived at the ground floor lobby, where he watched Wu Liang behave orderly and wait with the crowd for police guidance to undergo psychological evaluations.
Arriving at the door, stepping out.
Bang—
Suddenly glass-breaking sounds came from upstairs, followed by several shadows rapidly falling from above!
Just about to land and hit Wu Liang's head upon leaving the office building, he was frozen in place with no reaction at all.
He Zhan had no choice but to step forward and catch it mid-air.
Opening his palm, recognizing the item that fell from upstairs, his pupils contracted sharply, even his breathing quickened.
The item that fell was far too familiar!
Wasn't this precisely the teapot, suspected to be the Fierce Ghost's true body, that had trapped him and the Priest earlier!
Why then... only fragments?
Does this suggest the Fierce Ghost was indeed exorcised, and there truly exists an unknown strong Awakened in the building!
Yet the boy is right before him.
Is the Awakened still upstairs?!
Several thoughts fast flashed through He Zhan's mind, yet he failed to notice—
Before him, Wu Liang, crouched on the ground trembling in fear, seemingly realizing only in hindsight after the glass had shattered and fallen.
He quietly revealed a brilliant smile.