Was this Huanggang Village?
Miles glanced around, his gaze wavering as he took in the villages landscape while journeying down the primary access route.
The entirety of Huanggang Village felt like a blend of antiquity and modernity.
The front part of the village was adorned with recently constructed rural villas, pleasing to the eyes. Yet, the latter half was dotted with aged hos, so made of earth, others wooden structures over a century old. These ancient hos were a mix of occupied and deserted. So housed the elderly, while others lay abandoned with dilapidated windows, semi-open doors, and interiors so dark that they defied the intrusion of sunlight.
An uncanny vibe enveloped the area.
But then, that wasnt unexpected.
This was a typical scene in many villages. The discomfort only set in when the thought of a real ghost lingering in such a place crossed ones mind.
Hello, Rain? Miles thought it best to gather so information, so he dialed his satellite phone.
Miles, good timing on your part. There were so loose ends from our previous conversation. Regarding Zhao Kai Mings files, his psychological profile seems concerning. Hes probably difficult to work with. Be cautious. Avoid conflicts if you can. After all, hell be your colleague, Rain answered, referencing a file on Zhao Kai Ming.
Youre a bit late with this advice. Zhao Kai Ming has already stirred trouble, and frankly, I cant stand having him as a colleague, Miles retorted. Currently, Im in a place called Huanggang Village, on the outskirts of Dachang City. There have been rumors of supernatural occurrences here. Do we have any records of this place?
Ill do my best to assist, but my access is limited. I can only ask a fellow worker to look it up, Rain replied.
And who does have access? questioned Miles.
Rain answered, You do. As soon as you take over Dachang City, youll gain access to those records. This includes not only the accounts of paranormal activity but also the details of other ghost tars.
Alright, do your best to find those records for . If you succeed, send them imdiately. Also, once this situation is resolved, Id like to join HQ. Could you facilitate that? Miles inquired.
Though dealing with supernatural incidents at HQ could be perilous, if he managed to control a second ghost and postpone the revival of the fearso one this ti around, he might consider joining.
The perks of leadership were significant, allowing for substantial flexibility in managing operations.
Indeed, it was a goal worth pursuing.
When Miles revealed his aspiration to join HQ, Rain responded with enthusiasm, Once you give your consent, I can quickly set up a eting for you. Following a brief training period and a psychological evaluation, you could assu your new position. It should take about a week.
That sounds acceptable, but my intention is to succeed Zhao Kai Ming as the leader of Dachang City, Miles clarified.
That thats not within my jurisdiction. Its a decision for the higher-ups, Rain responded.
And if Dachang City were to lose its city head? Miles probed.
If a city head is absent, priority is usually given to a local, Rain explained. Suddenly understanding his implication, she exclaid, You cant act rashly! Im not fully aware of your disagreent with Zhao Kai Ming, but it shouldnt cause conflict. The overall objective must be kept in mind.
Dont worry, I have the bigger picture in mind. Also, dont forget to check the records for . This paranormal event falls under your responsibility too. At the mont, Im working for free. Its only fair you assist , Miles reasoned.
Youre right. Ill help you as much as I can. Indeed, resolving the paranormal issues is our top priority, Rain agreed, nodding affirmatively.
Good. Well speak again later. Unless its essential, try not to call . Ive already arrived in Huanggang Village, and a ghost encounter could happen at any ti. With that, Miles abruptly hung up.
Rain frowned at this and imdiately relayed the situation to Team Leader Build.
Upon hearing her report, Build laughed. Is this really a problem? Once Miles passes his evaluation and becos a ghost tar, we can easily reassign Zhao Kai Ming. Having Miles oversee Dachang City will certainly be more advantageous since hes a local. Your main task now is to support him in handling the paranormal incidents in Huanggang Village. Ill handle the specific records.
If he manages to resolve two paranormal events on his own, making a small exception for him wont be too much.
This assurance comforted Rain.
If you survive, everything else will fall into place. If you dont, all words are aningless.
Miles, holding his satellite GPS phone, thought back to the chilling sight of Rights end. Could that be his fate too?
Upon entering the village, Miles noticed Zhang Han, Ye Jun, and a few others from the Cockroach Club. Their expressions were grave, suggesting they had stumbled upon sothing important. His presence elicited minimal attention; they acknowledged him with only a cursory glance.
Turning his gaze towards them, Miles narrowed his eyes.
In his line of sight was a house with its door left wide open. Funeral wreaths flanked the entrance, and a crowd of villagers, clad in mourning attire, had congregated. Won and children were on their knees in front of a richly red coffin, their sobbing resonating throughout as they burned joss paper in grief.
Clearly, a death had occurred, and the village was imrsed in the proceedings of a funeral.
Miles glanced at the morial portrait perched in front of the coffin. It depicted a striking man decked out in a suit.
A funeral at such a ti, how unfortunate. Isnt this just complicating matters? grumbled a middle-aged man nad Zhang Han, within earshot of Miles. He drew deeply from his cigarette, his mood visibly sour.
Indeed, stumbling upon a funeral and hearing the mourning cries of the villagers was hardly an auspicious beginning to their visit.
Maybe we should burn the coffin for safety. What if the body inside starts wandering at night? soone suggested.
Ye Jun shot the speaker a disdainful look before retorting, And whos going to do that? ntion such a thing in front of the villagers and well undoubtedly face their wrath. We wouldnt just be grappling with potential supernatural issues; surviving in the village itself would beco a challenge. If its an ordinary corpse, its irrelevant. Havent we seen enough dead bodies by now?
We shouldnt stir up unnecessary drama over a death. Its not the dead we should fear but the ghosts that allegedly haunt this village.
Still, were largely uninford about the situation in this village. I suggest we conduct an investigation. Lets interview the villagers about any peculiar happenings. With our experience, we wouldnt imdiately succumb even if we were to encounter a ghost. We just need to be ready to respond collectively at the first hint of anything suspicious, including a real ghost, another person pitched in.
The village isnt excessively large or small, which could make group action cumberso. Lets split into pairs for the investigation, was the groups collective decision.
That seems reasonable; lets proceed on that basis.
Following a round of discussions, the Cockroach Club mbers concluded that they needed to band together, explore the situation at hand, and then establish their next course of action based on what they discovered.
Miles, not being a part of their group, was naturally excluded from their strategic planning.
Taking a glance at the coffin situated in the mourning hall, he withdrew another phone, snapping a photo. His objective was to capture the morial portrait, with plans to forward it to Rain later. He intended for her to look into who the deceased was, the cause of death, and any suspicious elents surrounding their demise.
Occurrences of the paranormal were never without their hints.
If the deceaseds cause of death was unusual, the likelihood of a ghostly involvent escalated. The manner of death could even provide clues about how the ghost might murder.
This was a crucial clue.
Miles observed that none of the Cockroach Club mbers seed to consider this. He wondered whether it had not occurred to them, or if they rely dismissed it due to their strength in numbers.
Ill familiarize myself with the surroundings and find a place to lodge, he resolved internally.
He promptly embarked on a walk around the village with his luggage, learning about the layout of the area, familiarizing himself with the roads, and remaining alert to any peculiarities.
Miles, do you mind a quick chat? Zhang Han from the Cockroach Club had separated from the others and approached him.
Miles turned to face him, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. Zhang Han? Whats up?
Zhang Han greeted him with a smile. Its evident that you cant tackle this paranormal event on your own. What if we join forces, collaborate? Whats your take on it?
Why not look to your club mbers for assistance? Why approach ? Miles questioned, resuming his stroll.
I believe in partnering with the most competent. Truth be told, you outshine the others. I reckon wed have the best shot at success if we tead up, Zhang Han proposed earnestly.
Miles countered, Its premature to make that call. Were here on the whispers of a paranormal incident. I cant validate whether a ghost truly exists here. The ghost could have deserted the village by now, considering their mobility.
If a ghost indeed inhabits this place, then we can discuss teaming up.
Zhang Han offered an awkward chuckle, saying, Thats fair enough.
Suddenly, in the midst of their conversation, a frail, wheezing cough resonated from behind them. It sounded alarmingly close as if soone critically ill were right behind them.
Whos there?
The sound prompted Zhang Han to break into a cold sweat. As he spun around, though, he found no one in sight.
All that lay before him was a decrepit wooden house in the direction of the sound.
The house, seemingly deserted, was in poor shape, with the majority of the roof tiles caved in and half the front door missing. The interior was dark and damp, looking so inhospitable that not even dostic animals or stray dogs would choose to seek refuge in it.
Are we this unlucky? Zhang Han mumbled under his breath.
Miless gaze flickered subtly before he approached the wooden house and kicked the door open.
With a resounding crash, the decrepit door, weakened by age, fell to the ground, revealing the interior.
Inside, save for overgrown weeds, the place was desolate.
No ones here? The corners of Miless mouth tightened slightly.
Could it be a ghost? Zhang Han queried.
Im not sure. I didnt sense any danger. It might have just been an old man passing by who coughed. This village is riddled with tiny paths, and its quite typical for villagers to wander by. Getting scared over nothing will just stir up our own fears, Miles said. You shouldnt trail behind any longer. If there truly is a ghost here, co and alert . Only then will I contemplate forming an alliance with you.
Miles had never planned to confront the ghost single-handedly. Hed purposefully kept the club mbers inford so he could utilize a strategy of using them as bait for the ghost while he remained unseen. Thus, he had no intention of leading the attack.
Since youve put it that way, I wont press further. Best of luck, then, Feeling a wave of discomfort about the area, Zhang Han made a hasty retreat.
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