The members of Yang Jian’s team were all very familiar with that place, especially Zhang Han, who remembered it vividly. He had gone there with Yang Jian to seize the hatchet. That tall male corpse should still be inside the hotel now, though without the hatchet, no one knew how it was supposed to kill.
The sun was about to set, its dim yellow afterglow shining down.
Dachang City’s airport was completely deserted. The Headquarters staff had already evacuated the place, fearing that the ghosts within these four people might revive.
The group got off the plane. A stretched limousine was already waiting for them not far away.
Zhang Han swept his gaze around the airport. During the days he had followed Yang Jian, he had been constantly imitating Yang Jian’s habits when handling supernatural incidents. Whenever he arrived somewhere, he would first observe the surroundings to avoid any unexpected situation.
“Looks like Headquarters was afraid the ghosts in us would revive and we’d die on the plane, so they evacuated the crowd here.”
Zhao Lei followed the others toward the limousine, somewhat surprised as he looked at the empty airport.
“What kind of background does this Headquarters have, to actually be able to mobilize an entire airport?”
At this moment, a man wearing glasses walked up with a sway of his hips. Picking up the thread of conversation, he said,
“Headquarters can be said to be a response department established by the state to prevent the spread of supernatural incidents and to imprison out-of-control ghosts. In this era of ghost revival, Headquarters’ authority has a very high priority, so a small matter like this can still be managed.”
After listening, Zhao Lei showed an expression of sudden understanding. This was his first time coming into contact with such things. It seemed that people in this world had long since begun to notice ghosts, and had even established a specialized department to fight against them.
The man in sunglasses extended an orchid finger and opened the car door for them, then said in a delicate, coquettish voice, “I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m the staff member Headquarters temporarily assigned to Dachang City to handle coordination with you. Deng Yashui.”
He looked toward Huang Ziya and sized her up from head to toe.
“Sister, your skin is so well maintained. Do you do skincare every day? If you have any secrets, you can tell big sister me too.”
“Ew.”
The group simultaneously made sounds of disgust, then all rushed into the car and sat in the very back row.
Through the rearview mirror, Deng Yashui threw Zhang Han a flirtatious wink. “Little handsome, why are you sitting so far away? It’s not like I’m a ghost.”
Zhang Han immediately said, “No talking! Hurry up and drive!”
“Handsome, you’re so fierce. I like it so much.”
“Shut up!”
Deng Yashui lifted his neck, gave a coquettish little hum, and then started the limousine.
The vehicle drove smoothly without obstruction, following Headquarters’ designated route toward Guanjiang Residential Complex. The sky had already darkened, and a crescent moon hung in the middle of the clouds, faint and obscure.
Zhang Han quietly gazed at the moon, wondering when Yang Jian would return. He had only led the team out on one mission, yet he had already felt unprecedented pressure. A teammate had even died, which made the anxiety in his heart even harder to bear.
Seeing this, Huang Ziya asked softly,
“Are you still thinking about the captain?”
“Mm.” Zhang Han nodded.
“A supernatural incident that requires going to the moon to resolve is enough to show that its terror level has already exceeded our imagination. Now that the captain isn’t in Dachang City, what we need to do is do our utmost to maintain the safety here.”
Huang Ziya comforted him, “Don’t worry. The captain will be able to handle it. This is only one of the many supernatural incidents he’s experienced. We all have absolute trust in him, don’t we?”
“Thanks…”
Zhang Han turned his head.
“I didn’t expect that although you usually look so frivolous, you’re actually quite good at comforting people when you speak.”
Huang Ziya slapped his shoulder and said somewhat angrily, “What are you saying? Do you know that back at Headquarters’ training base, if not for me disregarding life and death and being extraordinarily clever, the captain would have died there long ago!”
“I know. You took a doll and fought the Ghost Messenger one-on-one. The entire supernatural circle knows about it. I’ve already heard your glorious deeds dozens of times…”
“Cheh. It’s still the truth!”
The scenery outside the window sped past. Feng Quan was sound asleep in the back row. Zhao Lei sat in front of Zhang Han, stretching his neck out curiously as he looked around the luxury limousine. Deng Yashui occasionally threw flirtatious winks at Zhang Han through the rearview mirror, while Huang Ziya and Zhang Han chatted idly on and off.
For a moment, the atmosphere was light. In a certain instant, everyone felt as if they had returned to the past, to an ordinary day, when the world still operated normally and people lived and worked in peace.
If terrifying ghosts did not exist in this world, perhaps they would have been very good friends.
But when one lived in hell, meetings and partings were never up to oneself. Reality was often the cruelest thing of all.
Just then, a rustling sound came from the front row, like someone rapidly flipping through sheets of paper.
That was Zhao Lei’s seat. Zhang Han immediately asked, “Zhao Lei, are you all right? Is there something abnormal with your body?”
The front row was silent. No one responded. For a moment, a repressive atmosphere filled the air.
This limousine was very long, with a full four rows of seats. Zhang Han and the others were all sitting at the very back, while Zhao Lei’s seat was in the middle. Zhang Han could not see what was happening up ahead.
“Zhao Lei?”
Zhang Han called out again tentatively.
However, the front row remained deathly still. Even the coquettish Deng Yashui did not make a sound, as if only Zhang Han, Huang Ziya, and Feng Quan were left in the car now.
Zhang Han’s gaze sharpened as he instantly thought of something. He roared, “Deng Yashui! Stop the car!”
No one answered him. The vehicle continued racing forward at high speed.
Bang!
With a loud crash, Zhang Han smashed the front seat with one punch. What entered his eyes was Zhao Lei’s rigid back. He could vaguely see sheets of newspaper continuously flipping over his face, gradually covering those two terrifying ghost faces.
Looking at the rearview mirror, Deng Yashui’s feminine face was also covered by a thin sheet of newspaper. It was just that there was nothing on it—smooth and delicate, looking like human skin.
“Damn it… something’s happened.”
Zhang Han immediately turned back and woke Feng Quan.
“Feng Quan! Transfer us out!”
A faint white mist rapidly filled the entire compartment. Feng Quan had already made his move the moment Zhang Han smashed the seat.
Their vision was gradually obscured. Zhang Han and the others only felt the seats beneath them vanish, and then they landed on an open stretch of grass.
“Zhao Lei!”
Zhang Han immediately turned Zhao Lei’s body around, but the scene before him made his hair stand on end.
On the left side of his face was Zhao Lei’s pained expression, as if he might burst into tears at any moment.
But on the right half… Tong Qian was smiling as she looked at him. The flesh was being continuously flipped open like newspaper. As the skin of the face turned, Tong Qian’s eerie smile gradually became exaggerated, and even the corners of the mouth began slowly splitting open.
“Hehehe.”
A chilling laugh came from Tong Qian’s mouth.