“Dachang City? Isn’t that Little Yang’s turf?”
After the three major S-class ghost loss-of-control incidents in Dajing City, Ye Zhen’s impression of Yang Jian could be said to be profound. Back then, if not for Yang Jian, he and the other captains might well have been wiped out inside the Ghost Painting.
As Ye Zhen drew closer, he saw a young man with both hands cuffed by two policemen. On the hood of the police car lay two gleaming golden pistols, particularly eye-catching.
The young man was still shouting:
“I am Yang Jian, the big boss of Dachang City! Who dares lay a hand on me? Who can lay a hand on me?!”
“Be quiet! You’re suspected of illegally possessing firearms and ammunition! Come back to the station with us!”
Just then, the phone in Ye Zhen’s trouser pocket rang as he stood nearby watching.
He took out a lavishly decorated phone case printed with his own selfie.
“Mr. Ye, Headquarters called. They said they have something urgent for you.”
“Headquarters is looking for me?”
Ye Zhen had originally wanted to hang up directly, but after glancing at the young man still shouting, he said, “Patch them through. I happen to have something to ask them too.”
“Hello, Old Cao? Yang Jian’s shadow clone has run over to my Dahai City. Also, when did he get plastic surgery? Even I couldn’t recognize him.”
On the other end of the line, Cao Yanhua fell silent for a full five seconds.
“…No. That’s Yang Jian’s classmate.”
Two minutes later.
“So, you are Dachang City’s Red Pole, the man known as the Dual-Wielding Golden Gunman, Ah Wei?”
Zhang Wei cupped his hands and said with feigned profundity:
“That’s right, it is indeed I. You know Leg Bro too? May I ask who Your Excellency is?”
Ye Zhen turned around, clasped his hands behind his back, and gazed into the distance as he slowly spoke:
“I am the boss of Dahai City, Ye Zhen, known as the strongest of this age, without equal under heaven. Sigh… how lonely.”
“Oh? A pleasure, a pleasure. This humble one is at the peak of senior year, half a step into junior college.”
Just as the two were chatting enthusiastically, a woman ran over from afar and interrupted their conversation.
“Zhang Wei! You’re causing trouble everywhere again! I told you not to come, but you insisted on following!”
Jiang Yan clutched her chest, panting so hard she could barely catch her breath. Just now, when she saw Zhang Wei showing off those two golden pistols in the crowd, she knew something was wrong and immediately called Yang Jian.
Ye Zhen glanced at Jiang Yan, still maintaining that pretentious pose.
“May I ask who this is?”
Zhang Wei took a sip of milk and muttered:
“Leg Bro’s number one girlfriend.”
“Little Yang sure knows how to play around.”
Hearing their conversation, Jiang Yan was so angry she looked like a cat with its fur standing on end. She jumped up and smacked Zhang Wei on the head.
“Zhang Wei! Drop the ‘number one’! I’m Yang Jian’s only girlfriend!”
“Mr. Ye, I’m truly sorry for causing you trouble. Zhang Wei’s personality is just like this. Please bear with him.”
The three of them sat down at an open-air milk tea shop beside the square.
“It is hardly worth mentioning. I, Ye, am a supreme powerhouse and do not fuss over trifles. Besides, Brother Wei and I hit it off at first sight. How could there be any trouble to speak of?”
Ye Zhen spoke in a rigid, formal manner, as if deliberately imitating some character from an anime.
Jiang Yan gave an awkward smile.
It’s over. Jiang Yan’s first thought was that it was over. One Zhang Wei was already enough to give her a headache, and now here came another Ye Zhen. Who could have known that the person in charge of the entire Dahai City would be such a chuunibyou youth?
Ye Zhen deliberately lowered his voice and said:
“In that case, Brother Wei, what brings you to Dahai City? In Dahai City, there is nothing I, Ye, cannot accomplish. If you are in difficulty, you may as well tell me.”
Zhang Wei cupped his hands.
“To tell the truth, I have come here to meet an online girlfriend of mine.”
“Online girlfriend?!”
Jiang Yan immediately exclaimed in surprise.
“When did this happen? What era is this, and you still believe in that stuff? For all you know, the other person might be some burly guy picking his feet!”
According to Zhang Wei, one week ago, he had picked up a small red cloth pouch by the roadside. There was a phone number left on it.
That very night, Zhang Wei called the number written on it. Unexpectedly, the one who answered was a woman. Her voice was especially pleasant; the moment he heard it, he knew the person on the other end had to be a girl in a JK uniform with twin tails.
After some back and forth, Zhang Wei and the woman confirmed their relationship. Today, Zhang Wei had come to Dahai City to get engaged to that woman.
“Wait, wait, wait. What? Engaged?! Zhang Wei, you’ve known each other for less than a week, and you don’t even know what she looks like. And now you want to get engaged?”
Jiang Yan wished she could tie Zhang Wei up and drag him back right now. No matter how much of a clown Zhang Wei was, he was still Yang Jian’s classmate. Moreover, Zhang Wei was not bad by nature; his personality was just a bit ridiculous. In truth, Jiang Yan still liked Zhang Wei as a friend.
“What do you know? That voice was definitely a JK twin-tail girl. I’ve heard voices like that countless nights under the covers since I was little—how could I guess wrong? What she and I have is a Platonic love. If you don’t understand, then don’t talk nonsense.”
Beside them, Ye Zhen listened and nodded repeatedly, as if he very much agreed with Zhang Wei’s reasoning.
“Besides, who said I don’t know what she looks like?”
As he spoke, Zhang Wei took out his phone. The phone’s lock screen was a photograph of a woman. Her features were delicate, with a trace of coldness. If she put on just a little light makeup, she would definitely count as a beauty.
Seeing that there was a photo, both Ye Zhen and Jiang Yan leaned in. Two curious heads squeezed over until Zhang Wei’s face was deformed.
“Why does this photo give me some indescribable feeling… Is it photoshopped too heavily?”
“She’s dead.”
At some point, Ye Zhen’s gaze had turned sharp.
“Dead?!”
Jiang Yan and Zhang Wei spoke in unison.
Ye Zhen nodded.
“That’s right. I’ve seen more dead people than you’ve eaten meals. This is a dead person.”
At this moment, Jiang Yan wished she could immediately return to Guanjiang Residential Complex. Who could have known that an ordinary business trip to discuss a deal would run into a supernatural incident?
Zhang Wei did not hesitate for even a single second.
“Brother Ye, farewell. We shall meet again if fate allows!” With that, he was about to rise and leave.
Ye Zhen covered half his face with one hand, lowered his voice, and said:
“If you leave, you may die. But here, I can guarantee your safety. Within Dahai City, fierce ghosts are forbidden passage. Wherever I exist, there is a safe zone.”
“Um, Mr. Ye… can’t we just not go?”
Jiang Yan was now so frightened that cold sweat had soaked her back.
“A killing pattern, Brother Wei. You have already triggered a killing pattern. The reason this ghost has not killed you yet is because the killing pattern is still in progress.”
He raised a finger and continued, “If you don’t go, it will cause this ongoing pattern to terminate immediately, and the ghost will kill you.”
Although Ye Zhen had chuunibyou tendencies, he was not stupid. Through handling many supernatural incidents, he had long since become a professional extremely sensitive to supernatural events.
The achievements Ye Zhen had reached today were not entirely because of the scapegoat ghost inside him.
In other words, what was powerful was not the scapegoat ghost itself, but Ye Zhen, who possessed the scapegoat ghost.
The characteristics of the scapegoat ghost were certainly important, but Ye Zhen’s strength was built upon his development and application of the supernatural. Even if the ghost Ye Zhen controlled had been of another type, his current achievements would not have been much lower.
Hearing Ye Zhen speak so convincingly, Zhang Wei immediately hugged Ye Zhen’s thigh and said:
“Big Brother Ye! Save me!”
“Heh. A mere female ghost. Watch how I suppress her!”
“Brother Ye is awesome!”
Seeing that the two had already stood up, Jiang Yan hurriedly grabbed her bag and followed.
“Then what about me? I didn’t date a ghost online. Can I leave?”