Resurgence of the Unknown

Chapter 27: Red Paper Over the Eyes

In a public restroom, water gushed from the faucet as Yang Jian washed the foul-smelling blood from his face. The coolness of the tap water helped him regain some composure.

"So it really was my problem... That ghost was able to alter my memories, forcing a person who doesn't exist into my mind without me sensing anything wrong. Even with the eye's power, I couldn't detect anything unusual. If Liu Xiaoyu hadn't alerted me, I'd probably still be living at home with that ghost."

He looked up at the mirror. The eyes on his face had disappeared, and he had returned to a normal state, at least for now.

"Yang Jian, can you hear me? This is Liu Xiaoyu," came a voice from the satellite phone lying by the sink. The call had never been disconnected.

"It's me," Yang Jian replied, picking up the phone.

"What happened over there?" Liu Xiaoyu asked.

"You were right. My father did die in a car accident when I was in elementary school. That thing in the house wasn't human... it was a ghost."

"You got away?"

"Yes," Yang Jian replied as he wiped his face. It was then that he noticed a piece of red paper stuck to the back of his hand.

This... was a fragment from that blood-stained newspaper.

"As long as you're okay. Can you tell me more about that ghost?" Liu Xiaoyu inquired.

"That ghost can alter a person's memories. I'm not clear on its behavioral patterns or how it kills, but earlier, my face was wrapped in a blood-soaked newspaper, and I nearly suffocated. That's all I know for now."

"Understood," Liu Xiaoyu quickly jotted down notes.

"If my father was a ghost, what about my mother? Where is she? And when did this ghost show up? You should be able to check the nearby surveillance footage. Could you look into it for me?" Yang Jian asked.

"I can investigate, but you'll need to cooperate with us moving forward," Liu Xiaoyu said.

"What kind of work?" Yang Jian asked.

"For now, just simple information-gathering tasks. Anytime you discover the presence of a ghost, you must report it immediately," Liu Xiaoyu replied.

"What's in it for me?" Yang Jian asked.

"We can offer some benefits for your relatives and a generous monthly salary. However, since you're not a full-fledged police officer, you won't receive a salary for now. But I can help your mother get a more stable job," Liu Xiaoyu offered.

"No salary, but you want me to work for you? I checked out that website. The rewards for resolving a ghost incident are at least in the millions of dollars. As a ghost handler, my lifespan isn't going to be long. If there's no tangible benefit, I refuse to work for you."

Yang Jian was serious.

Liu Xiaoyu, frustrated, responded, "The high rewards overseas are because ghost handlers there work as mercenaries, only taking jobs based on rewards. That's why the spread of supernatural incidents abroad is far worse than it is domestically. You live in Dachang City, so you should know that, apart from the incident you encountered, large-scale ghost attacks are rare."

"This is thanks to the hard work of our domestic ghost handlers. If everyone thought like you, there would be no peace in the country."

"Let's drop this topic for now. I've got something else to deal with. We'll talk later," Yang Jian said, cutting the conversation short.