Yang Jian had not yet gone to Zhang Wei to retrieve the human skin paper when Wang Xiaoming found him first.
Under the protection of several special forces operatives, Wang Xiaoming approached with bloodshot eyes and a haggard expression, "Should I address you as Ghost Eye Yang Jian, or should I call you Yang Jian The Hanged Ghost? The content you broadcasted was very shocking—I really wonder how you came up with such a risky yet bold method."
"Your success proves that my experimental research, still in its early stages, is correct. The method to perfectly control an evil ghost is indeed feasible, but... relying solely on mutual grafting and restriction is not enough. It's too crude."
"Thank you for paving a new path for me."
Yang Jian paused in his steps and looked at him, his brows slightly furrowed, choosing not to continue on this topic, "I've handed the Hungry Ghost over to Zhao Jianguo. It's held with tight security; a team of ghost controllers is escorting it, so there shouldn't be any issues.
However, I hope you won't consider researching it when you're bored in the future, and I also warn some people within headquarters. I feel some have not encountered the Hungry Ghost and underestimate it."
Wang Xiaoming pondered for a moment, "The Hungry Ghost is indeed excellent research material, but its danger is also very high, far greater than that Ghost Coffin. I will take your advice and cease research on the Hungry Ghost for a short while. If there ever comes a time when we need to reopen that box, I will notify you."
From his words, it seemed he wouldn't research it for now, but he would still consider studying it after some protective measures were in place.
"If you let it escape, don't bother notifying me. As long as it doesn't come to Dachang City, that's enough. I don't want to deal with that ghost a second time," Yang Jian said with a darkened face.
Wang Xiaoming said, "Since you're so opposed to it, then we won't research it. I will suggest it remains sealed forever. With the properties of gold, unless it is opened by human hands, that ghost won't be able to escape for ten thousand years."
"I hope so. There's nothing left for you to do in Dachang City now, you can go," Yang Jian said.
A few steps away under escort, Wang Xiaoming stopped in his tracks, "What about that mirror?"
"It's mine," Yang Jian said.
"I know it's yours, I just feel that object is very special. Could you lend it to me for a month to study?" Wang Xiaoming asked earnestly. "I can trade you this for it."
Following his words, he gestured to Li Jun.
Li Jun took a small golden box out of his clothes and opened it to reveal a candle.
"Ghost Candle?" Yang Jian glanced at it, noting that the Ghost Candle inside was white.
"No, this is different from the Ghost Candle I gave you last time," Wang Xiaoming said.
Yang Jian said, "It's just a different color, that's all. The last one was red, and this one is white. Did you get the paint wrong?"
Wang Xiaoming said, "No, it isn't that. While researching Ghost Candles, I ended up with two different experimental outcomes. After all, one experiment can have many variables, and this is a derivative I created from capturing one of those variables. Hmm, it should be considered a semi-finished product and is completely different from the red Ghost Candle."
"What use is it?" Yang Jian asked.
"Once lit, if there are ghosts nearby, they will attack the person holding the Ghost Candle immediately. This is a Ghost Candle that can attract aggression, and I think its utility far exceeds that of the red Ghost Candle," Wang Xiaoming explained.
Yang Jian said, "Keep it for yourself. Don't have any designs on my stuff. Also, you better keep that video secret forever. If that information gets out, many ghost controllers will not sit quietly. You, being a great professor, will be protected thoroughly, but it would cause me a lot of trouble.
After all, the only reason I let you see that video was as a precaution in case of failure, just to have some backup."
"Don't worry about that, I will keep it secret for you. Since you refuse to lend it to me for study, then take this as a gift," Wang Xiaoming said, tossing the box with the white Ghost Candle in it to Yang Jian.
"Consider it my personal token of appreciation for your protection."
"My collaboration with you was strictly professional; you don't need to thank me," Yang Jian replied.
He declined the gift.
"Keep it. Production in my lab is still adequate," Wang Xiaoming said, then he didn't bother to retrieve it and, instead, turned and followed Li Jun onto the armored vehicle.
"This profiteer," Yang Jian's mouth twitched as he looked at the object in his hand.
Cheap things are not of good quality. Who would dare to light it carelessly with this in hand?
Attracting the nearby ghosts was simply suicidal. It couldn't be compared to that red Ghost Candle at all.
And while the people of Guanjiang Residential Complex were celebrating their escape from death, having survived to hold a meeting and deal with the aftermath,
at another end of Dachang City,
in front of a silent warehouse,
illuminated by the hazy moonlight, Zhao Kaiming limped hurriedly from a distance.
His plan had succeeded, and it was perfect.
He had fulfilled the ghost's request and had used Yang Jian to lock the ghost up. This way, he could forever rid himself of the curse of the Evil Ghost, return to being a normal person, no longer a ghost master, and his family should resurrect as planned.
"I built a villa in my hometown and saved up gold worth tens of millions. It will be enough for my family to live on for a lifetime. As for what happens outside, I don't care. That Yang Jian, he's a big threat, but it doesn't matter. Tonight, he'll take his family and leave the city. I've also prepared the car.
I won't see him again."
Zhao Kaiming took out the keys, and with an excited heart, unlocked the warehouse.
He pushed open the heavy door and limped inside.
The dim warehouse lit up with various fluorescent lights, so even without power, it wasn't completely dark.
"Wife, daughter, mom, dad, I'm back....."
He arrived at the small storage room where his family was kept, with coffins filled with ice on display. Next to them, a generator hummed, maintaining the electricity supply.
But when Zhao Kaiming excitedly leaned over an ice coffin, getting ready to welcome his family's resurrection,
according to his estimate, a resurrecting miracle should have happened within about an hour. It had taken him just over half an hour to get there from No. 7 Middle School, so by his calculation, there should be about ten minutes left.
Zhao Kaiming quickly stopped the generator and turned off the cooling system.
"Just wait a bit longer, we will be reunited soon." He excitedly inspected each ice coffin, waiting to see which one of his loved ones would be the first to resurrect.
Time ticked away bit by bit.
The ten minutes estimated by Zhao Kaiming quickly passed.
The bodies inside the ice coffins remained ice-cold and pale with stiffness, showing no signs of resurrection.
"Did I miscalculate the time? I'll wait a bit longer," thought Zhao Kaiming to himself.
But another half-hour passed.
The bodies in the ice coffins were still motionless, dead and sinking.
Now Zhao Kaiming began to panic.
Could the promise of the ghost, the promised resurrection, be a lie?
"No, it can't be. I've gambled everything; it can't be a lie," Zhao Kaiming suddenly roared, losing his composure.
He had considered this possibility before.
With his intellect, he had always been skeptical, but he had no choice. From the day his wife, child, and mother died, he had no way to turn back. Later, when his father, uncle, and great-uncle died... he was left with no choice but to take this dark path to the end.
It was the hope of this miraculous resurrection that had kept him going until now.