Mysterious Revival

Chapter 381: Chapter 380: Person in Charge Shen Liang

Shen Liang.

A man in his early thirties, young-looking yet brimming with energy, his slightly mature face bore a kind and pleasant smile that gave off a very friendly and amiable vibe, completely devoid of the imposing aura one might expect from someone in a high position wielding great power. If Yang Jian hadn’t known his identity, he might have mistaken him for a regular neighborhood uncle.

Though the first impression was quite favorable, Yang Jian didn’t think that made the man easy to deal with.

Being at the same level as Zhao Jianguo meant he was surely no simple character; the headquarters wouldn’t assign such a person to manage such important matters without good reason.

“Hello Yang Jian, I’m Shen Liang. I’ve often heard Zhao Jianguo mention you. This is our first meeting. I hope you’ll take good care of me in the future,” Shen Liang said enthusiastically as he entered the office, extending both hands as if he were addressing a superior, despite Yang Jian being much younger.

He showed not the slightest bit of pride or temper.

Yang Jian felt the warmth from his hands and responded calmly, “Team Leader Shen is joking. I’m just a worker here; how could I possibly take care of you? Everything is just a matter of official business. However, I am curious, wasn’t Zhao Jianguo in charge of this? There was no prior communication about suddenly switching people.”

“According to the rules of the headquarters, the person in charge shouldn’t be changed at random, unless… he’s dead.”

Shen Liang shook his head with a smile, “Actually, we were supposed to notify you in advance, but unfortunately, some issues arose at headquarters. Zhao Jianguo was disciplined due to some work-related mishaps, so for the foreseeable future, he probably won’t be able to continue working. I will be in charge of your team’s work from now on.”

“Seems like it’s not all quiet within the headquarters either. I hope they haven’t replaced my operator as well.”

Yang Jian’s eyes flickered, looking at him with a hint of profound meaning.

“You can rest assured about that; absolutely not. I can guarantee you, this really is just about some of Zhao Jianguo’s work mistakes, nothing else,” Shen Liang reassured very earnestly: “Liu Xiaoyu is resting in the lounge right now. If you don’t believe me, I can get her on the line at any time.”

“I hope it’s just some work-related mistakes,” said Yang Jian slowly before letting go of his hand.

Shen Liang then turned to Feng Quan with a smile, “Nice to meet you. This must be the famous Feng Quan from the headquarters. Hello, I’ll have to learn a lot from you regarding work matters in the future.”

Feng Quan indeed counted as a veteran among the ghost-controlling experts.

He was Dachang City’s first person in charge, and his survival up to this point was noteworthy indeed.

“Hello, Team Leader Shen,” Feng Quan nodded, acknowledging their acquaintance.

“I had heard about the severity and harm of the Z City incident. We owe it to Tong Qian for timely stopping the spread of that event. Although I’d heard some unfavorable news about you before, it turns out that good people are blessed. Seeing you safe and sound makes me happier than anything else,” Shen Liang greeted Tong Qian warmly.

However, the smile on his face triggered the supernatural entity within Tong Qian.

Tong Qian’s head tilted slightly, and the laughing face moved to the center, looking at him with an eerie expression.

Confronted with this sudden occurrence, Shen Liang trembled slightly, a flash of panic and unease crossing his eyes.

“You shouldn’t smile at me; it’s not a good thing. I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself and end up accidentally killing you, Team Leader Shen. You can leave the matters here to Yang Jian and Feng Quan. I’m not in good shape, unable to work normally like before, sorry,” the ghostly face on Tong Qian spoke, its voice chilling, evoking an eerie sensation.

“I understand, it’s okay as long as you’re alright,” Team Leader Shen’s smile was instinctive, but as soon as he realized what Tong Qian said, he quickly suppressed the smile, his expression turning exceptionally awkward.

Tong Qian continued, “All the information regarding the Z City incident is here, and the ghost we detained is also here. Team Leader Shen, you can take over today.”

She pointed to a pitch-black body bag in the corner.

The silhouette of a body could be faintly discerned within.

“Rest assured, I’ll handle this matter well. You’ve all worked hard; now take a good rest,” Shen Liang said, nodding before walking over and picking up the body bag.

The corpse wasn’t heavy or restless, but holding it in his hands gave an inexplicably unsettling feeling.

If this office hadn’t been filled with some of the country’s leading ghost-controlling experts, he wouldn’t have dared to make direct contact so rashly.

As Shen Liang was about to hand over the body bag to his colleagues, one of Yang Jian’s hands suddenly grabbed his arm.

The cool palm conveyed an astonishing force, as if clutched by the stiff fingers of someone on the brink of death.

“Since Captain Shen will be in charge from now on, shouldn’t some of the things promised by Zhao Jianguo also be your responsibility? It wouldn’t be right for a new person to take over and the previous leader’s promises to no longer hold,” Yang Jian said.

Others might not worry about Shen Liang’s arrival in Z City, but they had some concerns about this Yang Jian.

A thorny issue, he was someone with strong abilities, yet extremely difficult to deal with.

“I’m not sure what Zhao Jianguo promised before. Since I’m taking over, if it’s something I can fulfill, I will definitely do so. Please rest assured,” Shen Liang said earnestly.

Yang Jian said, “It’s nothing particularly important. Previously, Wang Xiaoming wrote me an IOU. He owes me a Ghost Candle. Aren’t you planning on helping me to press this issue, Captain Shen? And the reason this incident was resolved is that I used up two Ghost Candles and called in reinforcements by offering the position to control two ghosts. Personal risk and effort are one thing, as it was all in consideration of Z City’s safety, but a person shouldn’t be expected to operate at a loss, right? In ancient times, soldiers had a stipend. Don’t you think you should reimburse me, Captain Shen?”

Hearing this, Shen Liang’s mouth twitched instantly.

Resources like Ghost Candles and the position to control ghosts were beyond his purview to reimburse.

“Captain Shen, you’re a straightforward person. Don’t make empty promises to deceive me, or this will be our last meeting,” Yang Jian warned.

Yang Jian released his arm, the flesh on his forehead split open, revealing a crimson and eerie eyeball that swiveled restlessly.

Shen Liang turned with some difficulty and said, “Mister Yang, this is beyond my responsibility, the resources for Ghost Candles have always been managed by Professor Wang. I can’t even seize them if I tried. Why don’t you give Professor Wang a call and discuss this matter?”

“I’m not on good terms with him. I killed his brother in front of him in Dachang City last time. And during the Hungry Ghost incident, we had some minor frictions that didn’t end pleasantly, so I won’t contact him. Besides, aren’t you and headquarters on the same side? You ask me to reach out, why don’t you take care of the supernatural event yourself?” Yang Jian argued.

Yang Jian calmly said, “Passing the buck is pointless, Captain Shen. And stop calling me Mister Yang. I’m just a common worker. You provide the resources, and I do the work for you; it’s that simple.”

“How about this, I’ll advance you one year’s worth of cooperation in gold, and then I’ll submit a report about your situation. As long as the minister approves, I guarantee all your expenses for this operation will be reimbursed,” Shen Liang proposed.

“That’ll do for now. I’m planning to apply for a long vacation with Tong Qian and Feng Quan soon. We can talk about what comes after once the reimbursement comes through,” Yang Jian responded.

Shen Liang immediately said, “Please, don’t. There’s room for negotiation, isn’t there? I haven’t said I won’t take care of it; it’s just that I really can’t make decisions on this matter.”

He didn’t dare to let Tong Qian, Feng Quan, and Yang Jian take a holiday all at once. If they returned to headquarters, his fate wouldn’t be much better than Zhao Jianguo’s.

“The fact that we’re still sitting here in the office talking means we’re negotiating well. If you can’t handle it, let Zhao Jianguo come,” Yang Jian stated.

He didn’t mean to make things difficult for anyone, but he had lost too much in this operation. If headquarters didn’t reimburse him for something as a gesture of goodwill, he would not accept it.

Caught in a dilemma, Shen Liang then said, “Wait here for a moment, I’ll make a call to ask for instructions from above to see how to handle this situation.”

“Feel free,” said Yang Jian.

Shen Liang had to put down the body bag he was holding and hurried outside to make the call.

“Isn’t this a bit too much?”

Tong Qian frowned at his side, “After all, it’s all in the interest of the bigger picture. There’s no need to haggle over every detail. It’s good enough that we’re still alive.”

Yang Jian replied, “It’s true, but just because we survived this time, does that guarantee survival next time? I didn’t cut any corners in dealing with the supernatural events. Asking for something isn’t too much, besides it’s not even a demand, it’s reimbursement. Don’t be too rigid. Some resources are wasted at headquarters. In our hands, they can be used to their greatest potential.”

“Brother Tui makes a good point,” Feng Quan considered and found this reasonable.

Hearing this, Tong Qian didn’t say any more. Although she thought Yang Jian’s approach was somewhat mercenary and petty, she also believed it was not wrong.

After stepping out, Shen Liang didn’t actually make the call to headquarters.

Doing so would not only reveal his inability but might also lead to the dismissed Zhao Jianguo’s potential return.

“This Yang Jian is young, but he’s no simpleton. No wonder Zhao Jianguo often had headaches over this man. This guy won’t take action until he sees a sure gain,” Shen Liang lit a cigarette and furrowed his brow.

“Captain, why not just take direct control of the Z City incident? The problem has already been resolved, and it’s highly unlikely that Yang Jian would turn hostile and strike at us. He doesn’t have the guts,” a colleague suggested in a hushed tone.

Shen Liang glanced at him, “What if he turns aggressive? Can you beat them?”

“Although Yang Jian has handled S-level supernatural events and has a big reputation, I’m not afraid of him. After all, he took advantage of the situation last time. Without that Coffin Nail, he would have been done for,” the man replied.

“It would be possible to suppress Yang Jian alone, but what about Feng Quan and Tong Qian? When three ghost controllers gather, if not handled properly, it could lead to serious problems. Many things have changed now. A single ghost controller can influence the stability of an entire region. A few top-tier controllers together can even sway global events.”

“Additionally, Yang Jian holds some terrifying secrets. He can even resurrect the dead, which is of great value to us.”

After contemplating, Shen Liang gritted his teeth, “Give him what he wants; otherwise, today’s issue won’t be resolved,”