Mysterious Awakening

A ghost locked in an old cabinet.

Yang Jian thought it could be named the Ghost Cabinet.

Its characteristics are unknown, the method it uses to kill is unclear, and even the level of danger is not certain because, after some probing and research, he discovered that the ghost in the cabinet didn't seem to come out from inside.

Indeed.

This was a self-isolating ghost, staying on the first layer of the cabinet, and it wouldn't attack him even if he approached.

It felt as if it were harmless to humans and animals.

"However, regardless of what kind of being the ghost inside the cabinet is, the cabinet must have been placed here for a reason, just like the Ghost Mirror. The Ghost Mirror can resurrect people, though the price is releasing a ghost from the mirror, but it's still an incredibly powerful tool for saving one's life.

The former owner of this mansion probably intended for it to be used wisely by future generations."

Yang Jian pondered, "Since the value of this Ghost Cabinet is even greater than that of the Ghost Mirror, what exactly is its value? If I can figure it out, there might be unexpected gains."

The reason the original owner didn't leave behind usage instructions was probably to prevent the descendants from mastering the Ghost Cabinet too easily, to avoid them becoming arrogant and unable to control it, potentially leading to a disaster. Therefore, the intention was to make people explore on their own.

The process of exploration was a test.

If you passed, you would understand the artifact and would handle it cautiously. If you couldn't pass, you might be killed by it.

That was the principle when Zhang Wei was trapped by the curse of the Ghost Mirror.

But at that time, Yang Jian had the help of Zhang Wei's luck, so he was able to master the Ghost Mirror's characteristics quite well. However, now, guided by the parchment, he had come to this second room and was encountering this thing for the first time, so the information he could glean was very limited.

"If Wang Xiaoming were here, what method would he use to explore such an unknown and eerie cabinet, huh?" Yang Jian couldn't help but think of Professor Wang.

Compared to him, there was a natural difference in intellect, something he had to admit.

After all, he was a world-renowned top talent and outpaced ordinary people by a lot in certain areas.

After thinking for a while, however, Yang Jian soon chuckled and shook his head, "Relying too much on others is never a good thing. Facing supernatural incidents, one can only rely on their own judgment. Asking others for help blindly would be disastrous if one ever found themselves in a dire situation.

Moreover, I killed Wang Xiaoming's younger brother, and that thorn will always be a hidden danger."

Because of that grudge, he and Wang Xiaoming were fated not to get along.

Seeing that the Ghost Cabinet remained quiet without any abnormalities, Yang Jian gradually put his mind at ease.

It had been here for a hundred years. If nothing had happened with the Ghost Cabinet before, then surely nothing would happen now. As long as he didn't act rashly, everything should remain as it was before.

Taking advantage of the time he had, he decided to check the secret room again; perhaps he could discover a useful clue.

The overly simplistic secret room contained only two items: the Ghost Cabinet and the small wooden table he had shattered earlier.

There was nothing unusual about the table—it was a regular item. So, no matter how one looked at it, Yang Jian's gaze ultimately had to focus on the old cabinet before him.

His ghostly eyes couldn't penetrate and see what was inside. Behind the wooden lattice door on the upper layer was a ghost hiding in the darkness, and he hadn't opened the two doors on the lower layer, fearing he might release something terrible or trigger some horrifying existence.

"Wait a minute, what's that?"

Yang Jian suddenly noticed something inconspicuous.

At the very top of the cabinet, there seemed to be some items.

Out of caution, he didn't directly retrieve them, instead using Ghost Shadow to take them down from above.

Three equally ordinary and old items: a bottle of ink that had long since dried up, a delicate pen from the Republic of China Period, and a small notebook.

These items signified that the original owner had used them in the past, but not often.

Because Yang Jian could tell from the number of pages torn from the notebook, the count was only five times.

Of course, this judgment wasn't precise. Maybe this was not the first notebook either.

"There are traces of writing on the notebook left by the original owner. Maybe I can find some useful clues through that," Yang Jian carefully found that the first page of the old notebook had indentations from a pen writing on it.

Although a long time had passed, they were well preserved in the enclosed environment and could still be discerned.

"Such traces need to be analyzed by a professional, and usually, such talent can be found at the Casework Bureau," Yang Jian cautiously packed up the blank notebook, planning a trip to the Casework Bureau.

As for the Ghost Cabinet, for now, he could only leave it be.

When it comes to mysterious artifacts that are uncontrollable, not acting is the best course of action, because if there were any danger, it would have manifested long before today.

With that thought in mind, Yang Jian quickly left the secret room.

However, as he was returning to the villa, he suddenly noticed several special forces personnel standing guard outside, and several special vehicles parked nearby, as if there were guests at home.

He thought for a moment, and guessed it was probably a response to the reporters who had shown up downtown earlier.

As soon as he stepped through the door, Yang Jian saw several staff members sitting upright on the sofa in the hallway, disciplined and patient, seemingly waiting for his arrival.

"You are?" Yang Jian asked.

"Hello, Yang Jian. I am the captain of the city's investigation team, Zang Hua. I have some matters to report to you regarding this morning's case," the man claiming to be Captain Zang Hua saluted and then said.

"Do you have identification?"

Yang Jian added, "No offense meant, it's just that things have been a bit chaotic lately. Many unrelated people have infiltrated Dachang City, and I have some aversion to unfamiliar faces. If it were Captain Liu, I wouldn't be asking so many questions."

"Here's my identification." Zang Hua was not offended and immediately handed over his ID.

Yang Jian checked it and found no issues.

"As for Captain Liu... I'm sorry to say, it was confirmed three days ago that Captain Liu has disappeared; he can no longer follow up on the case with Yang, the Ghost Controller. Unless something unexpected happens, any cases concerning you will be handled by me from now on," Zang Hua added.

"Disappeared, huh?" Yang Jian sighed, "That's a real pity; he was a good and responsible person."

There were far too many disappearances in Dachang City; many could not be confirmed, but one could guess what the end might be for those disappeared in supernatural events.

"Please, have a seat. Captain Zang, let's hear it, what's the situation with that case from today? My residence was even infiltrated. It seems some people are not content and want to cause trouble in Dachang City," Yang Jian said.

Zang Hua reported honestly, "Recently, there has been more than just that team of journalists who had infiltrated Dachang City. It's just that their information was quite accurate, and they had located the residence of Yang, the Ghost Controller. In the city, we have already arrested at least six similar incidents, and expelled over twenty groups of people who lacked proper documentation."

"As for that foreigner named Terry, it has been confirmed he is a foreign mercenary who has participated in several overseas conflicts. After retiring, he worked for multiple foreign security companies. Of course, these details are not important. What is important is that in Dachang City, there indeed is a company that has employed a large number of foreigners as security personnel."

After finishing, Zang Hua gestured to a colleague, who brought over a document bag.

Upon opening it, he took out a photo: "This is Shangtong Tower in Dachang City, which is currently the office location of Shangtong Technology Co., Ltd. The background of this Shangtong Technology comes from a well-known enterprise overseas, and it entered Dachang City a year ago as part of an investment promotion, mainly focusing on developing network software."

"However, according to our investigation, this Shangtong Technology has always been in a state of trial operation, and the company's funds have been in a loss according to the bank's accounts. I have reason to believe that Shangtong Tower is a shell company."

"Coincidentally, according to some surveillance footage from the earliest days of Shangtong Technology, a few suspects were identified. Through the facial recognition system, it's certain they were the same people involved in the armed attack in Guanjiang Residential Complex last time."

Zang Hua then took out several photos, which surprisingly captured the same people who attacked Yang Jian last time coming and going from this company.

Yang Jian looked at the materials and frowned, "With all this investigation done, I wonder what Captain Zang is waiting for. Why not just shut down the company? Arrest those who should be arrested."

Zang Hua replied with a wry smile, "If it were that simple, that would be great. The company has handled things flawlessly. Although the suspects in the photos have records of entering and exiting the company, that alone isn't enough to shut it down. After all, we abide by the law."

"That female journalist named Su San, who was arrested this morning, revealed she was sponsored by Shangtong Technology to participate in the interview. The others were not informed. The issue is with the three mercenaries that infiltrated, but they apparently have no connection with the company, at least on the surface," he explained.

Yang Jian said, "What Captain Zang means is, the company is clearly up to something, but they're just acting like you don't have any evidence to deal with them, right?"

"It seems that way," Zang Hua admitted.

Yang Jian thought for a moment, "If there's no evidence, we can go find some. I refuse to believe a company that big has no issues at all."

"That's true in principle, but this requires a search warrant, which isn't easy to obtain, especially without any solid evidence. It's very unlikely those above would casually scrutinize a problem-free big company," said Zang Hua. "After all, they fear bad influences, and they can't bear the consequences if something goes wrong."

"The situation in Dachang City is already like this, and you're worried about the impact? We can't just let a foreign force extend its reach here. If we don't resolve it now, it'll become a problem sooner or later. I don't have the time to waste playing games with these people. Captain Zang, go back and apply for a search warrant immediately. Use my name to submit the request.

My clout should still be worth something," Yang Jian instructed.

"With you stepping in, there will certainly be no problem," Captain Zang smiled.

"Alright, let's leave this matter at that for now. Captain Zang, when you're ready, come and notify me. I'll accompany you on a visit. Besides, I'd like to ask for another favor," Yang Jian said as he pulled out the old notebook.

"Captain Zang, you're a seasoned veteran. Could you help me sort out the handwriting on this?"

Zang Hua carefully took it, and indeed through the reflection, he could see the indistinct handwriting underneath. However, the strokes were both faint and deep and overlapped in places, making it unclear what was written. Professional methods would be needed for restoration.

"There used to be a senior expert in the city who was good at this sort of thing. But as you know, with the situation in Dachang City, it's no longer feasible. If it's not urgent for you, the Ghost Controller, I can have a colleague from a nearby city come over, though it would take some time."

After a moment's thought, Yang Jian said, "Running back and forth, who knows how long it will drag on. Captain Zang, please make the contact for me, and I'll make the trip myself."

He didn't want to delay for too long because this was connected to the secret of the Ghost Cabinet, and the existence of the Ghost Cabinet was linked to the whereabouts of Zhao Lei.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!