Chapter 50: Just Tone It Down a Bit

Chapter 50: Just Tone It Down a Bit

Han Lingling wasn’t home, so I was the one in charge here.

In just a few short hours, the room that Han Lingling had left spotless was already a complete mess. The fierce ghost tycoon lay half-reclined on the sofa, naked as ever, indulging in a flood of benefits precisely recommended by big data.

Just then, a knock came at the door—urgent and sharp.

“Damn!” Duan Mingwei suddenly sat up in surprise, still drunk.

Flustered, he began hastily dressing and tidying up.

When he heard the voice outside, he paused.

“Is Duan Mingwei home? This is Chen Feng.”

Duan Mingwei hesitated briefly before replying slowly, “Coming, coming.”

Five minutes later, the door opened.

Duan Mingwei’s expression fell.

Standing there were the three members of the 157 squad, all with bruised and swollen faces. Among them, Chen Feng’s contracted spirit, Dalang, was in the worst shape—only two slits remained visible around his eyes, his cheeks puffed up so much that his mouth was squeezed into a kiss shape.

“Brother Chen Feng, Brother Meng Qian, Brother Haoran, what happened to you all?” he asked nervously, ushering them inside.

Xu Haoran sat down with a wheeze, relieved. “Good thing you slipped away early, or you’d be just like us.”

“What… do you mean?” Duan Mingwei’s gaze involuntarily drifted elsewhere.

Chen Feng explained, “It’s the cafeteria. They recently recruited a fierce ghost there. Not long after you left, some fat guy brought one of their staff to the hospital. Don’t know which bastard caused trouble, but the fat guy, unable to find anyone, got angry and ordered that fierce ghost to beat up every caretaker.”

“But thanks to your warning before leaving, we were prepared, pulling together a bunch of sick ghosts as protection. That’s why we only got beaten up this badly. Thanks, Duan Mingwei.”

Duan Mingwei’s eyes continued to wander. “Ah ha, ha ha, it’s nothing, it’s nothing. We’re all part of the same team; naturally, I’ll help however I can.”

“Oh right, what brings you guys to my place?”

Chen Feng slapped his forehead, grimacing.

“Almost forgot the main reason.”

His expression turned serious. “Duan Mingwei, be honest with me—what’s your current rank?”

Back when Duan Mingwei was wreaking havoc in Qingshan Hospital, he knew this couldn’t be hidden, so he candidly admitted, “I’m only at the Fierce Ghost level.”

“Whoo—”

The three of them and the spirit all inhaled sharply.

Dalang didn’t know why he was doing the same, but since everyone else was, he followed suit.

“Fierce Ghost level?”

“And only that?”

“Are you sure this is only your second time entering the Weird Realm?”

“Come on, let me check if you’re hiding some old grandpa inside you.”

As they spoke, Xu Haoran and Meng Qian actually made a move as if to inspect him.

Chen Feng steadied the mood. “What are you two doing? Do you think you can tell if there’s an old grandpa just by stripping someone?”

“Look for any rings, necklaces, or something like that.”

Duan Mingwei was utterly bewildered.

After a long moment, the trio calmed down and had no choice but to accept Duan Mingwei’s Fierce Ghost rank.

Chen Feng poked at his gradually blackening eye, gritting his teeth. “Alright, enough fooling around. Let’s get serious.”

“Reaching the Fierce Ghost rank after only two tries is nothing short of miraculous. Calling you the first human to do so wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Come with me to headquarters; I’ll take you to meet the director. No need for any tiresome tests or exams—they’d be meaningless to you now. You’re qualified to become a core candidate for the Paranormal Investigation Bureau.”

Unexpectedly, Duan Mingwei waved him off.

“No thanks. I’d rather go through the normal process.”

“But—”

“No buts. Han Lingling already made her stance clear to you. I feel the same. You know exactly why I want to join the Paranormal Investigation Bureau—just having a way to earn some extra money is enough.”

“As for trouble… if it comes, I won’t shirk responsibility. But risking my life? I’m not at that level of dedication yet.”

“I’m just being honest. Sorry.”

The 157 squad fell silent.

After a long pause, Chen Feng spoke again. “No need to apologize. Maybe you’re right. You do need to start at the bottom to gradually understand the predicament humanity is currently facing.”

“I won’t force you. Fine, I’ll come back for you in four days to take you through the test.”

“If you insist on staying low-key, then I won’t use my recommendation slot for you. I’ve checked your dossier—this time it’s rated E-level. According to the data, you have 26 ghost energy points so far. Plus, you earned a wandering spirit-level ghost item at the end, which already meets the Paranormal Investigation Bureau’s admission criteria.”

Duan Mingwei was shocked.

It seemed every expedition into the Weird Realm through the boundary stone was recorded, unless one received a hidden mission upgrade. For the countless entrants, there were no secrets in the eyes of the boundary stone’s higher-ups.

“What about Han Lingling?” he suddenly asked, remembering she hadn’t entered via the boundary stone.

“Han Lingling?” Chen Feng frowned. “That’s strange. Except for her initial F-level rating, the boundary stone didn’t record her latest exploration.”

Duan Mingwei wasn’t sure whether to feel glad or worried.

After a long sigh, he said, “Alright, see you in four days.”

“What should I do then?”

“Just tone it down a bit.”

Duan Mingwei: “???”

…

Meanwhile, in an old residential building over in the East Market,

Wang Tao was slumped in the corner of the hallway, drenched in sweat and pale-faced.

By the railings, Luo Yulong and Zhou Xiangfu stood with their hands behind their backs, gazing at the sky at a 45-degree angle, both putting on exactly the same act.

After a long while, Luo Yulong spoke coolly, “Do you understand your problem now?”

“You just saw it clearly—a fierce ghost-level spirit couldn’t last a second under your contracted ghost. Your potential is enormous.”

“But your ghost energy is too low—only six points total. How long can you sustain summoning your contracted spirit?”

Wang Tao nodded seriously.

Just now, while dealing with an invading fierce ghost-level spirit in reality, the lecherous ghost had immediately slain it. After absorbing the remaining ghost energy from that fierce ghost, he gained one point back, but it was still far from enough to keep the lecherous ghost outside his body for long.

Luo Yulong then turned and walked away slowly, continuing to speak.

“What you need most now is to increase your ghost energy reserve. I’m arranging for you to enter the next Paranormal Investigation Bureau test. Since you have to go through the process anyway, no matter what it takes this time, you must raise your ghost energy to over 50 points. Only then can you claim to have some self-defense capability.”

“Work hard, weakling. Hah—”

Wang Tao clenched his fist quietly, his mind involuntarily flashing to the unreliable Duan Mingwei.

Luo Yulong kept walking far away, and finally Zhou Xiangfu, who had been holding his pose all along, couldn’t stand it any longer. He grabbed Luo Yulong, shaking him repeatedly.

“I already gave you face just now, you liar! What about my ten sets of Hanfu?!”

“Cough, cough, cough, Yue—Brother Fu, stop! I said I’ll definitely buy them for you, but right now I don’t have enough money.”

“How about this: I’m going to be the proctor for the next test, and once the task bonus comes through, I promise I’ll make good on it.”

Zhou Xiangfu gave a cold stare. “Really?”

Luo Yulong raised three fingers. “More real than A-Zhen.”

“Long Long, sorry if I hurt you just now. It wasn’t intentional.”

“But I like the chivalrous style. Burn me a few sets of knight outfits then.”

“…”

Thanks to the alliance leader “Waiting for the Rain to Stop.”

Also, thanks to Kuzuya, Book Friend 20200822122356253, Book Friend 20180406171012385, Dongfang Yaosheng, Gemini Also Forced, Dumb Sell Flirt, Don’t Disturb Me While Reading, Book Friend 20220427221434191, Passionate Persistence Holding the Sun and Moon and Plucking Stars, Springtime Years, and Zhen Qingyu Niu for their generous monthly ticket support. There are too many recommendation tickets to thank individually, but I remember them all. Thank you all for continuing to enjoy this book.

Of course, if possible, please leave more comments. Every time I see a comment pop up in the backend, tears fall as I type.

And as usual, I humbly ask for votes.

(End of chapter)