“Disappeared?”
A new lead.
Gao Shi’s fingers twitched slightly, wanting to reach for candy. Seeing the young woman had completely fallen into fear, he simply handed over the last candy from his pocket.
“Don’t be afraid, we’re here.”
The young woman took the lollipop, unwrapping the candy paper while still trembling.
Perhaps it was the sweet chocolate flavor that helped people relax, or perhaps it was Gao Shi’s reassuring presence, but the young woman finally stopped shaking.
“Yes, he—Jiao Hu—disappeared.”
“Jiao Hu joined a year before me. He also got into Zhou Corporation right after graduation and worked in the Safety Management Department.”
“He was very cheerful and could chat with pretty much everyone in the department.”
“He… helped me a lot.”
The young woman wrung her hands together.
“He was very responsible at work, never complained when the team leader dumped overtime work on him, and actively visited the factories.”
“The Safety Management Department has plenty of grunt work where ‘leaders give orders while subordinates run their legs off,’ with hardly any bonuses or commissions.”
“I remember Jiao Hu’s university major was Food Nutrition and Testing. He could have gone to the technical department, but for some reason went to Safety Management, which was really a waste of his talent.”
When talking about Jiao Hu, the young woman displayed resentment toward the company.
“The team leader of the Safety Management Department was… he was too much. He always made Jiao Hu go to the factories for safety education and inspections while he himself didn’t lift a finger, yet took all the credit.”
It was clear that the young woman was very angry about this, but not one to curse. After holding back for a long time, she only managed to say “too much” as an insult.
Gao Shi asked, “Previously, Guang Qing was in the Sales Department. The Sales Department manager also liked to pressure subordinates to work overtime and even stole their projects, taking all the benefits. Is this situation common at Zhou Corporation?”
The young woman was taken aback by the question and looked around nervously.
Gao Shi reassured her, “It’s okay. No one will hear.”
The young woman softly replied, “It’s quite common. Before the haunting, people often worked overtime until early morning. There was even a colleague from the Sales Department who had a sudden heart attack after working overtime for a week straight.”
“At that time, the team leader of the Sales Department—the one who was later promoted to manager—was renovating his office, making it more comfortable than his own home.”
The young woman bit her lower lip. “There’s nothing we can do. After all, Zhou Corporation is a large enterprise and relatively friendly to non-locals. Although there’s no overtime pay and our achievements sometimes get stolen, the bonuses are high. It’s hard to find a better job than Zhou Corporation if you leave.”
“I came to B City on my own. B City’s living costs are too high, and rent is expensive too. My savings would only last me half a year if I resigned.”
“But after these incidents, I’m really too scared. If it weren’t for the fact that I’d lose the bonus for my current project if I resigned early, I would have quit long ago.”
The young woman’s tone revealed deep helplessness.
Gao Shi, listening to the young woman’s somewhat off-topic sighs, suddenly noticed something he hadn’t paid attention to before. “You said Zhou Corporation is relatively friendly to non-locals. What do you mean by that?”
The young woman explained, “Many large companies fear that non-local employees are unstable, so they prioritize hiring locals. Zhou Corporation is different—they hire many non-locals.”
Gao Shi frowned slightly, feeling like something flashed through his mind. “Is Jiao Hu a local?”
The young woman shook her head, “No.”
Gao Shi nodded, signaling for the young woman to continue.
“Jiao Hu was very dedicated to his work and was quickly noticed by the manager. The manager was parachuted in from elsewhere and wanted to cultivate his own people, so he had some intention of cultivating and promoting Jiao Hu.”
“Coincidentally, the Group 1 team leader had made a mistake in his work at that time.”
“Jiao Hu was about to be promoted.”
“But at this critical juncture, Jiao Hu disappeared.”
“The higher-ups said Jiao Hu resigned.”
Upon hearing this, Gao Shi asked, “Since they said Jiao Hu resigned, why do you insist that he disappeared?”
The young woman clenched her fists. “Because after he left the company, he blocked and deleted everyone from the unit.”
“Jiao Hu was a very enthusiastic person; there was no need for him to do that.”
“Even if his enthusiasm was fake, he got along well with his colleagues. There was no need to do such a thing and cut off relationships.”
“Moreover, he was about to be promoted. Why would he resign?”
“He had told me before that he always had a dream of buying a house in B City to live with his brother.”
“He needed money. Unless a better company had poached him and he had changed jobs, there was no reason for him to resign.”
“But since he left, I’ve been keeping an eye on companies in the same industry, and I haven’t heard of him joining any of them.”
“He was clearly in need of money, yet after resigning, there was no news of him at all.”
Upon hearing this, Gao Shi’s pen lightly tapped his notebook. “He has a brother?”
The young woman nodded, “He mentioned it once when chatting with me, but didn’t go into details.”
Gao Shi marked this in his notebook.
The notebook contained the suspicious points he had listed.
Phone — Factory — Jiao Hu.
In the ghost call, the word “factory” was mentioned, and the missing Jiao Hu’s job required him to visit factories.
In the ghost call, the sound “ban” was also mentioned.
What could it refer to?
Trip? Disguise? Or half?
Zhou family’s main product category is semi-processed meat products.
So, does “factory” refer to the semi-processed meat products factory?
Gao Shi nodded to the young woman in thanks, indicating that he had finished asking what needed to be asked.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
But the young woman didn’t leave immediately. She clenched and unclenched her hands.
“The voice on the phone was Jiao Hu’s. He sounded like he was in a lot of pain… He, he didn’t resign, he disappeared. Please, please find him!”
“Feel free to ask me anything. I’ll tell you everything I know! If there’s any information you need to know that I don’t know, I can also help you inquire. I work here, so it will be much more convenient for me to find things out.”
“Please help them!”
Gao Shi looked at the young woman’s hair whorl and said softly, “Don’t worry, we will definitely find him.”
…
Chang Yang and Huang Shan’s negotiations with Zhou Corporation didn’t go smoothly at first, until they directly presented special lockdown documents revealing their identity.
The lockdown time specified in the documents was after 11 PM, to minimize impact on ordinary people.
Gao Shi had Ran Qiu research Jiao Hu and the team leader’s personal information to provide remote support.
Meanwhile, he and Ying Bujie rushed to the factory without delay.
Zhou Corporation was large, and so were its factories. After presenting their credentials, a person in charge led them to the factory workshop.
Gao Shi indicated that the guide didn’t need to follow them, but Ying Bujie’s long hair was too eye-catching—everyone they passed couldn’t help but look. Just as Gao Shi was wondering what to do, Ying Bujie gently touched his arm.
“Don’t want… attention?”
“Yes, it could be troublesome if too many people stare at us.”
Hearing this, Ying Bujie formed a hand seal with one hand. Gao Shi immediately noticed that their presence became much less noticeable.
Gao Shi softly hissed in surprise.
This was incredibly convenient.
He hadn’t realized Taoist Ying had such abilities.
Thanks to Taoist Ying’s spell, their investigation went very smoothly, though they still didn’t discover anything unusual.
During break time, workers gathered in small groups, wolfing down their lunch. Gao Shi went over to look and saw they were eating semi-processed meat products made by Zhou Corporation itself.
It smelled delicious.
Gao Shi asked Ying Bujie, “Taoist Master, which one would you like to eat?”
He looked around and noticed one type of meatball was particularly popular.
These meatballs were called “Ease of Mind Meatballs,” with a strong, fragrant aroma of spices. The line at this window was the longest.
Gao Shi checked the price and found the Ease of Mind Meatballs were the cheapest.
Cheap they were, but wasn’t the price a bit too low? Were they taking a low-margin, high-volume approach?
Ying Bujie glanced at the cafeteria with apparent disinterest.
This was strange. Taoist Ying usually had a good appetite and could enjoy plain steamed buns with relish, yet he seemed uninterested in all this meat.
Gao Shi asked in a low voice, “Is Taoist Master feeling unwell?”
Ying Bujie shook his head. He looked at the service window and said, “These… taste bad.”
Since they apparently tasted bad, Gao Shi ordered some food from outside to fill Taoist Ying’s stomach. He himself took a cafeteria boxed lunch and blended in with the workers.
His normally straight back became slightly hunched, and his combed-down bangs covered his eyes, concealing his overly sharp gaze. Holding the boxed lunch and joining the cafeteria crowd, even though his disguise wasn’t elaborate, he looked just like an ordinary worker.
Several workers were eating and complaining.
“Damn it! Working like a fool, I don’t even have energy to fool around with my wife when I get home. She’s getting upset.”
“Who isn’t! I go home, fall asleep immediately, and get up the next day to continue working.”
“Twelve-hour rotating shifts—last time I almost fell asleep in the machine!”
This was high-intensity work with significant danger—twelve hours was too long; six to eight hours would be more appropriate.
Gao Shi joined in with a few curses, and before long, he was arm-in-arm with the workers.
“I say, if it’s really too much, take some rest. Money is important, but you need to be alive to spend it. Otherwise, look at what happened to that guy before, tsk tsk… really tragic.”
“Damn! We’re eating here, why talk about this?”
Gao Shi’s interest was piqued. He pulled out a pack of Da Qian Men cigarettes he had prepared earlier and started handing them out. “Brother, tell me about it. What happened?”
“Oh! Da Qian Men! Strong stuff!”
As the men took the cigarettes and began puffing away, they opened up. “Brother, you must be new here? This happened several years ago, maybe four or five years back.”
The first man who took a cigarette lowered his voice, and several heads huddled together. “Before, there was a guy in our factory named Hu Yuishui.”
“He worked in the semi-processed products section, on the assembly line. He earned a lot, but it was exhausting.”
“Once, he was probably too tired and might have dozed off. In the middle of the night, his arm got caught in the machine.”
“My God, the scene at that time… was horrific.”
His face showed reluctance as he continued, “His entire arm was turned into meat paste. If he hadn’t reacted quickly, he might have been pulled in completely.”
“Later, Hu Yuishui was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. He was almost ready to be discharged when his condition suddenly worsened, and he died.”
“That hospital seemed to be some kind of private clinic, and the medical expenses were extremely expensive. Yet they couldn’t save him.”
“It’s tragic. Afterward, the factory compensated the family with some money, but I don’t know how much. Anyway, the matter was settled and forgotten.”
Another person added, “We need to be careful ourselves. We’re the breadwinners for our families. If something happens to us, what about our mothers and wives?”
“Sigh, let’s not talk about this anymore. Brother, since you’re new, is there anything else you want to know? Let’s talk about something else. I was there at the time and saw it all—my God, Hu Yuishui’s arm was smashed to bits, like dumpling filling. After seeing that, I couldn’t eat meat for half a year.”
Gao Shi made a disgusted expression. He looked at his boxed lunch, then at the worker. “So, that machine where the accident happened…”
The worker said, “I think it was removed. After such an incident, who could use it again? Otherwise, who could eat in this cafeteria?”
Gao Shi breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, brother. I’ll be careful in the future.”
Another worker sighed, “A few days before Old Hu was discharged, I spoke with him on the phone. He said the factory was heartless, only giving him such a small compensation for losing an arm. Little did we know that he would be gone a couple of days later. I guess the compensation to Old Hu’s family after his death wasn’t much either. These days, Old Hu gets mentioned a lot. I wonder if it’s because he died with resentment in his heart.”
Gao Shi caught the key point. “Keeps being mentioned? Who else has been asking about it? Isn’t this all from four or five years ago?”
“Well, Comrade Jiao Hu, of course!”
The group continued discussing. “Although Jiao Hu worked in the office, he was very good to us, not arrogant at all.”
“Yeah, he asked us about the previous factory accident and said something about not allowing prolonged fatigue… what was it called?”
“Fatigue operations!”
“Right! No prolonged fatigue operations. He wanted to help us report to the higher-ups, see if we could change from two shifts to three shifts.”
“The previous safety education work was all done by Comrade Jiao Hu. Last time when I was drowsy and my hair almost got caught in the machinery, he was the one who warned me in time.”
“Too bad he resigned later.”
It seemed Jiao Hu indeed had a good reputation here. The group enthusiastically praised him.
Just then, a discordant voice cut in. “Idiots! In my opinion, that Jiao Hu was no good!”
Gao Shi and the others looked over to see a thin worker.
He spat and said, “When the accident happened, Old Hu and I were on the same line. We shared a dorm and were very close.”
“I don’t know where Jiao Hu heard about it, but for a while, he kept asking me about Old Hu every day, to the point where I was dreaming of bloodstains.”
“Is he some kind of pervert?!”
The other workers immediately objected.
“You stupid dog, you’re the pervert!”
“Jiao Hu was being thorough for everyone’s benefit!”
The thin worker spat again. “Bunch of fools! Why did he need to ask about Old Hu’s personal life? What he liked to eat, where he liked to go—like a census taker.”
The workers ignored his words and pushed back against him. The thin worker cursed and left glumly.
Gao Shi felt a spark of insight. “Did Hu Yuishui have any other relatives?”
The worker thought for a moment. “Yes, I remember he mentioned that his parents died early, but he had a younger brother.”
Another worker added, “I remember too. He often boasted about his brother, saying how smart he was and that he was determined to support his brother through university.”
…
Gao Shi walked out of the factory, still holding his lunch box with untouched food.
Taoist Ying was waiting for him in the corner.
Even in the scorching heat, Taoist Ying hadn’t sought a cooler spot but stood rigidly in the sunshine.
His skin was very fair; under the sunlight, it looked like translucent white jade.
Hearing Gao Shi’s voice, he looked over. His eyes were as clear as high-quality black jadeite, purely and beautifully black even in the sunlight.
He walked toward Gao Shi as Gao Shi sent a message to Ran Qiu.
【Check the relationship between Hu Yuishui and Jiao Hu. Use my clearance.】
【Received!】
Hu Yuishui and Jiao Hu.
Hu Yuishui had a younger brother.
Jiao Hu had an older brother.
Jiao Hu showed excessive interest in Hu Yuishui.
Jiao Hu hadn’t applied for the technical management department that matched his expertise but instead joined the dead-end safety management department.
Hu Yuishui died in a safety accident.
Both Jiao Hu’s and Hu Yuishui’s deaths were related to Zhou Corporation’s factory.
Although Jiao Hu and Hu Yuishui looked nothing alike, it was enough to make Gao Shi suspect a connection between them.
Gao Shi put away his phone.
Seeing Ying Bujie staring at his lunch box, he asked, “Does Taoist Master want to eat this?”
Had he changed his mind and wanted to try it after all?
Ying Bujie shook his head. “Tastes bad.”
How could he say it tasted bad without even trying it?
Seeing Ying Bujie’s strong resistance, Gao Shi became curious about just how bad this food could be.
He picked up one of the most popular meatballs and took a bite, immediately frowning.
The meatball smelled fragrant, but Gao Shi had sensitive taste buds. With one bite, he felt his mouth filled with the taste of additives. This wasn’t meat with additives; it was additives with a bit of meat mixed in.
Gao Shi had been taught since childhood not to waste food, but the more he chewed, the stronger the additive taste became. He started feeling nauseated and eventually spat it out.
He rinsed his mouth with clear water and looked at the meat in the lunch box.
It smelled good, but the flavor came entirely from additives.
Additives…
Gao Shi felt a spark of insight.
***
Gao Shi’s team of four met in the evening to organize the day’s information.
Usually, missions weren’t this complicated. After all, humans have human ways, and ghosts have ghost ways. Dealing with supernatural entities typically required methods from the yin realm.
Unfortunately, Zhou Corporation’s complex human energy scattered the yin energy, forcing them to use methods from the yang realm to deduce as much information about the ghost as possible, to be prepared.
Gao Shi was the first to summarize what they had learned today.
“…Additionally, Xiuzi just sent me a message. Jiao Hu’s former name was Hu Jingzhe, Hu Yuishui’s biological younger brother.”
Gao Shi presented two photos. “This is Jiao Hu before plastic surgery.”
It was evident that Hu Yuishui and Jiao Hu resembled each other; one could tell at a glance they were brothers.
Chang Yang chewed on his pen cap. “This… Hu Yuishui and Jiao Hu’s family wasn’t well-off financially. Jiao Hu underwent plastic surgery and changed his name, then entered the company where his brother once worked. No matter how you look at it, something’s wrong.”
Huang Shan gravely responded, “When Hu Yuishui had his accident, he was sent to a private hospital. I checked, and that hospital is under the name of a younger member of the Zhou family. Could there be issues with Hu Yuishui’s death?”
Chang Yang added, “The workers said the compensation for Hu Yuishui’s accident wasn’t much, but I checked the bank transfers and found that the compensation was one million yuan, which is actually above standard.”
“With this factory’s usual stinginess, that’s like red rain falling from the sky.”
Huang Shan said, “A large part of Jiao Hu’s plastic surgery costs came from this compensation money.”
The team exchanged glances, reaching a consensus.
Hu Yuishui’s death definitely had issues.
Perhaps that large compensation payment was meant to cover something up.
Why did Hu Yuishui have to die? He was just an ordinary worker—who could he have been in the way of?
Or did he know something he shouldn’t have?
Gao Shi glanced at his phone screen.
…
11:00 PM.
The last light in the Zhou Corporation building went out.
More and more Zhou Corporation employees had encountered ghosts during overtime work. Some, badly frightened, gave up their year-end bonuses and project commissions to resign directly. Others gritted their teeth and persevered but didn’t dare work past midnight.
B City’s night was as bright as day, with vehicles flowing like a river of stars on the roads. Only the Zhou Corporation building stood pitch black, as if severed from the rest of the city.
Yin Ling jumped out from somewhere, his silver hair seemingly glowing in the darkness.
“Brother Gao! Xiao Shitou has already set up the great formation. No one will accidentally wander in.”
“Good,” said Gao Shi. “Yangzi and Old Huang are outside assisting Xuan Yu.”
“Understood!”
Everyone prepared their equipment. As the time approached 11:30, Zhou Corporation’s dark entrance resembled the mouth of a giant beast, ready to devour people.
Beside Zhou Corporation stood a promotional standee.
The woman in the picture turned her head slightly, wearing an apron, looking gentle and virtuous.
Gao Shi recognized her—she was Shelley Ye, Cheng Zeqi’s first idol crush.
She was also the idol who broke Cheng Zeqi’s heart, causing him to completely withdraw from entertainment industry makeup design and open his own small shop.
In the lower right corner of the standee was Shelley Ye’s signature, and at the very bottom, a line of small text:
Wanxing Entertainment.
Gao Shi’s head suddenly ached dully, so quickly it felt like an illusion.
He pressed his temple.
“Let’s go.”
He took the lead toward the entrance.
The nighttime Zhou Corporation was indeed different from daytime.
As soon as Yin Ling entered, the hair on his arms stood on end.
“This ghost is powerful. Be careful, Brother Gao.”
Perhaps because employees were no longer working day and night, the mixed human energies left from daytime gradually thinned.
The overhead lights were dim, flickering as if there was a poor connection.
Gao Shi’s team walked past Jiao Hu’s former workstation, which was still vacant, and nearby was the workstation of the Safety Production Department’s Group 1 leader.
Indeed, team leaders from other groups didn’t have personal offices.
They arrived at the Sales Department manager’s office—formerly the team leader who had been pranked by Guang Qing.
The office looked spacious from outside, but inside it was somewhat cramped, with various religious figures densely arranged on the desk and bagua mirrors and peach wood swords hanging on the walls.
The placement was so dense that rather than providing comfort, it created an eerie, chilling sensation.
The smiles on the Buddha statues’ faces appeared somewhat sinister under the pale light.
The room was filled with a thick, choking incense smell that made Yin Ling sneeze three times as soon as he entered, followed by a dry heave that brought tears to his eyes.
“What a disgusting smell. Burning incense every day—wouldn’t this person be pickled by the scent?”
Yin Ling retreated, unable to stand it, taking several deep breaths.
Gao Shi examined the office, feeling a strange sense of incongruity.
At that moment, a clock chimed.
The lights began to flicker.
The pale, dim lights changed to a blood-like dark red, casting an ominous red glow on everyone’s faces.
Something flashed by behind them.
In the work area, behind the crowded workstations, it seemed like something was present.
Yin Ling and the others remained vigilant, protecting Gao Shi in the center.
When they returned to the Safety Production Department, the director’s book opened by itself without wind, quickly turning to the “Workshop Safety” page, with warnings so red they seemed ready to drip blood.
A telephone rang.
Gao Shi looked at Yin Ling. “Have you found the source of the yin energy? The phone?”
Yin Ling shook his head gravely. “It’s not the phone.”
Ghost Eye’s eyes turned cyan-gold as he scanned the surroundings.
The lights made a “hiss” sound and went out completely.
Simultaneously, the copier started operating automatically.
Yin Ling picked up the printed paper, which showed his own face.
The Yin Ling in the printout wore an expression of terror, as if seeing something horrifying. His eyes were wide open, almost bursting from their sockets.
It was as if Yin Ling’s head had been pressed against the machine and directly scanned.
The printing continued.
Chang Yang, Huang Shan, Xuan Yu… each person’s expression showed extreme terror, making one’s hair stand on end.
When facing the printouts, one could almost believe the people in them were alive, and whatever terrified them was right behind you.
Yin Ling hissed, cursing the bad luck.
Ghost Eye also picked up his own paper.
The Ghost Eye in the paper had his mouth wide open, screaming.
Gao Shi or Ying Bujie should have been next.
However, the copier made a series of erratic noises, then started emitting black smoke.
The team exchanged looks, and Yin Ling burst out with an expletive. “Damn—Brother Gao, is your destiny so powerful?! You crashed the ghost?”
Gao Shi raised an eyebrow. “Don’t talk nonsense. It might be because of Taoist Ying.”
Ghost Eye remained silent, his cyan-gold eyes scanning the surroundings to find the source of the yin energy.
With Zhou Corporation’s constant flow of people, the energy was too mixed, and since the ghost hiding in Zhou Corporation hadn’t truly acted, they couldn’t locate it for the moment.
The surroundings fell into silence, reaching a stalemate.
This impasse couldn’t continue. The Spirit Management Bureau and the Anomaly Management Bureau needed to be “fast, accurate, and ruthless,” minimizing the impact of supernatural entities on the yang realm. Prolonging the situation would bring harm and no benefit.
That being the case, they should take the initiative.
“Che Xi mentioned earlier that he tried to leave this floor of Zhou Corporation but couldn’t, getting trapped in an infinite loop on the stairs. Let’s check the stairs,” Yin Ling suggested.
The group headed toward the stairs.
As Gao Shi passed the publicity department, he saw a poster of Shelley Ye on the manager’s desk.
The bottom right corner of the poster still said “Wanxing Entertainment.”
Gao Shi’s head throbbed with pain again.
Once could be a coincidence, but twice was not.
Wanxing Entertainment… he remembered that the CEO of Wanxing Entertainment was called Li Mochen.
CEO, contract, golden canary…
Could this Mr. Li be the [Contractor]?
Gao Shi gathered his thoughts and let it go for now.
The group reached the stairs and, indeed, began going around in circles, unable to leave this floor.
“Ghost wall.” This time Ghost Eye identified a simple area.
“The yin energy on this floor is heavier than on other floors. The ghost’s physical form is on this floor.”
But this floor was so vast that searching would be too time-consuming.
Just then, Gao Shi’s phone vibrated, particularly noticeable in the quiet, empty hall.
Yin Ling asked curiously, “You can still receive signals within Xiao Shitou’s formation?”
Gao Shi looked at the text message and lightly patted Ying Bujie beside him.
Yin Ling touched his nose and didn’t speak.
It felt like ever since Taoist Ying arrived, they had all fallen out of favor…
Gao Shi looked at the message he had just received—
[The test results are out.]
[This product completely fails to meet standards. The excessive additive content is just the beginning—it also contains a certain adhesive that has almost identical properties to carrageenan but is cheaper, because this adhesive is harmful to humans and causes chronic damage to the cardiovascular system with long-term consumption!]
[Where did you get this sample??? This is slow murder!!!]
Gao Shi put his phone back in his pocket.
Now, everything was connected.
Hu Yuishui had to die because he discovered the factory’s secret.
##
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