The Eldritch Files

The sudden turn of events left both Han Su and Xu Ji stunned. They lowered their heads to look at the shards of the shattered crystal ball.

Now that the crystal ball had shattered, the black and white colors were gone. Instead, a wisp of red light once again pulsed within the largest shard. It was eerie, captivating, and it swirled and danced gracefully within the fragment.

’Both Xu Ji and I have traces of the same Mysterious Power on us. Could it be...’

At that moment, a thought stirred in Han Su’s mind. He considered another possibility, and his brow furrowed deeply.

"Mr. Xu, don’t ask me anymore..."

While he was lost in thought, the old woman became adamant about leaving. She frantically pushed Special Assistant Xu’s hand away. "As for the rest, I can’t see it clearly, nor do I dare to."

"The Disaster Management Bureau is not to be trifled with. The creation of that department threw everything into chaos..."

"It’s not that I’m being irresponsible. I used the finest incense to help him before. Ordinary mystical influences should have been completely cleansed, but now, it seems there’s only one explanation: the Mysterious Power affecting him is too strong, and its influence runs too deep..."

"This is beyond my capabilities. I can only offer you one piece of advice: if you want to solve your young master’s problem, it’s actually quite simple. Hiding won’t work anymore. You have to deal with the source directly..."

"...Wire the final payment to my account, and you’d better add compensation for my crystal ball!"

"That was a treasure passed down from my master! When the Disaster Management Bureau was first formed, they offered a high price for it, and I still refused..."

"..."

With that, she left in a frantic hurry, not even glancing back at Han Su. Special Assistant Xu had no choice but to see her out, leaving Han Su and Xu Ji sitting there, staring blankly at each other.

Han Su glanced at the crystal ball shards, lost in thought. "Where did you find that old woman?"

"I have no idea," Xu Ji said. "Special Assistant Xu found her. Apparently, she’s some kind of expert in Mysticism, the type who could serve as a consultant for the government. You know, when I was grounded the last two days, she’d burn some weird herbs and smoke me with them every single day?"

"She made me strip naked and lie down—wouldn’t even let me keep my underwear on—and smoked me inch by inch. Sometimes, when I was asleep, she’d stand outside my bedroom door and chant spells all day long."

"I figured, she’s old, and earning money can’t be easy. Even though I didn’t feel any different after her chanting, I’d still tell her I felt much better whenever she asked."

"..."

"You rich people should really stop using your conscience in such weird ways, okay?"

Han Su was speechless. "If you’re so desperate to burn money, you’d be better off donating to a few orphanages."

Based on what he’d learned since joining the Disaster Management Bureau, Han Su was sure that the ordeal Xu Ji described was likely an extremely expensive and rare form of "treatment."

A normal person who came into contact with something like this would meet one of three fates. But the Xu Family, with its vast resources, had managed to find a fourth option.

But judging by the current outcome, Xu Ji hadn’t escaped the influence of the Mysterious Power at all. In fact, it might have gotten worse?

’Does the Ghost Truck really rank that high?’

The absurd suspicion in his mind grew stronger. He looked up and saw his own face reflected in a glass frame on the wall.

"It’s confirmed, Mr. Han."

Just as he was pondering, Special Assistant Xu returned from seeing the old woman out. "You and the young master have residual contamination from the same Mysterious Power," he said in a low voice. "And the only thing you’ve both encountered is that Ghost Truck. This can only mean that aberration has been affecting the young master all this time..."

"...affecting you both."

"It’s just..."

He sighed at this point, his expression a mixture of helplessness and conflict. "Mr. Han," he said to Han Su, "does the Disaster Management Bureau have any plans to deal with that Ghost Truck?"

"Yes."

Han Su slowly raised his head. "That would be me."

Special Assistant Xu was visibly taken aback. "You... you’re getting promoted that quickly?"

Han Su ignored his surprised expression. Now that the conversation had reached this point, a bold idea suddenly sparked in his mind.

After a quick mental calculation, he looked up at Special Assistant Xu. "And precisely because I’m the one in charge of this now..."

"So, is the Xu Family willing to trust me, just this once? Let me take Xu Ji to deal with the Ghost Truck. It will be risky, but it could eliminate the problem for good."

"..."

"Well..."

Even a man as calm as Special Assistant Xu had his expression contort after hearing the question. He almost subconsciously rejected the idea, but remembering his position, he restrained himself. He just slowly shook his head, his expression hesitant.

"I can’t make the call on this. If you don’t mind, Mr. Han, I’ll go make a phone call?"

"..."

Han Su nodded, letting him go.

He turned his head and saw Xu Ji curiously eyeing his briefcase. When Xu Ji reached out to touch it again, Han Su simply moved it out of his reach. "Are you afraid of ghosts?"

"Of course," Xu Ji said. "I watch ghost movies with the scary parts censored."

"What’s the point of watching a ghost movie if it’s censored?"

Han Su was speechless. "Then what if I asked you to come with me and face that thing we saw last time..."

"I’m in!"

Xu Ji’s eyes instantly lit up. He gripped Han Su’s hand tightly. "You have to take me with you! This is way more thrilling than street racing..."

Han Su could see the guy was being genuine, but he could only shake his head for now. Special Assistant Xu hadn’t returned yet, and considering how protective the Xu Family was of Xu Ji, the chances of them agreeing were practically zero.

"What’s more thrilling than street racing?"

Just as they were speaking, a set of footsteps suddenly echoed on the nearby wooden staircase, followed by a light, laughing voice. "If it’s fun, you should take me along too!"

Han Su turned in surprise. He saw a tall, radiant, and unbelievably beautiful woman descending the stairs gracefully. She was followed by a flock of assistants carrying clothes, laptops, and bags. The very air around her seemed to brighten.

He couldn’t help but stare, feeling that this woman was, without a doubt, the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his entire life.

Even the celebrities in movies and on billboards paled in comparison.

Strangely, however, while he was struck by her beauty—a truly stunning sort of beauty—he felt none of the usual impure thoughts. It was as if some invisible force was suppressing his own desires.

Just as he was wondering about the woman’s identity, Xu Ji beside him grinned. "Miss Wei Lan, come over here! Let me introduce you to this handsome guy..."

"Wei Lan?"

It was a simple statement, but Han Su, who had just torn his gaze away, suddenly snapped his head back up to look at her.

Her features were exquisite. She wasn’t actually that old, but her confidence and a faint air of mystery tempered her youthful appearance.

Overall, hers was an aggressively striking sort of beauty. Her skin was so fair it seemed to glow, yet her smile was incredibly sweet.

Men often can’t control their gaze when they see a pretty girl, but a woman this beautiful was like a glaring light, stinging the eyes and making one feel inadequate. She was that type of woman.

But the crucial thing was...

Wei Lan...

He recalled the phone call from Special Assistant Xu. He had said he’d found a lead, someone whose name sounded like "Mei Lan." Was this her?

Han Su tried to find a trace of familiarity in her, a shadow of the little girl he had carried in his arms while escaping the Ancient Castle. He couldn’t see it. Her eyes and brows seemed vaguely familiar, but they were too far apart for him to see if there was a scar on her temple.

"Old Han, check out the beauty!"

Xu Ji was already tugging on Han Su’s arm, grinning. "This is Miss Wei Lan. Don’t be fooled by her age; she’s the same as us, but while we’re still stuck in school, she’s about to become a superstar in the entire East Region!"

"She’s back this time for a beauty pageant. She was training in Ti City before and got really popular there. I never expected her to come back to Qinggang City to compete."

"But her status speaks for itself. Right now, she’s the top contender to win the crown. Want me to take a picture of you two?"

"You don’t get many chances to meet her."

"..."

As they spoke, Wei Lan walked over. She noticed Han Su’s gaze but paid it no mind. For her, such stares were all too common.

In fact, those who dared to look her directly in the eye were usually the strong-willed types.

"I’m here for a makeup trial, preparing for the upcoming competition."

"As my sponsor, shouldn’t the Xu Family cough up a bit more sponsorship money? After all, I’m about to become famous!"

She greeted Xu Ji with a light laugh, then nodded to Han Su as well. Her every word and gesture was natural and poised. Then, surrounded by her assistants, she started toward the corridor on the opposite side.

She clearly had no intention of staying for a photo, especially since she wasn’t wearing any makeup.

Yet for some reason, after taking only two steps, she hesitated. A subtle sense of loss welled up inside her, and strangely, it seemed to grow stronger the farther she walked away.

All of a sudden, she turned around gracefully and walked back toward Han Su, leaving her flock of busy assistants frozen in place.

Wei Lan took a few quick steps, stopped in front of Han Su, and extended her hand. "Hello, Mr. Han," she said with a smile.

Han Su took her hand and nodded. "Hello."

Nothing happened.

It was just a light handshake. They let go, and Wei Lan turned to leave. The touch didn’t cause any strange effects, nor did it trigger anything.

Everything was perfectly natural, like a breeze that comes and goes.

’She really doesn’t remember me.’ They were just strangers now, their paths having crossed by chance.

It seemed their fates were like parallel lines, destined never to cross again.

But Han Su, Wei Lan, and even Xu Ji—who was watching with a knowing, gossipy grin—all failed to notice.

The crystal shard that had fallen under the table suddenly pulsed with an eerie red light. It was even more distinct than before. The light spun gracefully before slowly vanishing back into the shard.

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