"Nightmare, keep teaching it how to do things, come find me after you’re done training it."
Wu Liang yawned while knocking on the bed frame.
In the frightened trembling of the Oil Paper Umbrella, it was pulled under the bed again, feeling aggrieved like a maiden dragged into a landlord’s manor.
The Fierce Ghost referred to as Nightmare was the current object of the Oil Paper Umbrella’s greatest fear, because during the graduation ceremony, Wu Liang used Nightmare’s ability to trap the Oil Paper Umbrella in a dream world by sticking it to a drawing paper.
Even after bringing the Oil Paper Umbrella home, it couldn’t break free from the dream to open its canopy.
After giving the instructions under the bed, Wu Liang continued flipping through his "Ghost Compendium".
On the compendium, information about fierce ghosts constantly turned gray, and the writings recording them became increasingly fuzzy, only to be immediately replaced with new information.
The disappearance indicated that a fierce ghost had been eliminated, while new appearances meant a new fierce ghost had been born.
The "Ghost Compendium" seemed like a monitor observing fierce ghosts globally in real-time, making one’s skin crawl.
However, when he turned to the last page, there was no information about fierce ghosts recorded, only a strange string of numbers—365.
"As expected, it’s coming again?" Wu Liang’s tone became somewhat serious.
He had seen such numbers a month before the global supernatural outbreak four years ago; back then, the number was 30, decreasing every day.
Initially, Wu Liang didn’t understand what the numbers represented, until the moment they hit zero—
The Supernatural Calamity descended.
Now that the numbers have appeared again, doesn’t it signify that in 365 days, a year from now, humanity will face a second Supernatural Calamity!?
"Looks like I need to find a job...one that makes it easy to hunt fierce ghosts."
Capturing more fierce ghosts would allow him to gain stronger powers to face the next calamity.
He definitely didn’t want to absurdly die a year from now!
The second calamity would likely be more intense than the first, as fierce ghosts have become stronger each year.
The previously laid-back Wu Liang suddenly felt a sense of urgency.
Having a goal in his once aimless life also made him slightly expectant.
Knock knock knock—boom!
Before Wu Liang could ponder his next plans, his bedroom door was violently struck, producing a loud noise that instantly annoyed him.
"Wu Liang! You brat! Get out here!" This sharp voice unmistakably belonged to his aunt who had returned.
It’s puzzling how his gentle and kind mother could have such an irritable sister?
Over the years, the person who scolded Wu Liang most fiercely at home was this aunt, sometimes her words were downright intolerable.
"Coming, are you in a hurry for a funeral or something?"
Say what you will, Wu Liang wasn’t one to be outdone with words.
Had he not been in a hurry to hand over the Oil Paper Umbrella to Nightmare for training, he would have definitely retorted to Chen Yi’s cursing at the doorstep.
He casually tossed the "Ghost Compendium" over his head, and the book vanished the moment it touched Wu Liang’s head.
Only Wu Liang knew that the book was in his mind, invisible and intangible to others.
The old wooden bedroom door creaked as Wu Liang pushed it open, and as expected, he saw his furious aunt glaring in the living room.
The money-collecting Wang had already disappeared; presumably, his uncle had already paid him, otherwise, with him there, his aunt wouldn’t dare shout. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novｅlfire.net
"You ungrateful wretch! I’ve raised you for four or five years! You graduated, but you don’t look for a job to contribute to the household, and instead, you return to just lay in your room pretending to be dead?"
Thinking about the protection fee just paid to Wang, her aunt was full of resentment and now seeing Wu Liang, she vented all her anger on him.
Wu Liang, who had anticipated this, shrugged indifferently, adopting a "dead pig isn’t afraid of boiling water" attitude and leisurely took out an introduction letter from his pocket.
Then he disdainfully said, "This is an introduction letter from the supervisor, for me to interview at Chengyang City TV Station, satisfied?"
Ignoring his aunt’s continued cursing, Wu Liang slammed the door behind him without looking back.
Once he settled the TV station job after the interview, he would immediately move out of this place!
The reason Wu Liang hadn’t left despite living under someone’s roof for so long was simple—the law didn’t allow it.
The new laws enacted after the calamity required that all children who lost their parents and were adopted by relatives or outsiders must obtain official recognition through approved channels to leave their guardian’s home.
There were three approved channels: a university degree, a formal employment contract, and state agency approval.
Basically, the state needed to be assured you could survive independently in society.
Otherwise, leaving the guardian’s home meant becoming an unauthorized person, essentially a ghost identity.
And without a legal identity, life in society would be extremely difficult.
Unfortunately, when his parents had an accident and Wu Liang was adopted, he hadn’t reached adulthood, so he had to abide by this rule.
That’s the sole reason he was still here!
Leaving the residence, he took the subway to the TV station.
While on the train, Wu Liang considered that the reporter job he was about to interview for seemed pretty good, besides being able to obtain a formal work contract.
When supernatural events occurred, he would immediately get first-hand news at the TV station, pretending to interview while secretly capturing fierce ghosts.
This was certainly a viable plan.
Thinking of this, Wu Liang again took out the introduction letter and inspected it.
He was actually curious about one thing.
Why did the supervisor give him an introduction letter?
All the trouble he caused during university, including but not limited to—
Organizing a barbecue party in the classroom, resulting in a couple preparing to "make war" being smoked out from the empty classroom next door;
Broadcasting at the school radio station a recording of the supervisor’s voice cracking while singing at a KTV;
Publishing an affair between the principal and a female teacher in the campus newspaper during a news practice class;
Exposing a journalism teacher’s academic misconduct, getting him ousted from the educational circle after he refused to allow Wu Liang to leave campus to investigate the principal’s scandal, only for Wu to thoroughly investigate him as well.
"I can’t quite imagine what state of mind the supervisor was in when writing the introduction letter. She wouldn’t badmouth me in it, would she?"
"What state of mind were you in when writing him an introduction letter? Have you forgotten all the trouble he caused us during university?"
After finishing the graduation ceremony, Principal Xu found the journalism trainer along with the White-clothed Awakened to inquire about Wu Liang’s situation.
Surprisingly, she had recommended this boy for a job?
"Of course I remember all the trouble that brat caused, unforgettable!" The supervisor sighed while holding her forehead.
Principal Xu continued, puzzled, "Then...do you know someone at the TV station?"
"There’s a TV station leader I’ve never gotten along with, she used to be a classmate. I figured I’d send Wu Liang over to give her some trouble." The supervisor couldn’t help but laugh at the thought.
She didn’t believe for a second that Wu Liang could behave himself once he got into the TV station.
"Since you and your classmate don’t get along, will the introduction letter even work?"
Principal Xu wasn’t worried at all; he figured wherever Wu Liang went, he’d cause trouble.
After hearing Principal Xu’s words, the supervisor’s laughter gradually faded, and with a complex expression, she said, "Principal, have you forgotten? That boy consistently topped his major with scholarship wins."
Saying this, both of them lowered their heads and sighed.
If you disregarded Wu Liang’s knack for causing mischief, his abilities indeed far surpassed other students.
Listening to their conversation, the White-clothed Awakened grew increasingly intrigued by the young man who had just taken the Oil Paper Umbrella.
However, just as he was about to continue inquiring, a shrill ringing interrupted their dialogue.
Frowning at the phone number, the White-clothed Awakened connected the call.
"Hello, this is He Zhan. I’m at Chengyang University right now... Yes, not far from the TV station."
"What! The fierce ghost you were surrounding escaped? It infiltrated the TV station office building!"
"Wait for me! I’ll be right there! Make sure to keep the situation stable and don’t alert the ghost!"
The news of a fierce ghost on the loose in the city district made the White-clothed Awakened set aside his curiosity about Wu Liang. He needed to head to the scene immediately to oversee the Official Awakened’s operation!
The incident was so sudden, he didn’t even have time to greet Principal Xu and the supervisor before disappearing from their sight.
Destination—Chengyang City TV Station!