Chapter 35: The Muscle Titan and the Bean Sprout

By the eighth minute, Richard’s precise location appeared before Jiang Ren.

"Are you telling me that Richard is unharmed and is currently at the police station with his classmate?"

Jiang Ren looked at Tennyson, the company’s Chief Information Officer. He felt a surge of anger, yet had nowhere to vent it.

Tennyson adjusted the black-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose and nodded, saying, "Yes. Richard and his classmate are at the police station not because they committed a crime, but because they went there of their own volition. Furthermore, I have already contacted the station; I expect Richard will call you shortly."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Jiang Ren’s phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

As soon as he answered, a familiar voice sounded from the other end: "Brother, it’s me, Richard. I’m sorry about what happened earlier. I didn’t mean to hang up on you; my phone just died."

"Explain. Why are you at the police station? And why did you ask me to save you?"

Jiang Ren’s tone was flat. If Richard were playing a prank on him, he would ensure his younger brother relived the experience of being bedridden for months, just as he had years ago.

"Brother, you might not believe me." Richard’s voice trembled slightly. "I think I’ve encountered a ghost—the kind of ghost you see in supernatural horror movies."

"How could there possibly be ghosts in this world? Have you been under too much academic pressure lately?" Jiang Ren watched the scenery flashing past the window and said casually, "How about this? I’ll have someone arrange a few days off for you so you can go out, have some fun, and relax."

If there were such things as ghosts in this world, they would certainly be "Danger Creatures." However, the number of Danger Creatures was extremely scarce, and those that posed a significant threat were typically subjected to regional lockdowns by the Federal Government or hunted down. Most ordinary people could go their entire lives without ever encountering one. Furthermore, Richard was just an ordinary person who knew nothing of the existence of Danger Creatures. The "ghost" he spoke of might simply be a result of his own mental weakness, leading him to become paranoid after being exposed to the residual energy emitted by a Danger Creature.

"It’s real! I’m sure of it!" Richard’s voice suddenly became agitated. "Since we played that game three days ago, the three other classmates who were there have died one after another. Now, only Henry and I are left."

A game? Three classmates dead?

Jiang Ren’s interest was piqued. He said, "Stay right where you are at the police station. Don't go anywhere. I’ll be there in two to three hours."

Before Richard could reply, he hung up and said to Tennyson, "Head straight to the airport. We’re taking a helicopter to Richard’s location. Apply for flight clearance and a flight plan with air traffic control immediately."

Because the company occasionally took on emergency clearing missions, they had purchased two helicopters for medium-to-short-range travel between cities. One of those helicopters had been relocated to the city's airport for this trip.

"Troublesome times," Jiang Ren remarked, tearing open a chocolate bar and swallowing it whole.

Whether Richard was suffering from a mental breakdown or if a Danger Creature was truly at work remained to be seen. However, a crisis was likely approaching. While his subordinates were locating Richard earlier, Jiang Ren had used his phone to search for information on Frank, the branch president of the Heavenly God Society. He discovered that Frank was a shareholder in several of the world's top 500 companies. One could say that Frank was a major capitalist standing at the pinnacle of wealth in the Federation and the world. If such a powerful figure was merely a branch president, how strong must the main organization be? Would they seek revenge against him?

If they used Danger Creatures for revenge, it would suit Jiang Ren just fine—he would devour every one of them. But if they utilized their public influence to dispatch police and military forces, employing all sorts of high-lethality weaponry, then he would have a headache on his hands.

Time ticked by. Due to the unique nature of the Demon Cleaning Company and their frequent dealings with the government, the flight path application was approved quickly. Arriving at the airport, Jiang Ren and several employees boarded the idling helicopter. The chopper took off immediately, heading toward the neighboring city.

Two hours later, they arrived at the police station where Richard was being held.

"Mr. Jiang, Richard doesn't seem to like quiet places, so we have him and his classmate resting in the staff office." A sergeant led Jiang Ren to the office.

Among the group of clerks drinking afternoon tea and occasionally tapping away at keyboards while waiting for their shift to end, two teenagers sitting in the corner were quite conspicuous. The one with short hair was Richard, and the one with long hair must have been his classmate, Henry.

Jiang Ren looked around and noticed an interrogation room nearby that was not in use. "I’ll borrow your interrogation room."

"No problem, Mr. Jiang. You can use it for as long as you like." The sergeant agreed readily. Although he didn’t know exactly who Jiang Ren was, the police chief had personally instructed him not to show any disrespect.

"Thank you." Jiang Ren nodded slightly, then walked over to the corner. He tapped the dazed Richard on the shoulder and headed toward the interrogation room without looking back. "You two, come with me!"

Though his tone was flat, it carried an undeniable sense of authority. Richard recognized Jiang Ren immediately and followed quickly; seeing this, Henry trailed behind as well.

"Close the door. Sit!" Jiang Ren leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, speaking to Richard and Henry as they entered.

In truth, he would have preferred to sit down, but the chairs in the interrogation room had armrests, and given his physique, he couldn't possibly fit into one.

Once they were seated, Jiang Ren said calmly, "Tell me, what’s going on?"

"Are you a detective, too?" Henry suddenly asked, his eyes filled with skepticism.

The Federation’s pay and benefits for detectives were low, and the recruits were often a mixed bag, but it was rare to see someone like this, not wearing a police uniform.

"He’s not a detective; he’s my brother," Richard clarified.

Looking at the imposing Jiang Ren before him, his memory seemed to return to several years ago, when he was in his rebellious phase and, lured by bad company, frequently got into trouble at school and in society, only to be beaten by Jiang Ren until he couldn't get out of bed for months. Since then, he had grown distant from this brother, with whom he had previously had a decent relationship. Of course, he had also cut ties with those troublemaking classmates; after all, he didn't want to experience being bedridden for months ever again.

"Your brother?" Henry’s gaze shifted back and forth between Jiang Ren and Richard—one a massive, imposing muscle-bound powerhouse, the other a beanpole as thin as a rack of ribs. How could these two be brothers? Could it be...

Richard seemed to guess what he was thinking and added, "I’m quite sure. My brother and I share the same father and mother."

"Alright then." Henry shrugged and fell silent once more. Richard’s brother was certainly strong, but he didn't believe that would be enough to intimidate a ghost.