Chapter 240: Handling the Situation
Chapter 240: Handling the Situation
Lao Qi led the way, and soon, he returned with two individuals. In the lead was a robust man, around thirty-five or thirty-six years old, accompanied by a smaller man who appeared more astute. Both had noticeable implants on their bodies.
The burly man, wearing only a sweatshirt, revealed his shoulders and one arm, which were clearly implanted limbs. His attire in this weather immediately suggested a background in combat.
As they approached, they scrutinized Chen Chuan with cautious and vigilant eyes.
"Is this the person you said could solve the problem?" The smaller man, upon seeing Chen Chuan, seemed dissatisfied. "He's so young. Can he really handle it?"
The burly man remained silent, his gaze fixed on Chen Chuan.
Lao Qi casually replied, "We agreed beforehand that if the problem isn't resolved, we won't accept any compensation. What are you worried about? If you don't trust us, we can leave, and you can wait as long as you like. The reward you offered isn't much, and it won't be your turn for ten or fifteen days."
Just as the smaller man was about to speak, a large hand rested on his shoulder, stopping him from saying more. The burly man, looking at Chen Chuan, said, "I believe in him."
The smaller man, surprised, said, "Brother Chong..."
The burly man, still focused on Chen Chuan, said, "Young man, I'm entrusting this matter to you."
Chen Chuan nodded.
Lao Qi quickly took the lead, saying, "Follow me, Chen. It's this room here."
As the two men walked ahead, the smaller man turned and asked, "Brother Chong, do you trust them?" He was puzzled by Brother Chong's sudden change in attitude after standing with him just a moment ago.
Brother Chong explained, "I've trained at a martial arts gym, and I can recognize that this young man is at least a Second Limit Fighter..." He added this clarification seeing the smaller man's confusion.
"He's almost on par with our gym's master."
The smaller man finally understood, "Brother Chong means that young man is as skilled as Master Jin?"
He was both skeptical and surprised, having witnessed the gym master's strength firsthand. With a gentle push, he could topple a wall, and with a casual nudge, he could move a car.
Brother Chong, well-traveled, said, "It's not surprising. Talented individuals are like this. Earning money is easy for them, so they don't need to be polite with us."
Hearing this, the smaller man was convinced. With such abilities, there was no need to deceive them. Teaching martial arts would earn them more, and even if they resorted to robbery, there was little they could do to resist.
Lao Qi led Chen Chuan to the room, and Chen Chuan glanced at his Second Self. He stopped and said, "Lao Qi, you can go back. I'll handle this myself."
Lao Qi agreed and added, "I'll wait for you at the previous location."
Chen Chuan nodded and approached the shack. He knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside.
Sensing the signs of dematerialization from his Second Self, Chen Chuan spoke, "Xiao Man, you should be able to hear me. I'm your neighbor's elder, invited to resolve this issue. May I take a look at the situation? I believe burning your brother's body might not be necessary."
After a brief wait, a voice came from behind the door, "You're not lying to me, right?"
Chen Chuan said, "In fact, burning your brother's body isn't a good idea. His remains may not burn at all, and I'll need to examine them to know for sure."
After a few minutes, the door opened a crack. A pair of eyes scrutinized Chen Chuan, then glanced outside. Seeing he was alone, the door opened wider, "Come in."
Inside, Chen Chuan faced a frail youth with dark circles under his eyes, looking anxious. He held a pistol in his hand.
Chen Chuan paid it no mind and suddenly noticed more intense signs of dematerialization on his Second Self's side. He turned to look at a wardrobe on the side and asked, "What's in there?"
"Nothing much, just some clothes I usually wear," Xiao Man replied.
Chen Chuan opened the wardrobe door, and Xiao Man was startled. Inside was a dummy mannequin wearing his brother's clothes, resembling his brother at first glance.
"This is..."
Xiao Man was puzzled, not recalling having such an item in the house.
Chen Chuan said, "Xiao Man, you buried your brother, didn't you?"
Xiao Man nodded vigorously.
Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "Go and check again. Is your brother inside?"
Xiao Man was taken aback, feeling a mix of fear and confusion. He hurriedly grabbed a shovel from the wall and ran to the backyard, soon followed by the sound of his labored breathing as he dug.
Chen Chuan stood still, knowing that if his suspicions were correct, he couldn't directly interfere. It was up to Xiao Man to take action.
After more than ten minutes, a cry of surprise came from the courtyard.
Chen Chuan followed the sound and found Xiao Man kneeling beside a dirt pit, with a shovel discarded to the side. Xiao Man was frantically searching inside the pit, saying, "My brother, my brother..." He glared at Chen Chuan, accusingly, "You, was it you? Did you take my brother away?"
Patiently, Chen Chuan said, "Calm down. If someone took your brother away, there's no need to come to me."
Xiao Man paused, then stood up and spun in place, anxiously saying, "Then where is my brother? Where did he go?"
Chen Chuan looked at him and asked, "Do you want to hear the truth?"
"I want to hear it! Tell me quickly!" Xiao Man pleaded, his face full of worry.
Chen Chuan said, "According to the records, your brother died in a gang conflict ten days ago. You learned and confirmed this the next day, but three days later, you found that your brother had come back to life? Is that right?"
Xiao Man nodded.
Chen Chuan continued, "Where did you find your brother on the third day?"
"At home," Xiao Man replied.
Chen Chuan hummed in acknowledgment and said to Xiao Man, "Then, did your brother's gang return his body?"
Xiao Man's hands began to tremble.
Chen Chuan nodded and said, "It seems they didn't. Your brother's body wasn't returned, so what you saw wasn't your brother. It was always the one you saw just now." He looked at the wardrobe across from them and the dummy model inside.
Xiao Man cried out, "Impossible! That's my brother! I'm sure of it..."
Chen Chuan had seen similar things before, like the puppet that replaced Director Lei's son. However, the nature of this was different. The puppet confused one's spiritual senses, while this was a genuine urban legend.
Both of them felt the same emotions for their loved ones, and Chen Chuan slowly said, "You don't believe he's dead because you still hold on to the hope that he'll come back alive one day. Then, 'he' appeared, taking your brother's place."
"But 'he' isn't real. Your brother's body might still be out there. Perhaps you should continue searching for it instead of focusing on this one."
Xiao Man's face was covered in tears as he looked up at Chen Chuan and asked, "Big brother, are you telling the truth?"
Seriously, Chen Chuan replied, "Xiao Man, you're smart, and you should know I'm not wrong."
Xiao Man became a little lost for a moment, but after a while, he wiped the tears from his face and asked, "Then big brother, what should I do? What about this..." He pointed at the wardrobe.
Chen Chuan said, "Just bury it. This is a legend. Although nothing has happened to you yet, if this continues, everyone will die because of this legend, including you. But you might be the last."
Xiao Man shivered, suddenly feeling anxious. "But, but I buried it before..."
"That's because you mistook it for your brother. You didn't truly want it to leave you, so even if you bury it, it will still be by your side."
Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "Now that you know it's not your brother, only by burying it with your own hands will this legend be dispelled. Others can't do it, and they don't know how to handle it."
Xiao Man straightened his weak chest and said, "If that's the case, I'll do it." He ran over, carried the dummy model out, and struggled to move it towards the backyard.
Chen Chuan didn't help because this situation was caused by Xiao Man, and only Xiao Man could resolve it. He couldn't interfere.
If Xiao Man also died, there might be a chance for the legend to be dispelled, but if this situation was left unresolved, who knew what might happen in the future?
However, this wasn't a good solution. The legend had already taken on the role of Xiao Man's brother, and if Xiao Man died, it might cause even bigger problems.
Moreover, the dummy model didn't appear here for no reason. Xiao Man hadn't seen it before, so it was likely brought back by Xiao Man's brother.
Why would he bring this back?
Chen Chuan considered the dummy's appearance and thought of a possibility, but there was no point in pursuing it now.
He waited a bit longer, and as the sound of shoveling from the back yard grew faint, the signs of dematerialization on his Second Self gradually faded.
He dealt with the haunting tale to stimulate the aberration organization, but it also depended on the type of haunting tale. This one couldn't be captured, and its impact on the outside world was currently not significant. Otherwise, people outside wouldn't be able to survive. So, he didn't think too much about it.
After a long while, Little Full emerged, covered in dirt. His mood seemed much more stable, and he said to Chen Chuan, "Big Brother, I've buried it. Is that all right?"
Chen Chuan replied, "It's fine, Little Full. You did well."
Little Full said, "Big Brother, thank you."
Chen Chuan patted his young shoulder and said, "Little Full, you're very brave. Let's go out and tell them that everything is handled."
"Okay!"
Chong Dage and Lao Qi had been waiting outside for over an hour, but there had been no sound from inside. The little guy kept muttering, "Can he do it?"
Lao Qi couldn't help feeling a bit anxious, but he maintained a confident demeanor. This wasn't entirely fake, as Chen Chuan was a student at Wu Yi University, and he had seen his capabilities. He should be fine.
"The door is open!" the little guy shouted.
Chen Chuan stood behind Little Full, and they walked out together. He nodded at Lao Qi, who secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Little Full walked up to Chong Dage and said apologetically, "Uncle Chong, Brother Ding, Auntie Hua, I'm sorry to everyone."
The little guy said, "Ah, Little Full, don't say that. When your brother was around, he also took good care of us. We understand how you feel, but..."
Little Full wiped his nose and said, "Brother Ding, Big Brother has already told me. That wasn't my brother, and I won't affect everyone anymore."
Chen Chuan said, "The abnormal situation has been handled. You can wait a few days to confirm before paying the commission fee."
"No need."
Chong Dage said solemnly, "We trust you because Little Full came out with you."
Lao Qi stepped forward at the right moment, "So, everyone, shall we proceed as we discussed?"
Chong Dage said, "Of course." He instructed the little guy, "Xiao Ding, give them the remaining payment."
Xiao Ding grumbled and pulled out a wad of cash from his waist, handing it over. At Lao Qi's request, they had gathered cash this time to avoid any transaction records on the platform.
Lao Qi took the money, counted it, and confirmed the amount was correct. He then reminded them, "Remember, don't try to get the money back from the commission platform. You won't be able to, and it will cause trouble for both of us. Let's go."
Chen Chuan nodded at everyone and gave Little Full a slight nod before leaving with Lao Qi. Soon, they got into the car and headed back.
Chen Chuan then took out a small notebook and a pen, thought for a moment, and wrote down "A Symbol of Family Affection." This was his habit; he would record the haunting tales he encountered and organize them into files, just like Cheng Zitong.
Lao Qi was also very pleased. Although the money wasn't much, it proved Chen Chuan's capabilities, and they could take on more commissions in the future. He said, "Chen, you take seventy percent, and I'll take thirty. How does that sound?"
Chen Chuan said, "Let's split it evenly."
Money was important, but relatively speaking, if the haunting tale could be used to his advantage, it was more valuable than the money. After all, if the haunting tale could stimulate the aberration organization, the savings on medication would more than compensate for the commission.
Lao Qi thought for a moment and said solemnly, "I won't hide it from you, Chen. I'm really short on money right now, so I'll accept the terms. I'll find a way to pay you back... So, where to now?"
Chen Chuan said, "It's getting late. I'll head back to the academy first."
"Alright, I'll take you back."
Not long after they left, an armed off-road vehicle slowly drove up and parked at the entrance of the slum district.
A man in a glow suit, with his hair standing on end, asked, "Is this the place?"
"That's right, it's exactly as the commission described."
"This shabby place. Great Dawn, go down and finish it quickly. I need to get back for dinner."
"Understood."
The car door opened, and a man with a sinister look and a baseball cap got out. He carried a knife and walked toward the house where Little Full lived.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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