Chapter 545: 542
President Fei, slumped on the ground, had lost all of his usual composure and steadiness. Now, in his eyes, there was only fear and an inexplicable chill that kept seeping out from within him.
Yang Jian.
He was well aware of the weight the man before him carried. He had perused countless files and intelligence about him, from his experiences in resolving various supernatural incidents to his personal preferences and lifestyle... After all, the better you understand the enemy, the better you could craft specific strategies to combat them.
However, once President Fei truly understood, he came to a conclusion: Yang Jian was an extremely pure individual. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire
Because he was just a high school student and hadn't yet entered society, he hadn't adopted the well-known societal values.
Profit above all.
Perhaps he might pursue some wealth, but he wouldn't compromise for the sake of profit.
Moreover, after becoming a ghost whisperer, the emotions that living people have would gradually fade away, and even disappear in the end.
A person unaffected by profit or emotion was both pure and terrifying.
Yet today, this very Yang Jian stood before him, in his home, and had even met his wife and child.
Just the thought made President Fei feel as though he was about to endure a hellish nightmare.
Yang Jian wiped his hands and looked at President Fei with a smile—a smile that was merely a facial gesture, devoid of any emotion or warmth, creating an inexplicable sense of dread in one's heart, much like the grim reaper extending a greeting.
"So you're President Fei," he said.
The casual greeting felt like it was tearing President Fei apart.
President Fei's throat moved as if he wanted to say something, but he found he lacked the strength even to open his mouth, managing only to tremble his lips slightly.
"Who could it be at this time? I just heard someone at the door," however, a woman's voice came from the kitchen.
Immediately after, an intelligent and virtuous woman wearing an apron and holding a spatula walked out.
It was Wann Yue.
President Fei regained some composure. He quickly turned to look, fearing that his wife had already encountered misfortune. After all, for someone like Yang Jian, killing would not carry much of a psychological burden. Killing one person was no different than several—it was like stepping on a few bugs, merely by chance.
"Please, spare my family, whatever it is, come at me. I can do a lot for you, definitely worth two lives. Let them go," he said urgently.
He struggled to rise but instead knelt on the ground and clutched tightly at the hem of Yang Jian's pants.
President Fei was clear in his heart, the moment Yang Jian appeared in his home, he knew that his secret had been exposed.
The circle of friends that was to deal with him had leaked the information, and Yang Jian was planning to make a preemptive move to clear the scene.
It was in line with his character. Back in Dachang City, the Xiaoqiang Entertainment Club set up by Wang Xiaoming's brother, Wang Xiaoqiang, disappeared just like that. Even with Wang Xiaoming's personal negotiations, he couldn't save Wang Xiaoqiang from being killed when Yang Jian decided to act.
Without a word, Yang Jian simply put away his indifferent smile and calmly looked at him.
"Mommy, I'm hungry. I want to eat," then, a boy's voice rang in the room.
A very delicate-looking boy, about six or seven years old, curiously walked out.
This was President Fei's child, Fei Xiaobao.
With his wife and child present, President Fei's emotions surged. While holding onto Yang Jian's pant leg, he shouted towards his family: "Get out of here, leave this place, go back to our hometown and never come back in this lifetime. Don't worry about me, and don't inquire about my affairs in the future... just go..."
He knew this might be the last time he would see his wife and child, equating his words to a last will.
However, President Fei was also clear that if Yang Jian decided to act, Wann Yue and Xiao Bao would not be able to escape. But he didn't care. He was gambling that Yang Jian would let them go. At least for now, Yang Jian hadn't made a move, so there was a possibility of getting away before he changed his mind.
The intelligent woman called Wann Yue appeared to be startled by President Fei's hysterical screaming, showing fear on her face, and then made a move that President Fei could never have anticipated.
Wann Yue quickly pulled Xiao Bao behind Yang Jian, with a look of panic.
President Fei's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Xiao Yang, who is this man? Should we call the police?" Wann Yue, looking wary at President Fei, seemed to be facing an intruder who had abruptly entered her home, thinking of calling the police as her first response.
Upon hearing this, President Fei froze completely. He saw in Wann Yue's face an unprecedented sense of estrangement and distance, as if he had become someone else. His wife, usually very affectionate, didn't seem to recognize him at all.
Not only that, he also saw a hint of fear in Xiao Bao's gaze behind him.
Was this fear of himself?
"No need to call the police, perhaps he just walked into the wrong door. I'll handle this; you can rest assured. Please take the child inside for now," Yang Jian said, looking back.
Wann Yue thought for a moment, then nodded with some concern, "Then be careful, if anything happens, I'll report it immediately."
After speaking, she hurriedly took the child and returned to the house.
Seeing this scene, President Fei no longer had the strength to clutch at Yang Jian's trouser leg; he seemed utterly deflated, his lips trembling as he asked, "What, what have you done to my family? They don't even recognize me anymore."
"I didn't do much, just made your wife and child forget about someone like you," Yang Jian explained calmly.
"After all, if a person is dead, the knowledge would certainly distress and upset their family greatly; the best way to soothe such pain is through forgetting."
"In their memory, there is no husband, no father, just a man who died irresponsibly long ago, while I am here visiting as a good friend."
"You..."
President Fei didn't know what to do; his eyes were filled with inexplicable horror.
"You should thank me, as I consider my actions merciful. It's charity for destroying such a happy family as yours. If you'd like to kneel and thank me, I would gladly accept," said Yang Jian.
Chills ran down President Fei's spine as he replied with a trembling voice, "How can you say that? Are you even human?"
"I am the same kind of person as you are."
Yang Jian remained indifferent. "If I had been killed by someone from your social circle, perhaps at some point in the future, in some unseen place, a mother would cry her heart out for her dead child. You are a father to someone, and I am a son to a mother. None of us are orphans; we all have families."
"It can't be that your family members are humans, but mine are not."
President Fei fell silent for a while before finally saying, "I understand... How do you want me to die?"
"That depends on whether your death has any value," replied Yang Jian. "After all, people change. Maybe I'll change my mind at some point."
"I will hand over everything I have to you, and I promise not to hide anything," President Fei said in desperation.
Yang Jian nodded, "That's not bad."
"But all the data isn't here, I can tell you the location, you'll have to go get it yourself," President Fei immediately disclosed an address.
"As expected, someone like you would surely have prepared a more comprehensive set of information as a contingency. I've noted the address and hope you're not deceiving me," said Yang Jian.
President Fei didn't respond because he didn't dare deceive Yang Jian; he couldn't bear the consequences of lying. Yet he still kept one card close to his chest, not revealing the content of today's meeting, since it wasn't recorded and hadn't been implemented yet. If it actually happened in the future, it would be hard to trace back to a dead man like himself.
"So, how will you deal with me? If possible, I'd like to die far from here," he said.
Yang Jian glanced out the window, "That building across the street looks pretty tall, about six or seven stories."
"I understand," President Fei stood up, walked out of the room with a look of despair, and headed outside.
He tried to look back, but saw nothing; only the frightening Yang Jian remained behind him.
As President Fei walked out the door, preparing to leave, something suddenly came to his mind, and he said, "Li Yao is your person, right?"
"Hmm," Yang Jian didn't hide it, "Have you suspected it?"
"No, just guessed it now. Only three people from the social circle have really had contact with you. One is Gao Zhiqiang, whom you've already taken care of, one is Jang Shangbai from the headquarters meeting, and the last one is Li Yao, who tried to manage public relations with you from the beginning. Li Yao is the most suspicious because she's just an ordinary person, and it's easiest for someone like you to control her after contact, since you can even manipulate memories."
Though President Fei spoke the truth, he still felt a shiver down his spine.
This ability of Yang Jian had never appeared in any records, nor had it been displayed before. Now, he couldn't be sure if Yang Jian truly controlled only Li Yao, or if there might be others in Ping'an Tower.
"You are indeed a smart man, but it's a shame smart people need to have the abilities to match; otherwise, they don't live long," Yang Jian remarked.
"When did you control Li Yao?" President Fei asked, "At least let me understand when I started to lose."
"The first time I went to Ping'an Tower. She was my person not long after her shift ended," Yang Jian said casually, as if it were a trivial matter.
Li Yao had quickly become useless as a pawn; there was no need for secrecy anymore.
President Fei's pupils constricted slightly. "Did you need to act so quickly? At that time, the social circle hadn't had a conflict with you yet."
"Otherwise, how do you think I'm still alive?" Yang Jian's brows furrowed slightly as he spoke.
President Fei didn't ask further; he knew where he had lost. It wasn't a lack of intelligence or caution, but an underestimation of the opponent.
Should he have expected as much from someone who had resolved an S-class supernatural event?
"Moreover, as an ordinary person, you need to understand your place. Some matters are beyond your station, just like Li Yao's was."
"Got it, won't happen in the next life."