Chapter 406: Mo Chou (44) <2-in-1>


    Fan Zheng had experienced many inexplicable things in his life.


    Since the time he could remember, he could see ghosts. But great luck enabled him to only see harmless ones who still acted like they were alive. Because of this, there was a period in his life when he found living people and spirits indistinguishable.


    He would see them crossing the street with listless expressions at night like they were office employees or part-time job workers exhausted by their shift. He would see them in the middle of a bustling crowd and would not notice when they disappear from there. He talked with some of them before, for example, when asking for directions ormenting on their unsightly postures and faces.


    This kind of situation frequently happened and Fan Zheng did not think that he was bothered at all. He thought it was normal. That was until several kids pointed out how strange it was for them to see Fan Zheng sometimes staring nkly at empty space like he was watching something, or speaking to himself even though nobody was around.


    Kids were naive and were not prone to think too much. Upon encountering something odd and funny, they would always report it to their parents. On the other hand, parents were ruthless, or more appropriately put, too cautious, because none would desire for their children to be close to a bad egg.


    ''Son, that boy is a monster. Don''t y with him, okay?''


    ''Talking to air is a sign of insanity. Fan Zheng might be not right in the head so don''t approach him. It''s dangerous, do you understand?''


    There were times when these parents did not even care if the subject of their warning could hear them or not.


    Before he knew, only his sister remained nice to him. Everyone else followed their parents'' words and distanced themselves from him.


    Thankfully, Father Fan was smart and perceptive so after seeing that his children were not getting along with the other kids in themunity, he did not hesitate to move his whole family away. He was quite a good father and was more than willing to trade money for a better environment for his children.


    When Fan Zheng was in second grade elementary, a strange uncle took him in as his disciple and started sneaking into his family''s residence every day to teach him mysterious stuff. This was when his life truly changed. He saw several other types of spirits, not just those refusing to ept that they were dead. In this world, many were actually harmful, malicious, and with an inexplicable hatred against the living.


    At age 10, he was formally introduced to the sect where he learned how to exorcise souls that must go to the otherworld.


    "Fan Zheng, only one in a million could cultivate, and among them, you are genius that a sect could onlye across every one hundred years."


    His master told him that. As he was young, he didn''t know how amazing it was, especially in modern times when the spirit energy on earth was so less than its quality and density a thousand years ago.


    All he knew was that Maoshan Sect treated him so well, and did not let go of him even when he chose to remain with his family instead of permanently staying at the mountain. Life had gone smoothly since then. He was used to the presence of ghosts already and knew how to deal with them without escting it into an issue in need of a senior''s support. Therefore, he was not finding them a huge blockade to keep his identity as a spirit hunter.


    Disregarding some minor bumps like the incident in the Zhao vige and the female ghost that escaped from there, he could be said to be very lucky.


    But of course, to normal people, his experiences were still odd. On top of that, there were his daily encounters with the supernatural, yet he still managed to find time for romance.


    A ma of ghosts and troubles, yet also admired by many women on campus. How to describe such a person?


    Perhaps, indeed a male lead material?


    However. Precisely because he was the male lead that he was not destined, or rather, permitted, to have a boring life.


    Right now, he was going through another actual proof of why his life was so tiring.


    The news about several people ''harmed'' by the products of the Fanpany finally reached his ears!


    In the morning, Father Fan talked to him and reassured that everything could still be put under control. But then, in the afternoon, the mother phoned him to make theme to the hospital!


    "No. This must be fake news!Fan Lan was shaking in fear and anxiety as she yelled this. "H-How did it happen in the first ce?"


    She was half-crying as she continued, "The energy drink that e-energy drink and the coffee mix have been being distributed throughout the country for seven years and have then since had a good reputation. T-there has never been a problem with them. Why are there people suddenly wanting to throw shade at us? I don''t understand! I d-don''t understand!"


    The girl was a mess and she continued to sob while stuttering out words of denial.


    Fan Zheng''s own face was also full of disbelief. He watched nkly as his sister pounded her tiny fists on the thick ss windows separating their family from Father Fan.


    "Miss, please stop. Calm down."


    The housekeeper who apanied Madam Fan here was trying to stop her from hurting herself, repeatedly telling her topose herself and be strong at times like this. However, the devastated girl who kept fearing for her family, theirpany, and her future seemed to have be temporarily deaf.


    It had been fifteen minutes since he arrived after running with his sister from the first floor to the elevator and finally to the end of this long white corridor.


    On one side where the benches could be seen, Madam Fan was also crying, her tear-stained face buried in her hands. While no sound wasing from her, her figure strangely looked more tragic than her loudly wailing daughter. Fan Zheng understood that the woman had been crying longer than Fan Lan and was deathly worried about her husband.


    None of them could understand why they arrived at this point.


    Fan Zheng stared into the window and saw doctors in scrubs surrounding an operating table. He couldn''t see the person lying on the operating table. Then again, he wouldn''t be here if he had no idea who it was.


    Fan Zheng tightly balled his fists and moved his gaze away from that room, staring at the woman slouching on the bench crying. "Mom Are the articles telling the truth? Did somebody from ourbor division really substitute a normal ingredient with a harmful substance?"


    The shoulders of the elegant-looking woman stopped shaking. She was obviously startled by the question.


    Fan Lan immediately turned her head, looking furious. Her eyes that were frighteningly red red at him as she retorted, "Brother, did you even hear what just came out of your damn mouth?!!! It''s obviously false! It''s fake news! How could you even believe that?!"


    The male lead ignored his sister''s outburst. He took a deep breath and asked again, "Is he attacked by the family members?"


    This time, he only waited for a couple of seconds before a small nod came from Duan Lin, the madam.


    When the woman lifted her head to face her son, the tears had already been wiped away using a handkerchief. At a nce, it could be seen that she was trying to look strong andpose before her children. The woman probably realized already, at times like this, she had to be one of the responsible ones.


    When she felt like her voice would not break anymore, she looked at her son and began to exin.


    "The situation is like this."


    "Your dad is indeed attacked and we''re left vulnerable. Before this, thepany is not really in that bad of a state since nothing''s really been confirmed yet. Our major shareholders are also quite smart and not as fickle as random stockholders in the equity market."


    "However, the media escted the matter. It was hard not to suspect that there is somebody pulling the strings behind the scenes so your grandfather sent people to investigate. I also sent some of ourwyers to sue the media people who kept spreading false information."


    "But what we failed to anticipate was the family members of the deceased believing in the news that our products are really to me."


    "It''s human nature to obsess over finding something to me when things go wrong. It''s just that..." Shortly, she stopped.


    The woman looked up and repeatedly blinked her eyes to stop the tears threatening to stream down. Fan Zheng moved forward to give her aforting hug. Distress could be seen on his face since he finally understood what had happened.


    Needless to say, the aggrieved family members became angry, some lost rationality, and camped outside thepany building to protest and demand justice.


    Because the loved ones of the deceased people were not informed of the deal with the viiness, which thetter purposely did it in anticipation of this very moment, they harbored a great grudge against the sinner who caused their loss of parents or guardians.


    They let emotions controlled them. They did not want to let the evildoers off.


    One of them, husband of the person first found dead, impulsively tampered with the brake of the car belonging to the CEO, that was, Fan Zheng''s father. He even paid some people to force the CEO into escaping a riot using the car. This was how the man got into an ident, his life and death unknown inside the emergency room.


    "Is Dad... going to be okay?" Fan Lan''s voice drifted to his ears just then.


    Fan Zheng once again nced through the ss window. ording to his mother, the operation had been going on for more than an hour. Yet even now, he had no idea what those doctors were operating on.


    "Stop thinking pessimistically. Dad is strong." When he said this, who knew if he was telling this to Fan Lan or himself.


    He then went forward tofort his sister, patting her head and letting her use his shoulder to cry on. This was his responsibility as a man, as a brother.


    However, deep within, he was also at a loss about what to think of their current situation.


    The male lead looked around and felt something heavy pressing on his heart seeing the sad atmosphere enveloping the ce. The pain within his chest became especially numbing when the head doctor came out and informed them that even though his father was saved, he had fallen into aa.


    ...


    A day passed. At City B, sses had already resumed but the two could not attend due to the troubles at home.


    Inside the car which was ferrying them back to the university, the anxious and listless Fan Lan softly called out to the male lead.


    "Brother..."


    "Hmm."


    "Since you are a member of a mysterious ce, can''t you look for dad''s wandering spirit and bring it back to his body?"


    Fan Zheng was quite taken aback and visibly hesitated for a moment before sighing softly. "... To be honest, I would have done that already if I could. But Fan Lan, spirit hunters are only allowed to touch spirits that have turned malicious and refused to go ''down''. If I went against the naturalw, death will be lenient. There is a possibility that an offender''s family will receive some bacsh or bad karma."


    Silence reigned between them before Fan Lan opened her mouth again.


    "Then... are you going to do what grandpa asked you to do?"


    On the driver''s seat, Fan Zheng kept his silence before replying in a low voice that had hints of helplessness, "I need some time to think about it..."


    "I see." Fan Lan lowered her head and silently fiddled with her phone. The girl was usually a very talkative one so it was quite a wonder why she could be this lethargic today.


    She did not speak anymore. Fan Zheng focused on the road and the conversation died just like that.


    The two had just met their grandfather, the retired head of the family who had no choice but toe out and assume Father Fan''s position as thetter was still lying unconscious at the hospital.


    Only Fan Zheng was summoned and Fan Lan only came because she did not want to be left alone at home. When they arrived, however, they learned it was not to help out in thepany.


    Fan Zheng recalled what the old man told him just half an hour ago.


    "Zheng. I will do something about those false usations. However, I need you to go find somebody willing to inject funds onto ourpany."


    "Me?"


    At that time, he looked puzzlingly at the haggard face of his grandfather who took over the copsingpany for only a day yet already looked like he aged a few years overnight.


    He was about to ask why it had to be him, a mere college student who had yet to enter thepany when there were otherpetent finance managers and well-connected shareholders around. The old man pushed a folder towards him.


    "Look at this."


    Fan Zheng furrowed his brow since he disliked the serious atmosphere in the ce which was worse than some of the haunted spots he had visited.


    He subconsciously opened the folder and saw that it contained records of families that had daughters who were enamored by him. Gu Mochou''s name was even included in it, and actually at the top of the list.


    On the very next moment, Fan Zheng widened his eyes that automatically went to the old man, "Grandpa?"


    "... I hope you understand, Zheng. This is necessary." His grandfather''s voice sounded so tired.


    Fan Zheng felt like his heart dropped on the floor when he met the other party''s quiet, apologetic gaze. Because he understood what the old man was suggesting to him, his mind went nk and he forgot to question if this was the right thing to do or if they were already that desperate to resort to something like this.