Chapter 107: The Death of Zhang Shao

Chapter 107: The Death of Zhang Shao

Mr. Zou quickly ordered the guards, "This Mr. Zhang has caused a disturbance in our establishment. In consideration of his regular patronage, we won't involve the police. Please escort him out."

Infuriated, Zhang Shao exclaimed, "Mr. Zou, have you lost your mind? Do you not know who my cousin is?"

Manager Zou remained impassive, "Mr. Zhang, I suggest you consider your brother's reputation."

After speaking, he signaled to the guards, who promptly moved to escort Zhang out. Zhang struggled and shouted loudly, but the guards were unfazed.

Manager Zou immediately had the table and food cleared and replaced. Qu Jiaqi remarked, "Hey, ghost man..."

Zhou Yuhao gave her a cold glance, causing her to switch gears, "I mean, Zhou... whatever. I admire your assertiveness. You settled the score on the spot and left him helpless. Let's toast to that!"

Zhou Yuhao indulged her with a drink.

He couldn’t consume regular human food, so he merely brought it to his lips for a sniff before setting it back down.

I mentioned, "There wasn’t really a need to intervene; he won't last long anyway."

Qu Jiaqi nodded, "I sensed it too. There's a potent aura of death around him."

I added, "That aura is overwhelmingly strong. I suspect something significant is involved. We should steer clear if we can."

Zhou Yuhao's expression darkened, deep in thought.

After the meal, Zhou Yuhao wanted to go shopping with me. An enthusiastic Qu Jiaqi followed, but Wen Nuan playfully dragged her away, joking that Zhou Yuhao would lose his cool with such a glaring third-wheel.

Zhou Yuhao and I watched a horror film. Domestic horror films don't portray ghosts, so we treated it more like a comedy. Had Zhou Yuhao not been a ghost, he probably would've fallen asleep.

Suddenly, we both froze.

In the film, an actor portrayed a ghost, terrorizing a scantily clad heroine with pronounced curves. As she fled down a dim corridor, a ghostly face was distinctly reflected on the wall.

The scene was fleeting and dark, easily missed by most, but we both saw it. It was undoubtedly a spectral presence, although its nature was uncertain.

Spending just a few dollars to witness genuine supernatural elements in a movie felt worth the ticket price.

After the movie, we headed to a late-night street food stall. Zhou Yuhao, seemingly unfamiliar with such a place, found everything fascinating, even consuming fifteen skewers.

Anything a ghost consumes can't be eaten by humans, so we had to take the leftovers. As we were leaving, a nearby patron whispered to his wife, "Even men are dieting now. Look at that handsome guy, merely smelling his skewers and considering it a meal while you eat so much."

I thought to myself, if he knew Zhou was a ghost, he'd be terrified.

We went home, cuddling together for a good night's sleep.

At the Zhang residence, lights blazed brightly. Zhang Shao sat on a custom-made Italian leather sofa, a bandage over his nose, while his elegantly dressed mother wept beside him.

"Oh, Lao Zhang, where is justice anymore?" Mrs. Zhang sobbed, "My beloved son just went out for a meal and was beaten like this. You must seek revenge for him."

Mr. Zhang, in his fifties but well-maintained, looked much younger than his age. He paced anxiously in the room, saying, "A doting mother often spoils her son! It's all your fault. His cousin forbade him from going out, and you still let him? Are you asking for trouble?"

Mrs. Zhang retorted sharply, "Zhang Li is a cousin, not a brother. Even if he were, we are still alive and well. When did it become his turn to discipline our Tianci?"

Pointing at Tianci's nose, Mr. Zhang snapped, "This boy is so unruly. Neither scholarly nor martial, all he does is indulge in eating, drinking, and gambling. Isn’t this the result of your pampering? His grandfather entrusted his cousin to guide him for his own good."

Tears welled up in Mrs. Zhang's eyes again, "The old man is biased. They're both his grandsons. Why does he only favor Zhang Li? What's wrong with my son? If he had devotedly nurtured him, Tianci would surely outshine Zhang Li."

At a loss for words, Mr. Zhang heard Mrs. Zhang continue, "I don't care. You must get justice for our son. Who hit him? They must be put behind bars."

Mr. Zhang's expression turned cold, "You foolish woman, didn't you hear Tianci? Manager Zou of Milton was so respectful towards that man. Do you know what Milton is? Their connections are so vast we can't even fathom. If someone worthy of such reverence from Manager Zou did it, he's certainly a big shot. You want to seek revenge against such a person? We're lucky they haven’t come after us."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhang became hysterical, crying and throwing a tantrum.

Mr. Zhang glared at Tianci, "Go back to your room now, and don’t leave the house for a while."

Before his father, Tianci was subdued, and he reluctantly retreated to his room.

Sitting on his bed, he felt aggrieved. He was supposed to spend the night with Yu Xiaoyu.

To him, Yu Xiaoyu was no different from any ordinary girl he could call upon at any moment.

Rumor had it that she was quite adventurous in bed, willing to play intriguing games. He had even booked a hotel with all the necessary equipment – handcuffs, ropes, whips, candles, you name it.

Tonight should have been a wonderful night.

But it was all ruined by that despicable pair.

Tianci clenched his fists, his eyes filled with resentment. When the opportunity arose, he would torment them to death.

He lay back on the bed, oblivious to the glowing red eyes that appeared from underneath in the dark.

Turning on his side, he imagined Yu Xiaoyu's graceful figure, and suddenly his nose didn't hurt as much.

He turned off the light. From under the bed, a wisp of dark smoke emerged in the pitch-dark room. It slowly floated upwards, forming a humanoid shape. It opened its large copper-bell-like red eyes, staring intently at him.

Unaware, he gradually drifted into sleep.

The dark figure stared at him for a while. He felt a sudden chill in the room. Reaching out to pull the blanket, he momentarily opened his eyes to meet those scarlet orbs.

His eyes widened instantly. Before a scream could escape his throat, the shadow lunged at him, splattering blood that left a horrific stain on the wall.

I was awoken by the ring of my phone before dawn. It was an unfamiliar number. To my surprise, it was Dongfang Lei.

"Ms. Jiang, I have a case that requires your expertise," he said.

I held no good impression of this man from the 'X Files' investigation unit. "Sorry, I’m rather busy lately."

"This matter concerns you too," he continued. "Do you know Zhang Tianci?"

It took me a moment, then he added, "You just beat him up yesterday."

"Oh, young master Zhang," I replied, "What happened to him?"

"He’s dead," Dongfang Lei stated coldly. "Devoured."

I paused, recalling the strong aura of death around him, and shivered. As I was about to refuse, Zhou Yuhao suddenly grabbed my hand, urging, "Agree to it."

Confused, I nevertheless agreed. Dongfang Lei said he'd pick me up right away.

After hanging up, I looked at Zhou in bewilderment. "Why?"

"The entity that killed Zhang Tianci came from a grave," Zhou Yuhao's face darkened. "If we don’t stop it soon, it could become a major catastrophe."

I was taken aback. For a ghost, Zhou Yuhao had an overwhelming sense of justice.

Zhou Yuhao didn’t elaborate further. From his demeanor, I sensed something was amiss. He asked Wen Nuan and Qu Jiaqi to stay behind, then possessed a token for me to carry as we left.

On the way to the Zhang residence, Dongfang Lei solemnly briefed me on the situation.

Zhang Tianci had returned home the previous night, received a good scolding from his father, and went to bed. Concerned he might kick off his blankets, his mother went to check on him in the middle of the night. Upon opening his door, she found the room drenched in blood, with only Zhang Tianci's head left on the bed; his body had vanished.

His mother fainted at the sight. His father immediately notified Zhang Li. When Zhang Li arrived, he discovered a camera in Zhang Tianci's room, used for recording his intimate escapades with escort girls and minor celebrities.