Chapter 172 Reinforcements did indeed arrive, but to He Zhao and Hong Jiayi's surprise, let alone Hong Jiayi...
The reinforcements did arrive, but to the surprise of He Zhao and Hong Jiayi, not only Hong Jiayi but even He Zhao was taken aback. The reinforcements were none other than his familiar guests.
They weren't that powerful; each one was confined to the place of their death, unable to move an inch.
The reason they were able to leave their original places to help the Countermeasures Bureau before was because He Zhao put in the effort behind the scenes. Thanks to the system's "unscientific black technology," they were able to roam around. But this time, He Zhao didn't set up a stall or cook rice. He Zhao really didn't know how they escaped their predicament and came here to help them.
Before He Zhao could figure it out, the Mud Demon brandished its trident and charged forward, muttering, "Don't underestimate our bond! I'll definitely protect the boss! I still want to eat that wonton place. Don't sever my only connection to this world!"
The child ghost also joined in, and unexpectedly, it had a second form. It shouted, "Me too!" and covered its face with its hands. When it released them again, its face was completely white, like a blank sheet of paper. This child ghost also charged forward.
The old woman glanced at He Zhao. She wasn't that powerful, but she really didn't want He Zhao, who was so loyal to her, to be killed by other ghosts, so she joined in.
He Zhao's regular customers weren't particularly formidable; they couldn't compare to the previous stitched-up water ghost or the tall guy. However, their numbers were vast, and for a time, they actually became entangled with the red wedding dress, engaging in a fierce and back-and-forth battle.
While He Zhao was still in shock, Wang Yu and Qiao Yanyu, who had rested for a while, also rejoined the battle.
In the back-and-forth exchange, the woman in red wedding attire actually seemed to be running out of steam, completely different from her previous arrogant self. A hint of retreat even appeared on her face. But the woman in red wedding attire still looked at He Zhao with great reluctance, as if she still wanted to take He Zhao away with her.
He Zhao hugged Xiao Hei tightly and stepped back. She couldn't help, nor did she want to be a hindrance. At this moment, staying obediently away from the red wedding dress was the best thing she could do.
The woman in the red wedding dress had lost her earlier ease, as the situation had now reversed somewhat. More importantly, she knew that although the other members of the Countermeasures Bureau were entangled with the members of the Joyful Gathering and the ghosts outside, given enough time, they could definitely handle it and then return to provide full support.
It gritted its teeth fiercely, still putting up a last-ditch resistance, actually cursing inwardly at the fake Li Xia for not detonating the Yin Qi bomb yet. Qiao Yanyu seemed to see through Hong Jiayi's thoughts. She wanted to tell Hong Jiayi not to wait anymore, it was useless, the fake Li Xia was already under control by the members in the monitoring room.
For a while, she could indeed enter and leave those big ghosts' cells, but under close surveillance, she would be immediately taken into custody if she did anything wrong.
Even now, Hong Jiayi still doesn't realize that the fake Li Xia has been exposed.
Just then, the bureau chief returned, not alone, but with Li Xia. Li Xia, somewhat listless, was supported by the bureau chief as they approached the woman in the red wedding dress. The woman in the red wedding dress didn't immediately recognize the fake, and even tried to signal to Li Xia to take the bureau chief hostage, but Li Xia spoke up: "Still dreaming of letting the fake cause a commotion? That fake was discovered by He Zhao from the very first day it arrived."
"Now, surrender."
Li Xia moved aside slightly, and after the bureau chief released her, a sly smile appeared on his face: "I've only been away from the Countermeasures Bureau for such a short time, and you've already turned it into this mess. Using bombs, huh? You've really no sportsmanship. Are you ready to get a good beating?"
The director is just getting old, not weak. She sits in her office all day processing documents, and people like Jiu Qing and Qiao Yanyu are trying to ride on her head. Has she forgotten that she is also a first-level investigator? The director loosened her collar, took a deep breath, and pulled out one talisman after another from her pocket.
Qiao Yanyu's ability to conjure soldiers from coins is a family heirloom, honed from childhood by her mother. However, her talisman-making skills are also considerable, thanks to the bureau chief's meticulous guidance. As the woman who raised Qiao Yanyu for many years, the bureau chief is certainly no pushover.
Now, the balance of power has shifted.
The woman in the red wedding dress wasn't stupid. The moment she saw the bureau chief pull out those talismans, she realized something was terribly wrong and prepared to run away. Unfortunately for her, the bureau chief was a true old fox, and as such, her ability to plan ahead was unparalleled. Before she even came in, she had already covered the entire outside with talismans.
The woman in the red wedding dress darted outside and immediately ran into the large net woven from talismans by the bureau chief.
Then, Qiao Yanyu, Wang Yu, the bureau chief, and a bunch of ghosts ganged up on him and gave him a righteous beating.
In the end, the bureau chief handcuffed the woman in the red wedding dress with silver bracelets, and even skipped the escort process, taking her directly to the underground cell and locking her up.
At this point, the woman in red knew she had no hope of escaping, but she still managed to deliver some deadly words to He Zhao: "He Zhao! Are you really content to just set up a nobody stall in this city? You can become incredibly powerful! Look at these ghosts, they've all come for you. You clearly have the ability to command all ghosts, so why are you just a nobody?"
"Are you really content to be protected by others like this, without any ability of your own, He Zhao?!"
Amidst its repeated cries, He Zhao picked at his ear with his finger: "Ugh, what's there to be resentful about? She doesn't want to be some behind-the-scenes big boss, it's exhausting! Besides, his wife is a law-abiding civil servant; why would she want to be a villainous big boss?"
"No way! Do you think I'm a loser? What am I thinking about all day long? Trying to kill myself? Am I crazy?!"
The woman in the red wedding dress was completely taken away. At this moment, Qiao Yanyu was also exhausted and almost fell to the ground. He Zhao slid forward and hugged Qiao Yanyu, a slight ripple stirring in his heart. To be honest, He Zhao was not unmoved by the woman in the red wedding dress's words, "Are you really willing to have no ability at all?"
She also wanted to be capable, to protect Qiao Yanyu. They were lovers, and one of them shouldn't always be protected by the other. She wanted to protect Qiao Yanyu just as much. But Qiao Yanyu wouldn't be happy that way. With greater power comes greater responsibility. Qiao Yanyu would rather He Zhao be a canary sheltered under her wing for life than have her gain power and then have to stand up to protect her and other ordinary people.
He Zhao wasn't a selfless person; the only person she actually wanted to protect was Qiao Yanyu.
But if He Zhao truly gained the ability, he would inevitably encounter more situations requiring his intervention. Neither Qiao Yanyu nor He Zhao wanted to see that happen. Therefore, He Zhao willingly accepted becoming Qiao Yanyu's support staff.
"Honestly, you've made yourself all bruised and battered again."
Qiao Yanyu smiled. Now she could hear the voice clearly: "It's okay, it wasn't as troublesome as Hua Hua's last time. It's not as powerful as Hua Hua."
Seeing that Qiao Yanyu was still able to joke and laugh with her, He Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. She looked around to make sure that Xiao Hei and Wang Yu were alright, and that her guests were all safe and sound. Only then did she have the interest to ask Qiao Yanyu some questions: "By the way, how did they get here? How were they able to leave their own territory?"
Qiao Yanyu didn't hide anything and said it directly: "It was Hua Hua's method back then. Hua Hua left behind a batch of things, preserved them with yin energy, and then gave them to them so that they could move freely."
In fact, Qiao Yanyu's method greatly displeased Jiu Qing. Jiu Qing was clearly a hostile party member, harboring malice towards every ghost. Therefore, when Qiao Yanyu proposed this method, she immediately chose to refuse. Unfortunately, however, Qiao Yanyu had already seized command.
Her erroneous instructions regarding He Zhao completely stripped her of her voice in this plan, so even if she resisted, she could only do as Qiao Yanyu said. Because of Jiu Qing's previous attitude towards He Zhao, even though she was a very capable investigator, Qiao Yanyu did not keep her in the Countermeasures Bureau. Instead, she was sent out to do fieldwork, just like the other members of the investigation team.
Qiao Yanyu was quite worried. She thought that when Hong Jiayi arrived, Jiu Qing might try to deal with He Zhao as well. Even though it was proven that He Zhao was innocent in the Tonghuan Gathering incident, Jiu Qing still hadn't completely let go of her fear of He Zhao.
She was someone who held the belief that "those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts" in her heart, and believed that He Zhao, who claimed to be a time traveler, would one day threaten the Countermeasures Bureau.
However, all of this has nothing to do with He Zhao and Qiao Yanyu anymore. The Tonghuan Gathering incident is over, and no matter how much Jiu Qing hates He Zhao, she will go back to report for duty and will never come to their small city again.
Upon hearing that it was something from Hua Hua's past that had worked, He Zhao couldn't help but sigh, "Actually, Hua Hua was a really good girl. If only she didn't have her father." She truly hadn't expected that Hua Hua could still help her after she had completely disappeared.
Unexpectedly, He Zhao wasn't the only one with this sentiment; Li Xia thought the same thing: "Yes, thanks to it, I escaped a disaster." She recounted how the fake Li Xia had tricked her with Hua Hua's story, which made Wang Yu sigh.
The matter was over, and it was time for the guests to go home. The Mud Demon brandished its trident, which this time was intact. It reminded He Zhao, "The bad guy got caught, so remember to set up your stall!"
He Zhao snorted. What kind of person is he? He's already thinking about enslaving me.
Grandma is so kind. She said, "Let's wait a few days. You should rest first. We're not in a hurry."
"Who said there's no rush..." Before the child ghost could say two words, he was pulled away by the mud ghost and the old woman. They said goodbye to He Zhao one by one, agreed to set up a stall in a few days, and then disappeared into the countermeasures bureau.
Wang Yu plopped down on the ground, still holding Xiao Hei in her arms, and said to He Zhao, "Boss, don't forget what you said: lamb chops, spicy chicken, and Sichuan-style spicy chicken..."
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