54 Chapter 54 (Two in One)
◎Boss Ye drove a hearse into the haunted den to deliver food???
After confirming Ye Ping'an's identity, the intercepting team received a signal from the leader and immediately asked, "Boss Ye, are you here to help?"
"No."
Ye Pingan shook his head rapidly, "I'm just here to sell food!"
The police officers were obviously doing something big here. How could she, an ordinary small business owner, help?
Ye Ping'an's unexpected answer made the person in charge's mind go blank for a moment when he reported it, and he almost forgot to persuade the person to leave.
I just heard that this folk ghost fighter's logic is outrageous, but I didn't expect it to be so outrageous.
But no matter whether they are here to sell food or to help, it is best not to keep them.
Given the special effect of Ye Ping'an's monster, it requires contact to take effect. No matter how low the cost of using it is, there is no need to use it to defend the line against the ghost slaves.
It would be even more inappropriate to let her enter the ghost cave. Her creatures were currently D-level. If she died in the ghost cave and her creatures revived, devoured several of them and became special C-level creatures, then they could control humans with unparalleled accuracy. That would be troublesome.
The investigators tried to persuade him, "...It's very dangerous here, you should go back as soon as possible."
"I'll leave as soon as I'm done selling! You look so hungry, your faces are pale and your eyes are blurry. People are made of iron and rice is made of steel, so you still have to eat."
Ye Ping'an ignored the advice and called out to his staff, "Xiao Cheng, go get the outermost box. Show the officers a sample. It's made of high-quality materials and smells delicious."
"Hey, hey, don't be busy,"
The sound of stopping stopped abruptly.
Cheng Yi followed instructions one by one and opened the incubator at a lightning speed.
I changed to a small casserole and simmered it all the way. As soon as I removed the white towel pressing on the side, the hot steam and the aroma of meat, fat and sauce rushed out.
“Gurgle—”
The smoke and stench in the evening breeze were drowned out by the aroma wafting from the car. Soft soybeans surrounded the crispy and red pig's trotters, which shone brightly under the light.
The investigator, who had been so busy at night that he had no appetite, suddenly felt hungry.
The aroma wasn't pungent, nor was it unique, just a rich, simple homely flavor. It was like being at home, far from chaos and danger, and suddenly finding peace of mind when I smelled the warm aroma of a bowl of stew left for me.
The investigator swallowed and said, "How much is this? We'll transfer it to you."
Ye Pingan continued to promote enthusiastically, "We also have iced lily and mung bean soup. New customers can get a 99% discount on their first order. Would you like to bring some?"
The investigator, who was momentarily bewildered by the delicious food, came to his senses and said, "Wait, wait, we can't sell food here. Move further away. This isn't the right place."
Seeing that Ye Ping'an was not allowed to sell food, she would not leave. There was a ready-made demand for midnight snacks outside the defense line, which was a win-win situation.
Ye Ping'an nodded in agreement. "Indeed. I heard there's a crematorium inside, right? The pollution is so severe, the wind stinks, and even at night with the lights so bright, it's hard to see."
Environmental pollution???
Looking at the vague ghostly "fog" behind them and smelling the fishy wind wafting from not far away, the investigators fell silent.
The car drove away two or three hundred meters, staying in an area where it was impossible to see the inner layer clearly. Only then did the investigators feel at ease to let Ye Ping'an stop.
The folding table and bowls and chopsticks in the car are ready. Just take the pot down, put on a mask and apron, and it will be transformed into a night snack stall in a second.
As soon as the bucket of sweet soup was brought out, a layer of water droplets formed on the outside.
The aroma of the bubbling stew intensified as the small iron stove was set up. Pig's trotters trembled in the casserole, and the wood-fired rice was still steaming, each grain distinct, as if freshly steamed. One spoonful filled a large bowl.
A bowl of rice was served. The investigator avoided Ye Ping'an's direction and picked out a little bit of rice to be sent to the back for inspection as a sample.
"Hey, stop busying yourself."
Ye Ping'an lifted the lid of the untouched casserole and said, "Go ahead and take a sample from the pot. I've worked in your police cafeteria before, so there's nothing shameful about taking samples and doing routine testing. We have a mission, so we have to be careful with what we eat. Do you want me to stir it a little more before testing?"
She was so frank that the investigator packed up his tools somewhat embarrassedly and took samples from the pots one by one.
The defense line built around the ghost den in the old city is very large, the rescue area is not far away, and toxicology and other testing equipment are readily available.
Not long after the sample was sent in, the investigator received a pair of cold stares.
The white coat said unhappily, "Common toxins that can produce rapid results have been ruled out. There are very few bacterial colonies in the sample, and it's obvious it was freshly cooked. Sending a meal here for testing in the middle of the night, who are you trying to starve to death?"
The investigator was embarrassed. "Doctor Xu, I know your rescue area is busy. But, how about taking another look? Are there any similarities with the ghost slaves?"
Doctor Xu: "I know you're busy right now, but you still sent food for the exam? What a waste of resources. Are you worried the pig's trotter or the mung bean will get up and bite you? Don't worry, aside from being inactive, the test results show no correlation. If you're really worried, don't eat it. By the way, the quality of this pig's trotter is pretty good. Where did you buy the rice? Do you have any left? I'm not hungry after eating the energy bar, but this is delicious!"
Dr. Xu forcibly snatched a bowl of pig's trotter stew and two cups of mung bean soup from the investigator who delivered the samples, under the pretext of "helping to test the poison on himself."
It was not convenient to eat in the temporary laboratory, so Dr. Xu carried the bag and moved outside the medical tent, found a simple shelf and started eating on the spot.
"Hungry... so hungry..."
"It hurts! Someone is eating me! Someone is gnawing at my bones!"
The sound of the restraints banging against the bed or the cage continued, and shrill, desperate cries continued to come from the nearby tents, but the frequency was much lower than at the beginning.
Most of the people in this tent are victims who were intercepted and lured by [Ghost Takeaway] in recent days. Recently, the moments of showing strange effects have become less and less, so [Ghost Takeaway] is judged to be temporarily silent.
One of the tented wards contained the fewest people, but was also the most important. Most of the investigators who had been left to observe the ghost den had been swept in during the first day's expansion. The few investigators who had escaped and sounded the alarm had fallen unconscious after fighting the first wave of attacking ghost slaves, their weakening uncontrollably.
The haggard-looking medical staff removed their protective suits and emerged from the tent, still discussing the patient's condition. "No wonder the first investigators attacked by the ghost slaves cried out 'hungry' while unconscious. Previously, we had assumed the rules of the Heart Devourer were a step further. After seizing the seven emotions and six desires, the ghost den became hungry and desperate, thus changing its name to the Hungry Ghost. Now that the latest three rules are out, it's clearer to refer to them."
"They are affected by the strangeness of the ghost cave, but they are not involved in the ghost cave, so the influence is not as strong as inside the ghost cave. According to the medicines used by survivors and ghost masters in the past, they can be treated and relieve pain at the same time. However, they are still unable to eat nutritional injections and other foods. You can try the potion that enhances organ activity before. We can't do anything about the strange rules, but we understand human biochemical data... Hey, it smells good, who is eating?"
Doctor Xu ate without even looking up, which didn't bother his colleagues who gathered around him, following the smell of food. "Good for you, Old Xu, hiding here and eating alone! The pig's trotters are stewed really well. Give me a spoonful!"
"Give me a spoonful too."
"Then I'll have a cup of mung bean soup. You can't finish two cups."
Doctor Xu was furious. "Huh? Huh? I just bought some midnight snacks! Teacher Qiao, you already took two big bites!"
“Ding Di——”
The monitoring device beeped to warn, and the joking medical staff suddenly looked serious.
Doctor Qiao, who was happily scrambling for food, was the first to rush back to the emergency tent. "It's Bed Number 1, the most seriously injured! Prepare first aid!"
The patients, their limbs like dried bones and their bellies bulging, were so weak they could barely utter a sound. Their stomachs bulged as if filled with ascites, yet they emitted strange, sticky noises, as if their starving bodies were digesting themselves completely from the inside out.
Rescue was carried out on the spot, and Dr. Xu silently left them two cups of mung bean soup.
After confirming that there was no poison, the team responsible for staying behind still had a task to do, so they retreated, looking back every few steps.
Several investigators who followed Ye Pingan out lined up in front of the stall. "Boss, we'll take care of all your food. Pack it for us!"
It wasn't because it smelled so good, nor was it because I wanted to take some food home! It was mainly because of Ye Ping'an's attitude. She really didn't want to leave until she had sold all the food.
While waiting in line to buy food, they did not forget to remind Ye Pingan, "Boss Ye, are you going home after selling? You can see that the fog is very thick. We are all busy catching people. It is not safe here now."
Ye Ping'an nodded seriously, "I understand, I understand. Everyone is worried about me out of kindness. Ask around, I'm a caring citizen and have never caused any trouble for the police officers. I'll leave after I sell it!"
Ye Ping'an opened the food delivery platform's backend and clicked on the black-and-white profile picture dialog box: [Hello, I'm in Zhoukou. I heard before coming here that the old town is unsafe. When I got here, I saw the air pollution was incredibly severe, the streets and buildings were old, and there were fugitives. The risks are too great. This order is hard to take.]
The black of the black and white portrait was exceptionally rich, the lines thickened, as if anxious to burst out of the screen: […You!!!]
The unknown customer sent a series of exclamation marks before calming down: [Add one thousand.]
Ye Ping'an said seriously, "Customer, are you working overtime near the crematorium? There's a fugitive in the old town. I'd be taking a risk if I went in. Haven't you noticed that no one delivers here anymore? I only came here because you like my shop so much. A few thousand is really not a big deal."
The human figure in the black and white portrait is somewhat distorted, as if wearing a mask of pain.
Unknown Customer: [Ten thousand.]
Huh? Prices are rising pretty fast.
Ye Ping'an glanced at it, didn't reply, and continued to serve food to the customers in line while humming a tune.
Unknown customer: [They are asking for exorbitant prices. They earn money but never spend it.]
Ye Ping'an didn't care about this sinister threat at all and simply turned off the lock screen of his phone.
She is doing business seriously, and she has received such complicated and risky orders. Is there anything wrong with making a little more money?
Making money is a matter of mutual consent. Who are you blaming for raising the price?! Even AI knows the most profitable methods are written in the criminal law. If she weren't honest, trustworthy, and law-abiding, she would have made a fortune long ago!
After a few meals were prepared, a reminder sounded.
[Ding Dong, 110,532.86 yuan has arrived!]
The investigators were a little surprised. "It's so late, and Boss Ye still has a big order?"
"It's all because everyone recognizes my craftsmanship." Ye Ping'an smiled happily, picked up his phone, unlocked it, and saw the notification of new money arriving.
As expected, business depends on demand. It was easy, and I made hundreds of thousands.
Unknown customer: [Delivered at midnight.]
The word "Zero Point" was written in bold capital letters, dark and thick, like blood that was about to solidify.
Ye Pingan readily agreed: "You are so kind, sir. I will be right there!"
Ye Ping installed a few copies and made a sample, then put the spoon in Cheng Yi's hand and said, "Xiao Cheng, you serve the rice and scan the code to pay. Don't make a mistake in the calculation. Remember to put away the bowls and disposable tableware. We in the catering business must be decent and not litter like unscrupulous vendors and pollute the environment."
"Where is Boss Ye going?" the investigator was surprised.
Ye Pingan closed the car door and waved his hand with a smile, "I'll be back later."
The navigation voice floated out of the car window, "There are cameras on the current road section, please do not park at will."
The investigators scratched their heads. "Perhaps... he was afraid of getting a traffic ticket, so he went looking for a place to park?"
During the time they were trying to persuade people, they had already received some brief information from Jiang City. Fearing that mentioning the strangeness would affect Ye Ping'an's use of the strange object, they couldn't ask too much.
But looking at the direction the van left, it was definitely not heading towards the den of evil, so there was no need to worry.
Each person had a large portion of pig's trotters, and the rich aroma of the meat soothed the anxiety of the evening.
The lily bulbs are cooked until soft and glutinous, and the crunchy texture blends perfectly with the mung bean paste. It's cool but not icy, refreshing and reminiscent of the comfortable summer flavors. Even without sugar, it has a natural sweetness, and the addition of crushed rock sugar makes it even sweeter and more joyful.
After the investigators had eaten and drunk their fill, they returned with the food they had brought for the others. Some people at the edge of the defense line were already eyeing them jealously, waiting for their shift to come so they could eat.
"Huh? Why did the information monitoring department transfer a lot of computing power? The communication is a bit laggy."
"I heard they spent over a hundred thousand more. Worried about the [Ghost Takeaway] outbreak in nearby cities, they've redirected some computing power to enhance surveillance. Those crazy people in the True Spirit Society, the accounts we've targeted are now empty. They transferred out 110,532.86, both in whole and small amounts. Could it be that it's not [Ghost Takeaway], but they're transferring the funds?"
"But the funds were swiped out using the same method as last time... except that wasn't [Ghost Takeaway] last time either."
The investigator slurped mung bean paste and nearly choked when he heard a familiar string of numbers. "How much did you say it was transferred?"
"--Oh no! Boss Ye!"
The news was quickly reported. The person in charge sighed helplessly and quickly made arrangements. "Ye Ping'an claimed to be delivering food from the beginning. She is the target of the Ghost Takeaway. Attention, outer defense line. If Ye Ping'an and her staff make any unusual movements, intercept them immediately. If encountered at other entrances, make sure she does not enter the inner circle and come into contact with the expanding ghost den."
The investigators waiting in front of the stall looked at each other, not wanting to put down their bowls. "Then... can we still eat?"
"You only care about eating." The superior was speechless. "You guys stay on the perimeter, eat if you want. Those of you who are about to be transferred to the inner defense line, don't eat."
The investigator was overjoyed. "Great! No one's competing with us for it!"
Ye Pingan drove slowly for a few hundred meters with the air conditioner on. He looked around and realized something was wrong. "That's not right. I was locating it in the old city. Why is it getting further and further away?"
The lines on his face shrank under the driver's seat, and his relaxed smile vanished in an instant.
Ye Ping'an opened the navigation and took a look. "Oh, no wonder, the navigation address is wrong. Let's re-plan it. Although the road here is closed, since there are still people working inside, there must be an opening. It's almost eleven o'clock. If I don't get in now, I will miss the food delivery. I have collected the money, and I can't destroy the sign."
After re-planning several times, the navigation system finally gave a new route. Ye Ping'an stepped on the accelerator, wrinkling the driver's seat and shadows gradually appearing on the window glass.
On a deserted street late at night, a van turned a corner and suddenly disappeared.
At the edge of the inner circle of the defense line, the hovering drone electronic eyes are diligently guarding the den with everyone to prevent possible new rounds of attacks.
Midnight is the most important time. Lao Jiu, who had just taken a break after changing shifts, returned to the defense line.
“Crack.”
In Block 7, several drones suddenly crashed as if drunk, and the small monitoring screens in the command center were instantly filled with noise.
"A strange aura is interfering with the signal?!"
Without waiting for the command prompt, Lao Jiu, who was guarding Block 7, had already noticed the strange changes ahead.
At the very edge of the fog, the buildings were illuminated by bright strong lights so that almost no shadows could be seen.
But on the narrow cement road between the buildings, a black, sticky liquid silently overflowed like a swamp. The road was clearly still there, but it seemed to be shrouded in the shadow of another, empty road.
Faintly, a forest of ghostly hands could be seen crawling through the shadows, clustering together to form the dark swamp beneath the wheels, like a red carpet rolled out outside before a party, luxurious and eerie. Between the shadowy hands, the outline of a car, shrouded in shadow, drew closer.
Lao Jiu's face turned pale, "【Hearse】..."
When Huaxi City intercepted the hearse, if the captain hadn't held their carrier tightly, all the investigators would have been dragged into the vehicle and killed. Lao Jiu was quite impressed by the miniature ghosts in the hearse.
The last time the "Hearse" suddenly disappeared, the bureau speculated that it had been secretly taken away by the True Spirit Society, attempting to use its special rules to pass through the restricted ghost den. Unexpectedly, the next sighting would be in the "Hungry Ghost" ghost den!
How did the hearse appear here? This time, it didn't even need to use the accident scene as a jumping-off point, but instead leapt past layers of defense and suddenly appeared on the road. It seemed to have become even stronger.
The den of ghosts is already expanding. If we add the hearse into the mix, it will be troublesome if more weird things are brought out!
The swamp surged like a tide, crawling out of the void. The black and red mist, which had never rippled even when struck, began to sway slightly the moment the new ghost cave appeared.
Even though the fog and shadows had not yet touched each other, the suffocating coldness all around had already made people instinctively scream and flee.
Perhaps they attracted each other's attention. Apart from the cold pressure, none of the terrifying hallucinations that were common on the inner defense line appeared, and Lao Jiu was still able to think rationally.
Lao Jiu gritted her teeth and lit the candle, ensuring that the flames were ready to light the grill. She quickly gestured to hail a car and shouted, "Stop!"
The E-ranked ghost, the Delicious Grill, was far too weak to directly confuse and attract the ghost rider of the Hearse. However, the Hearse's inherent killing rules might allow it to stop for its "passengers." Only by stopping it first could it be intercepted.
A silver van drove out of the shadows, and as soon as it appeared, only the rear end was visible.
"No passengers, no passengers, my takeaway is about to expire!" He stuck half of his head out of the car window and casually waved his hand to refuse.
Laojiu:???
Take-out? Another person who was lured by the "ghost delivery" and is willing to sacrifice his life by delivering food?
No, [Ghost Takeaway] lured people to [Hearse]? How is that possible!
Ye Ping'an followed the navigation and made many turns before he found the shortest route. As the van drove out of the alley and reached the edge of the black and red fog, the wheels began to tremble slightly out of control.
Ye Ping'an held the steering wheel steadily, refused the police officer who offered to give him a ride, and quickly rolled up the car window.
The air outside is so polluted, dirty, smelly, and full of particulate matter that it's really irritating. It's more comfortable to keep the air conditioning on in the car.
"The old city of Zhoukou should be demolished. The road is so narrow that it's hard to turn, and it seems to be a bit slippery on the slope, which tests my driving skills." Ye Ping'an curled his lips, stepped on the accelerator, and crashed into the depths of thick fog.
The human face wrinkles huddled under the driver's seat, cowering into a ball. Deep in the car, a faint sound of someone swallowing saliva could be heard.
The van drove into the street, and in the black and red fog, the shadow of the swamp under the wheels shrank, and the exhaust of the van could be seen clearly.
Lao Jiu looked at the van in disbelief.
Silver, brand new, and extremely familiar, she even remembered the license plate number clearly.
"...Boss Ye?!" Thinking carefully, the man just now was very familiar from the voice to the back.
Laojiu's CPU almost burned out.
She remembered that Boss Ye said the car was paid off as a debt and asked the investigators to help find "the family who owed the debt and transferred the ownership quickly." He also tried to use the story of the car as a record of catching the weirdos in exchange for money.
Everyone knows that Boss Ye's logic has been affected by the strange creature, and no one wants to argue with her about these things.
The van sat in the parking lot, exposed to the elements, being tossed around and used to transport all sorts of miscellaneous items. Bureau investigators had even boarded the van, and nothing unusual had happened.
How could it be a hearse?!
If Boss Ye's logic is correct, then is there something wrong with her?
"Laojiu, Laojiu! Help, someone is mentally ill!" The investigator next to him dragged the dazed Laojiu down from the parapet.
Before preparing for first aid, Lao Jiu came to his senses, "I, I'm fine... Report quickly, the hearse has entered a den of ghosts, and the one controlling the ghost might be Ye Ping'an!"
Companion: "Ye Ping'an? I just heard there's a ghost tamer selling food outside. I think his name is Ye Ping'an. I heard the food he sells is really delicious."
Lao Jiu: "Is she from Jiang City? She's the owner of the Xile Restaurant. She talks about money all the time, is friendly and likes to laugh. She wears short-sleeved shirts and flip-flops?"
His companion was surprised: "Did you see her during your shift change?"
Lao Jiu weakly pointed towards the ghost cave: "...you also saw it just now."
"ah?"
The news that someone had entered the defense line quickly reached Captain Zhu, who was in charge of commanding the operation.
The person in charge almost gasped. "Ye Ping'an is in? That Ye Ping'an with special rules, who was suspected of being lured by the large transfer of [Ghost Takeaway]? I specifically told you to intercept him outside, but you failed, or someone violated the rules and let him in?!"
The investigator who reported it opened his mouth and said, "No. She, she drove a [hearse] and went to hell the moment she showed up."
Person in charge: ???
"The [hearse] has entered the haunted den. Deploy additional personnel to Block 7 and bring in the spooky creatures that were effective in intercepting the [hearse] last time."
At this point, the person in charge pinched his brows and forced himself to calm down. "Controlling multiple strange creatures simultaneously to achieve a balance may delay the death of the controller and unleash even greater power, but the success rate is very low. Are you saying that Ye Ping'an not only succeeded, but also controlled such a large vehicle as the carrier of the strange creatures, and even checked it several times under our noses, and no one even noticed that she successfully used the strange creatures?"
By the end, she was almost laughing out of anger, "Where's your vigilance? Are the outer defense lines only thinking about eating?!"
The investigator accused the police of being wronged: "The car did not react to the strange creatures when it came into contact. When Ye Ping'an drove away, he drove in the opposite direction. Afterwards, Bai Xian and the ghost controllers who stayed outside did not detect any strange aura. Only those on duty outside were buying food, and some were sent to the rescue area..."
"Commander Zhu! Commander! There has been a major discovery in the rescue area!" An anxious shout came from outside the tent.
Doctor Qiao's medical cap fell off, and his gray hair flew in disarray.
As soon as she entered the door, she couldn't wait to ask, "Is Boss Ye, who delivered the meal, still here? Is there any more food? Can she make more?"
The person in charge was so angry that his eyes went dark. "Your major discovery is that you are hungry?"
Doctor Qiao just remembered that he had forgotten to explain, "No, no. The wounded affected by the [Hungry Ghost] are waiting for her food to save their lives!"
Person in charge: “……?”
She suspected that she was dreaming, otherwise how could she hear such an outrageous reason.
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