"Shouldn't this be Sister Lin Chi's responsibility?" Zheng Bingbing asked softly, for she feared ghosts more than I did, having never caught one as a Yin Messenger!
"Lin Chi is too busy, and besides, there are hauntings all over the country every day. She can't possibly manage them all. Consider this a personal favor from you two, alright?"
I waved my hand, "What's personal or official? We've been through life and death together as comrades. Your friend's problem is my problem. Let's go now."
"Don't you have to wait until night?" Shen Xingyue asked.
"...Night is too scary, let's go during the day," Zheng Bingbing said with a wry smile.
That was actually my sentiment too. Although I now possessed a demon core and night vision, daylight vision was still more comfortable.
"I don't know who you've brought with you. Do you have enough people? Shall I arrange some people for you from this Shabiyya?" Shen Xingyue asked.
"You focus on your own matters. Just have your friend lead us," I said. Shen Xingyue wasn't an expert in this area, so going would be pointless.
"Alright." Shen Xingyue made a call, asking her friend to drive over. Their headquarters wasn't far from here. In about the time it takes to drink half a cup of milk tea, the person arrived. She was equally pretty and cute, though a bit shorter than Shen Xingyue. Her name was Cheng Xiaojuan. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Cheng Xiaojuan?" I seemed to recall Di'ana mentioning this name. "May I ask, Miss Cheng, what is your esteemed father's name?"
She was the head of the Lv Shun Shabiyya Investment and Construction Department.
"Cheng Xiangdong. What about it?" Cheng Xiaojuan asked.
It clicked. The fortress where we were staying was a gift from Cheng Xiangdong. So, an old acquaintance! We had to help even more!
Since Shen Xingyue hadn't introduced us to Cheng Xiaojuan beforehand, she didn't know my name. Before Shen Xingyue could speak, she received a call asking her to go to Lv Shun headquarters as someone needed to report work. Shen Xingyue had forgotten about this. After introducing Xiaojuan, she stood up to leave.
Cheng Xiaojuan didn't feel comfortable pressing further. After Shen Xingyue left, I ordered a milk tea for Cheng Xiaojuan and then introduced myself, "My name is Wu Chengfeng, and this is Zheng Bingbing."
"Ah!" Cheng Xiaojuan exclaimed, "The renowned reincarnation of Bai Ze..."
Her voice trailed off, as if afraid of being overheard. She covered her mouth, her eyes filled with admiration.
I humbly shook my head, "It's just a false reputation. We are not here today as Bai Ze, but as Yin Messengers."
The ultimate pretense is to suppress before elevating. My identity as a Yin Messenger might surprise her even more.
Indeed, my tactic worked. Hearing that Zheng Bingbing and I were Yin Messengers, Cheng Xiaojuan was even more astonished, "Could it be, you are the legendary... living Yin Messengers!"
I shook my head and waved my hands again, "It's nothing worth mentioning, nothing worth mentioning. Although we are Yin Messengers, we are still novices. I can't guarantee I can help you resolve the haunting incident in the villa district. If it doesn't work out, we might need to seek help from our friends."
"What friends? Are they also Yin Messengers?" Cheng Xiaojuan asked.
She took the bait, prompting me to reveal the third step of my grandstanding.
"Not exactly. Her?" I glanced at Zheng Bingbing. Bingbing didn't know what I was talking about but knew I was putting on a show, so she pouted and ignored me.
I looked back at Cheng Xiaojuan's expectant little face, "My friend here is none other than the Underworld's Young King Yama. If I can't handle it, I'll have her resolve it for me."
"You even know Young—" Cheng Xiaojuan's blood pressure might have spiked; she swayed slightly, and Zheng Bingbing quickly supported her.
"Oh, Director Cheng, don't listen to him bragging. Let's go. Let's resolve the matter first, and then we can continue bragging. It's getting dark!"
Just then, Cheng Xiaojuan's vanilla milk tea arrived. The three of us, carrying our drinks, left the milk tea shop. I called Chu Qi and Chen Ke to ask how much longer they would take. They said about another half hour. I figured I wouldn't need Chu Qi's martial arts for this ghost-catching mission, so I told them I was going out for a bit and would be back soon. Chu Qi was worried, but when I said I was going with people from Shabiyya on official business, she finally agreed.