RNP Chapter 13 The Mirror Actors
Chapter 13 The Mirror Actors
Binjiang Avenue is located in the new urban area of Dachang City. It is a relatively bustling street, and with a scenic river nearby, it receives a great deal of pedestrian and vehicular traffic on weekdays.
However, at this point, the entire street had already been blocked off.
A cordon had already been set up far away, not giving anyone a chance to break in.
The core area that was truly sealed off was the apartment buildings in a residential complex in the middle of this street.
Inside the security booth of the residential compound, Zhou Zheng, heavily pregnant and wearing a trench coat, was talking on his phone with his operator, Liu Xiaoyu.
"There are most likely no living people left in Building 5 of Binjiang Residential Area. I tried to go in just now, and it was full of ghost servants. I couldn't find the source ghost. However, based on my observation, neither the ghosts nor the ghost servants seem to be leaving this apartment building. In terms of the level of danger, it can be temporarily classified as Level C. I suggest sealing off this area of the residential area."
The voice on the phone was pleasant yet serious: "What's the code name? You went in and fought the ghost slaves, do you have a suitable code name for me to file? Also, can you confirm there isn't a single living person inside? According to the information, there are nearly a hundred households residing there."
"It's confirmed that it's gone. This ghost doesn't have a ghost domain. I arranged for a nearby loudspeaker to broadcast, and as soon as someone hears the broadcast and signals from the window, I will immediately go to rescue them. But it's been almost three hours now, and nothing has happened."
Zhou's expression was somber.
There are nearly a hundred households, and even if we only count three people per household, there are still nearly three hundred people.
This level of casualties is considered a large number at this time, especially considering it occurred within his jurisdiction.
The last time such casualties occurred was a month ago in the supernatural event that happened in that shopping mall in the city center, which also reminded him of the person who failed to escape back then:
Lin Yuan!
It's been a month; he should be dead by now, right?
Zhou Zheng sighed inwardly, then said in a deep voice, "I haven't encountered the source ghost yet, but the appearance of the ghost slaves inside is the same as the ghost slaves in the Fuyuan Shopping Mall a month ago. They seem to have an unknown connection. I suggest classifying them into the same type of paranormal file, codenamed... Mirror Actor!"
This code name was chosen by Zhou Zheng based on the situation at the time.
The ghost is suspected to be hiding in the mirror and does not exist in reality. It turns people in reality into ghost slaves by having them dress up as actors.
Logically speaking, the code name "Mirror Actor" would be more appropriate, but Zhou Zheng still used the term "actor".
The term "伶人" (lingren) first appeared in the "Rites of Zhou" (周礼), referring to court musicians. In ancient times, it also became a respectful title for professional artists, implying superb skills.
Performers are inheritors of art and enjoy a certain reputation.
Actors are different.
The word "戏" (xi) carries connotations of entertainment and jest, and in modern times it has also taken on a derogatory meaning, implying contempt.
Lowlife!
This was the status of actors in ancient times, who were often associated with sensual pleasures and debauchery.
As suggested by headquarters, the original code name was "Mirror Actor," but Zhou Zheng insisted on changing it to "Mirror Performer."
The reason is simple: it's for Lin Yuan.
For the young man who was willing to sacrifice himself to hold off the ghost so that he could rescue the two survivors from the shopping mall.
The two female sales associates in the children's clothing store at the time became the only two survivors in that shopping mall.
"A paranormal event with the same origin as the one in Fuyuan Shopping Mall? Can you be sure? Fuyuan Shopping Mall has been sealed off, and it's several kilometers away from Binjiang Community. If it's the same type of paranormal event, does that mean its harm is not just level C, but also has an unknown way of spreading?" Liu Xiaoyu asked anxiously.
If we follow Zhou Zheng's explanation, the supernatural event codenamed "Mirror Actor" is clearly capable of spreading.
Although the time interval between the spreads was relatively long, no pattern has been found in the areas where the spread can occur, and both occurrences resulted in triple-digit casualties.
Based on the number of people affected and its ability to move around, this level of paranormal event can be classified as a Class B dangerous paranormal event.
"It's not completely certain yet; I need more time."
After ending the call with Liu Xiaoyu, Zhou Zheng looked anxiously at the five buildings in the residential complex. Just then, a staff member next to him suddenly picked up the walkie-talkie, said a few words, and rushed over to report: "Manager Zhou, a car has forcibly entered the cordoned-off area and is now heading towards the complex!"
Zhou Zheng frowned and said, "There's no need to notify me about this. Just follow the normal procedures."
There are always some arrogant people who think they have connections and act recklessly. Zhou Zheng has encountered such people before, but he usually doesn't need to intervene.
Dealing with paranormal events is the highest priority of all matters.
No matter what their background is, anyone who dares to trespass into a restricted area created due to paranormal events will be subject to the most severe punishment, without exception!
When dealing with these types of people, law enforcement personnel in the nearby cordoned-off area are all equipped with Truth-based weapons.
If they are truly die-hards, they will not be punished at all for using Truth-based weapons!
"Manager Zhou, this person who came this time isn't an ordinary person, it's..."
Before the staff member could finish speaking, a powerful-looking SUV roared to the entrance of the residential area and slammed on its brakes.
The car window rolled down, and a hand rested on it.
Summer has arrived, and although it hasn't reached the hottest 40 degrees Celsius yet, the temperature is already around 35 or 36 degrees Celsius.
Looking out the car window, the driver, who clearly wasn't driving with the air conditioning on, was wearing a thick, dark coat, and his face was deathly pale, with an undisguised ruthlessness and impatience in his eyes.
"Zhou Zheng, you really have a temper! You even dared to block my car?!"
Faced with the questioning, Zhou Zheng frowned, clearly somewhat wary, but he did not back down. He said in a deep voice, "Ye Jun! What are you doing here? I have an agreement with Xiaoqiang Club. Are you trying to provoke a conflict between you and headquarters?"
Ye Jun, the Ghost Hand!
Xiaoqiang, a member of the club, is a pathetic wretch who overuses supernatural powers and is almost on the verge of resurrecting as a vengeful ghost, but he is also an extremely dangerous individual.
"Zhou Zheng, I'm here with General Manager Wang's permission, representing the Xiaoqiang Club. And you, can you represent headquarters?"
Ye Jun chuckled and pointed at Zhou Zheng's nose.
The hand emerging from the coat sleeve was bluish-black, covered with fine black lines, resembling a rotting corpse, and exuding a strong stench of decay.
Zhou Zheng suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Fine! So what do you want to do here? If you want to steal this ghost, I suggest you have your General Manager Wang communicate with headquarters to understand the specific situation before making any decisions."