Of course, William Carter's whole string of nonsense served no purpose other than lowering his IQ in the other person's eyes. The little boy turned to look at him again, then let out a long sigh, just like a parent looking at a disappointing child: "You ghost hunters in this city are really strange. Your combat power is inconsistent, and you even use techniques meant for dealing with spirits to attack my little Zhen, and... you’re full of evil energy..." As he said this, the killing intent in his eyes under the brim of his hat flared up again.

"Heh, not everyone is like him. He’s a special case." Mr. Cat had appeared at some point nearby. The little boy’s body visibly stiffened—he hadn’t noticed anyone approach, clearly showing this person’s extraordinary strength.

"So you’re this city’s ‘Mr. Cat’?" The little boy’s voice was obviously tinged with hostility. Mr. Cat didn’t answer him, just lit a cigarette and smiled, then picked up William Carter and slowly walked out of his sight.

"Hmph... putting on airs. Anyway, I’m just passing through, no need to get involved." The little boy patted the Zhen beast, which let out a low growl in the direction Mr. Cat had left, then carried the boy off into the darkness...

Thus ended William Carter’s long day. This was his first day entering the world of ghost hunters, and also the beginning of his miserable life to come. If he had known what kind of job awaited him when he woke up, he probably would have chosen to never wake up again. Many people’s fates began to change on this day, many strangers crossed paths for the first time, and many stories all began from this day...

Chapter 7: Entering the Profession

August. The midday sun was scorching, shining through the blinds onto William Carter’s face, making him so uncomfortable that he gradually woke up. Mr. Cat was sitting behind the desk smoking. Seeing him wake up, he said, "Put on your clothes, I have some things to tell you."

William Carter rubbed his face and found himself lying on the sofa in Mr. Cat’s office, wrapped in a blanket. But two seconds later, he suddenly jolted, "Why am I only in my underwear?!" Even as he asked, he’d already given himself a very bad answer in his mind, and his hand instinctively reached between his legs...

"I did a lot of things..." Mr. Cat replied listlessly, his tone calm and unruffled. Of course, this answer was easy to misunderstand.

William Carter’s face was turning green. "I didn’t expect this guy to have such a fetish. Poor me, my pure body..." Before he could let his imagination run wild for a few seconds, Mr. Cat continued, "First, the apartment you rented had a gas explosion the day before yesterday. I don’t think there’s anything left for you to go back and collect. I checked it out—there’s nothing but charcoal left. It must have been when you were surrounded by those ghosts, that female ghost went and turned on the gas."

"And then there’s the aftermath. I’ve already settled things with the landlord for you. Also, police uniforms aren’t something you can just wear as you please. Even though it was torn, it’s better to return it, makes it easier to explain. I have my own connections with the police, so this can be smoothed over."

He took another drag on his cigarette. "Last night, you were trapped in a space created by a hundred ghosts. Only ghost hunters and ghosts can enter. Most of what’s inside is illusion, so you don’t need to worry about being charged with destruction of public property or anything like that."

"That big dog and the kid we met yesterday—are they ghost hunters too?" William Carter picked up the clean clothes next to him and started putting them on piece by piece.

"Oh, probably the young lady from the Sun family. Her spiritual sense has already left this city, she was probably just passing through, nothing to worry about."

"What? She’s a girl?"

"I’m telling you, you’re probably the type who can’t get a girlfriend..."

"Nonsense! And you, living in your office, have the nerve to say that to me? Ever since I first saw you, you’ve been wearing that shabby suit. The shirt underneath is almost yellow, and you’ve never worn a tie. You’re almost thirty, aren’t you? Are you trying to tell everyone you’re a loser?"

"Hmm? Is that how you treat your lifesaver? No wonder you’re still a virgin."

"Damn! You can tell that too? What the hell did you do to me?!" Terrifying images flashed through William Carter’s mind again.

"Beautiful women and virgins are as obvious as lipstick on a shirt collar..." Mr. Cat said, exhaling smoke, summing it up.

"Screw you! Only to you, right! What exactly do you do? You know the police, you can find my landlord?"

"Actually, in this line of work, you have to deal with all kinds of people, have connections in every field. For example, I heard from some friends in the underworld that you’re not so simple..."

When William Carter heard the word ‘underworld’, he knew things were bad. It seemed his activities over the past few years had been exposed. Mr. Cat continued unhurriedly, "You graduated from middle school three years ago, your parents died one after another, so you found a job at that underground casino run by the Qin family. I heard you were a famous dealer there, able to control the outcome without machines or leaving any trace, even switching cards right under everyone’s noses..."

"Who told you that! Don’t talk nonsense! I’m a law-abiding citizen, seriously!" Even though he knew it was useless, William Carter still struggled, hoping denial could solve everything.