Public opinion surged once more, fueled by Liang Yu's livestream.
Some were convinced Liu Bin's death was a supernatural event, caused by ghosts. Others shifted their stance, claiming there were no ghosts and it was all a human deception. They suggested Liu Bin's death was a result of infighting over ill-gotten gains, and the ghost story was a ploy to escape legal repercussions. The two factions argued ferociously.
The media platforms, initially intending to control the narrative, breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing of a scientific explanation. They stopped their control efforts and let the event escalate for maximum engagement, as long as no red lines were crossed. Consequently, terms like "Xuanjing" and "Tomb of Zhang Daoling" became trending keywords across the internet.
Correspondingly, Elder Dong's excavation project garnered widespread attention. Although people's impression of Elder Dong hadn't fully recovered, it was now borderline acceptable. At least Elder Dong wasn't solely profit-driven as the archaeology institute's announcement suggested; he was genuinely engaged in substantive work and had made new discoveries.
Of course, for Elder Dong, Professor Li, and Wang Zizai to fully restore their reputations, the Tomb of Zhang Daoling needed to be completely excavated, and the tomb had to contain sufficiently astonishing burial objects. In other words, both accomplishment and reward were indispensable. Lacking either would diminish public anticipation for the excavation to some extent. If expectations were unmet, people, unable to vent their frustration on the deceased Zhang Daoling, would inevitably direct it towards Elder Dong and his team.
The trio felt immense pressure. Meanwhile, the leader Elder Dong had offended by hanging up the phone called back. Unexpectedly, it wasn't a reprimand, but a rare, gentle tone. The leader even expressed optimism about Elder Dong's project, urging him to seize the public interest to create another nationally captivating archaeological and cultural phenomenon.
Elder Dong immediately understood that their livestream had been seen by the leadership. Once the leadership was free from the pressure of "superstitious beliefs," their stance shifted from criticism to support. Given the recent surge in archaeological interest and young people's fascination with cultural and creative products, the emergence of another cultural relic, if leveraged correctly, could significantly aid the leader's career. Naturally, the leader would offer support and encouragement.
Elder Dong quickly pledged to work diligently and not disappoint. Thus, the mess caused by Liu Bin's death was finally tidied up. Although some still vehemently argued, based on the video, that the entity was a ghost and not a human in disguise, it no longer mattered. It was insufficient to sway the overall situation.
Furthermore, the Ganzhou police released their investigation results, finding call records between Xiao Zhao and Liu Bin on their phones, confirming they had spoken before their deaths. Different ligature marks were also found on their necks. Although fingerprints at the bottom of the well were compromised, a comparison of finger length and thickness suggested they had strangled each other to death. With this announcement from the Ganzhou police, the matter was essentially settled, with no room for reversal.
Meanwhile, at the construction site, Elder Dong and his team looked at Ying Chen with admiration. He had managed to resolve such a significant controversy! Crucially, Ying Chen seemed to have done nothing overtly, merely going with the flow and letting things naturally resolve themselves. This approach and his effortless demeanor made the trio question if Ying Chen was truly in his twenties. How else could he possess such seasoned and mature methods? Even veteran politicians who had been in the game for decades might not achieve this level of manipulation. It was as if he treated public opinion like abacus beads, manipulating it as he pleased. The millions of netizens caught in the midst were completely unaware, even cheering him on.
"What are you standing around for? Let's get to work!" Ying Chen said, glancing at the three elders and urging them on.
"Ah, right, right, work, work!" Elder Dong replied quickly.
The trio momentarily set aside their suspicions about Ying Chen and threw themselves into the fervent work. With support from superiors and nationwide attention, Elder Dong and his team's motivation was tenfold what it had been. As for the patterns on the bricks of the Xuanjing, they no longer bothered to study them. They were confused about the existence of ghosts anyway, thanks to Ying Chen. Besides, what if there were ghosts? As long as they wore the talismans Ying Chen provided and the ghosts couldn't interfere with their work, it was as if they didn't exist.
Unbeknownst to Elder Dong and his team, Liu Bin and Xiao Zhao had indeed died due to the ghosts in the Xuanjing. The marks on their necks were also fabricated by Ying Chen! However, when Ying Chen had entered the well, he had deliberately left a strand of yang energy within it. This strand of yang energy acted like an invisible miniature sun, constantly illuminating the entire Xuanjing. This left the malevolent spirits and ghosts within the Xuanjing too occupied with self-preservation to attack humans.
Several hours later, Elder Dong approached Ying Chen to report: "Mr. Ying, after careful excavation and reconnaissance, we have discovered a large tomb ahead. However..."
"The entrance to the large tomb is very likely hidden within the Xuanjing!"
"This means we must clear the Xuanjing to find the passage into the tomb!"
"This is a technical task. We've hired another construction team and plan to clear it overnight. Of course, the budget will need some increase. I hope you understand."
Ying Chen waved his hand dismissively. "If it's a problem money can solve, don't bother me. Also, inform everyone: if the Tomb of Zhang Daoling can be opened within three days, everyone's compensation will be doubled!"
Elder Dong nodded, inwardly marveling at "money is good," and returned to the construction site. Under Ying Chen's financial incentive, the workers were filled with high spirits.
Around midnight, the Xuanjing was finally cleared! However, the workers immediately encountered a bizarre incident. The workers responsible for clearing the final section of the passage had gone missing! Faint lights were still visible from the depths of the passage, and indistinct figures could be seen, yet they were unreachable. Most critically, even when following the lights, they couldn't find them. The search party, instead, found themselves looping back to the starting point. The workers immediately realized something was amiss and quickly reported the situation. Poor Elder Dong was once again in a predicament. He had finally managed to convince these workers to believe in science, only for them to encounter a phenomenon that defied scientific explanation. Furthermore, the workers had already coined a name for this phenomenon: "Ghosts Blocking the Wall!" Some were even secretly spreading word that if the situation wasn't resolved quickly and the missing workers weren't found, it would likely trigger another negative public opinion storm.