This supernatural detective agency was quite renowned in certain special circles within Hangsu City.
They specialized in handling all matters related to supernatural events, whether it was a haunted house or suspicions of a husband's infidelity, solutions could be found here.
The agency operated its business openly, dealing with supernatural affairs, which naturally attracted the attention of the Hunter Association.
However, after the demon hunters observed the detective agency, they discovered that the establishment had never actually resolved a single monster. The cases they handled remained active, with the targets of the incidents merely changing.
In other words, this agency was just a bunch of tricksters with a bit of flair, which was why their existence was tacitly allowed.
The Hunter Association aimed to prevent any genuine supernatural phenomena from interacting with ordinary people, but they generally chose to let fraudsters, who masqueraded as legitimate operators, operate freely.
Urban legends could not be eradicated. Suppressing discourse as soon as a legend emerged would only incite blind speculation and curiosity among the public, and might even provoke a backlash.
By retaining some fake establishments, legends would remain legends, albeit fake ones.
When people discovered the falsity and ugliness of these legends, it made it much easier for the Hunter Association to conceal actual supernatural events.
However, this supernatural detective agency had unexpectedly managed to establish a foothold in Hangsu City. Those who had sought their services were all very satisfied, and their reputation gradually grew.
They had been operating here for several years now, with no negative publicity.
Due to their excellent reputation, the agency was regarded as an authority in resolving supernatural incidents within a certain niche.
At this moment, a man wearing a scarf was sitting on a sofa, watching television. The program was a currently popular Huafu drama, "Changan Counter-Terrorism 24 Hours." Sudanan.com.
The man's name was Lin Huan, the head of this supernatural detective agency.
In the evening, the sole employee had gone home for the day, leaving him alone to watch television.
Outside, the crowds bustled, but no one dared to glance at this establishment, and many even deliberately avoided it.
Although it was well-known within its niche circles, to most ordinary people, it was no different from shops selling paper effigies and joss paper—all associated with bad luck.
Unless absolutely necessary, they would never set foot in such a place.
However, Lin Huan was content with the peace. After all, a single successful case could sustain him for a long time, and his income was far superior to that of other businesses.
Just as Lin Huan was preparing to close shop, a man with a dark, somewhat panicked expression stood at the entrance, hesitating.
He had encountered a difficult problem and had no one to turn to. By chance, he had heard a colleague mention this supernatural detective agency and decided to try his luck.
If his problem couldn't be solved here, he truly had nowhere else to go.
The moment the door opened, Lin Huan greeted the man enthusiastically, "Hello, welcome! The Supernatural Detective Agency is at your service."
A customer is one's wallet, and one must be gentle with their wallet; this was one of Lin Huan's principles.
"Can you really solve problems that others cannot? Those that are special, peculiar..." the man fumbled for words as he asked.
Seeing his haggard face, Lin Huan knew that this man had genuinely encountered something inexplicable, and people were generally willing to pay for such matters.
So, he said with a smile, "Of course. I am a rising star in the supernatural world. There are no problems I cannot solve."
"That's good..." The man breathed a sigh of relief and then began to tell Lin Huan his story.
"My name is Gu Dafei, and I work at the Cigarette Group."
"A tobacco company? That must be very wealthy."
Lin Huan's eyes lit up. This was a fat sheep. Everyone knew that people from the Cigarette Group were ostentatious spenders.
People always assumed that companies with well-known names, whose bosses were top-tier billionaires, were the wealthiest.
But in reality, compared to the Cigarette Group, all those companies were mere juniors!
"Seven days ago, my friends and I were walking home when we saw a crowd gathered near a building. A young woman was standing on the roof, and many people were cheering."
"My friends and I went closer to inquire. It seemed the woman wanted to end her life due to a broken heart."
"So, we didn't go home immediately but squeezed in to see how things would unfold."
Lin Huan asked expectantly, "And then? And then?"
Then Gu Dafei sighed, finding it somewhat difficult to articulate. "While I was watching the spectacle, my girlfriend, whom I had been pursuing for several years, agreed to marry me over the phone."
Lin Huan's expression turned strange; he had already guessed the subsequent development.
"I was so happy that I showed off to my friends. Perhaps because my voice was a bit loud, the woman on the roof was provoked and jumped directly from the rooftop."
"After she fell to her death, her eyes stared straight at me. That gaze was terrifying, as if a basin of cold water had been poured over me, instantly extinguishing my joy."
"Even now, whenever I close my eyes, I can recall that look—sinister, cold, and full of hatred..."
"Because of that gaze, my state has been very poor these past few days. I took several days off work, and I even avoided my girlfriend when she came to see me, because seeing her reminded me of that moment."
Lin Huan didn't know what to say. This fellow was unlucky, and he also contributed to his own misfortune. He was probably being haunted by the woman who jumped.
She died of heartbreak after being dumped; you had to go and flaunt your affection in front of her right before she died, so who else would she haunt if not you...
"For the first few days, I only dreamt of the woman appearing in my dreams."
"But starting three days ago, every midnight, I would wake up from my sleep."
"Then I could hear footsteps gradually approaching my door..."
"Those footsteps sounded like someone was hopping, and I knew it was that woman coming to find me!"
"The footsteps grew closer. Last night, they reached the door. Tonight at midnight, she will come in to find me. What should I do..."
As Gu Dafei spoke, his fear intensified, and he trembled uncontrollably, appearing deranged.
He looked up at Lin Huan, only to find him remarkably calm, as if he had a plan.
"Wait a moment, I can help you solve this problem."
Lin Huan then returned to his room and stayed alone for about ten minutes. Afterwards, he emerged with a golden protective talisman, his face covered in sweat, and handed it to Gu Dafei.
"This talisman can mask your aura, making it impossible for that woman to sense you. Just hide under your bed and don't let her see you, and you'll get through this!"