The Eldritch Files

Han Su listened quietly, motioning for the Doctor to continue.

”To catch the Ghost Truck, the very first step is extremely difficult. You could even say we’re already stuck there.”

The Doctor looked at Han Su seriously and said, ”Right now, the Disaster Management Bureau’s strategy for capturing the Ghost Truck is to lure it out. Of course, after analyzing the situation, this is very likely the only feasible method we have.”

”But in reality, over the past month, the Disaster Management Bureau has organized six attempts to trap the Ghost Truck. They only succeeded in luring it out the first time. On the other occasions, a large team would often be on watch all night, only to come up with nothing—not even a loose screw.”

”If it didn’t still show up occasionally to run someone over, the Disaster Management Bureau would have assumed the Ghost Truck had left Qinggang City for good.”

Han Su frowned slightly as he listened. ”Why is that?”

”Contacts.”

The Doctor paused before looking at him and saying, ”The Ghost Truck doesn’t appear in a fixed location. Only a ’Contact’ can use the mysterious residue on them to draw it to a specific place. I’ve analyzed the records of the Bureau’s six failed attempts and found that for the one successful lure, they used two Executioners who had accidentally glimpsed the Ghost Truck during the initial sealing operation.”

”Just by seeing the Ghost Truck, they became Contacts. So, using this trait, they successfully drew it out.”

”Unfortunately, there was a problem with the containment, and the Ghost Truck escaped again.”

”Ever since then, no matter how they tried to lure it, it wouldn’t show itself again.”

”That’s another one of the Ghost Truck’s traits.”

The Doctor said, ”The damn thing learns from both rewards and punishments. Perhaps its Penetration of reality has gone on for too long, and it’s been contaminated by human nature.”

Han Su’s heart stirred when he heard the term ”Contact,” but he didn’t voice his thoughts just yet.

The Doctor glanced at Han Su, pushed up his Glasses, and continued, ”The second step is containment. You can also think of it as encirclement.”

”Containment plans usually rely on a combination of specific patterns and mystical symbols to be effective. They can prevent the Ghost Truck from escaping reality or moving to another location. The optional formations include triangular, six-pronged, nine-pointed, and twelve-point arrangements for the containment positions.”

”That time Qinggang City successfully lured out the Ghost Truck, they had six Senior Executors in a six-pronged formation. They trapped it on a winding mountain road, and two Investigators stepped in to try and seal it. But in the end, it made a mad dash for one of the positions. The Investigator stationed there got a little nervous and flinched, creating an opening that allowed the grotesque to escape.”

”After that, the Disaster Management Bureau upgraded its containment protocols, even assigning Investigators to the positions, but it was too late. The Ghost Truck wouldn’t fall for the trap anymore.”

The Doctor paused, then added, ”This grotesque’s power level might not be that high, but when a thirty-ton steel monster is hurtling toward you at three hundred kilometers an hour, not even many senior Investigators would dare to face it head-on.”

”And to make matters worse, the grotesque has the ability to sense fear. It charges at whoever is afraid.”

...

”It was a bit cowardly, but I can’t say I blame our colleague...”

Han Su gave a wry smile. ”No matter how tough you are, you’re not going to try and fistfight a semi-truck, are you?”

”And then?”

...

”The third step is actually the simplest part.”

The Doctor adjusted his Glasses with his middle finger, then poured two more packets of sugar into his coffee. ”As long as the containment step goes off without a hitch, the Ghost Truck theoretically can’t escape. At that point, there are two ways to deal with it: either seal it with a high-level Spell, or request the special weapon from the Disaster Management Bureau—the Nail of the Dead Sea—and destroy its core directly. Problem solved.”

Han Su was taken aback. ”You call that simple?”

”The procedure is simple.”

The Doctor said, ”You just stick the nail in. As long as your aim is true, it’s one and done.”

”And if your aim is off?”

”Then you’ll definitely be run over and killed. Also simple.”

...

Han Su suddenly realized the Doctor had a point. ’Put that way, the third step really is the simplest...’

’So, the real issues are the lure and the containment?’

As they were chatting, Miss Crow arrived. Her ride was a massive black motorcycle with an aggressive frame and an extravagant paint job. The moment she parked it in front of the coffee shop, it drew everyone’s attention.

She was a little surprised to learn why Han Su and the others were gathered there. Han Su smiled. ”This is important, so of course we had to include you.”

”We’re all friends, after all.”

...

A flash of happiness appeared on Miss Crow’s face when she heard that, but she quickly suppressed it and sat down, trying to keep her expression neutral.

Seeing that Han Su had invited Miss Crow, the Doctor said nothing, instead pushing a tablet toward her. ”This is our capture plan for the C+ Level grotesque, the Ghost Truck. For now, the only available personnel are the few of us at this table.”

Miss Crow ruffled her wind-blown short hair, her eyes scanning the plan on the tablet. She hesitated before speaking.

”This plan... don’t you think the success rate is a little low?”

...

She was being polite. She didn’t say that with just the people they had, the mission was a joke.

Han Su chuckled. ”The opportunity is right in front of us. If we don’t take it, we get nothing. Who has time to worry about the success rate?”

”Are you in?”

...

Miss Crow glanced at Han Su and nodded. ”But this plan...”

”The plan is fine.”

Han Su said, ”I’m confident about the first step.”

”Oh?”

The others looked at him, puzzled. They didn’t understand why Han Su was so confident about the very issue that had given the Disaster Management Bureau such a headache.

But Han Su had already understood as soon as the Doctor finished explaining the plan.

The key to the lure was more than just being a ”Contact.” The Bureau’s first success was due to that factor, but compared to two people who had only *seen* the Ghost Truck, he was a much more effective *deep* contact...

A deep contact who had been up close with the Ghost Truck, who had even fought it.

This even led him to a further thought: ’The fact that I’m a Contact is on record in the Bureau’s files. So, maybe it’s not a coincidence that this mission landed in my hands?’

’If I’m the one to do it, the odds of success are much higher than with anyone else...’

’But wait...’

As Han Su considered this, he quickly realized something else. There was another person who might have an even higher chance of luring the Ghost Truck than he did.

Xu Ji!

Xu Ji was also a deep contact, and he posed no threat to the Ghost Truck.

Taking it a step further: ’If I’m not enough, and Xu Ji isn’t enough, what about both of us together? According to what Special Assistant Xu told me, what kind of temptation would two deep contacts of the same type be for the Ghost Truck?’

Realizing this, he suddenly grew wary. ’This mission is almost *too* perfect for me, like it was tailor-made. Is there a catch?’

The Doctor, however, saw the expression on Han Su’s face and felt reassured. He didn’t press for details, simply saying, ”In that case, for the second step of the plan, it’s time for you, as the leader, to show some good faith.”

Han Su was taken aback for a second. ”Oh?”

”The second step, containment, is critical. We need to play it safe, which means choosing at least a six-pronged or nine-pointed formation. In other words, we need at least six or nine people, and they have to be heavy hitters who are confident they can take on the Ghost Truck head-on.”

”That’s the hard part.”

”And we all know you have some special connections within the Disaster Management Bureau.”

The Doctor leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. ”So you should be able to use your network to find a few more capable people to help, right?”

His eyes gleamed as he said it.

’He’d long since figured that this Butcher guy was well-connected. Otherwise, who gets a chance to be promoted to Investigator less than a month after joining the Disaster Management Bureau?’

’Even they had benefited from his pull. During the Crystal Plague incident, because they managed to establish containment in time, everyone’s rating went from the initial D+ to a B-, much to the envy of others.’

Han Su met the Doctor’s gaze. He felt a bit like a fraud but didn’t let it show, merely giving a slight nod.

He thought for a moment, then picked up his phone and tentatively sent a message to Secretary Cui Qiao:

”Are you interested in fighting a grotesque alongside some Executioners?”

The good news was that Secretary Cui Qiao was still awake and replied quickly. The bad news was that her reply was blunt: ”No!”

She added another message: ”I don’t do fieldwork!”

”It’s handled.”

Han Su put down his phone. When he looked up, he wore a confident smile. ”I’m now at least 70% sure we can pull this off.”

The Doctor grew slightly excited, his eyes fixed on Han Su’s face. ”What kind of help did you secure? You should tell us, boost our confidence a little. Besides, I need to know what assets we have so I can adjust the finer details of the plan.”

Han Su just gave him a stern look and said, ”Classified.”

The Doctor understood and nodded slowly.

He never understood things like personal networks and connections. To him, they were a complex and mysterious form of power. But he respected the experts in that field, having suffered at their hands before.

”Of course, my connections aside, my backer wants to test me, so we still have to try and solve this problem ourselves.”

Han Su turned to Miss Crow. ”So, if it’s not too much trouble, could you ask the Lady in the Red Windbreaker for me? Maybe she has a way to find a few reliable people to help out?”

Miss Crow nodded quickly. ”I’ll go ask my aunt.”

”But what about the third step? Isn’t that the most important part?”

...

”There’s nothing to worry about for the third step. We just need to get the application for that special weapon approved.”

Han Su said, ”After all, it’s the simplest step, isn’t it?”

The Doctor, sitting beside him, leaned back with a knowing smile. Miss Crow, however, was completely lost. But faced with the three men’s matter-of-fact expressions, she had no choice but to accept the outcome of the meeting.

’This job is definitely tough, but it’s not impossible...’

After a brief discussion, they assigned tasks. The Doctor would help refine the plan, select a location for the trap, and formulate a more detailed containment strategy. Miss Crow would go ask the Lady in the Red Windbreaker. Black Tiger would go home and sleep.

As for Han Su, after he left the coffee shop, he couldn’t help but think to himself:

’Crow’s aunt is probably watching me for some reason, but what’s her goal?’

’Is she just watching me, or is she going to use this as a chance to take my life?’

’This Ghost Truck seems like a nightmare, yet it’s also the perfect mission for me. The coincidence is so convenient it’s unnerving.’

’But regardless, since the opportunity is in my hands, I have to get what’s mine.’

...

He didn’t know the true motive of whoever had deliberately sent this mission his way, but they probably didn’t know that his interest in the Ghost Truck was far greater than they imagined.

Even if this Investigator License was just the bait, he was determined to swallow it whole.

That was why Han Su had decided to invite Miss Crow. Since she was under orders to make contact with him and had been deliberately showing him goodwill, he might as well see just how far that goodwill extended.

The real crux of the matter was step one: luring the Ghost Truck.

’Is my status as a Contact enough to draw the Ghost Truck out?’

In theory, his chances of success would increase dramatically if he could get Xu Ji involved. But considering how protective the Xu Family was of their ”precious treasure,” he decided against it.

But then again...

’...if the capture plan really stalls, maybe I should bring a few apples over to the Xu Ji Family’s house for a visit?’