Weird Cards: I've Become a Ghost

Strictly speaking, the "newcomer among old-timers" that Spider-Man mentioned is not a person...

It was a doll, a fluffy brown bear doll.

The other party was none other than Jack Thompson, the private detective who survived the bizarre incident at the toy factory but whose body had turned into a teddy bear.

If Xiao He remembered correctly, the last time he saw Jack, he had casually left him at the bottom of the stairs outside.

I wonder if the other person will be curious about why I'm lying all alone on that cold floor when they wake up.

However, ever since Xiao He and Spider-Man returned from their mission at that mall, he has never seen this guy named Jack again, as if he had already left the Night Demon Division.

As for why Xiao He thought this way, it was naturally because he, who lived in the room next to Jack's, had not heard any noise coming from Jack's room for a long time.

Speaking of which, we have to mention the current timeframe.

At this point, about half a month had passed since the interrogation of He Wei, the spokesperson for the cult.

Strangely, shortly after He Wei was imprisoned by the Night Demon Division, it was as if a hornet's nest had been stirred up. During this period, strange events began to spring up all over the coastal area.

Logically speaking, Xiao He should have been very busy during these two weeks.

But the truth is, he was just "normally" busy.

Because after about three or four days, the Night Demon Division seemed to have a surprisingly large number of people.

Even now, in this so-called temporary branch building of the Coastal Night Demon Division, several demon tamers whom Xiao He had never met before have moved in. However, these demon tamers seem to be quite busy and often go out on missions. In all this time, Xiao He has only met them once, and the scene of that meeting was almost exactly the same as now.

Just then, Xiao He's memories were interrupted by a voice. It was the private detective who had turned into a teddy bear.

"Hello there."

Jack said to Xiao He excitedly, "From today onwards, I am also a member of the Binhai Ghost Night Division. Please take good care of me."

At this moment, Jack was extremely excited.

After he learned that he had encountered a strange event and had been turned into a bear doll, he fantasized that one day he would join the Night Demon Division and become a demon tamer.

After all, during his time as a private investigator, he had investigated some people who had survived strange incidents.

Some of them seemed to vanish into thin air soon afterward, and their whereabouts could not be traced no matter what.

Later, after making inquiries from various sources, Jack learned from a friend that those people had joined the Night Demon Division and become Night Demon Masters because they had gained some kind of strange power.

Not long ago, Jack, like these people, became a member of the Coastal Night Watch.

Although the guy who always wanted to dissect and study him, who is now Jack's colleague and a Trollmaster codenamed "The Apprentice," told him that perhaps he could only live his whole life wearing the skin of a bear doll.

The other party said that Jack's soul's transformation from human to monster could be reversed because Jack's soul had not yet been completely corrupted by the monster's power, but Jack's body could not, as his body had been completely transformed into a monster's body.

Unless Jack gets a different body, he'll be a puppet for the rest of his life.

Although the headquarters of the Night Demons does indeed possess magical artifacts capable of transferring souls, Jack's current "contributions" to the Night Demons are insufficient to persuade the people at headquarters to utilize those artifacts.

Thus, for various reasons, Jack, the private detective, transformed into a ghost hunter for the Night Demon Division.

Moreover, compared to Xiao He, who was "guilty," Jack, as a "formal" master of illusions, had much better benefits.

At the same time, after hearing these somewhat familiar words, Xiao He's gaze also turned to Jack, who was standing on the desk with a fluffy bear paw outstretched.

Although Xiao He looked at the other person with a strange expression, he still reached out and shook hands with him.

"Not at all, we'll all be colleagues from now on, so we should look out for each other."

"No, no, you've been with the Night Demon Division longer than me, so you're my senior. It should be the senior who takes care of the junior."

"Um... actually, strictly speaking, I've only been with the Night Demon Division for a few months longer than you."

"Oh? I see!"

Jack was stunned for a moment after hearing this.

However, he soon resumed exchanging compliments with Xiao He.

However, Xiao He could clearly sense that the other party was not as "enthusiastic" as at the beginning.

The spider-man standing to the side watched the two people complimenting each other, his expression seemingly speechless.

He thought to himself that these two guys had been "taking care" of each other for so long but hadn't gotten to the important point, so he immediately said, "Alright, alright, that's enough. You've been talking for so long and you still don't know each other's code names."

The Alliance stipulates that Night Watchers must use code names when carrying out missions.

As for why, I've mentioned it before.

Although Xiao He and Jack had already "knew" each other before, Jack didn't know Xiao He's code name back then, and Xiao He doesn't know Jack's code name now either.

Upon hearing this, both the person and the doll instantly looked enlightened.

Xiao He thought about it carefully and realized that it seemed to be true.

At this moment, Spider-Man pointed at Jack and said to Xiao He, "You know his name, but from today onwards, during missions, or preferably outside of missions, you should call him by his code name—Demon Bear."

"Demon Bear!"

Xiao He was taken aback.

He then took a deep look at Jack, who was standing on the desk with his head slightly raised, revealing a "fierce" expression.

To be honest, Jack's current state is almost completely unrelated to the word "demon," and he even looks completely harmless.

However, after thinking about it, he realized that the other party could transform.

Xiao He still remembers the ferocious bear-like appearance of the guy named Jack after his "transformation" in that room. He could indeed be called a "demon".

But for some reason, Xiao He always felt that the code name "Demon Bear" seemed a bit... a bit tacky!?

"My codename is still the best!"

Xiao He secretly admired himself.

At this moment, Spider-Man pointed at Xiao He and said to Jack, "His name is 'The Ripper.' Although he hasn't been with the Night Squad for long, he has already carried out several missions and is quite familiar with some of the Night Squad's internal procedures. You can ask him if you have any questions in the future."

Upon hearing this, Xiao He immediately recalled the scene in his previous life where his company leader asked him to guide new employees to familiarize themselves with the work process, which was almost exactly the same as now.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a little emotional, realizing that he was now considered an "old-timer" in the Night Demon Division.

At that moment, the Spider-Man suddenly said something that greatly surprised Xiao He.

"From now on, you two are partners."

Xiao He suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide with surprise, and said, "What?"

He didn't quite understand what Spider-Man meant.

At this moment, the Spider-Man glanced at Xiao He and explained, "What I mean is, starting today, unless there are special missions from above, the two of you will be responsible for handling those bizarre attacks on a daily basis."

"Don't worry, we won't leave you two as lone commanders. Every mission you handle will have a logistics team from the Night Division waiting for you."

After hearing the Spider-Man's explanation, Xiao He fell silent for a moment.

Although he is indeed called Jack, oh no, it should be called Demon Bear... well, never mind, let's just call him Jack, at least it sounds better.

Xiao He thought to himself, he only had a few months more "work experience" than this guy named Jack; strictly speaking, he was also a "newcomer." For such a large organization as the Night Demon Division to send two "newcomers" on a mission seemed a bit too much...

Thinking of this, he glanced at the spider-man and asked, "And what about you?"

Xiao He remembered very clearly that Spider-Man had said before that because of Xiao He's "criminal" status, he had to be by his side to supervise every operation.

But judging from Spider-Man's words, it seems the other party is going to "let Xiao He go"?

Upon hearing Xiao He's question, the Spider-Man said seriously, "I am the commander of the two of you, so naturally I won't do every mission personally."

Xiao He: "..."

He finally understood; it turned out that Spider-Man had been "promoted"!

In other words, from now on, Spider-Man only needs to stay in this cool and safe office and direct Xiao He and Jack to do their work.

Just as Xiao He was secretly complaining about this, a flash of inspiration suddenly appeared in his mind.

and many more!

If Spider-Man isn't around when he's on a mission, wouldn't he be better able to "fish in troubled waters" and "steal from his own position"?

Thinking about it that way, it's a really great thing!

but......

Thinking of this, Xiao He glanced almost imperceptibly at Jack, who was looking forward to his "good days" ahead.

This guy seems to be a private investigator.

People who can work as private investigators generally possess strong investigative and analytical skills. If they were to be careless and allow their actions to be discovered, wouldn't that be...?

In an instant, the good mood that had just risen in Xiao He's heart vanished without a trace.

Indeed, there are never so many "easy-going people" in any world.

Just then, the spider-man continued, "Alright, that concludes today's 'Newcomer Meet-and-Greet.' You can all go back and rest now, or..."

Spider-Man paused slightly, looking at the silent Xiao He and the excited Jack: "You two can get to know each other better so that you can work together more effectively in the future."

After saying that, the spider-man left after uttering another sentence.

"I hope the two of you won't cause me any major trouble in the upcoming mission."

With Spider-Man gone, only Xiao He and Jack remained in the office, which was quite peaceful.

This sudden calm caused both of them to fall silent.

This calm, ironically, made them feel awkward.

After all, they weren't actually that "close" to each other as they had seemed before; they had just been exchanging pleasantries.

However, perhaps due to his "good qualities" as a private investigator, Jack broke the silence by speaking first.

He then beckoned to Xiao He mysteriously and asked, "Hey bro, wanna grab a bite together?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao He was taken aback and asked curiously, "You, a toy, need to eat?"

"Of course."

Jack replied, "Although I may look like a doll, my true nature is that of a monster."

"Some strange creatures, just like people, also need to eat."

"It's just that what I eat isn't chicken, duck, fish, or anything like that."

At this moment, Jack said with a regretful look, "Alas, I never thought that I would never have the chance to eat such delicious food again, since I didn't have it before."

Xiao He was slightly taken aback: "Then what do you want to eat?"

Upon hearing this, Jack's regretful expression suddenly changed, and he chuckled, saying...

"My instincts tell me that I want to eat..."

......

As the sun gradually sets in the west, it casts a golden afterglow.

In a spacious and bustling square, many pedestrians gathered, some strolling, some walking their dogs, and some ice skating.

In one corner of the square, a striking street performance was taking place.

A young street performer, wearing a bright hat and fashionable clothes, stands in the center of the crowd, holding a wooden guitar, and gently plays a beautiful melody.

His voice was clear and captivating, as if the air itself was filled with the magic of music.

At that moment, many passersby stopped in their tracks, listening intently to the young artist's concert.

Some people were immersed in the music, closing their eyes and enjoying the beauty of the moment. Others took out their phones to capture this rare street music performance, and many others swayed to the rhythm.

After the performance ended, the onlookers nearby couldn't help but cheer.

Hearing the thunderous cheers and applause all around, a satisfied and happy smile appeared on the young artist's face.

Then, he looked around and saw more and more people gathering, smiled slightly, and said.

"Next, I have another original song I'd like to share with you all."