Mysterious Revival - Chapter 2 - Temporary Lecture

The school’s evening self-study session began at eight.

Because he had stayed up late the previous night reading a story on the forum, Yang Jian spent the entire next day at school yawning and feeling lethargic. Every time he wanted to doze off in class, the image of the Old Man’s photo would inadvertently pop into his head. In his drowsiness, he seemed to feel those hollow, deathly terrifying eyes staring at him from somewhere.

A sudden jolt brought him back to alertness.

“Can’t sleep again. That photo is really eerie.”

“Hey, hey, Yang Jian, can I have a word with you?” A lanky student leaned in from the side.

Yang Jian was puzzled, “Impotence¹? What do you mean, ‘have a word’?”

Zhang Wei, nicknamed Impotence, had acquired this moniker during enrollment when the teacher misread his name as “Yang Wei” because it was listed below Yang Jian’s. The nickname had stuck with him for three years.

It was a sad story.

“Hey, don’t deny it. I saw you yawning all day. You must have been up to some naughty business last night,” Zhang Wei whispered, patting his shoulder. “Got any good resources lately? Share them with me so I can have some fun too.”

Yang Jian replied, “Fun my foot. I stayed up late last night reading a ghost story on my phone.”

“Ghost story? Speaking of ghost stories, Impotence, Yang Jian, have you heard about the supernatural event that happened in a neighborhood in the city recently?” another classmate chimed in.

“What supernatural event?” Yang Jian asked. “I haven’t heard about it.”

Zhang Wei said, “I know about it. It’s said that over twenty people in a neighborhood hanged themselves overnight. Their bodies were hanging on the security windows, like drying cured meat. It’s really terrifying. I even have a photo of it, but I’m not sure if it’s real or not.”

With that, he took out his phone, opened the photo album, and pulled up a picture.

The photo was taken in the evening, and the poor lighting in the neighborhood made it somewhat blurry. However, it was still possible to make out the human-shaped outlines hanging on the security windows of the neighborhood’s balconies. They were densely packed in a row, and one could vaguely see the ghastly and terrifying faces of the corpses, especially their wide-open eyes filled with fear, as if they had experienced something horrifying before death.

From a distance, the dozens of bodies indeed looked like they were drying cured meat. What was strange was that the heads of the corpses were inside the security windows, but their bodies were below. The gaps in the security windows were too narrow for an adult to pass through.

Moreover, their heads were tilted back, presenting a bizarre, broken posture.

The more I scrutinized it, the more I felt a growing sense of unease and fear. This photo had a similar effect to the one on Yang Jian’s phone-the one of the Old Man in a long gown. It had a way of stirring up emotions.

“Damn, Impotence, where did you get this photo? I couldn’t find it anywhere,” the classmate next to him asked.

Zhang Wei puffed up with pride. “A friend of mine took it while passing by. The area’s been sealed off now, so you can’t go and take pictures anymore. If you want it, call me ‘Dad,’ and I’ll give it to you. Oh, and stop calling me Impotence. I’ve got an English name now.”

“What’s the English name?”

“Wordgear-Inbangbang².”

“Well, in that case, I’ve got an English name too: Woshishabi³. Remember to shout it loudly if you see me on the street.”

Yang Jian sighed. “We all had the same nine years of compulsory education. How did you two end up so… exceptional?”

“Yang Jian, we’ve been to cram school. You just can’t keep up,” Zhang Wei said smugly.

“Speaking of supernatural events, I’ve seen a lot of people talking about them online recently. They make it sound so real, it’s kind of terrifying. Do you think any of it’s true? Could there really be places haunted by ghosts?” asked Miao Xiaoshan, a female classmate who had leaned over to join the conversation.

Yang Jian replied, “Most of the stories online are fake. I won’t believe in ghosts unless I see them with my own eyes. But still, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you ever come across something like that, it’s best to stay far away.”

“That makes sense,” Miao Xiaoshan nodded.

“Enough talking. Quiet down,” Teacher Wang barked as he strode into the classroom. “The school has issued a last-minute notice. Tonight’s self-study session will be replaced by a safety awareness lecture. When the lecture starts, I don’t want to hear anyone talking or disrupting the class. Now, let’s welcome Mr. Zhou Zheng to give the lecture. Everyone, please give him a round of applause.”

Huh?

Yang Jian clapped along with the others but couldn’t help feeling puzzled. A safety lecture at this hour?

But when the lecturer, Zhou Zheng, walked into the classroom, Yang Jian’s eyelids twitched.

Zhou Zheng was dressed in a gray trench coat, bundled up tightly despite the sweltering heat. He even wore a mask. Hanging from his chest was some kind of ID badge, though it was unclear what it was for.

What caught everyone’s attention was the man’s terrifying appearance. His face was extremely gaunt, almost skeletal, to the point where the shape and contours of his facial bones were clearly visible. There was no excess flesh on his face, and because of his extreme thinness, his eyes appeared unnaturally large, bloodshot, as if he hadn’t slept in days.

Yet, beneath his emaciated face, his stomach was noticeably swollen.

It looked like he was carrying a beer belly full of fat, but someone with a beer belly shouldn’t be so thin.

It was abnormal, bizarrely abnormal, and it stirred a sense of unease in everyone.

At that moment, Zhou Zheng stood on the podium, exuding an aura of gloom, exhaustion, and numbness. His body was stiff and motionless, and his bloodshot eyes shifted slightly, like two dull, lifeless glass beads.

Wherever his gaze fell, the students felt an inexplicable fear.

Yang Jian instinctively clenched his fists, his body tensing up. He dared not meet Zhou Zheng’s eyes, thinking to himself, “This feeling is even stronger than when I faced that photo…”

“Hello, students. My name is Zhou Zheng. I’m a member of the criminal police, and I’m very happy to be alive and standing here to give you this lecture today.”

Zhou Zheng finally spoke, his voice dry, hoarse, and grating, like glass scraping against the floor. Paired with his emaciated face, it sent chills down everyone’s spine.

“Alive and standing here to lecture?”

Yang Jian felt a chill. Why did that sound so strange?

Zhou Zheng then picked up a piece of chalk, turned around, and wrote a messy yet strikingly clear character on the blackboard:

Ghost.

“Ghost stories and legends have existed since ancient times, not just in our country’s history but in the histories of all nations. My knowledge of history isn’t great, so I won’t delve into ancient times. Instead, let’s talk about major events from the past few decades: the Louvre incident in France, the haunted villa incident in the United States, the ghostly shadow incident in a Japanese parking lot, the curse of the Egyptian pharaohs… and the Fengmen Village incident in our own country.”

Zhou Zheng’s voice remained hoarse and grating as he continued unhurriedly, “Some say that the end of science is theology, and that’s absolutely correct. Students, there are some things you now have to believe. In recent years, supernatural events have exploded in frequency across the globe. It’s no longer just a matter of one or two isolated incidents but a growing global catastrophe. If this situation isn’t effectively controlled, the future… well, there may not be a future.”

Everyone was taken aback by his words.

What was supposed to be a promotional lecture had turned into a ghost story session?

And now he was claiming the world was on the brink of destruction?

Not just the students, but even Teacher Wang was momentarily stunned.

“I can’t go into too much detail about this, and I’d appreciate it if you don’t ask questions. What I’m about to say next is something you must remember. This safety lecture might save your lives in the future.”

Zhou Zheng didn’t continue further. Instead, he turned around and wrote another sentence on the blackboard: Ghosts cannot be killed.

“In the near future, you might encounter situations you never want to face, such as… encountering a ghost. As discouraging as it may sound, please remember this: ghosts cannot be killed. So, even in moments of extreme fear, don’t think about fighting back. Your lives mean nothing to those things. Killing you would be as easy as stepping on a few ants-no, even easier. A blink of an eye, a snap of their fingers, and you’re done.”

His bloodshot, weary eyes stared intently at everyone as he spoke these words with utmost seriousness. Then, he turned back to the blackboard and wrote a second sentence.

“Only ghosts can deal with ghosts.”

Zhou Zheng continued, “If ghosts cannot be killed, it means that all the technological power nations possess will be useless. Whether it’s talismans, spells, bombs, or even nuclear weapons-none of it will work. Unless scientists in the future can somehow ‘crack’ the nature of ghosts, the only solution we have right now is to use ghosts to deal with ghosts. I know you have questions. Some of you might even think I’ve lost my mind. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you listen to me and engrave these words in your minds. You’ll need them someday.”

“Of course, I also hope you’ll never have to use them.”

“Yang Jian, what is this guy talking about? I don’t understand a word of it,” Zhang Wei whispered from the side.

Yang Jian replied, “I don’t fully get it either, but hearing all this makes me feel uneasy.”

“Could it be that the Earth has mutated? Like in those novels?” Zhang Wei asked.

“Probably not…” Yang Jian hesitated.

Although he had fantasized about the existence of gods and superpowers, if such things truly existed, it would inevitably cause panic. After all, they would pose a huge threat to ordinary people.

On the podium, Zhou Zheng continued, “Since ghosts cannot be killed and possess extraordinary abilities, we can pose a question: How can an ordinary person survive if they’re targeted by a ghost? This is the key point. I hope you remember it-forever, preferably for the rest of your lives.”

With that, he turned and wrote a third sentence on the blackboard: Insight into the patterns of ghosts.

“Everything has patterns, and ghosts are no exception. Research data shows that every ghost has a nearly fixed method of killing and acting, much like a computer program. You press the power button to start the computer, and you click the mouse to open a software. Overcoming fear, understanding the patterns of ghosts, and finding their weaknesses-this is the only chance an ordinary person has to survive if targeted by a ghost.”

“Remember, if a ghost comes after you, there’s no other way to survive. Don’t hold onto false hope. The terror of these things is beyond your imagination.”

He repeated these words with grave emphasis.

Footnote:

1. Impotence(阳痿): “阳痿” (impotence) is a humorous nickname given due to a teacher’s mispronunciation of the name “张伟” as “杨伟,” which sounds similar to “阳痿” in Chinese.
2. Wordgear-Inbangbang(沃德吉尔·英邦邦):Wordgear-Inbangbang is a play on words in Chinese that humorously translates to “my dick is hard”.
3. Woshishabi(沃仕莎碧): Woshishabi is a playful self-deprecating phrase meaning “I am an idiot”in Chinese.