The Resurrection of Dread

Chapter 2: The Impromptu Lecture

It looked like he was carrying a beer belly full of fat, but people with beer bellies aren’t supposed to be this thin.

Abnormal. Weirdly abnormal. It stirred a sense of unease in one’s heart.

Standing on the podium, Zhou Zheng radiated a gloomy, haggard, and numb aura. He stood stiff and motionless, his bloodshot eyes shifting slightly like two dull, lifeless glass beads.

Wherever his gaze swept, all the students felt an inexplicable wave of fear.

Yang Jian subconsciously clenched his fists, his whole body tensing up involuntarily. He didn’t dare make eye contact, thinking to himself: “This feeling is even more intense than when I looked at that photo...”

“Hello, students. My name is Zhou Zheng. I am an Interpol officer. I am very happy to be standing here alive today to give you this lecture.”

Zhou Zheng finally spoke. His voice was dry, hoarse, and ear-piercing, like glass scraping against the ground. Combined with his incredibly gaunt face, it sent shivers down everyone’s spine.

Standing here alive?

Yang Jian felt a chill. Why does that sound so off?

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

GHOST~!

“Legends of ghosts and monsters have existed since ancient times. And it’s not just in our country’s history; they appear in the histories of nations around the world. My knowledge of history isn’t great, so I won’t talk about ancient events. Let’s talk about major incidents from the last few decades: The Louvre Incident in France, The Villa Haunting in the US, The Parking Lot Phantom in Japan, The Curse of the Pharaohs in Egypt... and the Sealed Door Village incident in our own country.”

Zhou Zheng’s voice remained hoarse and grating. He spoke slowly and deliberately: “Someone once said that the end of science is theology. That statement is absolutely correct. Students, there are some things you have to believe in now. In recent years, supernatural incidents across various countries have seen explosive growth. It’s no longer just a matter of one or two isolated incidents; it is gradually evolving into a global catastrophe. If this situation isn’t effectively controlled, in the future... perhaps the entire world will have no future.”

Everyone felt a bit astonished hearing this.

How did this safety lecture turn into a ghost story convention? And he’s bragging about the end of the world.

Not just the students, even Teacher Wang was stunned for a moment.

“It’s inconvenient for me to say too much about the details of these matters, and please don’t ask. Next, I want everyone to memorize what I’m about to say. This safety lecture might just save your lives in the future.”

Zhou Zheng didn’t continue. Instead, he turned and wrote a sentence on the blackboard:

Ghosts cannot be killed.

“In the near future, you might encounter situations you never want to face. For example... bumping into a ghost. Although it’s a bit discouraging, please remember this phrase: Ghosts cannot be killed. So, even in extreme fear, do not think about fighting those things to the death. Because your lives are worthless in front of those things. Killing you would be like stepping on a few ants for them. No, it’s even easier than that. Perhaps with just a blink of an eye or a snap of the fingers, you’re finished.”

He stared at everyone with his bloodshot, haggard eyes, speaking these words with absolute seriousness. Then, he turned and wrote a second sentence on the blackboard.

Only a ghost can deal with a ghost.

Zhou Zheng continued: “If ghosts cannot be killed, it means that the technological power possessed by every country will be completely useless. Taoist talismans, magic spells, bombs, even nuclear weapons—none of them will work. If scientists in various countries cannot crack the code of ‘ghosts’ in the future, then as of now, the only method is to use ghosts to deal with ghosts. I know you have doubts, and some of you might even think I’m crazy. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you listen to me and keep these words firmly in your minds. You will need them later.”

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

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

Yang Jian replied, “I don’t really understand either, but hearing these words makes me feel incredibly uneasy.”

“Could it be that the Earth is mutating? Just like in those novels?” Zhang Wei asked.

“Probably not...” Yang Jian hesitated.

Although he had fantasized about the appearance of immortals or the existence of superpowers, if these things actually existed, panic was inevitable. After all, for ordinary people, this posed a massive threat.

On the podium, Zhou Zheng continued: “Since ghosts cannot be killed and possess extraordinary abilities, combining these two situations allows us to pose a question: If an ordinary person is targeted by a ghost, how can they survive? This is the key point. I hope you remember it forever—preferably for a lifetime.”

After saying that, he turned back and wrote a third sentence:

Discern the ghost’s rules.

“Everything has patterns to be found, and ghosts are no exception. According to research data, every type of ghost has an almost fixed method of killing and a fixed pattern of movement. It’s like a computer program: you have to press the power button for the computer to run, and you have to click the mouse to open software. Overcome your fear, discern the ghost’s rules, and find the loopholes. This is the only chance an ordinary person has to survive when targeted by a ghost.”

“Remember, if a ghost targets you, aside from this method, you have absolutely no way to survive. Don’t count on luck. The horror of those things exceeds your imagination.”