The Phone Ghost's anchor object was a phone, and he was also the only powerful ghost capable of long-distance communication.
Back when the Strange Talk Society was still active,
However, the Phone Ghost had one critical weakness: his true form was extremely fragile. Using his abilities during the daytime caused damage to it, and there were significant limitations — he couldn't use his powers in places with heavy foot traffic, nor anywhere sunlight could reach.
Chen Ge had anticipated all of this, which was why he'd run an experiment the night before, having
With a Red-clothed's protection, the Phone Ghost would suffer minimal effects even during the day.
As long as Men Nan held steady, he could activate the ability multiple times — the only drawback being that it consumed far more energy than it would at night.
With Red-clothed protection, Chen Ge didn't need to worry too much about the Phone Ghost's safety. Even if they were discovered, Men Nan could spirit the Phone Ghost away. Virtual Future Paradise was packed with people — all they had to do was duck into some random phone to hide for a while.
Jiang Ming still hadn't realized the severity of the situation. He probably didn't take Chen Ge seriously at all.
After watching Jiang Ming leave, Chen Ge put his own phone away. The Phone Ghost and Men Nan had been hiding on it this whole time: "Let's hope they can pick up some useful intel."
Jiang Jiu had clawed his way to his current position, which meant he was definitely an old fox. Finding a crack in him directly would be extremely difficult — Chen Ge would have to start with the people around him.
Gathering intelligence was only one part of Chen Ge's plan. He'd sent the Phone Ghost and Men Nan to tail Jiang Ming for a second reason as well: once night fell, he intended to turn the same trick the Strange Talk Society had once used on him — and replay it on Jiang Ming.
Having dealt with that, Chen Ge immediately hailed a cab and rushed toward the only special-needs school on the outskirts of the city.
Before entering the school gates, he found a quiet corner, flipped open his comic book, and exchanged a few words with the Water Ghost Red-clothed.
"I'm about to go inside the school. If you spot that child, make sure to let me know."
He lingered near the school gates for a while. Before he even stepped inside, a young woman in her twenties walked up to him of her own accord.
"Hello, can I help you?"
Chen Ge peered through the gates at the school. Some children were playing on the open ground. He hesitated, struggled for words, and finally managed: "Something happened in my relative's family. Their child was sent to an orphanage. The boy never communicates with anyone — he refuses all interaction, and his condition is getting worse by the day. I'm afraid that if this continues, his whole life will be ruined. I want to bring him out of there and enroll him at your school."
"We accept students with intellectual disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, and multiple disabilities. If the situation matches our criteria, you're welcome to bring him in," the young woman said kindly. "I should mention that we're a private institution, so the tuition is a bit on the higher side. But rest assured, we design and carry out individualized education plans for every child."
"A bit on the expensive side?" Chen Ge pressed his lips together, wringing his hands. He thought for a long moment before replying: "Would it be possible for me to take a look first — see how your classes normally run?"
"Of course! All of our teachers are top professionals, and the atmosphere here is wonderful." The young teacher cheerfully led Chen Ge into the school.
On the open ground, a teacher was playing games with several children — very simple, repetitive games designed mainly to encourage the kids to participate.