Ultimate Evolution I Became the Master of the World

Teaming up with Ethan, they finally managed to corner the ghost haunting the mall.

Even though the ghost was only a C-level threat, it turned out to be way tougher than they thought. They had to figure out its behavior, find its real form, and then figure out how to trap it. One wrong move and it could've been game over. When the ghost went for Ethan's arm, Michael started sweating bullets.

If they hadn't been on their A-game, both of them would've been toast.

"Leo, still here? Thought you'd bailed already." Michael stepped out of the mall and spotted Leo and some other cops hanging around.

The police lights were flashing, and the crowd had been cleared out.

Clearly, this wasn't Leo's first rodeo with the supernatural; he knew the drill.

Leo gave Michael a salute since Michael was the higher-up, then asked, "Duty calls, can't slack off. How's it looking inside? Any survivors?" Michael sighed, "Good news and bad news. Good news is, we handled it. No more disappearances in this mall."

"And the bad news?" Leo pressed.

Michael's face darkened. "A lot of people didn't make it. Dozens of bodies in there, probably all the folks who went missing. Normally, this would be all over the news, but right now, it's just another day for the city. As for survivors, there's only her."

He pointed to Jane standing next to him.

Jane, looking worn out but relieved, walked out with Michael.

"Just one survivor out of all those missing?" Leo's face fell, feeling the weight of it all.

All those missing people were gone.

Just one supernatural incident, and this was the toll.

Michael said, "No more danger inside, at least I think so. I'll leave the rest to you. Got some stuff to handle, can't stick around. If you need me for the investigation, just call."

"Got it, thanks. I'll take it from here," Leo said, showing respect.

Even with the high death toll, without Michael, it could've been way worse.

Leo knew how risky a detective's job could be.

Michael nodded, left his number, and started to leave.

"Where are you going?" Jane hurried after him.

"Why are you following me? You're out of the mall now. Go home, your family must be worried sick. Stop clinging to me," Michael said.

Jane, feeling a bit hurt, replied, "Don't say that. I already agreed to be your girlfriend. You can't just ditch me."

"Are you kidding? Who said you could be my girlfriend?" Michael shot back.

"Didn't we agree on that in the restroom earlier?" Jane insisted.

Michael looked at her and asked, "How old are you?"

"I'm 24. Still young, right?" Jane said, lifting her chin proudly, like it was a big deal for him to have her as his girlfriend.

"Sorry, I'm eighteen," Michael said.

Jane felt deflated; she thought Michael was at least twenty-five.

Suddenly, Mr. Wagner, who was giving a statement, saw Michael about to leave and rushed over, grabbing his hand with a grateful look. "Thanks a lot for today. I really owe you one." Michael smiled, "I took your money, just doing my job."

"You saved my life. Here's my card. If you ever need anything, just call me," Mr. Wagner said, handing Michael a business card.

"Tobias, your statement isn't done. You still need to come to the station. People went missing in your mall, you gotta take some responsibility," an officer called out.

"Sorry, I'll be right there," Mr. Wagner apologized, then turned to Michael, "Take care. I'm Tobias. If you're free, come by my company. It's nearby. Next time, dinner's on me." Michael felt a bit emotional.

This Mr. Wagner was a real businessman, always thinking ahead.

No wonder he was the boss while Lucas was just a manager.

"Alright, I'll make time to chat with you, Mr. Wagner," Michael said, taking the card. He figured it might be useful later.

At least Mr. Wagner had money. If he ever needed cash, he was sure Mr. Wagner would be happy to help.

"But where to next?" Michael muttered, standing at a crossroads, feeling a bit lost.

Going home? No way. His place was haunted, and even if he had the guts, staying there was a death wish.

"Guess I need to find a temporary spot. Once Ethan finds a buyer, I can handle the deal. But first, I gotta seal this thing tight," Michael said, pulling out a box wrapped in gold foil. Actually, it wasn't foil; it was gold leaf.

The box wasn't big, but it was heavy.

Who would've thought this solid gold box had a ghost inside?

"Where are you headed? Don't you have a car? Why aren't you driving?" Jane had followed him and suddenly asked.

"I don't have a car, not even a bike," Michael replied. "Why are you still following me?"

Jane squinted and smiled, "You didn't have a car before, but you do now. Remember the eight million dollars from Mr. Rossi? He didn't have enough cash, so he gave you a car and some other stuff as collateral. I saw it all in the surveillance room."

"Oh, I do remember getting a car." Michael rummaged through his pockets and found a bunch of stuff, including a car key.

He pressed a button, and among the parked cars, an off-road Mercedes lit up.

"Wow, you hit the jackpot. This car's worth nearly five hundred grand. Mr. Rossi really got the short end of the stick," Jane immediately recognized it.

Michael said, "I'd rather sell the car for cash; otherwise, I'll have to return it to Mr. Rossi eventually."

"Come on, the car hasn't been transferred to your name yet, so you can't sell it." Jane linked arms with Michael and pulled him forward.

"We're not that close," Michael said.

"You're rich, young, and handsome. Can't I like you? Besides, you saved me and didn't even charge me. How about you come to my apartment and collect the fee all at once?" Jane hinted.

"Why do I feel like you're looking at me like you want to eat me? But if you're willing to let me crash at your place, that'd be great. Just so you know, I won't pay rent or for food," Michael said.

"Got it. Didn't you say you had something to do? I'll go with you," Jane seemed determined to stick with Michael and wasn't willing to give up easily.

Unlike a young girl, she was a career woman and an accountant. Her profession and instincts made Jane very clear about what kind of boyfriend she needed. After this supernatural incident, she felt that only by staying close to Michael could she have a future.

Otherwise, if she encountered another supernatural event, Jane didn't think she could survive.

After all, the world had changed.

Jane clung tightly to Michael's arm, pressing her ample chest against it, hoping to stir some feelings in him.

Soon enough, Michael was driving down the road.

In the passenger seat, Jane leaned against the window with a slight smile on her lips.

Through the glass, she could see Michael driving.

'He's a bit young, but so what?' Jane thought to herself.

However, the next moment.

Suddenly, Michael's hand shot up and grabbed Jane's neck, squeezing so hard she could barely breathe.

"What are you doing?" Jane instinctively struggled.

Michael, still driving, turned to look at her. "I missed something earlier. Did the ghost in the mall have a head or not? If it didn't, everything's fine. If it did, where is the ghost's head?"

"How should I know? Can't you be a bit gentler?" Jane said.

"Sorry, I'm a bit paranoid, but I need to double-check. I don't want to be killed at the last moment," Michael said. He loosened his grip slightly and carefully touched her neck.

He needed to confirm if she had swapped heads.

"Next time, could you give me a heads-up? I'd cooperate," Jane complained a bit.

But she didn't dare resist Michael's inspection.

Because only he could deal with ghosts. When it came to supernatural events, she would cooperate unconditionally. After all, she didn't want to get hurt.

Michael felt her neck, repeatedly confirming. Apart from the smooth, delicate skin, there was no sign of a head swap.

That meant that during the time he left the surveillance room, Jane hadn't been compromised.

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid," Michael said.

Jane sighed, "Other people might touch legs or chests in a car, but I've never seen anyone touch a neck. If you're so bold, why don't you touch here?" She grabbed Michael's hand and placed it on her leg.