The museum is huge, with exhibition halls everywhere, upstairs and down. The Shanghai Corpse King’s grand exhibition had been advertised to the public for ages—a truly rare, large-scale special event—so they’d set aside a hall just for it. Before the official opening, they were running a kind of beta test, like an internal preview: few people, all the attractions, rich experience, and great value for money. That’s the real face of this “premiere.”
Just like in online games, if you want to join the beta, you need a rare activation code. Tickets for this premiere weren’t open to the public either—you had to know someone to get one. Of course, nothing’s absolute. For a newly minted rich guy like Jack Young, none of this was a problem. But not everyone in the world is loaded. For most people, getting a ticket to this premiere was nearly impossible.
So when Jack Young and Jasper Xiao walked into the museum and headed toward the exhibition hall, they could already hear an argument from a distance.
“No way, absolutely not!” At the entrance, the ticket checker was shaking his head like a rattle drum. “No matter what you say, we have rules. There’s no way I can let you in!” The ticket checker’s voice was loud, but his confidence was shaky, because the man arguing with him was a massive, intimidating hulk of a guy.
This guy was well over two meters tall, broad and powerful, with a big shaved head that didn’t shine. His rough, dark skin gave him a heavy, imposing look. But it wasn’t just his height and build—his clothes were plain, even shabby, yet he had an aura that made people nervous. It was subtle, not obvious, but when he stepped forward, the ticket checker couldn’t help but take a step back, a little flustered: “Wh-what do you want?”
“Comrade, it’s not that I didn’t buy a ticket—it’s just that I can’t find my daughter’s ticket.” The big guy’s voice was deep and steady, like a war drum. He wasn’t rude, but his booming voice and build were just too intimidating. Even though he tried to keep it down, his words still hit like a subwoofer: “I remember the ticket number, the seat number too—it’s right next to mine!”
It was a small thing, the kind that happens everywhere. But Jack Young and Jasper Xiao couldn’t help but take notice, both switching on their “scan mode,” because this big guy’s aura was anything but ordinary. Still, no matter how they looked, they couldn’t spot any supernatural marks. The guy’s vitality was off the charts, though—he was at the second tier of Dragon-Elephant level. For a regular person, he was at the absolute limit, stronger than most pro black-market fighters.
If Dumb Moe and Qi Xi were here, they might’ve recognized him as “Brother Zhen”—the guy who cosplayed Kratos at the comic con.
“I’ll leave my ID with you—I’m not trying to scam you!” The big guy, getting anxious, pulled out his ID and handed it to the ticket checker. The checker took it and read aloud, “Retired soldier, Lei Zhen?” Then he shook his head again, “Nope, nope, you’ve only got one ticket, so only one person can go in. Even if you leave your property deed here, it won’t help!”
Jack Young and Jasper Xiao exchanged a look. Jasper grinned, “Want to help out? I may be a watered-down version, but I’m still a PLA officer—I can’t just stand by.” Jack shook his head with a wry smile, “You’re such a justice nut, always sticking your nose in. Fine, let’s go ask.” Jack didn’t mind doing a little good when it was convenient.
This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!
"What, you think I’m a ticket scalper? I only bought two."
"Honestly, I’m not dying to see this thing. Mind if I give my ticket to him?"
"You’re such a hopeless nice guy," Jack Young teased, glancing around. "Hang on, let me see what I can do."
From the crowd’s chatter, Jack figured the ticket hadn’t been stolen. It was just a first-day ticket—no real resale value, so not worth stealing. If it wasn’t stolen, it was lost. Apparently, Lei Zhen had asked everyone nearby, but nobody had found it, and no one had tried to use it to get in. Must’ve slipped into some random nook or cranny.
Jack Young activated his senses, scanning the area. Whether he’d find it or not, well, you do your best and leave the rest to fate.
But then Jack’s ears twitched—he caught a faint rustling sound. He looked up and grinned, "Found it." The ticket had flown up and stuck to the air purifier vent on the ceiling, clinging to the grille. The spot was hidden and out of sight, and honestly, who’d think to look up when searching for a lost ticket? No wonder nobody found it.
"Dude, your ears are something else!" Jasper Xiao came over, gave Jack a friendly slap, and gave a big thumbs up. "No wonder you’re the pilot of the Berserker!"
"Flattery won’t help you," Jack shot back, then pointed, "Squat down."
"Squat?" Jasper blinked. "Why?"
Jack shrugged, "To give me a boost, obviously—ceiling’s way up there. What, you want me to jump three meters in front of everyone?"
"Uh... good point, can’t argue with that." Jasper stood there dumbfounded for a second, then just chuckled, rolled up his sleeves, and got ready to play human stepladder. Most rich kids wouldn’t be caught dead doing this. The two of them looked like some circus act—one boosting, one grabbing—and just like that, they had the ticket. Their antics drew a lot of stares.
"Hey, is this your ticket?" Jack handed the ticket to the little girl. She instantly lit up, clapping her hands and beaming, "Yep, that’s the one! Uncle, you’re awesome—thank you!"
Well, twenty-six and already stuck with the title of 'uncle.' Guess there’s no fighting fate.
But then the little girl turned to her dad and said, "You should learn from him! Look how capable he is—unlike you, can’t do anything!" Lei Zhen could only smile awkwardly at that, not scold her, just kept thanking Jack over and over.
Jasper Xiao couldn’t stand it, but you can’t just scold a kid on the spot. So he crouched down and said gently, "Hey, you shouldn’t talk to your dad like that. Think about it, he worked hard to buy these tickets to make you happy, and he won’t let you go in alone because he cares about your safety. That’s pretty awesome, too."
"Mmm... oh..." Faced with Jasper’s diplomatic Jedi-mind-trick, the little girl still pouted a bit, but bowed her head. "Anyway, thanks, Uncle." She didn’t seem like a brat, just had a rocky relationship with her dad for some reason.
"Thanks, guys!" Lei Zhen kept thanking them, giving Jasper a hearty slap on the shoulder. Whoa, that was a serious smack—if Jasper wasn’t built like a tank, he might’ve been flattened by that show of gratitude.
"No worries, man! The show’s about to start—let’s get in there!" Jasper grinned, all sunshine.
Jack looked at Lei Zhen’s straight-backed posture and his clean but worn clothes, and couldn’t help but sigh. With his sharp senses, Jack could see deeper than most. Lei Zhen was like a lion in a cage: strong but stifled, wanting to stand tall but forced to bow his head—a guy who’s tasted the bitterness of life under someone else’s roof.
Just looking at him, you could tell there was a story behind those eyes.
Those thoughts spun around Jack’s mind for a moment, but he didn’t dwell on them. After getting their tickets checked, he and Jasper strolled into the exhibition hall. For Jack and Jasper, this was just another good deed for the day—nothing to lose sleep over. A quick encounter, soon forgotten.
But thousands of miles away, in a dim little room, a crystal ball suddenly glowed faintly. A shadowy figure dashed over, peered this way and that, and after a while, muttered, "What’s this supposed to mean?"
Thousands of miles in another direction, a dashing young Taoist heard a ding from his pocket—his phone. He checked the screen and frowned, "This fortune..." Then he shook his phone like a maraca, squinted at the new result, and scratched his head, "So complicated, so cryptic—what’s it even mean?"
On Mount Emei, a blind girl suddenly turned her face toward the east. She furrowed her brow, raised her hands, as if tracing invisible threads of fate in the air. After a long pause, she lowered her arms and sighed, "Today’s cause, tomorrow’s effect. The river of destiny—impossible to see through."
While all three prophets were having their little moments, Jack, Jasper, Lei Zhen, and the little girl stepped into the exhibition hall right on cue.
"Iron Tomb Palace, copper crypt, silver coffin, golden sarcophagus, jade-wrapped corpse." A deep, steady male voice rang out, synced with the short film on the big screen, instantly grabbing everyone’s attention. "Endless sands, Silk Road, Dunhuang—mysterious tombs. Eighteen hundred years of waiting, all for this day. Friends, today you’ll get up close and personal with a world-class ancient corpse—the most mysterious of all, the Shanghai Corpse King. Welcome, everyone, to the tomb of the Black Death Emperor."
Jack and Jasper exchanged a look and raised their eyebrows: this exhibition might just be full of surprises.
Jack and Jasper exchanged a look and raised their eyebrows: this exhibition might just be full of surprises.
Jack looked at Lei Zhen’s straight-backed posture and his clean but worn clothes, and couldn’t help but sigh. With his sharp senses, Jack could see deeper than most. Lei Zhen was like a lion in a cage: strong but stifled, wanting to stand tall but forced to bow his head—a guy who’s tasted the bitterness of life under someone else’s roof.
Just looking at him, you could tell there was a story behind those eyes.
Those thoughts spun around Jack’s mind for a moment, but he didn’t dwell on them. After getting their tickets checked, he and Jasper strolled into the exhibition hall. For Jack and Jasper, this was just another good deed for the day—nothing to lose sleep over. A quick encounter, soon forgotten.
But thousands of miles away, in a dim little room, a crystal ball suddenly glowed faintly. A shadowy figure dashed over, peered this way and that, and after a while, muttered, "What’s this supposed to mean?"
Thousands of miles in another direction, a dashing young Taoist heard a ding from his pocket—his phone. He checked the screen and frowned, "This fortune…" Then he shook his phone like a maraca, squinted at the new result, and scratched his head, "So complicated, so cryptic—what’s it even mean?"
On Mount Emei, a blind girl suddenly turned her face toward the east. She furrowed her brow, raised her hands, as if tracing invisible threads of fate in the air. After a long pause, she lowered her arms and sighed, "Today’s cause, tomorrow’s effect. The river of destiny—impossible to see through."
While all three prophets were having their little moments, Jack, Jasper, Lei Zhen, and the little girl stepped into the exhibition hall right on cue.
"Iron Tomb Palace, copper crypt, silver coffin, golden sarcophagus, jade-wrapped corpse." A deep, steady male voice rang out, synced with the short film on the big screen, instantly grabbing everyone’s attention. "Endless sands, Silk Road, Dunhuang—mysterious tombs. Eighteen hundred years of waiting, all for this day. Friends, today you’ll get up close and personal with a world-class ancient corpse—the most mysterious of all, the Shanghai Corpse King. Welcome, everyone, to the tomb of the Black Death Emperor."
Jack and Jasper exchanged a look and raised their eyebrows: this exhibition might just be full of surprises.
This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!