I Explore Urban Legends - Chapter 99: Liam Gets Promoted (Patreon)

Now this was troublesome.

Liam reached out, took the Ouija board, and washed away the spiritual energy clinging to it before handing it back to Mia.

"If you find out where these things are coming from at school, make sure you tell me."

"Okay."

Mia nodded.

Liam wanted to go straight to Mia's school and investigate, but the last time he'd gone there, he'd barely spent any time crouching near the entrance before being chased off.

If he actually went there looking for clues, he'd probably end up being arrested as a criminal.

He was still uneasy, but there was nothing else he could do for now.

Besides, trends like this that spread secretly among students were the hardest to notice. Even the teachers would have trouble discovering them.

Liam returned to his car with his mind weighed down by the problem.

He realized that his current abilities still weren't enough.

His personal strength was already more than sufficient to protect himself, but dealing with things that hid in the shadows was another matter entirely.

He had previously tried applying spiritual protection to other people, but it quickly dissipated once they moved too far away from him.

Weapons created with [Hasbro] had the same problem.

He had also acquired the ability [Command], which allowed him to animate inanimate objects. It could be used from a distance, but he couldn't control those objects precisely.

Each ability was powerful on its own, yet Liam always felt that they could somehow be combined.

He was simply missing one crucial ability.

Unfortunately, he didn't have it yet.

When Liam arrived at Emma's house to pick up Janice, he casually asked, "Emma, are Ouija boards popular at your school?"

Emma looked surprised.

"How did you know? Quite a few people like them, but I think they're childish, so I've never joined in."

She immediately realized Liam must have discovered something and added, "If you need me to, I'll keep an eye out for them at school."

"Thanks. But make sure you keep yourself safe."

Talking to smart kids like Emma really was easy. A few sentences were enough to make everything clear.

The next day, Liam went to Taylor's school, found her, and explained what was happening at the TV station.

"So that's what happened. I was wondering why hardly anyone was at the station yesterday."

Taylor immediately understood.

The two of them headed to the Resistance Alliance's club center together.

"Everyone, Liam wants to ask us for a favor."

The students turned toward him curiously.

"Everyone, the TV station is short-staffed right now. I need students from the film and photography department to come help out. As for compensation, the pay will definitely be good."

The moment they heard there was money involved, quite a few people became interested.

On top of that, working at a TV station would give them valuable professional experience. It was a win-win opportunity.

Several students immediately volunteered.

Just then, Dylan stepped forward.

"Mr. Liam, I see things a little differently."

"Oh? Let's hear it."

Dylan glanced around at his classmates before speaking with conviction.

"I think this is a great opportunity, but settling for part-time work would be selling ourselves short. We should aim higher."

Then he looked at Liam.

"Could you just give me a full-time contract? I'd be willing to take a little less money."

Seeing Dylan so openly trying to impress him, Liam couldn't help laughing. He patted him on the shoulder.

"Good. You've got ambition. But I don't have the authority to make that decision. Go talk to my boss."

After some discussion, more than a dozen students ultimately agreed to work part-time at the station.

Liam led the entire group to the TV station in a noisy procession. They went straight upstairs and poured into the station director's office.

When James saw them, he finally felt relieved.

"It's good to meet all of you. You can call me Director James."

"Director James, can I join Liam's show?"

"Director James, can I..."

James pressed both hands downward and spoke in a friendly tone.

"I've heard what all of you want. As long as you have the ability, this station will give you a good platform. Feel free to use your imagination."

In truth, James didn't have much of a choice.

At this point, aside from Liam's program, even the news channel had stopped broadcasting.

He could only let these young people experiment freely and review their work himself afterward.

"Woohoo!"

"Awesome!"

The students hadn't expected to have so much creative freedom. They immediately began discussing ideas among themselves.

Liam thought for a moment.

He still had plenty of program ideas, but lately he'd been stretched too thin to handle everything himself.

He could let them handle the field shoots while he remained in the studio as the host.

That would work just fine.

Just then, James walked over and handed him a contract.

"Sign this."

Liam took it and looked it over.

It was a share transfer agreement for the TV station.

Thirty percent.

"What is this supposed to mean?"

James chuckled.

"You made a good point yesterday, but I've also realized that I don't have the stamina I used to. So I'm transferring part of my shares to you."

"From now on, you're the deputy station director. You can start doing some of my work for me."

James said it casually, but Liam understood what it really meant.

It was an extraordinary sign of trust.

The TV station was everything James had.

A thirty-percent stake already came with considerable decision-making authority. By handing that much over to Liam, James was effectively placing his dream in Liam's hands.

Liam was genuinely moved, but there was still something he wanted to ask.

"James, aren't you worried my programs might end up running this station into the ground?"

James didn't seem concerned in the slightest.

"Your programs are good. That's why I stood my ground when all those complaint letters came in before."

"With the programs you've made, you could easily pick and choose among national TV networks now. So I want to make sure you're tied to this station."

He was obviously saying one thing while meaning another.

Liam smiled and patted James on the shoulder.

The shares had come at exactly the right time.

With greater authority, Liam could create more programs, find better ways to deal with the station's current crisis, and might even come out ahead because of it.

For example, he could simply acquire those newly established TV stations.

Liam didn't believe the Reptilians could have prepared every last detail of those stations perfectly.

Once the authorities began investigating because of the complaints, even a single flaw could be enough to bring them down.

Then all the resources the Reptilians had invested would end up in Liam's hands instead.

The thought made him even more excited.

He walked straight over to the group of students.

"Everyone, having ideas is a good start. But turning what's in your head into a good program requires real professional skill."

"Now, I'll teach you how to do it properly."

James watched Liam throw himself into the work and nodded in satisfaction.

At his age, finding a capable successor really was the right choice.

He could dump all his responsibilities onto Liam, let Liam get the work done, and finally give himself a chance to rest.

With that pleasant thought in mind, James walked out of the office, intending to stroll around for a while.

Then he suddenly spotted a man covered in facial hair walking inside.

James jumped in fright and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Liam, get over here! A werewolf broke in! Grab a gun!"

Liam came out, looking confused.

"Wolf? Why are you here already?"