Chapter Seventeen: Sunk Cost

"Don't be so tense, Jack," Chen Yu said as he watched Jack's pale face, comforting him with a pat on the shoulder. Although the evil spirit was indeed terrifying, its threat level was not very high at the moment.

Jack managed to force a strained smile. He hadn't really believed in these supernatural things before, but he'd just seen that bizarre residence with his own eyes, and then those peering eyes behind the door crevice, which made Jack feel chill even under the sun.

That malevolent gaze remained freshly imprinted in Jack's memory; he felt as if he could see those eyes staring at him even with his own eyes closed.

"As of now, the curse is still entangled with Miss Solano. Before Miss Solano dies, it probably won't start targeting the next victim. Otherwise, her colleagues would likely all be dead by now," Chen Yu explained softly, looking at the equally anxious Solano.

Sure enough, Chen Yu's explanation allowed Jack's nerves to relax a bit, knowing that he wouldn't be targeted by the monster just yet, significantly reducing his mental pressure.

Solano was almost in tears; she didn't see this as good news at all.

"So, what do we do now? Miss Solano is still plagued by the curse," Jack asked urgently. Even though he was not yet a target of the monster, knowing that the curse might have spread to him still made Jack very uncomfortable.

Plus, Jack felt that his earlier behavior had been somewhat weak, which wasn't good as it could affect the strong image he had in Solano's mind.

Chen Yu glanced at Jack, who, now calm, still did not forget about trying to charm a lady. However, this was fine too, as long as he could help Solano solve this problem, Jack would definitely be willing to provide assistance when Chen Yu asked for it later.

However, Solano's problem indeed needed to be addressed.

The normal solution was for Chen Yu to stay at Solano's residence tonight, wait for the curse to strike the next day, deal with the threats brought by the curse, and then go to Tokyo to find the source of the curse.

But there was a problem with that approach since Chen Yu was also unsure when the curse might strike next.

Based on the fact that the curse's effectiveness increased after Solano used the Holy Shroud to delay it, Chen Yu was worried that she might receive a deadly call after he boarded the plane, followed by sudden death.

That scenario wasn't out of the question.

Especially since curses involving evil spirits are particularly tricky to handle. If the problem isn't eradicated at the source, the evil spirit will continually launch attacks, unless the cursed person can be concealed from the spirit's detection, but that would be too problematic.

He would need a biological field shielding device, which Chen Yu couldn't afford.

In the list of options available for one thousand energy points, Chen Yu didn't see any shielding device, estimated that its exchange price would be even higher.

But leaving directly would be like playing a game of defusing a bomb, where if he didn't eliminate the evil spirit before it killed Solano, that would mean game over. As a hunter of the federal Exorcist, Chen Yu inwardly couldn't accept that kind of development unfolding.

"The only way is for you, Miss Solano, to come with Jack and me to Tokyo. That way, no matter what happens, Mr. Jack will be there to protect you," Chen Yu said helplessly, but he had no better solution. Leaving Solano alone here could likely lead to misfortune.

Unless Solano's father could secure another Holy Shroud from the Vatican.

And this would also be doing Jack a favor.

Jack gratefully glanced at Chen Yu. Chen Yu was deliberately creating opportunities for him to spend time with Solano. As for work concerns, Jack wasn't worried at all; he just needed to take a leave, and the director would definitely not mind his absence.

"Okay!" Solano immediately agreed, which made Chen Yu take another look at her. She was quite intriguing. Despite shaking in fear, at least she had the courage to accompany him to Tokyo.

"So, Mr. Jack, what about the plane tickets?" Chen Yu asked another question that needed resolving. It was about his ticket, as he had clearly not entered America through regular channels and didn't have a passport.

An illegal resident couldn't just board a plane.

"Mr. Chen, my family owns a private jet," Solano quickly said. She didn't want to waste time on this issue. If they were to take a commercial flight from New York to Tokyo, they would have to wait and possibly even transfer flights.

It was better to take a private plane and apply for a direct route.

"You don't need to worry about the rest, Chen," Jack said heartily, slapping Chen Yu on the shoulder. Isn't it just a green card?

For many illegal residents, a green card might be a lifetime luxury they could never touch, but for Jack's backing, the Dupont family, getting a green card was just a matter of mentioning it.

Plus, Jack appreciated Chen Yu. This mysterious Asian seemed very adept at handling supernatural events, and if he could help Solano solve this issue, Chen Yu would be a very worthwhile contact to foster.

The Dupont family liked investments, and investing in goodwill was also an investment. As long as Chen Yu showed the potential for high returns, Jack would certainly not skimp on his generosity.

"Daenerys, your..." A man pushed the door open and walked out from the house; he paused when he saw Jack, then nodded at him as a greeting.

This middle-aged man, along with his slightly similar facial features to Daenerys Solano, made it clear to Chen Yu that this was likely Solano's father.

The man glanced at Chen Yu, a trace of confusion in his eyes, but he then quickly took his daughter's hand.

"Daddy, I want to go to Tokyo with Jack and Mr. Chen," Solano said softly.

"Tokyo? What are you doing there? Didn't I already hire a professional team of Exorcists for you?" The man was puzzled. He had paid a substantial amount of money for the professional Exorcist team and had even postponed his company's business to accompany his daughter.

"Daddy..." Solano pulled her father aside and began explaining the recent events, while Chen Yu quietly observed. Seeing the man's furrowed brows, Chen Yu could tell that he was probably skeptical.

That was normal; most people tended to trust their initial choices or were reluctant to acknowledge the sunken costs, hoping that their decisions would be effective.