Chapter 637 - 376: Security Check

Chen Chuan got into the car and saw a tall, burly figure sitting in the back seat, his muscles straining against his clothes.

Seeing this person, he instantly recalled having met him once before, when he was returning from a task with Special Envoy Feng. So this was Mr. Chu.

The back seat of the armored car was spacious. He sat down opposite the man, and the door was closed from the outside.

Mr. Chu said, "Captain Chen, you’re a hard man to get a hold of."

Chen Chuan said, "Am I? It seems Mr. Chu has only invited me once."

Mr. Chu said, "Captain Chen, you seem to hold some animosity toward us. I can understand that." He motioned forward, and the driver in the front slowly started the car.

Once they were on the road, he added, "We have our own duties and matters we must investigate. This will inevitably infringe upon the interests of many people, but that is precisely the purpose of our Special Action Committee."

Chen Chuan asked, "Mr. Chu, did you bring me here today about Chen Bitong’s case again?"

Mr. Chu said, "That’s not important. The Chen Bitong affair is in the past. The current resolution is the best one. We’re not inflexible."

He looked at Chen Chuan and said, "The reason I asked you here today, Captain Chen, is purely for your own sake."

Chen Chuan said, "Me? What advice might Mr. Chu have for me?"

Mr. Chu said, "Captain Chen, I’ve admired you since your time in Yangzhi City. You should show no mercy to those corporate types—wipe them out, leave no room for compromise, and eliminate any future trouble. In Central City, you once again proved your stance and your worth. That is precisely what our Special Action Committee needs."

Chen Chuan’s expression remained calm.

Mr. Chu said, "Dashun’s current enemies are the multinational corporations. They control vast resources, possess military forces that can rival national governments, and hinder the country’s development and progress.

This is a chronic disease left over from the dynastic change and the collapse of the Grand Alliance. But we can’t just turn a blind eye. This is something that someone must correct, not something to be met with endless compromise.

I imagine that after spending so much time in Central City, you should be able to understand what I’m saying."

Chen Chuan remained noncommittal.

Mr. Chu continued, "I’ve read your file. In Yangzhi, you relied on your own strength and cleverly used the momentum of the situation to turn an impossible predicament around, opening a breach in that wall. I admire your effort and your fearless courage.

But have you ever considered that when you break through one high wall, what’s on the other side isn’t the open world you imagined, but an even taller, bigger wall?"

Chen Chuan said, "Is Mr. Chu referring to Central City?"

Mr. Chu said, "Central City? No. You probably can’t feel it yet, Captain Chen, because the path you’re on now is one they allow you to walk."

He gestured with his finger. "You haven’t reached the line they’ve drawn yet, but you’re not far from it.

I can reveal something to you: your promotion papers are already on the desks at the Processing Bureau and the Defense Department.

If nothing unexpected happens, you’ll likely become the youngest Investigation Chief in the Jibei Dao Processing Bureau. That rank is equivalent to a deputy director. It’s quite remarkable.

However, you will soon discover that when you want to climb higher, or acquire more resources to increase your own strength, it will become impossible to take another step. Because there’s an invisible ceiling above you."

He said meaningfully, "For people who come from the bottom, if they don’t meet a certain condition, or aren’t accepted and permitted by a certain circle, then this is as high as they can go."

As he spoke, he looked at Chen Chuan, seeming to wait for him to digest and consider his words. After a moment, he spoke again, his tone more forceful:

"But that doesn’t mean there are no other paths. Our Special Action Committee can provide such a path, and without needing any of *those things*.

Of course, if you’re content to stop here, have no further ambitions, and don’t wish to improve your strength, then this position is more than enough to see you through to retirement.

But, are you truly content with that?

Your abilities are second to none. Among all the young people I’ve seen, you are one of the most outstanding. Your talents should be put to proper use, not wasted away here."

He then reached into his pocket, took out a Name Card, and held it out to him. "This is my Name Card. You will soon understand what I’ve said. If you want to get outside that high wall, you can come find me."

Chen Chuan glanced at it, considered for a moment, and reached out to take it.

Mr. Chu seemed very pleased that he had taken the Name Card. He said, "Let’s conclude our conversation here for today, Captain Chen. You should give what I’ve said some serious thought. I’m in no hurry, and you don’t need to rush your decision."

The armored convoy drove a loop around the area before returning to the plaza in front of the Profound Palace Building.

The car door opened, and Chen Chuan stepped out.

"Oh, right, Captain Chen."

Chen Chuan turned around. The car window slowly lowered, and from the back seat, Mr. Chu said to him, "In a few days, the Administrative Affairs Hall will be conducting a security check. This was proposed by the City Council for the safety of Central City. All personnel who came into contact with the fission body and that... entity... during the Fission period must attend.

Captain Chen, you were the last person to see Chen Bitong, so you will be a primary focus of this inspection. If you run into any trouble, and if you are willing, the Special Action Committee can resolve it for you."

After he finished speaking, the window rose again, and the armored cars drove away in a single file line.

Chen Chuan’s thoughts turned. ’A security check, huh...’

’If I’m not mistaken, this is likely related to the Pure Essence leak.’

’The higher-ups in the Administrative Affairs Hall and the various corporations might not be able to confirm that Chen Bitong was the one who tore open that breach, but they must be suspicious of him. After all, his behavior was the most suspect.’

’And as the last person to have contact with Chen Bitong, I’ll definitely be under suspicion as well. Looking at it from another angle, any ambitious Fighter who knew about this wouldn’t be able to resist taking some of the Pure Essence.’

However, he had already considered this possibility.

He had his Second Self, which could suppress the expression of his physical state, even to the point of showing no trace of Spiritual Power. He could even have the Second Self block certain Domain scans. As for the specifics, he would see when the time came.

With that thought, he walked into the building. Along the way, he noticed that the students were greeting each other whenever they met, a stark contrast to the past when they would hurry along without interacting.

He mulled it over and figured it was probably because these students and teachers had fought together a few days ago. The camaraderie forged in battle was different, after all.

After taking the elevator back to his dorm, he was about to continue with his afternoon training when he heard a notification sound from his Realm Token.

He glanced at it. It was a voice message from Tan Zhi. He opened it, and a voice came through:

"Chen, are you doing okay? Teacher Wei asked me to tell you to be careful in the near future."

"Teacher Wei?"

Chen Chuan’s heart stirred slightly. He remembered this Teacher Wei; he was Tan Zhi’s private coach and was said to have a good relationship with a certain council member.

’A council member, huh...’

After a moment’s thought, he sent a voice message back: "Tan, thanks. And please thank Teacher Wei for me."

He could roughly guess Teacher Wei’s reason for the warning. Coupled with what Mr. Chu had said earlier, it seemed his upcoming ordeal would indeed be hostile, and they were determined to find something.

Counselor Pei’s suggestion that he go on a trip for a while was likely also because of this.

But if the issue wasn’t resolved, even if he left, he couldn’t necessarily escape it and might even attract more suspicion.

Although the corporations and governments of various nations competed with each other, they were likely united in their stance on locking down Pure Essence.

’In that case, perhaps I can take this opportunity to resolve this problem once and for all.’

The news came very quickly. That very afternoon, he received a notice from the Administrative Affairs Hall and the Processing Bureau, requiring him and others who had participated in the operation that day to go to the Emergency Affairs Center in Weiguang District for a security check tomorrow.

He glanced at the notice and, as he took a sip of a hot drink, he swallowed a strand of Pure Essence he had just captured.

Although Pure Essence was harder to find now, as long as he paid attention, he could always manage to collect some.

After finishing the hot drink and assimilating the Pure Essence within his body, he resumed his daily training.

The next day, he put on his Processing Bureau uniform and drove to the Emergency Affairs Center.

When he arrived, he saw patrol Airships flying overhead and heavily armed guard units lining both sides of the road.

The troops all wore helmets with goggles and were clad in heavy black Protective Clothing. They were equipped with both firearms and melee weapons, and the Implant wiring was visible on their exposed faces, giving them a formidable appearance.

This was a unit under the direct command of the City Council. They had ample funding, which meant the unit had the finest equipment and the most advanced Implant armaments currently available.

Yet, this unit had been absent during both the routine maintenance of city peace and the recent Fumu Fission. This was because, at the time, they were responsible for protecting the safety of every member of the City Council.

There was likely another, unspoken reason: if necessary, they could be used to defend against and counter the military forces of government departments.

Upon arriving, the voice of an inactive Consciousness Body sounded in his ear, and he followed its guidance to park his car in the designated area.

After parking, he glanced at the tall building of the Emergency Affairs Center. Its translucent glass curtain wall reflected half the sky and the buildings opposite.

On a light screen up ahead, a rotating, net-like pattern was displayed. Within it, a reflective, eyeball-shaped object seemed to be suspended, appearing to watch everyone who passed by or entered.

He averted his gaze and walked inside, following the marked path.

Just then, a middle-aged man in an imported suit standing at the entrance looked in his direction, tapped his Realm Token, and spoke into it: "Report. High-priority target has entered the central zone. Initiating Second Level alert..."

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