Chapter 649 - 388: A New Path

Chen Chuan had just sat down when a black shadow zipped past them. With a glance, he saw it was a bug from the Merging Land.

As he observed it, the flying bug’s originally swift speed seemed to slow down, and every detail on its body became crystal clear. He noticed this bug looked different from the ones he had seen before; it seemed to have several deep crimson veins on its body.

With a SMACK, Weidong snatched the bug out of the air and crushed it in his palm. When he opened his hand, it was a mangled mess, but he could still see its hideous mouthparts, twisted limbs, and a thick, purplish-red blood that now dripped to the floor. The amount of fluid inside was surprisingly large.

Wu Han tossed a box of tissues over in disgust. "Seems like these bugs are everywhere lately. The Lynx Federation can’t do a damn thing right."

Weidong wiped his hand with a tissue a few times, then said suddenly, "This bug is different from the others."

Wu Han said in surprise, "They’re all just bugs. How is it any different?"

But Chen Chuan knew it was different. Weidong’s powers of observation were excellent; most people wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference.

And it wasn’t just them. At a nearby table, someone also SMACKED a bug dead, cursing as they wiped it up.

"Damn it, there are so many of these fucking things lately. The other day, I was about to head out for a good time when I saw a dead dog lying in front of my door. I went up and kicked it, and the damn thing just exploded right in front of me! It was full of little bugs. They got in my mouth, my nose, even my eyes. I ended up eating a bunch of them. Ptooey! The taste was fucking awful! I still feel sick just thinking about it!"

The few people eating at his table all froze, then subtly scooted their chairs a little farther away. One of them couldn’t help but ask, "Hey, buddy... are you all right?"

The man said nonchalantly, "What’s there to be afraid of? I chugged a whole bottle of insecticide right then and there. For the next few days, I reeked of bug spray. It felt like the stuff was flowing through my veins."

The others breathed a sigh of relief. The guy must have had modified organs and artificial blood vessels implanted to survive that kind of abuse.

Just then, a waiter came over and apologized profusely. He placed a small potted plant on the table between Chen Chuan’s group and the other men, explaining, "Gentlemen, this is very effective at repelling bugs. One pot will last for over an Hour. Would you like one?"

Chen Chuan glanced at it and saw a logo on the pot: a prismatic green leaf, with the negative space forming a narrow eye with slanted wings spreading out to either side.

As he looked at it, information popped up on his Realm Token. It was the logo for the Green Source Ecological Company, with a link that led directly to a product description and payment platform.

The bugs from the Merging Land wouldn’t be eradicated anytime soon. It looked like the citizens of Central City would find this product indispensable in the future, and more related applications would likely appear.

He had previously seen Green Source Ecological Company on the Processing Bureau’s list of corporations to watch. Obviously, this company was not simple. He also knew that it was highly likely this very company was backing the Plague Cult in the Lower City District. ’I’ll have to keep a closer eye on them from now on.’

He waved the waiter over. "Leave it here."

The waiter immediately set the potted plant down properly.

Wu Han, meanwhile, reached for the menu to order. After checking off his choices, he passed it to Chen Chuan and Weidong. Once the three of them had ordered, the waiter said, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen. Your food will be ready shortly."

Chen Chuan then asked, "Wu Han, how have things been with Old Qi lately? Has anyone been giving you guys trouble?"

Wu Han thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it, I’d almost forgotten. It seemed like someone was watching us at first, but then they vanished. I guess they gave up. Not that I’m afraid, even if they do show up."

Chen Chuan said, "You should still be careful. I’ll be away for the next few months. If you run into any problems, you can call me directly at the Yangzhi City Processing Bureau or the Patrol Bureau."

Wu Han replied, "Don’t worry. If something comes up, you’ll be the first one I call. Oh, right, half a year has flown by just like that. You’re already about to go back on vacation. Have those other juniors and Wei Chang’an not arrived yet?"

Chen Chuan said, "They were supposed to arrive in April, but with that incident a while back, I got an early warning and just told them to come later. When I go back this time, I can meet with them. If possible, I’ll bring them along when I return."

As they were speaking, the shop door was pushed open and a large group of people walked in. At the front was a man in sunglasses, his thinning hair etched with grooved scars. Everyone in the group wore identical boots with gold-tooled lines.

The leader scanned the room and walked straight toward Chen Chuan’s table. One of his men waved a hand, blocking the waiter who was coming over. The patrons at the surrounding tables paled and immediately scrambled out of the way. Some tried to leave, but seeing the door was blocked, they could only retreat to the corners of the room.

The man stopped at the table next to Chen Chuan’s, pulled up a chair, and sat down. He took off his sunglasses, glanced at Chen Chuan, and let out a chuckle. "I never expected a big shot like you to come to my street. I trust no one here was foolish enough to get on your bad side?"

Chen Chuan glanced at him, and a stream of information appeared on his Realm Token. The man was Tan Chong, also known as "Leech," the leader of the Golden Boot Gang. He was equipped with mid-tier Implants, and his heart, lungs, and skeleton were all military-grade. Curiously, he had no criminal record.

’That’s normal.’ Gang leaders like him had dedicated Litigation Masters to get them acquitted and underlings to take the fall. If he was even a little careful himself, there would be no official record of his crimes. No wonder he dared to appear in public and speak to him face-to-face.

He replied in a flat tone, "I don’t have the time to waste on such things."

Tan Chong said, "Since you say so, I’ll take your word for it. I can’t imagine you big shots would make a special trip just to give me a hard time. I know the score. This meal is on me."

"I won’t disturb you gentlemen any further." He stood up, put his sunglasses back on, and led his men straight out the door. The waiter hurried over to see them off.

Wu Han leaned back in his chair. "That guy’s pretty cocky, isn’t he?"

Tan Chong led his men outside, but he hadn’t taken two steps before he froze. A dozen flying insect-like combat organisms were hovering in mid-air, assuming a combat stance before them. The gang members’ reflections were mirrored in their Compound Eyes, and the sharp, curved hooks under their abdomens were terrifying to behold.

The voice of An Shield sounded from Chen Chuan’s Realm Token. "Manager Chen, multiple members of the Golden Boot Gang have been detected in your vicinity. Nearby patrolling combat organisms have been mobilized. Do you require a defensive cleansing?"

Chen Chuan replied, "No need. I’m having a meal, and there’s no danger here."

"Understood. Alert canceled. Biological weapons are withdrawing."

Outside the door, Tan Chong watched the combat insects turn in unison and fly away. Only then did he realize he was covered in a cold sweat. Every one of his men’s Implants had involuntarily activated, but they all knew it would have been futile. Just one or two of those swift biological weapons could have slaughtered their entire group.

Only the major gangs had the manpower and weaponry to counter such weapons.

Tan Chong knew exactly why those things had appeared. He shot a fearful glance back into the restaurant, then walked away without another word. His men, feeling as if they had just survived a catastrophe, lowered their heads and hastily departed.

Chen Chuan paid the incident no mind. Wu Han and Weidong were both thick-skinned and weren’t bothered by it in the slightest. Besides, only one or two of the men who had just shown up could have been considered Fighters, and they posed no threat to them.

After their meal, since both Wu Han and Weidong had things to do and weren’t heading back to their residences, Chen Chuan gave them a ride to the station before driving back to Wuyi himself.

On the way, he received a message from the Fusion Boundary. He had already informed the company about his upcoming vacation, so they must be contacting him for a reason. He connected with Yan Yi. "Assistant Yan, what’s the matter?"

Yan Yi said, "Manager Chen, I didn’t want to disturb you before your vacation, but there is a matter I must contact you about. Is now a convenient time?"

Chen Chuan said, "Please, go on."

"The Administrative Affairs Hall has recently been seizing and processing the assets of the Ferris Wheel Company. They may be planning to hand over some of the Ferris Wheel Company’s former business operations to us.

After we heard the news, we began to pursue this opportunity. Furthermore, some people in the Administrative Affairs Hall have hinted that we could secure even more. If we can expand our operations to the sea, the company’s business scope will increase dramatically. However, we’re not without competitors. Several of them are companies backed by the City Council, and they are very powerful."

Yan Yi added cautiously, "The company isn’t afraid of competition, but we must be on guard against the non-commercial tactics these other companies might employ."

Chen Chuan understood what he meant. He thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I’ll arrange for someone to head over to your location. They can help you handle any potential problems in my absence. If anything else comes up, you know how to contact me."

He planned to have Mishiro Ara stay behind. Although Mishiro Ara had accepted his offer of recruitment, the official procedures were not yet complete. Without Chen Chuan to lead the team, he wouldn’t be able to go directly to the Merging Land. This way, he could be put in charge of protecting the company for a time.

Yan Yi replied, "Then that solves the problem. Manager Chen, have a pleasant vacation."

Two minutes after ending the call, Chen Chuan received a message from Meng Shu, also wishing him a pleasant vacation. He sent a reply thanking her.

After leaving the area, he made a detour to Yinglu District to buy a few things at the Treasure Fruit Market before heading back to Wuyi.

He spent the next few days preparing for his departure. In the early morning hours of June 9th, he walked out of Wuyi Academy, suitcase in hand.

Just as he reached the plaza, his personal car and several armored vehicles drove up and stopped in front of him. Someone immediately came forward to take his suitcase and place it in the trunk.

The security captain, Yu Xiao, stepped forward, saluted, and asked, "Manager, when do we depart?"

Chen Chuan didn’t answer right away. He looked up at the sky. A moment later, a high-pitched SKREEE echoed down from above, and a brilliantly plumed figure appeared in the air.

He smiled faintly. "Let’s go." He got into the car, and the entire convoy started up. Amidst another screech, they drove off toward the gradually brightening horizon, bathed in the light of dawn.

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(End of Volume Two)