The Flying Head Cult

Hearing him mention this major commission, Chen Chuan became slightly interested and pressed for a few more details. Ren Shu perked up immediately and explained everything in depth. Lately, across a large number of villages and townships northwest of Yangzhi City, a Flying Head Cult had emerged. Rumor had it that the villagers worshipped a severed head that flew through the air. At first, it was supposedly just a few villages holding these rituals. But for some unknown reason, more and more people had joined the cult recently, and it was showing signs of spreading toward the surrounding county seats and even into the city itself. The Municipal Administration had previously ordered the constabulary to conduct a sweep of the Flying Head Cult's strongholds within the city, but sporadic gunfire had actually broken out during the operation, and caches of firearms and ammunition were discovered. As a result, the Municipal Administration suspected that a resistance organization was very likely pulling strings behind the scenes. Yangzhi City had therefore decided to launch targeted strikes against several of the cult's key footholds. Since many of these hideouts lay in mountainous regions and rural hamlets where the roads were poor, it was impossible for the constabulary to deploy large-scale encirclements there. The task was consequently outsourced to various commission firms. Yet because it involved a flying head urban legend, they urgently needed specialists in this field. *So that's how it is,* Chen Chuan thought to himself. *That makes sense.* So many people had reached out to him out of the blue over the past two days. He had felt all along that even if he had demonstrated the ability to resolve urban legends, people shouldn't have reacted so excessively, given how little anyone had cared about urban legends in the past. But now it seemed that the commission firms had caught wind of this ahead of time. They were making preparations specifically for this commission. Min Lan hadn't brought it up earlier either because she hadn't found an appropriate moment, or because she didn't know about it herself. He asked, "Do many people know about this?" Ren Shu answered, "It's certainly no secret among the top brass of the commission firms. They knew the moment the Municipal Administration first showed intent, whereas we had to spend quite a bit of effort just to get the news. "It's still kept quiet for now, as the major firms have a tacit understanding not to leak it easily so they can seize the upper hand. But once more time passes and everyone's ready, the rumors will be flying everywhere." Chen Chuan asked a few more specific questions and noticed that Ren Shu could speak clearly and thoroughly about matters concerning high-level circles, yet was rather vague and clueless when it came to grassroots affairs. That was likely due to the different social circles he usually mingled with. Seeing Chen Chuan lost in thought, Ren Shu gritted his teeth and put forward another major condition. "If Mr. Chen is willing to join us, we can bring you on as an equity partner. From then on, whether you want to take on any commission involving urban legends, and how you want to handle it, will be entirely up to your personal judgment. We will never interfere, and we can put all of this into the contract!" Chen Chuan was somewhat surprised. The status of an equity partner was essentially the treatment reserved for a company founder, granting participation in formal decision-making. In theory, whatever the others were entitled to know, he would have the right to know as well, and he would receive a share of the firm's profits. Furthermore, if Ren Shu and his group wouldn't meddle in the specifics of commissions, they were practically handing that entire branch of business over to him. Considering this new firm had barely even opened its doors, his joining would place the entire operational level entirely under his charge. Offering terms like these was practically putting him on a pedestal. He couldn't help asking, "Mr. Ren's offer is indeed generous, but is there any need to go this far?" Ren Shu said earnestly, "Our goal is to help the company grow and flourish. As long as it benefits the company, we're willing to try it. "We all have our ideals in life. To be honest, we don't lack money, nor are we chasing it. We just want to prove to certain people that we can create value and achieve miracles, too—that we aren't completely useless." Chen Chuan could tell that his words came from the heart. His statement also revealed something else: these people were wealthy and could afford to lose money for now. Even if things fell apart, they could easily start from scratch and set up another firm. Chen Chuan said, "Your side is indeed very sincere. I'll need to consider this matter. How about this: I will give you a definite answer around the first of the month. Until then, I won't agree to join any other firm." Ren Shu was overjoyed, his rear lifting slightly off the chair. He patted his forehead and hurried to take out his calling card, handing it over. "If Mr. Chen feels our company is suitable, you can reach us through this." Chen Chuan took it. "Then that will be all for today's talk." "All right." Ren Shu stood up. The nervousness he had felt earlier had already faded while talking, but standing up now and looking at Chen Chuan, who was a head taller than him, he immediately felt an invisible sense of pressure and couldn't help shrinking back a bit. Noticing his unease, Chen Chuan took the initiative to extend a hand and smiled. "Mr. Ren, regardless of what happens, I should still thank you for coming to find me today and sharing this information." Ren Shu tentatively reached out, shook his hand, and nodded vigorously. After stepping out of the room, he said goodbye to Chen Chuan, then walked down the stairs alone and exited the dormitory building. Xiao Jiang and the others, who had accompanied him, had been waiting outside on pins and needles. Seeing him emerge, they rushed over and peppered him with questions. "How did it go, Big Brother Ren?" "Big Brother Ren, did it work out?" "Big Brother Ren, what does Student Chen look like?" Ren Shu thought for a moment and said, "I don't know either, but I've said everything I needed to say." He glanced back at the dormitory building. "All we can do now is wait for the result." After seeing him off, Chen Chuan exchanged greetings with Student Ling, chatted for a few moments, and returned to his own dorm. He reflected on the news Ren Shu had brought. If true, the Municipal Administration's upcoming operation would be no small affair, and many commission firms would want a slice of the pie. If so, even more people would surely come looking for him in the days ahead. His purpose in taking commissions was to obtain more resources for training so he could grow stronger. If an opportunity truly benefited him, he was willing to take part. This commission clearly carried tremendous weight; if he could join in, to say nothing of the unlimited defense license, it would be of immense help toward securing an armor license. And judging by the terms Ren Shu had just offered, no other firm could possibly go to such lengths. There was actually another option: directly taking on commissions from the Municipal Administration as an individual. Unfortunately, he was still just a first-year student and had not yet received internship certification. Moreover, that route involved all sorts of coordination and verifications, requiring law firms to step in to draft contracts and agreements, as well as paying security deposits and providing guarantors, alongside dealing with officials from administrative departments. Coordinating all those moving parts was exceedingly tedious and troublesome, something an ordinary person could hardly manage. That was why most preferred to go through commission firms directly. In any case, before making a final decision, he needed to consult his mentor, Cheng Zitong, to see if he had any arrangements in mind. If he did, there would be no need for Chen Chuan to waste effort on it himself. Since Cheng Zitong had previously mentioned that he would find time to discuss the unlimited defense license once he was free, Chen Chuan could ask about this matter at the same time. Thus, he didn't call and simply waited patiently. Two days slipped by. The twenty-ninth arrived, marking the start of the school break. Chen Chuan stood before the floor-to-ceiling window. Heavy snowfall over the past two days had blanketed everything in sight in pristine white, and a layer of ice had formed over Spring and Autumn Lake. Yet even without heating indoors, he didn't feel cold in the least; in fact, he felt quite comfortable. He wasn't the only one. Any student who had developed mutated tissue didn't feel the chill, and most still wore autumn clothing. Even Class B students, once they mastered breathing techniques, could quickly warm their bodies simply by circulating their breath. They were equally reluctant to wear extra layers; at most, hunger came a bit faster, which could easily be solved by eating a few free tubes of nutritional paste. *Knock, knock, knock...* A knock sounded at the door. He walked over to open it and greeted, "Teacher." Cheng Zitong gave an acknowledging grunt and stepped inside. He was still wearing the same short-sleeved office attire, his complexion rosy. He chuckled and said, "Xiao Chuan, aren't you going to watch the tournament? I saw quite a few students go over after finishing their exams." Chen Chuan said, "I was hoping to spend more time training." "Xiao Chuan, don't push yourself too hard," Cheng Zitong said. "You should relax when it's time to relax. Well, I know you're waiting for me to tell you about the defense license. No rush—I have time today to go over it in detail with you." He sat down and accepted the hot tea Chen Chuan handed him. Waiting until Chen Chuan took a seat as well, he began slowly, "To test for the unlimited defense license, you must first submit an application. And that application comes with prerequisites: you must have received a high evaluation from at least one state department along with their recommendation. Note that this evaluation does not refer to a commission rating, but an evaluation from a governmental administrative department. "That is actually very difficult to achieve. Shen Zheng relied on an evaluation from the Disposal Bureau back then, and his conduct warranted it. It was thanks to that evaluation that he qualified to test for the unlimited defense license." "The Disposal Bureau?" Chen Chuan nodded. He knew of it; nominally, that department was the state agency responsible for overseeing combatants and managing contraband matters. However, some of its officials had served as principals or directors of Wuyi branch academies across various regions, and some even held concurrent posts. One path for graduating Class A students was to enter that bureau, where they would become law enforcers in the truest sense. Cheng Zitong said, "However, I don't recommend you seek an evaluation from there, because that's essentially an evaluation from within our own system—moving something from the left hand to the right. It doesn't carry much real weight. Even if you pass, the school's commission clients will find out immediately, which is tantamount to announcing to certain people right away that you intend to tear open that barrier. "Fortunately, you are different from him. You should have a very high rating with the constabulary, so I recommend you use their recommendation when you apply. "With that, plus your weapons license, you'll be eligible to apply. "However, the application requires review time. For Class C, it's relatively short; for Class B, it takes a bit longer, about a month. Once approval comes through, the assessment must be completed within six months. "I suggest you apply this year, because applications from non-third-year students have a fairly high probability of being rejected." Chen Chuan couldn't help asking, "Teacher, why would it be rejected?" Cheng Zitong tapped the coffee table with his decorative glasses. "Testing for this license requires approval from the Main Academy, and there is an annual quota on the defense licenses granted. Every year, people from martial academies all across the country take the test, so not everyone can obtain one. The Review Committee usually looks at a student's seniority first, and a first-year student like you will most likely be turned down. "However, the second time around, if you've submitted an application before, priority queuing means they will consider you first. If you still don't pass then, by the third year they won't hold you back no matter what. "Shen Zheng was just like you; he obtained his weapons license in his first year, yet he only received qualification to test in his third year." Chen Chuan pondered this and asked, "Then what if—hypothetically speaking—the application passes on the first try? Wouldn't I only have six months to prepare?" Cheng Zitong's expression turned a bit more serious. "I can't say it's impossible. If you aren't confident, you can also wait until your second year, when you have a better grasp of things, before considering it." Chen Chuan thought it over once more, then asked, "Teacher, does the unlimited defense license have any connection to the quota for going to Center City?"