When Wang Tongshan and Ka Zhijie entered the room, they found Chen Chuan dressed in training robes, a faint glow flickering in his eyes—a clear sign that he had just been cultivating moments earlier.
Seeing this, both men felt a mixture of admiration and shame.
Upon arriving in the Federation, their first impulse had been to unwind. Yet Chen Chuan, stronger and of a higher realm than either of them, was still diligently training. For a fleeting moment, they even felt like dropping the matter entirely and heading straight back to intensify their own training.
Chen Chuan invited them to sit and asked why they had come, so the two recounted the gist of the matter. Rather than immediately giving his stance, Chen Chuan first glanced at the boxes set beside them and asked, "What is inside? Have you looked?"
"Not yet."
Ka Zhijie said, "Let me check."
He immediately brought one of the boxes over and proceeded to break the seal.
He was not worried about any danger; it was virtually impossible for a tiny object like this to pose a mortal threat to a martial artist. Moreover, neither of them sensed any spiritual danger.
Once the lid came off, they discovered a blood-red object resembling a heart, yet shaped like an insect and enveloped in a biological membrane.
"What is this, an implant?"
Wang Tongshan clearly recognized it. Picking it up to inspect, he said with certainty, "This should be a military-grade 'Heart Cocoon' implant.
"It can store medicine and nutrients in advance, and through specific modulation, generate a unique stimulation signal when necessary to enhance a fighter's neural reflexes."
He paused, then added, "Because the drugs can be loaded by oneself and the stimulation mechanism can also be self-modulated, in theory it can even offer some modest help to a martial artist."
"Oh? How is it used?" Ka Zhijie asked with interest.
Wang Tongshan raised it against his chest. "It will automatically adhere here, and its clawed tendrils will penetrate deep into the body. It works even better if linked directly to the heart beforehand, allowing the effects to take hold instantly.
"This thing is single-use. I'd heard before that it was still confined to laboratories. For that man to get his hands on it, he must have spared no expense."
Ka Zhijie said, "That is rather interesting."
Wang Tongshan stared at the device. In it, he saw the shadows of numerous taboo experiments. The Federation was truly unscrupulous, and its technology advanced rapidly; this thing clearly looked beyond the stage of a mere lab prototype.
If it could be mass-produced, its impact on the battlefield would be anything but minor. Furthermore, technology was bound to advance; who could say whether it might prove useful against martial artists in the future?
This instilled a deep sense of urgency in him.
Chen Chuan pondered. On the surface, there seemed to be no issue with this matter, but in a place like the Federation, one could not simply apply their experience from Great Shun.
In the Federation—especially along the West Coast—unless intelligence agencies intervened, there was virtually no comprehensive surveillance. High-level combat forces from various factions and organizations could roam about at will, and martial artists from all over the world slipping in clandestinely was nothing new. Conversely, visitors like them who had arrived openly and legitimately drew heightened scrutiny and surveillance.
He had not forgotten the standoff and ambush on their journey here. For someone to suddenly invite them out at such a juncture warranted careful consideration. Even though their destination lay within the same industrial park, as long as they remained at the delegation quarters, the Federation was obligated to guarantee their safety. But if they ventured out on their own and ran into danger or trouble, the Federation's accountability would be vastly diminished.
Even so, he was inclined to let them go. The invitation was quite significant; he suspected quite a few eyes were watching this situation right now, especially since the invitation had been extended openly in a public venue. Many people were likely waiting to see what move they would make next.
If they represented only themselves, there would be no need to care. But as members of the delegation, they had to weigh the matter carefully, for the incident itself could easily be manipulated and interpreted by those with ulterior motives.
Thinking deeper, it might even impact the confidence of the many Great Shun citizens and Great Shun companies operating in the Federation. To put it half-jokingly, his decision today might sway tomorrow's stock market in Serranocha.
There was another reason: the company was located within the same industrial district, practically on their doorstep for a martial artist. Even if trouble arose, Chen Chuan was confident he could handle it.
He looked up and said, "Gentlemen, I do not oppose this, nor will I restrict your movements. However, I must instruct you: go only where you are supposed to go."
Wang Tongshan's expression turned solemn. "Section Chief Chen, please rest assured. We understand discipline."
Ka Zhijie nodded repeatedly.
"Then that is all," Chen Chuan said.
Having received his definitive answer, both men felt an inexplicable sense of reassurance. Knowing that he was likely in the middle of training, they promptly took their leave.
After they departed, Chen Chuan returned to his room and sat in meditation. When evening arrived, a message reached his boundary credential: Tao Huiya requested a meeting with him right here in the hotel, and she would arrive shortly.
Glancing at the time, he went to his private suite. Within a few minutes, a knock sounded at the door. He gave a nod, and the orderly opened it to admit an officer from the diplomatic delegation carrying a case.
The orderly closed the door and left. The officer walked over expressionlessly, set the case aside, and suddenly his expression and demeanor shifted entirely: "Greetings, Commissioner Chen."
Chen Chuan looked at him. "Group Leader Tao?"
The officer spoke, "It is me. I am currently downstairs. The delegation received quite a few gifts during the day, so I have come here under the pretext of distributing delegation gifts."
Chen Chuan nodded. This was spiritual projection—attaching spiritual force to another. It seemed Tao Huiya possessed notable strengths in spiritual abilities.
"What is the matter?" he asked.
Tao Huiya said, "Based on our screening, we have narrowed down two suspicious targets; the three individuals here can essentially be ruled out. Additionally, after transmitting our contact signal, we failed to reach the person we were originally looking for. Instead, we received a covert transmission from a comrade long thought dead, who had been missing for years.
"He claims to have important intelligence to deliver, along with clues regarding the person we seek.
"I have decided to meet him in person. However, since he has been out of contact for so long, this undertaking carries certain risks. If I do not return—"
She removed the boundary credential from the officer's head. "Relevant information is stored inside. Someone will come to Commissioner Chen to retrieve it and take over the subsequent operations."
Chen Chuan did not pry and merely nodded.
Tao Huiya asked, "Does Commissioner Chen have any questions?"
Chen Chuan pondered briefly, then said, "Since Group Leader Tao is here, there is something I might as well mention to you, to hear your thoughts and opinion." He recounted what Wang and Ka had brought up during the day.
Tao Huiya said, "I only arrived today, so I have not received reports on this matter and cannot say for certain. However, based on the intelligence gathered so far, there is no one around Serranocha Center City who can threaten Commissioner Chen."
Chen Chuan nodded slightly, then added, "I also require some intelligence support regarding Kawatuya and certain circumstances of the Tianji Sect."
Tao Huiya did not ask why. After a moment's thought, she said, "No problem, Commissioner Chen. You will receive the latest detailed intelligence by tomorrow evening at the latest."
Seeing that Chen Chuan had no further questions, she stood up. "Commissioner Chen, farewell." With that, the officer's face resumed its vacant, blank look, and he turned to leave.
Sitting in the room, Chen Chuan could sense the officer boarding a vehicle, which then departed alongside another car that had been waiting below.
He did not dwell on it and returned to the dedicated training chamber to resume cultivating. He needed to build his power as quickly as possible so that by tomorrow, he might be able to read that technique from the compendium.
After returning, Wang Tongshan and Ka Zhijie got in touch with Ge Jixiong. The next day, the car sent to pick them up arrived. However, rather than riding in Ge's vehicle, they boarded a local vehicle purchased for them by the delegation and followed behind toward his corporate headquarters.
At that moment, however, a black speck was flying high overhead, seemingly tailing them. Because it flew at such a high altitude, no one noticed.
A mere twenty minutes later, the two arrived at the Ge Company headquarters. Situated on high ground, it was built like a fortress, with security guards stationed at key posts. As Ge Jixiong escorted them inside, numerous esoteric rituals could be seen arranged both within and without.
Noticing them looking around, Ge Jixiong explained, "Pardon the unsightly display, gentlemen. It is only thanks to these that I have managed to hold out until now."
Ka Zhijie asked curiously, "I recall there are quite a lot of religions here in the Federation. Are your rituals safe and reliable?"
Ge Jixiong was full of confidence. "Our company specializes in this business, so we have our own proprietary methods. Moreover, most of the people employed by our company are Great Shun citizens, and every one of them has signed an agreement prohibiting them from joining any religion."
He gave them a tour through various parts of the company before inviting them to his private collection room, where several armed puppet sentries from the Progenitor Company stood guard.
Pointing down through the floor-to-ceiling glass, he said, "Down there is my private plantation. Inside is a genuine sunlight tree—not a commercial product of the Giant Company, but a true sunlight tree. It is said to have grown from a branch plucked from the sacred tree of the First People. It had once withered away, but my father revived it with his expertise."
He added proudly, "This is the most valuable treasure here."
Wang and Ka looked over and saw a tree shimmering with radiant light. Oddly enough, merely looking upon it brought a gentle, soothing feeling to their spirits. They could not help feeling surprised; this company truly did possess some exceptional treasures.
Was it this tree that had attracted covetous eyes? Yet it felt as though matters were not quite so simple.
Even as they toured the company, less than five kilometers away—almost beyond the perimeter of the industrial district—lay an earthen knoll containing a facility resembling an air-raid shelter.
Deep inside stood a man clad from head to toe in combat protective gear. He had white hair, slightly dark skin, thick lips, and a stern countenance. Wearing custom sunglasses, he watched as the facility's equipment and the surrounding resonators clearly projected the trio's every move onto his lenses.
Glancing at the display, he spoke: "Notify the strike team: find a way to separate the two next."
Chapter 1067