Seeking Opportunity and Fateful Ties

Wang Tongshan and Bian Zhijie stayed at Ge Jixiong's company for half a day, returning around noon. After returning to the hotel and waiting for the car to be parked, Wang Tongshan immediately contacted Chen Chuan. "Section Chief Chen, we're back." Chen Chuan was currently feeding Chaoming. Upon connecting, he nodded and said, "Good to have you back. The delegation sent over quite a few things just now; please remember to collect them." Wang Tongshan agreed repeatedly. Stepping out of the car, he had only walked a couple of paces when Bian Zhijie beside him suddenly remarked, "Brother Wang, why do I feel like something was a bit off today?" Wang Tongshan said, "To be frank with you, Brother Bian, I had the same feeling. In my view, Ge Jixiong and the resonators he brought with him might all be questionable." Bian Zhijie thought back and agreed, yet asked in confusion, "But in the end, nothing seemed to happen." Wang Tongshan was somewhat uncertain. "Perhaps they gave up?" He looked up toward where Chen Chuan was staying. "Or maybe someone resolved the trouble for us." Bian Zhijie followed his gaze, a thought stirring in his mind. "Section Chief Chen...?" "Perhaps." Seeing that Bian Zhijie was still staring, Wang Tongshan patted his shoulder and said, "Brother Bian, let's go. Since Section Chief Chen didn't mention it, there's no need for us to ask. Even if it's true, it might just be a minor matter to him. From now on, we just need to be more careful ourselves. After all, this isn't Great Shun." Bian Zhijie considered it and nodded. Inside the room, Chen Chuan patted Chaoming's head after feeding it. This time, the man had relied on resonators to monitor the targets while keeping himself thoroughly hidden; logically speaking, Chen Chuan would never have detected him. Yet the two resonators had frequently turned their faces toward a certain direction. These movements were extremely subtle, completely imperceptible to an ordinary person, but because of them, the presence of the primary signal had been exposed. The two resonators did not actually know where the intelligence team was stationed. However, veteran or highly skilled resonance technicians subconsciously sought out the direction with the strongest field signal—a habit and technical quirk that they themselves were likely unaware of. After spotting signs of this suspected contact through Chaoming, Chen Chuan traced the direction of their focus and their travel path to find an intersection, swiftly locating the knoll. And that spot just happened to be the highest ground in the vicinity, making it completely obvious. Had it not been for Chaoming, however, tracking them down would have presented some real difficulty and undoubtedly wasted much more time. In truth, high-altitude birds observing the ground were no rare sight in the Federation. When Chaoming took to the skies, there were over a dozen avian creatures fitted with implants wheeling within the same airspace visible to the naked eye alone. Yet Chaoming flew higher, saw farther, and moved faster—giving it an incomparable advantage in the sky. Without question, that Operations Directorate operative had taken advantage of his official assignment to pick up a side job from the platform. As for the organization known as "Hakekeshu," according to information provided by Wansong Company, it was a Federation bounty platform, with similar entities existing across various countries and regions. Through Wansong Company's investigations, however, they believed all these bounty platforms pointed back to a single source. Hakekeshu was merely its branch within the Federation, appearing different only because it went by different names in various countries. The organization was extraordinarily massive, its roots spreading into every corner of the world. Within Great Shun, it even had operational conflicts with Wansong Company in certain business areas. Wansong Company had persistently attempted to investigate and understand it in depth, achieving some preliminary findings. However, if Chen Chuan required further details, he would need higher clearance on the platform. After reading this, Chen Chuan closed the connection. In truth, he had never intended to get to the very bottom of the matter, only wanting to understand his opponent's background. Since the other side had deep roots, he simply needed to exercise greater caution. The various factions in the Federation were tangled and convoluted, a web of countless threads that was impossible to fully unravel. So long as he maintained his own martial strength, handling issues as they arose was far simpler. Chen Chuan spent the entire day cultivating. The hotel environment was quite good, fully equipped with amenities, and there was nothing requiring his direct presence for now. He could focus peacefully on his cultivation; as long as he ignored the surveillance personnel outside, it was no different from being aboard the airship. It wasn't until evening that he received intelligence sent over by Tao Huiya concerning Kawatua and the Tianji Sect. Pouring himself a hot beverage, he tapped open the light screen to take a look. It immediately displayed the specific location and topographical map of Kawatua, the ancestral land of the First People. Perhaps because the General Affairs Bureau already had operatives embedded within the First People, the internal intelligence was remarkably detailed. Reading through it, he discovered that the First People of this highland were not nearly as isolated or destitute as commonly imagined. These people had actually learned to lobby members of the Federal Congress, urging them to change policies regarding the First People, and even hoped the Federation would legally designate Kawatua as their permanent homeland. This was far from mere wishful thinking, as certain factions within the Federation echoed similar sentiments. These First People even made donations to the Federation and engaged in philanthropic endeavors. After all, they possessed land, ranches, external investments, and considerable wealth passed down through their ancestral land. Setting aside the ordinary tribal populace of Kawatua, the upper echelon was extraordinarily wealthy. Interestingly, not a single one of these donations ever reached the scattered external tribes of First People; instead, the vast majority were directed toward the Federation populace that despised and harbored hostility toward them. Nor did it stop there. The upper echelon of Kawatua's First People was actually calling upon external tribes for support, painting a grand vision of establishing a nation upon the Plateau of Life where all First People could reside. Those who contributed substantial wealth would earn the right to enter the eternal land of Kuyanaka. Naturally, not all First People were like this. Akhtawa certainly was not. He firmly believed in struggle, yet wisely refrained from clashing with those on the ancestral land; instead, he traveled outward, moving about to exert his influence. He frequently appeared among other tribes, helping them repel external foes while leaving behind heritages and resources. Precisely because of this, many smaller tribes, though teetering on the brink, had managed to weather multiple crises. The irony here was that Akhtawa had not been born a member of the First People. As a Federation citizen, he had ingested ancestral blood to gain the First People lineage, yet now he was the one doing what the First People's upper echelon ought to have done. Regardless of the internal affairs of the First People, Chen Chuan would still carry out the missions assigned by his superiors depending on circumstances. If the West Coast Faction were allowed to swallow this territory and seize the ancient sacred tree of the First People, they might achieve breakthroughs in numerous biotechnology sectors, which would ultimately direct pressure toward Great Shun. The forces gathering to assault the sacred grounds were still amassing, with an attack estimated within the next month or two. Local covert operatives would continue gathering intelligence. Tapping the information notification, Chen Chuan saved it to his memos and proceeded to look at the intelligence regarding the Tianji Sect, which was of greater interest to him. Aside from geographical and cultural background, however, there was little actionable information. For a sect like the Tianji Sect, which specialized in mental cultivation and mastered esoteric rituals, obtaining internal intelligence was exceptionally difficult. There was only public information: for instance, the Tianji Sect would host a major mystical ritual this year, and following the sect's doctrines, it offered certain opportunities to first-time visitors. Apparently, one could gain access to certain secluded sanctuaries of the Xuan Cult, and whatever was obtained belonged entirely to oneself. Furthermore, the Tianji Sect maintained grounds specifically designated for outside martial artists to cultivate and meditate, and the sect could even provide cultivation resources. If an individual possessed a pre-existing affinity with the Xuan Cult, the benefits reaped might be even greater. Reading this, he nodded. In any case, it was well worth a visit. Once the delegation's primary affairs were settled, he would make the trip. Having finished reading through everything, he resumed cultivating. Just as dawn broke, he received a telegram: the International Investigation Team had arrived. He was somewhat surprised; this was far faster than expected. Inquiring further, he learned that an International Investigation Team squad had happened to be in the Itzcalpan Autonomous District in the southwestern Federation handling a Melded Lands creature incursion, an operation that was already drawing to a close. Being separated by only a single state, traveling here took hardly any time. The leader this time was none other than Skarson. Matters close to Federation territory were historically the most difficult to handle, and Skarson was an experienced, conscientious team member who routinely led operations in this region. Having received Chen Chuan's telegram, he had treated it with utmost gravity, wrapping up his pending tasks in haste before rushing over at top speed. In fact, around the time Chen Chuan received the news, Skarson had immediately entered Center City, met with members of the visiting delegation, received all the evidence compiled by the Great Shun representatives, and then rushed without pause to inspect the site. Although the area had suffered some deliberate tampering, Skarson's experience still allowed him to verify that it aligned with the delegation's evidence. Yet further in-depth investigation was out of the question: a crowd had gathered around the crater Chen Chuan had blasted open, digging for meteorite fragments. Rumors circulated that the massive crater had been gouged out by a meteorite packed with gold. Surprisingly, quite a few people believed it. Even public refutations by the state government proved futile, serving only to lure more gold-seekers to the site. Consequently, cultists and proselytizers had also flocked to the scene, reciting their doctrines on the spot. Some prostrated themselves in sudden conversion, others wailed and made scenes, and still others suddenly discovered that their companions or loved ones had vanished without a trace. In short, it was total chaos. Skarson lingered there only briefly before leaving, heading directly to the hotel where Chen Chuan was staying to pay him a visit. After exchanging pleasantries, he said solemnly, "Mr. Chen, thank you for informing us of this and preserving complete evidence. We have long kept an eye on issues within the Federation, but due to poor information flow, local disorder, and other factors, we never found a suitable opportunity to intervene. This time, we intend to conduct a thorough, deep investigation."