New Year's Gift

Early in the morning on the first day of the first lunar month, firecrackers began popping once more. Chen Chuan woke from sleep. Resting his hands behind his head, he lay quietly. While the accommodations in the school dormitory were quite good, being here still gave him a sense of warmth and comfort. After lingering in bed for a while, he got dressed, got up, drew back the curtains, and opened the window. Sunlight streamed in from outside. Snow had fallen all through the night, but the sun was out today. The snow accumulated on the eaves and ground looked as though a thick cotton quilt had been draped over everything. Taking a few deep breaths, he went outside to wash up. He wished Nian Fuli and Yu Wan, who were already up, a Happy New Year, and then called Cheng Zitong, Bian Feng, and several other instructors to offer his holiday greetings. After finishing breakfast, Chen Chuan stepped outside to open the mailbox and brought back a stack of greeting cards. Most had been sent by former and current classmates, but one envelope was exceptionally exquisite. Opening it revealed six characters penned in an elegant hand: "Wishing you auspicious fortune in the New Year." He nodded. Eldest Miss Meng had always been impeccably thorough in such matters; no matter how close or distant the relationship, she sent greeting cards every year. In truth, he had also mailed her a New Year's card according to past custom. However, there was no direct postal service between Center City and Yangzhi, so he could only address it to her former residence. As for whether she actually received it, that was beyond his control. Just then, two little heads poked in from outside the doorway, each sporting a small tiger-head hat. Together they chimed, "Cousin, Happy New Year!" and stared up at him expectantly. Chen Chuan laughed. Walking over to the drawer, he retrieved red envelopes and handed one to each of them. "Thank you, Cousin!" That was the well-mannered Nian Lu. As for little cousin Nian Mo, he grabbed his red envelope and dashed off whooping. Chen Chuan then pulled out another red envelope, slipped it into Nian Lu's hand, and winked at her. Nian Lu tilted her face up to look at him, tugged at the hem of his coat, and when Chen Chuan bent down, leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Don't worry, Cousin, I won't tell Momo." Chen Chuan chuckled, said "All right," patted Nian Lu's head, and straightened back up. Once the little one left, he returned to the desk and picked up the booklet He Xiaoxing had sent him to flip through. He didn't plan on training today; a day off was rare, so doing some simple breathing exercises would suffice. Before long, bursts of shouting and playful laughter from children echoed from outside. Nian Lu, Nian Mo, and a bunch of kids were likely having a snowball fight. He thought about it; it was a pity this year that, as his aunt had told him, his eldest cousin Nian Qian's studies at the military academy were quite demanding, and he was supposedly at a critical juncture, so he couldn't come home for the New Year. After nine o'clock, visitors gradually began arriving to pay New Year calls, every one of them Nian Fuli's subordinates. This year, however, there were an unusually large number of guests; even people who rarely interacted with them dropped by. The home telephone rang incessantly as well; no sooner was the receiver put down here than someone had to be greeted over there. Yu Wan secretly told Chen Chuan that Nian Fuli was slated for a promotion to captain after the holiday. Chen Chuan had a moment of realization—no wonder Nian Fuli had looked so radiant these past few days. He couldn't help recalling Wei Chang'an mentioning that Wei Laohu had been in a foul mood lately. Could that have been the reason? Among the incoming phone calls, quite a few were for Chen Chuan. Feng Xiaoqi was the first to call with holiday greetings, followed in turn by Ding Jiao, Luo Kaiyuan, and Wei Chang'an, who also thanked him for his New Year's cards. From the first to the fourth day of the New Year, Chen Chuan, just like in previous years, accompanied Nian Fuli and Yu Wan to visit neighbors and close relatives and friends. He had originally planned to visit Yu Gang, but learned from Nian Fuli that Yu Gang had already joined the Iron Chain Gang and was no longer at his old place. Not knowing his current whereabouts, Chen Chuan was unable to go. On the fifth day, Nian Fuli and Yu Wan went out early in the morning, and Chen Chuan received a phone call. A lazy voice came through the line: "Cousin, are you there? I'm at the entrance of the alley. You people still have guards posted even during the New Year?" Chen Chuan smiled and said, "I'll come out to get you." This area was the residential compound for the constabulary. It usually looked like anyone could come and go freely without being stopped, but an unfamiliar face couldn't actually walk in at all; even New Year visitors had to be escorted in by someone known. He walked out of the courtyard and reached the alley entrance to find a tall, slender youth leaning against a silver-gray sedan. Wearing gold-rimmed glasses and sporting parted hair, he carried a lazy smile on his face. He wore a thick brown suit and a dark blue patterned tie. Although he was undeniably handsome, his slightly narrow, elongated eyes lent him the air of a refined scoundrel. Seeing him, the youth straightened up and waved. "Cousin." Chen Chuan nodded with a smile. "Gao Ming." He gestured, "Don't just stand there. Come on in." "Hey, there's stuff in the back! Help me carry it." Chen Chuan walked over, waited for Gao Ming to pop open the trunk, and carried the items toward the house. Seeing him hoist everything up with one hand while remaining completely at ease, Gao Ming couldn't help feeling a bit envious. He sighed, "Wuyi students really are something else." Chen Chuan merely smiled. Once the two entered the house, Gao Ming glanced around. "Aunt and Uncle aren't home?" "They've gone out." Gao Ming said, "What bad timing. These past few days my dad and uncle have dragged me all over the place, and I have a case on the sixth, so today was my only free day." Chen Chuan asked, "Want to grab a bite together later?" Hearing this, Gao Ming immediately clutched his stomach. "Ah, spare me! In our line of work, there are too many people to deal with during the New Year. Eating eight meals a day—I'm about to throw up." Chen Chuan smiled. "Fine, I won't force you." He and Gao Ming were both relatives and classmates who had grown up together, and their relationship had always been good, so they spoke to each other very casually. Gao Ming then asked curiously, "Cousin, how did you get into Wuyi College? I remember you barely trained before." Chen Chuan thought about it and offered an explanation: "I suppose I have talent. The instructors at school call it a gift and say only a few people have it." Gao Ming thought that was quite plausible; he remembered that when they got into fights as kids, Chen Chuan really was the toughest. He joked, "Since you're a Class A student, Cousin, you have boundless prospects ahead. Placing a bet on you would be a great investment." "Are you sure it's a good investment?" Chen Chuan smiled, adding meaningfully, "If you want to invest, it might cost a lot, and you might not receive a shred of return." Gao Ming froze. He pushed up his glasses and stared at him for a moment, his expression turning solemn. A bit uncertainly, he ventured, "Cousin, are you aiming... to test into Center City?" Chen Chuan looked at him. This cousin had always been sharp; from just one sentence and the little information previously dropped, he had already deduced his intention. He admitted frankly, "Yes, that's my plan. But relying on myself alone isn't enough; I need support on multiple fronts. So this time, I also wanted to discuss the possibilities with you and see whether you're willing to take on this business." Hearing his answer, Gao Ming showed a flicker of surprise, but far more excitement. He took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and said, "Cousin, that's a massive challenge." By the time he put his glasses back on, his eyes were gleaming, his voice brimming with keen interest as he said in all seriousness, "Cousin, I need to know your current social connections at school, who can help you, who you can absolutely trust, and your current combat strength. Only with all of that can I make a baseline assessment." Chen Chuan nodded. Gao Ming already knew about his family and former classmates, so there was no need to elaborate there. Chen Chuan focused mainly on his interpersonal relationships at Wuyi College, primarily the school administration and Cheng Zitong. None of this was a secret; anyone determined to investigate could find it out. Finally, he recounted his major experiences at school, including wiping out Fang Dawei's gang and resolving urban legends. "And what about your strength?" That was what Gao Ming cared about most. Because whatever plans one had, for a student of Wuyi College, everything ultimately came down to the one true measure: martial prowess. "Where does your strength stand right now, Cousin? How do you compare to upper-year students at Wuyi? How wide is the gap?" Chen Chuan pondered for a moment. "I don't know exactly how strong the upper-year Class A students are, but put it this way: armed, and assuming it isn't a group melee, even some of the regular trainers and instructors at the academy wouldn't be able to beat me." He did not say this out of arrogance. Provided opponents knew nothing of his Second Self, in a life-or-death fight with weapons drawn, he could completely rely on trading injury for injury. Unless those instructors were far superior in reflexes and speed, it would be decided in a single blade stroke. Gao Ming's eyes shone brightly. He marveled, "Cousin, you've handed me one massive New Year's gift." He took a deep breath. "Looks like I'll have to stay a few extra days." Chen Chuan smiled. "Don't you have business over the next couple of days?" Gao Ming reached up, loosened and pulled off his tie, threw it onto the table, and said crisply, "Not going. What could possibly be more important than this right now?" Mi's Law Firm had business dealings with Wuyi College. Ever since learning Chen Chuan had tested into Wuyi, Gao Ming had paid close attention to affairs in that sphere. Now, hearing Chen Chuan's account and judging by what he himself had encountered, Chen Chuan already met some of the baseline requirements for heading to Center City; he was merely lacking a few key pieces. That was fine, though. Those were gaps that could be bridged and maneuvered around. If he could propel an ordinary person without a powerful background into Center City, and succeed, one could only imagine how he would make an instant splash in the legal profession. Moreover, business aside, having a cousin who made it into Wuyi College in Center City would be an immense boost to his own career. He thought it through. "I'll put together a detailed proposal for you, Cousin, and help you analyze what situations you'll need to avoid or confront when the time comes. But I might need to make a trip back to the firm to look up relevant files on the matter." Chen Chuan said, "There's no rush on that. But there is an immediate matter I need your help with. I need to sign an interim agreement with a commission firm, and I need your assistance." "A piece of cake." Gao Ming agreed without hesitation. After asking about the commission firm's situation, an interested look surfaced on his face again. "Cousin, maybe this is a company we should engage with more closely."