Exquisite dishes were brought out one after another. Since they had taken into account that Chen Chuan was a martial artist, the food and drink prepared for this reception were rather special.
All the ingredients used to entertain him were provided by the Progenitor Company and carefully prepared by a martial artist who specialized in the culinary arts.
Chen Chuan sampled the food slowly. These dishes appeared to have been cooked with painstaking care, and the ingredients were of exceptionally high quality. Compared to what he had gathered in the past, only the very best could rival them, and even then, what he tasted before him had a superior mouthfeel.
This was because the meal combined a variety of complementary ingredients and incorporated seasonings that only martial artists could appreciate. These things were likewise of immense nutritional value.
He estimated to himself that just eating this one meal was enough to sustain him through a high-intensity battle.
This was something only a power controlling vast resources from the Confluence could provide.
Considering that the Progenitor Company alone held Titlan-Heimer State, one of the five great states of the Federation, governed nearly a sixth of the Federation's domestic population, and that the company's entire upper echelon consisted of non-Federation nationals, Chen Chuan realized that if he were in the Federation's high command, he would certainly be unable to sit still as well.
It was only because the Gao family possessed overwhelming martial force that they could temporarily stabilize this state of affairs. If conflict were to break out, the resulting devastation would be unimaginable; prior to the arrival of the Great Impact, the Federation simply could not afford such a loss.
Yet what about after the Great Impact? Or what if the situation shifted before then?
The information and resources the Gao family could obtain were undoubtedly far greater than his own.
He could not help but wonder: could the current negotiations between Great Shun and the Federation be connected to the Progenitor Company or the Gao family?
Upholding old-fashioned etiquette, Gao Xinjian did not speak while dining, while Gao Yueying stood nearby, pouring drinks for them.
Only after the meal concluded did Gao Xinjian speak. "Is Section Chief Chen satisfied?"
Chen Chuan nodded. "Thank you for the hospitality, Mr. Gao."
Gao Xinjian smiled. "It is I who should thank Section Chief Chen for attending today."
Once the tableware was cleared away and two cups of tea were served, he said, "I have also prepared a meeting gift for Section Chief Chen."
Gao Yueying then picked up the case set aside, placed it on a low table nearby, and opened it to reveal a black lacquered box within.
"This is a modest token of my regard. Please rest assured, it is not anything of extraordinary value, merely a little trinket with a rather special function."
Chen Chuan glanced at it and said, "Then I shall accept it."
The smile on Gao Xinjian's face deepened.
Next, the two conversed freely while sipping their tea, touching upon everything from the current international landscape to technological innovations, the influence of martial artists, and the prospective impact of the approaching Great Impact.
As the helmsman of the Progenitor Company, Gao Xinjian possessed information channels and insights far beyond the reach of ordinary people. From him, Chen Chuan learned quite a bit of insider news that had previously been difficult to acquire.
Gao Yueying tilted her head slightly at this moment, as if receiving a transmission. She looked toward Gao Xinjian, who said, "Section Chief Chen, my apologies. I have a meeting to attend this afternoon, so I can only entertain you this far."
Chen Chuan nodded. "I have been out for quite a while; it is about time I return as well."
Gao Xinjian then said, "Section Chief Chen, the Progenitor Company holds a fair bit of influence here in the Federation. If you encounter any trouble, you may come find me. Also—" He gave a solemn warning. "Section Chief Chen, beware the Primitive Sect."
Chen Chuan looked at him and nodded.
He stood up, declined Gao Yueying's escort, took the case from her hands, bade farewell, and turned to descend the pillared stairs, departing from the hall.
Gao Xinjian watched his retreating figure and remained seated without moving, though a complex mixture of emotions showed deep in his eyes—both a touch of gratification, and a measure of worry and vigilance.
He spoke then: "Yueying, if I were to send you to Xinwen, how do you think he would treat you?"
Gao Yueying gave a concise, two-word reply: "Destruction."
Gao Xinjian murmured an acknowledgment. Lowering his gaze, he picked up the teacup before him and took a sip.
Just then, a figure abruptly materialized. The newcomer glanced at the two teacups still resting on the tea table, nodded toward Gao Xinjian, and said, "Boss, I have inspected the meeting venue. Everything is in order."
Gao Xinjian said, "Thank you for your hard work, Boqing."
Xiang Boqing said, "You are too polite, Boss. It is my duty."
Gao Xinjian set down his teacup, rose slowly, glanced at Xiang Boqing, and then looked forward. "Then let us be off."
Chen Chuan returned to the car. As the vehicle drove back, he fell into contemplation.
Gao Xinjian's invitation had seemingly been made merely to discuss Progenitor's business expansion in Jibei Dao, but considering what had been in the memory potion, the man had likely wanted to verify a certain matter.
This was only an initial meeting; there would surely be further contact and probing in the future.
Moreover, through all of this, Gao Xinjian had been attempting to draw closer and ease the relationship between Chen Chuan and Progenitor. This indicated that Gao Xinjian harbored an inclination in his heart, or perhaps hoped that matters would unfold as he envisioned.
Chen Chuan's gaze turned profound. In that case, he could clearly define his upcoming objective.
One had to recognize that behind a global mega-corporation like the Progenitor Company, there were undoubtedly entities of higher limits. That was the true foundation that allowed it to endure to this day. Given his current power, attempting to confront the entire Progenitor Company was beyond him; he would need to find ways to amass greater strength and wait for an opportune moment.
However, if it were merely confronting a certain faction within it, he was confident he could manage, and he would not need to wait that long.
Regardless, from today's meeting, he had already learned what he wished to confirm.
He reached into his overcoat and took out the vial of red potion. His cold, sharp brows and eyes were reflected in the glass. After gazing at it for a moment, he considered it and put it back.
Upon returning to Red Rock Villa and entering his room, he patted Chaoming, who came nuzzling up against him. Then, walking over to the side, he took the lacquered box out of the carrying case.
Opening it, he recognized at a glance that what lay inside was a relic.
Yet this relic had been fashioned into the likeness of a black card, remarkably reminiscent of the recommendation card his parents of this life had left behind.
He looked at it with calm, profound eyes. Gao Xinjian presenting him with this object seemed intensely meaningful.
However, this only served to corroborate his earlier assessment.
He reached out, picked up the item, and examined it, discovering that it was actually a second-class relic. As for its function—he waved his hand slightly, and a figure identical to himself appeared not far away. The phantom was so lifelike that anyone other than Chen Chuan himself would have found it hard to tell apart from the real thing.
Furthermore, he could sense that if he spoke, the figure would utter the corresponding words.
However, if it exceeded the range of his own perception, flaws would easily become apparent to an observer. No wonder Gao Xinjian had described it as merely a little trinket.
Even so, Chen Chuan thought of far more. The advantage of this thing lay in the fact that even martial artists of a higher limit than himself would likely struggle to tell real from fake at a glance. Furthermore, the boundary across which his spirit and field could transmit was hardly inferior to theirs. Under these conditions, the operational possibilities were manifold; in a single instant, numerous tactical applications flashed through his mind.
Thus, the intrinsic quality of the object was secondary; what mattered was how it was utilized, and into whose hands it fell.
After a moment's thought, he stowed the card inside his overcoat.
While he was meeting with Gao Xinjian, a strategy group under the Federation's Department of Analysis and Countermeasures was in session within the Federal Administrative District.
In order to ascertain Chen Chuan's exact condition, the Primitive Sect had not openly stepped forward to plan this time, but had instead entrusted the formulation of the scheme to this group.
Although the sect had members who handled such matters, they lacked the professional expertise of the Federation. This way, they could make full use of federal resources to accomplish the task.
Upon receiving the mission, the members of the strategy group felt immense excitement, but at the same time, immense pressure.
This was because their target was an extraordinarily dangerous martial artist of immense combat capability, and an important member of a diplomatic delegation to boot. The slightest misstep would not only lead to the plan's failure, but could also drag them down with it.
Yet sometimes, combat prowess did not account for everything. As long as the target was still human and active in the world, there were always exploitable loopholes to be found.
Originally, they had intended to execute the plan at Dome Sword Academy. However, they subsequently received the delegation's itinerary and discovered that Chen Chuan had no intention of venturing out; he had rejected almost every invitation.
Someone suggested whether they could artificially manufacture a fissure tailored to his identity as a member of the Purist Faction, thereby luring him there to carry out the operation.
This proposal was swiftly rejected. While it appeared feasible on the surface, the practical execution was far too convoluted. The more complex a plan, the more moving parts it required, and the more uncertain the outcome became.
After much discussion and study, they ultimately decided to stage the operation during the diplomatic exchange convention that the target could not afford to miss.
Once the decision was finalized, the lead coordinator said, "Submit an application to higher authority. We need 'Eros' to help us refine the details and process."
"Eros" was an active conscious entity belonging to the Department of Analysis and Countermeasures. Most of the funding for its creation had been provided by the Primitive Sect, so in theory, the Primitive Sect held certain rights of usage.
In practice, however, the Primitive Sect had been the sole user of this active consciousness up to the present day, while all maintenance costs, high-energy nutrients, and security systems were borne entirely by the federal government—because nominally, it was still considered a federal asset.
Once submitted, the application was swiftly approved. They transmitted their preliminary draft of the plan to Eros. After waiting several minutes, a complete and exhaustive plan was delivered into their hands.
The lead coordinator looked it over, then distributed it for everyone to review. He said, "Eros has considered things very thoroughly, filling in several points we had overlooked. We still somewhat underestimated the acute perception of a martial artist.
"Right, let us proceed with this. Transmit this plan to the operations division."
Chapter 1189