The Old Remnants Still Resist

"...the former imperial household." Chen Chuan's eyes flickered slightly. "Is the government willing to talk with them?" Yao Zhiyi said, "Well, there's no harm in talking. What if they're coming to surrender?" Chen Chuan knew he was joking. The former imperial household would never surrender. Even if they wanted to, the ancient gods backing them and the generational deities they worshipped would not necessarily agree. After all, Great Shun genuinely wanted their heads. The old era had passed. Literal physical religious worship in the open had essentially been purged, leaving only those worshipped deities residing within the convergence zones. Given sufficient capability, every government would certainly eliminate these hidden perils in the convergence zones before the Great Impact arrived. In the entire world, perhaps only the nations on the Ying Continent, including the Federation, did not face much of an issue in this regard. Yao Zhiyi said, "Section Chief Chen, the way I see it, this is the result of Skyline. The former imperial household can't sit still anymore. Over this past year, Longyou Dao and Shannan Dao both joined Skyline. Hedong Dao and Huainan Dao are on the verge of joining as well, and Haixi Dao is practically a sure thing. Uniting just these few Dao for unified military dispatching is enough to run the former imperial household ragged. If Great Shun ever twists into a single solid rope from top to bottom, that will be the end of the former imperial household. That's why they want negotiations. But they might not actually intend to negotiate. In all likelihood, they're just stalling for time—hoping to drag things out until the Great Impact hits, at which point no one will have the leeway to care about them." Chen Chuan agreed with this assessment. Having lost Jibei Dao, the former imperial household had already suffered a military collapse on one front. Though he did not know their exact internal situation, it was certain that the resources and tax revenue at their disposal had drastically diminished, not to mention their losses in personnel and population. They had surely sensed the danger and were forced to seek a breakthrough under mounting military and multifaceted pressure. He asked, "What is the attitude from above right now?" Yao Zhiyi said, "It's not entirely clear yet. However, there is a faction up top voicing opposition to Skyline. Their arguments sound high-minded and dignified—claiming Skyline will drastically alter the established balance among the Central Cities, that colluding across multiple Central Cities will form new interest groups to confront the upper leadership, and that this could provoke civil unrest within the nation and disrupt the overarching order." He sneered. "Unrest? What unrest? To my eyes, the ones spouting that nonsense are the real source of unrest." Chen Chuan knew that while Skyline seemed completely beneficial for the integration of Great Shun, political struggles were never as simple as they appeared on the surface. Otherwise, history would not be littered with instances where things that obviously seemed right were avoided, only for utterly absurd maneuvers to take place instead. In the end, it all boiled down to differences in political philosophy and underlying interests. Skyline's rise inevitably infringed upon the interests of certain groups, so this did not surprise him in the least. The other side was not wrong about severe confrontation; a decisive outcome would inevitably be reached between the two factions, and their side certainly would not take the hits without striking back. He looked up slightly. "Principal Yao, as you know, I have always supported Skyline." Yao Zhiyi said, "We all support it. Someone might come to question you soon. A little over a month ago, I was somewhat worried, but with how you are now, there's no need to pay them much mind. Now that you're back, my mind is completely at ease." Chen Chuan asked, "Did they come to you, Principal Yao?" "They did, and I pushed them right back." Chen Chuan considered this. It seemed that transferring Qi Weizhao to the Capital at this juncture was not just for his original promotion; the opposing faction had likely gone along with the flow to seize the opportunity. Because that created an opening that made it easier to get things done—and it was only through the maneuvering between both factions that Governor Peng was chosen for the post. "Sigh, with all these things piling up, just thinking about it gives me a headache. Forget it, let the higher-ups worry about that. It's out of my hands anyway. Looking at you and Xiao Xu, all I can do is protect your foundation. In a few years, I'll retire just like Old Peng." Chen Chuan smiled. "Principal Yao, you're the pillar of Jibei Dao. None of us can match your experience and insight. The younger generation needs your guidance even more, and the higher-ups won't be willing to let you go." Yao Zhiyi chuckled. "Just cheap labor, that's all." He added, "Section Chief Chen, you're almost there, right?" Chen Chuan glanced outside. They were already quite close to the harbor. He said, "Almost." "Then let's find time to chat again. Recently I found some great ingredients—guaranteed you haven't tasted them before. You just got back, so go home and check on things first. As for matters at the Government Affairs Hall, I don't think there's any rush for the moment." Chen Chuan agreed. After ending the call with Yao Zhiyi, he pondered for a moment and contacted the Security Section. Instead of going to the three deputy section chiefs first, he inquired about the situation from the ordinary administrative staff below before speaking with the three deputies. Essentially, the Security Section had been running normally during his absence. In ordinary times, the Disposal Bureau handled most specific matters, while the Security Section merely provided guidance and coordination. Over the past year, no major security incidents had occurred, and the major corporations within the Central City had been very well-behaved. This was also thanks to Skyline; several Central Cities could now support each other with resources and share intelligence. At the slightest sign of trouble, sufficient machinery of violence could be deployed in response. If nothing else, the timely mutual reinforcement of martial artists among several Central Cities alone was enough to form an immense deterrent. After familiarizing himself with the situation, he summoned his guard team. "Once we return to Jibei Dao shortly, the delegation will be officially disbanded. You have all worked hard over this past year. I am granting you three months of special leave, with full pay as usual." Joy spread across their faces, and some could not help but cheer. It was already September; a three-month leave would take them right to the end of the year—effectively letting them celebrate the New Year holiday as well! Chen Chuan did not make a lengthy speech. After a few brief words, he had the orderly distribute gifts and items received from the Federation to everyone, then directly declared them dismissed. After everyone saluted and departed, the airship entered the mooring tower and came to a steady stop above. The delegation's mission had concluded long ago. Members not belonging to Jibei Dao would rest here for two days before returning to the Capital. Through his boundary credential, Chen Chuan sent word to the delegation's senior leadership, arranging a banquet at Shutianxia two days later. He packed his things and stepped out of the cabin, the orderly following behind with his luggage. Meanwhile, the external implants and various items brought back from the Federation were lowered slowly to the ground via lift platform. Descending from the mooring tower, he boarded the private car sent to pick him up and headed toward Golden Maple Villa. Chaoming was quite large now, so instead of riding in the vehicle, it followed in the sky above. In less than an hour, the car drove into the villa district and stopped in front of his home. He got out and walked inside alone. It was morning and not a rest day, so his younger cousins had gone to school. Only his aunt was home, currently tending to the garden flowers. Many of these flowers were improved varieties he had brought back from the convergence zone. They had longer blooming periods, and now in September, they were in full, vibrant bloom with an array of colors. The miniature parrot he had bought was perched on its stand. Spotting him from afar, it spread its wings and squawked loudly, "Section Chief Chen is back! Section Chief Chen is back!" Yu Wan paused, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Seeing the familiar figure, she cried in pleasant surprise, "Chan'er?" Chen Chuan smiled and walked over. "Aunt, I'm back. Didn't the family receive the telegram?" Yu Wan hurriedly wiped her hands. "We did, but it's all Old Nian's fault—he said you wouldn't arrive until tomorrow or the day after. I never expected you to be back so soon, Chan'er." Chen Chuan said with a smile, "Don't blame Uncle. The delegation's return schedule was confidential, and regulations kept him from being too specific." "It's good that you're back." Yu Wan looked Chen Chuan over carefully. She had thought that after traveling tens of thousands of miles abroad, he would surely have grown thin and tanned. Instead, his skin looked even better, and he appeared more spirited than before. "Chan'er, doing work abroad must have been very difficult, wasn't it? Did you suffer much out there?" Chen Chuan smiled. "Not at all. The team handled all the specific matters. I was merely an invited visitor, so there wasn't much I needed to do. At most, I just exchanged martial arts techniques with people." Yu Wan finally felt relieved. She said, "I'll call Old Nian right away and tell him to come home early today. I'll get to stewing your favorite chicken soup right now, Aunt will make it for you." Chen Chuan said, "Then you'd better tell Xiaomo and Xiaolu to come back early too, or I might drink it all myself." Yu Wan teased, "A grown man like you, still competing with your younger brother and sister?" Chen Chuan said earnestly, "You can't get Aunt's chicken soup abroad. I've been thinking about it all the way back." Yu Wan's face beamed with warmth. Just as she was about to turn around, she suddenly remembered something. "Chan'er, a few days ago, a package was delivered from abroad addressed to you. I remembered what you told me, so I didn't open it and waited for you to handle it when you got back. It's stored in the outer warehouse compartment." Chen Chuan's interest was piqued. He nodded. "All right, Aunt, I understand." After speaking with Yu Wan, he walked to the warehouse alone and retrieved the item from the separate compartment. He untied the outer packaging and checked the label. His brows rose slightly—this had actually been sent by the Progenitor Company. It was a thick, bulging package. The moment he held it, he sensed what it was. Opening it, he found neatly preserved photographs of a young man and woman. They showed his parents in the laboratory and even earlier photos of them together. Looking at the sender's address and name, the parcel had been mailed from North Lailusi, and the sender was surnamed Meng. He suddenly recalled that this was likely the head of the North Lailusi laboratory. When that person had met him back then, he had cast several extra glances at Chen Chuan. It seemed now that this person had shared a close relationship with his parents. After a moment of thought, he put the items away, went upstairs, and set them down. He washed up, changed into fresh clothes, sat down, and began flipping through the photographs one by one.