Three days later, Chen Chuan returned to Jibei Dao.
He arrived home right around evening. After dinner, he spoke with Nian Fuli and his aunt, letting them know he would likely head to Zhongjing within a month or two to take up a new post.
However, it was already September, so going there now would mostly be about familiarizing himself with the situation and handling procedural matters; his formal assumption of duty would not occur until the coming year.
Yu Wan asked, "Chan'er, has Zhongjing still not joined the Skyline?"
"No," Chen Chuan replied. "If Zhongjing does join, it will probably be later on."
If Zhongjing joined the Skyline, it would represent a formal stance taken by the Great Shun government. Precisely because the upper leadership still held differing views on the matter, a resolution would definitely not emerge so quickly.
Even so, once he went to serve in Zhongjing, he would certainly do everything in his power to push the matter forward.
Nian Fuli said, "You taking an appointment in Zhongjing is a fine thing, Chuan. Head on over without worry. There's nothing to fret about at home right now; your aunt and I can take good care of ourselves."
Chen Chuan nodded, then said, "Uncle, there are a few things regarding city patrols I wanted to ask you about."
Nian Fuli glanced at him, then at his wife, and said, "Oh! It just so happens I've put together some files, waiting for whenever you might want to look them over. They're out in my car. Let me go grab them."
Yu Wan said, "Lao Nian, the night breeze is brisk tonight. Let me get you a coat."
Once Nian Fuli slipped on the coat, he walked out toward the garage. Neither of them went inside, however, choosing instead to stand outside.
Facing the night wind, Nian Fuli pulled his coat a bit tighter. "Chuan, you have something you want to give your uncle a heads-up about, don't you? Go ahead, speak your mind."
Chen Chuan smiled faintly. "Uncle saw right through it?"
"You never used to ask about such things," Nian Fuli said. "If you wanted to know, you'd pull the records directly. What's this really about?" He felt a touch puzzled as well. Given the high position Chen Chuan held now, anything that warranted Chen Chuan giving a special personal warning was bound to be no minor matter.
Chen Chuan said, "Uncle, shifts in the world may be right before our eyes. There might be visible signs within the coming year."
"Shifts in the world?" Nian Fuli's heart tightened slightly. "You mean... the thing you mentioned—"
Chen Chuan nodded.
Nian Fuli muttered, "So fast..." Subconsciously, he patted his pockets and drew out a cigarette pack, finding that his wife had deliberately left a single cigarette inside. He pulled it out, felt around again, and realized he didn't have his lighter on him.
Chen Chuan cast a glance at the cigarette, and an ember instantly flared to life at its tip in the night.
Nian Fuli paused, looking at Chen Chuan. Although he had long known that martial artists were unlike ordinary people, Chen Chuan never displayed much difference from regular folk in daily life, so he had never felt anything particularly striking.
He could certainly sense the awe his colleagues felt toward him on Chen Chuan's account, but right now, feeling that rising scent of smoke gave him a direct, tangible impression of that difference.
He pinched the cigarette and took a drag. "We can make it through, right?"
Chen Chuan said, "Don't worry too much, Uncle. Governments all across the world have been making preparations for this all along, and we are preparing for it as well."
"Mm, that's good to hear. Your uncle trusts you."
They chatted outside for a while longer, and after that single cigarette was finished, they headed back indoors.
Chen Chuan returned to his study and tapped his boundary credential. As the field screen appeared, he logged onto the Wuyi Academy portal to check and saw that Chen Xiaojin's assessment had concluded with a successful pass.
Using his authority, he immediately pulled up the recording to watch.
Chen Xiaojin's performance in finally passing the evaluation differed from what Chen Chuan had seen before. The boy's strikes and application of power had become steadier, and what he displayed was even better than during training.
This was actually quite normal. A person's state had its peaks and valleys; the Yun Kui rendered in the simulation was always at its peak, a circumstance that was virtually impossible in real life, so Chen Xiaojin was actually able to perform with greater brilliance.
Chen Chuan also noticed that Chen Xiaojin had not rested on his prior successes by remaining passive; rather, he had made exceptionally bold attempts. This was another of Chen Xiaojin's virtues: once he stepped into the ring, he never held back, daring to forge ahead and fight with all he had.
This was not recklessness, but a steadfast faith in his own strength.
Some people, upon stepping onto the stage, could not even bring out a tenth of their true capability, while others entered an even sharper state of mind. Chen Xiaojin clearly belonged to the latter group.
After watching for a while, Chen Chuan sent Chen Xiaojin a congratulatory message, letting him know that he would visit Wuyi Academy in a couple of days to check on his lessons.
While browsing the Wuyi portal, he also received updates regarding the tournament, along with greetings from several organizers.
He was already an invited guest of honor, but when the time came, he would only need to spare a few days for the more important matches, such as the semifinals or finals; it would not consume much of his time.
In truth, he estimated that even after becoming an administrative commissioner, he would not be overly swamped. In this day and age, many decisions and information analyses could be handled by active conscious entities, leaving primarily the review and execution tiers still in need of human hands.
Unless domestic or foreign security incidents involved particularly severe situations, there would hardly be many matters requiring an appearance by someone at his level.
After browsing through the updates for a bit, he washed up and went to the training room to ponder his upcoming cultivation and various secret art techniques.
The next day, he set out for the security bureau office building. He would soon be stepping down from this post, so certain arrangements could already be set in motion.
Before his departure, he had the prerogative to recommend a successor for the director's seat. If he were to name the candidate he favored most, it would unquestionably be Xu Chan.
Yet over the past year, although Xu Chan had earned plenty of merits, they were still not enough to place him in this seat—especially with the former imperial household having retreated, which left hardly any opportunities to build up merit in the convergence zone.
To be frank, Chen Chuan had not anticipated leaving so soon either, so he had originally intended to transition things gradually.
As matters stood, he would rather pick someone steady, even if slightly lacking in capability, over someone who might drag things down.
After some thought, he first dispatched a telegram to the convergence zone, then sat at his desk reviewing documents.
Roughly half an hour later, the telephone on his desk rang. Picking it up, he said, "Chen Chuan speaking."
A steady voice came from the receiver: "Director, this is Xu Chan. Were you looking for me?"
Chen Chuan said, "Yes, Old Xu. Since returning, we haven't had a chance to meet. How are things on your end?"
"Not bad. The convergence zone is quite secure right now. We only need to deal with the occasional stray squad from the former imperial household drifting through, whereas handling medium-sized aberrant creatures is actually the more troublesome part. It isn't nearly as grueling as back when Principal Yao was around, and I even have more time left over to cultivate."
After repelling the former imperial household, vast stretches of the convergence zone had been taken over by Jibei Dao. Xu Chan now had his own exclusive hunting grounds, allowing him to balance work and cultivation without neglecting either.
"I heard you brought your family over?"
Xu Chan replied, "Yes, brought them over six months ago."
Chen Chuan said with a smile, "That was long overdue. It's hard to look after them from so far away."
Xu Chan said, "Director, whenever you have free time, let me invite you over to my home for a meal. My wife's cooking is quite something."
Chen Chuan chuckled. "All right. I definitely won't pass up that meal."
After chatting a bit more about work and daily life, Chen Chuan said, "Recently, I visited our Purist Faction headquarters and learned quite a few things. I obtained a set of materials from headquarters that can be used to train our branch personnel. Within the next month or two, I will likely head to Zhongjing to take up a post. After that, I'll have to trouble you and Old Chang to keep a close eye on things."
Xu Chan had long been mentally prepared for this. Practically every time Chen Chuan carried out an assignment, he delivered astonishing results, and a promotion invariably followed.
The position of security bureau director was currently on par with the governor's office. In Jibei Dao, there was nowhere higher to rise, nor were there any other suitable posts at the local level. That left only one plausible destination: the capital.
He said, "Director, congratulations. I'll make sure the tasks you've assigned are arranged properly, and I'll keep a close watch on the branch as well."
Xu Chan was the person Chen Chuan trusted most. Nodding, he said, "Old Xu, I'll be counting on you then."
After exchanging a few more words, he ended the call.
He resumed reviewing documents. Once finished, he glanced at the flow of vehicles outside the office building and the airships occasionally cruising overhead. After a moment's contemplation, he tapped his boundary credential and logged onto Wansong Company's network.
Walking the path of advancement required considerable external resources. He wanted to see if this company had what he needed.
Judging from the capabilities the company had demonstrated in the past, upper-echelon forces might very well stand behind it, likely bolstered by backing from high-level government figures.
Naturally, what he sought was a grade-one relic. As for high-grade relics, those were materials of absolute strategic caliber; even the five great styles might not be able to produce one on short notice, so he did not expect to find one here.
Yet after browsing for a short while, he found that the platform reached out to contact him proactively. He surmised that because the items he requested were rather exceptional, they had alerted the platform.
He accepted the call, and a woman's voice came through:
"Greetings, Mr. Chen. Wansong Company at your service. We have received your purchase request, and Wansong Company is capable of providing the items you require. However, in view of the extremely high value of these goods, we require face-to-face confirmation. Might we trouble you to make a short trip? The head of our branch would like to speak with you in person."
"The branch head?" Chen Chuan nodded. "Very well. I happen to be free today. The location?"
"Chaocai Lake in Fengde District. We await your esteemed arrival at any time. The exact coordinates will be sent to you as a message once you arrive, so we kindly ask that you keep your communication line open."
Chen Chuan said, "Understood."
Ending the call, he continued working in his office. Once everything was wrapped up, he took his dedicated vehicle out in the afternoon.
He had visited Chaocai Lake many times before and was thoroughly familiar with it. Upon arrival, he sent a message over, and the other party immediately returned a set of positioning coordinates.
Chen Chuan directed the driver to follow the coordinates. Before long, they arrived at a scenic private dock.
From a distance, an elegant umbrella-shaped sunshade could be seen set up at the dock's edge. Two leisure wooden chairs rested beneath the canopy, where a man sat by the lakeshore sipping tea. Beside him, apart from a woman who appeared to be an assistant, stood several security personnel.
Chapter 1355