On October 7th, the day after Chen Chuan entered Zhongjing, Commissioner Xiao arrived at the Ziying Pavilion early in the morning to receive him.
This time, the Department of National Security dispatched an official car along with a substantial security detail. Traffic control had been established along their route in advance to ensure there would be no repeat of yesterday's delay.
Whenever Zhongjing administrative officials, public figures, or corporate executives passed near this corridor, their boundary credentials displayed an official notice informing them who was riding in the motorcade and what rank he held.
Only then did they learn that the man inside the advancing motorcade was the newly appointed administrative commissioner of the Department of National Security.
Chen Chuan's article endorsing the Skyline project had caused a massive stir in the outlying regions, where local outlets had even publicized his résumé. Zhongjing's press, by contrast, had remained relatively restrained, focusing strictly on the issue itself without going into detail about Chen Chuan as an individual.
As a result, many of Zhongjing's mid- and low-level officials and prominent social figures had not yet connected the man to the piece. Now, inquiries into his background and origin began flying in every direction.
To conduct business in Zhongjing, the most vital thing was knowing which circles people belonged to and who answered to whom—all the more so when dealing with someone so young who had secured a high post in an agency with as much actual authority as the Department of National Security.
Thanks to the cleared roads, the security motorcade reached the Department of National Security in less than half an hour.
The Department of National Security stood at the western end of the State Affairs Tianyuan Hall Administration. From a distance, the administrative headquarters looked like a massive, slightly sloping off-white dam rising straight from the earth.
Three ramps jutted out nearly a thousand meters to both the left and right. In Great Shun, these were known as the Wing-Guarding Ramps, symbolizing "Guarding the East Continent." It was an intensely martial structure, defined by both stark utility and sheer majesty.
The walkway before the building was wide and immaculate, laid out along severe geometric lines. A row of flags flew high above the entrance, while armed guards and vehicles maintained constant patrols, lending the grounds an air of solemn, rigid discipline.
The official car rolled across the plaza and turned onto the driveway leading to the main entrance. Flanking guards in full kit snapped salutes as it passed.
Chen Chuan glanced across the plaza toward a fortress-like structure on the opposite side. Its roofline rose slightly higher than the rest, its exterior a blend of glass curtain walls and heavy stone slabs that mirrored the daylight and drifting clouds.
That was one wing of the Government Military complex, separated from the Department of National Security only by the vast expanse of the plaza.
The car eased to a stop before the main building, and a guard immediately jogged forward to open the door.
Chen Chuan stepped out and found himself facing an enormous relief monument directly ahead. Carved into its surface were eight imposing characters: "Secure the Nation and Settle the People, Defend the Altars of State." The strokes were heavy and commanding, carrying a formidable presence.
Commissioner Xiao stepped out after him and said, "Those eight words were written by the second Chief Administrator, Tan Guangyan, in his own hand. He was also our department's very first minister."
Chen Chuan studied the calligraphy. He could tell the man had possessed a martial artist's foundation, though he had never broken his limits. Then again, had he reached that tier, he likely would never have been permitted to sit in such an administrative chair in the first place.
"Commissioner, shall we head in?"
Chen Chuan nodded and walked inside with him.
The broad flight of stairs before the entrance comprised thirty-six steps in total, divided by two landings. As the two men climbed, Chen Chuan noticed armed sentries in crisp uniforms posted every few steps on either side.
At the top was the main entrance, flanked on both sides by two staff entry corridors. Every checkpoint was staffed by security personnel, and numbers of people could be seen filing in and out.
Everyone maintained an orderly distance from one another. No one spoke or even whispered. It was a picture of disciplined precision.
Under Commissioner Xiao's escort and the reverent gazes of the staff to either side, Chen Chuan passed through the wide main entrance into the grand hall.
The moment he stepped inside, a rich yet solemn voice spoke near his ear:
"Greetings, Commissioner Chen. I am Shenyu, an active conscious entity of the Department of National Security. Welcome to your post at the department. Please proceed to the central counter ahead to complete your onboarding formalities."
Commissioner Xiao took a half-step aside and gestured toward the center.
Chen Chuan walked to the middle of the hall, where a field screen flickered into view above a sloped metal pedestal.
Following Shenyu's prompts, he drew out his identity card and set it atop the pedestal.
Lines of information immediately streamed before his eyes, showing that the title of administrative commissioner on his profile had been updated to "In Office."
"Commissioner Chen, your physical credential is currently being fabricated. Pursuant to department regulations, you have been temporarily granted Level 2 security clearance and Level 2 active conscious entity access permissions. If there is anything you require clarification on, you may ask me at any time."
Chen Chuan retrieved the card that had represented his post as Chief of the Jibei Dao Security Department. With his records updated, the item was now nothing more than a keepsake.
As he walked back, Commissioner Xiao smiled and said, "Congratulations, Commissioner Chen."
Chen Chuan replied, "Thank you for all your help along the way, Commissioner Xiao."
Commissioner Xiao bowed slightly. "Think nothing of it. I have done very little. Having spent many years here, I know a fair bit about how things work around the department. If there is ever anything you wish to understand, Commissioner Chen, I would be more than happy to offer my counsel."
Chen Chuan smiled. "Then I shall thank you in advance, Commissioner Xiao."
Commissioner Xiao shook his hand once more. "I still have a few matters to attend to. Commissioner Chen, I will take my leave for now."
"Of course. Please, carry on."
After parting ways with him, Chen Chuan followed Shenyu's guidance toward the office assigned to him.
Along the way, he reviewed the department's mandate. The department was primarily responsible for the overall coordination of national security affairs, both domestic and foreign.
It oversaw or directly administered more than a dozen key institutions, including the National Disposal General Bureau, the National Constabulary Headquarters, the Zhongjing Inspection Office, and the Active Conscious Entity and Resonance Administration. It was unquestionably one of the most powerful executive arms of the Great Shun state.
Alongside the Great Shun Military Department and the National Defense Headquarters, it was one of the nation's three primary violence apparatuses.
Naturally, while the Wuyi Main Academy was nominally co-managed by the Defense Headquarters and the Security Department, it remained largely independent and held an even more elevated standing. In particular, the academy's principal almost invariably held a concurrent seat on the Supreme Security Advisory Board.
With Chen Chuan now included, the department had eight administrative commissioners in office, though only three held true executive power. Of the previous seven, four were martial artists: three from the Longevity View, and one from the Dongxuan View. With his arrival, there were now two Dongxuan View martial artists among them.
And those were only the administrative commissioners. The total number of upper-tier martial artists held by the Department of National Security did not end there.
He noted that any martial artist in the department who reached the Longevity View was generally assigned critical political and military duties, primarily assisting in the defense of Zhongjing and participating in the protection of the four surrounding central cities.
There was also one other Dongxuan View martial artist deployed in the field, whose role was designated for responding to contingencies and sudden crises, answering exclusively to the minister.
Yet martial prowess aside, while these individuals enjoyed no shortage of benefits, their administrative ranks were not particularly high. In this department, holding a senior post generally required substantial demonstrable merit.
As Chen Chuan reviewed the data, Shenyu reminded him that entering the dedicated elevator ahead would take him directly to his office.
Gathering his focus, he stepped into the elevator.
***
Meanwhile, inside the minister's office, Minister He Shugang was on the telephone.
Commissioner Xiao waited outside until the call concluded. When the secretary opened the door for him, he walked in and bowed slightly. "Minister, Commissioner Chen has completed his onboarding formalities. Would you care to see him?"
He Shugang glanced at his wristwatch. "Not today. I have an important meeting in twenty minutes. By the way..."
He pointed toward a file resting on the corner of his desk. "Take this file to Commissioner Chen and ask for his thoughts."
"Understood, Minister."
Commissioner Xiao stepped forward to take it. The moment he held it in his hands and caught sight of the case number, his heart skipped a beat.
He was intimately familiar with the department's operations, and one look at the number told him this was the Mount Jie urban legend.
This was an anomaly passed down from antiquity. It was not that no one had ever tried to resolve it; rather, each time it was suppressed, it resurfaced, and every return proved far more troublesome and dangerous than the last.
He could not help wondering about the minister's purpose in handing this over to Chen Chuan. Did he intend for Commissioner Chen to resolve it?
That was making things deliberately difficult.
And the minister's attitude, it seemed—
Lost in thought, Xiao stepped out of the minister's office and walked down the corridor.
"Commissioner Xiao, a moment, please."
Xiao halted and looked over to see Deputy Minister Ren's confidential secretary. He forced a smile. "Secretary Pei? Is there something I can do for you?"
Secretary Pei offered a polite smile. "Minister Ren has a few questions for you, if you have a moment, Commissioner Xiao."
"Of course, of course."
Maintaining his smile, Xiao followed Secretary Pei into the deputy minister's office. A square-jawed, dignified man sat behind the desk, reviewing documents.
As Xiao entered, the man lifted his head, his sharp gaze cutting toward the document pouch tucked under Xiao's arm. Capping his fountain pen, he leaned back against his chair and said, "What is that? Let me see it."
"Ah, certainly, certainly." Xiao groaned inwardly, but kept the smile plastered on his face as he laid the folder on the desk. "The minister asked me to hand this to the newly arrived Commissioner Chen, likely to see what arrangements might be made."
Deputy Minister Ren picked it up, checked the number, and said, "Case 445, Mount Jie anomaly. If I recall, this was a case the Esoteric Cult Examination Bureau asked our department to assist with. It should have been handled back in September. Why is it only being brought out now?"
Xiao offered an apologetic smile. "The minister has always handled the overall coordination on this matter. He likely has his own considerations."
Deputy Minister Ren gave no indication of whether he agreed. "Have you spoken with Commissioner Chen about it yet?"
"Not yet, Minister Ren."
Deputy Minister Ren said, "I will speak with him myself. Leave the file here. You may go." With that, he set the folder aside.
"This..."
Seeing that Ren was no longer paying him any attention, Xiao hesitated, but having no other choice, he turned and took his leave.
The moment he stepped out the door, he reported the encounter to He Shugang. The only response from the other end was a curt "Understood," after which the call clicked dead.
Once Commissioner Xiao was gone, Deputy Minister Ren finished signing another document. He leaned back in his chair, considered the matter for a moment, and tapped his boundary credential.
"Commissioner Chen, this is Ren Xinshan. If you have a moment, please come by my office."
Chapter 1362