Firm Resolve Must Carry Forward

Zhan Jiyue took a breath and said to Chen Chuan, "Councilor Chen, I am furious too, but surely you know which matter is more important." Chen Chuan looked at him. "Does Mr. Zhan truly think this matter isn't important?" "I understand," Zhan Jiyue said solemnly. "I believe that if I had encountered this, and if I were in your position, Councilor Chen, I would make the same choice as you. But there is something I must say. Vice Chairman Zhu asked me to remind you that right now, the most important thing is not to make a mistake. Political struggles are different from martial force; there are all sorts of ways to target a person, leaving one with power but no way to exert it. When compromise is called for, one still needs to compromise." Chen Chuan said mildly, "Does one?" Zhan Jiyue paused. Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Zhan, I will head back to the department first." He pushed open the car door and stepped out. The gathering night sky was somewhat dim, the sun having already dipped below the horizon. Yet it would rise again tomorrow. With Chaoming perched on his shoulder, he walked toward the department's main building. "Councilor Chen!" Zhan Jiyue called after him, stepping out of the car as well, and said to him, "Whatever happens, regardless of what decision you make, I personally support you. If there is anything you need me to do, please do not hesitate to ask!" Chen Chuan stopped, turned back, and nodded to him. "Old Zhan, head on back. I will call on you." "All right!" Zhan Jiyue watched as he walked down the avenue of the Security Affairs Department and went inside. After a moment's thought, he walked to the side, opened the door of the car he had arrived in, and after starting it, drove toward the Purist Faction headquarters. He had initially wanted to report this matter to headquarters, since it could affect the upcoming recommendation for the advisory council. But after thinking it over, he felt that now was not the time. If someone at headquarters disapproved of Chen Chuan's actions, he feared it would only create interference for Chen Chuan. Therefore, for now, it was best simply to act as if he knew nothing. Meanwhile, Chen Chuan returned to his office, organized the materials at hand, and retrieved some new information from Shenyu. During this process, however, he discovered that certain numbered files seemed to contain more detailed records, but they were kept in paper archives and required a certain security clearance to access. As an administrative commissioner, requesting them wouldn't be a problem, but considering that doing so would leave a trail—unlike gathering data through his boundary credential, which not even someone at ministerial rank could review at will—he chose not to retrieve them. In any case, what he had before him was sufficient. After compiling everything, he did not use his boundary credential; instead, he picked up the desk telephone and dialed a dedicated line. "Senior Ren, it's me, Chen Chuan. I have a matter I'd like to discuss with you... Yes, all right, I'll be right over." Hanging up the receiver, he put on his peaked cap and stepped outside. The hallway was brightly lit. Looking down through the floor's transparent walls, one could still see busy personnel coming and going. Besides those from his own department, there were government staff from various subordinate bureaus, every single one of them wearing a grave expression and walking in haste. Rather than thinning out compared to daytime, the crowd seemed even larger. Because the Security Affairs Department handled national internal and external security matters, it was staffed twenty-four hours a day, with personnel on standby around the clock and ready to deploy at a moment's notice should an emergency arise. Without a sturdy physique, one could only rely on the department's specialized proprietary implants. When he arrived outside the vice minister's office, Secretary Pei was already waiting. Seeing him, Pei immediately held the door open and bowed slightly. Chen Chuan gave a nod and walked into the office. The boundary credential beside Ren Xinshan's ear was flashing, indicating he was in the middle of a communication. He said to Chen Chuan, "Make yourself at home. There's tea on the table; let me finish up some business here first." Chen Chuan took a seat to the side and waited a moment until Ren Xinshan concluded his call. Looking at him, Ren asked, "The anomaly?" "Yes." "How is it? Do you have a lead?" Chen Chuan nodded. "I've more or less figured it out." Ren Xinshan couldn't help feeling a touch surprised. Such efficiency? He had assumed that even if Chen Chuan possessed the ability to uncover clues about this anomaly, it would still take some time. He hadn't expected results so quickly. In a deep voice, he asked, "Do you have a report?" Chen Chuan tapped his boundary credential, transmitted the compiled materials, and said, "I found that there are also paper archives concerning this matter that may contain more detailed contents. However, considering certain special circumstances, I did not retrieve them." Reviewing the files on screen, Ren Xinshan replied solemnly, "It was wise not to touch them. Some files are left behind intentionally; they seem valuable, but they're bait for someone to look through. The moment you touch them, you tip your hand, and certain people put their guard up." He was very pleased with Chen Chuan. Someone who had risen step by step from below and served as a departmental executive was different from pure fighters; they wouldn't blithely step into traps that were obviously problematic. Maintaining a calm demeanor throughout, he read through all the materials, then looked up and asked, "Commissioner Chen, what do you intend to do?" Chen Chuan looked at him. "In accordance with national law, arrest everyone on the list and conduct a thorough investigation." Ren Xinshan asked, "Has Old Zhan spoken to you about certain matters? Concerning the Supreme Security Advisory Group?" Chen Chuan nodded. "He has." Ren Xinshan said, "Resolving anomalies and mitigating threats to Zhongjing is what the nation requires; therefore, it must be addressed as soon as possible. That is the foremost duty of our Security Affairs Department. "Sitting in these positions, we are here to handle what needs handling. If we can't even take care of what's right in front of us, what would be the point of entering a higher department? "Excuses are always easy to find, and restraints will always exist. If we compromise today, we will compromise tomorrow." At this point, he said heavily, "Certain things must be done by someone, lest we betray the ideals we started with." Chen Chuan nodded slightly. Ren Xinshan asked, "Do you have a specific arrest plan?" Chen Chuan said, "I've already looked into it. Zhu Jiu, the son of Vice Minister of Finance Zhu, has been organizing an arts festival recently, running roughly from mid-November through the end of the year. "Prior to that, he is hosting an awards banquet, just five days from now. Because the guest list for the inner circle might involve high-ranking government officials, it's currently going through certain procedural clearances, so I haven't obtained it yet. But according to Shenyu's analysis, everyone in his social circle will be in attendance, including most of the participants in the Hai Village incident. If possible, I plan to carry out the arrests during the banquet." Ren Xinshan considered this, tapped his boundary credential, and said, "Pull up a copy of the guest list for the Qing Lake awards banquet five days from now." After half a minute, a complete list appeared on his boundary credential. He examined it and forwarded it to Chen Chuan. Chen Chuan looked through it; Shenyu's analysis was spot-on. Most of the targets for arrest were on it. Only one was missing, simply because that person was temporarily away from Zhongjing and unable to attend the banquet. However, as long as the vast majority were apprehended, handling the remaining one would be simple enough. Ren Xinshan said in a deep voice, "Commissioner Chen, I have no doubts about your abilities. This awards banquet involves numerous high-ranking government officials, corporate figures, and social luminaries. When acting, you must control the perimeter carefully and avoid unnecessary entanglement as much as possible. "I can allocate the manpower needed to carry out the arrests, and I will handle any fallout within the department. You don't need to worry about that." Chen Chuan said, "Thank you for your support, Senior Ren." "Commissioner Chen, submit an arrest authorization request to me. Make it a hard copy on paper—you can write it right here." Chen Chuan agreed, picked up pen and paper from a nearby side table, and wrote out the report on the spot. Ren Xinshan waited for him to hand it over, scanned it a few times, and steadily signed his name upon it. Meanwhile, He Shugang was receiving a report from a subordinate. "Minister, Commissioner Chen went to Mount Ru today. He left in the morning and only returned this evening. There doesn't seem to be any activity since he came back." "Understood," He Shugang said. He ended the call, then leaned back in his seat, his index finger tapping rhythmically, his thoughts inscrutable. After returning to his office, Chen Chuan reviewed the relevant materials a little longer before going to rest. The next day, a communication signal came through his boundary credential. Once connected, a solemn, forceful voice sounded from the other end: "Reporting, Commissioner Chen! I am Fang Shucheng, captain of Vice Minister Ren's covert operations unit. I am in command of three squadrons of fifty men each. For the duration of the operation, we are entirely under your command and deployment. You may issue orders to us at any time." Chen Chuan said, "Understood, Captain Fang. Keep communications open and await my orders at all times." "Sir!" After Chen Chuan ended the communication, he received a file containing detailed information about Captain Fang and the unit for operational planning. Because he had arrived at his post alone this time without bringing subordinates, he had to rely on internal personnel from the department. He was considering transferring his personal security detail over after the new year. However, Zhongjing's situation was complex; even if they came, they would need time to acclimate. Still, it was best to have people he could truly rely on by his side. After some thought, he immediately contacted Zhan Jiyue. "Old Zhan, I have a plan. But besides you, I need a few more people." Zhan Jiyue understood his meaning at once and replied decisively, "Rest assured, Councilor. Leave this matter to me." Chen Chuan acknowledged, "Be sure to retrieve what I send you." With that, he ended the call and sent over a numeric cipher; with the Purist Faction's codebook, the exact contents could be decoded. Seeing the confirmation that the message had been received, he reflected that with Zhan Jiyue's cooperation, carrying this out would be much easier. Zhan was one of the few Visage of the Divine martial artists in the Purist Faction, and in circumstances like these, he would be of immense utility—his spirit power could control and influence large groups of people at a moment's notice. As for whether involving outside personnel was permissible, as an administrative commissioner of the department and the operational lead, he certainly possessed that authority. In fact, if not for the risk of leaks, he could have requisitioned far more people through government contracts. He turned to look at the points of light illuminating the plaza outside the department. Reaching out, he took the Xuejun Saber from its rack, drew the blade from its scabbard, and began wiping it down slowly.