Boundaries

The sedan drove out of Quanzhou District in the south of the city, entering Xigang District forty-five minutes later. Packed with abandoned industrial complexes, this area had become a stronghold for numerous gangs and a hub for dealing contraband. As the vehicle rolled over the potholed road, Chen Chuan looked out at the derelict factory buildings. He remembered coming here once with Wei Chang'an while pursuing Tong Qianjiang. For various reasons, they had failed to capture him back then; it was only later, at the sentry fort outside Caijia Stockade, that the gang had finally been dealt with. The car jolted again over a dip in the road, and a faint rustle came from the crate beside him. Chen Chuan reached out and tapped the top. The noise quickly died away. After driving a bit further, the driver eased off the gas and said from the front seat, "Mr. Chen, that up ahead is the Li'an Old Factory, but the road seems to be blocked by barriers." Chen Chuan looked ahead and saw two sections of concrete roadblock. The factory buildings beyond were already in sight. "It's only a few steps away," he said. "I'll get off here." He pushed open the door and stepped out carrying the Xuejun Saber. The driver got out as well, walking around to the other side to help retrieve the crate. Chen Chuan checked his watch. It was 3:45 AM, fifteen minutes before the agreed time. The driver walked over and set the crate down before him. Chen Chuan thanked him, picked up the crate, and set off in that direction, carrying the Xuejun Saber in hand. As he walked down the road, sparse groves of trees lined both sides, interspersed with rustic, weathered benches. The uneven ground beneath his feet was littered with broken branches, fallen leaves, and gravel. Three years ago, had Shen Zheng also walked this very road? And today, he had come here as well. Yet the two of them were not the same. Keeping his eyes fixed forward, he strode ahead with steady, forceful steps. Each pace crunched audibly against the dry leaves as he drew closer to the looming, blackened factory. Around the same time, on National Boulevard on the east side of the city, a black stretch limousine was cruising toward Yangzhi City. From the vehicle's direction, it had clearly come from Center City. A man in his thirties, with embedded wire sutures tracing half of his face, sat in the rear seat as soothing music played from the stereo. He took out a bottle, poured half a glass of an orange beverage, and slowly savored it. As a fighter, he was strictly disciplined, neither drinking alcohol nor smoking. However, Center City's technology had long since perfected drinks that tasted identical to premium liquor, allowing him to enjoy the flavor without the vice. Just then, the car began to slow. Sensing something amiss, he asked, "What's wrong?" The driver replied, "Mr. Chi, ahead..." Mr. Chi looked forward to find a burly figure standing right in the middle of the wide thoroughfare, hair whipping in the wind like a lion's mane. He watched for a moment and murmured to himself, "Looks like I won't make it before four o'clock after all." Setting his glass down, he pushed open the door, stepped out, rotated his joints, and casually strode toward the figure ahead. On the other side of town, Chen Chuan had arrived before the factory. Several luxury sedans were parked outside, their headlights still glaring, accompanied by private security guards standing watch. A man who appeared to be a butler came forward to greet him, wearing an ingratiating smile. "Mr. Chen, I presume?" Chen Chuan replied, "That's me." "Please follow me." The butler gestured ahead. Two security guards slowly hoisted a wide, heavy roller door, instantly revealing a brilliant interior illuminated by clusters of industrial floodlights. Flanking the entrance were two spotlights, their long beams deliberately projecting outward from within as if putting on a show of force. Chen Chuan stood before the high, wide entrance with his saber in hand. Behind him lay the deep, pitch-black night, while ahead shone piercing, dazzling light, as though this single doorway severed two entirely different worlds. The butler extended an inviting hand. "Mr. Chen, after you." Tightening his grip on the Xuejun Saber, Chen Chuan stepped inside. After about seven or eight paces, the roller door behind him rattled slowly downward, finally hitting the ground with a resounding thud. Paying it no mind, he surveyed his surroundings. The interior of the factory was immense. Around three to four meters up, steel-structured platforms built of metal plating and scaffolding lined the perimeter, connected by metal staircases and walkways. Footsteps clattered heavily as people paced back and forth above. Spotlights mounted at the corners of the walkways and on square pillars suddenly snapped on, casting over a dozen beams down upon him. After a moment of thought, Chen Chuan set the crate on the ground, held his saber, and walked forward until he reached the base of one of the platforms. Standing above were members of the Mutual Aid Society. They were immediately recognizable by their custom-tailored Mutual Aid Society attire, embroidered with gold thread and bearing the emblem of two clasped hands. The design resembled the academy's formal uniforms, but far more lavish. Roughly five or six people stood on the platform directly ahead, while muffled whispers drifted from further down both flanks. Aside from them, he could hear dozens of distinct breaths coming from the other platforms and walkways throughout the factory—at least several dozen, perhaps more, likely security guards and personal retainers. This was only natural. Without a sufficient guarantee of safety, these people wouldn't have dared face him at all. Just like now: their lofty position was intended to project dominance and status, but it was just as likely born of fear, a deliberate choice to keep their distance. With heavy thuds, Wei Jun walked up to the metal railing, slapped a hand onto it, and looked down. "Junior Chen, you're quite punctual." Chen Chuan said, "I've never liked being late, so I don't become that kind of person." Wei Jun let out an "oh" and nodded approvingly. "A good habit. No need to waste each other's time. Now that you're here, let's have a proper talk." With Chen Chuan's arrival, the urgency he had felt earlier receded. They had made extensive arrangements for tonight; the factory was surrounded by their men, inside and out. Across Yangzhi City, the various corporations and families had long since mobilized, keeping watch over every faction that might intervene. Any whisper of movement would have reached them immediately. Yet so far, nothing had stirred. Under these circumstances, Chen Chuan had come to the rendezvous alone and walked straight inside. As far as Wei Jun was concerned, the matter was already settled. "Junior Chen, there was never any need for things between us to reach this point. I know what you want, but do you really think that path is easy to walk?" Resting a hand on the steel pipe of the railing, he paced to the side, his fingers drumming against the metal. "I know you obtained the Foreign Affairs Bureau evaluation, and that you'll take the test for an unlimited defense license next, all to secure a spot to Center City. But no matter how hard you strive, that spot will never be yours. Do you know why?" Convinced that victory was already in his grasp, Wei Jun appeared thoroughly relaxed, though beneath that ease lingered an indescribable restlessness. "By the way, you must have heard of Shen Zheng, right?" He suddenly turned back to look at Chen Chuan, then nodded. "It seems you have. You ought to have heard of him. "Back then, he fell on this very path. Do you know where he went wrong? "He crossed the boundary!" At this, Wei Jun jabbed a finger emphatically downward to drive home his point. "He failed to abide by the rules he was supposed to follow. He crossed the line he was never meant to cross, and that is what led to his end!" He wheeled around abruptly and slammed both hands down onto the metal railing. The structure shuddered, dislodging a rain of fine dust. Glaring down at Chen Chuan below, he said, "Now you are heading down that same path. It's dangerous—truly dangerous." He softened his tone slightly. "You don't have to do this. As long as you step back, respect the rules, and conduct yourself by them, we can coexist peacefully. You must realize that if you keep going, what you face won't just be us. The Mutual Aid Society? Ha, hardly..." He raised both hands slowly into the air. "It will be the towering dam erected by the collective upper echelon of Yangzhi." Chen Chuan stood below, watching him. He understood the meaning well enough. This world had a distinct hierarchy. At the absolute center sat Center City, followed by outer cities like Yangzhi, then towns and villages, and finally the wilderness... Each realm formed its own self-contained circle with its own way of surviving, seemingly able to exist without intruding on one another, yet separated by immense chasms. The passage to step up to the next tier was exceedingly narrow, open only to a select few. And those qualified to cross would stop at nothing to suppress anyone who dared contest it with them. So long as one harbored no delusions of reaching a higher tier, made no attempt to break through the boundaries, and remained dutifully in their assigned place, nothing would ever happen to them. Yet the moment someone tried to breach the boundary of those rules, they would be met with crushing suppression from every direction. "We are willing to talk this through with you only because we don't wish to push things that far either," Wei Jun's voice drifted down again. "Junior Jiang invited you to join the Mutual Aid Society twice." He opened his hand, gesturing toward Jiang Wei standing nearby. "Now, I can extend that invitation one more time. "Those tedious conditions can be waived. We won't demand anything of you. Covenants and treaties are meant for mediocre fools; you have no need for them. We can even fund you—provided you simply do not cross that boundary." Chen Chuan merely sneered inwardly. He knew all too well that these so-called terms were nothing more than concessions forced by his strength, an attempt to placate him for the moment. The instant he agreed and laid down his blade, they would find countless ways to unravel and divide his backers, then calmly marshal their forces against him. If he proved obedient, they would turn him into a henchman for the Mutual Aid Society to crush future aspirants who tried to cross that boundary. If he proved defiant, he would meet the exact same end as Shen Zheng. "Since Senior has asked, I can give you a clear answer right now." Chen Chuan said calmly, "I will keep walking this path, and I will walk it to the end. As for those so-called obstacles along the way..." He lifted his head, looking up at Wei Jun and the Mutual Aid Society members, his gaze keen as a blade. "I'll simply clear them all away."