Undercurrents

At the Wei Estate in the southern part of the city, the butler, his face still bearing bruises, walked through a corridor lined with famous paintings and stepped across the thick carpet to the door of a study. The servant guarding the entrance pushed open one of the doors and whispered, "Butler An, the master is waiting for you." Butler An straightened his clothes and carefully stepped into the tastefully decorated study. He bowed to an elderly man sitting there reading a newspaper. "Master." Wei Hang was nearly ninety years old, yet he was remarkably well-preserved. He still possessed a head of thick, neatly combed black hair, touched with only a slight frost of white at the temples. His face showed no trace of sagging skin, and his jaw sported a meticulously trimmed short beard. Lean and full of vitality, he looked at most forty or fifty. The medications consistently supplied from Center City maintained his physical condition. His expression betrayed neither joy nor anger, offering no hint that he had just lost his youngest son. Slowly setting down the newspaper, he looked up. "You're back. Did you get Xiao Jun's body back?" Butler An bowed his head and said, "The Esoteric Cult Bureau said the cause of death still requires examination, so they need to keep the body with them for a while longer." "Is that so?" Wei Hang said slowly. "Then let it stay with them for a few days. Once this matter is settled, they will return him in one piece." Butler An looked up, somewhat uneasy. "Master, the matter regarding the Two-Faced Cult might not be easy to resolve." Wei Hang said measuredly, "Indeed. Once you get your hands dirty with that sort of thing, it isn't so simple to wash them clean." In the entire abandoned factory incident, the greatest problem lay in the esoteric cult ritual. The government of the Republic of Great Shun was exceedingly sensitive toward cult rituals, which meant the Esoteric Cult Examination Bureau held immense authority and enjoyed independent funding. On top of that, it rarely had any dealings with other departments, making it very difficult to influence. If this accusation stuck and was investigated thoroughly, there would be far too much room for others to exploit. The higher-ups might even use it as an opportunity to shatter the long-standing status quo in Yangzhi City, loosening the high dam the elites had built. Just then, a gust of wind blew in. Though it was summer, he felt a faint chill. He asked, "Old An, is the window open a bit too wide?" Butler An hurriedly said, "Master, I'll close it right away." "Ah, no need to rush. The room is stuffy; a breeze now and then does no harm." "Yes, Master." Wei Hang asked slowly, "Did you get clear results on what I asked you to look into?" Butler An quickly stepped forward two paces, respectfully placing a dossier he had been clutching under his arm onto the desk. "Master, everything is here. It's just... we couldn't find anything about Chen Chuan's parents." "Couldn't find anything?" "His father wasn't originally from Yangzhi City, and his mother left Yangzhi early on, only to later leave her son in the care of her younger sister's family. Everything in between is a complete blank." "Mm. If you couldn't find it, forget it. That's not important." Wei Hang didn't care about that; he only needed to be certain the young man had no backing. "However, we did find one detail worthy of note." Butler An stepped forward, pulled a document from the folder, and presented it. Wei Hang took it, accepted a pair of spectacles from Butler An, put them on, and carefully read the contents. His expression could not help but turn grave. "The young lady of the Meng family is on very good terms with this Chen Chuan?" "Yes. Reportedly, everyone at the academy knows about it. Miss Meng never denied it, and she even wanted to take him with her when she left for Center City, though he declined. Even so, she gave him a name card before leaving. Many people witnessed it firsthand, so the information is confirmed to be true." Wei Hang pondered for a long moment before speaking slowly. "This student must die. Otherwise, our families will no longer have a foothold in Yangzhi, and that high dam will collapse." He saw the situation clearly. The crux right now was Chen Chuan. As the sole surviving party of the factory incident, the nexus of the conflict, and an essential eyewitness, only his death would allow them to orchestrate the story to their liking and stop the Esoteric Cult Examination Bureau from digging any deeper. Looking at the swaying branches outside, he said, "If anything comes from the Meng family's side, I will entrust the people from Molan Company to mediate. They won't make trouble for us over a dead man." He glanced at the mantel clock; it was five minutes to seven. Closing his eyes, he leaned back in his chair, resting his mind. Butler An did not dare disturb him, standing there with hands lowered. Five minutes slipped past. Just as the clock began to chime the hour, a servant outside announced, "Master, the guest has arrived." Wei Hang opened his eyes and said, "Old An, my legs have been troubling me. Go receive him in my place." Butler An complied and stepped out. A moment later, a young man wearing the uniform of a corporate employee was ushered in. Only after seeing him did Wei Hang reach for a walking stick and slowly rise from his chair. The young man came before him and smiled. "Greetings, Elder Mr. Wei. Supervisor Luo asked me to pass along his regards." Wei Hang said, "My thanks for his regards. Please, take a seat." The young man sat down to one side, maintaining his smile. "Elder Mr. Wei, Supervisor Luo says he expresses his deep sympathies regarding your youngest son and the other victims." Wei Hang gave a slight bow. The young man continued, "Supervisor Luo said he heard the appeals of his partners, and he promises to help you through this difficult time." Wei Hang's expression relaxed slightly. He said politely, "Please extend my gratitude to Supervisor Luo. In the upcoming Municipal Administration meeting, we will coordinate with your esteemed company to pressure the Municipal Administration and fulfill your demands." The young man smiled and said, "Elder Mr. Wei, the company appreciates your dedication. The supervisor mentioned he will attend in person tomorrow. Well, the supervisor is still waiting for my report, so I shall take my leave now." With that, he stood up. Wei Hang also stood, leaning on his cane. "Please tell Supervisor Luo that the Wei Consortium is his eternal friend and partner." "I will pass the message along. Elder Mr. Wei, please don't trouble yourself to see me off." "Old An, see our guest out on my behalf." The young man left the study, walked out of the estate villa, and made his way to a car parked outside. Opening the door, he slipped in and spoke respectfully to a figure seated in the back: "Supervisor, Wei Hang agreed. They will coordinate with our company going forward." The figure replied, "The death of Wei Hang's son is truly a blessing in disguise. The demands the company has failed to push through for so long might finally be achieved this time." The young man said, "Once these two puzzle pieces fall into place, the company's layout in Yangzhi will be complete." "It's not that simple. As a state-owned enterprise, the water sector under the 'Canghong Grand Canal' is hard to pry open; we can only take it slowly. On the other hand, in the private security sector, this opportunity gives us hope of squeezing Wuyi out of the picture." He gestured. "Drive." The car started up and rolled unhurriedly out of the Wei Estate. Meanwhile, in Quanzhou District, inside the constabulary headquarters, Chen Chuan sat in the middle of a spacious room, flipping through a book. In name, he had been brought in and detained by the constabulary; in reality, he was under heavy protection. Three meals a day were delivered by dedicated staff, and the room lacked no amenities, far surpassing the living conditions of the academy dorms. A knock sounded on the door. He looked up and said, "Come in." The door opened, and Gao Ming walked in. Glancing around, he approached with a smile. "The conditions here look pretty good, Cousin, but I'm afraid you won't be staying here for many days." Chen Chuan set the book aside. "Any news?" Gao Ming sat down across from him. "Before coming over, I learned that an internal hearing held in the name of the Municipal Administration will take place tomorrow, primarily to discuss how to convict you, Cousin." Chen Chuan smiled faintly. "It stirred up the Municipal Administration?" "Yes. I hear quite a few councilors from the Consultative Council will be present. Those influential families see clearly that if they want to dispose of you through legal procedures, they must suppress the people and factions backing you—including Wuyi, including the constabulary, and including the Esoteric Cult Examination Bureau. But none of those departments will simply let themselves be pushed around. So this time, most of the factions in Yangzhi City will be dragged into this mess, willingly or not, and none of them will want to back down." Facing the window, the bright glare reflected off Gao Ming's glasses. He smiled and said, "Each of them has their own interests and demands. How things proceed from here usually won't be up to us to decide. Cousin, you are the center of this storm, yet at the same time, you'll be pushed to the periphery—because whatever you say or do will seem trivial and useless amid this clash of powers." Chen Chuan said slowly, "No, it's still useful." Gao Ming smiled. "Right, useful. So next, we..." The two of them discussed things for a long time, and then Gao Ming left to make his preparations. After his departure, Chen Chuan returned to the desk and picked up the book to continue reading. He appeared completely relaxed, perhaps even more so than back at Wuyi Academy. Not long after dinner that evening, Guan Yuming came by. He sent his deputy outside, and after the door closed, he took a seat and asked, "Cadet Chen, how is it? Are you settling in all right?" Chen Chuan smiled. "Thank you for taking care of me, Director Guan. The accommodations are great, just like being at home. I've even eaten two extra bowls of rice." Guan Yuming chuckled, then grew slightly solemn. "You're not wrong to put it that way—the constabulary is your home. Well, your cousin should have told you about tomorrow?" Chen Chuan nodded. Guan Yuming said, "Don't overthink tomorrow's affair. The constabulary will stand behind you. But you must never overestimate some people's bottom lines. The enemies in the open are nothing to fear; they are always right where you can see them. What you must watch out for are the ones you can't see." Chen Chuan said earnestly, "Thank you, Director Guan. I understand." "Good." Guan Yuming stood up, saying solemnly, "Get some rest early tonight. Only with good rest will you have the energy to deal with them tomorrow. As long as you don't yield yourself, the constabulary will back you all the way." Chen Chuan voiced his thanks and rose to see Guan Yuming out. Meanwhile, outside, the constables beneath the headquarters were also talking about the incident. "Little Chuan did a hell of a job! Wiped out nearly a hundred of them all by himself, and I hear every one of them was a scion of high society. Damn, that's thrilling!" "Fuck yeah, it takes someone from our constabulary family to have that kind of grit!" "What are the higher-ups saying? Are they going to protect Little Chuan?" "No question about it! If we don't even protect our own, how could we convince anyone to follow us in the future? How could the constabulary hold our heads high when we walk outside? Not to mention, we're the ones in the right this time!" At the same time, in the constabulary residential compound, Nian Fuli returned home from the bureau. Yu Wan hurried up to him, full of worry. "How is Chan'er? I heard he's going before the Tribunal tomorrow?" Nian Fuli looked very relaxed and said, "He's fine. The bureau will protect him this time, and Gao Ming is with him right now. That lad Gao Ming has a sharp head on his shoulders; everything should be fine, so set your mind at ease." Yu Wan sighed. "Second Sister was just like that back then, doing so much without making a sound. I'm just afraid Chan'er will walk down her old path." Nian Fuli waved a hand. "All right, don't worry so much. Get a good night's sleep, and we'll know the outcome after tomorrow. Xiao Chuan also has Wuyi Academy behind him. No matter what, he'll be fine." "Mm." After soothing Yu Wan, Nian Fuli walked out into the courtyard alone to smoke. His relaxed demeanor vanished completely, his brow furrowing tight. This time, several dozen scions of power and privilege had died under Chen Chuan's blade. Although the current evidence indicated they were illegally armed and even conducting an esoteric cult ritual—facts that favored Chen Chuan—the matter would hardly blow over so easily. He thought to himself in silence, *This matter... it seems I'll need to send a telegram to Qian'er.*