Molan

Wei Hang's voice rang out, and those present seemed to snap out of their daze, turning their heads toward him. Wei Hang slowly raised his cane and pointed it at Chen Chuan. "This person..." He gestured emphatically with two fingers, glancing left and right. "True, this person holds an unlimited defense license and cannot be convicted of murder. "Yet with a person like this, can you truly rest easy letting him remain in Yangzhi, letting him continue his studies at Wuyi College?" In a stern, heavy voice, he said, "Look at what he has done! Today, he can slaughter thirty-seven fellow students without batting an eye. Tomorrow, he might slaughter even more people. All he needs is a flimsy excuse of legitimate self-defense." At this point, he fixed a piercing gaze on Chen Chuan. "Furthermore, I personally harbor grave doubts regarding his mental state. "How can he stand here spouting nonsense while stained with the blood of countless lives? Does his conscience not feel even the slightest pang of grief or guilt?!" He hammered the cane repeatedly against the floor and shrieked, "Those were thirty-seven innocent lives! Thirty-seven vibrant human beings! "I propose that all of us present sign a joint petition demanding that the Board of Trustees strip this man of his status as a Wuyi Academy student! And I implore the Municipal Administration to issue a decree barring him from residing within the city limits! We cannot allow such a person to threaten the safety of Wuyi students any longer! We cannot allow him to wield his power so brazenly!" Indeed, matters had reached the worst possible pass. They could not deal with Chen Chuan openly through formal proceedings, but the power at their disposal went far beyond that. For instance, they could exploit everyone's fear of him now, using the pretext of an unstable mental state to have him administratively expelled from Yangzhi's urban area, or even expelled from the academy entirely! This course of action stood a very high chance of success. Now that Chen Chuan was alive, all that remained were matters concerning him as an individual. The constabulary, esoteric cult, and disposal bureaus had no grounds whatsoever to intervene. Even if there were some slight opposition and resistance, it would only come from organizations or individuals within those three departments who held favorable attitudes toward Chen Chuan, not a united front of the three powerful agencies. As for whether doing this would infuriate Chen Chuan, provoke a violent backlash, and drive him to do something irrational—or simply launch direct armed retaliation against them—Wei Hang was not concerned in the least. Deep down, he actually hoped Chen Chuan would do just that. Besides, it was not as though they had no means to deal with him. Had He Xiaoxing not been far more difficult to handle in the past? Whatever methods they had used against He Xiaoxing back then could now be used against Chen Chuan. Yet his words alone were not enough. Many people present still feared the unlimited defense license and worried for their personal safety, so a powerful force was needed to guarantee their protection. He glanced at the young man seated beside him. The young man stood up as well, first adjusting his black foreign-style formal suit so everyone could clearly see the blooming black orchid embroidered on his cuff. "Ladies and gentlemen, I fully endorse the words Elder Wei has just spoken. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Zhan Yi, assistant and plenipotentiary representative to Supervisor Luo of the External Operations Department at the Molan Company headquarters in Center City." The moment he announced his identity, the entire hall fell silent, everyone involuntarily turning to look at him. Zhan Yi was well accustomed to such reactions. Looking at Chen Chuan, he spoke with an air of deep regret: "I am profoundly sorry that a student in such an extremely unstable mental state cannot be convicted simply because he holds an unlimited defense license. "However, this does not mean our consciences can condone his deeds, nor can we allow such tragedies to continue occurring. Therefore, representing Molan Company, I make this pledge!" With that, he raised a single finger. "As long as you agree, then starting today, Molan Company's security team will assume responsibility for the safety of everyone present, ensuring you will no longer be affected by potential threats." Hearing these words, the patrician family members, prominent civic figures, and assembly members present showed varying changes in expression, some falling into deep contemplation. Zhan Yi had brought up a problem they were forced to consider: many of the security consultants and teams they hired were graduates of Wuyi. Yet look at the Wuyi Academy students outside the Tribunal—almost all of them stood with Chen Chuan, offering him silent solidarity. Could security consultants who were also Wuyi alumni still guarantee their physical safety? Could the companies and departments closely intertwined with them still trust such people? Several officials from the Disposal Bureau abruptly turned their heads, their cold gazes fixing on Wei Hang and Zhan Yi. They had already realized what these men were trying to do. They intended to squeeze Wuyi out of the security sector and bring the members of the upper-class patrician families entirely into Molan Company's security framework! Yet for the moment, they could think of no countermeasure. Chen Chuan's actions had indeed stirred unease in these people's hearts, and the conduct of the Wuyi students outside was an undeniable fact. On the surface, Molan Company was seizing upon and exploiting this public fear to intervene swiftly and decisively, but this was clearly no spur-of-the-moment impulse; it had been planned well in advance. "Additionally, I have another announcement to make," Zhan Yi said loudly. "Representing Molan Company, I refuse entry to such a student. Furthermore, Molan Company will issue advisory letters to other corporate conglomerates and companies, stating that this student is unwelcome to join them in the future." In the gallery, Guan Yuming, Bureau Director Lei, and the teachers of Wuyi Academy all took on grave expressions. This was an official stance from a corporate conglomerate, carrying immense weight. At first glance, it merely seemed to block Chen Chuan's path to corporate employment, seemingly of little impact. Yet the influence of companies and megacorporations permeated every facet of society, with countless people collaborating with them and depending on them for their livelihood. Once this letter went out, anyone dealing with Chen Chuan in the future would instinctively distance themselves from him and shun him. Zhan Yi smiled faintly. Indeed, they could not target the holder of an unlimited defense license through the law or standard procedure, but they could restrict him through his external environment. Though some of the other conglomerates were Molan's competitors, their stance aligned on this point, as it involved the conflict between corporate power and state authority. Even if a defense license holder could freely hold office in state organs, this world was ruled jointly by the government and the conglomerates. Many ties were not so easily severed. Everything he did would be severely curtailed. Of course, targeting this student was not their primary objective. The real goal was to show everyone present that Molan Company was their true pillar of support, the only one capable of aiding them in moments of crisis. Once all these people were tied to Molan Company's war chariot, the company's deployment in Yangzhi City would be largely complete. Wei Hang slowly sat back down. With the foundation he had just laid, combined with Molan Company's declared stance, expelling Chen Chuan from Wuyi Academy should not be difficult. Once Chen Chuan was severed from Wuyi Academy, many things could be done at a much lower cost. He had already conferred with Zhan Yi: regardless of the outcome today, Molan Company could dispatch dedicated personnel to eliminate Chen Chuan. He glared coldly at Chen Chuan. If procedures could not touch you, then they simply would not bother with procedures. They would first deploy social power, systematically orchestrating your destruction step by step, before finally putting you to death. While ripples were stirred within the hall, an old-fashioned automobile slowly arrived outside the Tribunal. When the door opened, Uncle Yi stepped out. He looked toward the doors of the Tribunal, sighing with emotion. Nearly a year had passed. He remembered that it was around this time last year that he had escorted the young miss out of Yangzhi, promising to find a way to recruit this young man into her service. The time had just about arrived. He had been following Chen Chuan's affairs all along. The moment the abandoned factory incident occurred, he immediately recognized an opportunity to intervene. Chen Chuan had offended far too many patrician families in this affair; relying on himself alone, even with several factions backing him, he would find it difficult to prevail against them. Uncle Yi could step forward at this juncture, using the Meng family's name to suppress all the patrician families of Yangzhi City, thus protecting Chen Chuan or taking him directly to Center City. That way, Chen Chuan would feel their goodwill, and Yangzhi City's patrician families could accept the outcome—a solution that served both sides. Once the security personnel behind him assembled, he ascended the steps to the terrace above. Just as he was about to enter the Tribunal, he saw a man clad in a black foreign-style formal suit standing ahead, seemingly waiting for him. The man extended a hand with a smile. "Mr. Yan Yi, I presume?" Uncle Yi did not take the hand. Instead, he said sluggishly, "Young man, do we know each other?" The young man withdrew his hand and said apologetically, "Pardon me, I forgot to introduce myself. I am the assistant to Supervisor Luo of Molan Company, and I have been waiting here specifically for you." "Ah, from Molan Company," Uncle Yi said with sudden comprehension. "What do you want with an old man like me? I'm getting on in years; I don't buy cosmetics." The young man maintained his smile and said earnestly, "Mr. Yan, regarding student Chen Chuan, Supervisor Luo is following this matter very closely. He hopes you will do him the courtesy of stepping aside." He gestured. "Look, Supervisor Luo is right there in the car." Uncle Yi followed his gesture and saw an extended armored luxury car parked nearby. Its window slowly rolled down, revealing a man wearing gentleman's spectacles, who nodded to him. As the former butler of the Meng family, even though he was now living in retirement, Uncle Yi still kept tabs on various matters and knew the key figures of each company. He recognized that this was the supervisor of the External Operations Department at Molan's headquarters—a figure of genuine authority within Molan Company. He pondered in silence. While he had no fear of such a person, was it worth clashing with him over Chen Chuan? Had he declared his intentions before Supervisor Luo made an appearance, he could have pushed back firmly regardless of the other party's demands. Yet having been intercepted here in advance, the matter had become rather awkward. Had he been twenty years younger, he might have laughed it off and walked straight in, but now he was old, lacking both the drive and the energy to feud with others. He spoke slowly: "Since Supervisor Luo has spoken, then treat it as though I never came today." The young man smiled. "Elder Mr. Yan, Supervisor Luo will appreciate this, and Molan Company will remember your kindness." Uncle Yi drawled, "Young man, there's no need for empty pleasantries. Only when you've survived in the company until my age will you have the standing to say such things." Though the young man continued to smile, his expression stiffened slightly. Uncle Yi turned and walked down the steps, returning to his car. Leaning back against the seat, he looked toward the Tribunal, thinking with a twinge of regret: *The lad Chen Chuan is truly exceptional, especially now that he possesses such martial prowess. He is bound to shine brilliantly in the future.* *If such talent could have been brought to the young miss's side, he might have helped her defeat her rivals within the family and seize control of the company.* He sighed once more. *Yet now, you can only blame your own ill fortune. If only you had agreed to the young miss sooner...* "Uncle Yi? Shall we head back?" the driver in front asked. Uncle Yi gave it some thought and said wistfully, "Let's wait a while. It seems I won't be able to fulfill my promise to the young miss, but she may still want to know the final outcome."