Antan

This move was extraordinarily effective. It stirred up the public's emotions and seized the moral high ground completely. However, very few Yangzhi citizens actually possessed the nerve to call in and curse, even over an anonymous hotline. So, while calls seemed to flood in one after another, many were likely prearranged. That said, the grievances aired were almost certainly genuine; listening closely, many were rich in detail and stood up to scrutiny. Just then, the living room telephone rang. Chen Chuan walked over and picked it up. He had barely spoken a single word when he had to pull the receiver away from his ear—Ding Jiao's booming voice came blasting through. "Man, you're freaking incredible! You have no idea—I wanted to be there yesterday! I made it right up to the entrance, and holy crap, it was packed with Wuyi students. Not gonna lie, man, with that kind of intimidating presence, my calves were shaking like crazy! "Then I thought, what am I scared of? My buddy is Chen Chuan, the baddest dude around! Right then and there, my spine straightened right up, my legs stopped shaking, and then..." "And then you went home?" "Yep... Wait, no!" Ding Jiao hurriedly corrected himself. "I didn't turn tail and run! The reason you didn't see me is because I had a buddy who got so overwhelmed by the sheer intensity that he peed himself on the spot! I'm loyal to you, Xiao Chuan, but I gotta be loyal to him too, right? So I took him back to change his pants. Who knew that by the time I got back, you guys had already dispersed!" "That buddy wouldn't happen to be you, would it?" Chen Chuan asked with a laugh. "No way in hell!" Ding Jiao's voice spiked. "That friend was..." He abruptly bit his tongue. "I can't go throwing my boy under the bus like that. A brother's name isn't something you just blab around..." Chen Chuan listened with a smile as Ding Jiao rambled on, finally catching an opening to ask, "Are things all right on your end?" "Things are great! Why ask that all of a sudden?" Ding Jiao sounded puzzled. "It might not be very peaceful lately," Chen Chuan said. "Oh yeah, it definitely hasn't been quiet. The Blood Mark Gang got beaten into the dirt by the Iron Chain Gang. I heard a bunch of them fled outside the city. As far as big gangs go, only the Iron Chain Gang is left now, but they can't handle the Blood Mark Gang's racket, and they don't hang around inside the city anyway. Nothing to worry about." "Just be careful all the same," Chen Chuan said. "Got it! You've seen way more of the world than me now, Xiao Chuan. I'll take your word for it." Chen Chuan chatted with him for a while longer before hanging up. His mood had lightened considerably. He glanced outside. He didn't plan on heading out over the next couple of days. While Yangzhi seemed no different than usual on the surface, the tension beneath ran high. Trouble could erupt at any moment. So he simply did some training at home. Although there was no room to practice blade forms, his fist techniques and breathing techniques weren't hindered. A confined space had its own way of being used. By midday, after finishing lunch, Chen Chuan was in the study reviewing the dossier when the telephone in the living room suddenly rang. He walked over and answered. Once the caller confirmed his identity, they first recited a serial number from the conscription order, followed by: "Student Chen Chuan, please come to the entrance of the alley. We have a mission requiring your cooperation." "I'll be right there," Chen Chuan said and set the receiver down. He had thought he would have to wait several days, but he had not expected it to be so soon. And when he reached the entrance of the alley, he found an acquaintance waiting for him. "Special Agent Feng?" The middle-aged man across from him, dressed in a trench coat and fedora, was none other than Old Feng, whom he had met on the edge of the wasteland. Special Agent Feng smiled as well. "Student Chen, you'll be joining our operation this time. Well, I suppose we could consider each other old partners." Chen Chuan nodded gladly. He was quite pleased with this arrangement. Commissioner Cao held higher rank, but his demeanor was enigmatic, always giving the impression of someone playing his cards very close to the vest. He preferred dealing with the man before him. Special Agent Feng felt more like a gentle, experienced senior guiding the way, possessing far more warmth and humanity. He stepped forward, shook Old Feng's hand, and said, "In weather this hot, for you to dress like this..." Old Feng chuckled. "Used to it." Chen Chuan didn't pry further. Special Agent Feng was a fighter himself, so the heat likely didn't bother him. Besides, who knew what weapons or specialized gear might be concealed beneath that trench coat? After exchanging pleasantries, Old Feng said, "Young Chen, let's find a place to talk." Chen Chuan gave it some thought. "There's a small park nearby. People gather there to cool off in the evening, but hardly anyone's around during the day. Let's go talk there." Old Feng agreed. The two walked along the street for about ten minutes and entered a park. A pond was filled with lotus pads, with several lotus blossoms standing upright, while golden-red fish silhouettes darted past beneath the surface from time to time. Old Feng took a glance and remarked, "The carp in Yangzhi City really are enormous." Chen Chuan looked down and saw that the carp was easily over a meter and a half long. This was the normal length for Yangzhi carp, a sight he had grown accustomed to in his memory. "Yes, fish in Yangzhi grow that big." "The water quality here is indeed unique," Old Feng remarked. After instinctively scanning his surroundings, his expression turned serious. "Student Chen, let me brief you on this assignment." Chen Chuan's expression grew serious as well. "The operation to encircle and suppress Molan Company is already underway. However, our immediate objective isn't targeting Molan Company directly, but rather clearing out certain other factions first." "Other factions..." Chen Chuan mused. Old Feng said in a deep voice, "These groups are accustomed to fishing in troubled waters. If we don't eliminate them beforehand, they'll cause countless unforeseen complications and casualties. In particular, some foreign forces are involved. They couldn't care less whether the local citizens live or die—they'll only try to stir up even greater chaos, which is utterly unacceptable." "Do they include the resistance organization?" Chen Chuan asked. "The resistance will also be dealt with, but another team is handling them; we don't need to worry about that. What we have to deal with is an elite squad dispatched by Antan Company. "This company has a wide range of operations—arms, narcotics, pharmaceuticals, implants—and they also take on mercenary contracts and smuggling. Their branches span the globe. Wherever there's war and unrest, you'll find their shadow. "I trust you've reviewed the dossier. Molan Company placed a massive order for combat mantises, which included a large shipment of high-energy nutrient solutions. Without those nutrients, the utility of these bio-combat weapons is severely limited. "We've already choked off their open supply lines, preventing any from being brought in. Molan Company can now only scrape them together via black market smuggling channels. "I've received intelligence that this Antan Company squad took on the transport contract. At the latest, the goods will arrive the day after tomorrow. The rendezvous point is out in the wilderness. What we need to do is intercept this shipment—and if possible, seize as much of it as we can." Chen Chuan nodded. "Special Agent Feng, how would you like me to assist?" Old Feng replied, "I have a tactical squad under my command. They're skilled hands when it comes to infiltration, assassination, wiretapping, and communications. Although Old Cao assigned me some extra men—which by rights should be enough—I have a feeling other companies might stick their hands in this. That's why I need more personnel to coordinate with us. "Young Chen, you're a Yangzhi local. If you have reliable people you know well, you can recruit them. I can grant them compensation and evaluations in line with standard commissions." Chen Chuan considered this. "I do have people, and they should be more than enough to meet your requirements, Special Agent Feng." "That would be excellent." Old Feng added, "How long will it take to gather them? The sooner, the better. Time waits for no one. Once this is taken care of, we can focus our strength on Molan Company." "I'll go make some calls right now," Chen Chuan said. He found a roadside telephone booth and began calling Ren Xiaotian, Wei Chang'an, and the other schoolmates he had worked with. The team was essentially already assembled. Every one of them had experience venturing into the wasteland to assault armed outfits, and they were all trustworthy. Furthermore, this operation counted as a commissioned mission under the aegis of a state directive; it would add an impressive line to everyone's credentials. As he called down the line to check with each of them, every single person who answered took the offer without hesitation. Wei Chang'an originally had another commission on his hands, but upon hearing about this, he pushed it aside immediately. Setting aside his personal friendship and rapport with Chen Chuan, just the benefits gained from their previous operation meant none of his crew had any objections. Though they didn't know the exact target this time, learning that they were heading out into the wilderness again made it clear that another major job had arrived. Every one of them was rubbing their palms together, pumped with drive. As for Luo Kaiyuan, Feng Xiaoqi, Senior Wu, Wei Dong, and the others, they all agreed without a second thought. It happened to be summer break, so with nothing else going on, they could all hurry over quickly. Under these circumstances, coupled with Chen Chuan specifically emphasizing the urgency of the commission, the group was assembled in just a single afternoon. Seeing that he had rallied an entire team in half a day—most of them Wuyi Academy students, with the rest possessing their own unique strengths—Old Feng was thoroughly pleased. He then handed out a previously drafted operational plan. Chen Chuan looked it over. Even setting aside the detailed plan itself, the intelligence covered nearly every single member of the Antan squad with pinpoint accuracy. The elite team was practically laid bare to them unilaterally. He couldn't help but marvel at how formidable the State Administration Bureau's methods truly were. If he had possessed this kind of plan and intelligence when dealing with the Copper Rust Gang, he might have been able to clear out the entire camp on his own. Noticing his reaction, Old Feng smiled and said, "It's not that complicated. Do you know where this information came from? Antan Company sold it to us." Chen Chuan was somewhat surprised. "They sold out their own people?" Old Feng nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "That's Antan Company for you. So long as the price is right, everything is for sale. For all we know, the person who sold us the intel is marching in the transport convoy right now. "However, they usually sell information in multiple batches, with differences each time. This intel is from last week, so there might be discrepancies with the actual situation. We'll still need to stay on our toes and adapt."