Intelligence

After briefing Chen Chuan and the others on the general situation, Old Feng called his own team members to come and rendezvous with them. In just twenty minutes, everyone had arrived. All of them were dressed in the signature attire of the State Administration Bureau—black trench coats and fedoras, with sharp, capable demeanors and keen eyes. They were divided into three squads of fifteen. After sizing them up with a few glances, Chen Chuan felt that several among them were likely extraordinary. It was hard to put the sensation into words; they didn't appear particularly threatening on the surface, yet they commanded attention nonetheless. Still, this was a good thing; they were on the same side, after all. While carrying out a commissioned mission, ensuring one's own safety was paramount, so naturally, the stronger the team members, the better. Because Chen Chuan had already briefed the others about their assigned role from the start, everyone understood their position. Wei Chang'an's men felt that Old Feng, as the team leader, was quite fair and decent. If they had run into someone more unscrupulous, that person might have schemed to use them as cannon fodder to scout ahead. Before setting out, Old Feng distributed standard State Administration Bureau protective suits to everyone, along with stab-resistant trench coats, protective fedoras, and scarves and face masks designed to block out dust storms and toxic gas. This was a national mission, so there were naturally no restrictions on using such gear. Once they had donned all this equipment, everyone felt an overwhelming sense of security. For ordinary people, this gear offered the greatest possible protection for their lives, but for someone like Chen Chuan, it substantially boosted combat capability, allowing him to unleash his martial prowess without hesitation. At the same time, each person was issued a medicine kit containing various remedies for wounds as well as specialized medicine capable of sustaining life at critical moments. The State Administration Bureau agents were additionally supplied with drugs that stimulated their potential—a last resort for fighting to the death. Once everything was ready, at ten in the evening, everyone boarded the vehicles prepared in advance by the State Administration Bureau and set out into the wilderness under the cover of night. Chen Chuan rode in the same vehicle as Old Feng. En route, he flipped through the specific details regarding the shipment. Because trading in bio-combat weapons was prohibited within the Republic of Great Shun, Molan Company had no choice but to order them from foreign corporations. This was also why Fist Lion had brought that Tayana combat spider to the edge of the wilderness to find a buyer back then; aside from large corporations, ordinary people would find it nearly impossible to handle such things. The crux of the matter, however, lay in the high-energy nutrient solutions. These solutions had a relatively short shelf life and could not be stockpiled in large quantities, so anyone possessing bio-combat weapons had to purchase new batches at regular intervals. It wasn't that the companies manufacturing high-energy nutrient solutions lacked the technology for long-term storage; rather, doing this both curbed the armed might of other companies and allowed them to make recurring sales. In fact, national governments actively supported them in this practice. Old Feng said, "We'll head first to Antan Company's outpost in the wilderness. The intelligence on that location should be accurate, with no major changes." Chen Chuan nodded. According to the dossier, the camp openly had two experts who had reached that level, as did the transport team. This intelligence was likely reliable. After all, reaching that stage... He asked, "What about Molan Company? Since this shipment is so important, they surely won't just sit by and do nothing." Old Feng replied, "That's precisely what warrants our attention. Molan Company is very likely to send powerful fighters to receive the cargo. But there's no need for us to worry—Old Cao is keeping an eye on them. If those people come out, his side will handle them. "However, Molan Company has deep roots in Yangzhi, so they are certain to have arranged reception forces in the wilderness. We only need to deal with those people." Chen Chuan understood. One objective of this mission was to cut off the transport of these nutrient solutions; the other was to use the shipment as bait to lure Molan Company's forces into a trap, eliminating them to weaken their overall strength. He probed, "Will the Blood Molan Guard show up?" He had a deep impression of this guard unit. Their strength was formidable, with every single member handpicked from among fighters. After undergoing a series of skeletal and muscular enhancement surgeries, they were fitted with implants that heightened neural response and coordinated control. Once the implants' functions were activated, they could keep up in the short term, and with sufficient numbers, they could even use their equipment to launch counterattacks or turn the tables entirely. Possessing such strength also meant... And there were as many as ninety such individuals in the Molan Company branch alone. If they were deployed to the wilderness this time, they would be formidable opponents indeed. Old Feng shook his head. "The Blood Molan Guard is Molan Company's prized asset; they won't deploy them to a place like this. After all, every single guard member was built with heaps of money, and they require team coordination and specialized equipment to unleash their full combat effectiveness. That places high demands on logistics, and the wilderness lacks the conditions to maintain them. "If they were out here, we would have discovered it long ago. "For this operation, we coordinated with numerous departments in advance and conducted surveillance on the periphery of Molan Company's movements for two straight years, so you can rest easy on that front." Chen Chuan thought to himself that running into one or two might not be a bad thing either, as it would let him gauge the guard's combat capabilities ahead of time. Old Feng raised his wrist to check his watch. "We still have a ways to go. Let's set that aside for now and talk about something else. Once school starts this term, you'll probably be applying for a spot to go to Center City, won't you?" Chen Chuan's heart stirred. "Is Commissioner Cao looking to resolve Molan Company before September?" Old Feng gave him a look. "I didn't say a thing." Chen Chuan smiled. "Center City is definitely somewhere I have to go." Old Feng looked at him intently. "You must go. I've seen your file, and your qualifications are more than sufficient. Only once you get there will you be able to make substantial growth. "Still, there are some things that aren't convenient to put on paper, especially since certain figures in the Wuyi Main Academy have tangled ties with local factions. That's why you need to rack up as much merit as possible during this national commission. It'll make your résumé look impressive, which will help you get into the Main Academy. Perform as much as you can this time, and I'll give you plenty of opportunities." Chen Chuan understood what he meant. Aside from official commissions and his unlimited defense license, things like wiping out the Mutual Aid Society and defeating Tan Wang wouldn't be written into his official record. Leaving them off was for the best; those matters had nothing to do with Wuyi School and only existed in the files of certain government departments. Bringing them out into the open might even backfire. Actually, it was just as well; it served as a form of indirect protection for him. Other achievements, however, could be openly presented—such as answering this state conscription call. Having that on one's résumé was a glowing credential. Old Feng was telling him to seize this opportunity and build an outstanding track record. Old Feng was doing him a personal favor here. Chen Chuan said, "Thank you, Special Agent Feng." Old Feng smiled warmly. "No need for thanks. Seeing promising juniors like you grow is the greatest reward we could ask for." He glanced outside once more. "We're almost there." After driving for another seven or eight minutes, the convoy stopped behind a high ridge. Old Feng sent men ahead to scout. Fifteen minutes later, the scouts returned and reported, "Special Agent, everything is normal at the camp, basically matching the intelligence report. Everyone is getting ready, presumably waiting to receive the cargo." Old Feng summoned a squad leader and said, "Stick to the original plan. Take a squad and a radio and stay stationed here. Transmit immediately if anything develops." "Yes, sir." Shortly after, a squad disembarked and quickly melted into the darkness. The convoy started up again, continuing forward into the wilderness. Old Feng explained to Chen Chuan, "That camp is too conspicuous and too easy to find. It's unlikely either side would choose to hand over the cargo right there, so we're heading directly to find the transport team." Chen Chuan asked, "Do we have information confirming where they are?" The wilderness was vast; pinpointing a moving convoy within a limited timeframe was no simple feat. Old Feng chuckled. "I don't know, but I can ask them." He had the radio operator beside him take out the radio set and send a transmission. Before long, the operator received an update. After decoding it, he looked up and said, "Special Agent, they say the planned route remains unchanged. They've already passed the Red Forest and expect to reach Gravel Gully in ten minutes." Old Feng said, "Keep monitoring. Ask again in an hour." He smiled at Chen Chuan. "You see? Antan will tell us their location themselves." Chen Chuan found the situation somewhat absurd. Yet behind these seemingly counterintuitive actions, there had to be an internal logic at work, even if it appeared bizarre to outsiders. He said, "With Antan Company operating like this, isn't Molan Company, who hired them, worried?" Old Feng said with conviction, "Because they have no other choice. And I suspect Molan Company will make the exact same choice we did." Meanwhile, on another side of the wilderness, a separate armed convoy was speeding through the night. This was Molan Company's wilderness team, permanently stationed in the wastes and tasked with receiving the shipment this time. Knowing that Antan Company might leak information, they had designated two handover locations. One was the confirmed, overt armed camp, intended to draw outside attention. The other was for them to proactively intercept Antan's team mid-route, taking custody of the goods and transporting them to the designated site themselves. As for how to find them—while Antan Company wouldn't give them their exact route outright, they could still obtain the information through Antan Company's intelligence market. Yes—even as the intended recipient in this transaction, they had to buy intelligence to get accurate updates. Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded: both the receiving party and the intercepting party were rushing toward the exact same destination, and the source of information for both sides was Antan Company itself. An hour later, after another radio exchange, the convoy carrying Chen Chuan and his companions pulled to a stop behind a gentle slope. Before they had waited long, faint headlights appeared on the dim horizon, gradually drawing nearer. Anyone with sharp eyesight could identify it as a motorcade. Yet before it arrived, the roar of engines echoed from another direction, swiftly closing in on the first convoy. A squad leader peered through binoculars and reported, "Special Agent, it's Molan Company's reception team." Old Feng said, "No hurry. Wait a bit." Ahead, after the two convoys converged, the two sides seemed to reach an agreement within just a few minutes. A single vehicle broke away from the transport convoy and fell in behind Molan's team, after which the two groups parted ways. The squad leader looked back. "Special Agent?" Old Feng remained thoroughly composed. "Wait a little longer." Just as Molan's convoy was about to drive away, another sound suddenly erupted. Yet another motorcade appeared, barreling straight toward Molan's convoy on a collision course. There really were others! The team members felt a jolt of tension. The squad leader watched for a moment, then asked, "Special Agent, do we move in shortly?" Old Feng thought for a moment and shook his head. "Wait a bit more. Have some faith in Antan's competence when it comes to selling intelligence." Sure enough, pinpricks of light appeared on the opposite rise—unmistakably yet another convoy. And the fact that they could locate this exact spot was obviously Antan's doing as well. The team members were utterly dumbfounded. Good grief—a single piece of intelligence had found four buyers! No, judging by the looks of it, there might be even more. The intelligence business was making an absolute fortune!