Traces

At eight o'clock the following morning, Chen Chuan changed into formal attire and headed to the administrative office building alongside his advisor, Cheng Zitong. Much like when he had obtained his weapons license, seven reviewers were present, seated behind a long table. After verifying his identity and filling out the forms, one of the reviewers—an elegant woman in her thirties wearing light makeup—looked him over for a moment before speaking in a very warm tone: "Student Chen, we have reviewed your file. You completed more than one mission during state conscription, and every single evaluation was top-tier. You are an exceptionally talented and outstanding student. Now that you are already a second-year student at Wuyi, have you considered the matter of an internship?" Chen Chuan replied, "Of course I have considered it." The reviewer smiled and asked, "Oh? Might I ask what your thoughts are, Student Chen?" As she spoke, the others also turned their attention toward him. Chen Chuan thought to himself that his plan was naturally to go to Center City, which had little to do with them. Still, stating that so bluntly did not seem appropriate. So he answered modestly, "Perhaps I will transition through a commission company first, or perhaps go to a government institution to learn under some seniors for a time." The reviewer's eyes lit up, and her tone turned even more eager. "In that case, Student Chen, what do you think of our Finance Bureau? We offer very generous compensation, and we greatly need outstanding talents like you to contribute to our security." Another member of the review panel spoke up: "Our Communications Bureau also thinks very highly of Student Chen. Would you be interested in coming to us? After all, we have always been lacking in security and urgently require a strong reinforcement. As long as Student Chen is willing to come, we can offer you the best possible terms." He glanced at the woman and gave a light cough. "Though we might not match the Finance Bureau, we can provide more benefits and conveniences in other areas." The moment he spoke, the other members of the Review Committee chimed in one after another, all subtly or openly trying to invite Chen Chuan to intern in their respective departments. Standing to the side, Cheng Zitong saw right through it. These people, or rather the organizations behind them, valued Chen Chuan and wanted to pull him into their own ranks. Anyone could see that an exceptional student like Chen Chuan—possessing an unlimited defense license, having served in state conscription, and brimming with boundless potential—would achieve great things regardless of which department he joined, perhaps even rising to high positions later on. If such a talent could be brought into their department, even leaving aside the tangible benefits, it would add immense prestige to the organization. Even if Chen Chuan moved elsewhere in the future, having this connection would allow them to maintain good relations. Cheng Zitong stepped forward and took the initiative to speak on Chen Chuan's behalf: "Esteemed reviewers, I already have arrangements for my student. If there are any questions, you may come find me." The reviewers looked at Cheng Zitong with a touch of displeasure, but Cheng Zitong looked right back at them. They belonged to different departments, and his rank was no lower than anyone present, so he was not intimidated in the least. Besides, his student was bound for Center City next; there was truly no need to get tangled up in other matters and squander his focus and energy for nothing. The members of the review panel were helpless. After all, he was Chen Chuan's advisor; before graduation, if he claimed to have plans for his student, they truly had no way around him. Once the questioning was brought to a hasty close, the Review Committee issued the armor license. This piece was also shaped like a jade token, though predominantly black. Despite being a thin wafer, it felt heavy in hand. Wisps of white, mist-like patterns drifted across its surface, faintly forming the shape of a large shield, and Chen Chuan's name and license number were carved on it in ancient seal script. With the armor license in hand, the matter was settled. Cheng Zitong did not bother with pleasantries with the committee members and led Chen Chuan straight out. Once outside, he said, "Little Chuan, looks like they all think very highly of you." Chen Chuan said, "They only value me because I have enough strength, but I feel that I'm still not strong enough." Cheng Zitong said, "Right. It's good that you see this clearly, Little Chuan. With strength and status, you won't need to seek others out—they'll come to win your favor on their own. Just stay true to your goal and keep marching forward undeterred." Chen Chuan nodded. "Well, now both your weapons license and armor license are complete. You already have the Wuji pistol—do you need me to get you a protective suit?" Chen Chuan replied, "Thank you, Teacher, but the task force gave me one during state conscription. It's still usable for now." Although an armor license was theoretically harder to earn than a weapons license, using the suit itself presented zero barrier for anyone since it was worn underneath and invisible to outsiders. The key was the channel through which one acquired the suit. Only with the license could one wear it openly without fear of being investigated. Cheng Zitong said, "That's good, then." He paused, then added, "As for an internship, do as you please; your résumé doesn't lack that little bit anymore. But I must remind you, from here on you need to find ways to make more money. Center City is a place where money burns fast. You should save as much as you can before going; otherwise, you'll probably spend most of your time figuring out how to get money, leaving very little time for training." Chen Chuan nodded. He also knew that no matter how much money one had in Center City, it probably wouldn't be enough, so saving what he could right now was the way to go. It seemed taking commissions was still necessary. Whether from the Esoteric Cult Examination Bureau, the constabulary, or related to urban legends, he would take whatever he could. While accumulating money, he could also accumulate overlap time, making thorough advance preparations for heading to Center City. After parting ways with Cheng Zitong in front of the administrative building, he returned to the dormitory. Before even reaching the corridor, he heard the voices of Feng Xiaoqi and Luo Kaiyuan carrying from a distance. "I heard they're preparing to build a railway to the north recently, to connect Hangu City in the north with our Yangzhi City overland. But that area in the north—where Molan Company was wiped out—has turned completely red. They say it's medicine originally used for health and beauty, Molan Company's core product, and refining it again still yields effects. That's why so many people are buying it up lately. Rumor has it a hundred jin can sell for one yuan! One yuan for a hundred jin of dirt—what a lucrative business! Even I want to go." Luo Kaiyuan said, "I don't buy it. If it were such a good deal, why didn't the government shovel away that soil beforehand instead of leaving it for everyone? Even if it really was some kind of medicine, fire would have ruined it." Feng Xiaoqi said, "If there are rumors, there must be some truth to it. What if it actually works? Besides, that's where Molan Company fell—isn't it worth going to see?" Hearing this, Luo Kaiyuan did seem somewhat tempted. At that moment, both of them saw Chen Chuan approaching and greeted him. Feng Xiaoqi called out to Chen Chuan, "Student Chen, we were just talking about taking a look around the place where Molan was wiped out. What about you? Interested in coming along?" Chen Chuan smiled. "If there's time, sure. We can treat it as a bit of sightseeing." The site where Molan Company met its final demise was certainly worth a visit. Previously, he had avoided Mount Zhang because that was where the old manor was located, and he had feared running into danger. But now that he had already been there, he naturally had no such reservations anymore. Feng Xiaoqi said happily, "Then we'll go together on our rest day! Maybe we can even shovel up a couple of jin of dirt and make some money." After settling the matter in a few sentences, the three went off to their respective training. A few days passed in the blink of an eye. When the rest day in the middle of the month arrived, the three of them rode their bicycles toward Mount Zhang. They had originally planned to invite Wei Dong and Wu Han along, but Wei Dong had gone off on a commission with Wu Han and who knew when they would return, so they dropped it. However, they noticed that the closer they got to Mount Zhang, the more people there were on the road. It seemed plenty shared their idea, though more likely people were after that red soil. Upon arriving at the foot of the mountain, they found there was actually a bicycle parking depot set up. Asking around, they learned it was run by the Iron Chain Gang. The three parked their bicycles there without worry. A gang as large as the Iron Chain Gang wouldn't stoop to swindling a few bicycles, and no thief would dare steal from under the Iron Chain Gang's nose. The three easily made their way up the mountain path to the crest of the slope. Crossing through the flat corridor filled with fortifications, they arrived at the rear. Here, the mountain receded, opening up an expansive view. Feng Xiaoqi pointed downward and said excitedly, "Look, right there!" Chen Chuan and Luo Kaiyuan looked down together. What met their eyes was a vivid blood-red expanse, as if vast swathes of land had been soaked in blood. Many people were bent over shoveling dirt, and after filling a sack, they would joyfully carry it over to scales on the side to trade for cash; someone appeared to be specifically buying it up. Yet no matter how they shoveled, the ground underneath remained red. "Didn't I tell you this stuff could sell for money? Look, so many people shoveling dirt." Feng Xiaoqi was quite excited, raising the camera hanging from his neck. "I have to take a few photos." While Feng Xiaoqi snapped away, click-click-click, Chen Chuan stood in place and looked toward the Second Self. He noticed a slight blurriness over it; though the sensation was extremely faint and could easily be missed if one wasn't paying close attention. And this color... Staring at the open ground below, he suddenly thought back to when he and Ren Xiaotian had gone out on the wasteland for their first commission, collecting those blood-bead-like things near Mount Jiao. Those things seemed to have buyers back then as well. After looking for a while, he, Luo Kaiyuan, and Feng Xiaoqi walked down along the slope. In reality, once they arrived down there, the atmosphere wasn't pleasant at all: people turning over earth everywhere filled the air with dust and dirt, and combined with the blowing grit of the wasteland, it truly wasn't a place to linger. So after a brief walk around, the three headed back. Though Feng Xiaoqi had talked about shoveling some dirt, he didn't actually do it. On the way back from Mount Zhang, Chen Chuan was still thinking about the red color, and about the destruction of Molan Company... Molan Company, red... He suddenly thought of something. Making an excuse that he had business with a company, he parted ways with Feng Xiaoqi and Luo Kaiyuan halfway through, riding his bicycle alone to where the Molan Building had once stood in the city center. He parked his bicycle first, then stepped into the nearby river channel. After inspecting the banks and the riverbed carefully for a while, he discovered an extremely faint, almost imperceptible red trace. The trace was exceptionally long. Diving and swimming along the river channel to track it, he went all the way to the vicinity of the Bai River in the south of the city, only to find that it still hadn't broken off, continuing to extend forward to who knew where. At this point, he didn't pursue it further and returned ashore. The moment he stepped out, wisps of white steam rose from his body, and by the time he entered a telephone booth, his clothes were already dried. He picked up the receiver and dialed a number. After waiting a moment, the call connected. "Bureau Director Lei? It's Chen Chuan. I think I know what that person is trying to do."