Three days later, Chen Chuan received word from Bureau Director Lei. Packing a few things, he headed to He Nan's private training hall by the Bai River.
Stepping out of the vehicle and walking into the training hall's front lobby, he found He Nan waiting for him. He greeted her, "Senior Sister."
He Nan smiled. "Go on in. Old Lei and the others are waiting for you."
Chen Chuan nodded to her and walked inside. Past the folding screen, he saw Bureau Director Lei, Guan Yuming, and a plump man in his fifties seated together.
The man wore an amiable smile and had somewhat thinning hair, but judging by his expressions and demeanor in conversation, he was clearly an official of the same rank as the other two.
Bureau Director Lei said, "Student Chen is here. Let me make introductions. You know Director Guan; this is Director Wang of the Communications Bureau."
Director Wang looked over with a genial smile. "Student Chen, the offer our Communications Bureau made you at your review hearing back then was truly sincere. If you came to us, you'd certainly receive the finest benefits and treatment. Ah, our Communications Bureau has plenty of pretty young female employees too—you young people would definitely hit it off."
Guan Yuming joked, "Old Wang, poaching talent right in front of me? You're thick-skinned, aren't you?"
Director Wang replied nonchalantly, "If you aren't thick-skinned, you don't get any meat."
Bureau Director Lei waved to Chen Chuan. "Come have a seat."
Chen Chuan thanked him, nodded in greeting to Director Guan and Director Wang, and sat down opposite the three men. He Nan came in, poured tea for him, topped off the other three cups, and then stepped out, gently pulling the door shut behind her.
Guan Yuming spoke up then. "Did Civil Administrator Zhu meet with you?"
Chen Chuan nodded.
Director Wang chuckled. "This newly arrived Civil Administrator Zhu of ours has some ideas."
Guan Yuming said, "If he can settle what his predecessor couldn't, it benefits him as well."
For multiple departments to join forces against the esoteric cult and the resistance organization, the Civil Administrator could not be bypassed. Zhu had withheld his stance previously, but summoning Chen Chuan was effectively implicit support. They understood his approach—newly appointed and facing an uncertain situation, he was fiercely protective of his own skin.
In this matter, however, that was already enough. So long as he threw up no obstacles and didn't drag his feet, they could handle things themselves.
Bureau Director Lei said to Chen Chuan, "Everyone seated here was part of the group that dealt with Molan. We are all trustworthy, so whatever needs to be said can be said plainly."
Director Wang smiled. "As for our Communications Bureau, we borrowed a bit of an east wind this time. While the joint inter-agency channels were still open, we teamed up with the communications bureaus of several other cities to cast our net. The effort wasn't wasted—over the past few days, we definitively intercepted a telegraph transmission from the resistance organization.
"Though the deciphered contents are only code phrases, their frequency is far higher than before. There's no question they'll be making a move soon. And according to analysis by intelligence specialists, their target is very likely the transportation arteries."
He looked toward Bureau Director Lei. "This lines up with the intelligence Director Lei provided."
Guan Yuming also chimed in, "Explosives were repeatedly uncovered around the city center a few days ago. The purpose was far too obvious—simply to tie down the constabulary's manpower."
He turned to Chen Chuan again. "Our strategy this time is to let them make their move first, then net the whole lot of them in one fell swoop, eradicating this chronic plague that has troubled Yangzhi City for years!
"However, we cannot mobilize too many personnel. Over so many years, it's certain the resistance organization has planted informants across various departments. Our familiar faces must be under their watch as well, so we cannot make any conspicuous moves.
"Besides, there are very few people on the inside who are both trustworthy and capable of carrying this out. But Student Chen, since you were able to take down someone like Tan Wang on your own—"
Director Wang smiled and said, "Our departments will issue a joint commission and designate you to accept it. What do you think? If you have any concerns, feel free to speak up."
Chen Chuan's stance was clear, and he answered decisively, "I ought to do my part in this." Right now, he was short on money and lacking opportunities to increase his overlap time; if he could eliminate some hostiles in the process, he couldn't ask for more.
Guan Yuming solemnly cautioned him, "Ordinary foes are no match for you, but the enemies this time may be different. You must be careful."
Chen Chuan nodded. Besides members of the resistance organization, he would also have to face esoteric rituals this time, so caution was indeed warranted. After a moment of thought, he said, "This time, I'd like to bring a team with me."
He looked at Guan Yuming. "They are completely trustworthy. Last time, they took down an armed group in the wilderness alongside me and assisted me during a state conscription operation. The constabulary should have a record of this on file."
Guan Yuming immediately agreed. "Done. That would be even better. Frankly speaking, sending you to fight all on your own did leave us somewhat uneasy."
Chen Chuan said, "I'll also need to request equipment and operational authorizations from the constabulary."
Guan Yuming waved his hand. "Whatever gear, weapons, or clearances you need, the constabulary will open the door for all of it this time. Furthermore, I can give you an assurance in advance..."
He looked at Chen Chuan. "The main objective this time is to wipe out the resistance organization and that esoteric expert. Any losses incurred along the way are within permissible limits. We can accept them; sometimes, such things are necessary."
His tone deepened. "Xiao Chuan, don't burden yourself with too many reservations at times like this. Otherwise, you're only being irresponsible to yourself."
Chen Chuan understood what he meant: eradicating those two was the paramount objective. Any other people encountered along the way were not strictly under their protection and could be abandoned if necessary.
He understood the logic. It was hard to say what circumstances might arise, and sometimes the more one tried to grasp, the less one achieved; compromises had to be made.
He said, "Director Guan, I understand."
As for innocent bystanders, he would protect them as best he could, but when that proved impossible, his priority had to be the survival of himself and his team.
Director Wang said with a chuckle, "Student Chen's name is widely known now, and you once wiped out Fang Dawei's gang on your own. You're likely marked on the resistance's radar. They might keep an eye on your movements, so before making your preparations, you'd best find an excuse to leave Yangzhi City first."
Guan Yuming said, "The constabulary can issue bounties on several armed groups in the wilderness. Student Chen, you and your team can head out to the wasteland first, bringing a radio transceiver with you, and redirect toward the target when the right moment comes. As for the exact arrangements, use your own judgment. For whatever you need, I'll have my deputy, Xiao Bei, coordinate with you."
Chen Chuan agreed.
Bureau Director Lei spoke up then. "Regarding the esoteric rituals you might encounter, the investigators from my bureau and I will step forward to deal with them when the time comes. But the ritual this time is unlike anything we have faced before, and it may diverge from our estimates. There will be some risk involved, so you might have to resolve problems on your own.
"For the next two days, stay here. I'll teach you a few simple methods to break esoteric rituals, as well as some counter-rituals. They might come in handy when the time comes."
Hearing this, Chen Chuan was intrigued. He had read a great deal of documentation previously, but due to a lack of materials, he had never actually practiced the specific procedures. If Director Lei was willing to teach him, nothing could be better.
He didn't aspire to reach professional mastery; being able to make simple use of them was more than enough.
Seeing that the three men likely had more to discuss among themselves, he didn't linger. After offering his parting courtesies, he took his leave.
Once he had stepped outside, Director Wang remarked with admiration, "Student Chen is very composed. Quite an impressive young man."
Guan Yuming said, "Student Chen's strength is beyond doubt. He holds a Grade B unlimited defense license as well—earning such a credential during one's first year at Wuyi is something I've never seen before."
Director Wang nodded. This was precisely why he approved of Chen Chuan serving as the spearhead for this operation. In all his years as Director of the Communications Bureau, he had gathered a vast amount of intelligence across diverse fields, yet he had genuinely never heard of anyone earning a Grade B unlimited defense license in their first year.
More crucially, he had defeated a third-limit fighter from Center City in combat. That was extraordinary. Setting aside his future prospects, right now he was already one of the foremost fighting forces in Yangzhi City.
Guan Yuming added, "In addition, I will mobilize the constabulary's instructors to remain on standby at all times as insurance, ensuring nothing goes awry."
Director Wang was thoroughly relieved. "That will do nicely. Once this lot is eliminated, we should enjoy a few years of peace."
Guan Yuming didn't reply; he merely lifted his cup and took a quiet sip of tea.
***
Meanwhile, after leaving the parlor, Chen Chuan was escorted by He Nan to a study filled with books on esoteric rituals. As he was examining the titles, Bureau Director Lei entered from outside and gestured for him to take a seat.
Taking a seat himself, Bureau Director Lei cut straight to the chase. "I've been observing Mount Xie over the past few days, and I've roughly deduced what that man intends to do."
He said in a low voice, "A ritual on such a massive scale requires intricate details to fill it out. Lacking sufficient manpower and resources, his only choice is to borrow existing power.
"Mount Xie was once an outpost for several esoteric cults and remains a place where urban legends frequently appear. That man most likely intends to exploit old rituals left behind from the previous era that might still linger there, turning them into catalyst nodes. This spares him the trouble of laying out everything himself while also delivering the element of surprise."
Chen Chuan suddenly remembered the esoteric ritual that had trapped the Mountain Ghost during his earlier commission. It made complete sense, and he nodded unconsciously. Bureau Director Lei was sharp; looking at him, he asked, "Have you seen something similar?"
Chen Chuan held nothing back and described the ritual he had encountered.
Bureau Director Lei pondered for a moment before speaking slowly. "What you encountered was likely an ancient ritual of the Head-Worshiping Cult, not the Flying Head Cult. Strictly speaking, the Flying Head Cult isn't an esoteric cult at all; it's merely a mass phenomenon spawned by an urban legend, which led to religious worship out of fear and helplessness.
"The Head-Worshiping Cult, strictly speaking, believes that heads and skulls contain mysteries leading to the depths of the cosmos, treating all heads as tools. By that theory, flying heads are actually subjects for them to study and exploit, so they are fundamentally different from the Flying Head Cult."
Chen Chuan found this quite enlightening. He asked, "Director Lei, can these old rituals be tracked down?"
Bureau Director Lei shook his head. "Mount Xie is vast. We lack the manpower and resources to comb through it, and scouring the mountain prematurely would only alert them, making it even harder to deal with this hidden enemy later. Fortunately, we have another way to counter them—though it may require you to take some risks."
Chapter 219