Investigation

Toward noon, Chen Chuan and his team returned to Yangzhi City. Because of the explosions that had struck the city, the alert had not yet been lifted. Constabulary patrol cars were still everywhere on the streets, rigorously checking passing vehicles. Fortunately, Chen Chuan and his companions were escorted back by a constabulary vehicle, sparing them plenty of trouble. As it was close to mealtime, the group simply found a well-regarded mutton restaurant in the southern part of the city to eat together before parting ways. After returning to his dorm, Chen Chuan changed out of his clothes and went to the shower room to wash up. When he came out, he switched on the radio. The news broadcast was reporting on a meeting between representatives of various companies, featuring outlooks and commentary from prominent figures. One side took an optimistic stance, believing it would bring benefits to Yangzhi City, while the other took a cautious view, questioning whether another Molan Company might emerge. Both sides debated fiercely, going back and forth. However, most of the representatives sent by foreign corporations had died on the train. Even if someone from Bolun Company had survived, the conflict already existed, so they likely had little opportunity left. As for the train hijacking, there was not the slightest reporting on it, suggesting it had been deliberately hushed up. Perhaps the Municipal Administration was not yet ready to announce it. After listening for a while, he turned off the radio. He took out the medicine he had received during the state conscription and swallowed it, then sat down on a soft mat to begin today's practice of the Furnace Breathing Technique. From August until now, nearly three months had passed. Thanks to his relentless training and several battles against formidable foes, the mutated tissue in his internal organs had grown considerably. In older terms—and according to the reference materials—a fighter at this stage could survive on an alternate set of organs even if their original viscera were destroyed, the two sets alternating and repairing each other. Rather than one replacing the other, the two systems complemented and reinforced each other, forming a single symbiotic whole. This was also preparation for the next stage. From what he could currently perceive in himself, he was still in the phase of continual strengthening, still some distance from the fully mature form he envisioned. Still, this was fast enough. From the time he began learning fighting arts until now, barely a year had passed. No matter how mutated tissue was stimulated, it had its limits of growth. After all, he was not someone truly endowed with natural genius. That he had reached this point today was because, while others trained at high intensity for at most three or four hours a day, he could continue without pause. The effort he poured in was many times that of ordinary people. By now, he was capable of maintaining the basic breathing technique all day long, anytime and anywhere. This breathing technique was the true foundation; even among the various techniques he encountered later, including the Furnace Breathing Technique, all carried traces of it. Naturally, the Furnace Breathing Technique was far more complex. If one likened it to a great circle, its intricacies and variations were vast enough to encompass the former entirely. Yet the firmer the foundation laid, the more it could support, and the more pronounced the effects of the Furnace Breathing Technique became. Even a slight increase was welcome—especially since his goal was the theoretical limit, so he could not afford to neglect any avenue of improvement. This session of cultivation continued until midnight. He first emptied his mind, entering deep sleep; once past midnight, he woke on his own, then synchronized with his second self. The next day, he carried on his routine as usual, not doing much that demanded exertion. He had expected this: none of the people he had faced this time were particularly formidable, so this slight increase had likely come mostly from the urban legend and the esoteric ritual. Still, he let nature take its course. For dramatic swings in spirit and emotion meant that one had likely run into dangerous, unpredictable opponents. Right now, even by progressing step by step with steady diligence, he ought to accumulate enough time without forcing himself into reckless peril. Besides, once he reached Center City, he would never have to worry about a lack of opponents. Over the next ten days or so, he threw himself wholeheartedly into his martial training, and in the blink of an eye, the middle of November arrived. That day, Gao Ming called. "Cousin, I've already handled the matter of the interdepartmental joint commission for you. At the latest, the reward will be credited to your account by the end of this month." Chen Chuan said, "All right, Gao Ming. Thanks for the trouble." Gao Ming said, "Cousin, there's one more thing. Regarding the murder of Wuyi Academy student Shen Zheng three years ago, a concrete outcome has finally come out. "Most of the people involved in the case have already been dealt with by you, Cousin, but one person managed to escape outside, and for now, it seems impossible to bring about any definite resolution with him." Hearing this, Chen Chuan knew that person had to be Zhao Qian, whom Wei Jun had mentioned. In reality, this man was the primary executor of the affair back then. He was a student from the same year as Shen Zheng, while Wei Jun had been one class behind them. This person had already entered Center City three years ago. So even though Molan Company had fallen, he could not be brought to justice; the Yangzhi City constabulary could hardly go to Center City to make an arrest. Gao Ming warned, "Cousin, you must be careful of this man. The Zhao family in Yangzhi City has been uprooted, their properties confiscated, but their assets and businesses in Center City aren't so easy to touch. I checked—not only did they do business with Molan Company, but they also have deep ties with other major corporations. "As a direct driving force and participant in bringing down Molan, you must watch out for this person once you head to Center City." Chen Chuan said, "Is it certain there's no way to reach him through legal channels?" Gao Ming said, "The company Zhao Qian belongs to has an entire team of solicitors and connections with Center City's upper echelon. Even with ample evidence, he could mobilize sufficient social and administrative resources to exonerate himself. "Even if he failed and the law ultimately judged him guilty, given Center City's peculiar nature, the sentence likely could never be carried out. The ruling wouldn't be worth more than a scrap of wastepaper." Chen Chuan said, "So for it to be enforced, one would need more social resources and greater power than them—is that it?" Gao Ming said, "That's right. And it would depend on whether the entity holding that power even had the will to confront them. Usually, institutions wielding such power wouldn't waste their energy on such 'minor matters' unless something far larger was involved behind the scenes. However..." He paused before continuing, "From what I know, in Center City, there's actually another way to resolve this kind of thing." Chen Chuan nodded. "I can guess what it is." When results could not be obtained through the law, one could only turn to private channels—using money or certain terms to hire personnel or an organization to accomplish the objective. Gao Ming said, "Yes, exactly as you thought, Cousin. When power isn't centralized, there are plenty of cracks and crevices, and wherever there are cracks, all manner of groups and organizations spring up to fill them. "Fortunately, that also means that in Center City, even ordinary people can spend money to hire people to clear up certain troubles—provided, of course, they have enough money and the target isn't some major figure." Chen Chuan gave an affirmative hum. If he went to Center City, he would indeed need to be wary of Zhao Qian; backed by a corporation, the man wielded considerable influence. "Another thing, Cousin. About the vehicle you asked me to look into: I gathered some information, and currently in Great Shun, there are three types of vehicles that carry that slate-blue paint job. "There's the 'Blue Charm,' a women's car popular among female corporate employees; the 'Tianjing' series of luxury cars produced by the Zhinan Company; and a more common sedan from the 'Qinghu' line. Apart from the Tianjing series, which is relatively rare, the other two are fairly common on the streets. I've already sent the detailed materials over to you." Chen Chuan said, "Thank you, Gao Ming." After hanging up the telephone, he looked out at the sky outside. He remembered that before his predecessor's death, what had met his eyes was the fleeting silhouette of a slate-blue car. But the light had been dim back then, and there was no guarantee the color had not been distorted. For now, he would treat it as a lead and look into it. At that very moment, in the Fenxin Society's clubroom, senior members were gathered together, looking over the details of Shen Zheng's case recently disclosed by the constabulary. "So that's how Senior Shen died..." These society members had only known that Shen Zheng was murdered by the Mutual Aid Society through sinister, underhanded means, but they had not known the specific details. Now, seeing this made a chill run down their spines while deepening their hatred for the group led by Zhao Qian. Unable to best him fair and square, they had resorted to such murderous plots. And the members could well imagine that even if that attempt had failed, more traps would have followed until they found a way to kill Shen Zheng. "Fortunately, we have Junior Chen. He wiped out the Mutual Aid Society in one fell swoop. Brilliant work!" The society members nodded in agreement, stirred with emotion. We might not be able to deal with you, but in this world, there are people you can't deal with either. "Only, Senior Shen still has a younger sister. I wonder what became of her? That Wei family steward confessed that she was taken to Center City by people from the Zhao family..." Silence fell over the room. With their senior murdered by the Mutual Aid Society, it was hard to imagine what had befallen his younger sister. Lu Fang stood up in silence and walked outside. He stood there alone, lost in thought. A moment later, Shu Han and Shen Shao came out. The two exchanged a look, and Shu Han stepped forward, asking, "Senior Lu, are you planning to find out what happened to Senior's sister?" Lu Fang turned around and admitted frankly, "Yes, I plan to give it a try. She might be the last person Senior cared about. If we don't look into it now, who else will?" Shu Han said, "But she might be in Center City. Senior Lu, you don't have official status. If you go there, it'll be hard enough just to gain a foothold, let alone find someone." Shen Shao chimed in from the side, "Senior, it's not that I'm heartless. I'm just thinking—it's been three years. We don't know what condition she's in right now. Maybe... there's no telling..." Lu Fang said, "One has to try." He stepped forward and patted both of them on the shoulder. "With you two here, I can rest easy about the Fenxin Society. Don't worry, I won't overreach. I know my limits; I only want to confirm the outcome. If she's still alive, I'll let you know, and we'll figure out a way together."