Support

As Chen Chuan walked forward, he could feel Assistant Ling's gaze lingering on him until the elevator doors finally closed. Yet his gait remained natural throughout, without the slightest sign of abnormality. Guided by his boundary credential, he walked all the way to the far end of the corridor, where a sign read "Stationed Disposal Office." The door stood wide open. He said, "Student Chen Chuan reporting." A voice came from inside. "Come in." Chen Chuan stepped inside. The space was enormous, at least three to four hundred square meters, fronted by a wide, sweeping floor-to-ceiling window that offered an unobstructed view of the scenery outside. In the center stood a heavy, curved desk. Leaning back against it, her back turned to him, was a woman with wavy hair. She had a very athletic build, hands resting behind her on the desk, looking entirely relaxed and casual. As Chen Chuan drew nearer, the woman spoke. "The view here is wonderful. Every time I look out, I feel like a bird soaring in the sky, flying completely free. Student Chen, what do you think? Don't overthink it—just tell me your first impression." Chen Chuan looked outside. Countless skyscrapers stretched beyond the glass. Looking down from this height did indeed impart a sense of towering above the heavens and taking in the entire city. He gave a serious reply: "It's all very nice. Pity none of it is mine." The woman froze for a moment, then burst into giggles. Her shoulders trembled continuously as laughter took hold of her, looking as though she might laugh until she ran out of breath. Chen Chuan looked at her quietly, thinking to himself that her sense of humor was rather easily triggered. After a good while, the woman caught her breath, dabbed at what seemed to be tears of laughter, and finally turned around. She was about thirty years old, wearing teal eye makeup, with slightly full lips, large eyes, and baby-blue nail polish. At first glance, she struck one as exceedingly capable and sharp. The woman looked Chen Chuan up and down as well, saying with appreciation, "Student Chen, you look much better in person than in your photograph. Remember to find a better photographer next time. "Well, let me introduce myself. I'm Ni Xixi, the internal affairs officer stationed at the Wuyi Main Academy by the Disposal Bureau. Don't call me Internal Officer Ni—it reminds me of those people from the Internal Affairs Bureau. Just call me Officer Ni." Before Chen Chuan could reply, she continued, "The reason I called you over today is about matters concerning you. The Disposal Bureau has always paid close attention to outstanding students like yourself. Every year, we set aside resources to focus on cultivating students like you." Saying so, she gave a light "ah" and held up a hand. "Don't celebrate too soon. Cultivation is also an investment. We don't pour resources into students who can't bring a return. We need to see results. "So we will also conduct regular reviews or assessments on you. If you don't make the cut, then sorry, we will withdraw our support. By the way, you aren't the only one who received this eligibility. This time at the Main Academy, we drew up three slots in total. Nobody is irreplaceable. "And among the three of you, the one who performs best will receive the greatest investment of resources, along with certain recommendations and perks that aren't convenient for you to know about just yet." Ni Xixi looked at Chen Chuan. "That's about all I have to explain. Next is your decision." She tapped the boundary credential concealed beneath her wavy hair and transmitted a document. "The details and regulations are all here. Take a look, and remember not to keep a backup. If you agree, we'll continue our discussion. If you don't, you can walk right out that door and act like you were never here." Chen Chuan glanced through it. It was a support program from the Disposal Bureau aimed at cultivating outstanding reserve law enforcers. However, it required that students refrain from joining any corporation or non-state enterprise during the support period, complete specified assessments from the Disposal Bureau, and cooperate with Disposal Bureau personnel on certain missions. Aside from that, there were no other mandatory requirements. He read through it several times, thought it over, and said, "I agree." Ni Xixi hummed softly. "That's good. Students like you often have tempers of their own, especially the young and capable ones." At that, she curled her lip, seeming to think of someone. Chen Chuan wondered whether she was referring to the other two supported students. "All right." Ni Xixi clapped her hands. "Since you agree, let's talk about your studies first. I looked over your entrance evaluation, and it's fairly decent. "Though it was only in the seventies, you did just come up from a branch academy after all. Branch academies have limited educational resources, so achieving this score is already not bad. I believe that after a phase of training, you can catch up quickly. "The evaluation notes that your moves lack technical variations. As a martial artist, you must hone your proficient weapon to pure mastery; otherwise, current flaws may become fatal vulnerabilities later on." As she spoke of this, her tone turned dead serious, shedding her earlier casual demeanor. Chen Chuan nodded. "Very good. Keep that in mind—I'll be keeping an eye on you from now on." Ni Xixi looked into his eyes, seemingly trying to apply a bit of pressure. However, her attention soon drifted elsewhere. *Hmm, this student has quite nice, spirited eyes. Are those double eyelids?* After her thoughts wandered for a moment, she reeled them back in and said, "Back to business. We'll recommend an instructor who specializes in blade techniques. After you meet them, if you find them suitable, you can attend their classes. You don't need to worry about the fees; we can waive them for you. If you don't find them suitable, you can also decline, in which case you'll have to pay for classes out of your own pocket. "Also, your evaluation for the third limit in the entrance assessment was a bit low. For most martial artists, reaching the third limit is where real distinction begins; it's a watershed. "If your upcoming performance meets the standard, we will recommend an instructor specifically responsible for giving you one-on-one guidance. Opportunities like that are rare, so make sure you seize it." Chen Chuan said, "I understand." Ni Xixi waved her hand. "Alright, that's everything that needed saying. I'm not one for long-winded speeches. Head back for now. Someone will come find you later to sign the support agreement, and detailed materials will be sent to you shortly. If you have questions, you can ask me." Chen Chuan bowed his head politely. "Thank you, Officer Ni. I will go back and examine it closely." After bidding farewell to Ni Xixi, he withdrew from the office and took the elevator back to his dormitory. Just as he walked through the door, he received a document. Before he had the chance to look at it, however, he noticed that Tan Zhi had invited him to join a discussion forum. Everyone participating in the discussions here was a student, and most of the current topics revolved around the investors backing them. After reading for a while, he realized that it wasn't just the Disposal Bureau; major corporations throughout Center City also invested in outstanding Wuyi Academy students. Therefore, while the academy's training equipment and courses appeared exorbitantly expensive, they were never truly aimed at individuals, but rather at the investors behind them. Still, where there was investment, there was bound to be an expectation of returns. Even state departments were no exception. It seemed there would be plenty of things to do moving forward. Meanwhile, back inside the Stationed Disposal Office, Ni Xixi was conversing with someone via her boundary credential. "Yes, I've already spoken with him. He gave his verbal agreement... It shouldn't be a problem. Send someone over from your side as soon as possible to draft the agreement." The person on the other end spoke up. "What's your impression of this student?" Ni Xixi said, "Not bad. I think he's quite a good student—easy on the eyes, and with a good temperament." The other person said, "I'll arrange for someone to come over as soon as possible. After the agreement is signed, we'll have him undergo an assessment first." Ni Xixi was somewhat surprised. "An assessment right off the bat? Won't you let him study and adjust for a while first?" "His entrance evaluation score was on the lower side after all—the lowest among the three students we're supporting. That doesn't quite match his past record, so we need a true and accurate evaluation of him." Ni Xixi scoffed. "Meddlesome. I don't believe evaluations can test every facet of a person's capability. Only you people from the rationalist school treat them as gospel. "Besides, this student is exceptional and has no background to speak of. Plenty of people would surely want to invest in him, wouldn't they? I'd wager the corporate hyenas have already set their sights on him." The person on the other end replied, "Rest assured, he won't choose those companies, and those companies won't come to invest in him." Ni Xixi asked in surprise, "You're that certain?" The person said with deep meaning, "It's not that I'm certain; it's that he has no choice. You must have seen his internal dossier. You should know he took part in the state conscription led by the State Administration Bureau, right?" Ni Xixi paused. "You mean..." She grew thoughtful. "No wonder." The person said, "Having worked directly under the State Administration Bureau, who knows if he might be one of their people? Until those corporations can verify that, they won't easily risk placing investments in him." Ni Xixi let out a dry laugh. "Speaking of the State Administration Bureau, those old fellows in our bureau don't like their people either, do they? Could they really be so at ease?" "What? Do you know for certain our bureau doesn't already have State Administration Bureau people in it?" Ni Xixi choked for a second, then said helplessly, "Fair point." The State Administration Bureau's operatives were pervasive. Sometimes, it was impossible to be certain whether a colleague you spent every day with harbored an entirely different identity. The person on the other end added, "Those are matters for higher-ups to consider; they have nothing to do with us. We just need to do our own duties well." A prompt sounded on Ni Xixi's boundary credential as a file arrived. The voice said, "When the agreement is signed, hand this to him as well. Let's see how he performs." Ni Xixi looked at it for a moment and said, "My, setting the bar so high right off the bat? Aren't you making things difficult for our young Brother Chen?" The person said sternly, "What we need are outstanding reserve law enforcers. The Disposal Bureau's funding doesn't appear out of thin air. Every single investment must be prudent and meticulous." Ni Xixi curled her lip. "Fine. I'll explain it to him when the time comes."