Incident

Inside the glass cylinder, the radiance grew increasingly dazzling, and the blurred silhouette of his Second Self seemed to waver there. The invasive radiant light was not overwhelmingly fierce in intensity, but it pressed upon him relentlessly, every second of every minute without pause. It stripped away all cover and blind spots, leaving nowhere to evade and nowhere to hide. A vast expanse of white filled Chen Chuan's vision, giving him the fleeting illusion that he was floating. There was no biological field monitoring here, and no one outside could see what was happening within, so there was no need for him to put on an act. Yet sitting there doing nothing felt like a waste of an hour. After thinking for a moment, he simply stood up and began running through forms. The space inside was modest. He hadn't brought the Xuejun Saber in with him, making it awkward to practice the saber moves he had learned earlier, so he decided to practice Orthodox Sanshou instead. Yet as he began moving, he gradually realized: was this actually increasing his absorption efficiency? Though the boost seemed slight, having mastered the Aperture Breathing Technique allowed him to clearly register every subtle shift in his mutated tissue. The tissue did indeed feel far more active than before. In that case, he had every reason to keep going. Cocooned in the light, he executed Orthodox Sanshou over and over. Before long, his entire body grew scorching hot. His mutated tissue seemed to greedily devour the light penetrating his skin. Even without circulating the Furnace Breathing Technique, wisps of steam began rising from him. This forced him to pause, grab the canteen he had brought along, and gulp down half of it in one breath before resuming. While his time inside was thoroughly fulfilling, the medical personnel waiting outside grew increasingly uneasy. Was he coming out or not? Could this young man really hold out for this long in a single stretch? One of them spoke up. "He didn't pass out in there, did he?" The medical staff's expressions grew solemn. It was entirely possible. Because the irradiation was excruciating, some people fainted while forcing themselves to endure it. However, losing consciousness offered no protection—otherwise, one could simply knock oneself out upon entering. Once the subject lost consciousness, their mutated tissue would likewise slip into a dormant state and become incapable of absorbing the radiant light. Continued exposure would not only cease yielding benefits, but would also trigger a host of adverse symptoms. Such an incident had occurred before. Yet according to regulations, unless the subject emerged on their own, the staff could not interrupt until the time was up. Thus, all they could do was wait anxiously outside. An hour slipped by in a flash. Just as Chen Chuan threw a punch, a rhythmic clacking sounded from the signal clapper, informing him that his time was nearly up. *Already?* He felt like he had barely begun. He slowly exhaled and stood straight once more. At the same time, the surrounding light gradually receded until it vanished completely. Picking up his belongings, he walked forward, opened the door, and stepped out. The medical staff immediately swarmed forward, their eyes glued to him. Seeing the faint wisps of white vapor drifting off him and the slight flush across his skin, they knew he must have endured intense agony. Yet seeing him completely lucid, had he actually held out the entire time? Especially considering this was his very first radiant light irradiation. While breathing a sigh of relief, they could not help but feel a twinge of admiration. Cases like this were exceedingly rare, and they had been fortunate enough to witness one firsthand. The medical team leader looked him up and down. "Young man, how do you feel? Do you need an examination?" Chen Chuan shook his head. Confirming he was fine, the team leader stepped aside. "Young man, you may head back." Chen Chuan nodded and walked out, meeting the solemn administrator once again. The man guided him up the elevator, and after Chen Chuan signed out at a registry desk, he stepped out of the building. Cao Guixi was waiting outside. Upon seeing him, he asked, "Your first radiant light irradiation—how does it feel?" At this moment, Chen Chuan could clearly sense that his bones and fascia had been strengthened. "It feels very good," he replied. Cao Guixi showed a hint of surprise, followed by what seemed like a trace of melancholy and envy in his eyes. He didn't pry further, saying simply, "Then let's go." Chen Chuan nodded and left with him. Getting into the sedan, he glanced back at the building. It was a pity such opportunities were so scarce. Even with the Disposal Bureau's support, he only had two sessions a month. Should he look for a way to secure more chances? On the return trip, Cao Guixi spoke up. "The radiant light is meant to strengthen your bones and fascia, while strengthening your internal organs requires taking precious paste produced by Tiancong Baicao. "I still have twelve allotments left. Tiancong Baicao strictly controls this medicine, and I can only draw three doses a month at most. It's useless to me now anyway, so once I receive them, I'll transfer them all to you." He raised a hand before Chen Chuan could speak. "No need to thank me. As I said, this is just me returning a favor to the Disposal Bureau. However, while I'm responsible for mentoring you during this period, you can ask me about anything you don't understand." Chen Chuan nodded. After thinking it over, he asked, "Senior Cao, besides what Wuyi Academy and the Disposal Bureau provide, is there anywhere else to find similar opportunities for irradiation and medicinal support?" "Given your situation," Cao Guixi replied, "unless you can secure investment from another company—and I mean state-owned enterprises. Since you've accepted investment from the Disposal Bureau, only state-owned enterprises would even consider offering you another chance. But that's purely hypothetical; making it happen is near impossible. "State-owned enterprises usually cultivate fighters they trust, and they've likely already found suitable candidates across the various Wuyi academies. Unless an unforeseen incident befalls one of their candidates and they're forced to find a replacement, they won't look for someone who has already been claimed by another department. "My advice is that you'd be better off competing within the Disposal Bureau. The bureau receives far more than just one irradiation quota per month, which it divides equally among all supported trainees. "The bureau conducts monthly evaluations. Trainees with the lowest ratings have their quotas reduced. If you can demonstrate sufficient value, it's possible to earn an extra quota each month." Chen Chuan considered this. If that was the case, he definitely needed to fight for it, even if it meant taking on more tasks. That was fine by him; to gain something, one had to pay a price. When one was weak, there was no need to dwell on trivial constraints. Once one grew strong enough, those shackles could naturally be stripped away layer by layer. The car drove back, approaching the central district within half an hour. Suddenly, Chen Chuan felt something. Looking out from the elevated highway, he saw a burst of flames violently erupt from a distant building, followed by the roar of an explosion in his ears. Almost at the same instant, a notification chimed on his boundary credential: *"An explosion occurred two kilometers to the southwest. Citizens are advised to avoid the area."* Merely seconds later, another voice sounded by his ear: *"Violent attack reported near 'Taowo Market' involving fighter crime. Disposal Bureau candidate enforcement officer Chen Chuan detected nearest to the scene. Temporary enforcement authority granted. Officer Chen, proceed immediately to suppress the criminal incident."* Hearing this, Chen Chuan looked up. "Senior Cao, I'm afraid I need to get out." Cao Guixi clearly understood. "A notification from the bureau? That's just an automated notice from the platform's non-active conscious entity, not a mandatory order from the bureau itself. You can choose not to go." Chen Chuan, however, saw it differently. He was already looking for ways to earn more opportunities from the Disposal Bureau. Now that the notice had arrived and he happened to be nearby, there was no reason to refuse. "I know, but I think I should go." Cao Guixi gazed at him. After a moment, he instructed the driver, "Take the ramp ahead." Then he turned back, glanced at the Xuejun Saber beside Chen Chuan, and said, "You only have a saber with you?" He reached out his hand. "Hand me the gun." The butler immediately opened the storage compartment between the front seats and pulled out a pistol. Taking it, Cao Guixi handed the weapon, complete with its exquisite and ornate holster, directly to Chen Chuan. "This is 'Shock Thunder,' made by Longyin Company. It's yours." Chen Chuan did not stand on ceremony. He thanked him and accepted it, tucking the gun into his trench coat's waist pocket. Then, right in front of Cao Guixi, he swallowed some medicine. As the car descended from the elevated highway and the door opened, he bid farewell to Cao Guixi, grabbed the Xuejun Saber, and stepped out. The moment he stepped onto the pavement, a gust of wind swept past. He pressed down on his fedora, took a deep breath, and sprinted toward the scene of the incident. Uncle Ding watched his rapidly retreating figure and the utter lack of hesitation in his stride. "Young Master, this young man is somewhat like you used to be." Cao Guixi hummed in response. His flawless hand clenched briefly before he subconsciously drew his sleeve down to cover it. "Let's head back. He can handle it." "Understood, Young Master." As Chen Chuan dashed forward, the Disposal Bureau continuously pushed new updates to his boundary credential, mainly regarding the attackers' current positions and identities. Preliminary estimates indicated four attackers, two of whom were Second Limit fighters. Every one of them was fitted with military protective plating, reinforced skeletons, and implant heart-lung packages. Such implants were standard choices for mercenaries, and he had encountered them before. However, judging from the models listed, these were considerably more advanced than anything he had seen in the past. The attackers had not fled the blast site. Instead, they had occupied it and were currently in a standoff against the rapidly responding city patrol team. As his feet pounded the pavement, Chen Chuan noticed that his transitions and force generation felt markedly smoother. Evidently, the enhancement of his mutated skeletal muscle fascia allowed him to unleash greater power and supported swifter movements. Although the improvement was slight for now, the process was ongoing and would likely continue for several days. If he could undergo this a few times every month, it would indeed bolster his foundation immensely. He made a firm resolution: if another opportunity like this presented itself, he would seize it by any means necessary!