Investigation

"So what do you plan to do, Senior Lu?" Chen Chuan wanted to hear Lu Fang's thoughts. Lu Fang replied, "I want to track down Zhao Qian's whereabouts first, then investigate starting with those around him. Since he took Senior Shen's sister away, he must have had an objective. It hasn't been that long, so I think he must have left some traces behind." He leaned forward slightly, resting his hand on his cup of hot drink. "Zhao Qian graduated from Wuyi's Main Academy. So I had initially thought to look for you, Junior, and see if I could ask around about where he might have gone. I never expected that on the very day I arrived here, I'd run right into you." Chen Chuan nodded and said, "I know where Zhao Qian is." Lu Fang looked up at him. Chen Chuan said, "Even if you find him, Senior Lu, how do you plan to investigate leads regarding Senior Shen's sister? Walk right up and ask him?" Lu Fang said hurriedly, "I might have come alone, but it's not like I don't know anyone in Center City. I reached out to a few seniors I knew from before, and with their help, I managed to find my footing. I figure as long as I can pinpoint Zhao Qian's location, I can take my time looking into it. Something will eventually turn up." Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "You might not realize this, Senior, but as a mid-level corporate executive, Zhao Qian has a security team and resonators constantly guarding him. If you show up repeatedly near his company, you will end up on their watch list. "If I'm not mistaken, Senior Lu, you don't have official citizen status yet. If a corporate security organization uses violence against you, no matter how severe the consequences, not a soul will give it a second glance. The end result might simply be you being quietly gotten rid of—and Zhao Qian might never even know you were there." Upon hearing this, Lu Fang said earnestly, "Thank you for telling me, Junior. I know it's dangerous, but I still can't just ignore it. Back then, Senior Shen helped me and the other students tremendously. What I owe him, I ought to repay." He looked at Chen Chuan with a sincere expression. "Junior, can you tell me where Zhao Qian is? That's all I need to know. I'll be as careful as I can." Chen Chuan considered this. Although Senior Lu was stubborn, he truly was a person of unwavering loyalty and honor. Back then, the Fenxin Society had spoken up in his support several times without asking for anything in return. Chen Chuan acknowledged that debt of gratitude. He said, "Senior Lu, if you truly want to know the truth about what happened back then, you'd best do nothing for now. Wait a while, and a resolution might present itself." Unsure of what Chen Chuan meant, Lu Fang hesitated before saying, "Junior, you really don't need to get involved in this..." Chen Chuan shook his head. "Don't overthink it, Senior Lu. It has nothing to do with what you told me today. You care about Senior Shen's affairs from back then, but do you think Zhao Qian doesn't care about the downfall of the Zhao family?" Lu Fang froze, vaguely understanding Chen Chuan's implication. A look of concern crept into his eyes. "Junior, does that mean you..." Chen Chuan smiled faintly. "All right, Senior, it's rare for us to meet. Let's set this aside and talk about something else. You mentioned earlier that several seniors who came to Center City helped you out. What are they doing now?" *** Inside an underground fighting gym in Shenwei District, two young men in their twenties were directing more than twenty youths in their training. They were strict: whenever anyone executed a movement improperly, they would immediately bark a reprimand or deliver a swift kick. The fallen youths would scramble back to their feet at once and resume their punches in silence. Only after a movement was corrected would the instructors shift their gaze to the next person. A long time later, a bell chimed with a clear clang. One of the short-haired young men called out, "Take a break." The youths bowed to them before scattering with a cheer, smiles finally breaking across their faces, revealing a glimpse of their youthful nature. The short-haired young man stepped aside, grabbed a bottle of water, took a sip, and said, "Someone from the Tianshu Gang came by again recently. They added more terms and even said that as long as we join, they can help us sort out our citizenship." The taller young man beside him said in a deep voice, "It's not that simple. They just want to use us. Citizenship? They'll dangle that in front of us just to make us risk our lives for them. Pay them no mind. Things are fine as they are." The short-haired youth grunted in agreement. After a moment, he added, "Junior Lu said he went today to ask for information from that junior who entered the Main Academy this year. "I really didn't expect someone from a commoner background in a place like Yangzhi could get into the Main Academy. Quite impressive. But once you go there, your status changes completely. Who knows if anything will come of it." The other young man replied, "It's the same whether anything comes of it or not. If the person he's looking for is already corporate management, it's doomed to lead nowhere. There's no way we can fight a corporation." "Yeah. He's just too stubborn, impossible to dissuade." The short-haired young man sighed. "Let's just hope he took our warnings to heart." *** Half an hour later, Chen Chuan exchanged contact information with Lu Fang and stepped out of the beverage shop. Chen Chuan had originally intended to cover the bill, but Lu Fang insisted on splitting it evenly, so Chen Chuan didn't refuse. The two parted ways at the street corner. Watching Lu Fang walk off, Chen Chuan returned to his dormitory, picked up his Xuejun Saber, and set to work reinforcing and digesting the techniques he had learned from Instructor Zheng that day. While immersed in his practice, a chime suddenly sounded from his boundary credential. Seeing that it was Gao Ming, Chen Chuan felt a slight stir. Setting down the saber, he stepped out of the training room and took the call. Gao Ming's voice came through: "Cousin, I've got some leads. Do you have time right now? Let's talk in person." Chen Chuan replied, "I have time. I'll head over right away." Tidying up briefly, he left his dorm, retrieved his car from the underground garage, and drove straight to Gao Ming's apartment. Once they met and exchanged greetings, Gao Ming removed the boundary credential he was wearing and said with a smile, "Cousin, what we're discussing is a bit sensitive. It's best to take these off for now." Chen Chuan nodded. Boundary credentials were convenient for communication, but they couldn't completely eliminate the risk of technical eavesdropping. As a solicitor, Gao Ming was meticulous about such matters. Fully understanding the precaution, Chen Chuan took off his boundary credential as well. Gao Ming placed both devices into a box, closed the lid, and turned back. He handed Chen Chuan a glass of water, sat down, and said: "Cousin, since arriving at the firm, I've gone through quite a few files over the past few days—both digital records on the firm's platform and physical paper documents." Due to the specialized nature of solicitors' firms, their truly valuable information was preserved in physical paper archives and isolated, offline biological storage drives, accessible only to internal personnel. As an invited partner, Gao Ming had clearance to view documents that weren't strictly classified. "Cousin, if you want to target Zhao Qian, I currently have two lines of thought." Gao Ming handed him a handwritten document. "First is utilizing official power. "I looked into the specific functions of Center City's various administrative departments and found that the Disposal Bureau—the very agency investing in you—partly exists to suppress and restrict corporate expansion. "It's somewhat similar to the constabulary back in Yangzhi City, which guarded against Molan Company. In Center City, however, city patrol forces stand almost no chance against corporations, so the Disposal Bureau took up that role. "Nearly every corporation hires fighters, with security personnel being utterly essential, and some exceptional fighters can even rise directly into corporate executive positions. The Disposal Bureau indirectly interferes with these corporations precisely by controlling and constraining these fighters. "Returning to Lianwei Heavy Control Company, where Zhao Qian works: over the past year alone, it received special 'attention' from the Disposal Bureau four times, and the last two instances were almost entirely tied to Zhao Qian personally." Chen Chuan asked, "Because of his ties to Molan Company and the Zhao family businesses?" Gao Ming said, "Exactly. I reviewed some of Zhao Qian's public records and discovered he's very sharp. After arriving in Center City, he realized Molan Company was on the decline, so he gradually severed business dealings with Molan, extracted himself from his family's operations, and managed by some means to join Lianwei Heavy Control. "However, he enjoyed the profits of the Zhao family; claiming total detachment is impossible. Seizing on this very point, the relevant administrative departments and the Disposal Bureau subjected him to several audits, yet they never pushed him too hard. "My personal guess is that these departments might actually prefer him to remain inside Lianwei Heavy Control Company." Chen Chuan understood immediately. Striking down Zhao Qian would affect only one man; keeping him in place provided an avenue to extend official reach directly into Lianwei Heavy Control. Gao Ming nudged his glasses up slightly and said, "So, Cousin, I was thinking we might be able to leverage the Disposal Bureau's power without having to take the field ourselves. Handled properly, it could force Lianwei Heavy Control Company to abandon Zhao Qian. "Stripped of his corporate executive status, he would just be an ordinary fighter, and dealing with him would become much easier. "Competition among Center City corporations is fierce. Over his years here, who knows how many people he has crossed? Someone else might take the initiative to deal with him before you even need to lift a finger. "The drawback to this approach is that setting it in motion takes time. Furthermore, we can't rule out exceptional circumstances—for instance, Zhao Qian might possess some unique value. "If so, we have to consider this possibility in advance: "Even if we secure concrete proof that Zhao Qian arranged an assassination attempt on you, some high-ranking figures in the Disposal Bureau might still refuse to move against him. Instead, they might use the leverage to bring Zhao Qian even more firmly under their thumb. "So, if we take this route, we might not have to confront him directly, but until things reach their conclusion, we won't be able to steer or guarantee the final outcome." Chen Chuan nodded and asked, "Then what is the other way?"