Service

After returning to his dormitory, Chen Chuan placed the Xuejun Saber onto its weapon rack, washed up, changed clothes, and returned to the living room. He had originally intended to watch the Fringe Channel for a bit before resting, but his gaze fell upon the crate sitting in the corner. Over the past few days, he had been entirely preoccupied with taking his medicine and training, almost forgetting all about it. To be honest, he hadn't expected the Secret Snake Cult to give him anything particularly good, so he hadn't paid it much mind. Now that he had some free time, though, he might as well see what was actually inside. He walked over, lifted the crate onto the counter, unlatched the clasps, and opened the lid, revealing a tightly wrapped package inside. After peeling away the outer wrapping, he found it was additionally encased in a layer of sealed soil, which piqued his curiosity somewhat. Once he had peeled away and cleaned off every bit of the soil, he discovered that the object inside was... unexpectedly an egg. The egg was covered in a protective transparent biofilm. It was pale red throughout, with the hue blooming softly from top to bottom, and its surface was so lustrous and smooth that it could have easily passed as an ornament. Since it was a gift from the Secret Snake Cult, his immediate thought was that it was a snake egg. He studied it for a few moments, wondering if it was meant to be eaten, or if it served some other purpose. There wasn't an explanatory note accompanying this gift. Nor was there anything else inside the crate. Without dwelling on it, he directly contacted Zou Handan to ask what this thing actually was and what purpose it served. Zou Handan seemed quite surprised. After asking repeatedly and confirming that he had indeed found an egg in the crate, he asked Chen Chuan to wait a moment. After a short while, he reached out again and said, "Mr. Chen, I've checked with our internal personnel and understand the situation now. Like the major corporations, our Secret Snake Cult maintains a bio-breeding facility. The biological tool prepared for your service originated there. "Occasionally, bio-eggs appear in our breeding facility that do not match our expectations. This does not mean there is anything wrong with the organisms—they simply don't fit our service requirements. "In such cases, our standard procedure is to dispose of them on the spot, or distribute them to researchers and cult members willing to take them home. "The egg you received was likely placed in the crate by mistake by one of the cultists responsible for packing the complimentary gifts. However, we can assure you it poses no danger. If you find this unacceptable, Mr. Chen, we can arrange an exchange immediately." Chen Chuan thought about it. Since he already had it in hand, there was no real need to exchange it. So he asked what was inside and how it was supposed to be incubated. Zou Handan replied, "Because these bio-eggs share very similar characteristics prior to hatching, without specific labeling, even the staff in the incubation chamber wouldn't be able to tell them apart. As a result, we cannot currently determine what is inside. "However, all bio-eggs produced over the past three years only require being kept at a constant temperature of forty degrees for around thirty days to hatch. Considering that you lack the proper conditions, Mr. Chen, and to compensate for this oversight, we will ship an incubator to you shortly." Chen Chuan said, "That works." Zou Handan then added, "Since you contacted us, Mr. Chen, there is something I should mention. The date for your service has been set. Starting the day after tomorrow, you may come to receive our service at any time. What do you think?" Chen Chuan didn't hesitate. "The day after tomorrow, then." Zou Handan promptly sent him a location and the corresponding procedure, adding that once he arrived, a dedicated representative would be dispatched to liaise with him. Ending the call, Chen Chuan glanced at the egg. Leaving the biofilm intact, he placed it back into its original crate, intending to deal with it once the incubator arrived. He then returned to the couch and pulled up the Fringe Channel. He noticed that the most discussed topic was still the news he had seen earlier, debating whether it was Wei Wusheng's doing. As usual, "Dancing on Bottle Caps" had weighed in, arguing that although the recent victim was a passenger from the cruise ship and the modus operandi closely resembled Wei Wusheng's, it probably wasn't his doing. Because this victim had been attacked in a public venue and numerous recordings had leaked, he offered various analyses of the victim's injuries to lay out his reasoning. Although his argument still drew plenty of rebuttals, a good number of people found it convincing. Chen Chuan noticed that some users below had opened betting pools, wagering on who Wei Wusheng would kill next and when. A long list of names was displayed beneath, some accompanied by photographs. He glanced over them. Many were fighters who had been present that day; he, Tan Zhi, Pan Xiaode, Qi Huixin, and others were even listed among them. However, only their surnames were given rather than their full names, followed merely by brief background notes and records. This roster had very likely been obtained from the Rhino Horn cruise ship. Anyone who had already been killed was struck out with a black line. Looking at it, he realized that more than twenty people had died without him even noticing. Some were confirmed to be Wei Wusheng's doing, while others were merely suspected. Yet at this rate, and given Wei Wusheng's past actions, it might not be long before it was his turn. He glanced at the photo of Wei Wusheng pinned in the upper-left corner. After pondering for a moment, he switched off his boundary credential and turned in to rest. The next morning, after waking up, he felt that the effects of the last Qing pill he had ingested had nearly faded. Qingnang Jade Workshop was also still awaiting his response, so he reconnected with them and stated that, after careful consideration, he was willing to continue taking the medication. Fan Qingshan had been waiting for word from Chen Chuan over the past two days. Hearing his liaison report that Chen Chuan had agreed, he was overjoyed. But he wanted even more data, so he instructed the liaison to test the waters: could Chen Chuan continue further after this? Chen Chuan's answer was the same as before—he said he needed to consider it, offering no definitive commitment. From this, Fan Qingshan deduced that since Chen Chuan hadn't flatly refused, he must feel that he hadn't reached his limit yet. It was just that unless his side offered a substantial enough price, it would likely be insufficient to persuade him to go on. After giving it some thought, he said to the liaison, "I'll speak with him personally." Just as Chen Chuan was about to disconnect, a mature, steady voice came through: "Hello, Trainee Chen. I am Fan Qingshan, supervisor of the countermeasures department at Qingnang Jade Workshop." Hearing this, Chen Chuan paused slightly before offering a greeting: "Hello, Supervisor Fan." Fan Qingshan said, "Trainee Chen, due to our company's pharmaceutical classification limits, we cannot offer a higher trial tier for a fighter of your limit. "However, I can offer an alternative supplement: if you are willing to cooperate with this drug trial, we can provide a three-month supply of daily medicines required by fighters." Having made his offer, he waited for a response. After quite a while, a clear, youthful voice finally came through: "Agreed." Fan Qingshan felt a wave of relief. To Qingnang Jade Workshop, such medicines were barely worth mentioning, yet in return, they would secure invaluable trial data. A true win-win! He said, "Trainee Chen, a pleasure doing business with you." Once the call ended, he immediately instructed the employee in charge of this area: "The moment Trainee Chen's trial report comes in, bring it directly to me." On the thirty-first, Chen Chuan departed the Xuan Palace Building early in the morning, got onto the elevated expressway, and drove toward the headquarters of the Secret Snake Cult. The Secret Snake Cult did not own a corporate tower of its own. Its headquarters was located in Split Wave Canyon within Fengde District, situated in the southwest corner of the city. Center City's largest inland lake, Chaocai Lake, was right here, making it a frequent vacation getaway for the city's upper-middle class. Over an hour later, he descended from the expressway. It was late May, and the weather was mild. Luxury cars sped past him in steady streams along the road, making the Jiade car he drove look thoroughly unremarkable here. He thought to himself that the roads here were wide with few sharp turns, and the scenery flanking them was splendid. If he came again next time, he could easily drive the Silver Lightning. Ten-odd minutes later, he arrived at Split Wave Canyon. Driving in along the straight road carved through it, he could see wave-shaped structures built flush against the cliff faces on both sides, conforming to the contours of the mountains and divided into thirty-six vertical tiers. The tiers were connected by spiral ramps, allowing vehicles to drive from outside the canyon all the way to any spot within, or directly up to the observation deck at the very top. After pulling into the designated parking plaza and stopping the car, he contacted Zou Handan via his boundary credential. Less than two minutes later, a young woman in her early twenties approached in a sight-seeing shuttle. She wore a plain white traditional robe that exposed her slender neck, with a ribbon binding her hair and a sash tied at her waist. Distinct implant seam lines were visible along her neck, the backs of her hands, and her calves. Stepping down from the vehicle, she approached Chen Chuan and curtsied politely. "Hello, Mr. Chen. I am Mr. Zou's assistant, Lin Yingzi, responsible for your itinerary and service arrangements today. Please step aboard, Mr. Chen." Chen Chuan nodded and climbed into the internal shuttle with her. As they drove out through the canyon passage, the vast, shimmering expanse of Chaocai Lake unfolded before his eyes. The weather today was wonderful—ample sunshine, neither hot nor cold. Welcoming the cool breeze blowing off the lake, the shuttle drove along the lakeside ring road and entered a stretch shaded by lush green foliage, immediately bringing a refreshing chill. Chen Chuan heard chirping birds and looked over, spotting many ornate avian species he did not recognize. But because he had accessed the Secret Snake Cult's platform beforehand, each time he sighted a species, his boundary credential displayed its classification, population count, and the environmental conditions required for its growth. Lin Yingzi explained, "These are ornamental creatures bred by our Secret Snake Cult. Many are unique both domestically and internationally, and clients pay hefty sums to purchase them from us every year." Chen Chuan thought for a moment. Could the one sent to him earlier be something like this? Fifteen minutes later, the shuttle pulled up outside an egg-shaped glass pavilion perched on the lake's edge. Bringing the vehicle to a halt, Lin Yingzi said, "Mr. Chen, we've arrived."