On Duty

On June 7, Chen Chuan received a notification from the Disposal Bureau at six in the morning. He donned the uniform issued by the bureau, gathered his things, and stepped out of the Xuan Palace Building. At six-thirty, an armed Disposal Bureau patrol car drove up and came to a stop a short distance in front of him. When the door slid open, someone inside waved him aboard. Stepping inside, Chen Chuan glanced around. Aside from the driver up front, a support staff member in an auxiliary uniform sat in the passenger seat. Both gave him a nod, neither speaking a word. In the spacious rear compartment sat only a single young man of about eighteen or nineteen, likewise clad in a Disposal Bureau uniform. His gaze was sharp, and after looking Chen Chuan over, he took the initiative to introduce himself. "Sun Rao." Chen Chuan nodded. "Chen Chuan." Once he found a seat and closed the door, Sun Rao said, "I know who you are." He paused. "I'm also a sponsored Wuyi trainee. I joined the Disposal Bureau about half a year ahead of you." Chen Chuan said, "So it's Senior Sun." Sun Rao looked at him once more and remarked, "You're not quite what I expected. I thought you'd be very arrogant." "Why would you think that, Senior?" Chen Chuan asked. "Because most exceptional people I've met have tempers." As Sun Rao said this, the vehicle set off again. He glanced out the window. "Junior Chen, it seems you haven't been out on field duty before?" Chen Chuan answered honestly, "That's true." Sun Rao said, "Your fighting skill is high, but when it comes down to actual duty, it's a different story. Some things can't be solved with force alone. The bureau assigned me as team leader this time, so our actions later will primarily follow my decisions. If you have objections, you can raise them after the shift ends, but during the mission, I hope you'll cooperate with me." Chen Chuan nodded. "I will." He agreed with Sun Rao's point. The worst thing during a mission was a lack of coordination, with everyone doing their own thing. Since they were a team, they naturally needed a leader. He was unfamiliar with these matters, so deferring to someone with experience was the obvious choice. Seeing how readily he understood, Sun Rao said, "You're much easier to deal with than An Cheng." "An Cheng?" "Another sponsored trainee," Sun Rao said. "I can tell that what you say is what you genuinely think. But if An Cheng were here, even if he agreed out loud, there's no telling what he'd actually do." Chen Chuan understood. This Senior An was simply the type whose pride ran deep. Sun Rao continued, "Our duty today is actually related to Wei Wusheng. There are two fighters..." As he spoke, he added Chen Chuan to his contacts and transmitted two files through the boundary credential. Chen Chuan took a look. The boundary credential immediately displayed two figures. One was a vigorous man in his twenties with short hair and bulging muscles. The other was a woman whose physique was every bit a match for a man's, her arms tight with muscles that looked ready to burst. Both looked somewhat familiar. In fact, he had seen them before—they were the ones who had watched the fight alongside him aboard the Rhino Horn, and he had knocked both of them down. Sun Rao said, "The focus of our duty today is Yinglu District. At present, they're the only two people in this district who were on the cruise ship that day, but they've consistently refused the Disposal Bureau's protection and surveillance. "That Tong Daguang is a leader in the Swordfish Gang, while Zhe Rong is a coach at the Tuoli Martial Arts Hall. Both of them constantly have people guarding them, which might be why Wei Wusheng hasn't come after them yet." Chen Chuan considered this, but felt that might not be the case. He had reviewed the previous cases. Leaving aside the very first martial arts hall attacked—back when no one knew Wei Wusheng was seeking vengeance and no precautions had been taken—among the subsequent victims was the head of security for a certain company. That man had been killed while fully geared up and surrounded by his squad. This showed that Wei Wusheng did not seem to choose his targets based on how tight their defenses were. Sun Rao continued, "Most of the remaining fighters are located across Shenwei, Wuding, and Jiyang districts, so those areas are the bureau's main defensive focus. The bulk of our personnel has been deployed there. "What we need to do is keep an eye on these two in Yinglu District. If we really run into Wei Wusheng, we have to find a way to stall him and notify the bureau immediately." Saying that, he asked, "Did you bring a gun?" Chen Chuan said, "I did." Sun Rao said, "Bought it yourself? Let me see." Chen Chuan took out the Shock Thunder. Upon seeing it, Sun Rao's tone filled with astonishment. "Longyin Company's Shock Thunder?" Seeing him stare fixedly, Chen Chuan simply turned the gun around and handed it over grip-first with the muzzle pointed inward. Sun Rao carefully took it and examined it closely, as if appraising a work of art. Then he looked at the serial number beneath the grip. "Every Shock Thunder from Longyin Company is numbered. Supposedly, only three thousand were ever produced nationwide. This one is numbered 3552, which makes it an earlier piece. Trainee Chen, where did you get it?" Chen Chuan said, "A senior gave it to me as a gift." Sun Rao said, "Then that senior of yours is certainly no ordinary figure. Aside from its immense power, this gun is highly collectible. If I were you, I'd keep it at home and never bring it out." Chen Chuan replied, "Guns are meant to be used. When that senior gave it to me, he told me to use it against enemies." Sun Rao looked extremely envious. He let out a soft sigh and reluctantly handed the gun back, unable to resist adding, "Then you'd better treat it carefully. Remember to maintain it thoroughly after every use." Chen Chuan put the gun away. "I will." Sun Rao pondered for a moment, then dragged out a gun case from beneath his seat. Opening it, he took out a rifle and held it in his hands. "This is the 'Venom Tongue' produced by Guaimang Company. It took me a long time to track down. It fires four-inch rounds. Even someone like Wei Wusheng, who possesses external conditioning jin, won't escape unscathed—even if a shot doesn't kill him, it'll blow a hole clean through him." Chen Chuan took a look. Indeed, against someone like Wei Wusheng, firearms were undoubtedly the best option. Even if they couldn't land a lethal hit, weakening his combat capability was just as good. However, the past Wei Wusheng had favored a head-on, brute-force style, never bothering to dodge bullets at all. Now, things might not be so simple. Sun Rao raised the rifle to take aim outside, then lowered it right away. "If he shows up, I'll give him hell." Looking at Chen Chuan, he added, "Don't worry, Junior. My marksmanship is excellent, and the moment he appears, I'll take medication. I'll definitely be able to keep up with his speed." Chen Chuan nodded. "If he appears, I'll create an opening for you, Senior." Sun Rao said, "If anyone else claimed they'd tie down Wei Wusheng, I'd probably take it as a joke. But coming from you, Junior Chen, I'm willing to believe it. I've heard you're the most likely among us trainees to reach the third limit. "You have no idea—once An Cheng found out, he's been driving himself crazy trying to surpass you. But this kind of thing depends on talent and gift. How could someone just overtake you whenever they want? Accepting reality sooner would make life a lot easier." As the two chatted, the armed patrol car arrived in Yinglu District half an hour later. The towering Ferris wheel came into view. Sun Rao said, "Ferris Wheel Company—the backer behind the Swordfish Gang. They're a target the bureau has to keep an eye on, but when it comes to regional stability, they're temporarily aligned with us. If necessary, they'll cooperate to a certain degree. Let's inspect a few key locations first." The armed vehicle first circled the main thoroughfares of Yinglu District. There was no need to do anything specific; simply letting people know that the Disposal Bureau was watching at all times was enough. If nothing out of the ordinary happened, fulfilling this step was all that was required. "That place over there..." Passing an intersection, Sun Rao pointed at a building. "...is Coach Zhe's martial arts hall. Usually, she stays inside all day." Chen Chuan looked over. The light screen on the building's facade prominently displayed the words 'Tuoli.' Bursts of exhaled shouts echoed from within from time to time. Numerous security guards patrolled the perimeter, and pedestrian traffic was fairly heavy. This area could be considered a bustling downtown district, not far from the hidden residence Instructor Wu kept here. Sun Rao said, "We'll circle the area first, and in the afternoon we'll check on Tong Daguang's stronghold in the Swordfish Gang. If nothing special happens, that'll be the extent of our duty today. "Then we wait to see how things develop on the bureau's end. If everything goes smoothly, they'll rotate in relief within three days at most. If progress stalls over there, we might have to come here every single day for a while." After completing another lap around the area, the armed patrol car slowed down and pulled over by the curb. Intending to step out for some fresh air, the driver and the support personnel headed to a roadside beverage shop to buy drinks. Chen Chuan remained in the vehicle. From his angle, he had a clear view of the martial arts hall's main entrance. Business at this martial arts hall seemed quite good, with plenty of cars parked outside and people going in and out. After watching for a while, a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance, and a tall figure stepped out. He recognized her at a glance as Coach Zhe Rong. Behind her followed a large group of students from the hall, each dressed in training attire. Zhe Rong called out a few commands at the door. Under her lead, they all boarded vehicles, which then drove out of the parking lot one by one. Sun Rao cursed under his breath. "I knew they couldn't stay put. Let's follow them!" The driver and support staff hurried back into the car, and the patrol car tailed them. "Where are they heading?" Chen Chuan asked. Sun Rao said, "They teach fighting. Even when targeted by Wei Wusheng, they have to put on a fearless front. So they haven't quieted down lately at all—they've been holding exchanges between different martial arts halls nonstop." He sneered. "They probably think Wei Wusheng wouldn't dare strike where crowds gather. They think they're being clever, but the bigger the crowd, the easier it is for Wei Wusheng to act." Chen Chuan agreed. Especially now that Wei Wusheng moved with far greater stealth, an event like an inter-hall exchange would surely draw plenty of onlookers, creating ample opportunities for him. Just as their car fell in behind them, however, a transmission from the bureau popped up simultaneously on both of their boundary credentials, pulsing insistently.