Disorder

Sun Rao took a look and knitted his brows. The dispatch stated that a pair of rich kids from another center city, children of high-level executives from some major corporation, had left their hotel and were currently wandering all over Yinglu District. The places they were heading into had poor public security, so the bureau wanted them to find a way to keep an eye on them and make sure nothing happened to the two. He had zero desire to do this sort of thing, especially with real business waiting ahead of them, but since it was a temporary dispatch from the bureau, his hands were tied. The armored vehicle promptly turned around and sped toward the location indicated by the boundary credential. Chen Chuan checked and found that the two rich scions weren't fighters. "If fighters aren't involved, shouldn't the city patrol handle this?" he asked. Sun Rao said helplessly, "Technically it shouldn't fall to us. But if those two really stir up trouble, the city patrol won't be able to clean up the mess at all, and it'll land right back on us anyway. Rather than dealing with that, it's better to keep them out of trouble from the start." Chen Chuan said, "If they're children of corporate executives, wouldn't they have security personnel with them when traveling? Is there any need to be this tense?" Sun Rao said, "They do have security around them, and usually nothing happens. The real fear is that these people go looking for trouble themselves. Just a month ago, the bureau dealt with a case like that. "It was the brother-in-law of a high-ranking government official. Thinking he was untouchable with his connections, he went wandering around at night and happened upon a group of armed militants dumping a body. Overcome with curiosity, he insisted on creeping closer to look. He ended up getting shot dead on the spot and sunk to the bottom of the sea. "And the man who killed him was a fighter—possibly even a wanted member of a resistance organization. Because of that, the bureau faced grilling from higher-ups and the public. Especially this month, with the arena tournament right around the corner, the bureau doesn't want any incidents right now." Chen Chuan asked, "What do you plan to do, Senior?" Sun Rao said, "For now, all we can do is follow them and keep them from doing anything too reckless." Guided by the boundary credential, they drove on. Before long, a dark-green convertible came into view ahead of the armored patrol vehicle, speeding recklessly along the road. A security guard in sunglasses sat in the back seat. Up front was a young boy and girl, both around fourteen or fifteen years old, wearing bright, elaborate heavy makeup, their platinum-dyed hair whipping wildly in the wind. The girl in the passenger seat had been bobbing her head to blasting music when an alert suddenly sounded. Glancing back, she said, "Bro, someone's coming up behind us. Looks like this Center City's Disposal Bureau." The boy only grew more excited. "Good! Watch me shake them." He stomped on the gas pedal. The engine roared, and the car abruptly accelerated, shooting forward. Sun Rao watched coldly. He chose not to accelerate after them, well aware that tailing them closely would only egg them on—and he had a better way of handling this. He first contacted the bureau to ask whether a bureau resonator could alter the route on the other vehicle's boundary credential. However, he was told that all the resonators were currently busy with other matters and had no time to bother with trivialities like this; they had to handle it themselves. Seeing no help available from the bureau, he reached out to a resonator he was familiar with, and said to Chen Chuan, "Resonators are always scarce, and good, trustworthy ones are even harder to find. I have a long-term partner who holds a first-class domain credential. I can introduce him to you so you can turn to him if you ever run into trouble." Chen Chuan smiled. "Thank you, Senior Sun." He knew Sun Rao wasn't doing this purely out of kindness. A resonator who frequently worked with the Disposal Bureau would find it easier to gain clearance in the future. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. The young brother and sister quickly left the Disposal Bureau car far behind. As if they had accomplished something marvelous, they cheered and high-fived each other. But after speeding along the route dictated by their boundary credential in a wide loop, they suddenly spotted the Disposal Bureau vehicle appearing alongside them once again. They immediately realized something was wrong, and irritation set in. The boy turned his head and said to the guard, "Lao Qian, get out and stop them." The guard looked at them without reacting. Tagging along on their wild spree was his limit; there was no way in hell he would intercept a Disposal Bureau car. He hadn't lived long enough yet. "Boring." Seeing the guard refuse to budge, with the bureau car trailing behind and their boundary credential keeping them driving in endless circles, any chance of finding fun was ruined. Visibly sour, the girl gave the middle finger to the driver of the armored vehicle behind them, and their car turned around, heading back toward the hotel. Sun Rao seemed to have anticipated this. He chuckled softly and said, "Junior, don't get impatient. If you work in the Disposal Bureau in the future, you'll run into this sort of thing too. Just find a way to get promoted early, and then you won't have to suffer through the grunt work yourself." Chen Chuan asked, "Senior Sun, do you plan to stay with the Disposal Bureau after graduation?" "Of course," Sun Rao answered without hesitation. "I'm already familiar with the people and business at the bureau. If I go to other departments or corporations, I'd have to spend time communicating and getting familiar all over again—that's all cost. Besides, while the bureau's salary isn't particularly high, you can earn extra on the side from time to time, you hold law enforcement authority, and you don't have to bow to corporate whims. "Junior, you've only been in Center City for about half a year, right? There's a lot you haven't run into yet. Once you do, you'll realize the Disposal Bureau is a pretty good spot. Ordinary people don't even get this chance. "An Cheng, on the other hand, wants to go corporate. He thinks he can earn a higher salary and rise to executive status like some alumni, enjoying all that prestige. But if you ask me, he's being way too optimistic. In a place like a corporation, if you don't have a cunning mind, you can't survive at all; sooner or later, they'll eat you alive down to the bone." The young boy and girl made a loop on the road and returned to their hotel. Watching the convertible descend into the underground garage, the armored patrol vehicle pulled up outside the entrance. Sun Rao said, "We'll wait here a moment. Once they head upstairs, we'll head over to that Swordfish Gang stronghold." He had barely finished speaking when a ping sounded on his boundary credential again. This time, the message came from the city patrol team: a suspected fighter suffering from functional disorder had appeared, and they requested the Disposal Bureau's intervention. Sun Rao's expression hardened. A fighter afflicted with functional disorder was completely trapped in their own delusions; there was no telling what they might do. It had to be dealt with immediately. Abandoning their stakeout here, he reported the outcome of their escort task and had the driver turn the vehicle toward the incident site right away. Meanwhile, the brother and sister had already parked and were getting ready to head up to their suite when they noticed the Disposal Bureau vehicle pulling away. The girl let out a surprised sound. "Bro, they left!" The boy said impatiently, "So what if they left? If we go out again, we'll just get tailed again." "Heh, then let them follow! Bro, I found a place online. If they want to follow, let them—maybe we'll even get to watch some fun." The girl muttered a few words in a low voice, and the boy's eyes lit up. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" The two eagerly hopped back into the car, drove out of the garage, and bolted toward the main road. Following the boundary credential's directions, the armored patrol car arrived about ten minutes later at a general warehouse complex in the Yinglu District port. The perimeter had already been secured by the city patrol team. Seeing the Disposal Bureau's armored car arrive so quickly, the team captain immediately waved, and his squad members practicedly pulled back the arrestor cables and makeshift barricades to let the armored vehicle drive in. Chen Chuan and Sun Rao had already received the dossier en route. The person suffering from functional disorder this time was a security captain originally tasked with maintaining port security. He had shot the warehouse supervisor dead and used his weapon to injure several teammates in succession, and was now hiding inside one of the warehouses. Sun Rao said, "As long as he hasn't escaped outside, that's good." Turning to Chen Chuan, he explained, "Junior, you've heard of functional disorder, right? There's always a trigger for the onset, usually some severe trauma or provocation. Once these symptoms appear, without specialized medication from the mega-corporations, recovery is practically impossible. Even if they stabilize for now, the chances of recurrence only climb higher. "During combat, someone having an episode experiences an increase in compatibility with their implants, and because their cognition is broken, they're often fearless of death. That's why whenever you encounter someone like this, you have to put them down immediately." Once the car stopped inside the perimeter, he slid the door open. "I'll go in and handle it. Junior, wait here and see if any other notices come from the bureau." Chen Chuan nodded, watching him step out, draw his gun, and walk into the complex. After waiting for about ten minutes, Chen Chuan suddenly heard several distinct, muffled gunshots ring out from inside the warehouse. A moment later, the flashing red warning on his boundary credential vanished. Outside, the city patrol officers began rushing in, and shortly after, Sun Rao walked out, appearing completely uninjured. He walked back, got into the car, and slid the door shut before speaking. "Got the full story. Last night, a crew of gangsters came to the port warehouse to steal cargo. "In truth, that shipment had been arranged there by the warehouse supervisor. Part of it was contraband obtained through illicit channels, and part was legitimate goods. He had colluded with a gang leader to move the goods out under the guise of a theft; they would split the proceeds once the goods were sold, and on top of that, he could collect insurance payouts and compensation from the security company for the losses. "However, this security captain was remarkably conscientious. He was supposed to have gone off duty, but feeling uneasy, he came back to make another round, only to find several of his subordinates cooperating with the thieves to move the cargo. "The captain drew his gun and shot several of the thieves, then clashed with those subordinates, ultimately managing to secure the cargo. The bitter irony is that before dawn, the security company fired him on the grounds that he had engaged in violent conflict with his coworkers." He shook his head and said, "Clearly someone high up in the security company was in league with the supervisor, so his actions stepped on a lot of toes. And to make matters worse, when he got home, he found out that among the thieves he had shot dead... was his own son." Chen Chuan glanced over the security captain's file, noticing an annotation. "This man graduated from Wuyi?" Sun Rao said, "He didn't study at the Main Academy—it was a regional branch. He came to Center City and worked hard here for twenty years, without a single criminal record to his name. Just half a year ago, with the help of a senior, he finally obtained citizen status. Now it's all gone." He gave a dry scoff, looking at the onlookers gathered outside. "Twenty years of hard work..." After a long pause, he continued, "We've been delayed this long, so we need to get back on track with the martial arts hall. Let's head—" Before he could finish his sentence, another communication came through on the boundary credential. His face shifted slightly, and he cursed under his breath before shouting to the driver up front, "Old Wan, to the Elephant House Tavern! Fast!"