Head Instructor

Hearing that Instructor Che wanted to see Chen Chuan, Yu Wan couldn't help feeling a bit anxious. "Why does he want to see Chan'er?" she asked. Chen Chuan smiled. "It's fine, Auntie. Instructor Che and Uncle are colleagues in the same bureau. Since he's come to our door, he's a guest. I'll go meet him." Nian Fuli said, "I'll go with Little Chuan." Putting his cap back on and buttoning up his coat, he stepped out the door with Chen Chuan. Instructor Che had not entered the residential quarters, waiting instead outside the alley. When Chen Chuan and Nian Fuli emerged, they saw a dedicated official vehicle parked there, flanked in front and behind by two armored escort vehicles. In front of the car stood a man in his early thirties wearing the constabulary instructor uniform. His thick brows were sharp as blades, and his gaze was piercing. He could be considered handsome, but he carried an aggressive, overbearing aura that made him seem unapproachable. Seeing the two come out, he walked over of his own accord. Without so much as a glance at Nian Fuli, he extended a hand toward Chen Chuan. "Enforcement Officer Chen, correct? I am Che Lie, head instructor of the Yangzhi Constabulary." As the man walked over, Chen Chuan had already realized that he, too, was a martial artist. This was only natural. Judging by Instructor Wen's case, a head instructor's duties, aside from training the constables, included safeguarding the personal security of key figures in the constabulary. On the surface, it seemed a post without real authority, but in truth, it was of tremendous importance. Nor was it surprising that the man had identified his current status right away. Chen Chuan had known since leaving the Disposal Bureau that the bureau would inform the upper echelons of both the Yangzhi municipal government and the constabulary prior to his arrival in the city. Now, he reached out as well. The instant their hands gripped, he felt a surge of jin press inward. His expression calm, he channeled a surge of jin back into the grip. The two forces collided. Che Lie felt a sharp numbness run up his forearm, as if he were about to be repelled. He hastily tried to maintain his hold, only to find the opposing force abruptly vanish without a trace. A jolt of shock went through him. Once Chen Chuan released his grip, Che Lie pulled his hand back, maintaining a stoic face. Turning his gaze to Nian Fuli, he said, "Captain Nian, could you give Enforcement Officer Chen and me a moment in private?" Nian Fuli stood his ground, looking at Chen Chuan. Chen Chuan said, "It's all right, Uncle. I'll have a few words with Instructor Che." "Then you two talk," Nian Fuli said. "I'll be at the mouth of the alley. Call me if you need anything." With that, he walked back to the entrance of the alley, lit a cigarette, and smoked it slowly. Ignoring Nian Fuli, Instructor Che looked at Chen Chuan and said, "Enforcement Officer Chen, as a matter of fact, I graduated from Center City Wuyi as well, so I'll presume to call you Junior." Chen Chuan said, "So you're a Senior from the Main Academy." Instructor Che looked him over and said, "You truly are young and capable, Junior Chen. Back then, after graduating from the academy, it took me three full years to reach the second limit. Yet you, Junior, have already attained such achievements after barely half a year at the Main Academy. I have seen few people with your level of talent." With his perceptions sharpened considerably, Chen Chuan could sense that although the man's words were polite and seemed an attempt to draw closer, there lurked a faint undercurrent of hostility and scrutiny beneath the surface. "Senior Che flatters me," he said. Che Lie said, "I know what you've done in the past, Junior Chen. When dealing with vermin that obstruct the nation, one must strike with a heavy hand—wiping them out completely, without the slightest hesitation or mercy." Hearing this, Chen Chuan couldn't help recalling the man he had met back when he was with Special Commissioner Feng. Did everyone hailing from the National Interim Special Action Committee share this exact demeanor? Che Lie continued, "Present-day Yangzhi may have rooted out those parasites, but there remain many targets threatening the Great Shun government that must be eliminated—such as those armed militants outside the city." "Is Instructor Che referring to those villagers?" Chen Chuan asked. "Villagers?" Che Lie's eyes sharpened. "Those are no villagers. Illegally possessing firearms, harboring members of resistance organizations, establishing strongholds—they are in open defiance of the Great Shun government! They must be purged!" Chen Chuan made neither confirmation nor denial. Che Lie raised his brows, fixing him with a stare. "Enforcement Officer Chen, you appear to have sympathy for those resistance organizations? That is a dangerous inclination." Chen Chuan raised his eyes and looked the man straight in the face. "Senior Che isn't a Yangzhi native, is he?" Meeting that bright, sharp gaze, Che Lie couldn't help leaning back slightly, his expression hardening. In a deep voice, he said, "I only assumed my post in Yangzhi this year. But upon arriving, I discovered countless problems that had accumulated over a long time. It has reached the point where they must be purged and corrected." Chen Chuan said, "Senior Che, I grew up in Yangzhi. Those fortified villages have been there ever since I was a child. They have never posed any threat to Yangzhi City; if anything, they frequently suffer raids by bandits. Just last year, I eliminated a gang of outlaws who tried to pillage the settlements there. They were later proven to be tied to the resistance organization involved in the train robbery. If those villages were truly strongholds of the resistance, would they rob themselves?" Che Lie said slowly, "Enforcement Officer Chen is indeed capable, and I have heard of what you accomplished last year. But your intelligence is outdated. That raid was nothing more than internal infighting among members of the resistance organization. One of the missions my superiors entrusted to me upon assigning me to the Yangzhi Constabulary is to purge them completely, and I will be taking action tomorrow." He looked at Chen Chuan. "Junior Chen, this is a prime opportunity to display your capabilities. Every bit of our effort will be seen by our superiors. Would you care to join me?" Chen Chuan declined, "I'm sorry, Senior Che. My only intention in returning home this time is to enjoy a quiet vacation and spend time with my family. Besides, this falls outside my responsibilities. I must respectfully decline." Che Lie gazed at him for a moment before saying, "In that case, enjoy your vacation, Junior Chen. I won't disturb you further." With a nod, he turned and walked back toward his vehicle. The constable accompanying him immediately pulled open the car door. Just before stepping inside, Che Lie paused, turned back, and said, "I set out tomorrow to eradicate the bandits. If you change your mind, Junior Chen, you're welcome to seek me out." Having spoken, he climbed in. The car door shut with a heavy slam, and the vehicle slowly rolled away under the escort of the two armed patrol cars. Chen Chuan watched him depart. Although the man was merely a head instructor, his motorcade was grander than even the bureau director's. He walked back over. Waiting there, Nian Fuli asked, "Done talking?" Chen Chuan nodded. Nian Fuli stubbed out his cigarette, tossed it to the ground, crushed it underfoot with a few firm twists, and said, "Let's go back inside." Once they were back in the house, Nian Fuli cast a reassuring glance at Yu Wan, who was waiting anxiously. "Everything's fine." Then he turned to Chen Chuan. "Little Chuan, what did that man Che have to say to you?" Chen Chuan poured him a cup of water first, then answered, "From what he said, he seemed to be inviting me to join him in wiping out the fortified villages outside the city. But I believe his true aim was to ensure I wouldn't step in to obstruct him." Puzzled, Yu Wan said, "Chan'er, what does that have to do with you?" "No, it does matter," Nian Fuli said, taking off his cap. "Little Chuan isn't just anyone now. He comes from Center City, holds a post in the General Disposal Bureau, and is a full-fledged law enforcement officer who has a say with headquarters." He rubbed his close-cropped hair. "No wonder! It was originally decided that I would lead the team, but then they pulled me off it and put on a polite face. Turns out it was all because of Little Chuan." Chen Chuan said, "That may well be the case." In truth, he knew what Nian Fuli said was only one reason. More likely, it was his status as a fellow second-limit martial artist. It seemed Che Lie attached tremendous importance to this operation, which was why he had made a deliberate point of meeting him in person. Yu Wan breathed a sigh of relief. "What a mess." Nian Fuli waved a hand. "Let's eat first." After dinner, Yu Wan took the two little ones out for a walk, while Chen Chuan and Nian Fuli sat down to discuss what had happened. They had barely exchanged a few words when the telephone suddenly rang. Nian Fuli walked over, picked it up, and listened for a moment. He gave a grunt and put the receiver down. "Xiao Wu called. He said Che Lie just set out with his men, and by all accounts, in a huge rush." Chen Chuan said, "He told me earlier it would be tomorrow." Nian Fuli shook his head. "He wasn't telling the truth. Or maybe he feared complications. On past missions, plans were often shifted abruptly to prevent information leaks." Chen Chuan turned the thought over. Che Lie had made his move right after returning, perhaps fearing unexpected developments. Was it because Chen Chuan had shown disapproval during their conversation? Or was there another reason? None of this was his concern for the moment. Seeing Nian Fuli on the phone inquiring for news from colleagues at the bureau, Chen Chuan left the living room and returned to his bedroom. He flipped through a book for a while. When the time was right, he took his calming medication and guided his breathing technique into motion. By now, he was fully capable of substituting sleep with the breathing technique, which was immensely effective for maintaining peak condition, as well as exceptionally useful for tempering one's state of mind. The night passed in the blink of an eye. At five in the morning, the phone in the living room rang abruptly. Nian Fuli was already awake; hanging up his face towel, he walked over and picked up the receiver. After an initial freeze, his expression changed, and his voice involuntarily rose: "Say that again?!" Hearing the commotion, Chen Chuan stepped out of his room. Nian Fuli set the receiver down and looked at Yu Wan and Chen Chuan. "Che Lie is dead. He died outside a fortified village last night." Yu Wan was visibly stunned. "That... Instructor Che who came to our door yesterday? Wasn't he supposed to be quite formidable?" Nian Fuli frowned. "The details are unclear, but this is a massive incident." He quickly took his belt from the coat rack, buckled it on, and hurriedly put on his cap. "I'm heading to the bureau right now." Chen Chuan said, "Uncle, I'll go with you." Nian Fuli hesitated for a moment, then said decisively, "All right! Come along, Little Chuan. You're capable, and Che Lie came looking for you yesterday. I reckon the bureau will want to question you sooner or later anyway, so we might as well go together."