The indicator numbers on the elevator flickered, and as they pointed back to the ground floor, the doors slowly slid open. Chen Chuan stepped out. As he walked down the corridor, he turned his head to look outside.
Through his own reflection in the glass, he saw the buildings outside beneath a rather narrow strip of sky. The azure dome remained bright, yet heavy layers of thick clouds hung weighed down over it at that moment.
A layer of mist from the past had been lifted, yet an even greater haze now loomed overhead.
Commissioner Liang had said a great deal just now, but he felt that when it came to something involving a global crisis, the man could not possibly have told him everything; at most, he had been selective.
Moreover, he had only mentioned the government's stance. Yet this world was in fact ruled jointly by the government and the corporations; neither side could ignore the other. So what were the corporations thinking?
Regarding this matter, and how he should walk the path ahead, he needed to think it through carefully.
He made his way down the long corridor as the light and scenery outside the windows slowly receded behind him. Just as he was about to step outside, a line of text suddenly popped up on his boundary credential:
"Enforcement Officer Chen, an item has been placed in your personal locker. Please proceed to collect it."
Chen Chuan glanced at the navigation prompt provided on his boundary credential and walked in that direction. Two minutes later, he entered a lounge, where he received a set of keys from the custodian.
After signing for them, he walked to a door toward the back. Though referred to as a locker, it was actually a storage room of about six square meters, bearing the number 6002.
He pushed the door open and went inside. There was a metal desk, and against the wall stood a corner cabinet taller than a person. Stepping up, he inserted the key and unlocked it, revealing shelves dividing the top and bottom. Set in the middle section was an oblong wooden case fitted with a carrying strap.
He took the case out, placed it on the desk behind him, and removed the pasted seal. Opening the case, he found a short blade resting upon the cushioned lining.
The blade matched the specifications he had ordered before, measuring about sixty centimeters from tip to pommel. He lifted the blade from the box, gripped the hilt, and drew it out slowly. The smooth, bright steel immediately reflected his face.
With a metallic chime, the blade was drawn entirely from its sheath. He gave it a few test flourishes and found it exceptionally comfortable in his hand, perfectly matching the requirements he had requested.
He could also sense that this was likewise a mutated weapon, capable of growing through continued use. With this, he had handy weapons for both long and short ranges.
More importantly, he now possessed a spare weapon.
Earlier, during his fight with Wei Wusheng, the man had directly used his body to clamp and wrest Chen Chuan's weapon, forcing Chen Chuan to fight him barehanded in the end.
If he had possessed such a short weapon back then, he would have had another option.
He returned the blade to its scabbard, placed it back into the wooden case, turned around to lock the cabinet door, and walked out of the Disposal Bureau carrying the case.
He reached the parking plaza, retrieved his car, and started the engine to drive away. As he drove along the road, he could not help but ponder the situation. According to what Commissioner Liang had said, even that was only based on the circumstances of an ordinary person. What he required would definitely be multiple times that of a normal person—only more, never less. That made things exceptionally restrictive.
Still, the information he possessed right now was very limited. He felt he could consult other sources, such as asking Cao Guixi to see if he had any advice.
Right at that moment, Gao Ming reached out to contact him.
Chen Chuan connected the call and asked, "Gao Ming, what's going on?"
Gao Ming said, "Cousin, someone from the Convergence Boundary Company came looking for me yesterday, saying they'd like to meet with you."
"Convergence Boundary Company?"
Chen Chuan searched on his boundary credential. It was a company dedicated to the manufacture of high-strength biomaterials and bio-components. They appeared to have cooperative partnerships with city patrols, municipal security firms, and the Disposal Bureau. A significant portion of the security-grade protective suits and biological armor on the market was produced by them.
In Center City, this company occupied a middle-tier position. While not comparable to top-tier corporations or megacorporations, in scale it was roughly equivalent to Molan's company before its decline, and it was currently on an upward trajectory.
Gao Ming said with a chuckle, "The one looking for you this time is an acquaintance of ours—an old classmate."
Chen Chuan's eyes flickered. If there was any old classmate of theirs in Center City, there was only one person. "Meng Shu?" he asked.
"That's her," Gao Ming replied.
Chen Chuan had known before that Meng Shu originally lived in Center City, though she had never mentioned her specific background. One could only tell that her family was quite well-off. As it turned out, she had the Convergence Boundary Company behind her.
He asked, "Why does she want to see me?"
Gao Ming said, "It's likely related to you having become...
"There's also an unconfirmed piece of news. Meng Lai, the founder of Convergence Boundary, is supposedly preparing to let a successor take over due to advanced age. Currently, the one in charge of the company's primary operations is his grandson, Meng Huang.
"However, Meng Huang has not yet been formally declared the successor. Word has it that our old classmate is also held in high regard by her grandfather, and Meng Lai has seemingly acquiesced to a competition between the two of them.
"This Meng Huang has resided in Center City all along and is already in his thirties. Having been involved in running company affairs for a long time, his influence within Convergence Boundary is deeply entrenched. If our old classmate wants to vie with him for the position, things aren't looking very favorable for her."
Chen Chuan nodded. He did not pursue the topic further, instead saying, "Gao Ming, I went to the Disposal Bureau today and learned some critical developments. I was just about to contact you. It's not suitable to discuss over the boundary credential; we need to talk in person."
Gao Ming caught the gravity in his voice and responded decisively, "Understood, Cousin. You are my—"
"I'll send you an address," Chen Chuan said. "We'll talk there." After sending the address, he ended the call and drove straight toward the area where Instructor Wu's residence was located.
Before long, a silver-gray sedan drove up and stopped at the base of the knoll. The car door opened, and Gao Ming stepped out. He walked up toward where Chen Chuan stood, tugging at his collar. "Cousin, the wind is quite strong up here."
Looking ahead, Chen Chuan said, "That means there are fewer things in the way, allowing us to see further."
Gao Ming came up beside him.
Chen Chuan handed over a prepared agreement. "Sign this. I need to report it back to my superiors. If you leak anything, both of us will be held liable."
Gao Ming signed without hesitation and only then glanced over the specific terms. "What is it about?" he asked.
Chen Chuan relayed the information he had received today.
He was permitted to share the information with up to two relatives. He felt there was no need for his aunt and the others to know; it would only cause them unnecessary worry. Gao Ming, however, as his personal solicitor, needed to know.
After hearing this, far from showing any fear or trepidation, Gao Ming's eyes behind his spectacles brightened. "Cousin, I always felt the higher-ups were hiding something, but I never imagined it was this." He smiled faintly. "Actually, I look forward to such changes.
"In this world, most avenues for advancement are blocked. No matter who you are, you can only climb upward step by fixed step, barely able to leap ahead. And once you reach a certain tier, advancing even a single step further becomes next to impossible.
"Yet a crisis like this makes what was once impossible possible. Under immense pressure, structures that were tightly knotted and densely tangled together will begin to loosen, crumble, and expose openings..."
He stood shoulder to shoulder with Chen Chuan, gazing into the distance. "Cousin, you're right. The wind may be strong here, but that's because there are fewer obstacles, and we can see much further."
"Over the next few years," Chen Chuan said slowly, "the world's upheavals will likely intensify."
Gao Ming pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses. "Indeed. A new era is approaching. We are fortunate to learn of it in advance and make preparations early. It's not too late yet."
He turned his head and said earnestly, "Cousin, you must seize this opportunity. Looking at the government's stance, they exclude fighters who were not trained through orthodox channels; those people won't gain anything from this now or in the future.
"The closer one is to the heart of the crisis, the greater the rewards. The further away one stays, the less one gets, left only to be tossed about by the world's turbulent tides. Rather than passively enduring it, it's better to actively participate."
Chen Chuan nodded slightly.
Then he asked, "Regarding Meng Shu looking for me—what's your opinion?"
Gao Ming said, "Cousin, I'm inclined to say you should meet with her. After all, you two were classmates once. Now that she's one of the heirs to a major corporation and you're a fighter, there's no conflict in your statuses. Even if you don't collaborate, you can still maintain normal contact.
"Furthermore, there's now an additional reason: you can sound her out to see how much she knows about this matter.
"If she says she knows nothing about it, that means she isn't valued by her family at all, in which case keeping things strictly as former classmates will be enough without getting too close.
"If she does know, then perhaps we can learn a few things from her. The very same matter looks completely different through the eyes of a corporation compared to the government's narrative.
"And if she truly wants to recruit you, she might offer information you couldn't hear anywhere else. At the very least, it gives us another channel to understand what's happening."
Chen Chuan considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Set up an appointment for me, then."
"Will do, Cousin. I'll make the arrangements."
Chapter 366