At dawn, Chen Chuan opened his eyes, awakening from a deep sleep.
Originally, he never dreamed, yet last night scene after scene had surfaced in his slumber.
The figure who appeared most frequently was a woman with light brown hair, which gave the impression of being natural rather than dyed. In those scenes, he could easily sense that the one conversing with her was this body's mother, Yu Zhen.
The scenes of their conversations were not confined to a single place. Just like genuine fragments of dreams, they shifted in sudden leaps—sometimes in a ship's passenger cabin, sometimes on a rugged mountain path, and sometimes in a magnificent, glittering temple.
On the surface, the two seemed to have been traveling through different regions, and some of the landscapes were clearly not within Great Shun.
Furthermore, he noticed that this woman bore a striking resemblance to Yu Zhen, differing only in temperament. Had the contents of their dialogue not made it clear that they were merely close friends, he might almost have taken her for another sister of this body's mother.
Most of the time, they talked about expeditions and historical landmarks in various places, occasionally touching on matching outfits, favorite accessories, and the like.
Evidently, this memory dated back to before this body was born.
He figured Yu Zhen had probably left this memory to share her past experiences with him, which he indeed considered quite precious. But if that was all, there seemed little reason to conceal it so thoroughly. Or was it that the transmission of these memories could not be fully controlled?
Or perhaps these had simply been carried along when the crucial information was preserved?
The latter possibility seemed plausible.
In that case, there ought to be more vital content hidden within the memory—he simply hadn't seen it yet.
Truth be told, even if there was no important information preserved inside, it wouldn't matter much. He was already walking his own path and steadily advancing toward his goals. So long as he kept going, once he reached greater heights, the answers he had once sought in vain would present themselves before him one by one.
He got up, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains. Sunlight immediately flooded the room.
He looked outside. Today was September 10th, a rest day, and the date agreed upon for his meeting with Meng Shu.
He planned to go see what this old classmate of his had to say.
After standing before the window for a while, he went to wash up, then retrieved and put on his boundary credential. The moment he activated it, a notification chime rang out.
It was an unread message from yesterday: a list sent by the Qingnang Jade Workshop of medicines he could purchase at a discount.
He looked through it; every item was entirely as expected.
He could foresee that even if he became a test subject for the Qingnang Jade Workshop once more, the most they would do was provide these for free; they would never supply him with those special medicines.
Unless he joined the Qingnang Jade Workshop and became one of their own.
Dismissing the message, he grabbed some nutritional paste to eat and took a few doses of medicine, then headed into the training room for his daily cultivation and technique drills.
Near midday, he came out and showered, getting ready to keep his appointment.
Meng Shu had extended the invitation in the name of Convergence Boundary rather than as an old classmate, signaling that the discussion would center around corporate matters. Thus, after washing up, he changed into a Disposal Bureau uniform.
After refreshing Chaoming's food and water, he took up the Xuejun Saber and walked out the door. Once he retrieved his car from the underground garage, he contacted Gao Ming. "Gao Ming, I'm on my way."
Gao Ming said, "Cousin, I've reserved a private room there as well. If anything comes up, you can consult me anytime."
Chen Chuan gave an affirmative. After driving to the Shu Tianxia Hotel, he bypassed the mountain path this time and took the sightseeing elevator up.
To facilitate their conversation, Convergence Boundary had booked an entire private courtyard here. As he walked in, a rich fragrance of sweet osmanthus greeted him.
The grounds were exquisitely and elegantly arranged, dotted with naturally styled rockeries. Clear water babbling beneath a small stone bridge produced a soft trickling sound, while slender, graceful bamboo stood by the entrance and along the water's edge, rustling in the gentle breeze. Free from the chaotic light screens outside, the atmosphere was unmistakably tranquil and refined.
He went over and sat on a cushioned, old-fashioned round stool. Before long, hearing approaching footsteps, he raised his gaze to see Meng Shu walking in.
Today her hair was styled in draped twin buns, and she wore a plain, cross-collared short jacket paired with a long blue patterned skirt. A female assistant followed behind her, but upon reaching the courtyard entrance, Meng Shu gave a light wave. The assistant bowed slightly and withdrew.
Meng Shu crossed the small stone bridge, walked up to Chen Chuan, and took a seat on the round stool opposite him. Looking at Chen Chuan, she said, "Before seeing that recording, I never expected you could reach that stage. But I always knew you were remarkable, and this only proves I wasn't mistaken."
Chen Chuan realized that, perhaps due to their shared childhood experiences, despite not having seen each other in a long time, there was no real awkward distance between them.
He said, "After two years, you haven't changed much either. From childhood until now, you've always carried an air of confidence in whatever you do."
Meng Shu gently shook her head. "That only stems from my family background and the wealth at my disposal. I haven't yet achieved anything truly noteworthy on my own. Without those things, that supposed confidence would be completely unfounded.
"I consider myself fortunate that my parents gave me this upbringing, but all of it requires careful upkeep. Nothing in this world stays prosperous forever."
She looked at Chen Chuan. "You're able to do what you want and succeed at it. I'm happy for you, and a bit envious, too. But I can't do that. That's why right now, I need your help."
Chen Chuan asked, "As an old classmate, or on behalf of Convergence Boundary Company?"
Meng Shu said, "Convergence Boundary isn't mine yet. What I need to do is make it mine. Regardless of whether I want to or not, I cannot back down."
Chen Chuan said, "Inheritance rights?"
Meng Shu answered without hesitation, "Yes." Then, looking at him, she asked, "You know about that matter, don't you?"
Knowing what she was referring to, Chen Chuan nodded. "I do."
Meng Shu said, "I don't know what the Disposal Bureau told you, but they're bound to have held things back."
Chen Chuan said, "That was my impression as well."
Meng Shu looked at him. "Although the government and the corporations currently share the same stance, their priorities differ. The government focuses on the defense of the Ring of the World, whereas the major corporations, while participating in defense, have a primary goal: seeking out relics."
Chen Chuan had never heard of this before. He asked directly, "What are those?"
"The boundary where the two worlds collide and intertwine—the place where the Ring of the World is now established—didn't appear overnight. It formed over a long span of time. During past Periods of Flux, there were many moments when the two worlds drew exceedingly close. The confluence of worlds brought about tangible objects that conformed to the nature of both worlds.
"They might be living things, or they might be phenomena still incomprehensible today. Collectively, they are called 'relics,' and in the past, they were collected by imperial courts across the world.
"Nowadays, aside from the technologies developed indigenously within our world, much of the corporations' tech came from imitating and studying these relics. That is why both the government and the major corporations continue to pursue them tirelessly even now.
"However, relics in the outer perimeter of the Ring of the World have been virtually depleted. As a result, one now has to approach the Ring's veil or even venture beyond the Ring of the World to search for them. And these relics can only be accessed or captured by fighters under adequate preparation."
Chen Chuan said, "So you want me to help you acquire those things?"
Meng Shu shook her head. "Going there is extraordinarily dangerous. Moreover, even if you brought them back, I would gain little tangible benefit beyond some praise.
"My cousin controls the vast majority of the company's business. He can use that to win people over, form new research teams, and launch new projects, earning the deep gratitude of even more people. Doing that now is meaningless for me; competing against him within the company's existing framework, the benefits he reaps will always surpass mine.
"Even if I did something beneficial for the company and secured Grandfather's backing, I know full well that the bedrock of all this is ultimately martial force. Once he feels threatened, all he needs to do is dispatch a suitable person to physically eliminate me, and everything I accomplished would gladly be taken over by him.
"And my grandfather would not hesitate for a second to cast aside a valueless granddaughter—an heir who couldn't even protect herself.
"Therefore, I must ensure my own safety."
She looked at Chen Chuan and laid out her terms. "Chen Chuan, if you're willing to come over, I can provide you with every resource at my disposal under the pretext of seeking relics."
Chen Chuan said, "Old classmate, putting aside my abilities for a moment, if you're willing to invest like that, recruiting others shouldn't be difficult either."
Meng Shu said, "Except I cannot trust a single one of them. I have no way of knowing whether they've secretly accepted my cousin's terms."
Looking at Chen Chuan, she continued in earnest, "I've watched your recording and consulted many people. Without exception, every one of them confirmed your talent. Your ability is beyond doubt, and I am far more willing to place my trust in you.
"Furthermore, I can promise that once I become the heir of Convergence Boundary, I can grant you the utmost support. While Convergence Boundary Company isn't a top-tier conglomerate, we are an important partner of the domestic defense industry. We maintain good cooperative ties with the government, and our business is expanding internationally.
"The enterprise is on a steady ascent. Even if we cannot reach world-class standing, using all the resources a company can muster to fully back a single individual—I believe no other place will offer you terms like these."
Chapter 370