Intervention

Chen Chuan thought it over. If Meng Shu truly delivered on her promises, nowhere else could possibly match what she offered. Yet one problem remained: for now, it was nothing more than an empty check. Meng Shu was currently in the weaker position, and whether she could fulfill those promises was another question entirely. Then again, if that were not the case, there would have been no need for her to ask for his help in the first place. After a moment's contemplation, he said, "Even if that's what you think, it won't be enough on its own. I'm an enforcement officer of the Disposal Bureau. If I were to leave the bureau and come over to your side, setting aside my own wishes, the bureau wouldn't agree." Meng Shu replied, "As long as you don't object personally, I'll find a way to handle the rest. And I can guarantee that all of this will proceed on the premise that your interests are not harmed." Chen Chuan said, "Old classmate, if you can manage that, I don't mind lending a hand." Meng Shu nodded gently. Just then, the female assistant by the doorway called out a few instructions to the outside, and the hotel began serving the meal. The dishes ordered this time were all in the local style of Yangzhi City, prepared by a chef Meng Shu had specially brought in from Yangzhi. During the meal, neither of them brought up the matter again, instead catching up on their experiences over the two years since they had parted ways. Once the meal was finished, Chen Chuan and Meng Shu walked out of the courtyard together and parted at the entrance. After boarding an armored vehicle under the escort of security personnel, the female assistant asked, "Miss, did you talk with him?" "I did," Meng Shu said. "The duration of your talk differed from what I scheduled. It seems you didn't use the negotiation strategy I prepared for you, Miss?" Meng Shu replied, "There was no need. I know him. When dealing with him, it's better to be sincere; there's no need for so much utilitarian calculation." The female assistant said, "Miss, utility and calculation aren't derogatory words. You don't need to reject or resent them. When you take the helm of a corporation, both your emotion and your reason are merely tools, and you yourself must never be swayed by tools." Meng Shu said, "I'm not one yet, so I can still afford to be a little willful." The assistant smiled. "Miss, though I don't approve of your approach, I do admire your persistence right now. So, did Mr. Chen agree?" "In principle, he didn't object." "Since you persuaded him, Miss, I take back what I just said. As long as the objective is achieved, it's a good strategy. What comes next is my job." Meng Shu said, "I will grant you all the commitments and authority I can provide at this moment. I hope you can bring back the outcome I want." The assistant replied earnestly, "I will return with what you desire, Miss." *** After parting with Meng Shu, Chen Chuan met up with Gao Ming, who had been waiting outside. Once in the car, he recounted the meeting and what had been discussed. Gao Ming pushed up his glasses and said, "Since Meng Shu put it that way in the end, she must be confident she can make it happen. In my personal opinion, if the Disposal Bureau doesn't raise any objections, siding with Meng Shu isn't a bad choice at all. "Even if the resources she currently commands are relatively scarce compared to the corporation as a whole, when concentrated on you alone, Cousin, they are quite substantial. "What are your thoughts, Cousin?" Chen Chuan said, "As her classmate, if she can deliver on what she said without interfering with my own affairs, I don't mind helping out." Gao Ming said, "It will all depend on how she handles it. I can roughly guess what she intends to do. If it goes as I think, that would be the best outcome. That way, you won't be tied too deeply to Convergence Boundary, and you only need to maintain a personal relationship with Meng Shu. "Although both the corporations and the government are participants in the Ring of the World, each side has its own stance. While you don't need to worry about this yet, Cousin, once you grow strong enough that neither side can ignore you, you will have to make a choice. "In truth, whether it's your relationship with the government, with the corporations, or your personal connection to Meng Shu, all of it will shift according to your strength. "We need to adjust our boundaries at all times based on how the situation develops. "Right now, Meng Shu is weak, so she can make plenty of concessions. But once she gradually gains control over the company, things will change. That's not something mere friendship can offset. So the ideal approach is for you to keep progressing, Cousin, and maintain a position of strength. That way, it's best for everyone." Chen Chuan knew there was nothing wrong with anticipating these matters. Taking Meng Shu as an example, she represented a corporation, and corporations chased profit rather than mere altruism. When the time came, perhaps even Meng Shu herself would have no control over it. Failing to view the underlying interests clearly and approaching them with simplistic thinking was certainly not the right way to handle things. "Let's see how it unfolds," he said. *** After returning to the dormitory, he continued with his daily training. When he finished that evening, he went to take a shower. Stepping out and drying his hair, he suddenly thought of that Viper Organization. He sat down on the sofa and contacted Chai Mi to ask about the current situation. Chai Mi told him that one of the fighters originally slated to take part in the operation had been pulled away for another assignment midway through, leaving them temporarily short-handed. As a result, the mission had been put on hold for now, and Chai Mi promised to inform him the moment there was any update. Chen Chuan expressed his understanding. After all, the Viper Organization had several— Since this matter did not require him to step in for the time being, he could take advantage of this interval to focus on his own cultivation. Three days after the rest day, at noon, Ni Xixi suddenly contacted him. "Brother Chen, do you have time? Could you come to the bureau? Higher-ups have some matters they want to discuss with you face-to-face." Chen Chuan's heart stirred slightly. "I have time. I'll head over right away." Following his routine, he refreshed Chaoming's food and water, then left for the Disposal Bureau. Upon arriving, an internal staff member guided him into the same conference room as before. Officer Qiu was already waiting inside. Seeing him enter, Qiu shook his hand. "Enforcement Officer Chen, we meet again. Today, in accordance with the bureau's instructions, there are a few things I'd like to ask you." Chen Chuan said, "Please go ahead, Officer Qiu." Officer Qiu invited him to sit, then asked, "Enforcement Officer Chen, you and Meng Shu from Convergence Boundary Company are former classmates?" Chen Chuan said, "Yes." This information was all in his files; it was not difficult for the Disposal Bureau to look up. "The day before yesterday, you and Meng Shu met at Shu Tianxia. Could you tell me what you discussed? Well, this isn't mandatory; you're free not to answer, Enforcement Officer Chen." Chen Chuan replied candidly, "Simply put, she feels unsafe at present, so she wanted to hire me to handle her security. The rest was personal conversation." "And did you agree?" "I currently hold an official post at the Disposal Bureau, so I wouldn't agree to something like this over the bureau's head." "Understood." Officer Qiu stood up and gestured to the side with a smile. "Enforcement Officer Chen, this way please. Director Wu would like to see you." Chen Chuan stood as well. He knew that the Director Wu mentioned was the deputy director in charge of day-to-day operations at the Disposal Bureau. He had seen him in files, but they had never met in person. Following Officer Qiu out of the conference room, he took the elevator up thirty floors and arrived at a large conference room. Two men were conversing by the window. Seeing him enter, one of them—a tall, upright middle-aged man with sharp eyes, wearing a peaked cap—walked over and shook his hand. "Enforcement Officer Chen, I'm Wu Quan." He stepped aside and introduced the other man, who wore glasses and carried a calm, profound air with deep eyes. "Allow me to introduce you. This is Deputy Director Fang, who is in charge of coordinating internal defense matters for the Ring Curtain." Chen Chuan shook hands with him as well. Director Wu said, "Come, let's sit and talk." Once seated, Director Wu said, "Enforcement Officer Chen, I heard what you told Officer Qiu just now. Thank you for your candor. However, this is a required procedure, so if it felt intrusive, I hope you won't take offense." Chen Chuan said, "Since I'm a member of the Disposal Bureau, I know certain matters don't concern me alone." "Well said. It's rare for someone to look at it that way." Director Wu gave a sigh of appreciation. Once an internal staff member served tea and pulled the door shut, only the three of them remained in the room. Director Wu said, "Enforcement Officer Chen, you've likely guessed by now. Inviting you here today is regarding Meng Shu's proposition. Our position is... we hope you will accept it." Chen Chuan asked, "May I ask why?" Director Wu said, "As you know, the primary responsibility of the Disposal Bureau is dealing with criminal offenses committed by fighters. But we have another responsibility: assisting the state in suppressing and constraining the expansion of the corporations. "Nowadays, each corporation possesses an independent security apparatus. We must have the capacity to rein them in when necessary, but direct confrontation is not a wise choice—especially at a time like this. "Our strategy is to win over and support small to mid-sized companies within the same ecological niche, providing them with a degree of assistance so they can counterbalance the mega-corporations. "Convergence Boundary takes on a massive volume of orders every year from the government and military-industrial enterprises. That it has reached its current stature is due in no small part to government backing." Deputy Director Fang spoke up at this point. "One of Convergence Boundary's heirs, Meng Huang, received our aid in the past. Now he has ideas of his own—far too many of them, in fact. But that's not the crucial point..." His voice grew grave. "We currently suspect that Meng Huang may very well have established contact with a certain entity on the other side." "The other side..." Connecting this to the area of Deputy Director Fang's responsibilities, Chen Chuan realized at once that he was referring to things beyond the Ring of the World. Deputy Director Fang said sternly, "Meng Lai, the former head of Convergence Boundary, previously declared he would no longer oversee corporate affairs. That may very well be connected to this as well. While we don't yet have conclusive evidence, we cannot allow such an individual to become the person in charge of a mid-sized corporation." Director Wu said, "We have been looking for a way to intervene, but to avoid alerting Meng Huang prematurely, we haven't found a suitable angle of approach. But now, an opportunity has presented itself." He looked at Chen Chuan. "Enforcement Officer Chen, we want you to accept Meng Shu's request. Until the bureau completes its investigation and deployment, we need to ensure she isn't eliminated by Meng Huang. But at the same time," he paused, "you must also guarantee your own safety."