Ambush

After finishing his call with Yan Yi, Chen Chuan was about to set off for Bainiao District when the telephone on his desk suddenly began to ring. He walked over, picked it up, and said, "Chen Chuan speaking." "Classmate Chen?" A familiar voice came through the receiver. "It's me, Luo Kaiyuan." "Classmate Luo?" Chen Chuan felt a slight hint of surprise. With a light smile, he asked, "Classmate Luo, it isn't a rest day yet—how do you have the free time to call me? Has something come up?" Luo Kaiyuan said, "Classmate Chen, all three of us passed the Grade C unlimited defense license assessment this time. But the academy only had one recommendation slot this year, and the results just came out—Wei Dong got it." Wei Dong got the recommendation? Chen Chuan was surprised once more, though on second thought, reckless as Wei Dong could be at times, he truly possessed the greatest talent among Luo Kaiyuan's circle. In that case, Wei Dong would likely be coming to the Main Academy next year to pursue his studies. Luo Kaiyuan added, "Even though we didn't get the slot, Xiaoqi and I talked it over. We don't plan to stay in Yangzhi; we want to come to Center City together." A smile appeared on Chen Chuan's face. "That's great. When are you two coming over?" Even if Luo Kaiyuan and Feng Xiaoqi had no way of securing citizen status, there were far more avenues to obtain resources in Center City than in Yangzhi. Put simply, if they stayed in Yangzhi for the rest of their lives, they would probably remain stuck at the Second Limit forever. But coming to Center City gave them a realistic chance of climbing to the Third Limit. After all, those roommates in his dormitory suite had been among the most gifted Class A students of their graduating year, truly outstanding even across the entirety of Yangzhi Wuyi. And if one could reach the Third Limit, citizen status would no longer pose any obstacle at all. "Wei Dong will be coming to Center City next year for his studies, so we'll come along with him then." "Sounds good. I'll be heading back for the New Year, so we can meet up and talk it over then." Luo Kaiyuan agreed, and then added, "By the way, Classmate Chen, some folks from the Fenxin Society mentioned to me that someone seemed to be specifically asking around about you recently." "Oh? Really?" Chen Chuan's interest was piqued. "Yeah. They probably aren't Yangzhi locals—otherwise, they wouldn't have needed to ask around like that. Classmate Chen, you'd better watch out." Chen Chuan replied, "Got it. Thanks, Classmate Luo. Please thank the classmates from the Fenxin Society for me as well." Once they finished discussing that matter, he chatted with Luo Kaiyuan for a short while about other things before hanging up. Right then, a notification popped up on his boundary credential: the dedicated car assigned to him by the company had arrived downstairs. He quickly packed his things, carried his Xuejun Saber down the stairs, boarded the dedicated vehicle, and headed toward Bainiao District. Along the way, Director Wu contacted him to give a reminder: although Meng Huang's faction within the Convergence Boundary Company had been purged during this period, the whole affair involved a great many individuals and vested interests. There was no guarantee no one would try to cause trouble over the next couple of days, so he urged Chen Chuan to be careful. Chen Chuan indicated he understood. In truth, ever since he had confirmed he was being tailed that day, he had kept his guard up. It was just that no similar incidents had occurred afterward. Now that Luo Kaiyuan had called to say someone was asking around about him, if it was the same group, it meant they hadn't given up and were instead digging deeper for leads on him. After a moment of thought, he said, "Director Wu, I'd like to apply on behalf of my resonator for permission to access public boundary points tomorrow and the day after." Director Wu said, "It's only right to be cautious. We're keeping a close eye on the events the day after tomorrow as well. You know how things are at the bureau—because of the breach in the ring curtain, the personnel we dispatched to guard it are still stationed there and haven't been recalled yet, and we still have to reserve a portion of our manpower to deal with special contingencies. "As for the personnel stationed nearby, their hands are tied by their specific duties, so they won't mobilize unless they witness an actual incident. If you run into trouble, try your best to stall for time. But my advice remains the same: if the situation becomes untenable, pull back on your own and don't worry about anyone else." Chen Chuan said, "I understand, Director Wu." Just then, a chime rang from his boundary credential. He glanced over and saw that Director Wu had sent a map with a dashed route marked across it. Director Wu said, "This is the route we consider best. The bureau recommends following this path. That way, even if you encounter problems, the personnel stationed in that area can rush over quickly." After receiving it, Chen Chuan examined the route map carefully. While taking this detour would add some travel time, it was considerably safer. Even so, a vulnerability still remained. After brief deliberation, he marked a spot on the route. The dedicated car traveled smoothly into Bainiao District. When it pulled into the Meng estate, Chen Chuan noticed far more security guards than during his previous visit, and armed vehicles were parked across the plaza one after another. The corner of the estate that had been damaged before had already been fully repaired. As he stepped out of the vehicle, Yan Yi was already waiting there. After offering her greetings, she escorted him inside the building. Inside the elevator, Yan Yi said, "Mr. Chen, we've prepared the prisoner you requested." Chen Chuan said, "Much appreciated." Yan Yi was indeed meticulous. Even though he hadn't given specific follow-up instructions and she had no idea what he wanted the prisoner for, she had arranged everything without requiring any reminder from him. Once they reached the upper floor, he went first to meet Meng Shu and forwarded the route map provided by the Disposal Bureau to her. He said, "I've reviewed the route planned by the Disposal Bureau and believe it's workable. However, there's still a section that warrants caution. You need to be prepared; there is a certain likelihood you will face an ambush on the way to the company. But someone has been watching me lately, so this ambush might not just be aimed at you." Meng Shu said, "You are the company's chief security consultant. Whether they target you or me makes little difference in practice. If necessary, I can try to reschedule the handover date." She was well aware that Chen Chuan was the foremost force she and Convergence Boundary could overtly rely upon. If Chen Chuan were eliminated, the greater part of her backing would vanish. Therefore, targeting Chen Chuan was virtually the same as targeting her and the company—in essence, one and the same. Chen Chuan considered it and said, "If it's only aimed at me, that's simple enough. But if it's aimed at you, avoiding it this time only means facing it next time. That would just be postponing the conflict, not resolving it." He looked at Meng Shu. "My recommendation is to seize this opportunity to settle it, especially while they're still willing to show their faces." Meng Shu said, "Tell me what needs to be done, and I will have my subordinates cooperate." Chen Chuan said, "Security arrangements can proceed as normal. If we encounter enemies, I may take the initiative to strike out, which would leave your side unprotected. I suggest having Aunt Yu stay by your side for protection." While Meng Lai also needed protection, as the former head of the company, his personal safety was no longer as crucial. Besides, Meng Lai's public appearances were made using a body operated via a consciousness coordinator; only Meng Shu likely knew where his true physical body lay. Even if that proxy was destroyed, it wouldn't matter much. Meng Shu nodded. "I will speak to Grandfather." Chen Chuan discussed a few details with her before returning to his assigned quarters. He stayed there for a full day, during which he took another dose of the special medicine. Perhaps because he had only reached the Third Limit recently, the medicine's effects were pronounced; with each dose, he could feel a subtle enhancement in himself. He had considered that continuously taking special medicine in this manner might gradually diminish its efficacy over time. For now, however, there was no need to dwell on that; as long as he kept growing stronger, he would always be able to secure more avenues. On November 19, a long armed convoy drove out from the Meng estate, heading toward Convergence Boundary Company's location in the Center City District. This time, Chen Chuan did not ride alongside Meng Shu. Instead, he sat in the dedicated vehicle directly behind hers to prevent them from being caught in a single coordinated strike. Both cars had undergone specialized modifications, so even if trouble arose, he would have ample time to react. Ahead of the main convoy, several scout vehicles drove ten minutes in advance, transmitting back status reports every three minutes to relay conditions along the road. After driving for more than forty-five minutes, the convoy exited Bainiao District and moved onto the cross-sea overpass. As the convoy crested the overpass's highest point and entered its final stretch—roughly twenty minutes away from entering the Center City District—the security guards in the lead vehicles suddenly sensed something and looked up toward the sky. A swarm of black specks was hurtling toward them through the air. At first, they thought it was merely a flock of birds. But as they focused, they realized the specks were people equipped with hang gliders. Judging by the distance and altitude, they had likely launched from the rooftops of the coastal skyscrapers. Realizing something was wrong, they immediately alerted the vehicles behind them. The figures continuously adjusted their heading in midair, swiftly closing in on the overpass. Several flew directly over the lead vehicles toward the rear, scattering tire spikes across the road surface as they passed overhead. One of the gliders, wearing a specialized boundary credential, scanned the convoy below. After a brief scan, he said, "Sister Huan, based on vehicular analysis, the primary target is most likely in the twenty-second vehicle, toward the rear. The protected target is in the twenty-first vehicle." Sister Huan's voice came through: "Execute Plan B. Bring both vehicles and the surrounding escort into the strike zone." Although their true target was Chen Chuan, attacking Meng Shu's car was essential; only by doing so could they force Chen Chuan to stay in place. "Understood!" The forward team members had already closed in. With a loud pop, the chute packs behind them deployed, creating brief drag before they promptly detached their harnesses. One after another, they dropped onto the roofs of the moving vehicles and onto the pavement below, their powerful legs sinking slightly to absorb the impact. Just then, one of the operatives looked up and spotted the suspected target vehicle barely twenty meters ahead. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled several specialized smoke grenades and hand grenades together. Amid a cascade of violent detonations, dense smoke billowed across the overpass, accompanied by bursts of flame and thunderous explosions.