Countermeasures

In Jiyang District, aboard a ship docked in the ocean port, the representative of the Ferris Wheel Company left immediately upon receiving news of the operation's failure. Carrying the original dispatch himself, he returned to the company and went directly to the head of the Operations Department. After reading the telegram, the department head shook his head. "Neither target was eliminated... Even a disciple of Waves Hall couldn't pull it off?" The representative answered, "According to the telegram, Mashiba Masaru utilized the 'God of the Blade' technique, but he still failed to inflict any harm on the primary target..." At this point, he looked up and said, "Chief, I believe that if we want to deal with a target like this, we'll need to call in a stronger fighter..." The department head frowned. If they could have done that, the company would have done so long ago without going to the trouble of bringing in someone from Waves Hall. This was Great Shun territory, where the restrictions placed upon them were immense. He said slowly, "That will have to be decided by the board of directors." Then he asked, "Were the loose ends cleaned up?" "Completely cleaned up," the representative replied. "There won't be any direct evidence pointing back to us." The department head said in a heavy voice, "Sometimes direct evidence isn't even necessary, but getting rid of the people at least saves us some trouble." The previous matter hadn't even blown over yet, and the Disposal Bureau wouldn't let this slide easily. The company would likely face tremendous pressure in the days ahead, and in the end, a few people would probably be pushed forward to take the fall. He glanced at his capable subordinate before him, fell silent for a moment, and said, "Wait here for me. I'll report this to the directors in person." *** Meanwhile, after resting overnight at the villa, Chen Chuan drove his Jiade car the next day and took Wei Dong and Wu Han on a tour around Center City to let them familiarize themselves with the surrounding environment. During lunch at noon, he asked Wu Han, "Senior, do you want to stay for a few days to adjust, or do you want to get straight to work?" Wu Han replied, "Ah, Junior, you know me—how could I ever sit idle? From what you described before, Center City should have plenty of commission tasks to take on, right?" Chen Chuan nodded. "Senior Wu, even though you don't have official citizen status yet, Center City is big enough. As long as you have the ability, there's ample room to stretch your wings. I'll introduce someone to you. If you don't mind, you can follow him first to get accustomed to the situation here before deciding what to do next." Wu Han said, "Sounds good. I'll follow your lead, Junior." Chen Chuan immediately contacted Old Qi, deciding to have him take Wu Han along on some commissions first. He had already planned this out in advance. Old Qi held official citizen status and was an employee of a legitimate commission agency. Having worked frequently with Wuyi Academy in the past, he had plenty of experience collaborating with fighters and knew how to handle things. In particular, Old Qi was currently being watched by the Plague Cult and didn't dare show his face in public, so having Wu Han go over to team up with him would allow both sides to look out for each other. Contacting Old Qi went very smoothly; as soon as Chen Chuan explained the situation, Old Qi agreed without hesitation. In Old Qi's eyes, this was hardly Chen Chuan asking him to look after a schoolmate—it was clearly finding a capable helper to protect him. His heart filled with gratitude, and he quietly resolved to handle everything Chen Chuan entrusted to him to the best of his ability. After settling this arrangement and finishing lunch, Chen Chuan drove the two past some major locations in the city. Then he took Wei Dong back to the academy, delivered Wu Han to Old Qi's temporary lodgings, introduced them to each other, and drove off once he saw everything was in order. On the drive back, he contacted his cousin, Gao Ming: "Gao Ming, are you coming home tonight? Aunt knew you were living alone and asked me to bring you some things. Besides, I also have a few matters I'd like to discuss with you." Gao Ming said, "There's a conference office tower near our firm. Cousin, let's talk over there. You're my primary client, so I'm free right now." "All right, I'll be there in an hour." Around five o'clock, Chen Chuan's Jiade car entered Weiguang District, which, aside from Bainiao District, boasted the best public facilities and security in Center City. The Center City municipal government building, the Ring-Cross Conference Hall, and branch offices of most megacorporations and high-end firms were established here. The Disposal Bureau had concentrated a substantial portion of its elite personnel in this area. Just on his way in, four second-class enforcement officers greeted him in succession. One could easily see that if trouble arose anywhere here, multiple third limit fighters would arrive within minutes. Thus, the prevalence of violent incidents across Center City wasn't truly due to an outright shortage of force; often, the real problem lay in how resources were allocated. Arriving at the appointed conference building, he parked his car and took the elevator up to the meeting room on the eighty-second floor. When he walked in, Gao Ming had already arrived ahead of him. After exchanging greetings, the two sat down beside the wide floor-to-ceiling windows. Chen Chuan said, "The things are in my trunk. Take them with you when you leave." Gao Ming smiled faintly and said, "All right, Cousin." Against the backdrop of Center City's evening view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Chen Chuan chatted idly with Gao Ming. After finishing a cup of tea, he brought up the attack by the Ferris Wheel Company. After listening attentively, Gao Ming said, "Cousin, in my personal opinion, even with government pressure, without concrete evidence the Ferris Wheel Company will at most offer a superficial explanation and some compensation. "Things will stop there at best. If the higher-ups truly intended to move against the Ferris Wheel Company, it would never be because of this incident, but for other reasons entirely." Chen Chuan hummed in acknowledgment; he had anticipated as much. Although the Ferris Wheel Company was not a global megacorporation, the stakeholders entangled behind it were numerous indeed. Moreover, the company possessed its own armed military forces and maintained its own active conscious entity. Leaving aside its influence across numerous islands in the outer ocean, more than half of the commercial activity in Yinglu District alone was tied to it. Many people would never permit anything to happen to it. He said, "However, Ferris Wheel seems to have targeted me for some unknown reason, and I don't think they'll give up so easily." Gao Ming understood what he meant. "Cousin, relying on individual strength alone, there's no way to stand against a major corporation. Only another corporation can take on a corporation, or by leveraging the power of the government—but that requires waiting for an opportunity..." He gave a slight smile. "For instance, back then Molan Company ran into trouble because it tried to meddle with Yangzhi's water supply... In fact, as I see it, the Ferris Wheel Company isn't far from that dangerous threshold either." Chen Chuan pondered for a moment. "The Corporate United Syndicate?" Gao Ming said, "Yes, the Syndicate. The evaluation for joining the Syndicate involves power struggles up at the highest levels. I have no way of knowing what the Great Shun government truly thinks, but this process itself has undeniably pushed to the edge of danger. Every precedent from the past proves as much." He continued in an earnest tone, "The assassination attempt by the Ferris Wheel Company targeting you, Cousin, along with this strike against Bureau Director Lei, clearly aren't moves made under normal circumstances. From this, I deduce that it likely connects to Ferris Wheel trying to join the Syndicate. "Before they are formally admitted into the Syndicate, they probably won't stop taking actions like this. Not just against you, Cousin, but very likely pressing their efforts in other areas as well. And as long as they keep doing this, they will inch closer and closer to that baseline. "So, Cousin, we need to wait. "Waiting does not mean giving up. It means waiting for the enemy to make a mistake, waiting for a bigger vulnerability to open up before striking back. You are a fighter, Cousin, so you understand this better than I do." Chen Chuan said, "You're right, Gao Ming. But using fighters as an example as well, we don't just passively wait—we take the initiative to attack and force the enemy to reveal an opening. So what I'd like to ask is..." He looked at Gao Ming. "Can we try nudging them toward that baseline?" Gao Ming smiled. "That depends on the strength of the one applying the pressure. If one is strong enough, that will suffice to drive things forward. There are ways to do it, too. In fact, I suspect certain people ought to be more anxious than us. If I recall, Cousin, you've had dealings with people from Canglong Company?" Chen Chuan nodded. Gao Ming said, "Behind the Ferris Wheel Company stand the Outer Sea Islands and the Oceanic Parliamentary Union—that is public knowledge. Canglong Company's primary business lies out there as well, so if the Ferris Wheel Company joins the Syndicate, their interests will be the first to suffer. "Besides Canglong Company, there is also the Ocean Exploration Group. Both are state-owned enterprises, and they will undoubtedly be the first to feel the pressure of Ferris Wheel's ascent. They won't just sit idly by. "Therefore, Cousin, I don't think you need to rush into anything. Once they learn that the attack on you was linked to the Ferris Wheel Company, they might very well reach out to you on their own initiative." Pushing up his glasses, he added, "If they remain completely inactive, it means they have deeper plans, or there is an even greater force from above keeping them in check—in which case, acting rashly is even more out of the question. "In short, the key right now is to wait while taking necessary precautions. I believe time is on our side." Chen Chuan thought it over and said, "Gao Ming, Ferris Wheel sent people to investigate my background in Yangzhi last time. It's possible they might target you as well, so you must be careful." Gao Ming chuckled. "I know. Ever since someone looked into you last time, Cousin, I've been staying in the firm's dormitory these days and haven't gone back to my apartment." Chen Chuan nodded. No wonder Gao Ming had arranged to meet here. The solicitor firm Gao Ming worked for was quite prestigious; it had its own independent security and had purchased urban security services for every solicitor. On top of that, the Disposal Bureau maintained a substantial presence here, so there was practically no fear of anything going wrong. He reminded him, "Remember to keep in touch at all times." Gao Ming said seriously, "I will, Cousin." After discussing a few more issues, the two left the meeting room together and parted ways at the plaza outside the building. Once back in his car, just as he settled into his seat, a message arrived from the academy platform. He opened it, and Hongfu's voice came through: "Hello, Trainee Chen. The instructor you requested will arrive at the academy on February 1st. Please proceed to meet them on your own." Chen Chuan felt a surge of energy. He had undertaken the defense mission specifically to obtain higher-level guidance, and now it had finally come.