Fang Zhixin said, "Xiao Jin isn't worse than ordinary people. He is Teacher Chen's son, after all, and he showed talent beyond the average person at a very young age."
At this point, he looked up at Chen Chuan. "But Captain Chen, do you really think Xiao Jin can compare to you?"
He shook his head. "Leave aside someone like you—even compared to Brother Ding or the other people sitting here today, how do you think Xiao Jin measures up?"
Chen Chuan said, "Making such a comparison isn't really appropriate."
He understood what Fang Zhixin meant. Xiao Jin's talent was better than that of common folk, but against elites, it did not appear particularly outstanding.
Yet what determined whether a person would achieve greatness in the future was not just raw talent, but also their willpower, personal effort, the resources invested in them down the line, and shifts in external circumstances.
Judging a person's entire life's value based solely on a single stage was far too hasty.
"Still, Captain Chen, he's Teacher Chen's son, so he's inevitably going to be compared like that. Xiao Jin can't escape it."
Fang Zhixin explained, "The people Teacher Chen has always been surrounded by and interacted with are exceptional students like you, Captain Chen, Captain Zhan, and the others sitting here today.
"Even Xiao Jin's older brother and sister were extraordinarily gifted. At Xiao Jin's age, they were already in the Confluence learning how to fight enemies. They were truly cut above the rest. Compared to them, Xiao Jin appears thoroughly unremarkable."
Chen Chuan pondered for a moment and said, "When I watched Xiao Jin practicing his punches today, he seemed to lack systematic guidance."
Fang Zhixin let out a soft sigh and said, "Teacher Chen is only one man with limited energy. He has to direct his finite time and attention toward students with higher natural gifts.
"Besides, he is stationed out in the field year-round and rarely comes home. Ever since his wife passed away, he has neglected Xiao Jin's upbringing.
"How should I put the relationship between father and son? It's not outright hostile, but when they meet, it's limited to a simple greeting. From our perspective, he sometimes seems like a stranger in front of Xiao Jin—not even as close as the nanny who looks after Xiao Jin at home.
"As for us, though we've noticed Xiao Jin's training path might be somewhat skewed, frankly speaking, the worst that will happen is that his achievements remain limited. It won't cause any real harm.
"Many of us were teammates with his older brother and sister. Watching them die one after another was heartbreaking, and we really don't want to see Teacher's only remaining son walk down that same path. His talent isn't high, and perhaps for him, that isn't such a bad thing."
Chen Chuan asked, "Then have any of you ever asked Xiao Jin what he wants?"
Fang Zhixin paused, then shook his head.
They respected Teacher Chen deeply and felt professional camaraderie toward Xiao Jin's brother and sister, but they didn't have much emotional connection to Xiao Jin himself.
When they could look out for him, they were willing to help, but everyone had their own affairs. None of them had the inclination or the energy to delve into a teenager's thoughts.
Besides, it wasn't their place to meddle.
Chen Chuan said, "You might see it that way, but from what I saw, Xiao Jin is still working very hard. He doesn't seem to have given up on this path."
"Yes, Xiao Jin works very hard."
Fang Zhixin affirmed this and sighed. "He is just as persistent as his brother and sister. Yet the gap in talent between them is painfully obvious. No matter how hard he tries, he won't be able to catch up.
"Moreover, Xiao Jin is very introverted. He normally doesn't speak to anyone, but earlier I thought I saw him speaking with you. That's quite rare."
Chen Chuan didn't find that odd. A youth like Xiao Jin might not be fully mature mentally and might lack experience, but he knew perfectly well who was genuinely being kind to him.
While the two were talking, someone walked over from a table across the room. Approaching them, he greeted Fang Zhixin and Ding Mai before looking toward Chen Chuan. Extending a hand, he smiled and said, "Captain Chen, allow me to introduce myself. I am Gu Haiting."
Chen Chuan stood up and shook his hand. Although this man wasn't wearing a uniform, from his confident demeanor and his easy familiarity with those around him, Chen Chuan could tell he likely came from the family of a high-ranking military officer. He unquestionably belonged to the same circle.
Gu Haiting said with a smile, "I currently work in the Public Relations Department of Canglong Company. I've heard Director Sun mention you before. I didn't expect to run into you here today. What a pleasure."
Chen Chuan's mind stirred slightly, and he said, "How is Senior Brother Sun? Since parting ways on the cruise ship, we haven't seen each other."
"Director Sun is doing very well. The cruise ship project is still under his purview. He returned to Center City recently as well, and he mentioned that if not for Captain Chen's help last time, things might have gotten out of hand."
Chen Chuan replied, "Senior Sun flatters me. I was merely there at the right time. Even without me, he would have handled it just as well."
Gu Haiting chatted casually with him for a couple more sentences without delving into anything deeper, and soon took his leave, appearing as though he truly had only stepped over to make an acquaintance.
Chen Chuan, however, sensed that wasn't the whole story. Gao Ming had mentioned to him the other day that with the Ferris Wheel Company joining the Syndicate, an enterprise like Canglong Company, whose primary business lay overseas, could not fail to feel the pressure, nor would it sit idly by without responding.
And Chen Chuan—someone who had been targeted by the Ferris Wheel Company and was clearly at odds with them—was a natural ally. Add to that their past connections, and it was highly probable Canglong Company would reach out to sound out his stance.
Yet there had been no movement for days, only to run into this man here today. Could it really be a mere coincidence?
He took a slow sip of his drink. He would wait and see how things developed.
He stayed there for over two hours, chatting with Ding Mai and Fang Zhixin about observations from the military and the Confluence, while discreetly trying to learn more about Chen Bitong. During that time, quite a few people approached on their own initiative to get acquainted with him.
When the gathering wound down, he exchanged contact information with Ding Mai and Fang Zhixin, then walked out of the bar alongside the others.
However, unlike the rest who left the building immediately, he returned to the training hall upstairs, where he found Xiao Jin still throwing punches in sullen silence.
He watched for a while, then said, "Practicing punches isn't about venting your inner frustration, nor is it about forcing yourself. Your mutated tissue can sense your state of mind. The more resentful and constrained your thoughts are, the more it will mirror that back to you, which will only hold you back. Only when you find genuine joy in it can you make greater progress."
Xiao Jin stopped his movements and looked over at him.
Chen Chuan said, "No matter why you practice your fists, the goal is always to become strong. There are many ways to make yourself strong, but without a doubt, you need to walk the right path."
Chen Xiaojin thought it over, then nodded.
Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "You have talent. Don't waste it."
"I..." Chen Xiaojin hesitated, looking uncertain, yet a trace of hopeful anticipation shone in his eyes as he looked up. "Do I... really have talent?"
Chen Chuan said, "In my eyes, you do. And I'd like to think I have a better eye for this than many people."
Chen Xiaojin nodded in deep conviction. Chen Chuan's earlier demonstration, as well as the spar from earlier, lent tremendous weight to his words.
Chen Chuan said, "I'll be taking my leave then. Remember not to train for too long, and give your mutated fascia time to rest." Having said that, he turned to walk away.
"Captain Chen..."
Chen Chuan paused and looked back at him.
Chen Xiaojin ventured, "Could I add your contact information? If there are things I can't figure out, I'd like to ask you... would that be all right?"
Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Sure." He tapped his boundary credential, exchanged contact information with Chen Xiaojin, gave a wave, and turned to leave.
As he stepped into the elevator, he once again heard the thuds of blows against the training dummy echoing from the training hall.
Once out of the building, he drove away in his Jiade car. En route, he contacted Counselor Pei. When the line connected, the other side said, "Hold on a moment, I'm switching channels."
A moment later, he was patched into a secure channel, and Counselor Pei said, "Captain Chen, please go ahead."
Chen Chuan said, "I went to that training class, but I didn't see him."
Counselor Pei said, "He went to Speaker Quan's home as a guest today. It was a short-notice invitation, and we only received word of it ourselves."
Chen Chuan said, "I did meet quite a few other people, though."
He gave a brief rundown of the people he had met today, but regarding Chen Xiaojin, he merely mentioned him in passing without going into detail.
After listening, Counselor Pei said, "Since you didn't see him today, there's no need to rush. Let nature take its course.
"Come next rest day, he will certainly attend the theater in person. If an opportunity presents itself, exchange a couple of words with him. If not, just showing your face is enough. There's no need to force it."
Chen Chuan indicated his understanding. If Chen Bitong appeared in public, whoever he approached and interacted with would surely fall under the watchful eyes of the Defense Department's surveillance personnel; there was no need for him to do anything extra.
Ending the call, he did not head back right away. Instead, he swung the steering wheel around and drove toward Shenwei District to visit Lu Fang, who had already returned to Center City.
He had originally intended to check out Wu Han's new place as well, but when he contacted him, it turned out Wu Han was out on a commission alongside Old Qi even on his rest day.
Old Qi wanted to make up for what had been lost before, never forgetting the favors and money he owed Chen Chuan, while Wu Han was a stubborn, single-minded sort who didn't know what rest meant and was bursting with drive right after arriving in Center City.
Chen Chuan then used the company's platform field signal to get in touch with Lu Ke and Yu Gang. Everything had been normal lately; with the support of the Convergence Boundary Company, their previously lost market share was steadily being recovered.
By this time, he arrived at an open area next to a landscaped park. He pulled over, stepped out, and leaned back against the car, taking in the view of the towering high-rises and dazzling neon lights in the distance.
As his former classmates and friends gradually made their way into Center City, he had more and more acquaintances here.
After joining the defense program, at his current rank, he could actually arrange to bring his aunt's family to live in Center City. Under current circumstances, however, staying in Yangzhi was actually safer for them.
Moreover, his uncle was unlikely to abandon his post at the constabulary, and there were many matters that needed coordination, so it was better to wait a bit longer.
At the very least, the threat posed by the Ferris Wheel Company had to be eliminated first.
After watching for a while, a message suddenly arrived over his boundary credential. He accepted the call, and Ni Xixi's voice came through: "Brother Chen, the Ferris Wheel Company's first compensation payout to you personally has arrived at the bureau. Come pick it up when you have time."
Chen Chuan said, "All right, I'll head over right away."
Chapter 482