Weapons License

Wei Chang'an drove Chen Chuan all the way back to the residential quarters for constabulary families. As Chen Chuan was getting ready to step out of the car, Wei Chang'an said, "Right, I forgot to ask earlier—Junior, who's your advising instructor?" "Cheng Zitong." "Cheng Zitong? Him?" Wei Chang'an's expression turned a little odd. "Why? Brother Wei, do you think he isn't suitable?" Wei Chang'an quickly shook his head and said seriously, "Since the school assigned him as your advising instructor, that means he's definitely suitable. I just never expected it to be him. I always thought he was merely the deputy supervisor of the Logistics Office. "Still, that's a good thing. At least you won't be lacking training resources in the future, Junior. That man is practically our school's second steward! Who knows, maybe your Brother Wei will have to come begging you for help with something down the road. All right, I'm off!" He waved to Chen Chuan, started the engine, and slowly drove toward the other end of the street. Chen Chuan turned into an alleyway on the side, and before long, he arrived home. Because he had called ahead, Yu Wan had been waiting for him all along. Seeing him return so early made her overjoyed, and she bustled over with concerned questions. To keep her from worrying, Chen Chuan only shared the good parts of what had happened at school. Since she was still simmering something on the stove, Yu Wan returned to her chores after asking after him for a bit. As for Nian Fuli, he had business at the constabulary, and his days off were irregular, so he wouldn't be back until evening. Chen Chuan went to the living room first and placed a call to Ding Jiao, chatting for a while, then spent quite some time playing with his younger cousins. At noon, they had lunch together. In the afternoon, he decided to visit the House of Fists to deliver the medicine to Lu Ke. He let Yu Wan know and headed out. On the way, he made a detour to Wei Dong's home, but found no one there. Since it was an off day, he asked a neighbor who happened to be around and learned that Wei Dong had recently been moving things in and out. Chen Chuan couldn't help smiling. He didn't linger and went straight toward the House of Fists. Emerging from the narrow alley, he saw a group of children practicing punches on the open training ground. Lu Ke was patiently teaching them from the side, stepping in now and then to correct their posture. Young as these kids were, they threw their punches strictly by the book. Chen Chuan smiled and called out, "Brother Lu." Lu Ke turned his head, and a delighted look broke across his face upon seeing who it was. "Brother Chen?" He calmed the children beside him, immediately jogged over, clapped hands with Chen Chuan, and asked in excitement and curiosity, "Brother Chen, how do you have time to visit?" Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Isn't today my day off? So I came by to see you and Mr. Yu." Lu Ke scratched his head. "What bad timing. Master went out. He's had business to attend to these past two days, and I don't know when he'll be back." Then he asked curiously, "You've been studying at Wuyi for several days now—what's it like there? How does it feel?" Chen Chuan replied, "How should I put it? Some things are just as I imagined, while others are different. But there's always something to learn. Let's find some time to chat about it in detail later." Lu Ke said enviously, "I really envy you, being able to study there." Chen Chuan gestured ahead and asked, "Where did these kids come from?" Lu Ke explained, "They're children of Iron Chain Gang members. Mr. Qi sent them over to learn fighting. That fellow who sparred with you last time even asked about you, but I didn't tell him anything about your situation." Chen Chuan unslung his satchel, pulled out the packet of medicinal powder, and said, "Brother Lu, this is the Initiation Powder I bought for you at Wuyi." Lu Ke said sheepishly, "You still remembered." Chen Chuan said with a smile, "I used yours, so of course I have to repay you. By the way, the medicinal potency of this powder is very strong—they said it's enough for two people, so don't use too much at once." Lu Ke said, "All right, Brother Chen, thank you." Just then, Chen Chuan sensed something and saw two burly men step out of the building. They cast several wary glances at him, but seeing him talking and laughing with Lu Ke, they went back inside. Lu Ke said, "They're from the Iron Chain Gang. They're responsible for dropping off and picking up these kids. Right, let me finish teaching this lesson first. Give me a minute." He apologized, went back to instruct for another ten minutes or so, and then dismissed the children for free activity. Turning back, he beckoned, "Come on, Brother Chen, let's head upstairs to chat." The two went up to the rooftop together. Lu Ke cracked open a bottle of soda, poured a cup for Chen Chuan and one for himself, and immediately began eagerly asking about Wuyi. Chen Chuan gave a general overview. He didn't say much about his training, focusing mostly on the campus environment. Lu Ke listened with deep yearning, wanting to know every little detail, especially about Spring and Autumn Lake, pressing him with question after question. He said wistfully, "In Mount Jiao, there's only groundwater—no lakes, not even a creek. But that water tastes awful. It's bitter, astringent, and has an indescribably weird flavor." Yet he didn't seem eager to dwell on that place; after a few sentences, he dropped the topic and asked, "Right, are you still practicing the throwing technique I taught you last time?" Chen Chuan said, "Whenever I have free time, I practice a bit, though it's not very convenient to train it at school. But it's very useful—I won't let it slip." Last time at Fatty Guo's, if not for that throwing technique, he wouldn't have brought down Zhai Wu so quickly, nor would capturing Chou Huzi have been so easy. Besides, his predecessor had died from a flung stone, so he wanted to understand more about it as well. He stayed there until past four before bidding Lu Ke farewell and heading back. Passing the Changxiang residential area on the way, he glanced up at the balcony. Seeing that still no one seemed to be there, he thought it over—since they were both at school, they were bound to run into each other anyway—and jogged all the way home. In the evening, when Nian Fuli returned from work, the whole family was finally together. Over dinner, Chen Chuan told him about the situation at school and mentioned Wei Chang'an in passing. Nian Fuli grunted. "That Wei Laohu sure has a good son." Chen Chuan thought about it, but chose not to ask about the mop after all. In any case, that was between Nian Fuli and Wei Laohu; there was no need for him to pry. After staying the night at home, he washed up early the next morning and returned to school. Checking the time, it was only just past seven, and Cheng Zitong hadn't arrived yet, so he began practicing by himself in the private training room. After mastering the Aperture Breathing Technique, he could feel with every strike that his punches were more powerful than before, and his control over his moves had become all the more effortless. Without a doubt, that mutated fascia provided tremendous help, but it also indicated that the mutated tissue was growing faster and faster. If he didn't apply a method to restrain it, it would likely reach a dangerous state before long. Thus, he silently reminded himself that he had to grasp jin as soon as possible. Around eight o'clock, a knock sounded at the door. He walked over to open it, and sure enough, Cheng Zitong had arrived. After greeting him, Chen Chuan welcomed him inside. Cheng Zitong stepped inside, sat down on the sofa, and said, "Let me tell you about something first." He pulled a document from his bag. "Registration for this year's weapons license qualifying examination is about to begin. However, because spots are limited, strict restrictions have been put in place. "First, one must have at least three important assignments evaluated at 'Superior' or above. Second, the minimum requirement for applicants is to have mastered jin—either greater jin or lesser jin will do. And finally..." His expression turned more solemn. "This licensing exam is tied to the midterm and final exams. If you pass, you will be exempted from this academic year's midterms and finals. But if you fail, you will be demoted to a Class B student. Aside from these, there are other requirements listed here. Take a look and see whether you want to take it." Chen Chuan picked up the document, flipped through it briefly, and looked up to ask, "What is your opinion, Instructor?" Cheng Zitong said, "As for that, I won't decide for you; I'm only laying out the situation. In my personal opinion, this license is extremely important to you—extremely important, extremely important! If it were me, I would do everything possible to get it!" Chen Chuan couldn't agree more. Since you said it three times in a row, Instructor, it must be exceptionally important. Cheng Zitong continued, "Because this qualifying exam is held once every three years, it means that during your time at school, you'll only get this one chance. If you don't take it now, you'll have to slowly accumulate evaluations through dispatched missions. "Assuming you can constantly obtain dispatched missions and everything goes smoothly, you might still be able to earn it in about two years or so. But if you can secure the weapons license first, wouldn't it be far better to use the extra assignment ratings to test for an armor license instead?" Chen Chuan agreed with this logic. The explanations in the document matched what Wei Chang'an had said: once obtained, this license permitted carrying weapons on one's person, valid worldwide. At the same time, he realized that when undertaking dispatched assignments, having weapons versus not having weapons resulted in entirely different levels of efficiency. If a client saw that you possessed a weapons license, they would definitely give you priority. And the more dispatched missions you executed with a high success rate, the more likely they were to choose you. It was safe to say that a student who obtained a weapons license would undoubtedly leave their peers and even some upperclassmen far behind. Thus, this opportunity could by no means be missed! He looked up, his gaze resolute, and said, "Instructor Cheng, I will find a way to obtain this license."