Surveillance

Faced with the stern questioning, Sancheng Huang maintained his indolent, loose-limbed posture, responding casually, "That would be me." The Disposal Bureau officer tapped his boundary credential and pressed further, "You are from the Outer Ocean. What is your purpose in coming to Great Shun?" Sancheng Huang said, "Your words make very little sense, sir. Great Shun has always maintained that the Outer Ocean is also part of Great Shun's territory, and that people of the Outer Ocean count as Great Shun citizens. Why, then, shouldn't I be allowed to come?" The Disposal Bureau officer said sternly, "Mr. Sancheng, please cooperate with us seriously. If you do not give a clear answer, we may choose to deny you entry ashore." Sancheng Huang fell silent for a brief moment before saying, "My grandmother and mother were both from Great Shun. I've simply never visited the two elders' ancestral home, so I intend to take a trip there this time." Beside him, the recording officer logged his words with a boundary credential. "Where is it? And how long do you intend to stay within Great Shun?" "My grandmother and mother were native to Jibei Circuit. Their former residence is at Mount Qingding. I plan to stay for forty-five days this time. Oh, and here is my transit pass." As he spoke, Sancheng Huang fumbled around his clothes and produced a green-covered booklet, handing it over with both hands. The Disposal Bureau officer took a step back, accepted it cautiously, and opened it to take a look. Stamped across it were official seals from the screening department and the Center City government, causing his brow to furrow slightly. He logged the approval number and the responsible officials, then tapped his boundary credential to transmit a signal. At the same time, he instructed, "Mr. Sancheng, please accept this. While moving about within Great Shun, do not turn off this signal. Otherwise, we will treat it as a hostile action and deport you immediately." Once Sancheng Huang accepted it, he nodded to him. "Thank you for the reminder, sir. Understood." This situation was hardly surprising. Whenever any renowned third limit fighter like him traveled abroad, they were required to register with the local authorities. Every trace of his movements and every place he visited would be kept on record; to say he would be under strict surveillance was no exaggeration. He could have concealed his identity, but he felt there was no need. He had come here simply because he wanted to, completely independently of anyone else. After the inspectors left, he was finally permitted to disembark. As he stepped out, his gaze—previously indolent and harmless—abruptly sharpened. Why had he come here? Aside from visiting the birthplace of his grandmother and mother, it was to seek out an opponent. Over an hour later, dressed in traditional garb, he was walking along the avenues of Center City, everything around him feeling utterly novel. He did not use his boundary credential to check for locations. Instead, he closed his eyes slightly and listened. Though the street was dense with chaotic information, he quickly picked out what he needed. Thus, an hour later, he took a tram and arrived before the entrance of the Xuan Palace Building. "So this is the most outstanding fighting arena in Jibei Circuit... No, the term here is 'academy'—Wuyi Academy! The place that cultivates fighters for the new era." Looking at the high-rise, an expression of awe and admiration crossed his face. "Magnificent indeed." It wasn't merely the expansive grandeur and the tower piercing the clouds; what truly stirred his heartfelt reverence was what lay behind the structure itself. After gazing at it for a while longer, he didn't linger and departed. In the afternoon, he took a tram to Mount Qingding in the southwest of Center City. At the foot of the mountain there had once been numerous residences, the place where his grandmother and mother had lived in their youth. Mount Qingding was also said to house an enshrined foreign deity, supposedly named... Moshen? That was probably the name. Both elders had spoken with heavy accents, so he couldn't be entirely sure. Guided by several old photographs and following the terrain and roads, he located the site of the former homesteads, though it had long since turned into a haven for scavengers. As he walked by, people watched him with wary, hostile eyes, and several dogs charged out, barking furiously at him. Yet with a single casual glance from him, they whimpered, tucked their tails, and slunk away. He did not approach any closer. Sighing with emotion, he snapped a few photographs before turning to leave. Meanwhile, inside the Xuan Palace Building, Chen Chuan received word from Ni Xixi almost immediately, informing him that Sancheng Huang of Langtao Arena had arrived in Center City. Gu Haiting had only mentioned this man to him a few days ago, and unexpectedly, the man was already here. Ni Xixi said, "Brother Chen, I'll send you his dossier shortly. This man is Mashiba Masaru's senior martial brother, and he made a name for himself early on. He previously put out word that he was interested in you, so his arrival in Center City is almost certainly aimed at you. "His stay is forty-five days, and he holds a transit pass issued by the screening department and the municipal government. As long as he commits no crimes or regulatory infractions, we have no procedural grounds to deport him. However, we will maintain full surveillance over him. Brother Chen, if you have any thoughts, you can bring them up with the bureau." Chen Chuan replied, "Thank you, Sister Ni." He smiled. "If he's looking for me, I warmly welcome an opponent worthy of a fight." At this very moment, Sancheng Huang had returned to Yinglu District and was eating noodles in a noodle shop. There were many people from the Outer Ocean here, so dressed as he was, he did not stand out at all and blended seamlessly into his surroundings. Just then, someone sat down across from him and looked at him. "Are you Mr. Sancheng?" Sancheng Huang looked up. "Ah? That's me." The man gave him a firm nod from his seat before looking up again. "Mr. Sancheng, allow me to introduce myself. I am Guan Chikang, an external employee of Ferris Wheel Company. "Your ability to obtain the transit pass so smoothly and clear port customs without issue was thanks to word sent ahead by Ferris Wheel." Hearing this, Sancheng Huang paused. He wiped his hands with a handkerchief and asked offhandedly, "I've heard of you people. You were the ones who invited my junior martial brother over. But why didn't you look for me back then?" Guan Chikang said, "We admit that we underestimated the opponent. However, Mr. Fenghe only recommended Mr. Mashiba to us at the time; we had no room to choose." Sancheng Huang said, "But you could have approached me directly. That way, I could have used your ferry tickets, and I wouldn't have had to pay for my own meals." Guan Chikang was taken aback for an instant. Leaning forward slightly, he said earnestly, "We can still see to your needs with the utmost care, Mr. Sancheng." Sancheng Huang looked at him, then suddenly shook his head. "The timing is wrong now. At present... the opponent I seek must be found by my own hands, not orchestrated by someone else..." He added with feeling, "This is part of the journey." With that, he picked up the bowl, took his chopsticks, and went back to eating his noodles. Guan Chikang studied him for a few moments, then ventured to ask, "If I may be so bold, the opponent Mr. Sancheng speaks of... would it be that person?" Sancheng Huang slurped down the entire bowl of noodles in one go, rubbed his belly, exhaled with great satisfaction, and said, "Ah, that would be Chen-kun." Guan Chikang hurriedly pressed on, "Dare I ask when you intend to seek him out, Mr. Sancheng?" Sancheng Huang pondered. "Not sure yet. Maybe in the next few days? Maybe in ten days to half a month. The voyage by ship was exhausting, and I've been lacking sleep these past few days. I need to catch up." "In that case," Guan Chikang said eagerly, "Mr. Sancheng, do you need us to deliver a challenge letter on your behalf?" Sancheng Huang shook his head. "No. I will find my own opponent, at a specific time and a specific place." "Understood." Guan Chikang offered a seated bow. "Mr. Sancheng, if there is anything you require, please do not hesitate to tell us. We will make all the arrangements for you." Sancheng Huang merely gave a casual reply. While the two were speaking, Sun Rao, who was responsible for patrolling this sector, was sitting in a car alongside another young man, watching the situation inside the shop through the window. The young man said, "So that's Sancheng Huang, the one we're supposed to keep under high-priority surveillance?" Sun Rao warned him, "Don't stare so intently. A third limit fighter has exceptionally sharp senses." The young man looked toward Guan Chikang on the other side. "That one's from Ferris Wheel Company, right?" "According to the dossier, yes." "Since he's under high-priority surveillance, shouldn't we find out what they're talking about? Right now, they're using a field to shield their conversation. Isn't that problematic?" Sun Rao frowned. "Our mission is only to observe and log Sancheng Huang's movements. Eavesdropping on their conversation is the job of technical personnel." Watching Guan Chikang finish talking and stand up to leave, the young man said, "But right now there's no result, is there?" Sun Rao asked warily, "What are you trying to do?" The young man looked at Sancheng Huang hunched over his noodles. "I mean, since we can't figure it out, why not just go up and ask directly?" Sun Rao was startled, then said sternly, "Don't go looking for trouble. Most third limit fighters don't have good tempers. If something goes wrong and you get yourself dragged down, it's really not worth it." "Senior, you said it yourself—since we're nearby, he's definitely noticed us anyway. What's the harm in asking?" The young man set a hand on the car door and stepped right out. Sun Rao scrambled out of the car as well, stepping ahead in two strides to block his path. "Trainee Wei, I am your team leader. Please return to the car immediately." The young man glanced at him and retorted, "Senior, merely following routine will never yield real achievements. That's why you're still stuck doing patrols here." With that, his body swayed. Sun Rao only felt a blur flicker before his eyes before the young man was already behind him. He gritted his teeth. "This brat..." He had constantly heard that this kid possessed outstanding fighting ability, much like Junior Chen in the past. He hadn't seen much of it before, but that move just now was genuinely impressive. No wonder the bureau held him in such high regard. Striding into the shop, the young man walked directly up to Sancheng Huang, kicked aside the cushion Guan Chikang had just sat on, sat down, and looked at Sancheng Huang. "Sancheng Huang?" "That would be me." Sancheng Huang looked up and cast a curious glance. "Are you with the Disposal Bureau, sir?" The young man stared into his eyes. "Since you figured that out, you should also know you are subject to our inspection at any time. I want to ask: what did you just discuss with that employee from Ferris Wheel Company?" Sancheng Huang said, "While there is nothing to hide, I feel I am under no obligation to answer." The young man looked at him and said, "I can report it up just like that. But with just a slight embellishment in my phrasing, the surveillance on you will be doubled." He leaned forward slightly. "You wouldn't want dozens of eyes glued to you every day while you eat your noodles, would you?" Sancheng Huang said with sudden realization, "Fair point. It seems I have no choice but to yield. However," he held up his bowl, "could you perhaps wait until I finish eating?"