Wu Bei's voice came through the boundary credential. "Brother Chen, is it convenient for you to talk right now?"
"Go ahead, Brother Wu," Chen Chuan replied.
"Lately, quite a few resonators have been trying to dig into your background. Ever since your reputation got out, that kind of thing has happened a lot. Some are underground outfits peddling intelligence, and others might be peripheral scouts for various companies. Usually, they can't turn up anything, so I just chase them off and don't pay it any more mind.
"However, one guy I flagged earlier came back again. Every time I drive him away, he returns, and each time he lingers right at the outer information layer. It looked like he was trying to convey something, so I took the initiative to establish contact. Turns out, there really is something going on.
"He said he has an important message to pass to you, and hinted that it's connected to the company..."
Chen Chuan's interest was piqued. He and Wu Bei had an understanding: unless specified otherwise, "the company" meant the Ferris Wheel Company.
Wu Bei continued, "Brother Chen, whether it really involves the company or someone is just looking to stir up trouble, I figured it was best to let you know."
Chen Chuan nodded. "You did the right thing, Brother Wu. Did the person only say they had a message for me?"
"That's right. He left an information frequency, and I vetted it—it's clean."
Chen Chuan thought it over briefly, then said, "Here's what we'll do, Brother Wu. Send a reply for me first, saying I'm tied up at the moment and will contact him shortly."
"No problem. I'll keep an eye on it for you, Brother Chen."
After ending the call, Chen Chuan returned to the front of the display area. Supervisor Zhuang gave him a slight nod with a smile. "Please take a look, Mr. Chen."
He tapped his boundary credential, and a categorized presentation promptly appeared on the light screen before them.
Here at the Winged Blade Company, mutated tissue cultivated after birth was generally balanced at the outset. Only later would it branch out in different directions according to the owner's specifications.
This technology was already relatively mature. The chosen path of development determined the creature's future abilities and modes of attack.
Once decided, beyond administering the corresponding drugs and injections, specialized trainers would take charge of conditioning and honing those specific faculties in the creature.
Naturally, this was included as part of the service package. Though the price was steep, it truly offered value for money.
In light of Chaoming's inherent traits, the Winged Blade Company currently offered three proposals.
The first focused on enhancing climbing, traversing, and related capabilities.
Chen Chuan looked through it. The company's archive of recorded footage was extensive, vividly illustrating the characteristics of developing along this path.
After meticulous cultivation and training, the creature would not only be able to scale any terrain without a sound, glide swiftly between trees and towering skyscrapers, and conceal itself underground or in tree canopies, but with the addition of compatible implants, its combat effectiveness would become even more formidable.
Across the Sanmawojia Continent, many warlords trained small creatures like this for personal defense and assassination operations.
The second option, naturally, was to enhance mutations oriented toward flight and sky hunting. This would allow the creature to reach greater altitudes and travel further, spot and identify tracked enemies and prey in timely fashion, and swiftly dive from the sky to hunt or eliminate targets on the ground.
Such creatures typically possessed light yet resilient mutated bones and tendons alongside vicious, powerful mutated teeth and talons. Just from the recorded clips, it looked exceptionally fierce and formidable.
The third was a middle-of-the-road choice, possessing traits from both paths without excelling in either, which was hardly worth considering.
After reviewing them, Chen Chuan chose the flight path without hesitation.
He had no need for Chaoming to take part directly in combat; providing aerial reconnaissance and warning him of threats from above was more than enough. For instance, Chaoming had performed outstandingly last time by spotting the Ferris Wheel Company's convoy and ambushers well in advance.
Seeing how decisive he was, Supervisor Zhuang nodded in inward approval. He had dealt with many clients afflicted with chronic indecision, often struggling to make a choice, only to regret it afterward and demand endless adjustments.
While the company could simply charge additional fees, it undeniably introduced numerous risks. If the creature ended up experiencing complications in the end, it was the company's reputation that would suffer.
Once Chen Chuan confirmed his selection, Supervisor Zhuang said, "Mr. Chen, in about five days, once your pet's condition has completely stabilized, it will enter the next phase.
"Much like a fighter, it will undergo a relatively long growth period. We will transfer it to a nutrient nest to keep its vital signs stable, and then supply nutrients and medicine directly to the mutated tissue via injections to promote its growth."
Following his confirmation, Chen Chuan saw Chaoming's cross-sectional anatomy projected onto the light screen, labeled in different colors. The red areas represented the existing mutated tissue, while the blue areas marked the sections slated for reinforcement in the upcoming stage.
As a fighter, he could tell at a glance the function and force-exertion mechanics of reinforcing those parts. The setup felt reasonable and well-balanced. It had clearly been custom-tailored for Chaoming rather than slapped together from some fixed template or generic routine, and he was quite pleased with their professionalism.
He extended a hand. "Supervisor Zhuang, I'll leave the rest to you, then."
Supervisor Zhuang shook his hand with a smile. "Mr. Chen, rest assured, it's in good hands."
With business concluded at the Winged Blade Company, Chen Chuan stepped outside. Settling into his car, he reconnected with Wu Bei, who promptly guided him into the designated information frequency.
After waiting for a brief moment, a pleasant voice came through. It sounded like a somewhat timid young woman. Tentatively, she asked, "Is this Mr. Chen Chuan?"
"I'm Chen Chuan," he said.
"Mr. Chen, h-hello..." The young woman sounded slightly nervous, or perhaps burdened with hesitation, momentarily unsure of how to begin.
Chen Chuan said, "Take your time, miss. I have plenty of time. How should I address you?"
Hearing his calm demeanor, the woman across the line gathered her composure. "My name is Deng Xin. I used to work in the intelligence department at the Ferris Wheel Company, responsible for gathering and organizing information for them."
Hearing that, Chen Chuan cut in immediately. "Please hold for a moment." Switching to another frequency, he asked Wu Bei, "Brother Wu, is everything secure on your end?"
Wu Bei answered, "Rest easy, Brother Chen. This is an isolated frequency I set up personally. For three minutes, not a shred of information can leak out."
Chen Chuan switched back to Deng Xin. "Miss Deng, please continue."
"All right, Mr. Chen... Mr. Chen, I know why the company has targeted you, because... they're after me too."
Chen Chuan's pulse quickened slightly. Instead of pressing for the reason right away, he asked, "Miss Deng, where are you right now?"
Deng Xin hesitated before saying, "I'm with the Elephant Gang."
When Chen Chuan heard she was with the Elephant Gang, it added considerable credibility to her claim, assuming it was true.
The Elephant Gang had always been at loggerheads with the Swordfish Gang, which was backed by the Ferris Wheel Company, and their members came from completely different origins. The Elephant Gang was currently holed up in a corner entirely due to the Swordfish Gang's relentless suppression, leaving indelible friction and deep-seated hatred between the two factions.
Chen Chuan said, "Miss Deng, thank you for providing this information. Would it be convenient for you to come out?"
Deng Xin replied, "I... it's not easy for me to leave."
Chen Chuan understood. From the cadence of her breath, he could tell she might have practiced some fighting skills, but she was definitely no true fighter. If she was indeed being hunted by Ferris Wheel, she naturally wouldn't dare step outside casually.
He gave it some thought. The isolated frequency would only remain secure for three minutes, and there were many details he needed to clarify. "How about this, Miss Deng: if you agree, I'll come meet you, and we can talk in person."
Deng Xin seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "All right, Mr. Chen. But when you come, please be extremely careful not to let the Ferris Wheel Company spot you."
Chen Chuan replied calmly, "Don't worry. The Ferris Wheel Company doesn't have the capacity for that right now."
Whenever he traveled nowadays, Wu Bei was monitoring the surrounding field data. Moreover, the Disposal Bureau and the Esoteric Cult Examination Bureau kept Ferris Wheel under twenty-four-hour surveillance. Even the slightest anomalous movement would be caught instantly. At least until the Fumu completed its division, there was no need to worry about Ferris Wheel pulling off any major moves.
He asked again, "When are you free, Miss Deng? Would this afternoon work?"
Deng Xin considered it. "This afternoon works. I'll arrange for someone to wait for you at the Elephant Gang's market in advance. Once you arrive, Mr. Chen, you can contact him using this frequency."
"Fine. I'll arrive around two o'clock this afternoon."
With the arrangements settled, he ended the call.
He had always wanted to uncover why the Ferris Wheel Company had targeted him time and again. If he could get to the bottom of it, he could formulate countermeasures and lay out appropriate plans.
He first touched base with the Disposal Bureau. To prevent any intelligence leaks, he contacted Director Wu directly and briefed him on the situation. The director told him to exercise caution.
Chen Chuan agreed, though he knew the risk was manageable. Even though the Elephant Gang was a criminal syndicate, they had their own internal order, and they wouldn't dare lightly cross personnel from the Disposal Bureau.
He returned to his dormitory first, made a few preparations, and then drove out toward the Elephant Gang's territory.
The Elephant Gang was situated along the periphery of Yinglu District, largely avoiding the bustling commercial zones—a direct result of being squeezed out by the Swordfish Gang. Its outermost ring was an open market for commerce and trade, established to sustain the more than ten thousand foreigners from the Sheni Peninsula living there, who required vast amounts of daily necessities.
However, penetrating deeper into the interior was impossible without an introduction or a local guide. He contacted the prior frequency and provided his exact location and the car's description.
After a wait of about ten minutes, a dark-skinned youth around fifteen or sixteen rolled up on a skateboard. Spotting the Jiade car, he veered over, kicked the tail of the board up to brake smoothly, and caught it in his hand.
Chen Chuan pushed the door open, and the boy slid naturally into the passenger seat. "I'm A'le. Big Sis sent me." Pointing toward the road ahead, he said, "Just drive straight in." He patted his chest. "Don't worry, with me here, nothing will happen to you once we're inside."
Chapter 511