After finishing his call with Yan Yi, Chen Chuan walked over to the side, picked up the box Chen Bitong had given him from the desk, and opened it to take a look.
Inside lay a fist-sized stone with an uneven, bumpy surface that looked quite unremarkable.
He reached out to touch it, only to find it exquisite and smooth, radiating a warm, gentle touch. Moments after making contact, he felt his spirit become extraordinarily refreshed, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, leaving him light and unencumbered.
Merely touching it brought noticeable benefits. Clearly, this object possessed a powerful effect on bolstering and invigorating the spirit, making it immensely helpful to him.
Yet he immediately considered that, according to what Teacher Xue had told him, even if Chen Bitong's spirit was near completion, it was not truly complete. Did the man genuinely have no use for it as he claimed, or was there some other reason?
After pondering for a while, he put the item back for now, then went into the training room. He took out a vial of special medicine, sat down, tilted his head back, and swallowed it.
As the medicine's potency seeped and dispersed, the mutated tissue throughout his body grew active. This time, he did not use his second self to block it out, allowing countless murmurs and external disturbances to transmit through.
Yet now that he had embarked upon the cultivation of spiritual power, even without relying on his second self, he could easily steady his mind and remain undisturbed by these aberrations.
Looking upward, he saw a hairline fissure split open above. Resembling an opening eye, the gap was slowly widening. At the same time, a dark, viscous substance tinged with fluorescence seemed to seep from its edges, sinking strand by strand down into this world.
At the same time, he could also see what looked like a thin cocoon-like shell blanketing Center City. When those substances drifted down onto it, they were kept at bay. Yet certain areas appeared heavily tainted, their color darkening to a murky shade, showing signs of imminent breach.
Before long, however, the contamination would be absorbed by some kind of power, slowly returning to its original state. Even so, he noticed that this power seemed somewhat unstable, fluctuating between stronger and weaker states.
This was very likely the barrier formed by the Fumu; it was precisely because the Fumu was about to enter its fission phase that such a situation had arisen.
Judging by this, once the Fumu truly began dividing and reproducing, the situation would undoubtedly grow far more severe. When Teacher Xue said he would be able to gauge the approximate timeframe himself, this was surely what he had meant.
And if he could make such an assessment, others could deduce it as well. When the time came, countless volatile incidents might truly break out, just as Teacher Xue had warned.
He would deal with that when the time came.
He thought no more of it, immersing himself instead in cultivating and absorbing the medicine's potency.
He remained in meditation until dusk fell.
Rising to wash up, he changed into fresh clothes and notified Yan Yi, declining her offer to send a car. He then headed downstairs and drove out on his own.
Over half an hour later, his car pulled slowly into the Convergence Boundary Company plaza.
As Chen Chuan stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance, the security guards on either side snapped to attention and saluted in unison.
Yan Yi was already waiting for him at the entrance to the main hall. Seeing him approach, she bowed slightly and led the way. The two took the elevator up to the CEO's office on an upper floor, where Meng Shu waited, wearing a Convergence Boundary Company executive uniform.
Chen Chuan greeted her and glanced behind her. Standing there was an exquisitely featured, gentle and serene woman who was smiling faintly at him.
He nodded slightly. This was Liying, the company's active conscious entity. Including the time he had escorted Meng Shu back to the company, this was his second time meeting her.
After exchanging pleasantries, everyone took their seats.
Yan Yi said, "Mr. Chen, the municipal government sent an official letter today informing us that the Fumu is about to enter its reproduction phase. They require our company to contribute a portion of our security forces to assist the government in Center City's defense mission."
She tapped her boundary credential and transmitted a file over. "We checked the company archives. Fifteen years ago, we cooperated with the government once, but this time might be different.
"Because a breach may have formed in the Ring of the World, judging by the situation in Center City, the reality could be far more severe. Our company was also heavily affected not long ago. That is why we would like to hear your thoughts, Mr. Chen—what measures should we take this time?"
Chen Chuan knew that having previously suffered an incursion by an entity from the other side, Convergence Boundary Company would likely become a focus of attention.
He said, "In my view, precisely because an entity from the other side once attached itself here, the company should deploy as much security personnel as possible to cooperate with the government.
"As for the company itself, there is no need to worry excessively. From what we know so far, entities from the other side do not share any interconnected ties. Even if other entities from the other side arrive this time, the company will not draw their particular attention."
*Because there may be far more noteworthy targets here,* he added silently to himself.
He turned back to Meng Shu and suggested, "I advise consolidating the company's internal security. During this period, Meng Shu, try not to leave company grounds."
Meng Shu nodded gently; this aligned with Liying's assessment. She said, "Then starting today, I will stay at the company and not return home until this period passes."
Chen Chuan said seriously, "If anything comes up, contact me immediately. If I can make it, I will definitely rush over."
At that same moment, inside Ferris Wheel Company, Security Director Guan Shangjing was frowning over a report.
He had originally devised a sequence of plans: as soon as the Elephant Gang's chieftain died, the gang would descend into internal strife between two factions. Tu Liu would then lead men to attack the Swordfish Gang, allowing the Swordfish Gang to wipe out most of their key operatives. At that point, the Swordfish Gang would reign supreme across all of Yinglu District.
Meanwhile, a crippled Elephant Gang would be unable to protect Deng Xin, allowing them to eliminate her in the process—killing two birds with one stone.
Yet the Elephant Gang had unexpectedly dealt with Tu Liu in short order, promoted Tu Nai as the new chieftain, and swallowed their grievances whole. All of the Swordfish Gang's preparations had gone to waste.
Moreover, intelligence indicated that their target in the Disposal Bureau had intervened, causing the operation to fail. Deng Xin had even been escorted into the Disposal Bureau, rendering any further moves on his part pointless.
He tossed the report onto his desk, laced his fingers together, his gaze brooding.
"It seems we'll have to wait until that day to settle the score after all..."
He looked up at the light screen to the side. On the left were rows of pending agenda items, while the right displayed an internal board meeting in progress, which had already been underway for five hours.
This was already the fourth board meeting this month, primarily disputing the company's strategic direction for the next phase. But time no longer permitted further delay, so a resolution was bound to be reached today.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the meeting timer on the display froze, indicating the conference had concluded.
Right then, a gentle, amiable female voice came through his boundary credential: "Director Guan Shang, Director Takao requests your presence at Fei Pavilion A. There is a corporate assignment to be entrusted to you."
Guan Shangjing rose from his seat, stepped out of his office, and entered the dedicated elevator across from him. The display flickered until the character 'A' appeared above. The elevator doors parted to reveal an expansive, high-ceilinged garden courtyard.
Inside, two crimson fei trees came into view. Overhead hung rows of golden glow-grass lanterns, and beneath his feet lay a pathway paved with white pebbles.
Removing his shoes, he stepped onto the path and walked slowly around a folding screen. There sat an imposing, stout man in his fifties or sixties, his expression stern, seated upright on a low platform.
He wore loose, antique silk robes with pronounced Oceanic styling and an old-fashioned fighter's topknot, with two symmetrical inlay lines running down his face. On a weapon rack nearby rested a pair of exquisitely crafted blades—one long, one short—each gently curved.
Walking up before the elder, Guan Shangjing bowed. "Director Takao."
Director Takao said, "The board of directors has reached its final decision. We are to execute the 'Spring Battle Plan.'"
Guan Shangjing looked up. "The company has resolved to do it?"
"The Syndicate has been stationed at our company for over a hundred days, yet their evaluation of us has yielded no clear answer, nor any conclusion as to what stage the progress has reached. Their intention is obvious." Director Takao looked at Guan Shangjing. "They are waiting for us to make a decision aligned with their wishes."
Guan Shangjing straightened up slowly and said in a heavy voice, "It seems what they want is that item. Their appetite is voracious indeed. Director Takao, if we are the ones to do it, Ferris Wheel will bear all the risk."
Looking across at him, he asked, "If we cannot obtain a concrete promise, is it truly necessary for us to comply with their will?"
"Given the current situation, we have no retreat," Director Takao said somberly.
"Canglong Company and the Ocean Exploration Group have seized upon the fact that we are concentrating our forces in Center City to instigate conflicts between various Oceanic nations and our company. Many countries are already buckling under the pressure and wavering, severely hurting our business."
As Takao spoke, Guan Shangjing saw numerous red warning icons appear on the light screen behind him, marking the company's outposts across various islands in the outer oceans.
"The strategy division has analyzed this: from the moment we decided to join the Syndicate, this state of affairs was never going to stop, and it will persist indefinitely.
"Once we set foot upon this path, the company cannot turn back. Failure is not an option! Director Guan Shang, I ask that you steel your resolve!"
Guan Shangjing bowed solemnly. "Understood, sir!"
Director Takao gave a heavy grunt of acknowledgment. "Because eyes from every corner of Center City are fixed upon us, we cannot mobilize company personnel or internal forces. The manpower I instructed you to recruit some time ago—how are the preparations coming along?"
Guan Shangjing looked up and reported, "Etsuma Biyetsu of the Langtao Arena and Hiroshi Nokane of the An'yao Arena have both formally declined my invitation; they won't be coming.
"However, Senior Brother Miyahide has accepted. When the time comes, he will arrive here to serve the company, accompanied by a large contingent of disciples recruited from the Fenglin Arena."
Director Takao said, "Nagahide Miyahide, head disciple of the Fenglin Arena. His reputation precedes him. With him leading the Fenglin disciples, that will be more than sufficient. Very good, Director Guan Shang. I trust you will coordinate this matter properly!"
Chapter 519