The Guarantee

Once the space sealed shut, the light from outside was completely cut off, plunging the interior of the tree-like organism into pitch darkness. After a moment, Chen Chuan saw a luminous fluid secreting from the inner walls. It quickly coalesced and spread outward, forming a glowing film in no time. Gradually, the entire chamber grew brighter, until soon nothing remained before his eyes except a sea of blinding white. The sensation was much like standing inside a fissure. Just then, he detected an anomaly and turned his attention to his second self. It showed faint signs of blurriness and derealization, undoubtedly the result of some external intrusion. It seemed his earlier deduction had been correct. This test forced a fighter to produce an instinctive defensive reaction through an intense intrusion. Such reactions would faithfully reveal the true state and conditions within a person. If anything was amiss, the organism would likely display a corresponding indicator immediately. However, before stepping into the Crisis Affairs Center, he had already merged with his second self. Consequently, all the force of this aggressive intrusion was absorbed by the second self on his behalf. Outside, the onlookers waited. Yet this time, the screening seemed unusually protracted. When Xu Chan had entered earlier, he had emerged within a minute or two, whereas Chen Chuan had been inside for a full five minutes, and it was still not over. What was more, more than three minutes ago, everyone had already seen the creature give off a green glow—the exact same result Xu Chan had shown. Inside the security control room, the two council delegates wore displeased expressions. "No abnormalities? How could there be no abnormalities? Are you certain?" The gentle female voice answered, "The third test results confirm that the target has displayed no signs of anomaly." Neither of the two men could easily accept this conclusion. According to the current analysis, the one who tore the breach open was almost certainly Chen Bitong. Chen Chuan had been with Chen Bitong during those final moments, and evidence showed that the two had even briefly cooperated. His suspicion was exceedingly high; within the council, it was all but taken as fact that Chen Chuan had absorbed the pure substance. It was said this conclusion had even been derived from the analysis of an active conscious entity. Thus, the two had arrived today with a mission. Yet the test results completely overturned their premise, grinding their operation to a halt. They knew their superiors would never admit to flawed judgment; they would only consider them incompetent. One of them said with a dark expression, "Just because the scan couldn't detect anything doesn't mean there is no problem." The other asked, "What do you plan to do?" "According to his dossier, this target is adept at esoteric rituals. Could this be the work of an esoteric ritual? I have reason to suspect he used an esoteric ritual in advance to evade the screening equipment's detection. We need further verification." He added with emphasis, "Keep him here!" The other hesitated. "If the screening reveals no surface issues, I'm afraid both the Disposal Bureau and the Defense Department will object to that reasoning." The first man replied coldly, "We are merely making a reasonable inference and handling matters with due diligence. After all, this is for his own good as well." After another brief hesitation, the other man nodded. In the atrium below, the screening finally concluded. The tentacles parted to either side, and Chen Chuan stepped out, his expression entirely composed. His smooth exit caught those privy to inside information off guard. Meanwhile, the security personnel stationed on the upper walkways had received no further orders and could only maintain their heightened alert. Chen Chuan climbed up from the platform and nodded to Xu Chan and the others. He intended to step aside and leave once things settled, but a voice called out behind him: "Captain Chen, please wait a moment." Turning around, he saw Yan Zhiwen walking toward him. Reaching him, Yan Zhiwen said, "The affairs center believes a few areas still require additional screening. Please do not leave just yet." Chen Chuan said, "What, was the test just now not enough? The procedure outlined to me when I arrived mentioned nothing about needing additional screening." Yan Zhiwen replied stiffly, "This is affairs center protocol. Please cooperate, Captain Chen." "I don't think there's any need for another test," a voice called out from nearby. Yan Zhiwen felt the hairs on his body stand on end. The voice had come without warning, and the person had materialized out of nowhere; he hadn't sensed his presence at all before this. He turned stiffly toward the sound and saw a middle-aged man with a faintly decadent aura, standing with hands shoved into his trouser pockets. Chen Chuan was somewhat surprised. "Teacher Xue?" Xue Shou strolled forward and clapped Chen Chuan on the shoulder. Casting a glance toward a certain vantage point above, he smiled and said, "Trainee Chen is my student. I'll vouch for him." "Mr. Xue..." Yan Zhiwen recognized him. This was the martial artist from the capital. Standing at such close range before a martial artist, he felt engulfed by a colossal terror. Although the man appeared friendly and casual right now, Yan Zhiwen's biological field and spirit were shrieking madly in self-preservation, screaming at him to get away from this man immediately. He wasn't the only one; everyone present felt it. Fighters underwent relentless tempering and possessed tremendous confidence and attachment to preserving their own lives. Yet in front of this man, all of that became a liability, plunging their bodies instinctively into a high-stress alarm state. In the control room, the two council delegates were instantly drenched in cold sweat, their expressions rigid with panic. They had never anticipated such a development. They understood full well the weight carried by a martial artist. Their minds were thrown into complete disarray, having no idea what to do. Right at this moment, an emotionless voice sounded through their boundary credentials: "Let him go." The moment Xue Shou appeared, the council had already learned of what transpired here via field data. With a martial artist vouching for him, even if there were truly an issue, it would be unwise to openly slap his face. Besides, the test had already been conducted and had returned completely clean. Pushing further would make it impossible to wrap things up gracefully. The two council delegates felt as if granted an imperial pardon. Then, they heard that same voice add, "Initiate the backup plan." Both men hurriedly complied, immediately conveying the order to Yan Zhiwen down on the floor. Upon receiving the message, Yan Zhiwen promptly stepped aside, bowed his head slightly, and said, "Captain Chen, you may leave." Chen Chuan asked, "So, has my screening officially passed?" Yan Zhiwen answered, "Passed." Chen Chuan nodded. "Your protocol is remarkably efficient." Just then, the gentle female voice announced, "Will Enforcement Captain Lü Huo and Enforcement Captain Wang Weiguang please proceed to the South and North testing platforms, respectively, for screening." Captain Wang and Captain Lü exchanged a look and walked down toward the platforms. Xue Shou said, "Trainee Chen, let's go." Chen Chuan agreed. He bade Xu Chan farewell and started walking out alongside Xue Shou. But before they could reach the exit, alarms suddenly blared throughout the atrium. A bit surprised, he turned back to look. On the northern platform, pulses of vivid red light were surging from within the tree-like organism. Yan Zhiwen's expression shifted drastically. He leaped down from above as guards stationed on the surrounding floors trained their weapons below. The tentacles in front of the tree-like creature parted, and Captain Wang stepped out, looking grim. The female voice announced, "Enforcement Captain Wang Weiguang, you have absorbed contraband substances without authorization. Please remain where you are to await processing. Should you resist, lethal force is authorized." Looking at Yan Zhiwen standing before him and the dense array of gun barrels aimed his way from above, Captain Wang opened his hands to signal that he was not resisting. "Captain Wang, you..." Those above who knew him looked on with bewilderment and disbelief, while some wore looks of malicious glee. Only Xu Chan gave him a long, penetrating gaze. Meeting Xu Chan's eyes, Captain Wang hung his head. The guards swiftly moved in, secured Captain Wang, and hustled him away from the scene. Over by the elevator, Chen Chuan took in the spectacle. The elevator doors slid open, and Xue Shou tilted his head toward the interior. "Let's go." Chen Chuan looked no further and followed him inside. Once the doors closed, the car began its descent. Xue Shou said, "Saw through it?" Chen Chuan replied, "It was too obvious." Xue Shou smiled faintly. "Get used to it. You'll be seeing a lot more of this in the future." Almost simultaneously, Captain Wang was brought into an interrogation room and locked against a restraint wall. Stepping back a few paces, Yan Zhiwen said to him, "Captain Wang, starting now, you'll have to suffer a bit of hardship." Captain Wang lifted his head. Gone was his earlier gloom and panic; instead, he asked calmly, "What comes next?" Yan Zhiwen produced a paper document and held it up before his eyes. "Just say what's written here." Captain Wang glanced over it, committing the entire contents to memory. "Understood. I will cooperate." Outside the building, Xue Shou walked out with Chen Chuan. Looking up at the bright sky, he said, "Student Chen, I need to make a trip back to the capital soon. But since I promised to teach you for half a year, I intend to keep my word. I'll be back after some time." *Teacher, I only hope 'some time' doesn't mean several years,* Chen Chuan thought to himself. Aloud, he said, "Your student will remember." Xue Shou grunted in acknowledgment. "Before leaving, I'll teach you one more trick. It can shield your mental information from leaking out. With this technique, it won't be so easy for others to test you again. "However, you should know that screenings are just one method. There are many ways to achieve an objective, so it's best not to give them any openings." As he spoke, he patted Chen Chuan's shoulder. Chen Chuan immediately felt a spiritual imprint settle there. "Practice it thoroughly when you get back. I'll be checking on your progress when I return." Teacher Xue chuckled, shoved his hands back into his pockets, and strode forward. After a few paces, he waved a hand with his back turned, soon vanishing into the bustling flow of pedestrians on the street.