Just as Chen Chuan sat down, a dark shadow flashed past them at high speed. He glanced sideways and saw clearly that it was an insect from the convergence zone.
As he watched, the flying bug's rapid speed seemed to slow down, every detail of its body becoming distinct and clear. He noticed that its appearance was somewhat different from those he had seen before, seemingly marked with a few additional threads of crimson, blood-colored stalks.
Smack.
Wei Dong grabbed the bug in his palm. When he opened his hand, it was already crushed, yet the ferocious mouthparts, twisted limb joints, and viscous purplish-red blood were still visible, dripping down drop by drop. The amount of fluid inside its tissue was surprisingly large.
Wu Han tossed over a box of tissues in disgust and remarked, "Seems like these bugs are everywhere lately. The Linax Federation really doesn't do a single decent thing."
Wei Dong wiped his hand a few times with a tissue and suddenly said, "This bug is different from the ones before."
Wu Han said in surprise, "Aren't they all just bugs? What's the difference?"
Chen Chuan, however, knew it really was different. Wei Dong had exceptional observational skills; someone who wasn't paying close attention truly wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
Right then, not just at their table, someone at a table not far away smacked another bug dead with a loud crack, cursing as he wiped it off:
"Fuck, there've been way too many of these damned things lately. The other day, I was just about to head out for a good time when I saw a dead dog lying in front of my door. I went up and kicked it aside, and the fucking thing burst right in front of me! It was packed with tiny bugs—got into my mouth, my nose, even my eyes. Swallowed a whole bunch of them, too. Spit! God, that stench was fucking foul! It still makes me sick just thinking about it!"
The people eating with him all froze instantly and subtly leaned away from him. One of them couldn't help asking, "Uh, buddy... are you all right?"
The man said nonchalantly, "What's there to be afraid of? I chugged a whole bottle of pesticide right on the spot. For the next few days, I reeked of bug spray all over—felt like that stuff was pumping right through my veins."
The others breathed a sigh of relief. The man most likely had modified internal organs and artificial blood vessels implanted, which was why he could withstand such rough treatment.
Just then, a waiter came over, repeatedly apologizing to them before placing a small potted plant on the edge of the tables for Chen Chuan and the others. The waiter explained, "Gentlemen, this plant is very effective at keeping bugs away. One of them will hold out for over an hour. Would you gentlemen like to keep one?"
Chen Chuan glanced over and saw a logo of angular green leaves on the pot, the negative space in the middle resembling a narrow, elongated eye slanted toward both sides.
And as he looked, information surfaced on his boundary credential: the logo belonged to Green Source Ecological Company, with an option to jump directly to product descriptions and a payment interface.
The insects crossing over from the convergence zone couldn't be wiped out anytime soon. It seemed the citizens of Center City wouldn't be able to do without such items in the future, and there would likely be even more related applications.
Previously, when reviewing the Disciplinary Bureau's watchlist of companies requiring vigilance, Green Source Ecological Company had been on it. Clearly, this company was far from ordinary. Furthermore, he knew that the entity backing the Plague Cult in the lower district was very likely this very firm. It seemed he would need to keep a closer eye on them moving forward.
He motioned to the waiter and said, "Leave it."
The waiter promptly arranged the potted plant in place.
Wu Han reached for the menu to order, and after checking off his choices, passed it to Chen Chuan and Wei Dong. Once the three had finalized their orders, the waiter said, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen. It'll be ready shortly."
Chen Chuan asked, "Senior, how have things been on Old Qi's end lately? Has anyone come looking for trouble with you?"
Wu Han thought about it and said, "If you hadn't brought it up, junior, I almost would've forgotten. At first, it seemed like someone was watching us, but then they disappeared. Probably gave up. Even if they came for me, I wouldn't be afraid."
Chen Chuan said, "It's still better to be careful. I won't be around for these next few months. If you run into trouble, you can call the Yangzhi City Disciplinary Bureau or the constabulary directly to reach me."
Wu Han said, "Don't worry, if anything happens, I'll definitely look for you. Oh, right—half a year has flown by in the blink of an eye, and you're already heading back on leave. Haven't those other juniors and Wei Chang'an arrived yet?"
Chen Chuan said, "They were originally scheduled to arrive in April. But after what happened the other day, I got word in advance and simply told them to delay their arrival. When I go back this time, it'll be a good chance to meet up with them, and if possible, I'll bring them along when I return."
As they were speaking, the restaurant door was pushed open. A large group of people strode inside. At their head was a man wearing sunglasses, his sparse hair revealing furrowed, etched lines like grooves across his scalp. Everyone in the group wore matching boots lined with gold engravings.
The leading man swept a gaze across the room and headed straight toward Chen Chuan and his companions. The men behind him swept an arm out, shoving aside the waiter who tried to approach. The customers at nearby tables altered their expressions and immediately moved out of the way. Some wanted to leave, but seeing the entrance blocked, they had no choice but to step back into the corners.
The man walked up to the adjacent table, pulled up a chair, and sat down. He then took off his sunglasses, looked at Chen Chuan, and chuckled. "Never expected a big shot like you to show up on my street. I trust none of the blind fools around here have offended your esteemed self?"
Chen Chuan glanced at him. A string of information displayed on his boundary credential: this man was Tan Chong, leader of the Gold Boots Gang, nicknamed 'Leech.' He had mid-tier implants throughout his body, with military-grade heart, lungs, and skeleton, yet not a single criminal record to his name.
This was entirely normal. Gang bosses like him had dedicated litigators to get them off the hook and gang underlings to take the fall for them. As long as they exercised a bit of personal caution, they would leave no actionable leverage on the surface. No wonder he dared to show up out in the open and speak to Chen Chuan face to face.
Chen Chuan said flatly, "I don't have the time to spare for that."
Tan Chong said, "Since you say so, I'll take your word for it. I suppose big figures like you wouldn't make a special trip just to give me trouble. I know the rules—this meal is on me."
He stood up. "I won't disturb you gentlemen any longer." Putting his sunglasses back on, he turned and strode out with his crew. The waiter hurried over to see them off.
Wu Han leaned back against his chair and remarked, "That guy sure acts cocky, huh?"
Tan Chong led his men outside, but before he had taken even two steps, he abruptly froze. Over a dozen insect-type combat organisms hovered in midair, assuming a combat stance toward them. Their compound eyes reflected the men's silhouettes, and the sharp, hooked limbs curled beneath their abdomens looked thoroughly chilling.
Over Chen Chuan's boundary credential, Andun's voice sounded: "Supervisor Chen, numerous Gold Boots Gang members have been detected in your vicinity. Patrol combat organisms have been mobilized nearby. Do you require a defensive purge?"
Chen Chuan said, "No need. I'm having a meal, and there's no danger here."
"Understood. Alarm cleared. Biological weapons disengaging."
Outside the door, seeing the combat flying insects turn away in unison and depart, Tan Chong finally realized he was drenched in cold sweat. Just moments ago, every single one of their implants had reacted involuntarily, but they all knew it was futile; just one or two of these swift biological weapons could slaughter every last one of them.
Only the truly major gangs possessed the manpower and weaponry to stand against such bioweapons.
Tan Chong knew full well why those things had appeared. With lingering terror, he cast a look back into the restaurant, then walked away without a word. The men behind him, feeling as though they had just survived a disaster, kept their heads down and hurried away.
Chen Chuan didn't take the matter to heart. Both Wu Han and Wei Dong were easygoing sorts who cared even less. Besides, only one or two among the newcomers could barely be considered fighters; they posed no threat whatsoever.
After finishing their meal, since both of them had errands to run and weren't heading back to their residence, Chen Chuan gave them a ride to the station before driving back to Wuyi himself.
Midway through the drive, he received a message and saw that it was sent from Fusion Boundary. He had already informed the company that he was leaving on break, so contacting him now suggested something had come up. He reached out to Yan Yi, and once connected, said, "Assistant Yan, is something the matter?"
Yan Yi said, "Supervisor Chen, I didn't want to disturb your vacation, but there is an issue I have to contact you about. Is it convenient for you to talk right now?"
Chen Chuan said, "Go ahead."
"Recently, the Government Affairs Hall has been confiscating and liquidating the assets left behind by the Ferris Wheel Company. They may transfer a portion of the company's remaining business operations to us. After hearing the news, we've been pushing to secure this, and certain figures in the Government Affairs Hall have hinted that we could fight for even more. If we can expand our operations into maritime waters, the company's scope of business will grow substantially. However, we're not without competitors. Several of them are backed by the Municipal Council, and they possess considerable strength."
Yan Yi added prudently, "The company isn't afraid of competition, but we must guard against non-commercial methods these companies might employ."
Chen Chuan understood what he meant. After a moment of thought, he said, "In that case, I'll assign someone to your side to help deal with any potential problems while I'm away. If any further situations arise, you know where to reach me."
He intended to have Sancheng Huang stay behind. Although the man had accepted his recruitment, the formal procedures weren't finished yet. Without Chen Chuan leading the team, Sancheng Huang couldn't head directly to the convergence zone anyway, so this would allow him to look after the company for a period first.
Yan Yi said, "That solves the issue, then. Supervisor Chen, have a pleasant vacation."
Two minutes after Chen Chuan ended the call, he received another message. It was from Meng Shu, likewise wishing him a pleasant holiday. He replied with a message of thanks.
After leaving the area, he detoured through Yinglu District to buy some items at Baoguo Market before returning to Wuyi.
Over the next few days, he prepared for his departure. In the early morning hours of June 9, he emerged from Wuyi Academy carrying a suitcase.
As soon as he reached the plaza, his dedicated vehicle and several armored cars drove up, stopping in front of him. Someone immediately came forward to take his suitcase and helped load it into the trunk.
Security Captain Yu Xiao stepped forward, offered a salute, and asked, "Supervisor, when do we set off?"
Chen Chuan didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked up at the sky. A moment later, a high, piercing cry echoed down from above, and a figure draped in brilliant plumage came into view.
He gave a faint smile. "Let's go."
He got into the car, and the entire motorcade started up one after another. Amid another resounding cry, bathed in the morning sunlight, they drove off toward the brightening horizon.
Chapter 608