Interception

Upon receiving the order, an armored vehicle mounted with a wedge-shaped ramming scoop accelerated, overtaking the rest of the convoy to take the lead, and plowed straight into the vehicle blocking the way ahead. Under the impact of this armored beast, the opposing car was flipped aside like a flimsy toy, rolling all the way to the side of the road. The remaining vehicles followed closely behind, quickly surging through the breach. Trailing behind them in the distance, Ji Xinmin cursed under his breath at the sight. Speaking a swift word into his boundary credential to the other two, he shoved his car door open and leaped straight out of the speeding vehicle. The moment his feet touched the asphalt, his legs pumped into a sprint. In just a few strides, he overtook the moving cars. His form blurred into an afterimage as he tore down the road in pursuit of the convoy. Further ahead, Ji Xinmin's two companions stepped into view, planting themselves directly in the convoy's path. This had been part of their contingency: if the vehicles failed to stop them, they would handle the interception personally. Both men wore dark sunglasses and stood with their feet shoulder-width apart, arms slightly spread, each holding an exquisite short metal staff. As third limit fighters equipped with the right tools and weapons, halting moving vehicles was by no means difficult. By then, Ji Xinmin had already caught up. Leaping into the air, he vaulted over the convoy and landed with a heavy thud right in front of the two men, then spun around to face the oncoming vehicles. Chen Chuan observed the situation ahead. Knowing that his security team was no match for three prepared third limit fighters—and that ramming through them might only lead to casualties on his side—he gave the order: "Stop the cars." The convoy ground to a halt some twenty meters away from the trio. An orderly hurried out to open the door, and Chen Chuan stepped down from the car. Gesturing for everyone to remain where they were, he walked forward alone until he stood before the three men. Looking at Ji Xinmin, he said calmly, "Mr. Ji, you should know that your actions are dangerous and could lead to unpredictable consequences. I hope you have a reasonable explanation." Ji Xinmin and his companions suddenly felt an oppressive aura—something they had never sensed from him back in Yangzhi City. Despising the feeling, Ji Xinmin fought the urge to step back, lifting a hand to smooth out his rumpled clothes to mask his unease. "Supervisor Chen," he said, "we mean no offense. We were entrusted by someone to exchange a few words with you. But since you refused to take our calls, we had no choice but to resort to this inferior measure." Chen Chuan replied, "If you truly wanted to speak with me, you could have tried sending a message, or had the people around me or my colleagues pass it along. If I found it appropriate, I naturally would have spoken with you. There are plenty of ways to handle this rather than resorting to such an unpleasant approach." The corner of Ji Xinmin's eye twitched. In truth, that was entirely correct. They did have other ways to contact Chen Chuan. But as functionaries of the Refinement School, they were accustomed to acting with an overbearing hand. They had always been able to see whomever they pleased. It was always they who turned others away, never the reverse. Because of that, they simply could not stomach Chen Chuan's refusal. Furthermore, they never believed they would pay any real price for such behavior, so they had acted without a second thought. Even so, he chose not to show that arrogance on the surface. Taking a breath, he said, "Supervisor Chen, our apologies. This matter is truly of utmost importance, which is why we had no choice but to meet you this way. Besides..." He hinted, "The person who sent us to deliver this message is a prominent figure. Supervisor Chen, I think it would be in your best interest to hear him out." Chen Chuan said flatly, "I don't care what you're trying to do, I have no desire to know who the prominent figure behind you is, and I have even less interest in hearing what he has to say. "I am currently on leave. If this is official business, you should take it up with the Disposal Bureau. If it is personal, then I'm sorry, but I have nothing to discuss with you. "Now, please step aside." Ji Xinmin's expression turned cold. "Supervisor Chen, we know you've joined the Purist Faction, but don't assume their backing makes you untouchable. Let me tell you, the one who sent me here possesses enough influence to dictate your entire future and destiny. "There are still people you cannot afford to offend." Chen Chuan paid them no further heed and turned to walk away. He had given his warning. If the three still refused to yield, he would have the security personnel open fire. Watching his back, Ji Xinmin raised a hand. One of his companions produced an old-fashioned radio and clicked the knob open. A burst of static hissed from the speaker, followed by a voice that bypassed the ears and projected directly into his mind: "Come to our side." Chen Chuan stopped in his tracks. A faint smile touched Ji Xinmin's lips. When that prominent figure sent them out, he had provided a cassette tape, instructing them to play it upon meeting Chen Chuan. Clearly, it was taking effect. Chen Chuan turned around and looked at the radio. The voice was repeating the phrase over and over without pause. He glanced toward his second self, where faint signs of blurring rippled like disturbed water, and the informational field around him seemed to destabilize. His gaze shifted back to Ji Xinmin and the others. Ji Xinmin and his companions suddenly felt an ominous premonition. He gestured for his companion to turn the volume all the way up. Yet it proved utterly useless. Even as that mental force continued its relentless intrusion, Chen Chuan's eyes only grew deeper and more tranquil. A fierce sense of danger gripped Ji Xinmin. Before he could react, an open palm expanded in his vision. Alarmed, he tried to raise his arms to parry, but his body could not keep pace with his mind. Before the movement could form, the palm slammed into his face, hurling him backward through the air. Seeing Chen Chuan strike, the other two lunged forward without hesitation. One swung his metal staff at Chen Chuan's right shoulder, while the other ducked low, aiming a strike straight at his knee. Their movements were blindingly fast and flawlessly synchronized. The blows landed on Chen Chuan almost simultaneously, but he did not budge an inch. To the attackers, it felt as though they had struck a solid, thick rubber tire; their metal staffs recoiled violently, sending a wave of numbness shooting through their arms. In that split second, Chen Chuan reached out and seized one man by the wrist, swinging his entire body around toward the other. The second fighter was already trying to retreat, but Chen Chuan was simply too fast. Before the man could register the blur before his eyes, his partner slammed into him. A dull, sickening crunch of colliding bodies rang out. The two seemed to freeze in midair for a fraction of a second before tumbling down in a tangled heap, most of their bones shattered by the sheer force of the impact. Only then did Ji Xinmin crash to the ground with a loud thump, eyes rolled back, having lost consciousness the instant he was struck. The radio rolled across the pavement, but the voice had vanished just before the strike landed, leaving only the soft hiss of an empty tape spinning on its spools. Chen Chuan had heard it clearly: the phrase had been repeated seven times, and the field had returned to normal the moment it stopped. Raising a hand to his boundary credential, he contacted the Disposal Bureau directly: "Andun, I was just attacked. The assailants have been neutralized. File an incident report." Andun's voice sounded: "Abnormal field information detected thirty seconds ago; evaluated as information interference. Based on site conditions, confirmed as an attack. Supervisor Chen, the incident has been filed." Chen Chuan lowered his hand. Given the field interference, the exact nature of what had transpired could not easily be explained on the record. However, their sequence of actions—intercepting him and deploying field interference—made filing it as an attack entirely reasonable. And in truth, that was precisely what they had done, even if their offensive was an insidious mental intrusion. He walked over to the fallen radio and picked it up. This was evidence. Leaving it with the Disposal Bureau might lead nowhere, but the Purist Faction would certainly be able to uncover something from it. Turning back to the convoy, he called out to Yu Xiao, "Captain Yu, take these three along." "Understood!" Yu Xiao and his security personnel responded loudly. They had known their supervisor was formidable, but they had never witnessed it firsthand. Seeing him casually dispatch three clearly extraordinary third limit fighters filled them with both excitement and profound awe. Members of the squad stepped forward, securing the unconscious trio with specialized restraints and hauling them into the vehicles before the convoy restarted its engines. Once back in his seat, Chen Chuan resumed his call with Wu Han. "Ran into a small delay. Senior, have my classmates and Senior Wei's group settled in?" Completely unaware of the incident, Wu Han replied, "Don't worry, I've got everything arranged." He added, "Old Qi was here helping out, too." Chen Chuan understood; with Old Qi handling things, everything would be well taken care of. "I'll send you their addresses right now..." Wu Han continued, transmitting a list of locations. "Oh, by the way, junior, do you know who I bumped into a few days ago?" Chen Chuan thought for a moment and smiled. "Putting it like that, could it be former classmates?" "Hey, spot-on as always! Geng Zheng, remember him? And Tai Dongwei, plus that Deng Fu—ring a bell?" Chen Chuan nodded. "I remember them." Those were three individuals who had once joined the Mutual Aid Society. While they hadn't committed any real wrongdoing, their association with the society had left them ostracized. Later, they had seemingly departed Yangzhi City, their whereabouts unknown. Wu Han said, "Turns out they came to Center City long ago, even earlier than I did—probably just a few months after you arrived. I chatted with them for a bit. They're currently working under a fairly influential client. But Old Qi mentioned that the client is pretty shady, with an awful reputation in the industry." Chen Chuan pondered briefly. "Do you have their contact info, Senior?" "Sure do." "Send it to me when you get a chance."