Investigation

Chen Chuan reached out and shook the man's hand. He could feel that the broad, thick palm was remarkably powerful; this man clearly possessed impressive strength. Returning the greeting, he said, "Hello, Mr. Chang. You mentioned you're... the newly appointed director?" "Ah, that's right," Chang Dong said with a chuckling smile. "Here in Jibei Dao, members of our Purist Faction are rather sparse. To be precise, Jibei Dao falls within the sphere of influence of the Refinement School and the Convergence faction." He sighed. "Actually, it wasn't like this in the past. Fifteen years ago, back when the previous director was still around, he gathered most of our members in Jibei Dao for an operation to eliminate a very dangerous target. "Unfortunately, that operation failed. Not only did the target escape, but our people suffered devastating casualties—scarcely any returned alive. "That incident had widespread fallout, with internal members implicated as well. For over a decade since, our Purist Faction has maintained only a nominal post here in Center City of Jibei Dao, and the person in charge wasn't even a fighter. However, we did retain some personnel in the fringe cities that the other two factions overlooked..." Chen Chuan immediately thought of Instructor Wen, as well as Teacher He, who had joined later. He thought to himself that it was no wonder he had always felt the Purist Faction had some degree of influence yet rarely saw any members around—this was the reason behind it. Chang Dong patted the vehicle at this moment. "My purpose in coming here this time, aside from delivering this pure substance to you, is to serve as your dedicated liaison within the faction and carry out the mission of rebuilding our Center City branch. Fellow member Chen, I look forward to working closely with you from now on." Chen Chuan nodded. Since he had joined the Purist Faction, enjoying its benefits naturally meant putting in effort in return. "I will. What do you need me to do?" "Mm, you don't need to worry about the specifics. I'll handle securing funding, gathering personnel, and recruiting new members. You only need to focus on your own affairs, and..." Chang Dong's expression grew more solemn. "...firmly eliminate and eradicate those entities crossing over from the other side, as well as anyone colluding with them." Chen Chuan asked, "Even if they are incumbent key officials?" "Even if they are incumbent key officials!" Chang Dong's tone was resolute. "Of course, even if we take action, we still need evidence. We can't act recklessly. Generally speaking, once we have evidence, if it can be pursued through formal procedures, we follow the procedures. If the official channels are stalled for the moment and the matter is urgent, then preemptive execution is the only choice. "Supervisor Chen, the infiltration from the other side can cause catastrophic damage to us. That is why decisive action must be taken promptly at times; otherwise, it could lead to many unpredictable consequences. And your position, Supervisor Chen, happens to be perfectly suited for this, because it falls right within your jurisdiction." Chen Chuan nodded. After their brief conversation, he invited the man inside the residence. Once tea was poured and they sat down, Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Chang, I have a matter here that might involve the Refinement School. If you hadn't come today, I probably would have tried contacting the faction. Since you're here, this is the perfect time to bring it up." Hearing that it concerned the Refinement School, Chang Dong immediately turned serious. His broad, plump body, which had sunk deep into the soft armchair, straightened up. "What is it?" Chen Chuan recounted the previous events to him, also mentioning how the other side had reached out through various acquaintances to contact him. After listening, Chang Dong immediately asked, "Is that radio still with you?" Chen Chuan replied, "Yes." He had left the people at the Disposal Bureau, but this radio was of paramount importance, so he kept it close by. He stood up at once and fetched the device. Chang Dong took it, examined it, and his expression grew even graver. He possessed psychic aptitude and held unique techniques regarding psychic power, yet at this moment, he could detect nothing at all. If Chen Chuan had not deliberately concealed or misstated anything, there was only one possibility. He said in a deep voice, "Supervisor Chen, it seems I need to take this and leave for a while. Rest assured, Supervisor Chen—the other side clearly crossed the line first this time. I will telegraph back first, and the faction will handle this properly for you." He pushed the briefcase at his side across the table, along with a paper form. "Two units of pure substance are inside. Supervisor Chen, the goods have arrived. Please inspect them, then sign this form. I'll take your signature back with me on this trip." Chen Chuan nodded. He drew the case over and inspected it with his psychic power. Confirming there were no issues with the contents, he took a pen, signed the form, and handed it back to the other man. Chang Dong packed his belongings, left behind a telegraph frequency and number for contact, then stood up, shook his hand, and took his leave. Outside, looking up at the high-hanging sun and the road shimmering under the bright glare, Chang Dong patted his soft belly and made a distressed face. He had only just arrived, and now he had to rush back. With all this rushing back and forth, he'd probably lose several jin. After seeing Chang Dong off in his off-road vehicle, Chen Chuan turned back and took the briefcase straight to his training room. He opened the case to reveal rows of glass vials, within which streaks of shimmering light darted back and forth like tiny swimming fish flitting around inside. According to certain theories, pure substance was some kind of living matter that possessed certain traits of living things. Based on his prior encounters with it, this explanation indeed held some truth. Beside the vials in the case was a small slip of paper containing instructions, outlining key points of caution and taboos to observe when consuming it. After reading through it, he took out a vial, enveloped it with his psychic power first, uncorked the stopper, tilted his head back, poured it into his mouth, and swallowed it down. This feeling... He quickly discerned that this pure substance was considerably less effective than what he had consumed before—and not just by a slight margin. It was very likely that upon entering this world, the pure substance had dispersed much of its original purity. This was practically inevitable. Things from the world on the other side affected their world, while their world likewise influenced the other side. The emergence of the convergence zones was the best proof of this. Fortunately, however, it was pure substance after all, and there was plenty of it. It was just that he had originally calculated these two units based on the previous pure substance; now it seemed that even using all of it would still leave him short. Fortunately, the faction had indicated that more would be provided if this wasn't enough, and pure substance continued to disperse outward from time to time, so there was no need to worry about running out. Over the next two days, he went nowhere, staying home to absorb the pure substance, train his psychic power, and conduct his daily martial arts practice. Even though he deliberately slowed his pace, he still exhausted the pure substance within those two days. So, using the contact frequency Chang Dong had left, he dispatched a telegram to request another two units of pure substance from the faction. When September first arrived, Chen Chuan put on his supervisor uniform and took a dedicated vehicle early in the morning toward the Disposal Bureau. He had received a notification from the bureau the day before, stating that a high-level bureau meeting required his attendance this morning. At ten in the morning, he stepped into the Disposal Bureau. Along the way, every staff member he encountered halted and saluted. He nodded in response as he walked. Guided by Andun to the conference room, he saw that all seven district supervisors had already arrived. Of the eight districts in Center City, aside from Bainiao District, each had a supervisor appointed. However, these administrative supervisors usually carried little weight, merely attending meetings to make up the numbers and doing whatever the higher-ups decided. Only Investigation Supervisors like Chen Chuan, who oversaw enforcement by force, held advisory and decision-making authority here. At present, including him, there were three Investigation Supervisors in the Disposal Bureau. The other two entered the venue around this time as well. After their eyes met, one of them, Supervisor Wen, took the initiative to greet him. The other, Supervisor Han, remained lukewarm and gave him a faint nod. Once everyone had settled into their seats and waited a short while, Chief Wu walked into the conference room. After standing to salute, they sat back down, and the meeting began. Chief Wu said, "Supervisor Chen just returned from leave and isn't up to speed on some matters yet. Andun, send a copy of the detailed briefing to Supervisor Chen." "Understood, Chief Wu." Lines of text immediately appeared on Chen Chuan's boundary credential. Reading through them, he learned that in late September, another delegation from the Syndicate would be arriving. At the same time, the Linax Federation would dispatch a diplomatic delegation, with their first stop being Center City of Jibei Dao. Evidently, neither came with good intentions. Below that were briefings he had seen portions of before: the Disposal Bureau would conduct thorough investigations or enforce strict supervision over companies such as Lianwei Heavy Control and Lvyuan Technology Company. Lianwei Heavy Control went without saying; having participated in the transport of the split sub-body, the Disposal Bureau would not let them off easily. As for Lvyuan Technology, according to the files, a portion of the insects now infesting various corners was very likely tied to them, making them a target for close monitoring in the next phase. As he browsed through the files, Chief Wu briefed everyone on the situation from the head of the table, then assigned the specific tasks. "Supervisor Han, you have good connections and relationships with the various corporations. Affairs concerning the Syndicate delegation will be entrusted to you." Supervisor Han nodded without speaking. Chief Wu then looked toward Supervisor Wen. "Supervisor Wen, the security work for the Linax Federation's diplomatic delegation will be your responsibility." Supervisor Wen accepted solemnly. Finally, Chief Wu looked at Chen Chuan. "Supervisor Chen, the investigation into Lianwei Heavy Control and Lvyuan Company will be placed under your charge. These tasks may take considerable time and involve a great deal of investigation. If you are short on manpower, feel free to request it." Chen Chuan thought it over. "I need the bureau to grant me additional allocation quotas for personnel." Chief Wu said, "Approved. We'll start by giving you ten additional slots. If that isn't enough, ask again, and I'll approve an extra batch of operational funds for you." Chen Chuan said, "Then I have no issues on my end." Chief Wu then assigned tasks and highlighted key priorities with the administrative supervisors. After roughly an hour, the meeting concluded, and everyone prepared to leave. Just as Chen Chuan stood up, Chief Wu called out to him, "Supervisor Chen, please hold on a moment. I have a few things to discuss with you." Chen Chuan paused in his steps, while the other supervisors glanced back and filed out one after another. Once only Chief Wu and he remained in the room, Chief Wu walked down from the front and sat down near him. "Supervisor Chen, you were the one who brought those people in, correct? Scarcely had they been detained when a flock of attorneys arrived, and the Municipal Council has been calling repeatedly demanding their release. Furthermore, after conferring with their attorneys, those three are now claiming that you initiated the assault against them, and they are preparing to file countercharges against you."