Disposal

Two martial artists... Ji Xinmin felt as if he had plunged into a cellar of ice. He finally understood why the big figure behind them had abandoned them. Anyone faced with this situation would know how to choose. As for the other two, their minds went completely blank. Realizing that the consequences were now irreversible, their whole bodies began to tremble slightly. Before this, they could never have imagined that this matter would escalate to such proportions. In their experience and understanding of how things worked, such a thing was simply impossible. The Center City of Jibei Dao was the domain of the Refined Practice School and the Convergence faction—or more accurately, the turf of the Refined Practice School. They never had to think twice about how they did things. Hadn't it always been like this all these years? The Purist Faction had long possessed virtually no presence in Jibei Dao, nor any figures worth paying attention to. Furthermore, this time they were merely acting on the orders of that lord, so what did they have to worry about? An Investigation Supervisor could never contend against the figure backing them under any circumstances. Yet the current situation had completely exceeded their comprehension. Mister Lin tapped his sunglasses against the desk and urged, "I don't have time to dally with you. Sign it quickly. If you don't want to move your hands, I'll move them for you." Ji Xinmin reached out, his hand shaking as he picked up the pen. He knew there was no hope. In order to avoid a head-on collision between the two factions, that big figure would have to find a way to shift the blame away from himself. There was no way and no reason for him to stick his neck out for them. They were already discarded pawns. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He looked up at Mister Lin. "Will my family be looked after?" Mister Lin's tone softened slightly as he said, "You were recruited by me, so I can still make the call on this matter. In the grand scheme of this affair, you're merely small fry who inappropriately stepped to the front of the stage. Once you're dead, no one will pay attention to you anymore." Ji Xinmin lowered his head. Whether this was comfort or deceit, he had no choice but to believe it. He struggled to steady his hand and signed his name on the document. Then he took the pen, pointed its tip toward the space between his eyebrows, and pressed it firmly against the skin. Pressing his palm down against the back end of the fountain pen, he took a deep breath and shoved hard. With a soft squelch, the entire fountain pen was driven all the way in, piercing deep into his cranial cavity. Then, with a thud, his upper body collapsed onto the desk and moved no more. Behind him, the other two men were both breathing heavily. Under Mister Lin's piercing gaze, one of them shakily picked up the pen, and after several attempts, finally managed to sign his name. He, too, took the signing pen, aimed it at the center of his forehead, and slammed his palm against it with a smack. Because he used too much force, his whole body lurched backward, lost all strength, and collapsed to the floor, lifeless. Mister Lin shifted his gaze to the face of the last man. Despair was written across the man's features. He stepped forward and picked up the pen, hesitating repeatedly over the signature line—dotting the tip down and lifting it back up—before he suddenly grabbed the agreement and tore it to shreds. "I won't sign!" His eyes were bloodshot as he roared, "Why should I die?! Why?!" "How unsightly." Mister Lin stood up from his chair. He loosened his collar and said, "Then I'll just have to lend you a hand." With a single kick, he shattered the heavy interrogation desk in front of him and strode forward. The man let out a frantic bellow and swung a fist at him. Yet while his movement seemed frenzied, a glint of ruthless cunning flashed in his eyes: the hand hidden below holding the pen thrust straight toward Mister Lin's heart. Mister Lin blocked the upper hand with ease, twisting it back effortlessly. As for the lower palm, Mister Lin clamped onto his wrist before it was even halfway there. A surge of force instantly coursed through the man's entire body, causing him to freeze up immediately. Mister Lin swiftly switched hands, grabbed him by the throat, and yanked him forward. Snatching the fountain pen from his grip, he stabbed it into the center of the man's brow and drove it home in one fluid push. The man gave a convulsion, and his entire body went limp. Mister Lin let go, allowing the corpse to tumble to the floor. The force he used was measured to perfection, not a fraction too much, not a fraction too little; only the butt of the fountain pen could be seen at the center of his brow. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands. Although this last one looked a bit unnatural, such a minor flaw was not an issue, nor would anyone look into it. He instructed the litigation attorney beside him to fetch a fresh document and forge a confession in this man's handwriting. He glanced at the time on his boundary credential: eleven thirty-five. He immediately contacted a superior and said, "The men have confessed." Pausing briefly, he added, "It's taken care of. There won't be any further trouble." This news quickly reached the Government Affairs Hall and the Municipal Council, and was then promptly transmitted to that white airship. After some back-and-forth communication between both sides, about twenty minutes later, the airship turned around and departed Center City. And at that very moment, the time reached exactly twelve o'clock. Inside the residence in Wuding District, Chen Chuan was checking the time when his boundary credential suddenly chimed in his ear with an incoming transmission from the Disposal Bureau. The notification stated that Ji Xinmin and the other two had committed suicide to escape punishment, leaving behind letters of repentance before their deaths. They admitted to attacking him, unauthorizedly employing special items to plot against him, and subsequently slandering him in return, as well as privately contacting outside personnel to harass and attack him and his close associates. After discovering this dishonorable and unjust conduct, the Grey Shell Affairs Agency had promptly enacted timely and appropriate rectification. Following interrogation and reprimand, the three men had felt profound remorse, experienced a complete change of heart, and willingly took their own lives to atone for their crimes. In their repentance statements, they had expressed their final wishes: that all accusations against him be dropped completely, and that they were willing to surrender all their personal assets to compensate for the harm done to Chen Chuan and his associates. Furthermore, to express its apologies, the Grey Shell Affairs Agency would also provide a substantial sum in compensation. Over the next few minutes, messages chimed across his boundary credential one after another. First was Lu Fang, who reported that the notice demanding the requisition of the martial arts gym had merely been sent by mistake. Moreover, upon review, it was found that they had paid their taxes in full every year; as compensation for this oversight and as a reward for their honesty, the department was granting them a ten-year tax exemption. Next came a message from Wu Han, stating that the commission agency was deeply apologetic about what had transpired. Not only were they willing to pay the original commission fee in full and cover all losses caused by the mission, but they also offered compensation equal to five times the commission fee. Then came word from Gao Ming, mentioning that certain litigation attorneys who served the council and government departments had reached out through the firm's channels, inquiring whether Chen Chuan had any further dissatisfaction regarding how the matter had been handled. Seeing all of this, Chen Chuan knew the matter had been resolved. He didn't know the exact means the Purist Faction had employed, but he had received word earlier that a massive white airship had appeared in the skies outside Center City. Clearly, this outcome was tied to that airship—the Purist Faction had sent someone. And a single airship alone would surely not be enough to sway things; it had to be something the airship carried, or simply the people on board. Yet whatever it was, the thing that created deterrence was, in the final analysis, military might. He looked up at the sky. Ultimately, all the world's rules were established on this foundation. Whoever held martial power held the right to speak. After standing there for a moment, a prompt sounded on his boundary credential once more. He checked it and connected the call. "Counselor Pei?" "I'm almost at your residence, about two minutes away. There are some matters with the Defense Department that I need to go over with you." Chen Chuan said, "Alright, see you shortly." Five minutes later, Chen Chuan sat in Counselor Pei's sedan. Once the car set off, Counselor Pei exchanged a couple of pleasantries before saying, "Good news and bad news. "The good news is that we are close to plugging the Ring of the World. If there is no further interference, it should be repaired by the end of the year." Chen Chuan's thoughts shifted. It seemed that by then, the pure substance would no longer spill out. "The bad news is that during the containment process, we discovered that another entity from the opposite side fell into our world. Andun detected it for an instant, but then it vanished." Chen Chuan asked, "Is it still in Center City?" "It should be. This place is the most suitable for them, and it has what they desire most. Besides, if it tries to leave, crossing through our detection field will inevitably cause significant fluctuations, which we would detect." Counselor Pei handed over a file. "Orders have come down from above to find it by any means necessary. The covert departments have already swung into action. We hope you will keep an eye out as well. If operational cooperation is needed, we will notify you. The Defense Department has already spoken with your bureau in advance; this operation takes priority." Chen Chuan flipped through the file and couldn't help raising an eyebrow, as the Defense Department suspected that this entity was very likely lurking within someone among the upper echelons. He asked, "Are there any suspects?" "We're still investigating," Counselor Pei said, his expression turning solemn. "If that entity has merely lurked and seized control of someone, that would actually be the best-case scenario. What we fear most is someone actively cooperating with it. That would be catastrophic." Chen Chuan considered this and nodded. After a moment of thought, he said, "It seems these entities pay particular attention to active conscious entities?" Counselor Pei said, "Some do, but others do not—they come with other objectives. So we cannot jump to conclusions. The latter scenario is even more complex, but we must stay vigilant regardless. During this final stretch of sealing the Ring of the World, we do not want any further mishaps. As long as we plug the breach, we can put an end to such occurrences. Though, of course, it would be best if we can ferret it out ahead of time." Chen Chuan said, "Since this may involve key political figures, if I make a discovery but cannot act immediately due to their status—and there isn't enough time to send word—such hesitation could lead to grave consequences. Therefore, I hope to obtain certain authority in advance." Counselor Pei replied, "The situation you described is indeed worth considering. How about this: once I get back, I will find a way to apply for an authorization for you." Hearing this, Chen Chuan looked at Counselor Pei and saw the latter looking back at him. He nodded and said, "Then thank you, Counselor Pei."