A Conversation

Chen Chuan looked at Assistant Ling's smiling face, waiting for him to continue. Assistant Ling extended a hand, gesturing to his right. Chen Chuan turned his head to look. There stood an entire glass curtain wall, through which most of Center City was visible. Because of the angle of the light, he could also see the faint reflections of the two of them cast upon the glass. "Look outside. I truly enjoy admiring the whole city from here. It makes me feel as though I have a grasp on it. I believe many people feel the same way. Yet I know that is merely a false psychological satisfaction. "It is only because the building beneath my feet holds me up that I feel capable of looking down upon everything. But once I walk out of here and stand below, I can still only look up at them. I can only see a small fraction of what lies before me, and the mere shadows they cast are enough to drown me." With a touch of self-mockery, Assistant Ling added, "Power that does not belong to you is not true power." He turned his head back to Chen Chuan and said, "I remember you came out of Yangzhi City, Supervisor Chen. You were not originally a resident of Center City, yet in just a few short years, you became an Investigation Supervisor of the Disposal Bureau. Your achievements are enough to make most people envious, but you earned every bit of them. "The merits you established and the strength you possess were enough to push you into this position. "It is only that..." He swirled a finger in a circle across the glass, framing the city beyond it. "This world is bound by countless rules, you know? Rules. Whatever you can do must be permitted by the rules. "The difference here is... first, you must be permitted, and only then may you possess." Chen Chuan listened calmly. He had heard similar words from people in the Mutual Aid Society, and from Chen Bitong. Now Assistant Ling was speaking of the very same thing. Assistant Ling said with profound regret, "It truly is a pity. I had originally intended to discuss this with you after you encountered that barrier, Supervisor Chen. It might have been more appropriate then. "Yet I should have realized long ago—how could someone as outstanding as you not be valued by others? Even if you did not actively touch that rule yourself, there were people willing to pry open a crack in that doorway for you. "By now, I imagine you can already see the veiled stairway hidden behind that crack. But such a stairway... undoubtedly requires a price. "The corporations, the government, the martial schools—none are exempt. "I wonder what your choice will be, Supervisor Chen? You probably won't choose the corporations. The government, then? Or perhaps a school? The Convergence faction? Or the Refinement School? Yet no matter what it is, regardless of which side you join, there is honestly little difference. "The resources are in their hands, the martial might is held in their grasp, and the rules are naturally established by them. Though you may have forced open a sliver of a gap, if you will permit me to say something that might make you uncomfortable—how far you can walk depends entirely on how far they allow you to go." He emphasized his tone. "You must obey their rules. You can only do what they tell you to do. "You are merely a tool in their hands—a tool to maintain their authority, protect their interests, and consolidate their rules. They are the masters of the tool. And as long as you join them, as long as you remain among them, that is entirely unavoidable. I imagine you must have thought of this as well, Supervisor Chen. Are you truly resigned to that?" Having said this, he paused, then snapped his fingers with a sharp click. In an instant, the entire garden shifted into a golden desert. Under the vast blue sky, only the two of them remained, sitting opposite one another. "In fact, they once tried to recruit me as well, but I refused. Because I knew that once I joined them, not only would I become one of them, but my mind would no longer direct my body. I would only be swept along, driven, and constrained by external forces. "That was not what I wanted. All the ideals I once held would have vanished. "What I want to find is a stairway where I have the final say, where I make the decisions, and where all the rules are established by myself." "A rule-maker?" Chen Chuan nodded and remarked, "That seems extraordinarily difficult." Assistant Ling smiled. "It is very difficult, but not impossible." "Then has Assistant Ling found it?" Assistant Ling picked up the cup beside him again. At some point, the drink inside had refilled itself. Swirling it gently, he said with a smile, "I have already found it. "Though this stairway is difficult to tread, without exaggeration, I am already standing upon it. It is just that I have always been searching for like-minded companions. "I am also willing to share this. It should not be a stairway for me alone. When many walk it together, we can reach the other side that much faster." He shook his head, sighing softly. "It is only that such people are far too rare. Most individuals from powerful, influential families have their own ingrained perspectives; they would never cast everything aside to stand with me. Meanwhile, those who climb up from the bottom rarely acquire sufficient resources, and very few are capable of standing before this threshold." He gazed at Chen Chuan. "Supervisor Chen, in these past dozen-plus years, you are only the second person from a frontier city I have seen who possesses this qualification." *A dozen-plus years? A frontier city?* Hearing those words, Chen Chuan could not help drawing certain connections in his mind. "Supervisor Chen, after saying all this, I simply wish to tell you that the road you are currently walking is not the right one for you. No matter how talented you are, every step you take requires the nod of certain individuals. Are you truly willing to let them control your future and dictate your path forward?" He spread his hands, gesturing to their surroundings. "Consider this: without these constraints, walking entirely according to your own heart's desire—how magnificent would that be? The vast expanse would be yours to roam, and no one could ever bind you." Chen Chuan looked down at the cup in his hand. The liquid he had finished seemed to have been poured anew. Its fresh, clean aroma was indistinguishable from before, making it impossible to separate reality from illusion. He said, "The concept is indeed very appealing. Assistant Ling says you have already found that stairway, which makes me somewhat curious. Words alone cannot sustain anything; there must be substantial backing behind it—perhaps wieldable authority, distributable resources, or perhaps the most readily understood and accepted form: money..." He looked directly at Assistant Ling. "I wonder what it is that Assistant Ling possesses?" Assistant Ling replied with a smile, "What I can tell you, Supervisor Chen, is that there is indeed something supporting me from behind. That thing was not discovered by me first. Strictly speaking, I am a participant and an inheritor. But I can guarantee that whatever I promise will be fulfilled. "What I said just now does not merely sound wonderful—it can actually be achieved. If you are willing, Supervisor Chen, I can show it to you. I believe that once you see it, you will understand." Chen Chuan fixed his gaze upon him. "Is that so? Then I would certainly like to see it." Assistant Ling looked at him and laughed softly. "Today is probably not suitable. Allow me some time to prepare. When an appropriate opportunity arrives, I will demonstrate it to you in person, Supervisor Chen." Chen Chuan said, "Very well. Then I shall await your word, Assistant Ling." He set his cup aside and stood up. "I think it is time for me to take my leave." Assistant Ling rose as well. At that moment, the surrounding scenery reverted from the desert back to the botanical garden. Chen Chuan gave him a nod and walked toward the exit. Just as he was about to step through, something seemed to cross his mind, and he turned back to ask, "Assistant Ling, did Instructor Wu also join you once?" Assistant Ling smiled. "He was once part of it, yes. Unfortunately, we lost track of him later. It seems Instructor Wu thought very highly of you, Supervisor Chen?" Chen Chuan replied in all sincerity, "Instructor Wu indeed helped me a great deal." Having said that, he gave another nod and walked out of the sky garden. After he departed, Assistant Ling placed a hand on his boundary credential. A moment later, the call connected, and he spoke: "I spoke with him." "How did it go?" "Regrettably, he did not seem particularly interested. I suspect he will not join us." "I told you so," the voice on the other end said. "Besides, he is an Investigation Supervisor in the Disposal Bureau now. Why would he turn back? I think we should drop it and stop provoking him." Assistant Ling replied, "Yet no one is more suitable than he is." "Suitable?" "Yes. You know what I mean." The person on the other end was suddenly startled. "You..." Then the voice dropped low. "You had better think this through carefully." Assistant Ling walked slowly to the glass wall and looked outside. "We have already delayed for too long. Back then, that person helped us obtain that item from Molan Company. I believe this young man today can help us complete the subsequent piece of the puzzle. If we miss him, who knows how long we will have to wait." "If you are certain..." Assistant Ling smiled. "Right now, I am still certain. Later on, that might no longer be the case." The voice seemed to be swayed, asking cautiously, "When? I need some time to prepare." Assistant Ling merely said, "Start preparing first. I will let you know the time." With that, he ended the call, raised his cup, and drank down the grain treasure nectar that filled it. Chen Chuan walked out of the sky garden and took the elevator back toward his apartment. After that conversation, many thoughts drifted through his mind. He remembered Instructor Wu's final warning, which was why he had remained vigilant toward Assistant Ling all along. He had not forgotten the records in Instructor Wu's notebooks, nor had he forgotten Instructor Wu's final, frenzied state. No matter how beautifully words were framed, they could not obscure harsh realities. Whenever you gained something, you invariably paid a price. If you did not feel it yourself, then someone or something else was undoubtedly paying it on your behalf. Moreover, the man approaching him now was indeed a bit too late. He had already seen his own path. With a soft chime, the elevator doors slowly slid open. He stepped forward into the long corridor. Regardless of what the other party thought or what their motives were, he would see for himself when the time came.