The Big Picture

Weiguang District, Bishu Street. A residential compound for military dependents was located here, and Chen Xiaojin had been living in this area all along. The security level was quite high, and Center City attached great importance to this place, conducting rigorous inspections on all incoming and outgoing vehicles and personnel. Around three in the afternoon, an extended armored executive car arrived at the mouth of the street. After credentials were shown and scanned at the gate, the sentry snapped a solemn salute, raised the road barrier, and let the vehicle through. Chen Chuan sat inside, looking out the window. Ginkgo trees lined both sides of the road. It was already autumn, and the golden-yellow leaves fluttered into the air at the sweep of a light breeze. At the end of the road appeared a grove of red maples. Through the gaps between the tree trunks, one could see a green lawn where many children from the military dependents' compound were playing and running about. The vehicle took a left turn and slowly rolled forward for over two hundred meters. In a corner of the lawn, Chen Chuan saw Chen Xiaojin practicing his martial forms alone, with several thick training dummies and pieces of equipment set out before him. "Stop here," he said. The car drew to a halt. An attendant hurried down to open the door for him. Chen Chuan stepped out, told the rest of the personnel to wait where they were, and walked over toward the lawn. Chen Xiaojin was practicing with deep focus and dedication, repeating his routine over and over. Drenched in sweat, he only noticed Chen Chuan standing nearby when he went to get a drink of water. He froze, then beamed with excitement. Trotting over to Chen Chuan, he hesitated for a moment before calling out, "Teacher Chen?" Chen Chuan did not object to the address. "The situation in Center City is complicated right now. Teacher Lu mentioned that someone might be tailing you. Don't go to the martial arts hall for now—just stay home and train." Chen Xiaojin lowered his head. After a moment, he looked up. "Does it have something to do with him?" "Hard to say right now," Chen Chuan said. "I'll look into it and clear things up as soon as possible." Reaching into his pocket, he took out an item sealed in a protective packet, handed it to Chen Xiaojin, and said, "Eat this." Chen Xiaojin took it and saw what looked like a seed inside. Tearing open the packet, he grabbed a cup of water, swallowed it down, wiped his mouth, and asked, "Teacher Chen, what is this?" "An Enlightenment Seed," Chen Chuan said. "There is a fifty percent chance it will enhance your potential, though it's also possible nothing will happen after taking it." The effects of this item were not immediate; it took time for them to gradually manifest. Chen Chuan had taken one earlier, but it had shown no discernible effect on him. However, testing it had confirmed there were no adverse side effects, which was why he decided to let others take it. Having given one to Chen Xiaojin here, he planned to give one to each of his old friends and classmates later on. Whether it could draw out their potential would depend entirely on them. Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaojin was immediately eager to test it out. Chen Chuan smiled. "It takes time. You won't feel anything right now. Just now, I watched you practice a set. A few details were off and need adjustment. Let me show you." He gestured for Chen Xiaojin to step closer, then held his shoulder and tapped a few spots, correcting the flaws in his power delivery. Lu Fang was an excellent teacher who paid great attention to subtleties, but unlike Chen Chuan, he could not observe the movements of mutated tissue in deep detail, making it inevitable that minor disharmonies would arise. In fact, this was generally unavoidable and tended to accompany every fighter throughout their life, usually requiring fighters to slowly perceive and correct these issues themselves through grinding and practice. Correcting it early now spared him many detours. Following his pointers, Chen Xiaojin practiced again and found that his movements were indeed much smoother, and the force behind his strikes grew greater. More importantly, practicing this way didn't tire him out at all. The deeper into the routine he went, the more cooperative the mutated tissue became, almost as if the tissue itself knew this was beneficial. After watching him practice for a while, Chen Chuan said, "For this kind of training, you must not exceed fifty repetitions a day for now. Stop if you get out of breath. Once you feel you can easily master it, gradually increase the count. And remember to have a conditioning specialist attend to you afterward." He guided Chen Xiaojin for the entire afternoon and shared dinner with him there. Chen Xiaojin was visibly thrilled, looking reluctant to see him leave when seeing him off. After departing, Chen Chuan immediately contacted Wu Bei and asked, "Brother Wu, how does it look?" Wu Bei answered, "I've checked into it. Previously, resonators and armed personnel were indeed tailing and surveilling Chen Xiaojin, but they pulled back as soon as the Handling Bureau's convoy appeared. I tried tracking them, but failed. Their technique is very sophisticated, and they're using better resonance nests than ours. To me, it felt like the work of a corporation." "A corporation..." Chen Chuan mused. "Brother Wu, keep an eye on this area for the time being. If anyone comes to visit Xiaojin or contacts him to go outside, be sure to let me know." "You got it." Chen Chuan did not plan to dispatch additional personnel. The security rating of the military dependents' compound was high enough; so long as Xiaojin did not step outside on his own, there would be no problems. Returning to Wuyi Academy in the executive car, he continued heading out each day to cultivate, steadily increasing his spirit power. Upon returning, he sparred with Hongfu while patiently awaiting word from Huang Weiyi. Several days later, Chen Chuan arrived early at the Handling Bureau for a supervisors' meeting. As expected, the agenda was to address the Corporate United Syndicate's delegation and the Linax Federation diplomatic delegation arriving two days later. Chief Wu said, "The Syndicate has demanded compensation from us on the grounds that their commercial cooperation with the Ferris Wheel Company was disrupted, and they've dispatched a legal team to file lawsuits against the Government Affairs Hall and the Handling Bureau. But this is merely their pretext for staying here. "We can be virtually certain that the Syndicate's true objective is the relic in the Confluence. "Historically, whenever a breach appears in the Ring of the World, a relic is inevitably born. Word has now leaked that there is a possibility of a Level 3 relic emerging. "In the past, the appearance of such a relic has possessed the potential to alter the balance of power across an entire region. As such, the military in the Confluence has already deployed in advance and is actively searching. "However, the former imperial house seems to have caught wind of this as well, and dispatched a cavalry unit. We have clashed and exchanged fire with them several times. Currently, we are in a standoff, only dispatching small teams to search the surrounding areas. "The Defense Department has mobilized capable personnel from the rear to reinforce the front, and our Handling Bureau has also reassigned operatives to assist. But the armed personnel brought by the Syndicate will certainly intervene soon. "It is certain that the Syndicate's delegation includes a contingent of relatively elite armed forces. While they cannot enter directly in their official capacity, they will enter the Confluence under the guise of personnel from various corporations. "We will stall them procedurally for a time, but we cannot hold them back for too long. Under the treaties established during the Grand Alliance era, various nations and corporations share an obligation to mend breaches in the Ring of the World and possess the right to share and conduct research on relics. They will undoubtedly cite this treaty to claim legitimacy." Supervisor Wen scoffed. "So when it comes to mending the breach, they have no obligations, but when it's time to share the relic, they claim every right. What a neat little scheme." Chief Wu said, "Therefore, we must under no circumstances let this item fall into the Syndicate's hands. And once the Linax Federation diplomatic delegation arrives in Jibei Dao, we will face even more adversaries, making the situation even graver." He turned to Supervisor Han. "Supervisor Han, you have already been liaising with the Syndicate. After dealing with them for so many days, can you confirm the identities of the armed personnel they've mobilized?" Supervisor Han said, "It is still unclear. I'm currently looking into it. The Syndicate enforces strict information blackouts regarding their personnel, and false information planted by them is everywhere right now. I need some time to screen and confirm it." Chief Wu stared at him for a moment before speaking in a low voice. "I need the specifics as soon as possible. I hope you can move faster." He paused, then added, "I know this is not an easy task. If you run into insurmountable difficulties, speak up early. The bureau will do its best to cooperate." Supervisor Wen also glanced over with a smile. "Supervisor Han, need any help? Just say the word if you do." Supervisor Han replied flatly, "No need." He looked toward the front. "I only hope the bureau will grant me broader authorization." Chief Wu pondered for a moment. "I will discuss it with the deputy directors after the meeting." He then turned back to Supervisor Wen. "Supervisor Wen, your tasks ahead are heavy as well." Supervisor Wen wiped the smile from his face and nodded gravely. After covering these matters, Chief Wu finally turned toward Chen Chuan and said, "Lianwei Heavy Control is also critical. Supervisor Chen, that company possesses formidable military strength, and there is no way they will sit out this matter. You must find a way to keep them contained." Chen Chuan replied earnestly, "Chief Wu, I understand." After raising a few more points warranting attention, Chief Wu brought the meeting to a close. After Chief Wu departed, Chen Chuan also walked toward the exit of the conference hall. Just then, a voice called out behind him: "Supervisor Chen." It was Supervisor Han calling him to a stop. Chen Chuan paused and turned around to look at him. "Supervisor Han, is there something I can help you with?" Supervisor Han stepped forward, looking at him. "Supervisor Chen, lately you've placed the entirety of Lianwei Heavy Control under surveillance. But according to my knowledge, those who have arrived in Center City from Lianwei Heavy Control so far are merely armed personnel responsible for routine security. There is absolutely no need for total surveillance. Andun's resources aren't meant to be used like this by you." Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "My apologies, Supervisor Han. You have your assignment, and I have mine. How I conduct my duties is not something I need to account for to you." Supervisor Han frowned. "When carrying out assignments, one must consider the big picture. Right now, the Syndicate is what matters most. We need more resources to counter them. Leaving a company like Lianwei Heavy Control alone for the time being won't hurt." Chen Chuan replied in a flat tone, "Supervisor Han, you're overthinking it. The so-called 'big picture' is something Chief Wu and the directors need to consider, not us."