Encounter

Huang Weiyi hastily agreed, promising to act as instructed and carry on as usual without backing down, holding out until Chen Chuan arrived. Once the call ended, he pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and thought to himself that this line of work was truly difficult. In truth, when speaking of his subordinate's ability earlier, he had worried that Chen Chuan might demand the person once he learned about it. Yet if he hadn't explained, he wouldn't have been able to substantiate how he had obtained the intelligence. Beyond simply being reluctant to part with such talent, the operative had previously suffered at the hands of the government and deeply distrusted official figures. Huang had also promised the man protection. If Chen Chuan had asked for him, Huang would have been forced to decline tactfully, which risked giving offense. Fortunately, Chen Chuan hadn't brought it up at all from start to finish, which brought him a great sigh of relief. After disembarking from the airship, Chen Chuan contacted Yuan Qiuyuan and the others to inform them of a relatively important operation. Next, he notified Wei Chang'an, Wu Han, Luo Kaiyuan, and the rest, telling them there was an assignment and that Yuan Qiuyuan's group would lead them shortly. For this operation, he didn't plan to mobilize personnel from the Processing Bureau. First, it preserved the element of surprise and prevented leaks; second, it served as an opportunity to hone the team. Although he judged that the targets had already caught on, he was in no hurry. It was currently daytime. Even if the other side planned to relocate or make a move, they would push the action into the night as much as possible. As far as today went, he had ample time to set up his arrangements. At the same time, Wei Dong was practicing his strikes in the training hall. His punches and kicks flowed with even greater smoothness and power than usual, showing unmistakable progress. Last semester, he had studied under Teacher Wang from the Main Academy. This semester, aided by financial support regarding the convergence boundary along with some savings of his own, he had purchased a course taught by a Teacher Jin. This instructor possessed unique prowess in external conditioning, particularly in internal refining, capable of utilizing mutated tissue to temper internal organs to a point where they could withstand weapon damage. Yet today, the instructor watched with a strange expression, noticing that Wei Dong's level had abruptly jumped by a considerable margin. This was exceedingly unusual. Could the boy's mutated tissue have entered an accelerated growth phase? Upon second thought, however, that didn't seem right. As a student he held in high regard, Wei Dong's progress had received close attention. Jin remembered having examined Wei Dong's mutated tissue not long ago, and it hadn't suddenly entered an accelerated phase. Such progress shouldn't be happening. A possibility suddenly occurred to him. Once Wei Dong finished his workout, Jin asked in an offhand manner, "Wei Dong, has someone been teaching you something lately?" Wei Dong replied, "Yeah, Chen Chuan gave me some pointers." "Chen... Oh, Supervisor Chen." Realization dawned on Teacher Jin. He looked at Wei Dong and remarked, "No wonder. Although Supervisor Chen only recently became an instructor, as a supervisor at the Processing Bureau, he naturally possesses real skill." Even so, although he knew Chen Chuan and Wei Dong were classmates and there was nothing wrong with offering pointers, a twinge of sourness lingered in his heart. If the guidance had been poor, that would be one thing, but for mere pointers to produce such an effect made him look utterly incompetent by comparison. *No, without the foundation I laid, Wei Dong couldn't possibly have improved so fast. Just looking at the force Wei Dong exerted earlier, he was still using the techniques I taught him, with hardly any broad changes.* Thinking this over made him feel slightly better. He cleared his throat and said, "Wei Dong, Supervisor Chen has a lot on his plate as an investigation supervisor for the Processing Bureau, and he's usually very busy. I noticed only three students signed up for his course. Perhaps it's best not to trouble him in the future." Wei Dong answered, "I didn't trouble him. He only gave me pointers for a few minutes." "A few minutes?" Teacher Jin's eyes widened. *With your rate of progress, you're telling me it was only a few minutes?* *Could the gap in teaching ability really be that immense?* He couldn't help feeling a bit stifled. In his eyes, Wei Dong had high potential and trained like a madman—a lump of gold he had personally unearthed. With a few years of dedicated practice under him, the youth was bound to make a stunning impression. But now, this piece of gold seemed capable of shining elsewhere as well, tarnishing his sense of accomplishment. He asked, "Wei Dong, do you think Supervisor Chen... er, Teacher Chen teaches well?" Without hesitation, Wei Dong replied, "Very well." Teacher Jin cleared his throat again. "Then does this teacher teach well?" Right then, Wei Dong's boundary credential chimed. "Wei Dong, are you free? Urgent mission." Wei Dong said, "Teacher, an urgent mission." "Oh, right, fine, go ahead." Teacher Jin watched him turn and sprint away, pausing for a moment before calling after him, "Be careful! Remember not to rush too far ahead!" *** Chen Chuan rode his designated vehicle all the way back to Wuyi Academy, checking on the progress of the three students he was tutoring along the way. In fact, they had remained in touch throughout these days, and he frequently corrected issues via the platform. So far, the trio's studies were proceeding without a hitch. Fan Cheng and Kong Yao would need at least a month or two to show tangible results. Jiang Xin, on the other hand, was an exceptionally perceptive student. Over the past twenty-odd days, his progress had been remarkably swift, and he would frequently ask questions with careful deference. These questions were things Jiang Xin could probably have figured out on his own with some deeper thought, yet he still brought them to Chen Chuan, putting on the posture of an earnest student of modest talent. Chen Chuan merely smiled at this, paying no mind to the boy's little calculations. As long as the student came to ask, he would answer honestly. Besides, Jiang Xin knew when to advance and retreat; his questions were neither excessive nor overly frequent. Aside from these three, no other students had chosen his course so far. This was because the other students were unfamiliar with him, and most had already selected their mentors around this period. Unless they switched midway like Fan and Kong, or received a recommendation from the academy, no one else was likely to study under him anytime soon. He let nature take its course. In any case, he only needed to ensure that two passed. After handling a few matters at the academy, he changed his clothes, picked up the Xuejun Saber, exited the Xuangong Building, and boarded a car toward the location Huang Weiyi had provided. This time, he brought Chaoming along intentionally. Chaoming could provide an aerial perspective, allowing him to better track the enemy's movements. Meanwhile, he remained in communication with Yuan Qiuyuan and the others. "The target of this containment operation is an elite squad and its associated personnel. This squad possesses formidable strength. To hone our coordination and maintain operational secrecy, I haven't involved personnel from the Processing Bureau. "Now, based on the surroundings of that location, I will lay out the specific assignments." As he spoke, everyone's boundary credentials received a comprehensive and detailed mission roster. It marked each individual's designated post, what they needed to do throughout the operation, and how they should respond under various circumstances. This roster had been reasonably allocated by Andun according to Chen Chuan's requirements. Considering the opposition likely consisted of powerful Lianwei Heavy Control Company fighters equipped with relatively complete weaponry and gear, Chen Chuan would handle the direct confrontation himself. The other team members were responsible for potential interceptions, dealing with covert personnel lying in ambush, maintaining public order in the surrounding area, and overseeing evacuations and retreats if necessary. The operation not only required containing the enemy, but also ensuring the safety of nearby civilians, which remained the top priority. After reviewing the file, everyone committed the details to memory. Chen Chuan waited a long while before asking, "Does everyone remember their duties?" They replied in unison, "Understood." By this point, the vehicle had arrived before the settlement. Pushing forward by car would not only encounter congested roads, but also provoke alarm among local residents. Chen Chuan instructed, "Pull over here." Once the car came to a stop, Chen Chuan stepped out. Behind him, car after car halted, and the personnel disembarked in turn. After systematically checking their gear, they immediately scattered, moving swiftly toward their designated posts as outlined on the mission roster. Chen Chuan reached up to straighten the brim of his hat. Holding the Xuejun Saber, he walked straight toward the trio's location. He had just received word from Huang Weiyi that the three individuals were still there, showing no signs of unusual movement. A sharp cry echoed from his boundary credential as a dark speck moved rapidly across the sky ahead. Chaoming would arrive there first, transmitting aerial views back to him through the credential. At that very moment, the three elite fighters from Lianwei Heavy Control Company remained inside the safe house. This location was an early safe haven established by the company, with long-term resident personnel providing cover for them. This squad operated under direct assignment from headquarters, possessing its own plan of action and objectives without exchanging any operational information with the local branch. Through primitive letters and clandestine radio transmissions, they maintained constant contact with headquarters, waiting for an opportune moment to enter the convergence zone. Just as Chen Chuan had deduced, they had indeed noticed someone watching them. The reason they hadn't reacted immediately was that this district was rife with gangsters and power factions who probed their premises from time to time. Moreover, the surveillance had been thoroughly amateurish. Center City's enforcement agencies operated nothing like that, suggesting the observers had little to do with the authorities. There was also a practical issue: external inspections had tightened recently. Relocating in a rush would only expose them more easily, so they had ultimately decided to stay put. The three were currently engaged in fixed contemplation—a form of mental conditioning that allowed their bodies and minds to remain in optimal shape at any time and place. Just then, a tense voice from the forward observer came through: "Someone is approaching. His clothing doesn't indicate his background, but he's likely a fighter, and looks very strong. I can't tell if he's coming for us." All three snapped their eyes open at once. Highly trained, they swiftly seized the weapons beside them, slipping into a stance of tight vigilance. Yet the moment they moved, an invisible wave of mental force slammed brazenly into their minds.