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In the outskirts of Center City, the Southern Industrial District. Chen Chuan drove his Jiade car here alone. Unlike the urban center of Center City, the southern industrial zone had no flashy neon signs or billboards. Instead, it was dominated by gray concrete structures and massive metal-framed factory buildings, while lines of freight rails cut across the ground, leading back toward Center City. Although field creatures were stationed within each workshop, the different sectors operated independently of one another, with no fully integrated information network linking them. The materials Fang Zhixin had spoken of were stored inside one of these freestanding workshops. Chen Chuan cross-referenced the bearings and landmarks Fang Zhixin had described, bringing the car to a halt at a specific location. Evening was approaching. The light of the setting sun fell against the sheet-metal walls of the workshops, casting a soft, golden-red hue over the cold, hard steel. In the alleyways between the industrial lots, stray cats could be seen lounging lazily across the warm concrete or gazing at him from near the rail spurs, scrambling to their feet and leaping up to higher perches only when he drew near. Chen Chuan paused to get his bearings, then walked toward an aging workshop. It was a standalone repair depot. In front of the entrance stood an elderly security guard whose arm implants looked long neglected, their discolored finish contrasting sharply with the rest of his flesh. The guard watched him with a wary, scrutinizing gaze, a hand resting on the holster at his hip. Seeing that the man matched Fang Zhixin’s description, Chen Chuan stopped about ten paces away and said, "I'm here to collect something left in safekeeping." He glanced at his wristwatch. "It's five forty-five. Exactly the agreed-upon time." The old guard fell silent for a moment, then turned and headed inside. "Follow me." Chen Chuan followed him in. Despite his advanced years, the man moved briskly with quick, measured strides. They arrived at an unassuming break room, where the guard unclipped a ring of keys from his belt, sorted through them for a moment, and found the right one. He unlocked the door, pushed it open, and said, "It's inside. You can take everything. There's a handcart outside if you need it." Leaving those words behind, he said nothing more and turned to leave. Chen Chuan stepped inside alone. The room was not large, roughly twenty square meters. A bookcase stood along one wall beside a heavy, broad desk, directly facing a sturdy single bed. A safety helmet and work overalls hung from the wall by the headboard. The shelves were packed with books, mostly reference manuals on maintenance and mechanics. Chen Chuan ignored them, walked over to the bed, and dragged out a case from underneath. He brushed away the thick layer of dust and entered the passcode Fang Zhixin had given him. Inside lay stacks of neatly organized documents on the blending grounds, along with a jar filled with hundred-yuan Jianyuan bills and loose coins, as well as a few collectible badges. He knew, however, that the documents in this case were a mix of genuine and fabricated materials—a mere decoy. Taking them as gospel would only lead one into a trap. He picked out a distinctively crafted badge from among them, glanced at the nearby desk, walked over, and slid open the drawer. Resting inside was an old, nondescript boundary credential. The true records were stored within it. To view its contents, one had to touch the badge to it to elicit a response. Chen Chuan took the badge, fitted the boundary credential in place, and lightly touched it with the badge. The previously inert device activated at once, projecting a faint glow of light that displayed row after row of data. However, the boundary credential had been in a state of hibernation for so long that its power was exceedingly weak. It would need to be soaked in nutrient solution before it could properly display its full contents. He would have to take it back and review it at leisure. He packed everything up, placed all the items he needed into the case, and carried it out in one hand. After bidding farewell to the old guard, he departed and walked all the way back to his Jiade car. Once seated inside, he glanced at the case on the passenger seat, weighing whether to turn these materials over to the Processing Bureau. But after brief consideration, he decided against it. While the bureau seemed fine on the surface, he did not trust certain individuals within it. Moreover, since Chen Bitong had hidden these things here rather than handing them over to the government, it meant he had never wished to do so. Chen Chuan respected his choice. Just as he was about to start the engine, a communications signal came through his boundary credential. He checked it and accepted the call. "Assistant Ling? Is something the matter?" Assistant Ling's voice came through crisply within the car cabin. "Supervisor Chen, do you recall what I mentioned earlier about members of the Linax Federation delegation's academy wishing to hold an exchange match with Wuyi? The exchange is scheduled for the next few days. I was wondering if you might be available?" Chen Chuan declined. "No, I have assignments at the bureau these days, so I won't be coming over. I believe that even without me, Wuyi Academy's standards won't fall short against the delegation. Not to mention you'll be there, Assistant Ling." Assistant Ling offered a faint smile. "Very well then, Supervisor Chen. Our previous arrangement still stands. Come the exchange match, I'll get in touch with you again." "I'll be waiting," Chen Chuan replied. After ending the call, he looked outside. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and dusk was settling in. One by one, the lights on the factory buildings and the streetlamps flickered to life, illuminating the roadway. He started the car and slowly drove out, heading back toward Center City. The following day, as Chen Chuan was using his boundary credential to sort through and review the blending ground records, he received a message from Wu Bei reporting that the head and key personnel of the Lianwei Heavy Control Company branch might be heading out to the Outer Ocean to negotiate a business deal. Chen Chuan turned the thought over in his mind. The Lianwei Heavy Control branch had made no moves over the past few days, yet now they were suddenly venturing out to sea—and right after his operation yesterday. The close timing naturally invited suspicion. He also recalled that Fusion Boundary was likewise planning to travel out to the Outer Ocean in October, ostensibly to expand their business. After considering this, he contacted Yan Yi. Once the connection went through, he said, "Assistant Yan, you mentioned earlier that Meng Shu might travel to the Outer Ocean in October. How certain are you of this business deal?" Yan Yi answered, "Very certain. We have the full backing of the Government Affairs Hall this time, and our preliminary negotiations are mostly concluded. Though several other companies are competing with us, if it comes down purely to commercial negotiations, their chances of winning aren't great." Chen Chuan understood. On the negotiation front, Fusion Boundary had essentially secured their position. But commercial competition was never just a matter of what happened at the bargaining table; it also encompassed rivalries in other arenas, extending all the way to the physical safety of the team. If the negotiators themselves ceased to exist, any commercial agreement would naturally become void. For that very reason, every corporation today relied on its own armed strength. While the Government Affairs Hall had provided commercial backing, security was something they would have to handle themselves. He could not be certain of Lianwei Heavy Control's true intentions, but necessary security precautions had to be put in place. He said, "Mr. Sancheng is very familiar with affairs on the Outer Ocean, but he's only one man after all. I will assign another capable person to your side." He decided to dispatch Su Wei to join them before their formal departure, ensuring nothing would go awry. "In addition, I'll give you two contacts." He tapped his boundary credential, sending her one contact profile and two telegraph frequencies. "Of these two, one is Gu Haiting from Canglong Company's public relations department. If you run into trouble on the Outer Ocean, you can contact him directly and tell him I sent you. "The other is Talu, the master of Danliu Dojo. She is a third-limit fighter of formidable skill. If the company can provide sufficient financial support to her dojo, you can enlist her assistance as well." Upon receiving the information, Yan Yi expressed her gratitude with earnest sincerity. "Thank you, Supervisor Chen. Thank you for supporting the company." She knew full well how significant Chen Chuan's help was. Although Fusion Boundary had ample funds at present, they had cultivated no top-tier fighters of their own, and the only person beside Meng Shu who could truly be trusted was Aunt Yu. In Center City, matters were manageable. Because of Chen Chuan's presence, even if he did not step forward personally, he could resolve the vast majority of problems. But going out to the Outer Ocean was another matter entirely; their connections and deterrence within Center City would be utterly useless there. Under Chen Chuan's arrangements, counting Aunt Yu, they could assemble at least four third-limit fighters by their side. Adding the personnel they hired themselves through the platform, that should be sufficient to guarantee the safety of their entourage. Most crucial of all was the connection to Canglong Company. Once out on the Outer Ocean, one entered the sphere of influence dominated by Canglong and the Ocean Exploration Group. With ties to Canglong Company, conducting operations on the high seas would be vastly smoother than before. Chen Chuan said, "Since I am the company's security supervisor, this falls under my responsibilities. Also, a word of advice for the company: regarding this upcoming blending ground, even if the Government Affairs Hall dispatches personnel, do not get deeply involved." Yan Yi listened attentively and promptly replied, "I will convey your words to the young miss." After ending the call, Chen Chuan noted that the intelligence squad had not yet produced results, so he prepared to resume his morning training. He stepped out of the Xuangong Building and, ten minutes later, arrived at the airship mooring point in Wuding District. From there, he boarded an airship and headed out over the sea. His cultivation went smoothly that day. When the morning had passed and he watched the fissure before him gradually close up, he sheathed the Xuejun Saber. Just at that moment, however, he sensed something unusual. *This is...* He focused his senses and discovered that, without him even realizing it, his second self had acquired mental power. Previously, although the second self had reached the third limit, it had not yet advanced to the stage of possessing its own mental power. Now, however, it was clearly not far from matching his present strength. With the second self overlapping with his primary body, the power he could unleash would undoubtedly surpass what he had possessed before. His primary body's mental cultivation still fell slightly short of true completion, but at his current pace of progress, it would not take much longer. He looked out of the airship. The bright sunlight of late September streamed straight through the viewport onto him, bathing everything inside and out in dazzling brilliance. He knocked lightly on the cabin door and said, "Let's head back." Before long, the airship banked slowly in the clear sky, returning toward Center City on the sea breeze.