Since Wei Chang'an had said he would handle things here, Chen Chuan did not linger and rode away on his bicycle.
Little did he know that shortly after his departure, an illusory, pretty child crawled onto the wall inside that old well, only to vanish once more as moonlight emerged from behind the drifting clouds.
On his way back, Chen Chuan stuck strictly to side streets. Even so, he could still hear modified cars roaring past on the main streets from time to time, occasionally accompanied by the clatter of dragging chains and the shattering of bottles.
Night was when gangsters were most active, and he had no desire to cross paths with them unless necessary. Knowing now that certain urban legends were real, he took extra care, avoiding secluded alleys as much as possible.
After riding for over an hour, he arrived at Central Square, where he dialed the phone number noted in the dossier.
Once the call connected, silence lingered on the other end. Following the phrasing in the dossier, he said, "The target has been captured."
A heavy, emotionless voice came through the line: "Location."
"Central Square, across from Duyi Grand Hotel," Chen Chuan replied.
"Wait there. A vehicle will arrive shortly."
Chen Chuan hung up and waited by the curb. Before long, a vehicle rounded the corner from the far end of the avenue, its headlights blazing bright. It was a cargo van, and as it drew near, an emblem of a blooming dark orchid could be seen emblazoned on its side.
*Is this... Molan Company?*
Chen Chuan felt a spark of contemplation.
The van pulled up right in front of him. The doors swung open, and two people dressed in Molan Company uniforms stepped out.
Chen Chuan stood up and walked over with the bag. One of them took it, loosened the cord to look inside, and nodded. "The goods check out."
The other took the paperwork Chen Chuan handed over, signed it, stamped it with a seal, and passed it back.
After taking the slip, Chen Chuan watched the two carry the bag to the rear compartment. The moment they opened the doors, a wave of frigid air wafted out.
Once the cargo was secured, the two returned to the cab, climbed in, and promptly drove off without sparing Chen Chuan another glance.
Tucking the slip away, Chen Chuan checked his Second Self behind him, only to find that the faint, persistent blurring remained; it hadn't vanished just because the Child in the Well was gone.
Still, the harm was negligible, so he didn't dwell on it and rode straight back to Wuyi School.
At this hour of the night, security patrols still manned the perimeter outside Wuyi. When he approached, he presented his Class A student badge and was waved through immediately.
Back in the dormitory building, he first went to the public telephone and dialed Cheng Zitong. "Teacher, I'm back. Everything went smoothly. I handed the item over to the client using the number from the dossier."
Cheng Zitong asked, "How did it feel?"
Chen Chuan replied, "How should I put it? It was novel encountering something like that for the first time. Teacher, what was it, really?"
Cheng Zitong said, "There are some theories, but I can't say for certain either. If you want answers, you'll have to seek them yourself. Very few people take commissions involving urban legends because they've always been extremely dangerous. It's best not to touch certain things until the method to resolve them is known.
"What I gave you today had been compiled by predecessors and proven resolvable, making it relatively straightforward. In truth, the time and cost poured into figuring those things out beforehand was enormous. Most people avoid them like the plague, preferring to spend that effort on other commissions."
Chen Chuan understood. Such requests carried high risks and deep unknowns, yet the pay wasn't necessarily higher than other jobs. Why bother taking them?
Cheng Zitong continued, "However, if you specialize in these commissions, more of them will come your way down the line. The more you encounter, the more you will understand. Where others fail, you succeed, making you the expert. When trouble arises, you'll be the first person they turn to.
"Anyone can replace someone on ordinary commissions, but in this field, you'll be irreplaceable. They will have no choice but to seek you out, putting your rating in a league of its own."
Chen Chuan said, "Teacher, I don't care much about a high rating, but I truly am fascinated by such phenomena."
Cheng Zitong chuckled. "Right! Who cares what it is? If we're interested, we pursue it, simply because we want to! Nothing should bind us—that's how we of the intuitive school ought to be."
Chen Chuan remarked, "Teacher, you told me not to be bound by circles and factions. Wouldn't identifying ourselves as the intuitive school also be a form of binding?"
Cheng Zitong paused, then laughed. "You rascal, questioning your teacher and picking bones now, are you?"
"Isn't speaking one's mind another trait of the intuitive school?"
"Haha, you brat, you always have a comeback."
Cheng Zitong felt genuinely pleased; he had never met a student so attuned to his wavelength. What a pity, though...
Sighing inwardly, he rallied his spirits and said, "Past experience tells us you shouldn't take these commissions back-to-back, or there could be unpredictable repercussions. Rest for a few days first. During this time, we can also monitor the development of your mutated tissue to decide whether to set up training for the next threshold."
Chen Chuan replied, "Understood, Teacher. By the way, something else happened today that might have some follow-up."
He then recounted how he had unexpectedly stumbled upon Tong Qianjiang's trail, and might be involved in that commission going forward.
After hearing him out, Cheng Zitong said, "Ah, that matter. I've heard about it."
He pondered for a moment. "I believe that since you're already caught up in it, you should take an active part and not let the chance slip. It's tied to the Municipal Administration, so it could significantly boost your commission rating, and there might even be extra perks for you. It's too early to say for sure, but remember..."
His voice turned grave. "Look out for your own safety. For that bunch to hide for so long, they're far from simple."
Chen Chuan said, "I'll be careful, Teacher."
With the call finished and the hour late, he washed up and went to sleep.
Early the next morning, Chen Chuan finished his workout and returned to find Feng Xiaoqi and Luo Kaiyuan up as well, so they agreed to head to the cafeteria together for breakfast.
Feng Xiaoqi and Luo Kaiyuan had both begun their own training over the past few days and were currently consolidating their foundation. Normally, it took three to four months or up to half a year of familiarization before moving on to the next step.
In reality, this period was about waiting for the mutated tissue to grow; specific regimens could only be planned around its extent of development, though ordinary students remained unaware of this.
As a result, some students didn't master jin until their second year. That referred to greater jin, however; lesser jin was far easier to grasp. Even those without mutated tissue could develop it through sheer effort and drugs that stimulated their latent potential. Many Class B students mastered jin through that exact path.
While they were eating breakfast, Feng Xiaoqi handed each of them a pair of hand wraps. "My family made these specifically for me, and they made two extra sets for you guys as well."
Chen Chuan did not decline. He thanked him and took them. Politeness between friends meant reciprocity; he could always return the favor when an opportunity arose.
Taking his pair, Luo Kaiyuan said earnestly, "Thank you."
Feng Xiaoqi grinned. "Don't mention it, it's nothing big. The academy has all the heavy equipment you could want, but for smaller gear—like hand wraps, portable resistance bands, grip trainers, and chest expanders—having your own is much more convenient. My family manufactures this stuff anyway. I'll take you over to have a look sometime."
Chen Chuan smiled. "Sounds great."
After finishing breakfast, the three returned to the dormitory building. Just as they stepped through the entrance, they saw the dorm proctor speaking on the telephone. Spotting Chen Chuan, the proctor called out, "Student Chen, call for you!" Then, to the line: "He's here, hold on."
Chen Chuan walked over at once, voiced his thanks, and took the receiver. "Hello?"
Wei Chang'an's raspy, excited voice came through the earpiece. "Junior, we found Scarface's hideout! Are you free right now? I'm coming to pick you up."
Chen Chuan said, "I'm right at the dormitory building."
"Stay there, I'll be right over!"
Chapter 71