Target

Disposal Bureau, internal interrogation room. Supervisor Han hung suspended against a dark-gray wall. Constructed from a specialized biomaterial, the soft surface gripped him firmly, effectively preventing any martial artist from exerting force. Specialized shackles bound him from head to toe, and drugs had been injected into his internal organs to keep him alive while suppressing any regeneration of his mutated tissue. He remained completely motionless, resembling nothing so much as a shriveled, desiccated corpse. Suddenly, he seemed to catch a sound. His eyeballs shifted beneath closed lids, then opened. The heavy door to the interrogation room swung open. The head of the interrogation team entered first and stood respectfully to one side. Then came steady, forceful footsteps. Chen Chuan walked in from outside. Casting a glance at Supervisor Han, he walked over to the interrogation chair opposite him, sat down, and said, "You wanted to see me? Say whatever you have to say." Supervisor Han spoke in a rasping, grating voice. "I want to talk to you alone." Chen Chuan made a brief gesture with his hand. The interrogation team leader saluted, backed out of the room, and pulled the door shut behind him. "Speak." Supervisor Han stared at him. "I belong to the Refined Practice School." Chen Chuan said in a flat tone, "And?" Assuming Chen Chuan hadn't understood, Supervisor Han repeated himself, raising his voice slightly. "I am a member of the Refined Practice School." Chen Chuan's expression remained unchanged. Looking up at him, he said, "So what? Are you saying there are other Refined Practice members involved in this?" He nodded. "Give me their names. I'll take them down." Supervisor Han clearly had not anticipated this response. "Supervisor Chen, I know you belong to the Purist Faction. Perhaps you believe you're merely acting according to the Disposal Bureau's regulations and Center City's laws by arresting me. But given who we are, this is destined not to remain a purely internal bureau matter. Your actions could ignite a conflict between factions." Chen Chuan remained completely unmoved, his voice devoid of ripples. "Is that your trump card? I don't care about your affiliations—Refined Practice School, Convergence faction, none of it matters. If you still delude yourself into thinking this will spare you from punishment, you're being ridiculous. "Judging by your Refined Practice School's past track record, you have no value left to them now. If anything, they're only thinking about how to sever ties with you. But if the school backing you truly wants to use this to start a factional war, I will gladly accept the challenge." He knew full well that even if the Refined Practice School clashed with them, it would only be because their core interests were threatened, never over someone like Supervisor Han. He looked at Supervisor Han and said calmly, "Han Fu, if you want to confess, then lay it all out clearly. If you don't, you used to be an Investigation Supervisor—you know the bureau has plenty of ways to make you talk." Having said his piece, he lost all interest in continuing the conversation. Standing up, he walked straight out. After he left, the interrogation team resumed their work. Yet Han Fu broke faster than expected. Barely three hours after Chen Chuan stepped out, the head of the interrogation team arrived at his office holding a written confession, speaking with suppressed excitement: "Supervisor Chen, Han Fu confessed." "Did you use harsh methods?" Chen Chuan asked. "No, sir. He cooperated voluntarily." Chen Chuan did not ask why Han Fu had suddenly become cooperative. He took the confession and read through it. According to Supervisor Han's statement, this entire affair had been initiated primarily under the instruction and backing of a certain Councilman Zeng from the Municipal Council. The primary objective was to find a way to smuggle unregistered personnel from the Linakes Federation and the Syndicate into the Melded Lands. Supervisor Han had not detailed the underlying reasons, but it was not hard for Chen Chuan to see that this was plainly an extension of the ongoing struggle between the Council and the Government Affairs Hall. By exchanging interests and bringing in foreign aid, the Municipal Council sought to weaken and counter the Government Affairs Hall's burgeoning influence following the demolition of the Ferris Wheel. Supervisor Han's assassination of Supervisor Wen was meant to clear the obstacles from the path. Furthermore, with Supervisor Wen dead, Director Wu currently incapacitated, and Chen Chuan eliminated, Supervisor Han would have held sole command over the Disposal Bureau. This would allow a temporary loosening of oversight at the entrances to the Melded Lands, and looking further ahead, Supervisor Han would have been the most qualified candidate to assume full authority over the Disposal Bureau. When that time came, the Municipal Council faction would hold substantial influence within the bureau, and Han himself stood to gain immense benefits—beyond status and power, he could secure massive infusions of resources. As for the involvement of Wuyi Academy, Han Fu confessed that he wasn't entirely clear on the details. He had not handled those contacts directly; they had been arranged through an intermediary organization, the Gray Shell Agency. After reading through it, Chen Chuan looked up at the interrogation team leader. "What do you make of this confession?" The interrogation team leader replied, "Supervisor, I believe it's genuine. Besides, I saw a fierce desire to survive in his eyes. Supervisor, if he refused to say anything, we have plenty of ways to pry his mouth open, but whether his mind would remain intact afterward is another matter. Since he's willing to cooperate, there's no need to take unnecessary measures. If we follow standard procedure and implicate enough people, the case will take longer to process. As a key witness, he gets to stay alive. And as long as he stays alive, there is hope. He doesn't want to die so quickly." Chen Chuan nodded. During their brief exchange earlier, he had sensed that same desperate will to survive. But for Han, it was not merely about staying alive. As a martial artist himself, Chen Chuan understood the man's mindset even better. Supervisor Han simply refused to accept defeat like this. He still wanted to win. He was gambling—gambling that the Municipal Council faction would have the last laugh, which would give him a chance to survive and perhaps even turn the tables. And to see that outcome, the first prerequisite was ensuring he stayed alive. Chen Chuan pondered the matter. Among those named in the confession, Councilman Zeng was a clear target. However, holding the status of a councilman, he couldn't be taken down on confession alone; more concrete evidence was needed. Even if they could act now, they would have to prepare for a confrontation with the entire council. Pulling one thread would move the whole tapestry—which was undoubtedly another reason Han Fu had confessed so readily. The man likely wanted nothing more than to see Chen Chuan collide head-on with the Municipal Council. As for that Gray Shell Agency... He knew very well that the agency served as a proxy for the Refined Practice School, handling much of their liaison work. For instance, the three people who had come to recruit him into the Refined Practice School last time had belonged to that agency. If two martial artists from the Purist Faction hadn't stepped in with a show of force, that matter wouldn't have concluded so quickly. Could this current scheme be retaliation for that previous incident? It was not impossible. From the Refined Practice School's perspective, they certainly didn't want the Purist Faction reestablishing a foothold in Center City. Moreover, Chen Chuan occupied a pivotal position in this affair; eliminating him along the way would kill two birds with one stone. And because they hadn't acted directly, they wouldn't have to worry about the Purist Faction tracing it back to them afterward. Chen Chuan considered the situation. He was currently facing a massive interest group spearheaded by the Municipal Council. Eliminating one or two individuals would accomplish nothing and fail to touch the root of the problem. If one were removed, they could simply prop up another. Only by tearing up the entire interest group by its roots could the issue be resolved once and for all. Yet that was beyond what he alone, or even the Disposal Bureau as a single department, could accomplish—and now was hardly the right time to take them on. For now, the most critical matter remained the Melded Lands. Regardless of whatever deals the Syndicate and the Linakes Federation had struck with the Municipal Council, they were inevitably premised on seizing the relic. That relic was the absolute crux of everything. Therefore, whatever their objectives, these people could not be allowed to get their way. Through his temporary supreme authorization, Chen Chuan had already reviewed the records earlier. After entering the Melded Lands, Captain Xu had sent back several telegraph messages. However, the deeper one ventured into the Melded Lands, the more difficult signal transmission became; since the day before yesterday, no further messages had arrived. Given Captain Xu's capabilities and the strength of his squad, as long as they weren't ambushed by an overwhelming force several times their size, they shouldn't run into serious trouble. However, if Captain Xu found the relic ahead of schedule, he would become the primary target for the Syndicate, the Linakes Federation, and even the old imperial family, which would place him in grave danger. What Chen Chuan could do on his end came down to two things: first, dispatch reinforcements promptly; second, strictly control and restrict personnel entering the Melded Lands, ensuring no further hostile forces could join the fray. He pondered for a moment, then said to Andun, "Andun, connect me with Commissioner Liang of the Defense Department." "Understood. Please wait a moment." A moment later, the field screen in his office lit up, and Commissioner Liang's upper torso appeared on display. "Supervisor Chen, what can I do for you?" Chen Chuan nodded in greeting before saying, "Commissioner Liang. I assume you are already aware of what happened at the Disposal Bureau. I just finished interrogating Han Fu and have the general picture. I believe it's necessary for you to review it." Tapping his boundary credential, he transmitted the edited confession over. Commissioner Liang received it immediately. After reading it for quite a while, his expression grew exceptionally grave. "Supervisor Chen, you're currently in charge of the Disposal Bureau. I'd like to hear your thoughts." Chen Chuan said, "Dealing with the Municipal Council can be set aside for now. We must first rein in the forces of the Syndicate and the Linakes Federation. In my opinion, we should immediately impose control over all passages leading into the Melded Lands and temporarily bar all corporate-affiliated personnel from entering." Commissioner Liang said in a heavy voice, "I wish we could do that as well, but it's impossible. Permitting corporations to enter the Melded Lands to assist in defense is based on an accord signed during the era of the Grand Alliance, one that is universally observed internationally to this day. Moreover, the reason so many enterprises and corporations remain in Center City—aside from commercial interests—is precisely because these access passages to the Melded Lands exist. "They are not just competitors; in the future, they will also be a major force in opposing that other world. We cannot exclude them. "Furthermore, within the Melded Lands, they have established settlements, corporate branch bases, and cities. If we forcibly shut down the passages, it will provoke backlash from every single corporation. If the Municipal Council stirs up trouble behind the scenes on top of that, given current trends, it's hard to imagine how far things might spiral out of hand." Chen Chuan nodded. He had seemingly anticipated this response. Looking up, he said, "In that case, we can only go with the second option."