The Plan

"What is your thought, Supervisor Chen?" Chen Chuan's calm, steady, and forceful voice came clearly through the boundary credential. "Since we cannot seal off the convergence zone, our only option is to carry out a degree of cleanup on the personnel entering it." Commissioner Liang was silent for a moment before asking, "What is your specific plan, Supervisor Chen?" Chen Chuan's response was succinct and clear. "The plan is simple. I will enter the convergence zone myself and take care of purging the armed militants who pose a threat to us." Commissioner Liang said, "Supervisor Chen, as the Investigation Supervisor, it is no longer appropriate for you to fight on the front lines." Chen Chuan replied, "You know the situation in the Disposal Bureau, Commissioner Liang. Aside from me, no one else is currently capable of handling this." Looking toward Commissioner Liang, he continued, "And from what I know, the Defense Department is equally stretched for personnel. Even if you wanted to muster such a force, there probably wouldn't be enough time." Commissioner Liang said, "Then Supervisor Chen, have you considered who will maintain daily operations at the Disposal Bureau after you leave?" "I have," Chen Chuan said. "Captain Zou can handle it." "Old Zou?" Commissioner Liang nodded. "His rank isn't quite there, but he can indeed handle the routine affairs." He paused. "Supervisor Chen, personally, I agree with this. However, the stability of the Disposal Bureau is vital—not only to the Defense Department, but to the Government Affairs Hall as well. I think you understand what I mean?" Chen Chuan said, "I understand. But right now, the crux of the matter does not lie in the Disposal Bureau, but in the convergence zone. Besides..." He looked at Commissioner Liang. "Hasn't Teacher Xue arrived?" Commissioner Liang was somewhat surprised. "You've already met?" Chen Chuan nodded. "Yes." This idea of his was not born of an impulsive whim, nor was it reckless hot-headedness; it was a decision grounded in reality. With a martial artist present, the Government Affairs Hall could secure the ultimate baseline. And with that foundation and prerequisite in place, he could feel assured enough to carry out his plan. What Commissioner Liang had worried about most was that Chen Chuan, being young, might act too impulsively or aggressively, without thinking things through. Now that he saw Chen Chuan had indeed weighed the matter from every angle, he felt more inclined to agree. He said in a deep voice, "It is indeed a viable strategy. But you must understand, Supervisor Chen: the convergence zone is extremely complicated. Raw strength alone isn't always enough to make a difference. Once inside, the enemies you face may not merely be humans in the conventional sense. There are various convergence zone creatures, and perhaps even certain entities from the other side." "It won't be any more difficult than what Captain Xu has to face," Chen Chuan said. Commissioner Liang pondered for a moment, then said, "How about this: I will confer with the Government Affairs Hall and give you an answer shortly." "Then I will trouble you with that, Commissioner Liang." The field screen darkened. Chen Chuan reached for the Xuejun Saber, drew it from its scabbard, and began slowly wiping it down. After quite a while, the field screen in front of him lit up again. He set the half-polished Xuejun Saber on the desk. Two figures appeared on the field screen. Beside Commissioner Liang stood an easygoing middle-aged man who looked to be in his thirties or forties. The man looked at Chen Chuan, glanced at the Xuejun Saber on his desk, and smiled. "Hello, Supervisor Chen. I am Qiao Yang, Chief Administrator Qi's secretary. It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. Supervisor Chen is indeed young and capable, truly living up to your reputation." Chen Chuan nodded in response. "Secretary Qiao, hello." After exchanging greetings, Secretary Qiao's expression turned slightly solemn. "Supervisor Chen, I am inquiring on behalf of the Chief Administrator. The Chief Administrator has already learned of your proposal from Commissioner Liang and wishes to ask: can you guarantee that your plan will be successfully executed?" Chen Chuan answered, "If the Government Affairs Hall grants me sufficient authority and directs the Defense Department's external outposts to coordinate with my actions, then assuming no additional beyond-limit forces intervene, I can guarantee the success of this mission." His confidence was well-founded. First, along the periphery of the convergence zone, he could obtain supplies from the various garrison outposts without needing to make special preparations. Second, he possessed the cartographic data left behind by Chen Bitong. This map marked locations that government agencies did not cover, allowing him to cut into mandatory routes through concealed passages. Among these were several hiding spots Chen Bitong and his teammates had carved out during their time in the Pioneer Team; as long as he carried enough provisions, he could stay there for an extended period. Finally, he now had Hongfu's assistance. Hongfu's power was not simply a matter of the third limit; she had merely been restricted by programming at the academy. However, separated from her main body, her power was visibly weakening over time, to the point where she could only sustain herself by anchoring to him. He would not deploy her unless the situation turned critical, but she remained, without question, one of his trump cards. Seeing how confident he was, Secretary Qiao said, "If you are confident, Supervisor Chen, we will support you. Still, we hope you will act within your capabilities. In your position at the Disposal Bureau, you can undoubtedly make far greater contributions." "I will," Chen Chuan said. Secretary Qiao nodded and asked, "Supervisor Chen, is there anything you require?" Chen Chuan immediately transmitted a document he had already drafted. Secretary Qiao glanced over it. "Supervisor Chen, we will make every effort to coordinate what you need." Then, straightening his expression, he said, "Supervisor Chen, wishing you success in your operation." "Thank you, Secretary Qiao. Please also convey my gratitude to Chief Administrator Qi for his support." "I will," Secretary Qiao said. After the screen on Chen Chuan's end went dark, Secretary Qiao and Commissioner Liang continued their conversation across the field screen. Secretary Qiao remarked, "Supervisor Chen has a strong sense of responsibility and great courage." Commissioner Liang said, "Responsibility comes from duty; courage comes from strength. In this matter, I believe in Supervisor Chen. When Mr. Xue arrived in Center City, he didn't even contact us before going to see Supervisor Chen first. That shows how highly Mr. Xue thinks of him." Secretary Qiao agreed. "Given Mr. Xue's high regard, we are also willing to place our trust in Supervisor Chen. Since the decision has been made, the Government Affairs Hall will do its utmost to cooperate with this operation. Let us hope for a good outcome." Commissioner Liang said, "I believe Supervisor Chen can pull it off. What he has accomplished in the past gives me that confidence." On Chen Chuan's end, after ending the call with the two men, he looked over the addenda beneath the confession—matters that did not concern the main specifics, but nevertheless demanded close attention. For instance, the whereabouts of Supervisor Wen's body. Supervisor Han's statement indicated that he hadn't bothered with it at the time, leaving it to a well-known fighter from the Linakes Federation known as the "Skinner" to handle. The moniker alone made it clear that things were likely grim. Still, no matter what, if he was venturing deep into the convergence zone this time, he had to find a way to recover Supervisor Wen's remains. Beneath the addenda were names of armed personnel whom Supervisor Han definitely knew had entered the convergence zone, along with his understanding of them. After reviewing this, Chen Chuan pulled additional files from within the Disposal Bureau to ensure he was as informed as possible. Even though he considered himself strong enough, he would not underestimate anyone. Once he had finished reading through these, he set about arranging a series of preparations for his absence from the Disposal Bureau. With Andun coordinating and adjusting the various personnel, there shouldn't be too many problems. In view of the substantial losses in manpower over this recent period, he expedited the approval of a cohort of reserve personnel still in training to enter the Disposal Bureau, and transferred several individuals with exemplary records from City Security to fill the vacancies. At the same time, he called Zou Jinhang in for a private discussion to lay out his upcoming tasks. He also summoned the supervisors and operational captains of several major districts for individual meetings to reassure morale. By the time he finished all these tasks, it was already late into the night. Seeing that the Defense Department had transmitted the latest map data on the convergence zone, he opened it to examine. It marked the current situation in the convergence zone, noting not only the various garrison forts but also several concealed military installations. The rest consisted primarily of geographical data on the deeper regions of the convergence zone, which he could also find in the Disposal Bureau. Overall, it was quite close to the data Chen Bitong had provided. The current Pioneer Teams and government scouts were not ineffective, yet certain locations and routes remained unmarked. This might also come down to ability: routes that Chen Bitong and his teammates had scouted back then might not be traversable by today's pioneer members, depending not just on raw strength, but personal experience as well. As expected, the Syndicate had obtained some map information leaked by Supervisor Han, and likely had map intelligence provided by various corporations as well. Their advantages were not as slim as one might think. Although personnel from the Syndicate and the Linakes Federation could not obtain supplies from the garrison forts, there were settlements and cities established by various corporations within the convergence zone. They could stay there and draw a measure of personnel support from them. When dealing with these people, this was a factor that had to be taken into account. He spent the entire night at the bureau. By the following morning, he had barely managed to put everything in order. After consuming several tubes of nutritional paste, he meditated for a while in the training room. Around midday, the boundary credential indicated that Chang Dong was attempting to contact him. He connected. "Mr. Chang?" Chang Dong's voice came through: "Supervisor Chen, headquarters has replied." Lowering his voice slightly, he added, "Also, headquarters specifically sent Mr. Zhuan over this time. Ah, don't worry, Mr. Zhuan came by train this time. If it's convenient for you, Supervisor Chen, why don't we go pick him up together?" Chen Chuan nodded and asked, "Which station?" "Longhu Station in the Southern Industrial Zone outside the city. I'll send you the location." A chime sounded from Chen Chuan's boundary credential, displaying the location. Glancing at it, he said, "All right. I'll come pick you two up first." Ending the call, he briefed the key personnel in the Disposal Bureau on a few matters, then drove out alone. He first headed to Weiguang District to pick up Chang Dong and Gao Yanjun, and then drove onward, leaving Center City District behind and following the directions on his boundary credential toward the station in the Southern Industrial Zone. ... ...