Having killed Yan Zhiwen in a single strike, Xu Chan stepped back several paces. Deprived of strength to support it, Yan Zhiwen's body pitched naturally forward, crashing onto the ground with a dull thud. The entire back of his head was split open, an injury that anyone could see was beyond saving.
At that moment, neither the armed personnel of the Crisis Affairs Center nor Captain Lyu and the others behind had managed to react. Neither side had expected beforehand that this clash would be decided in a single exchange.
Xu Chan gave his hand a flick, sheathing his rapier, and silently looked down at the corpse on the ground.
In truth, Yan Zhiwen had been quite strong. Even if he was slightly inferior to Xu Chan, combat was not solely determined by raw strength; it also depended on combat experience and tactical execution under pressure.
A disparity had certainly existed between them, but not to the extent of an absolute rout.
The difference lay in the fact that Xu Chan had just returned from a battlefield, entering this clash with the mindset of a life-or-death struggle. Yan Zhiwen, by contrast, had yet to adjust his mentality. He had gone on and on about enforcement and regulations, completely blind to the reality that while the external war was over, an internal war had already quietly begun.
That single difference alone had decided the ultimate outcome.
At this moment, the armed personnel of the Crisis Affairs Center were all seized with inexplicable terror. Though their gun muzzles were still aimed at the opposite side, not a single person dared pull the trigger.
They knew Yan Zhiwen's strength all too well. If even Yan Zhiwen had been killed in a single strike, what point was there in firing now? And since the other man could kill Yan Zhiwen without hesitation, he could slaughter them just as ruthlessly.
In his panic, Yan Zhiwen's deputy immediately reported the incident to the Crisis Affairs Center, which then escalated it to the councilors on the Municipal Council responsible for such matters.
Those councilors had never expected Xu Chan to strike Yan Zhiwen dead outright. Hearing this news, they were shocked to the core, utterly baffled as to where Xu Chan had gotten such audacity.
Their first instinct was not to pursue the matter further, but rather to feel panic and confusion. They wondered whether this move had been authorized by the Government Affairs Hall and the Defense Department—wondering if the Center City government authorities were preparing to move against them.
They immediately contacted the council and checked on the situation on all fronts. Yet neither the Government Affairs Hall nor the Defense Department showed any signs of unusual activity.
Once it proved to be a false alarm, they immediately issued formal orders to place Xu Chan and his party on the wanted list and arrest them for defying Center City regulations and killing law enforcement personnel. Chen Chuan was explicitly designated by them as the instigator behind the incident. They promptly mobilized the media to broadcast the news throughout Center City, seeking to stir up a tempest of public opinion.
Inside the Disposal Bureau at this moment, Wang Weiguang still lingered in the main hall, waiting for word from the Municipal Council.
His purpose in coming here today was under orders from the Municipal Council to wait and escort Han Fu out, assisting him in stepping forward to reclaim power.
Although Han Fu had been locked up and detained, with a petition filed to strip him of all duties and authority, the formal procedures had not yet concluded. After all, a figure of his rank could not simply be removed on a whim; the same held true for any Investigation Supervisor, requiring a process of at least a month.
It had not even been half a month since the proceedings began, so he still officially retained the title of supervisor. If he could walk free, he could theoretically wield authority again.
Yet that was only in theory. With Andun present, so long as Chen Chuan's authorization was not overridden and the previously submitted evidence and testimonies remained intact, it would be impossible to overturn the case unless higher authority or extraordinary evidence could refute all the aforementioned proof and revoke the review proceedings.
Therefore, Wang Weiguang was not optimistic about this endeavor.
Yet that did not matter. He knew that the Disposal Bureau's last supervisor had not yet returned from outside, and might never return at all. Zou Jinhang, who currently presided over daily affairs, was an enforcement captain just like him and lacked the standing to rein him in. If the superiors above were gone, Wang Weiguang's current strength gave him a real chance of ascending to the position of Investigation Supervisor.
Looked at from that angle, Han Fu's ruin might not be a bad thing at all.
Right at that moment, Andun's voice suddenly rang out: "Captain Wang, your application to meet with Han Fu has been approved. You may now proceed to the high-security holding cell."
Wang Weiguang was deeply surprised. Had it actually worked? He instructed his squad members to remain above, while he took the elevator down to the underground holding cells with a hint of skepticism. After passing several screening checkpoints, he entered the room where Han Fu was held.
Seeing Han Fu suspended against the wall, his whole form withered like a skeleton, Wang Weiguang felt a sudden pang of fellow feeling. Stepping closer, he said, "Supervisor Han, it's been a while."
Han Fu raised his head slowly. His bloodshot eyes lacked eyelids entirely, and the stare he cast chilled Wang Weiguang to the core.
"How did you get in?"
Wang Weiguang steadied himself and gave a smile. "Supervisor Han, you must have faith in the strength of the Municipal Council. As long as they want me to see you, I will certainly see you."
Then, wearing a meaningful smile, he stepped forward, drew an implant cannula from his arm, and plunged it into Han Fu's chest. Immediately, a liquid as crimson as blood was pumped inside.
Han Fu spasmed violently, but at the same time, his shriveled heart began to swell, and flesh and blood across his entire body began to regrow strand by strand.
Seeing that all the medicinal fluid had been transfused, Wang Weiguang jerked the tube back and retreated a few steps. "This new medicine provided by the Consortium can help you recover quickly. A martial artist can only use it once in a lifetime. But I trust that once Supervisor Han walks free this time, you will never need it again."
After a few minutes, Han Fu's spasms subsided. The muscle, fascia, and mutated tissue across his body were gradually regrowing. Looking up, he asked, "What is the situation outside right now?"
"How should I put it? That Supervisor Chen who arrested you went to the Confluence earlier and hasn't returned yet. Director Wu's review quarantine period isn't over yet either, so Enforcement Captain Zou Jinhang is presiding over daily operations for now..."
As a former supervisor of the Disposal Bureau, Han Fu naturally understood what this meant. His gaze flickered. At that moment, with two metallic clangs, he exerted his strength and snapped the shackles on his feet, followed by the locks on his hands. He then dropped down from above.
However, because his skin had not yet grown over him, he looked like a blood-red mummy, appearing even more ghastly.
Captain Wang flicked his wrist upward, tossing over a glass vial. "The council asked me to give this to Supervisor Han."
Han Fu snatched it out of the air. "What is this?"
"Supervisor Han has done so much for the council. Naturally, you deserve your due reward."
Supervisor Han looked at it again, his eyes revealing a gleam of astonishment and delight. "Pure substance?!"
"Indeed!"
Wang Weiguang smiled and said, "That is why I say only by siding with the Municipal Council can we ever get ahead."
Han Fu neither agreed nor disagreed, but his hands moved without delay. He broke the seal instantly and downed the vial of pure substance in one go.
His flesh and blood had already been continually regrowing, but drinking this vial of pure substance seemed to accelerate the process. In less than ten minutes, he had fully recovered. Although his newly regenerated skin looked somewhat pale, a peculiar brilliance brimmed within his eyes.
Slowly, he raised his hand, and then... faint wisps of light flickered across it.
Spiritual perception!
Seeing this, Wang Weiguang was filled with shock and apprehension, involuntarily retreating two steps. "Supervisor Han, this..."
Han Fu stared at the faint glow. Given his progress in cultivation, he had originally been just a sliver away from spiritual perception, lacking only resources and a certain drive—always falling short of that final spark.
Yet this ordeal had honed both his body and spirit through torment. Now, restored by the medicine and pure substance, he had leaped across that threshold in a single bound.
Of course, the breach in the Ring of the World had also played an indispensable role, allowing him to channel that power with greater ease. Once he grew accustomed to it, he would be able to master it even after the breach was sealed.
Remembering the scene of being ruthlessly battered by Chen Chuan, a glint of cold fury flashed through his eyes. If it were the him of today, the outcome would never have been like before.
Wang Weiguang gathered his wits slightly and said, "Supervisor Han, congratulations. The council sent me here to cooperate with you and help you seize control of the Disposal Bureau. Should we gather our men and make our move now?"
Han Fu replied, "Hardly anyone across the bureau trusts me now. Going by what you said, my subordinates should all be held in separate custody."
Wang Weiguang looked at him and said, "I believe Supervisor Han must still have people left. Having run things in the Disposal Bureau for so many years, how could you not have kept a few aces up your sleeve?
"Besides, I brought people with me as well—all personnel provided by the Gray Shell Agency to support us. Supervisor Han, you'll be in charge this time, and I'll assist you. We'll first take down those troublemakers who oppose you, then win over anyone with good sense, and afterward release all of your subordinates. Taking control of the Disposal Bureau shouldn't be difficult. As for those charges against you, the council will hire lawyers to resolve them. You have no need to worry about that."
Han Fu did not believe things would be quite so simple; even his ability to escape carried an air of suspicion. But he was out now, and that was more important than anything else. In particular, now that he had mastered spiritual perception, many things he previously could not or dared not do were well within his reach.
At that moment, Wang Weiguang's boundary credential suddenly chimed. He glanced at it, looked up, and said to Han Fu with a mix of nervous tension and excitement:
"Supervisor Han, that Supervisor Chen who arrested you is back! They are currently on their way to the Disposal Bureau. But he made a blunder: on the road, Xu Chan killed Yan Zhiwen of the Crisis Affairs Center! The Municipal Council has already issued a wanted and arrest warrant. Supervisor Han, this is a golden opportunity to wipe them out in one stroke!"
Hearing Chen Chuan's name, deep hatred surfaced in Han Fu's eyes. Yet he noticed the other name mentioned, and asked prudently, "Xu Chan is with him as well?"
"Yes, but you don't need to worry, Supervisor Han. The team dispatched by the Municipal Council to surround and capture them is already on the way and will arrive shortly."
Wang Weiguang smiled. "Supervisor Han, you have mastered spiritual perception now. If you face that Supervisor Chen again, you shouldn't have any trouble, right?"
Cold light gleamed in Han Fu's eyes, the faint glow on his fist flickering erratically. "All the agony and torment I suffered before—this time, I will repay him twofold."
……
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Chapter 777