Moving in the Dark

"So you are Mr. Chen." Upon hearing that the young man before him was Chen Chuan, the team leader's posture immediately stiffened with deep respect. The clash in Shouguan District had caused quite a stir. Information about Chen Chuan had already made its way onto the desks of various commission companies and commissioners alike. They had neither the desire nor the courage to probe into where Scarface had obtained that set of military implants. However, Chen Chuan, who had gone toe-to-toe against a military implant user, drew immense interest, and several firms had even considered recruiting him. Yet Chen Chuan had been brought in by Wei Chang'an. The two were partners, not superior and subordinate, and both were alumni of Wuyi College. They were not people outside firms could easily sway. Fortunately, within a year or two, the school would permit Chen Chuan to take on off-campus internships. They could afford to wait that long, and some even believed it wise to send people ahead of time to make contact. Strength, after all, was the finest credential of all. Faced with someone like him, the leader naturally maintained utmost courtesy. He offered an apologetic smile. "Mr. Chen, my apologies. The young master prefers not to meet outsiders. Commissioner Wei may head inside, but I must ask your esteemed self to remain out here. I am truly sorry." Wei Chang'an turned to Chen Chuan. "Junior, wait for me here. I'll step in to ask and be right back out." "Sounds good, Brother Wei," Chen Chuan replied. The man immediately stepped aside, clearing the way with an inviting gesture. "Please." Wei Chang'an entered. Guided by the man, he walked directly into an office that had been temporarily cleared out. A man dressed in an imported yellowish-brown suit with slicked-back, oiled hair sat slouched on a sofa with his legs crossed, filing his fingernails. An assistant was bent over the desk before him, drafting and signing documents on his behalf. Seeing Wei Chang'an come in, the man said with evident annoyance, "Commissioner Wei, what is it now?" Wei Chang'an asked, "Commissioner Hu, I would like to know the exact operational plan. As a member of this mission, I believe I have the right to know." Hu Shiguang did not deign to speak to him. He simply gave the assistant's desk a kick. The assistant straightened up, adjusted his spectacles, and addressed Wei Chang'an: "Commissioner Wei, to ensure absolute safety, the details of the operation must remain strictly confidential. There is no need for Commissioner Wei to trouble himself. We only ask that Commissioner Wei follow the previous arrangement and guard the assigned intersection. Once the mission is accomplished, Commissioner Wei's name will certainly not be left off the commission sheet." "Did you hear that?" Hu Shiguang said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, swinging his crossed leg. "Commissioner Wei, the operation is about to begin. Could you kindly stop making trouble for us?" Wei Chang'an gave Hu Shiguang a long, searching look. Saying nothing more, he turned and walked out. At this moment, his resolve to strike out on his own grew firmer than ever. It was not merely a matter of meagre pay; being under someone else's thumb was profoundly stifling. Stepping outside, he rejoined Chen Chuan and headed toward the intersection the company had assigned him to watch. In truth, he knew full well that Hu Shiguang had simply manufactured an excuse to brush him aside. If Tong Qianjiang really came, he would never reach this spot anyway. After walking half a li, they reached their post. It had once been a small park attached to the factory, fitted with welded rebar slides and climbing frames for exercise and play. Time had moved on, however, leaving them coated in rust, and the surrounding ground was overgrown with weeds. The two found a dilapidated bench. Wei Chang'an pulled out a newspaper he had prepared, spread it across the seat, and sat down. "Couldn't get any operational details. Hu Shiguang placed us on the outer perimeter—he clearly doesn't want us involved in the actual strike." Chen Chuan did not sit. Instead, he leaned against a nearby tree and said, "I can't speak on your company's internal matters, Brother Wei, but I imagine this isn't your first time dealing with something like this. The long night before dawn is always bitter, but things get better once you endure through it." "You're right, Junior, but that's not what worries me." Wei Chang'an glanced back toward the factory. "Hu Shiguang lacks experience, yet he loves to think himself clever. I'm afraid he'll botch the whole thing. If that happens, not only will no one gain anything, but who knows how much longer it'll take to catch Fang Dawei's crew." Chen Chuan said, "Since he came here in person, surely he brought some experienced hands along?" Wei Chang'an said, "Normally, yes. But you should know there's been talk circulating in the company lately that Hu Shiguang only gets by on being the boss's son, and that without others propping him up, he's good for nothing. "It's the truth, but the truth cuts the deepest. He's desperate to prove himself, and I'm worried that in a fit of impetuous pride, he'll ignore good counsel and insist on running the show his own way." Chen Chuan thought to himself, *I get it. Brother Wei is describing someone whose skill is terrible but whose appetite for glory is boundless.* Seven o'clock arrived before long. With no role in the capture itself and nothing else to do, the two passed the time chatting about other topics. Wei Chang'an said, "Junior, did you know? Around this time in previous years, that instructor from Center City would already be on his way to the academy. In fact, he might already be there now. With your outstanding performance, he might very well seek you out." Chen Chuan was somewhat surprised. "Didn't you say he only teaches recommended students, Brother Wei?" Wei Chang'an replied, "That's what they say, but how he teaches and whom he teaches is ultimately up to him. If someone performs with exceptional brilliance, they're much more likely to catch his eye." He glanced at Chen Chuan. "I heard he has the means to take someone with him to Center City without consuming a recommendation slot." "Without consuming a recommendation slot?" Chen Chuan felt a slight stir within. Considering it, he said, "I'm afraid it won't be that simple." Wei Chang'an nodded. "I only heard it through the grapevine myself. He might not seek you out at all. I was just mentioning it in passing, so don't take it too much to heart." Chen Chuan did not dwell on it. If there truly were an opportunity packed with pure benefits and no drawbacks, everyone would be clawing over one another for it; it would never fall into his lap so easily. After setting that topic aside, they spoke of other matters. When Chen Chuan brought up military implants, Wei Chang'an seemed reluctant to delve deeper, warning him not to be overly curious. The waters ran far too deep, and it was best never to get dragged into them. He added, "As soon as Scarface was interrogated, people sent from the Municipal Administration took him away. No one knows where he is now, so forget about extracting any more leads from him." Looking back toward the front intersection, he sighed, "We can only hope tonight's operation succeeds. That way, Fang Dawei's crew will have fewer chances to harm people." They talked intermittently, and by the time it was nearly eight-thirty, hurried footsteps suddenly approached. A man clearly belonging to the commission company came running up, shouting toward Wei Chang'an and Chen Chuan in delight, "Commissioner Wei, we got him! We caught him!" Wei Chang'an sprang to his feet and said to Chen Chuan, "Let's go!" Chen Chuan followed close behind. The two quickly returned to the factory workshop. Inside, a masked man was pinned to the floor, his flat cap lying discarded beside him. Hu Shiguang stood over him, preening with smug triumph, surrounded by a ring of subordinates. Wei Chang'an took one look at the man on the ground and felt something was off. Seeing that none of the others spoke up, he stepped forward and asked, "Wait a moment. How did you confirm he is Tong Qianjiang?" Hu Shiguang snorted, gesturing casually. "Identify him." Someone stepped up immediately and ripped the mask away, revealing the plain, ordinary face of an onlooker. After examining him, the subordinate hesitated, saying, "Young Master, this... this doesn't look like Tong Qianjiang..." "What?" Shock and fury flashed across Hu Shiguang's face. Pointing an accusing finger, he snapped, "Then who the hell is he?" The man on the floor was trembling with terror. Under the barrage of questions, he tried desperately to speak, but only wheezing puffs of air escaped his throat. Someone realized what was happening and called out, "It's a loss-of-voice drug! Give him some voice-restoring pills." The loss-of-voice drug was common in commission companies, typically used to keep people from making unexpected noise during operations. After taking the medicine, the man was finally able to speak after a short while. "It has nothing to do with me! Nothing to do with me!" he wailed, tears streaming down his face. "I was forced to come here! He held a knife to my wife and kid's throats! I had no choice, I was forced into it..." Wei Chang'an shook his head. The truth was abundantly clear. Tong Qianjiang had been suspicious and sent a scapegoat ahead to test the waters. He had likely been hiding nearby just moments ago, but by now, he had surely vanished. It was hardly a sophisticated ruse; virtually anyone from the company would have seen through it under normal circumstances. Yet here they were, with the mission thoroughly botched. Wei Chang'an looked over at Hu Shiguang, who was violently shaking his assistant by the collar, screaming and cursing. Turning to Chen Chuan, he said, "Let's go, Junior. The capture has failed." Chen Chuan also cast a glance at Hu Shiguang, nodded, and the two walked away. Back at the factory, unwilling to accept defeat, Hu Shiguang dispatched a large number of men to scour the surroundings in hopes of ferreting Tong Qianjiang out. Naturally, nothing came of it. The search dragged on until midnight. Only when everyone was completely exhausted did Hu Shiguang finally give up. Before the team could even assemble to withdraw, he drove off alone. When the men returned and learned he had abandoned them, they were struck dumb, muttering bitter curses behind his back. Hu Shiguang drove all the way back to the luxury residential district in the southern part of the city. The moment he stepped into the living room, the sullen rage and frantic frustration vanished from his eyes without a trace. Waving away the maid who approached to help him change his shoes, he walked over to the telephone, picked up the receiver, dialed a number, and said, "Father, I did everything you asked of me." A voice came through the line: "Second Son, you've been wronged. I know that deep down, you've always been very capable." Hu Shiguang let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "What good is capability? I know that with Eldest Brother around, nothing will ever fall to me. It's better if I appear useless; that way, he won't look at me as an enemy down the road. But this whole matter... Father, why did you have to handle it like this?" "The water runs too deep here. It's best that things end right where they are. Do not wade any deeper." "Can't you tell me anything? I went through all that trouble, after all, and I even compromised my reputation as a commissioner." "You aren't the eldest. There are things you don't need to know. This is for your own good." Hu Shiguang let out a dry scoff. "For my own good? I just hope I don't get dragged down with it. It would be a bitter pill if I never got to share in the blessings, yet ended up sharing all the blame." "I have everything under control. Keep to your place, and your eldest brother won't make things difficult for you." With that, the line went dead. Hu Shiguang tugged at his necktie in irritation and muttered to himself, "Old man... I hope you really do have everything under control."