Suspicious Shadows at Daybreak

Weiguang District, No. 15 Golden Maple Garden. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the residence, Chen Chuan looked out at the scenery beyond. Weiguang District bristled with towering skyscrapers ablaze with magnificent light and shadow. It was the administrative and commercial heart of Center City, the most prosperous area in the entire metropolis—and indeed, all of Jibei Dao. His current residence was situated right within this zone: an eight-story villa divided into five floors above ground and three basement levels, all connected by an internal elevator. The property covered a considerable area, claiming an exclusive corner along the scenic shores of Xingtan Lake, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. In truth, it could practically be called an estate. The security facilities were comprehensive. Not far from the villa was a mooring dock for small airships, allowing him to embark at a moment's notice. This way, even if he traveled out to sea for his training, he would no longer have to trek out to public mooring stations. The villa had also been outfitted with a resonance nest; so long as a suitable resonator was present, they could manage field-level intrusions and defenses. Of course, this was merely a backup for exceptional circumstances. Under normal conditions, his access permissions with Andun were more than sufficient. What pleased him most was the collection room on the fourth floor. He had specifically requested its remodeling to accommodate all his current collections, with plenty of room even if they were to multiply several times over in the future. Basement Level 1 was an underground garage equipped with a generator set and space set aside for field-interference organisms. Basement Level 2 was rather unique: it connected directly to a passage leading into the Melded Lands, allowing him to drive a vehicle straight to a Melded Lands transit station or enter the territory itself. As for the training ground, it was located on the lowest subterranean level and had undergone complete structural reinforcement, rated to withstand the standard impacts of a martial artist. That, however, was only based on general industry standards; whether it could truly endure his power remained to be seen. There was, however, one feature distinct from any place he had used before: having acquired a portion of Fumu's authority, he could simulate environments just as he had back at Wuyi Academy. Previously, Chen Bitong had borrowed field resources of Fumu from Speaker Quan specifically to conduct those specialized training sessions for them. Yet for someone at the Fourth Limit, achieving any meaningful training effect required mobilizing far too many resources. What he currently controlled fell well short; attempting to force the issue might even cause field data across large swathes of Center City to collapse. Still, he had already made up his mind. While he could not use it himself, he could turn this facility into a training ground for his squad members, letting them leverage these resources to enhance their strength. In any case, letting such resources sit idle would be a complete waste; putting them toward developing his squad made far more sense. He poured himself a hot drink and sipped it slowly, turning over in his mind the tasks awaiting his attention and a few lingering questions regarding his training. Just then, his boundary credential chimed softly. He accepted the connection, and an investigator from the Disposal Bureau spoke from the other end: "Section Chief, according to our inspection, Lü Miao was suspected of suffering from 'functional disorder syndrome' due to the abuse of implants and pharmaceuticals. Our investigation indicates he likely had multiple records of assaulting others; analysis of residual digital traces suggests Lü Gao found ways to delete them all after the fact. "On the current medical evaluation records, he exhibited a severe drug reaction at the time of the incident, and his implants were in a state of extreme excitation. We suspect he suffered a remote intrusion by a resonator, which, combined with the heavy ingestion of narcotics, drove him to that irrational act. He probably had no idea what he was doing at the time." Chen Chuan listened quietly. This had come as no surprise; no sane person would ever drive an ordinary civilian vehicle into an armored motorcade. He asked, "Is Lü Miao dead?" "No. Lü Gao purchased Level-2 service from Parallel Emergency Rescue for him. He's currently submerged in one of their nutrient pods, barely maintaining vital signs. Word is that Lü Gao is preparing to put him through a full-body implant procedure." Chen Chuan gave a noncommittal hum. He had noticed that Lü Gao had made no move to offer an explanation or apology after the incident. Evidently, the deputy chief realized that explaining or not made no difference at this point, so he spared himself the superficial effort. As for Lü Gao, he would deal with him once he officially took charge of the Security Defense Department. Once the report concluded, he ended the call, picked up the Xuejun Saber from the table, and prepared to head down to the subterranean training ground to test it out. But just as he reached the elevator doors, an unfamiliar voice message came through. Andun indicated the sender was the "Wansong Commission Agency," displaying that the agency held a very high security clearance and was not a permanent firm based in Jibei Dao's Center City. After a moment's thought, Chen Chuan tapped to accept, and the recorded voice message promptly played. It was a gentle, middle-aged woman's voice: "Section Chief Chen, we are the Wansong Commission Agency. Our firm specializes in private services for martial artists, including networking, message forwarding, and the procurement of nutrients. We have been engaged by a client who wishes to communicate with you at your convenience. If you are interested, you may leave a message for our firm following this recording." Chen Chuan's eyes flickered slightly. "Andun, can you pull up any information on this company?" Andun replied, "My apologies, Section Chief Chen. The voice message was transmitted through a dedicated channel. No records regarding this company exist in the Jibei Dao Disposal Bureau database." Chen Chuan pondered the matter. The sender claimed to serve martial artists, which likely meant another martial artist backed the firm, one who operated outside Center City—explaining why Andun could not access their records. He could not help but reflect that although intra-city communications were advanced, each Center City remained an isolated island. If the Skyline Project were truly brought to fruition, the efficiency of obtaining information and resources would undoubtedly skyrocket. Entering the elevator, he descended to Basement Level 3 and stepped into the training ground. Once inside, he observed that the entire training area was lined with specialized biological materials capable of self-repair. Surveying the expansive subterranean space, he nodded in approval. Structural integrity aside, it was sufficiently sealed off; after slashing open a fissure, he would not need to deploy a field specifically to block the fallout, sparing him some effort. Setting the Xuejun Saber aside, he walked to the center of the floor and slowly took the stance of the Great Bright Light Form. He spent two days resting here. On the morning of December 1st, he donned the uniform of the Security Defense Section Chief, took his dedicated vehicle to the Administrative Office Building, and rode the elevator up through a private passage to the 70th floor, where the Security Defense Department offices were located. Guided by Fumu's prompts on his boundary credential, he made his way toward his new office. Along the corridors, armed guards, security personnel, and over a hundred department subordinates and administrative staff stood waiting in formation. Seeing him enter, they raised their hands in salute in unison and chanted as one, "Section Chief!" Chen Chuan glanced across the assembly and returned the salute. He had already reviewed dossiers on most of those present via his boundary credential and spoken with key management staff, so they were no longer strangers. Looking around, he asked, "Is Deputy Chief Lü not here today?" A subordinate answered, "Deputy Chief Lü's son was involved in an accident, so he has submitted an application for leave to the Administrative Department." Chen Chuan nodded. "Continue with your work, everyone." He continued down the corridor toward his office. After clearing multiple security verifications at the door, he entered the room. Setting the Xuejun Saber aside, he walked toward the desk. Just then, the red scarf wrapped around his neck fluttered slightly, as if brushing something away. His eyes shifted. Reaching out with two fingers, he pinched down and caught the object. It was transparent, offering no tactile sensation between his fingertips; because it posed no physical threat to him, it was exceptionally easy to overlook. He asked, "Hongfu, what is this?" Hongfu's voice sounded: "A kind of mental blend substance. It can infiltrate the interior of a boundary credential, allowing the carrier's whereabouts to be monitored within a specific field." Chen Chuan's gaze sharpened. A mental blend substance? Without question, this came from the hand of a martial artist. He immediately connected to Fumu. *Pull up the access records of everyone who entered or left this office over the past two to three days.* Moments later, the light screen projected the activity logs. In the few days since Section Chief Bei's departure, aside from security inspection personnel and cleaning staff, the only visitor had been Deputy Chief Lü—though at the time, Lü had used his administrative clearance to erase his actions. Curiously, the records he had wiped were merely the logs stored by the inactive conscious entities on the office zone's side. The logs within Fumu itself were impossible for him to expunge, something Lü Gao surely knew. If anything, it seemed like a deliberate attempt to convey a message. Chen Chuan considered this briefly, then tapped his boundary credential to issue an order to the Disposal Bureau: "Deputy Chief Lü is suspected of involvement in an assault case. Take him into custody immediately and bring him to my office." Barely an hour later, Deputy Chief Lü was escorted into his office. The moment he laid eyes on Chen Chuan, his expression grew profoundly complicated. Chen Chuan dismissed everyone else, then said, "Deputy Chief Lü, you know why I had you brought here. Speak." Lü Gao said slowly, "Someone told me to plant something in your office. But I don't know what it is." "When? Who?" "The day my son had his accident. Who were they? I don't know. The Council? The Consortium? Both are possible. But I imagine anyone targeting you, Section Chief, must possess comparable power, wouldn't you say?" At that moment, he reached up, gouged a bloody piece of implant tissue from the side of his skull, and tossed it onto the desk. "When I spoke with them, they shielded the field, but there are things they couldn't block. This contains the full recording of my initial and subsequent conversations with them. It's all in there. "I believe you will be able to find leads from this, Section Chief Chen." Chen Chuan glanced at it and said, "Deputy Chief Lü, I assume you can see that what happened to your son is tied to them." Lü Gao said in a heavy voice, "I guessed they were the ones pulling the strings from the shadows. But I also know that right now, only they can save my son's life. They wield immense influence. If I hadn't cooperated, I couldn't have protected myself, let alone my son. So back then, I had no choice but to comply." He looked toward Chen Chuan. "Section Chief Chen, my son has done countless foolish things. But as a father, no matter how much of a bastard or a piece of trash he is, I still want him to live. For that, I am willing to give up everything. "Section Chief Chen, I will cooperate with you on all affairs within the Security Defense Department. Everything I know, I will tell you without reservation. I only hope..." He drew in a sharp breath, a ferocious snarl twisting his features. "...that when this is over, those who harmed Xiao Miao pay the price they deserve!" ... ...