A little over an hour later, Xu Chan brought the man back to the Security Defense Department, escorting him up through a dedicated passage.
Only after the captive was secured with specialized restraint equipment did he finally set his mind at ease.
In truth, merely capturing the man presented little difficulty for him; the real challenge lay in whatever self-destruct mechanisms the other party might carry. If the captive died and the clues were lost, the effort would have been pointless.
Xu Chan had therefore used his biological field combined with force throughout the journey to suppress the man's physiological activity, sustaining only the bare minimum of life support, and had managed to avoid any mishaps.
To eliminate any lingering hidden dangers, Chen Chuan had a team of specialized technicians examine the man from head to toe, dismantling several implant components capable of causing his death.
Once the man regained consciousness, Chen Chuan promptly had the Disposal Bureau deploy a team of interrogation specialists to work on him. Through the use of drugs and various interrogation techniques, an interrogation report was delivered to his desk several hours later.
He read through it. The man had originally been a senior security operative employed by a small company in the West Continent. Ten years ago, he had been recruited by an organization and sent to an overseas island to undergo training as well as full-body implant modifications. Two years ago, he had been dispatched back to the West Continent on a mission to steal technical intelligence, and only last month had he been reassigned from there and ordered by the organization to carry out this current operation.
Yet regarding the origin of the organization and the identity of the mastermind behind it, he was entirely in the dark as well.
Chen Chuan was not particularly disappointed by this. If the faction behind the scenes could be exposed so easily, this operative would not have been caught with such relative ease.
While the man knew little about the broader picture, he was a clue in and of himself. The technician's report showed that an extensive array of cutting-edge implants was integrated into his body. Over sixty percent of them originated from the Linakes Federation, with most of the remainder coming from the Norland Northern Alliance.
Some of these were high-end implant components that the Linakes Federation strictly prohibited from foreign export. To possess such capabilities while operating a training base in the Outer Ocean—currently, only the Consortium, the Linakes Federation itself, or major corporations hailing from there could pull off such a feat.
Coincidentally, there happened to be one company in Jibei Dao that matched this description:
Yuanren Company.
The firm's headquarters was located in the Linakes Federation, and it was also a member of the Consortium. Furthermore, judging from the clues left behind by his parents in this life, there might truly be some connection between them and this company.
Yet the true situation might be far more complex.
The Gray Shell Agency that had targeted him previously hailed from the Refined Practice School, and behind them was likely a martial artist from that same school. Meanwhile, from his previous conversation with Mr. Zhuan, the faction most opposed to his staying in Jibei Dao was the Convergence faction. Thus, it was quite possible that these various schools were also involved.
It was even possible that these forces had joined hands.
He pondered for a moment. Looking solely at this recent incident, Yuanren Company was the most suspicious and almost certainly involved. However, without any evidence or specific target, there was no identifiable individual he could confront directly. There was no question of simply charging in to tear apart Yuanren Company's local branch. Doing so would not eliminate the enemies lurking in the shadows, and if he really acted so recklessly, his adversaries would probably be the happiest of all.
Therefore, he needed to ascertain the reason behind their actions before making his move.
As for the idea that the Consortium was collaborating with the Municipal Council to drive him away, that was practically impossible. The Consortium's reach did not extend to influencing the highest decision-makers of Great Shun, nor would they expend such vast political capital on behalf of the Municipal Council.
Thus, he surmised that this was very likely tied to matters concerning his parents in this life, as well as the death of the body's original owner. After all, a direct-line member of the Gao family had appeared in those original memories; there might be some deep-seated secret involved.
He reflected that he would have to find an opportunity to get to the bottom of this. The key was to locate the person his parents had likely entrusted to serve as his teacher.
Previously, he had lacked the strength and had no spare time to investigate, but now he was in a position to look into it.
Before that, however, he needed to settle the business at hand.
Checking the time, he saw that dusk had already settled. He tapped his boundary credential to contact Xu Chan, who was waiting nearby. "Old Xu, do you have some time later?"
Xu Chan replied, "I have already briefed the Disposal Bureau. Whatever you need, Chief, just say the word."
Chen Chuan said, "Since joining the Purist Faction, you haven't met our comrades at the branch yet. Later, I'll take you over to introduce you."
Hearing this, Xu Chan said, "Minister, I've been wanting to meet them for a long time."
Seeing that Xu Chan was available, Chen Chuan had Andun mask his subsequent movements.
Although a martial artist's whereabouts had to be reported, he held an official title; as long as he did not step beyond the greater boundary of Center City, no one had any authority to micromanage his specific destination.
He then met up with Xu Chan and exited the administrative building. Rather than taking his official car this time, he drove his Jiade car, bringing Xu Chan along toward the branch located in Hongsheng District.
Along the way, Chen Chuan asked, "Old Xu, do you have any assignments on your hands lately that require support? If it's within my power to resolve, I'll take care of it for you."
Xu Chan chuckled. "Since Chief Chen has offered, I'd be a fool not to take advantage of it."
After the joke, his expression grew more serious. "Lately, I've primarily been investigating Green Source Ecology. Judging from our compiled intelligence, the company has deep designs in the Lower City. We've gathered some clues, but the situation there is complex, and the Disposal Bureau's reach struggles to penetrate deeply, so progress has been agonizingly slow."
Chen Chuan thought it over. "Deploying administrative measures down there isn't impossible, but it easily provokes resistance and resentment from the Lower City's residents. How about this: I have a few acquaintances in the Lower City who might be able to help you." With that, he tapped his boundary credential and forwarded several contact signals to Xu Chan.
"These are some friends of mine in the Lower City. You can reach out to them for assistance."
Xu Chan looked over the contacts and said solemnly, "Chief, thank you for your support. I will see this through properly."
Chen Chuan nodded slightly. If someone else were handling the matter, they might well disregard the lives of the people down there as long as the mission was accomplished. But Xu Chan was someone he could trust; Xu Chan did his utmost to look out for everyone, regardless of their status.
What was more, Xu Chan was not merely acting the bleeding heart—he possessed the genuine capability to back it up. It was precisely because of this that he was so widely respected and supported by his subordinates.
After the Jiade car turned into Hongsheng District, Xu Chan asked, "Minister, our branch is established here?"
"Yes, right in Hongsheng District," Chen Chuan replied. The plot in the Southern Industrial Zone was where Mr. Zhuan stayed; Mr. Zhuan was his guide, not a branch member, and moreover, Mr. Zhuan disliked speaking to people, so he would not be attending this meeting.
Xu Chan said, "I hear Yuanren Company plans to build their new corporate tower in Hongsheng District, and they're bringing several other companies on board to establish an eco-park."
Chen Chuan replied, "It doesn't matter. The land where our branch is located was once developed by Molan Company, but it fell into disuse for certain reasons, and the issues there remain unresolved to this day. It isn't suitable for long-term civilian habitation, but rest assured, Old Xu—it poses no hindrance to martial artists like us."
Nearly another half hour later, as night fully set in, the Jiade car arrived at the open expanse of land.
The place had transformed drastically from before. Several buildings had been erected, and notably atop the knoll where Teacher Wu's home once stood, a tower-like structure was currently under construction. Though only half-finished and shrouded in scaffolding, it remained strikingly prominent under the glow of industrial work lamps, visible even from a distance.
After the vehicle drove inside, Chen Chuan and Xu Chan stepped out and walked in. Chang Dong and Gao Yanjun, having received prior notification, were already waiting there, followed by three newly recruited peripheral members.
All three were young—two men and a woman—appearing to be around Chen Chuan's age. They had all freshly graduated from higher academies in Center City and possessed a certain foundation in combat.
After all, the Purist Faction was a martial arts school. Although its members were no longer exclusively fighters nowadays, individuals with combat capabilities were still given priority. At present, the young woman was temporarily serving as Gao Yanjun's assistant, while the other two handled errands for Chang Dong.
Watching Chen Chuan and Xu Chan stride over in their crisp, tailored uniforms, the three youths could not help but widen their eyes. They had joined the Purist Faction partly out of being drawn to the ideals Chang Dong espoused, but also out of the thrill and anticipation of joining an enigmatic sect.
They had believed all along that they were joining a secret martial arts school, yet had no idea beforehand that its members included two high-ranking government officials.
Chen Chuan appeared roughly the same age as them, but they found it impossible to see him as a peer—not only because he seemed to be the tallest among them all, but also because an invisible aura clung to his surroundings, making them intensely nervous.
And this was only because their mutated tissue was not yet formidable; one could say that the further advanced one's mutated tissue, the stronger their perception of the biological field.
Leading Xu Chan up to the group, Chen Chuan made the introductions. Chang Dong stepped forward, grasping Xu Chan's hand and pumping it enthusiastically, beaming. "Ah, Supervisor Xu! The Minister has spoken of you many times. Welcome to our ranks, welcome!"
Once everyone had become acquainted, Chang Dong dismissed the three youths to rest, then led Chen Chuan and Xu Chan into a temporary office. Producing a telegram, he handed it to Chen Chuan. "Minister, this telegram just arrived from headquarters concerning Supervisor Xu. Please take a look."
Chen Chuan took it and read it over. He had previously arranged for Gao Yanjun to submit Xu Chan's formal entry into the Purist Faction while simultaneously applying for pure substance on Xu Chan's behalf. Headquarters had sent back their reply: the application was received, but just as with Chen Chuan back then, the leadership needed to arrange an assessment.
He passed the telegram to Xu Chan and said, "Old Xu, if you have no objections, I will reply to headquarters and begin arranging the assessment."
Xu Chan answered in a deep voice, "Minister, I have no objections."
Chen Chuan had already discussed these matters with him when they dined out on the lake that day. In the past, Xu Chan had been reluctant to make that choice, but now that he had found a direction and possessed a real chance to reach the fourth limit, he naturally had no intention of letting it slip.
Chen Chuan gave a slight nod, then turned to Gao Yanjun. "Sister Gao, please draft a reply telegram to headquarters for me."
Chapter 825